[Daily Caller] Former Marine, and researcher for Blaze Media, Jason Buttrill was reportedly recalled to the U.S. after tweeting a photo of himself Thursday allegedly firing a rifle at ISIS.
Buttrill’s tweet featured a photo of himself behind a rifle somewhere in Iraq. He followed up the photo with another tweet saying he managed to get six shots fired at ISIS. The Blaze network wrote a story about the incident, before releasing a statement announcing Buttrill’s recall.
"Jason Buttrill is a valued researcher for Mercury Radio Arts for a television show that airs on TheBlaze network. Given his military and security background, Mr. Buttrill was offered the opportunity for an important research assignment in Iraq. Due to his conduct, Mercury Radio Arts has recalled him back to the U.S. He has been suspended from further field research assignments," the statement declared.
Posted by: Besoeker ||
12/12/2016
15:26 ||
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#1
Necessary and appropriate. Can't imagine it's legal for a civilian to shoot somebody, even in a war zone, unless in self-defense. Damages status of non-combatants in general. Potential legal liability for employer and sanctioning governments.
h/t Instapundit
When it comes to faithless electors, I wrote the book--literally.
Okay, it was a novel, and a satirical one at that. But I did immerse myself in the law, and the lore, of the Electoral College, and the potential for "faithless" (or rebellious or courageous) electors to throw the whole process of picking a president into a cocked hat. (The novel, The People’s Choice, is available at fine church basements and rummage sales, or here.)
It’s from this perspective that I’m watching the various efforts to deprive Donald Trump of his majority when the electors meet in their respective states this week.
...It’s all a shadow play--entertaining, provocative, but bearing no relation to current political reality.
...In theory, Trump would offer the perfect case for rebellion.
But when theory meets reality, the prospects dim to invisibility. To begin with, Trump’s electoral majority is simply too big. Think back to 2000, when George W. Bush emerged from the post-election battle with 271 electoral votes. Had only three of his electors defected to Gore--on the ground, say that Gore had won half a million votes more than Bush, he would have had the majority (at least temporarily; more on that in a moment). Not a single Bush elector bolted; including those unbound by any state law forcing them to stay with their pledged candidate. The prospect of persuading 37 Trump electors to rebel is all but non-existent.
But let’s assume it happened (Maybe Trump could say or do something in the days before December 19th that would prove beyond the pale, though what he’s said and done this last year and a half makes that idea shaky.) Let’s say when the usually ceremonial battling is over, 40 Trump electors have bolted.
Then what?
Those votes would have to be validated by the appropriate state official, usually the secretary of state (No, not John Kerry, the 50 officials across the country). If these electors were bound by state law to vote for their pledged candidate, that official might well refuse to count that vote; court battles would follow, but it’s by no means clear that such votes would be certified and sent on to Washington.
Meanwhile, the legislatures in states where electors defected might weigh in. It’s hard to believe, but under the Constitution, state legislatures have all but total power over how electors are chosen. They are under no legal obligation to let voters have any say at all; they could designate the Department of Motor Vehicles Commissioner to pick them; or, they could make the choice themselves. (That’s what the Florida legislature threatened to do back in 2000 when the Gore-Bush recount fights dragged on). So should an elector, or two, or six from a state bolt, there’s a good legal case to be made that the state’s legislature could say "no way!" and choose their own slate.
Assume, though, that this doesn’t happen, and that somehow defecting votes are sent to Washington. There’s still the pesky matter of the United States Congress--the final arbiter of these votes.
#1
Maybe because they don't teach and thus do not really understand that its the United States of America, not the Peoples Democratic Republic of America. 37 states are not going to surrender to 20 major metro areas anything short of a civil war.
[Reuters] U.S. President-elect Donald Trump took aim at another major defense contractor on Monday, saying the cost of Lockheed Martin's F-35 fighter jet program was too high.
"The F-35 program and cost is out of control. Billions of dollars can and will be saved on military (and other) purchases after January 20th," Trump said on Twitter.
The aerospace giant's shares dropped 2.6 percent in premarket trade after Trump's tweet.
A week before Trump won the Nov. 8 presidential election, the U.S. Defense Department and Lockheed Martin (LMT.N) concluded negotiations on their ninth contract for F-35 fighter jets after 14 months of negotiations on the deal of more than $6.1 billion, the Pentagon said.
Trump campaigned on a promise to cut waste in federal government.
Last week, he also used Twitter to target Boeing Co (BA.N) for its "out of control" costs on a new fleet of Air Force One planes, urging the federal government to "Cancel order!"
#5
every day comes another confirmation that the US voters are smart, wise, good people who can see through MSM bs fake news and who voted the RIGHT man for the job into the presidency
[Zero] While we wait to see if and when the Senate will pass (and president will sign) Bill "H.R. 6393, Intelligence Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2017", which was passed by the House at the end of November with an overwhelming majority and which seeks to crack down on websites suspected of conducting Russian propaganda and calling for the US government to "counter active measures by Russia to exert covert influence … carried out in coordination with, or at the behest of, political leaders or the security services of the Russian Federation and the role of the Russian Federation has been hidden or not acknowledged publicly,” another, perhaps even more dangerous and limiting to civil rights and freedom of speech bill passed on December 8.
Recall that as we reported in early June, "a bill to implement the U.S.’ very own de facto Ministry of Truth has been quietly introduced in Congress. As with any legislation attempting to dodge the public spotlight the Countering Foreign Propaganda and Disinformation Act of 2016 marks a further curtailment of press freedom and another avenue to stultify avenues of accurate information. Introduced by Congressmen Adam Kinzinger and Ted Lieu, H.R. 5181 seeks a “whole-government approach without the bureaucratic restrictions” to counter “foreign disinformation and manipulation,” which they believe threaten the world’s “security and stability.”
#1
Basically, "political correctness" is a ban on free speech. The 1st Amendment is the law of the land--Anything else that says to the contrary is in violation of this freedom. Enough of the Stalinist crap.
#3
Only way you stop this sort of thing is for Trump to get two constitutionalist judges on the SCOTUS and tell Roberts to make payback for obumble's strongarming of the Court and the Constitution his full time agenda.
Posted by: M. Murcek ||
12/12/2016 10:32
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Countering Foreign Propaganda and Disinformation Act of 2016
Apparently, domestic propaganda and disinformation (NYT, ABC, CBS, NBC, CNN, etc.) is just hunky-dory! Keep on hacking, Brian Stelter!
[Unz Review] The bombings that killed 38 people and injured 155 after a football match in Istanbul is the latest episode to underline Turkey’s violent instability. Government officials blame the attack on the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), with which the Turkish state has been fighting a guerrilla war since 1984. But only a week ago the spokesman of Isis called on its followers to target "the security, military, economic and media establishment" in Turkey.
The fact that either an offshoot of the PKK or Isis could have carried out the football stadium bombings is a measure of the trouble Turkey is now in. The credibility of the government’s initial attribution of responsibility to the PKK is undermined by its past tendency to claim that that the Kurds are behind any terrorist atrocity, regardless of the evidence. The biggest terrorist attacks in Turkey in recent months ‐ 47 killed at Istanbul International Airport in June and 57 dead at a Kurdish wedding in Gaziantep in August ‐ were both carried out by Isis.
The bombings will no doubt be used by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to justify his proposed assumption of more power under a new bill just submitted to the Turkish parliament. In practice, Erdogan already wields dictatorial powers and Turkey’s shift towards becoming an authoritarian state using arbitrary powers is well under way. The last remnants of the free media are being closed down and journalists are being arrested under the guise of pursuing those responsible for the failed military coup on 15 July. Even before this purge, Kurdish population centres in the south east had been shelled and bulldozed into heaps of rubble.
Erdogan has responded to the Istanbul bombings by swearing to eradicate those responsible, but it was he himself who created the conditions under which terrorism has become a permanent feature of Turkish life. He chose confrontation with the Kurds last year in order to boost his nationalist support at the polls, while the rise of Isis in Syria since 2011 would not have been possible without Turkey’s tolerance of extreme jihadis. For a long time Isis had free passage across the Turkish-Syrian border and al-Qaeda clones, not much different from Isis, received copious supplies of arms and ammunition.
Posted by: Besoeker ||
12/12/2016
06:43 ||
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#1
Turkey also has ground forces in both Syria and Iraq.
Not conducive to friendship
Posted by: lord garth ||
12/12/2016 9:52
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[Daily Caller] The FBI did not corroborate the CIA’s claim that Russia had a hand in the election of President-elect Donald Trump in a meeting with lawmakers last week.
A senior FBI counterintelligence official met with Republican and Democrat members of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence in order to give the bureau’s view of a recent CIA report. The official did not concur with the CIA, frustrating Democrats.
The CIA believes Russia "quite" clearly intended to send Trump to the White House. The claim is a bold one, and concerned Democrats and some Republicans who are worried about Trump’s desire to mend relations with an increasingly aggressive Russia. The CIA report was "direct, bald and unqualified," one of the officials at the meeting told The Washington Post Saturday.
The FBI official was much less convinced of the claims, providing "fuzzy" and "ambiguous" remarks.
#1
That comment is why you have to keep this guy around until he just goes too far! ROFLMAO!
Posted by: M. Murcek ||
12/12/2016 10:40
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#2
In all seriousness, a federal judge just nixed PeeAye recount, so that leaves some non-constitutional invalidation of the election on the strength of nothing but CIA unsubstantiated claims, obooboo deciding to just stay on, or the "faithless elector" gambit that some dems are whining for now. Let Jan. 20 pass quietly and without shenanigans and then let the real real fun begin!
Posted by: M. Murcek ||
12/12/2016 10:43
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#3
FBI does not appear to be following the Russian meme. Senator Harry 'left hook' Reid now calling for an investigation of FBI Director Comey.
