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It was terrorism: Iran denies any role in deadly Tajikistan attack
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Page 6: Politix
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Africa North
Syrian armed factions ink ceasefire agreement in Cairo
That's nice, though it would be extremely helpful were the reporter to inform us precisely which armed factions were involved, and how much like a hudna this particular ceasefire is intended to be.
Cairo (IraqiNews.com) ‐ A number of Syrian armed opposition factions from the northern and eastern regions of Syria signed on Monday a ceasefire agreement in Cairo under the sponsorship of Egypt.

The deal, guaranteed by Russia and through the mediation of Head of the Syrian Tayyar al-Al-Ghad current Ahmed al-Jarba, calls for unifying efforts to combat terrorism and work on reaching a political settlement of the Syrian crisis, according to Egypt’s state-run Middle East News Agency (MENA).

The agreement also calls for the return of refugees and displaced to their home regions, in addition to releasing detainees.

The Egyptian leadership has always expressed support for a political settlement for the Syrian crisis in a way that ends bloodshed in Syria and maintains the unity of its territories.

Since its eruption in March 2011, the Syrian crisis has claimed the lives of about half a million people and displaced and maimed over 14 million others.

Russian troops in Syria have been launching bombing campaigns in support of the government forces, while a U.S.-led international anti-terror coalition has been launching Arclight airstrikes against Islamic State
...formerly ISIS or ISIL, depending on your preference. Before that al-Qaeda in Iraq, as shaped by Abu Musab Zarqawi. They're very devout, committing every atrocity they can find in the Koran and inventing a few more. They fling Allah around with every other sentence, but to hear the pols talk they're not really Moslems....
(IS) targets in the conflict-stricken country.

The United Nations
...an idea whose time has gone...
has verified that more than 7,000 children have bit the dust or been injured in the Syrian conflict since 2013 ‐ and cites unverified reports putting the number "way beyond 20,000," a U.N. envoy said Friday.

Virginia Gamba, the special representative for children in conflict, told the Security Council that since the beginning of 2018, the U.N. has verified over 1,200 violations against children. These include more than 600 children killed or maimed and over 180 recruited or used by government forces or gangs, she said.
Posted by: trailing wife || 07/31/2018 00:23 || Comments || Link || [0 views] Top|| File under:


Morocco's standoff with Iran
[TheJamestownFoundation] Morocco Flexes Its Muscles Over Western Sahara: An Analysis of Rabat’s Standoff With Tehran.

On May 1, the Kingdom of Morocco made the dramatic step of severing all political ties with the Islamic Republic of Iran and withdrawing its ambassador from Tehran. The Moroccan government claimed to have evidence of Iranian support for the Polisario Front, the separatist group that has been seeking independence for Western Sahara since 1975 (al-Arabiya, May 1). The decision was, according to Morocco’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Nasser Bourita, the result of Iran providing military training and supplying weapons to Polisario fighters through its proxy, Hezbollah. “Hezbollah’s actions seek to undermine Moroccan interests and constitute an attack on the country’s territorial integrity,” Bourita said (Morocco World News, May 1). The identification of Iran and Hezbollah also implicated Algeria. The Polisario is based in Tindouf, in Algeria’s southwest, and the coordination of these contacts was said to have been done through the Iranian embassy in Algiers. [1] Moreover, Morocco had made explicit accusations the previous month alleging similar types of activity by Algeria (Hespress, March 30).
Posted by: 3dc || 07/31/2018 00:00 || Comments || Link || [2 views] Top|| File under: Govt of Iran


Britain
Manchester bomber was rescued by the Royal Navy from Libyan warzone and evacuated back to Britain - three years before he slaughtered 22 people at a pop concert
h/t instapundit
[DailyMail] The Manchester suicide bomber was rescued by the Navy from war-torn Libya three years before his pop concert atrocity, the Mail reveals today.

HMS Enterprise plucked Salman Abedi,
...one of the more notable members of the Manchester Libyan jihadi crowd, which ties back to the al-Qaeda aligned Libyan Islamic Fighting Group in the 1990s...
then 19, from the Libyan coast and took him to Malta for a flight home to Britain in August 2014.

Last May he set off a bomb in Manchester Arena that killed 22, including seven children.
This article starring:
Salman Abedi
Posted by: g(r)omgoru || 07/31/2018 00:41 || Comments || Link || [0 views] Top|| File under: Islamic State

#1  Generosity is considered weakness by the Islamists, this should surprise nobody, yet ht political leaders seem surprised again and again.
Posted by: rjschwarz || 07/31/2018 10:24 Comments || Top||


The Grand Turk
Turkey says US threats are unacceptable
[ALMASDARNEWS] The Ottoman Turkish National Security Council said Monday that the US moves to link defense deal to certain conditions in violation of the international agreements would irreparably hurt strategic ties with The Sick Man of Europe Turkey
...the decaying remnant of the Ottoman Empire....
The United States’ threatening language against Turkey is unacceptable and disrespectful, the statement reads further.