[Reuters] U.S. President-elect Donald Trump said the United States did not necessarily have to stick to its long-standing position that Taiwan is part of "one China," questioning nearly four decades of policy in a move likely to antagonize Beijing.
Trump's comments on "Fox News Sunday" came after he prompted a diplomatic protest from China over his decision to accept a telephone call from Taiwan's president on Dec. 2.
"I fully understand the 'one China' policy, but I don't know why we have to be bound by a 'one China' policy unless we make a deal with China having to do with other things, including trade," Trump told Fox.
Trump's call with President Tsai Ing-wen was the first such contact with Taiwan by a U.S. president-elect or president since President Jimmy Carter switched diplomatic recognition from Taiwan to China in 1979, acknowledging Taiwan as part of "one China."
Beijing considers Taiwan a renegade province and the subject is a sensitive one for China.
Chinese officials had no immediate reaction to Trump's remarks.
#2
Well, I've been aware of Regime Changes for more than 50 years. And I don't remember a single one where the incoming group rattled so many dishes before the inauguration.
I voted for DJT because, HILLARY, and hoped he might shake a few things up in the bureaucracy but really didn't expect much.
[The Hill] Russia interfered in the U.S. elections to get revenge against Hillary Clinton, a former U.S. ambassador to the Kremlin said Sunday.
Michael McFaul, who served as the U.S. ambassador to Russia from 2012 to 2014, said he thinks Russian President Vladimir Putin wanted to help Donald Trump win the presidency to hurt Clinton.
"Let's remember that Vladimir Putin thinks [Clinton] interfered in his election -- the parliamentary election in December 2011 -- and has said as much publicly, and I've heard him talk about it privately," McFaul said on NBC's "Meet the Press."
The New York Times reported last week that American intelligence agencies concluded that Russia acted covertly to harm Clinton's campaign and promote Trump.
#3
"McFaul, who served as the U.S. ambassador to Russia from 2012 to 2014, said he thinks Russian President Vladimir Putin wanted to help Donald Trump win the presidency to hurt Clinton." And I think the Golden State Warriors threw the championship.
#4
That Putin thinks HRC screwed with him in his 2011 election would be sufficient motivation to give her some problems.
I believe that no matter who HRC ran against in the "finals," the Pub or Indy candidate would have benefited from Mr. Putin's pique. Is that "help?" Yeah, I guess so, but serendipitously.
Why no talk about the "home-brew" server and what may have been gleaned from it? And how?
#6
Lessee. Obumble didn't even try to hide his efforts to meddle in Israel's elections. So, good for thee, but not for me, which is, after all a core dem operating principle. If swil really did use her position as Secretary of State to fiddle with Putin's election, that'd be "reap what you sow, baby..."
Posted by: M. Murcek ||
12/12/2016 10:47
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#7
Heh. Maybe it was Bibi after all. Wouldn't that be fitting.
#8
Former ambassador to Russia: Putin wanted 'revenge' against Clinton
Except, he didn't have to wait in line given how inept she was in handling important materials. As another poster mentioned the other day, she took the safeties off the torpedo.
Former UN Ambassador John Bolton suggested Sunday afternoon that the hack into the DNC may have been a "false flag operation," rather than an attempt by the Russians to influence the 2016 presidential election, because highly skilled Russian hackers wouldn't leave fingerprints. Same topic at Politico.
#1
Let'sremember what FBI Director James Comey said dealing with Hillary's homebrew server. He said we found no direct evidence of foreign intelligence service penetration.
Come on Mr. Ambassador, you must realize the hacking of wet nosed political operatives is far more lucrative than the hacking of a senior politician who was passing around hundreds of SECRET and High Side documents on an UNCLAS 'homebrew' server.
#2
So now I understand why this Bolton guy is so dangerous!
Posted by: Bobby ||
12/12/2016 7:37
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#3
Both Hillary and the DNC might as well as had a sign out on their servers that said "open for business." Anyone could have hacked into these servers or it could have been an "inside job" by disgruntled employees or agencies. It's also possible the Russians did hack into the systems. So far we have seen no proof. Could also be the Obama administration leaving more mess on the way out for Trump to clean up when he gets into office.
#4
Bolton is brilliant, he was always a straight shooter
Russia didn't hack it. An insider leaked the Podesta emails to Wikileaks, as confirmed by both Assange and a former British ambassador who met the leaker.
The CIA has decided it wanted Hillary to win the election and now they are going to meddle with the legitimacy of a US election so they can have another vote and get the candidate they want
they prefer this than being challenged with new ideas from an outsider that might prompt uncomfortable new growth or a change in direction
they prefer organisational inertia and corruption and meddling
so much for being public Servants i guess they think they are public Masters
#5
An intelligence agency that hacked a computer would never admit it. If they had nothing to do with the so-called hack, they would take credit for it to spread confusion. Thus far, the FBI disagrees with the CIA. And not a single individual or foreign entity has been held responsible by a NAMED member of the US intelligence community. It is the sort of fake news that passes for serious journalism these days.
#6
The CIA has decided it wanted Hillary to win the election and now they are going to meddle with the legitimacy of a US election so they can have another vote and get the candidate they want. Posted by anon1
Evidence of previous Klingon attempts at international regime change? I rest my case.
#8
Fake news. Seems so obvious and flowing like a cascade. I believe most people will pay no attention. Media has lost all credibility as government services are close behind. They have learned nothing from their humiliation. Now loss of market share will be dramatic. New media will be born to replace defunct current performers. This new media could come from abroad but most likely here as here we have some of the most energized performers.
#10
You could ask Saddam Hussein and Moammar Qdaffy about American meddling in the affairs of their countries but they're no longer available for interviews. Now, Bashar al Assad might have a thing or two that he could tell you.
Posted by: Abu Uluque ||
12/12/2016 10:51
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#11
Didn't we just have a fellow down in Cuba just pass away that was originally the darling of... well, you know who. Then he went rouge, like so many others. Then there was this half-arsed attempt at liberation at some Cuban bay er other. Lots of volunteers turned up dead. The Cuban fellow's name slips my memory, his deeds are all too well known.
Oh, and 'Comandte Che'...whatever happened to him
?
h/t Instapundit
The Department of Education's Office of Civil Rights may not last long in Trump's America, its employees and advocates fear. The transition's stated intention to "streamline the department," coupled with a stated goal to overturn Obama-era executive overreaches, spells trouble for the department's small but active office.
...In nearly eight years under the Obama administration, celebrants recounted, the office has issued 34 "policy guidance documents." These are edicts reinterpreting existing laws--new executive entanglements, made mandatory by funding incentives, that also serve a moral imperative.
...They've closed 66,000 investigations, every one of them initiated to bring a school or college in line with OCR's federal mandates. Among these are the 2011 guidance concerning campus sexual assault; a more recent and no less controversial guidance to clarify that gender segregation is discriminatory; and a racial equity check on disciplinary practices that has, in some cases, been linked to increased violence in schools.
But in the minds and hearts of those who've carried them out, OCR's goals guided the nation toward the light of righteousness and salvation. There is no higher aim than theirs: to show every child the federal government believes in his or her ability to succeed. The message of federally-ordained disciplinary reforms is, in Secretary King's words, "We love you and we want you to be successful."
#2
"The various Bureau of Propaganda and the College of Emotional Engineering were housed in a single sixty-story building in Fleet Street. ... The top eighteen floors were occupied by the College of Emotional Engineering." Aldous Huxley, Brave New World
#6
Dept of Education is not only cabinet department with offices that impose this kind of stuff. Most of them (maybe all of them) have such offices - as well as liaisons deeper in the civil service.
Posted by: lord garth ||
12/12/2016 12:11
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#7
Yeah but what are these people gonna do when they have to get real jobs?
Scroll down to the posting on tax exempt foundations. Moved to reserve positions to refit.
[Dawn] KARACHI: The Sindh police have proposed to the provincial government to place the names of more than 90 seminaries in different cities and districts under the fourth schedule of the Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA) to monitor their ’affairs’ and ’other’ activities due to their suspected terror links, it emerged on Sunday.
The proposal came days after the Sindh government directed the law enforcement agencies to crack down on drug pushers and seminaries which had links with Death Eaters or banned outfits.
It interestingly also incorporated the provincial government’s decision to register all immigrants colonists living in the metropolis, including slum areas, and on its outskirts and develop their complete database and constituted 15 teams to launch this exercise.
"This move will help us in keeping an eye on these seminaries which are suspected for their links and activities," Additional IG of Counter-Terrorism Department Sanaullah Abbasi told Dawn. "All these seminaries are marked after their geotagging across the province and analysis and audit of their finances to trace the source of their funding and spending in line with the National Action Plan initiatives, which requires the database of all madressahs operating across the country."
Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah in October, 2016 was briefed during a meeting that around 93 seminaries in the province had solid links with Death Eaters or banned outfits. The intelligence agencies had gathered credible information about activities at these places on which the chief minister had directed the Rangers and police to start an operation against them.
However, it was a brave man who first ate an oyster... the police authorities believed that before moving to any final crackdown, which could take time, there was an immediate need to keep an eye on all these facilities which required a legal cover and backing from political administration as well.
"Under this arrangement [placing 93 seminaries under fourth schedule] we would be able to do our work more confidently," said Additional IG CTD Sanaullah Abbasi. "The formula used to place any individual under the fourth schedule is applied here while proposing to treat these 93 seminaries the same way. It’s all done to make our work more effective."
The fourth schedule is a section of the ATA under which someone who is suspected of terrorism is kept under observation; it is mandatory for him to register his attendance with the local police regularly.
Also, the fourth schedule comprises elements found to be or suspected to be involved in anti-state activities, delivering hate speeches and/or activists of religious outfits not yet banned, but related with militancy in any way.
"It would not be a new phenomenon if the government places seminaries or any other institution or facility under the fourth schedule," said Advocate Mohammed Farooq, senior criminal lawyer.
"The law allows the government to place individual, institution, facility or anything which is suspected of terrorism or facilitating terrorism under the fourth schedule of the ATA."
Cologne Police Ignored New Year’s Eve Migrant Rape Emergency Calls
11 Dec 2016
A new book dealing with the migrant rape crisis in Cologne on New Year’s Eve reveals police were ignoring emergency calls from the public following attacks for hours longer than previously thought. Released in time for the first anniversary of
Berlin’s New Secretary of State is Pro-Sharia Law Conservative Muslim
11 Dec 2016
The daughter of Palestinian immigrants is to be the Berlin senate’s secretary of state for coordinating federal and state affairs, but attention has focused on her recent remarks in support of Sharia law.
Migrant Opened Fire on Police During Routine Check Before Shooting Self
11 Dec 2016
A migrant stopped for a routine check by police in Athens opened fire on officers, wounding one before apparently turning the gun on himself. The man was questioned by a motorcycle patrol, who asked to see his papers. Instead he
Albanian Migrant On The Run After Double-Stabbing Murder
11 Dec 2016
An Albanian migrant wielding a knife attacked two men of Polish extraction leading to one fatality and severe injuries to the other man in Vienna’s heavily migrant-populated district.
Migrant Terror Suspect Used Amazon Gift Cards To Purchase Bomb Components
11 Dec 2016
The captured asylum seeker terrorist who later killed himself in a German prison, Jaber al-Bakr, purchased components for his bomb using Amazon gift cards.
UK team to help Greeks send back migrants: Officials deployed to holiday islands after fewer than 750 were returned under £5bn deal with Turkey
09/12/16
A British immigration hit squad will be sent to the Greek islands to deport migrants after fewer than 750 were returned under a £5billion deal with Turkey.
'Many people would renounce their religion if they had the freedom we have here': Large numbers of migrants ditching Islam after arriving in Europe
08/12/16
A growing number of Muslim migrants are abandoning their religion after arriving in Europe, according to reports from Sweden.
THREE QUARTERS of 'child' asylum seekers made to undergo medical tests to prove their age are found to be adults in Denmark
07/12/16
The Danish Immigration Service suspected 800 migrants were lying about their age and asked the University of Copenhagen to run checks on them - and 600 turned out to be adults.
Continuing a trend that goes back for years: Sweden (up to 86%), UK (2/3rds), Austria (half)
Migrants who break the law in Germany MUST be deported... says Syrian REFUGEE: Teenager writes open letter following spate of sex attacks
07/12/16
Syrian Aros Bacho, 18, said there was no place in his adopted homeland, Germany, for lawbreaking asylum seekers.
h/t Instapundit
A few years ago, Mark Steyn sagely observed, "In America today, few activities are as profitable as a ’nonprofit.’" Nothing warrants changing that assessment now. President-elect Trump has a lot on his plate if he plans to turn around the ship of state. But if it’s not too presumptuous, I’d like to add one more item to his agenda: a substantial rewrite of the laws respecting our tax-exempt sector, reining in private foundations.
#2
Sadly, we live in times when the first thing someone thinks of for "work" is to get to a place where they can use the power of the state to force other people to give them money - instead of doing something valuable that they will purchase voluntarily.
Rent-seeker nation.
Posted by: no mo uro ||
12/12/2016 8:04
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#3
And take down the NFL for Gods sake.
Posted by: 49 Pan ||
12/12/2016 8:59
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#4
Many of these so-called humanitarian organizations exist to further a left-wing political agenda or to line the pockets of out-of-office politicos. So yeah, reform would be good.
Two girl suicide bombers killed at least three people and wounded 17 at a market in the northeastern Nigerian city of Maiduguri on Sunday, a spokesman for state emergency agency NEMA, Sani Datti, said.
Residents said about nine people had been killed.
Boko Haram Islamists have been waging an insurgency for seven years in the region to try to establish an Islamic state. I guess Frank G called it yesterday
Posted by: g(r)omgoru ||
12/12/2016
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#1
A third version of the story immediately below. To the fog of war must be added the fog of journalism.
[Ynet] Following information concerning a suspect intending to carry out a stabbing attack in the Cave of Patriarchs in Hebron,
...Hamas Central in the West Bank...
Border Police forces managed to locate the suspect. A body search found no weapons. The suspect, a 22-year-old Paleostinian resident of Hebron was tossed in the clink Don't shoot, coppers! I'm comin' out! and taken for questioning by security officials.
Six people died and a total of 1,164 people were rescued during operations to save stricken migrant boats in the Mediterranean on Sunday, Italy's coastguard said.
Vessels operated by the coastguard, the EU's naval operation EU NAVFOR MED and the Italian navy were deployed along with the Aquarius, operated by the Doctors without Borders (MSF) charity, to help migrants on six rubber dinghies and one larger wooden boat that had got into trouble off Libya.
This year has already set a new record for the number of migrants arriving at Italy's southern ports with more than 173,000 registered by the interior ministry up until the start of last week.
According to the UN, at least 4,700 people have died attempting the often perilous crossing on boats chartered by people smugglers.
#1
Global analytics agency GEFIRA made a video showing how NGOs are shuttling African migrants - muslim colonists for the most part - to Europe via Libya
MUZAFFARABAD: Indian forces today shelled Neelam Valley’s Mirpura village with mortar bombs.
According to sources, the mortar bombs landed 150 meters away from the residential area. No loss of life or property damage has been reported so far.
The attack took place a day after Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Foreign Affairs Tariq Fatemi held a meeting with US National Security Advisor Susan Rice in Washington and informed her that Indian forces have been continuously violating ceasefire at Line of Control and Working Boundary.
Relations between Pakistan and India have been strained for several months, while cross-frontier shelling has intensified in recent weeks leading to deaths of civilians and soldiers stationed along the disputed frontier.
Last month, at least nine civilians were killed, and nine injured, when an Indian artillery shell hit a passenger bus. The bus was heading towards Muzaffarabad from Kel when it came under attack.
On November 14, Seven Pakistani soldiers were killed by Indian shelling across the frontier in the Bhimber sector.
At least eight people have been killed and several others injured in two car bomb attacks at security checkpoints in Iraq’s western city of Fallujah in western Anbar province.
Iraq's Arabic-language al-Sumaria television network reported that the first attack was carried out by an assailant, who detonated his explosives-laden car at a security checkpoint in western Fallujah on Sunday evening.
The second attack was carried out shortly after the first when some explosive devices were detonated in a parked car in the central areas of Fallujah near another security checkpoint and a busy restaurant.
The report added that most of the victims were security officers.
Amaq news agency, which is affiliated to the Daesh Takfiri terrorist group, said in a statement that both attacks were carried out by the terror group.
Fallujah fell to Daesh in January 2014 and suffered major population loss but it was fully liberated by Iraq's army in June this year.
Meanwhile, another car bomb attack killed one person and injured at least five others east of the capital Baghdad.
Al-Sumaria also reported that security forces had discovered three explosives labs belonging to Daesh in the cities of Hit and Kabisa, both in Hit district, west of Anbar’s provincial capital, Ramadi.
"These laboratories were found by the citizens of Hit and Kabisa, who informed the security forces. Army’s engineering teams defused the explosive materials in these laboratories," a local source told al-Sumaria.
Iraqi army soldiers and their allied forces launched joint operations on October 17 to liberate Mosul, which is the last bastion of Daesh in the Arab country.
Iraqi forces advance has been slowed down due to the presence of hundreds of thousands of civilians, many of whom are prevented from leaving Mosul by Daesh.
Posted by: badanov ||
12/12/2016
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Video games are everywhere. Forty percent of U.S. adults own game consoles; many more play on their mobiles. According to some reports, most gamers are women. Digital games now rake in more annual revenues than movie box-office ticket sales.
So are games affecting the way humans think about the world and about each other?
Researchers have shown that entertainment media, like movies, can shift public opinion and shape behaviors. But there is much less research on the impact of video games. There’s some political science research on the link between the military and the entertainment industry, dubbed the “military-entertainment complex.” There’s also work on game play during the 2014 Israeli-Palestinian conflict. But our knowledge of how digital games influence public opinion, public policy or political culture is limited. So we investigated.
More than 10,000 people flee areas held by militants in the Syrian city of Aleppo since midnight, a monitoring group said on Sunday.
“They fled towards government-held areas in west Aleppo and districts newly controlled by regime forces in the north and centre of the city,” said Rami Abdel Rahman, head of the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.
A resident in the city’s southeast told AFP that he saw large crowds of people fleeing during the night towards government-held districts in west Aleppo.
According to the London-based Observatory, fighting raged on several fronts between militants and regime forces in southeast Aleppo.
Posted by: badanov ||
12/12/2016
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Indian Border Security Force (BSF) yesterday shot dead a Bangladeshi cattle trader near the bordering area of Aditmari upazila in the district.
The incident took place around 5:00am inside Indian territory near border pillar 924/8 at Chawratari village in Durgapur union as the victim -- Asadul Islam, 32, son of Abul Hossain from the same village -- was entering into Bangladesh with Indian cattle, said sources at the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB).
The BSF took possession of the corpse and moved it away inside India. They did not return the corpse till yesterday afternoon.
The victim died on the spot when he and three other cattle traders from Bangladesh were chased and shot by a patrol team of 100 BSF Battalion from Singimari camp, said sources at the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB).