The day before Ottoman Turkish President Sultan Recep Tayyip Erdogan the First
... Turkey's version of Mohammed Morsi but they voted him back in so they deserve him. It's a sin, a shame, and a felony to insult the president of Turkey...
said that the US would lose a strong and sincere partner if it does not change its attitude toward Turkey, announcing that Pastor Brunson will not be a part of a prisoner swap deal with US.

The statement came after US President 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...
said that if Ankara did not free Brunson, Turkey would face sanctions.

Ottoman Turkish authorities put US pastor Andrew Brunson in jail in 2016 over the accusations of ties to the movement of Islamic holy man Fethullah Gülen
... a Turkish preacher living in Pennsylvania whom the current govt of Turkey considers responsible for all the ills afflicting Turkey and possibly the entire world...
, referred to as Fethullah Terrorist Organization (FETO) by Ankara and accused of having orchestrated a failed military coup that took place in Turkey in the same year. The pastor was recently released from a Ottoman Turkish prison and sent to his room.
Posted by: Fred || 07/31/2018 00:00 || Comments || Link || [0 views] Top|| File under: Sublime Porte


India-Pakistan
Pakistan to seek record bailout from IMF
[AsiaTimes] Loan would put limits on new president to follow through on spending promises.

Pakistani officials have started drafting plans to request the country’s largest-ever bailout from the International Monetary Fund, The Financial Times reported Monday, confirming what had been widely speculated.

The country will need between US$10 and 12 billion, according to one government advisor, double the US$5.3 billion lent to the country in 2013. It will mark the 13th IMF bailout for the country.

Should the loan be granted, it would limit newly elected President Imran Khan’s options for public spending, an increase in which was a key campaign promise. Khan’s proposals included healthcare for all, improved education and an ambitious expansion of welfare spending.

According to the FT report, the IMF will likely demand austerity measures including cutting agricultural subsidies, selling failing public firms and deep spending cuts. The fund projects Pakistan’s fiscal deficit to hit 7% this year, versus a target of 4.1%.
Posted by: 3dc || 07/31/2018 00:00 || Comments || Link || [1 views] Top|| File under: Govt of Pakistan

#1 
Posted by: Skidmark || 07/31/2018 5:34 Comments || Top||

#2 
Posted by: Jack Chaiter7913 || 07/31/2018 7:20 Comments || Top||

#3  They could sell off their nukes to ????????, India, Singapore, the EU??????
Posted by: AlanC || 07/31/2018 7:50 Comments || Top||

#4  Iran is apparently in the market, AlanC.
Posted by: trailing wife || 07/31/2018 11:37 Comments || Top||

#5  But TW I just read Iran's currency plummeted to a record low Monday.

What are they paying with, Persian rugs?
Posted by: AlanC || 07/31/2018 12:00 Comments || Top||

#6  What are they paying with, Persian rugs?

Trading for Afghanistan.
Posted by: Skidmark || 07/31/2018 13:00 Comments || Top||

#7  "That Persian Rug really tied the room together. Sad!"
Posted by: Frank G || 07/31/2018 13:40 Comments || Top||

#8  What are they paying with, Persian rugs?

Why not oil? They have lots of that, and Pakistan’s need is considerably more than its ability to pay cash.
Posted by: trailing wife || 07/31/2018 17:53 Comments || Top||


Modi phones Imran Khan, says 'ready to enter new era of ties with Pakistan': PTI
[DAWN] Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday telephoned Imran Khan
... aka Taliban Khan, who ain't the sharpest bulb on the national tree...
, congratulating him over his party's victory in the general elections and conveying best wishes for Pakistain, the Central Media Department of Pakistain Tehrik-e-Insaf
...a political party in Pakistan. PTI was founded by former Pakistani cricket captain and philanthropist Imran Khan. The party's slogan is Justice, Humanity and Self Esteem, each of which is open to widely divergent interpretations....
(PTI) said in a statement.

"We are ready to enter a new era of relations with Pakistain," Modi was quoted as saying by the PTI blurb.

According to the statement, Modi said both the countries should adopt a joint strategy for progress in bilateral ties.

A statement issued by the Indian Ministry of External Affairs from New Delhi said Modi had spoken to Khan and "congratulated him for his party emerging as the largest political party in the National Assembly of Pakistain in the recently conducted general elections."

"Prime Minister [Modi] expressed hope that democracy will take deeper roots in Pakistain," the statement quoted Modi as saying.