The three other traders accompanying the victim managed to flee unhurt and were able cross into Bangladesh along with all 20 cattle they had with them, the sources added.
Lt Col Ahmed Bazlur Rahman Hayati, commanding officer of 15 BGB Battalion in Lalmonirhat, said they sent a letter to BSF, formally protesting the killing and demanding the body of the Bangladeshi be returned.
In a reply message, the BSF said they would conduct an autopsy of the corpse and hand it over to the BGB during a bilateral flag meeting, he added.
I first learned about Sherri Papini, the 34-year-old California woman who went missing for 22 days in November, from a Today Show headline asking: "Was Sherri Papini kidnapping linked to sex trafficking?" In People magazine's December 9 issue, John Kelly, "a noted serial killer profiler," said Papini's abduction had all the hallmarks of human trafficking, with her mistreatment typical of the "shaming and degrading" of victims that traffickers deploy. Other wide-reaching media outlets—NBC News, ABC News, Us Weekly, the Sacramento Bee—have likewise floated the idea that the mysterious duo of Hispanic women Papini fingered may have been part of a sex-trafficking ring.
Yet there is almost nothing to support the idea that Papini's disappearance was related to sex or prostitution. The whole theory hinges on the fact that Papini was "branded," as her husband Keith initially put it. Police later confirmed that Sherri did have something burnt into her skin, specifying only that it was not a "symbol" but a "message." But even accepting the premise that sex-traffickers frequently "brand" their victims—a common claim also utterly lacking in evidence—Papini's burns could just as easily have been an act of torture or a way to relay a message to Papini, police, or the public. And the latter explanations certainly make more sense than the former when taken with the facts that nothing else about the abduction belied an intent to force Papini into commercial sex and, in fact, Papini's assailants eventually just let her go, according to what she told police.
#1
nothing else about the abduction belied an intent to force Papini into commercial sex... Papini's assailants eventually just let her go, according to what she told police.
The PizzaGate story, on the other hand, seems to have more legs than a centipede.
#3
She was found near the illicit marijuana harvesting fields in the hills of northern California, where ruthless men camp out to protect the lucrative weed. Women are sometimes forced to service the camps, as in Colombia with FARC. The brands usually are marks of gang/cartel ownership...I read of young trimmers trying to make a buck and being terrified after being repeatedly raped and fleeing for their lives. There is a dark underground that many cannot fathom exists.
Posted by: One Eyed Speaking for Boskone7919 ||
12/12/2016 10:47
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#4
Cops, judges and DAs just hate being lied to. It never ends well.
Posted by: M. Murcek ||
12/12/2016 10:51
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#5
But.. but.. but.. the trafficking story SELLS!!!!
And that is all that counts in Journalism school these days.
I personally know someone that was killed on the mountain. There's a lot of money to be made trimming (however monotonous). But on the mountain, you cant F! up. These are multi million dollar operations. But on the other side of the coin, I know people who come home from the mountain with thirty grand cash in their pocket for three months of work. There's definitely an underground, but how dark it is is open for debate.
[Mindanao Examiner] An Abu Sayyaf leader believed behind the kidnappings of 2 Canadians and a Norwegian man in the southern Philippines was among those killed by Malaysian authorities in a sea battle off Sabah's Semporna district. Military spokesman Filemon Tan have identified the dead militant leader as Abraham Hamid, who led about a dozen gunmen in the kidnappings on Samal Island in Davao del Norte province in September last year.
Hamid was killed on December 8 along with two others after they attacked several trawlers off Semporna. Two other Abu Sayyaf gunmen captured by Malaysian forces have been identified as Samsung Aljan and Awal Hajal.
Malaysian authorities rescued an abducted skipper of a trawler, but said two Abu Sayyaf militants escaped and brought with them a fishing boat captain they seized in Semporna. Tan said, "Per validation made by this Command, the shootout resulted in the killing of Abraham Hamid, leader of the Samal kidnapping incident and two of his cohorts. Two Abu Sayyaf members Samsung Aljan and Awal Hajal were also apprehended."
"The death of Hamid is a big blow to the Abu Sayyaf group. It will degrade their capability for spotting and kidnapping victims in the future," Tan added.
Malaysian media said the fighting injured a policeman. At least seven gunmen on speedboat entered Sabah from Tawi-Tawi and seized the two skippers. Unknown to the gunmen, a boat operated by General Operations Force Tiger Platoon was in the area and engaged the raiders in a sea battle.
Posted by: ryuge ||
12/12/2016
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China said Sunday it will temporarily suspend its coal imports from North Korea in a measure seen as a move to join the international sanctions on the North for its nuclear threats and provocations. China's Ministry of Commerce and General Administration of Customs announced on its official website that Beijing will impose the coal ban from Dec. 11 to Dec. 31 in accordance with its foreign trade law, implementing Resolution 2321 that was adopted by the United Nations Security Council (UNSC).
This is all for show, of course. China has enough coal to weather a temporary halt, and the Norks likely shipped extra before the ban to generate the cash.
On Saturday, the top nuke negotiators from South Korea and China agreed to faithfully implement the United Nations' resolution to punish North Korea for its fifth nuke test.
According to the announcement, products that have already reached Chinese customs or were sent from North Korea before Dec. 11 will not be subject to the ban.
The UNSC's action, passed unanimously by the 15-member council on Nov. 30, focuses on drying up North Korea's foreign currency earnings, mainly from its coal exports, after Pyongyang detonated its second nuclear device this year on Sept. 9. The resolution stipulates that U.N. member countries' combined total imports of North Korean coal products for 2016 cannot exceed some US$55 million or 1 million tons. The UNSC issues notifications to the members if the sum reaches 75 percent, 90 percent and 95 percent of the limit. If the sum reaches the 95 percent limit, the members are required to suspend coal imports from North Korea.
A source in Beijing said China's imports of North Korean coal will be further reduced next year due to lower limits and tighter regulations set by the U.N.
How about setting the limit in 2017 to zero?
Posted by: Steve White ||
12/12/2016
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[POLITICO] Donald Trump's insult-laced dismissal of reports that the CIA believes Russia hacked the 2016 election to help him is rattling a spy community already puzzled over how to gain the ear and trust of the incoming president.
Some fear that Trump's highly public rebukes of the U.S. intelligence apparatus will undermine morale in the spy agencies, politicize their work, and damage their standing in a world filled with adversaries. After all, if the U.S. president doesn't believe his own intelligence officials, why should anyone else?
Trump, a career businessman with no national security experience, has long taken positions that have alarmed intelligence officials, such as supporting torture and suggesting that it's OK to kill the family members of terrorists. His choice of retired Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn, a man who promotes conspiracy theories on Twitter, as his national security adviser has unnerved observers. And his apparent reluctance to accept daily intelligence briefings since winning on Nov. 8 has fueled concerns that Trump will assume the presidency blind to the dangers facing the United States.
Continued on Page 49
#2
The intel community is part of the Obama Regime now, the same regime that said Trump would not be elected, and when he was, said they did not see it coming.
If the regime claims they also did not foresee the emergence of ISIS, either. Nor predicted various domestic terrorist attacks in the past 8 years. Their concerns about their jobs are greater than their ability to protect the US.
#7
Take a look to the right and left of you. Now tell me how many of these Professionals you purged because you did not like their views... AHEM.. Data collection, algorithms, or political views?
Tell me?
Does he kick his prayer rug under the desk when you come around? Or do you kick your prayer rug under the desk when your boss comes around?
#8
"They don’t like the president-elect’s criticism and are even more concerned that he is skipping his intelligence briefings,"
Can't tolerate criticism from their boss? Worried he's not taking their briefings? Well guess what, very few actually enjoy criticism. Obama was somewhat lax with his daily briefings as I recall and no one said much about it from the Dem side. So let it go and get back to work !
#9
The CIA is not as "professional" as they would like us to believe.
They don't want to work for President Trump? Their problem. They will pay the price. Russia doesn't HAVE the reach to influence an American Election. Saying that it does is Democrat propaganda.
Russia is a potential ally and that can be arranged. Putin is no more than what he is, but he is a realist. And Trump is a realist , as well. The EU is not our friend. And the CIA isn't Trump's friend. Deal with both realities.
The CIA will have to adjust to reality.
They work and answer to Trump now. I seriously doubt that the CIA is reliable or credible. The purpose of a thing is always itself. The CIA looks after itself first.
They can be replaced. They need to think about that. That CAN be done.
#10
The biggest problem in the intel community is that after 9-11, lapses were found, but no heads rolled. Since then, they've come to believe that they're bulletproof.
You really need to clean out the dead wood every 15-20 years.
Premier 'lessons learned' assessment of the day, possibly the decade.
Posted by: ed in texas ||
12/12/2016 7:41
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#12
It has been publicized that the daily briefings have been skewed to please the out going POTUS. If that were to be true then the PE would have no use for a daily briefing.
#13
You really need to clean out the dead wood every 15-20 years. Or more frequently even?
One wonders where we would be today if GW Bush had not decided to have so many Clinton holdovers in the intel sector.
Posted by: M. Murcek ||
12/12/2016 9:52
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#14
Trump doesn't trust the intel community? With good reason, it is politicized and they have often been wrong. He has some good appointments and there will be a house-cleaning soon. The State Department also needs to be cleaned up. In fact, most departments could use a paring down bigly.
#15
Trump simply told them to let him know if something changes and now their panties are in a wad. Why should he have to endure the same report day after day?
And IIRC, the CIA told W that Iraq didn't have WMD and that didn't go over well. Although I'm sure they had some of the equipment, they weren't in a position to do much about it yet.
#16
Trump simply told them to let him know if something changes and now their panties are in a wad. Why should he have to endure the same report day after day?
Or in intelligence parlance, 'Nothing Significant to Report' (NSTRP).... 'nester'
#17
Given the affinity of Brennan, Rice, ValJar and Rhodes, the Agency seems likely to have had a deeper drift to PC assessments for Champ. What Trump sees seems to confirm that, and I'm guessing Flynn, McFarland and Pompeio may well be whispering in his ear other opinions.
Ask the CentCom analysts if assessments are bent to fit what is wanted. Given that, skepticism does seem reasonable.
#18
To put it into historical perspective (remember 'history'?) the IC has generally been at loggerheads with the Oval Office. And the IC in the past had generally been non-political.
#19
Why, oh why, does the President-Elect absolutely need a Daily Brief? He as zero authority until the swearing in ceremony and his time would seem to be needed on the Transition Process.
Or are the apparatchiks doing their bit to derail the First Year of the Trump Presidency?
#21
They think the world revolves around them.
They think their reports are 'must reads'.
Not spending the time to read what are often rehashes of the previous reports is inconceivable to them, because that is what they do, it is their output. A 'deltas' report would be better, which I think is what Trump asked for.
Posted by: Whiskey Mike ||
12/12/2016 15:52
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#22
How is the briefing done?
I've seen a lot of presentations (but no Intel Briefings of course!). Too many of them were simply people standing up and reading from a frigging power point slide. Do you have any idea how low the bandwidth of a powerpoint slide is? (hint: if someone is simply reading a powerpoint presentation it's a very good indicator that they don't have a clue what the F they are talking about!)
Saw a presentation from Edward Tuft, a professor on Information Presentation, on the briefings before the Challenger disaster and how the details of the risk involved were buried deep in brief bullet-point of a single slide of a powerpoint presentation. The data was there but with the 'boil down all this data into a single bullet-point' and the astronomical noise-to-data ratio it was invisible.
I get the impression that Obama and company simply LOVED powerpoint presentations - perhaps that is what the briefings devolved into?
#23
President Obama wanted his intelligence briefings printed out and left in his In box, so he could review them at his leisure.
Given that Mr. Trump has a bit of spare cash lying about, and given the fact that he owns or is involved in properties and projects around the world, it seems reasonable to expect that he is already receiving regular private security reports of the sort that Strategy Page and others provide. I mean. the highest value to me of Rantburg and certain other sites I check daily is that they inform me about the issues in the places Mr. Wife travels to and through on business so I know when to worry -- and he is a mere department head.
If so, the CIA mavens are going to find their upcoming first meeting very different from the first meetings they gave the previous several presidents. Oh to be a fly on that wall on that day!
#24
He shouldn't. They have become so political and tell the president what he wants to hear it is just about worthless.
I have seen some of the daily reports when I worked for the DoD and while they are pretty interesting, they don't change much from day to day and have very little to effect change to a national policy.
Let the Director do the daily stuff and brief the president once a week and report immediately if something scary turns up and needs presidential and national attention.
#25
the details of the risk involved were buried deep in brief bullet-point of a single slide of a powerpoint presentation.
A lot of technical writing, particularly user manuals, have similar flaws. TV ads for prescription meds during the evening news, ditto.
#26
the curtain needs lifting on the intel community and the broom sweep through
obama politicised it but there were problems even before then
we made the wrong decision on 9/11 because of bad advice and forever after we have been piling up the lies as we try to maintain the fiction "nothing to do with islam"
when it is everything to do with Islamist theocratic fascism
and we have pursued wrong migration and foreign policy because of it
we should have declared war on Islamist theocrats and treated sharia as treason from day 1.
[Jpost] Paleostinian terror group Hamas, a contraction of the Arabic words for "frothing at the mouth", has offered to share its rocket arsenal with any Arab army willing to use them against Israel, Gazoo-based Hamas official Fathi Hammad said Sunday to al-Aqsa TV.
Discussions over hardware aside, in his attempt to develop a multi-front threat against Israel, it is unclear which Arab armies Hammad thinks may be tempted by the offer to become brothers in arms.
Hamas has been manufacturing rockets on an industrial scale since it took control of the Gazoo Strip, and has fired tens of thousands of projectiles during the past decade.
Former Defense Minister Moshe Ya'alon told a conference in late 2014 that the IDF destroyed 80% of Hamas’s mortars and rockets during Operation Protective Edge, however the group has been restocking ever since, in addition to digging new tunnels under the border with Israel.
Continued on Page 49
Fairly primitive in design, the Qassam is propelled by a mixture of sugar and potassium nitrate, a widely-available fertilizer. The warhead is filled with smuggled or scavenged TNT and urea nitrate, another commonly-used fertilizer.
Of course it did. This is ISIS' favourite way to get supplies.
Russkaya Vesna is reporting that dozens of tanks and armored vehicles were captured by ISIS troops after Syrian forces abandoned the city of Palmyra, according to a website post.
Among the vehicles abandoned to ISIS are 30 T-55 tanks, six BMP infantry fighting vehicles, six D-30 towed artillery pieces, one BPM-97 scout car and one BM-21 multiple rocket launcher vehicles.
According to the report, Syrian troops are regrouping west of the city in preparation for a counterattack. An ISIS attack on a nearby Russian helicopter base was driven back by Syrian troops.
Russian airstrikes continue to hit targets in Palmyra.
Update from Fake News site southfront.org
ISIS has 4,000 troops in the area which are preparing the advance further west.
Posted by: badanov ||
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#1
The heavy equipment was abandoned post haste. My impression by what the Russians were not saying was that the city was taken from the march in a move so surprising to the Syrian garrison, there was little time to even jump on the old horse and flee west.
#2
capturing tanks didn't do ISIS much good after they captured a few dozen during the fall of Mosul in 2014
they could only use them a short time before the refueling and other problems began
Posted by: lord garth ||
12/12/2016 11:21
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#3
they could only use them a short time before the refueling and other problems began
Even still - that is a combined arms BN (+) worth of gear. A good tank battalion w/arty n rocket support could cause a bunch of hate n discontent. Or they just make huge VBIEDs out of the T-55s.
Posted by: Bangkok Billy ||
12/12/2016 22:29
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A heavy combat between Galmudug and Puntland forces is reported to have erupted in northern Galkayo city, the regional capital of Mudug province on Sunday. The clashes erupted after troops of the rival regional administrations began digging defensive positions in the area for a sign of preparation of new war in the conflict-riddled divided town.
The officials of the two federal member states have signed a peace agreement in November to end the recurrent clashes that forced thousands to flee their houses as hundreds lost their lives.
The rival states clashed over the control of the city, 750Km north of Somali capital.
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12/12/2016
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[PressTV] Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says US President-elect Donald Trump will be a good friend to Tel Aviv.
“I know Donald Trump…And I think his attitude, his support for Israel is clear," Netanyahu said during a Sunday interview with CBS.
Netanyahu also said that he was hopeful the two could also discuss ways to dismantle Iran’s nuclear deal after Trump enters office. He added that he had five ways in his mind to disrupt the deal.
The Israeli premier has been highly opposed to the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) since it was signed between Iran and the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council – the United States, France, Britain, Russia and China – plus Germany in July 2015.
Under the JCPOA, Iran undertook to put limitations on its nuclear program in exchange for the removal of nuclear-related sanctions imposed against Tehran.
During his presidential campaign, Republican Trump, who defeated his Democratic rival Hillary Clinton in the November 8 election, had promised to annul the deal which he referred to as a "disaster" and "the worst deal ever negotiated."
Iran‘s President Hassan Rouhani has on multiple occasions warned that all parties involved in the JCPOA must fulfill their obligations under international law.
[IsraelTimes] TAK, a splinter group of the PKK, says two of its operatives carried out the twin attacks that killed 38 people
A Kurdish murderous Moslem group on Sunday grabbed credit for twin attacks that destroyed the heart of Istanbul, killing 38 people, mostly police.
The claim was made in a statement issued by the Kurdistan Freedom Falcons (TAK), seen as an splinter group of the better-known Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK).
"A Dire Revenge squad from TAK carried out simultaneous attacks outside Istanbul Vodafone Arena stadium and Macka park at around 2230 local time (1930 GMT)," according to a TAK statement published on its website.
The murderous Moslem group said the twin attacks were carried out by two TAK murderous Moslems, without providing any details about the perpetrators.
Turkish government officials had earlier pointed the finger of blame at the PKK, which has waged a bloody campaign against the Turkish state since 1984.
The carnage prompted a sharp response from President Recep Tayyip Erdogan ... Turkey's version of Mohammed Morsi but they voted him back in so they deserve him... , who vowed Ankara would "fight the scourge of terrorism right to the end."
"They should know that they will not get away with it... They will pay a heavier price," the president said.
In a ceremony for five of the victims at the city’s police headquarters, officers carried in the coffins draped with flags as Erdogan and Prime Minister Binali Yildirim looked on before speaking with the bereaved families.
"Sooner or later we will have our Dire Revenge," Interior Minister SLearned Elders of Islamn Soylu told the mourners. "The arm of the law is long."
People also gathered outside the stadium to lay flowers, many holding Turkish flags and shouting "Down with the PKK!" and "Our homeland is indivisible!"
Thousands later joined a protest march around the stadium, with some ruling party fans kicking the buses of opposition CHP supporters, prompting police to disperse the crowds.
Soylu said 30 police, seven civilians and one person yet to be identified had died in the blasts which had also maimed another 155 people.
Thirteen people have been detained over the blasts.
Deputy Prime Minister Numan Kurtulmus said the attack had targeted police.
"Experts say at least 300-400 kilograms of explosives had been used. There was a pit where the car detonated," he said on CNN Turk television.
[IsraelTime] The Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s office says three people have been detained for social media posts regarding Saturday night’s attack in Istanbul that killed 38 people.
In addition to 13 suspects detained as part of the investigation into the twin bombings, the prosecutor’s office said it is investigating any "news, comment or shares on press and social media platforms that attempted to praise terrorism or terrorist organizations, serve terrorist organizations’ propaganda, legitimize terrorism or target those who combat terrorism."
The statement notes that three suspects have been detained for this so far and authorities were working to apprehend others.
[Hurriyet] The death toll in the deadly Istanbul bomb attacks rose to 39 with the death of another civilian, Doğan News Agency reported early on Dec. 12.
Selin Çelik, who was wounded inside a bus on Dec. 10 in the twin bombings near Beşiktaş’s Vodafone Arena stadium, succumbed to her injuries in intensive care, the agency said.
#2
What else was happening in 1929? Oh yeah, the crash of 1929 and the Depression. The crash and depression led to WWII. As is often said "All wars are banker's wars." Maybe there is some truth to that.
A total of 22,085 Turkish military personnel have been dismissed for their links to the Fethullahist Terrorist Organization (FETÖ), Defense Minister Fikri Işık said on Dec. 10. Of that number, 16,409 were military school students, Işık said during 2017 budget talks at parliament.
“So far, 5,676 military personnel have been dismissed, while 39 of them have been reinstated to their positions. Including the 16,409 students, the number goes up to 22,085,” Işık added.
Turkey accuses FETÖ and its U.S.-based leader Fethullah Gülen of orchestrating the coup attempt.
Posted by: Steve White ||
12/12/2016
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#1
How hollowed out is the Turkish military by now?
The Philippine military lost three soldiers and 17 others were wounded after almost two hours of intense fighting against Abu Sayyaf militants in Patikul on the island province of Sulu. Military spokesman Filemon Tan said they are certain that the Abu Sayyaf also suffered casualties.
The 35th Infantry Battalion were engaged in a gun battle for an hour and 45 minutes against approximately 150 Abu Sayyaf rebels, led by one of its top leaders, Radullan Sahiron and sub-leaders Hatib Hajan Sawadjaan, Yasser Igasan, and Mujer Yadah.
Tan said there were no civilian casualties in the clashes but residents in affected communities have been displaced.
Posted by: ryuge ||
12/12/2016
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#1
Oh, my!
Posted by: Rob Crawford ||
12/12/2016 7:57
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Ever since Venezuelan government agents put up a giant "Sale" sign in his storefront, crowds have been lining up outside Juan Vieira's shoe shop. But he's having a hard time getting into the Christmas spirit.
"What good is it to sell shoes if I'm giving away my product?"
Stuck in a nasty economic crisis, Venezuela is facing a Scrooge-worthy Christmas this year. The world's highest inflation rate has gutted Venezuelans' incomes and chronic shortages have left them struggling to buy food, let alone presents.
Seeking to spread some cheer, President Nicolas Maduro's socialist government has set aside its distaste for consumerism and sent a small army of bureaucrats and soldiers to force more than 200 retail stores in Caracas to hold Christmas sales.
"Our worker-president has ordered us to guarantee fair prices for the people, and we are complying. These economic hitmen can't take away our merry Christmas," said William Contreras, head of the National Superintendency for the Defense of Socioeconomic Rights, known by the acronym Sundde.
The government accuses the owners of the targeted stores of jacking up prices by 300 to 500 percent. But Vieira and other owners deny that, saying the mandatory markdowns are pushing them to the brink of bankruptcy.
In the capital's historic center where Vieira keeps shop, most storefronts carry signs sporting the government's seal and advertising "Sundde sales" or a "30-percent Sundde discount." The discount is always 30 percent -- the maximum amount of profit stores are allowed to make under a 2014 law.
Two soldiers guard the entrance to Vieira's store, allowing customers in two at a time.
"This is pure populism," a furious Vieira said in the back room of the store, which he opened in 1995. "If we keep going at this rate, I'll run out of shoes this month. I'm about to go bankrupt and close."
Many customers are thrilled with the sales, however.
"This is the best thing the government could have done this year because you have to give up eating just to buy yourself a shirt," said Yaroski Mendoza, a 19-year-old cook waiting in line to buy a shirt, her baby in her arms.
Getting to the discounts means standing in long lines, but Venezuelans are used to that. They regularly wait hours to buy groceries.
"We have to take advantage of this opportunity. Venezuelans like sporting new clothes for Christmas or New Year's Eve," said Isaac Quintero, a 28-year-old office worker.
But some shoppers feel guilty over the stores' plight.
"They're practically giving their products away. (The government) is making them go broke for no reason,"
...oh, there's a reason...
said Anis Rodriguez, 50, a housewife shopping at a store where T-shirts were selling for less than half the usual price. The T-shirt business was "destroyed" when the forced sale was imposed, said the manager, Mary, who asked that her last name not be used for fear of reprisals.
She said the agents who swooped on the store were "very rude" and did not even bother looking at the records she showed them documenting the store's pricing practices.
"Our orders come from high up," she said they told her.
"This is a smoke bomb," Mary added. "Since there's nothing in this country, they have to distract people with something." She fears losing her job because her boss has vowed to shut the store if the mandatory sale continues.
It is not the first time Maduro -- whose popularity has plunged along with the economy -- has ordered Christmas sales. In 2013, he forced a household appliance chain to slash its prices by up to 70 percent. The company survived, but some stores' shelves were still bare as much as a year later.
#2
"Tax the rich, feed the poor until there are no rich no more." Of course the end result is everyone is poor as rich becomes a sliding scale. Sliding ever downward
- No shoes here?
- Sorry comrade, no shirts here. No shoes is upstairs.
Posted by: European Conservative ||
12/12/2016 8:14
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Saw a guy with one of those Christmas sweaters which said: "Make Christmas Great Again." In America, it is a sweater message, in Venezuela it is "ordered" to happen--it's the socialist way.
[IsraelTimes] Survey finds party of anti-Islam MP Geert Wilders would become largest in lower house of parliament if elections were held today.
The party of populist anti-Islam Dutch MP Geert Wilders has risen strongly in the polls since the politician was tried and convicted of discrimination, according to a survey published Sunday.
If legislative elections due next March were held this week, Wilders’ Freedom Party (PVV) would pick up 36 out of 150 seats in the lower house of parliament, making it the biggest single political group, it found.
Before the trial began on October 31, the PVV was credited with 27 seats.
During the trial, but before his conviction on Friday, its estimated share rose to 34 seats. It currently has 12 politicians.
The new poll data comes from a weekly monitoring by the Maurice de Hond Institute.
It found that Prime Minister Mark Rutte’s Liberals would place second with 23 seats, against 40 today, and his junior coalition partners, the Labour Party (PvdA), would gain 10 seats, compared with 35 today.
Wilders was found guilty of discrimination against Moroccans but acquitted of hate speech over remarks he made at an election rally in March 2014.
He had asked supporters whether they wanted "fewer or more Moroccans in your city and in the Netherlands." When the crowd shouted back "Fewer! Fewer!" a smiling Wilders answered: "We’re going to organize that."
Wilders, 53, largely boycotted the trial, which he denounced as a political attempt to gag him.
The judges were strongly critical of Wilders’ "inflammatory" remarks at the rally but decided not to impose any sentence or fine.
The outcome of the Dutch vote will be keenly watched given the anti-EU outcome of Britannia’s Brexit referendum and the November election of populist Donald Trump ...New York real estate developer, described by Dems as illiterate, racist, misogynistic, and what ever other unpleasant descriptions they can think of, elected by the rest of us as 45th President of the United States... as the next US president.
Wilders has among other things vowed to confiscate Korans, close mosques and Islamic schools, shut the borders and ban migrants colonists from Islamic countries.
[Asharq Al-Awsat] Mosul – Seven thousand Iraqis left Mosul’s southern and eastern neighborhood in the last 48 hours, according to an Iraqi relief official.
Iyad Rafed, an Iraqi Red Crescent official, told Anadolu Agency that the Army troops and the Ministry of Immigration evacuated seven thousand civilians in the last 48 hours as the clashes between governmental forces and ISIS militants intensified.
He added that about six thousand civilians were transferred to al-Jadaa camp, while a thousand were moved to Hasan Sham and al-Khazer camps.
Rafed reported that this is the highest number of displacement since the Mosul offensive began in October.
In a related matter, an Iraqi civilian killed his mother and sister before committing suicide. According to a military official, the refugee is Yizidi from Bashiqa, who killed his mother, sister, and then himself using a Kalashnikov.
Last week, Minister of Immigration and Migrants Jasem Mohammed announced that since the Mosul liberation began, 90 thousand civilians had been displaced. While the UN expects a 1.5 million civilians to be displaced from Mosul.
Lt. Dureid Said told German News Agency that the Counter Terrorism Service (CTS) liberated neighborhoods of al-Murour and al-Qadisiya al-Oula. He added that they were able to kill 26 ISIS militants and explode two booby-trapped cars.
The Iraqi army said it took full control of two more districts of east Mosul on Saturday, pushing back ISIS militants in a slow and hard-fought advance into the city whose 1 million residents face growing shortages of fuel, water and food.
A military statement said CTS troops took over the neighborhoods of al-Murour and al-Qadisiya al-Oula, expanding their area of control in the east of the city.
Despite the reported advance, the army’s progress in Mosul remains slow, facing brutal counter attacks from the well prepared and heavily armed militants despite their few numbers.
In an attempt to change the dynamics of the campaign now entering its seventh week, an armored division troops punched their way deeper into the city on Tuesday in an attack on a hospital believed to be used as a military base by ISIS.
They were forced to withdraw from the complex after an attack from ISIS, who deployed at least six suicide car bombs, although residents said the army was able to hold some territory nearby.
Although ISIS has already been forced to retreat from Tikrit, Ramadi and Falluja, its militants still hold large parts of Sunni regions near the Syrian border, and an area of land southeast of Mosul.
But the slow progress in Mosul has raised fears among residents and aid groups that the city will forced to endure siege-like conditions for several months.
With winter setting in and the city effectively sealed off by the army and its allies from all directions, humanitarian problems are escalating.
United Nations agencies who distributed aid inside recaptured eastern areas for the first time on Thursday were almost overrun by residents suffering acute shortages of food, fuel and water, and often trapped for days at home by fighting.
Iraqi police had to fire in the air and threaten to whip crowds with a hose to maintain order.
An aid worker who has recently returned from the Mosul area told Reuters: “Certainly inside Mosul there is a big need for medical and humanitarian assistance.”
“What we have no idea of today is the state of medical structures in Mosul and the precise needs of the population,” he added.
Authorities have tried to ease shortages by sending dozens of water trucks a day to neighborhoods under army control.
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A British-Algerian journalist died Sunday after having staged a hunger strike to protest a two-year jail term for offending Algeria's president in a poem posted online, his lawyer said.
"I can confirm the death of the journalist Mohamed Tamalt in Bab el-Oued hospital after a hunger strike of more than three months and a three-month coma" that followed, Amine Sidhoum said on Facebook.
The prison service, in a statement said Tamalt had died of a lung infection for which he was receiving treatment since it was detected on December 4. He had been in hospital since the end of August.
Tamalt, a dual national, launched the hunger strike on the day of his arrest near his parents' house in the capital Algiers on June 27, according to Human Rights Watch (HRW).
The 42-year-old blogger and freelance journalist, who ran a website from London where he lived, was charged with "offending" President Abdelaziz Bouteflika and "defaming a public authority" in the poem which he shared on Facebook.
A court in Algiers sentenced him two years in prison on July 11 and fined him 200,000 dinars ($1,800), and an appeals court upheld the ruling a month later.
Amnesty International urged Algerian authorities on Sunday to open an "independent and transparent investigation into the circumstances" of the journalist's death.
Media watchdog Reporters Without Borders (RSF), for its part, said it was "shocked" by Tamalt's death which had dealt a blow to freedom of information in Algeria.
"Why was there such a conviction just for words on Facebook which did no harm to anyone?" asked Yasmine Kacha, head of the North Africa department of RSF.
The New York-based HRW had urged Algerian authorities to release him in August when he was reportedly in critical condition.
"The Algerian authorities should quash the case against Tamalt and send the message that free speech will be respected in Algeria," it said at the time.
[Hurriyet] Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) militants and Syria’s Russian-backed army fought over the ancient Syrian city of Palmyra on Dec. 11, with both sides claiming the upper hand. Russia said its jets had helped force the militants out of the city center overnight, and its allies in the Syrian army were now fighting off another assault by the hardline Islamists.
But a news agency linked to ISIL said it had only briefly retreated and was now back in control of Palmyra, an account backed by the British-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, which monitors the conflict, Reuters reported.
Palmyra, the site of a Roman-era city and spectacular ruins in the center of Syria, has become an emblematic battleground in a civil war now in its sixth year.
The Russian Defense Ministry said its jets had launched 64 strikes and killed more than 300 militants overnight, helping the Syrian army push the main force back.
The Syrian army acknowledged there was a large offensive by the militants from several fronts near a major grain silo 10 kilometers (6 miles) east of the city.
An ISIL recapture of Palmyra would be a major reversal for Syria’s government and its Russian backer which hailed the city’s capture in March, sent troops to protect it and even staged a concert there. The fight could also have implications for other battlegrounds in Syria.
The Syrian army said on Dec. 10 it had sent reinforcements to Palmyra to help defend it. Some of those were diverted from Aleppo, a rebel from the countryside outside that northern city said, a development that could ease pressure on rebels there.
Conflicting Narratives: ISIS captures Palmyra Russian language press claims Syrian troops are preparing a counterattack
[ARA News] Homs – Militant fighters of the Islamic State (ISIS) on Sunday recaptured the Syrian ancient city of Palmyra after heavy clashes with army forces, activists and military sources reported.
The Syrian army forces were forced to withdraw form the ancient city under heavy bombardment by ISIS.
“The group continued shelling the army positions inside Palmyra with mortars and heavy artillery for hours, causing large losses in the army ranks,” local media activist Abas al-Omar told ARA News.
Syrian regime’s forces were obliged to evacuate their headquarters in Palmyra, heading towards the Doua District and the T4 Military Airport in the eastern countryside of Homs.
“The army withdrew after the clashes reached the city centre and it became impossible for them to push ISIS back,” al-Omar reported, citing a military source within the Syrian army.
Dozens of Syrian soldiers were killed during the clashes on Sunday. ISIS has also taken a number of soldiers as prisoners.
The fall of Palmyra in ISIS’ hands comes despite the Russian airstrikes in support of the Syrian regime’s forces.
In May 2015, ISIS took over Palmyra for the first time after fierce battles with Syrian regime army forces.
In March 2016, the pro-regime troops supported by Russian air force were able to impose full control over Palmyra downtown after ISIS extremists retreated towards the northern villages of Palmyra and its eastern outskirts. The group’s leadership has later ordered its militants to withdraw towards its main bastion of Raqqa, northeastern Syria.
In August 2015, satellite images confirmed the destruction of the Baal Shamin temple in Syria’s ancient city of Palmyra, according to the United Nations, which condemned ISIS claims of destroying the temple. The U.N. has slammed the destruction of the temple as a “war crime,” and the act has raised concerns for the rest of the UNESCO World Heritage site.
Also, ISIS published images last year, showing militants placing destroying ancient monuments in Palmyra arguing they were worshipped by people and must be smashed, according to ISIS ideology.
Syrian Army Losing Ground To ISIS in Homs
Subsequent to fierce clashes with Syrian Army forces, militant fighters of the Islamic State seized control of several areas in Syria’s central Homs Governorate on Saturday.
ISIS militants launched a major offensive on military bases of the Syrian regime’s armed forces in the vicinity of al-Mahr oilfield, in Homs’ eastern countryside.
The group shelled the army headquarters with mortar and artillery fire, forcing Syrian soldiers to evacuate main positions near al-Mahr.
“At least 19 pro-regime soldiers were killed in Saturday’s offensive,” media activist Amro al-Hussein told ARA News in Homs, citing a military source. “The army was forced to retreat from the Ertiwaziyah District and al-Burj Hill, east of Homs. ISIS is now in control of both locations.”
ISIS has repeatedly tried to storm the fortified hilltops which abut the al-Mahr oilfield, employing VBIEDs and suicide squads.
Islamic State militants also seized control of three military checkpoints in eastern Homs after clashes with Syrian army forces on Saturday evening.
ISIS has recently brought reinforcements to the eastern countryside of Homs in a bid to protect its positions and push into Homs City. However, the group’s movement has been considerably restricted in central Syria due to intensified Russian airstrikes, that often hit the ISIS’s tactical units and fighting positions in support of the Syrian regime’s forces.
[AlManar] The Syrian army has been engaged in fierce battle in Palmyra, repelling attacks by the ISIL Takfiri terrorists launching attacks on the famed ancient city, Syrian news agency, SANA, reported on Sunday.
Terrorists launched their previous attack on the city on Saturday. Their offensive was thwarted by the actions of the government forces supported by Russian warplanes.
Despite the defeat, the terrorists are again trying to attack the city from the northern, eastern and southern sides. Their perceived goal is to capture al-Amiriyah town northeast of Palmyra and a nearby industrial area, the agency said.
SANA meanwhile, noted that the Syrian Air Force has pounded the insurgents who “incurred significant losses”.
For its part, Russia’s center for Syrian reconciliation said that ISIL managed to move considerable forces from Raqqa to Palmyra after the US-backed offensive of Arab and Kurdish militants was stalled.
More forces and equipment were relocated from the vicinity of Deir ez-Zor. The Syrian Army backed by Russian aircraft is currently maintaining defense in the city. Terrorists launched their previous attack on the city on Saturday. Their offensive was thwarted by the actions of the government forces supported by Russian warplanes.
The Syrian Arab Army, backed by the Russian Aerospace Forces, liberated Palmyra in March, 2016, nearly a year after it was captured by ISIL. During the invasion, the militants destroyed a number of ancient objects, including necropolis, the Arch of Triumph, as well as the temples of Baal Shamin and Bel.
[AlManar] Russian war planes carried out over 60 strikes overnight on Syria’s Palmyra after ISIL Takfiri terrorists re-entered the famed ancient city, halting the offensive, Russia’s defense ministry said Sunday.
“Russian air force planes carried out 64 air strikes against the positions, convoys and advancing reserves of militants,” a defense ministry statement said.
“Over the past night, Syrian government troops with active support of the Russian air force thwarted all terrorist attacks on Palmyra,” it said.
“The attacking militants actively used car bombs with suicide bombers, armored vehicles and rocket artillery,” it said, adding that the strikes killed more than 300 militants and destroyed 11 tanks and 31 vehicles.
On Saturday the British-based Syrian Observatory for Human rights monitor said ISIL militants, who were forced out of Palmyra in March, took most of the city back under their control and surrounded the airport.
Russia has carried out a bombing campaign in Syria under the request of the Syrian government since September 2015.
The liberation of Palmyra was hailed as a major victory, with Russian celebrities travelling there since March staging concerts and making public appearances.
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[ARA News] Raqqa – After launching the second phase of the Euphrates Wrath Operation against ISIS, the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) on Sunday reported new gains in the fight for Raqqa–de facto capital of the Islamic State (ISIS).
The SDF seized control of several villages in western Raqqa in an area measuring approximately 8 square kilometers.
The Kurdish-Arab alliance of the SDF on Sunday captured six villages after clashes with ISIS militants.
“The liberated villages include Merwaniya, Krajah, Hamer Saghir, Hamer Kabir, Qerefdan and Draniya,” a spokesman for the SDF told ARA News at the battlefront of western Raqqa.
According to SDF’s leaders the second phase of the operation is aimed to liberate the western countryside of Raqqa and tighten the siege on the ISIS-held city. Additional to the previous SDF factions, some 1500 new Arab fighters have joined the campaign.
“The time has come to liberate Raqqa and its people from ISIS terrorism. We will enter Raqqa city with help from our Kurdish brothers and the Arab factions of the SDF,” Hussein al-Awak, chief of the SDF Relation’s Office, told ARA News.
Al-Awak confirmed to ARA News that the US-led coalition has provided them with some advanced weapons in support of the Raqqa campaign.
“We have received advanced weapons from the US-led coalition, beside preparing strategic operations against ISIS headquarters,” the SDF official said. “After completing the second phase of the Euphrates Wrath, we’ll move to the final stage of this operation to eliminate ISIS in Raqqa completely.”
During the first phase of Euphrates Wrath, SDF soldiers captured an area measuring approximately 560 km2, containing dozens of towns, villages and farms. Military sources told ARA News that more than 185 ISIS jihadists have been killed since November 6. The operation’s long-term objective is the isolation and elimination of the Islamic State in Raqqa.
According to local sources, the Arab tribes started forming a local council to run the city and its countryside following ISIS expulsion. Raqqa’s tribal leaders have also called on the people to support the Syrian Democratic Forces in the liberation campaign.
Sheikh Oubaid Khalil al-Khalaf, leader of the Abu al-Assaf Tribes, told ARA News: “As local Arab tribes we have a duty towards our brothers inside Raqqa. We have joined the Syrian Democratic Forces in this major operation. We will liberate the city from ISIS.”
“Raqqa will be run by its own people after the liberation from ISIS terrorism,” al-Khalaf said. “The work on establishing a local civilian council has started with the launch of this phase of the battle for Raqqa.”
The Syrian Democratic Forces on Saturday announced the begin of the second phase of Euphrates Wrath Operation to combat Islamic State’s (ISIS) militants in their de facto capital Raqqa.
Cihan Shekh Ehmed, spokesperson of the SDF-led Euphrates Wrath Operation, told a press conference: “The Syrian Democratic Forces decided to launch the second phase of the Euphrates Wrath Operation. This stage is aimed at liberating the western countryside of Raqqa from ISIS, beside completing the isolation of Raqqa City.”
“The operation will continue until all goals are accomplished,” she said.
“We also announce that the Euphrates Wrath Operation has been expanding with new factions joining the SDF ranks to eliminate ISIS in Raqqa,” Cihan said. “More than 1500 Arab fighters have joined the Syrian Democratic Forces in battle for Raqqa, and they’ve been equipped by the US-led coalition.”
“We want to stress that the coordination between the SDF and the Western Coalition has reached a high level,” she said, adding: “This coordination and cooperation will ensure a successful second phase of the Euphrates Wrath Operation.”
The Kurdish official also stressed that after expelling ISIS from Raqqa, the city will be run by a local civilian council. “Once liberated, the city of Raqqa will be run by its own people, by a civilian council established locally and representatives elected by the people of Raqqa,” she said.
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[IsraelTimes] Male and female attackers detonate charges minutes apart at venue previously closed over security concerns.
Two jacket wallahs died when they went kaboom! Sunday in a crowded area near a market in Nigeria’s northeastern city of Maiduguri, injuring 17 people, rescue officials said.
Survivor Abubakar Musa said he also saw among the victims the bodies of soldiers who were guarding a nearby electric power installation.
A male andexploding trollop female suicide bomber detonated themselves minutes apart, front man Sani Datti of the National Emergency Management Agency said of the attack blamed on the Boko Haram ... not to be confused with Procol Harum, Harum Scarum, possibly to be confused with Helter Skelter. The Nigerian version of al-Qaeda and the Taliban rolled together and flavored with a smigeon of distinctly Subsaharan ignorance and brutality... Islamic bully boy group. It birthplace is Maiduguri.
The blasts occurred near Maiduguri’s Monday Market, just weeks after the state government ordered the reopening of all roads leading to the market. They have been closed for nearly two years over security concerns following previous bombings at the market that killed dozens of people.
On Friday, two women suicide bombers went kaboom! in a market at Madagali, 150 kilometers (95 miles) southeast of Maiduguri, killing 57 people and wounding 177 including 120 children.
Two little girls approximately seven or eight years old blew themselves up in a northeastern Nigerian market on Sunday, killing themselves and wounding at least 17 others, witnesses said.
The girls "must have been seven or eight", a local militia member in Maiduguri told AFP.
Emergency services on-site in the town, the epicentre of the Boko Haram Islamist insurgency, said 17 people sustained "relatively serious" injuries..
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[IsraelTimes] Iran says it has finalized a $16.8 billion deal with Boeing to purchase 80 passenger planes, a deal made possible by last year’s landmark nuclear agreement.
The state-run IRNA news agency says 50 Boeing 737s and 30 Boeing 777s will be delivered over the next decade, in the biggest agreement to be struck with an American company since the 1979 revolution and US Embassy takeover.
Boeing has no immediate comment.
Spreading the wealth -- last time it was 100 Airbus planes. But will our new president allow the sale to go through?
#4
It is forgotten that Boeing had the contract signed during the Bush administration in 2005 to build a fence on the US southern border. After spending $1 billion the project ended a failure in 2010.
#5
Boeing builds good aircraft. If we've normalized commercial relations with Iran (regardless of whether we should have), this doesn't seem like an unreasonable deal. While they COULD be used as military air transport, so could any number of cheaper aircraft, so I would think this is a legitimate deal.
A powerful car bomb blast was heard at the gate of Mogadishu seaport on Sunday morning. According to the reports, the car bomb went off at a parking lot outside the seaport, killing several people, mostly civilians in nearby areas.
Heavy gunfire was heard following the blast and witnesses said security forces cordoned off the scene as ambulances take the wounded to the nearby hospitals.
No group has yet claimed responsibility for the deadly car bomb attack at Mogadishu seaport.
Could it be anyone other than Al Shabaab?
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Turkish warplanes destroyed some 12 outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) targets in an air strike conducted late on Dec. 11 in northern Iraq, the Turkish Armed Forces has announced.
During a 50-minute air operation in the Zap region, some 12 PKK targets, including a command center and gun emplacements nearby, were destroyed with 24 shots, the military said.
The air strike comes just hours after the Kurdistan Freedom Hawks (TAK), an offshoot linked to the PKK, claimed responsibility for the Dec. 10 twin bombings in Istanbul, which killed 38 people and wounded another 155.
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A multi-volume chronology and reference guide set detailing three years of the Mexican Drug War between 2010 and 2012.
Rantburg.com and borderlandbeat.com correspondent and author Chris Covert presents his first non-fiction work detailing
the drug and gang related violence in Mexico.
Chris gives us Mexican press dispatches of drug and gang war violence
over three years, presented in a multi volume set intended to chronicle the death, violence and mayhem which has
dominated Mexico for six years.
Rantburg was assembled from recycled algorithms in the United States of America. No
trees were destroyed in the production of this weblog. We did hurt some, though. Sorry.
[Zero] While we wait to see if and when the Senate will pass (and president will sign) Bill "H.R. 6393, Intelligence Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2017", which was passed by the House at the end of November with an overwhelming majority and which seeks to crack down on websites suspected of conducting Russian propaganda and calling for the US government to "counter active measures by Russia to exert covert influence … carried out in coordination with, or at the behest of, political leaders or the security services of the Russian Federation and the role of the Russian Federation has been hidden or not acknowledged publicly,” another, perhaps even more dangerous and limiting to civil rights and freedom of speech bill passed on December 8.
[Dawn] KARACHI: The Sindh police have proposed to the provincial government to place the names of more than 90 seminaries in different cities and districts under the fourth schedule of the Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA) to monitor their ’affairs’ and ’other’ activities due to their suspected terror links, it emerged on Sunday.
Six people died and a total of 1,164 people were rescued during operations to save stricken migrant boats in the Mediterranean on Sunday, Italy's coastguard said.
[Mindanao Examiner] An Abu Sayyaf leader believed behind the kidnappings of 2 Canadians and a Norwegian man in the southern Philippines was among those killed by Malaysian authorities in a sea battle off Sabah's Semporna district. Military spokesman Filemon Tan have identified the dead militant leader as 
[PressTV] Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says US President-elect Donald Trump will be a good friend to Tel Aviv.
During his presidential campaign, Republican Trump, who defeated his Democratic rival Hillary Clinton in the November 8 election, had promised to annul the deal which he referred to as a "disaster" and "the worst deal ever negotiated."
Ever since Venezuelan government agents put up a giant "Sale" sign in his storefront, crowds have been lining up outside Juan Vieira's shoe shop. But he's having a hard time getting into the Christmas spirit.
[IsraelTimes] Survey finds party of anti-Islam MP Geert Wilders would become largest in lower house of parliament if elections were held today.
A powerful car bomb blast was heard at the gate of Mogadishu seaport on Sunday morning. According to the reports, the car bomb went off at a parking lot outside the seaport, killing several people, mostly civilians in nearby areas.
Turkish warplanes destroyed some 12 outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) targets in an air strike conducted late on Dec. 11 in northern Iraq, the Turkish Armed Forces has announced. 