Posted by: Fred || 07/31/2018 00:00 || Comments || Link || [0 views] Top|| File under: Govt of Pakistan


Imran Khan says will take oath as premier on Aug 11
[DAWN] Pakistain Tehrik-e-Insaf
...a political party in Pakistan. PTI was founded by former Pakistani cricket captain and philanthropist Imran Khan. The party's slogan is Justice, Humanity and Self Esteem, each of which is open to widely divergent interpretations....
(PTI) Chairman Imran Khan
... aka Taliban Khan, who is the lightweight's lightweight...
has said that he will take oath as prime minister on August 11, Radio Pakistain reported on Monday.

Khan shared this information while talking to the newly elected politicians from Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa in Islamabad. He said that the name for the slot of KP chief minister will be announced soon.

Speaking on Sindh, he said alleviation of poverty from interior Sindh will be among the top priorities of PTI government.

Although the PTI has emerged as the single largest party in the National Assembly after the polls, the final results issued by the Election Commission of Pakistain (ECP) show that the party is still short of numbers to form its government independently. According to the results, the PTI has bagged 115 general seats ‐ 22 short of simple majority ‐ whereas the PML-N and PPP have won 64 and 43 seats, respectively.

To meet the required number of votes, the PTI leadership has reportedly been approaching the Muttahida Qaumi Movement
...English: United National Movement, generally known as MQM, is the 3rd largest political party and the largest secular political party in Pakistain with particular strength in Sindh. From 1992 to 1999, the MQM was the target of the Pak Army's Operation Cleanup leaving thousands of urdu speaking civilians dead...
-Pakistain (MQM-P), the Grand Democratic Alliance (GDA), PML-Quaid (PML-Q), and the Balochistan...the Pak province bordering Kandahar and Uruzgun provinces in Afghanistan and Sistan Baluchistan in Iran. Its native Baloch propulation is being displaced by Pashtuns and Punjabis and they aren't happy about it...
Awami Party (BAP), as well as independents.

Meanwhile,
...back at the palazzo, Count Guido stepped from behind the suit of armor, rapier in hand. Ciccolini snarled and reached for his own weapon...
two major parties ‐ Pakistain Moslem League-Nawaz and Pakistain Peoples Party ‐ have agreed on formulation of a "coordinated joint strategy" if the Pakistain Tehrik-e-Insaf manages to form its government at the centre.

Posted by: Fred || 07/31/2018 00:00 || Comments || Link || [0 views] Top|| File under: Govt of Pakistan


New government should be given a chance: Sirajul Haq
[DAWN] Jamaat-e-Islami
...The Islamic Society, founded in 1941 in Lahore by Maulana Sayyid Abul Ala Maududi, aka The Great Apostosizer. The Jamaat opposed the independence of Bangladesh but has operated an independent branch there since 1975. It maintains close ties with international Mohammedan groups such as the Moslem Brotherhood. the Taliban, and al-Qaeda. The Jamaat's objectives are the establishment of a pure Islamic state, governed by Sharia law. It is distinguished by its xenophobia, and its opposition to Westernization, capitalism, socialism, secularism, and liberalist social mores...
(JI) chief Sirajul Haq
...current head of the Pak Jamaat-e-Islami. Siraj was born in 1962 and entered politics shortly after that...
on Monday said that the new government, likely of the Pakistain Tehrik-e-Insaf
...a political party in Pakistan. PTI was founded by former Pakistani cricket captain and philanthropist Imran Khan. The party's slogan is Justice, Humanity and Self Esteem, each of which is open to widely divergent interpretations....
(PTI), should be given a chance to play their due role.

The JI emir, while addressing a presser in Lahore, struck a contrasting tone to that of his fellow Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal (MMA) leader Fazalur Rehman, who has rejected the result of the July 25 elections, floated the idea of not taking oath and may even push for fresh polls.

Haq today said that the party wants continuation of democracy and supremacy of the parliament. He termed the holding of the elections a welcome sign but rued that some measures (or their lack thereof) dented the entire polling process.

As a result, he said, the Election Commission of Pakistain (ECP) and the caretaker setup find themselves in a defensive position.

Showing his support for the next government, Haq said, "We want to give a chance to the newly elected government for the sake of the continuation of democracy."

Presuming that the PTI is going to form the next government, Haq reminded Imran Khan
... aka Taliban Khan, who isn't your heaviest-duty thinker, maybe not even among the top five...
of his promises that he would create 10 million jobs, five million houses and help Pakistain break free from the International Monitory Fund (IMF) and the World Bank's (WB) loans.

Posted by: Fred || 07/31/2018 00:00 || Comments || Link || [0 views] Top|| File under: Jamaat-e-Islami


Opposition parties mull joint strategy to tackle PTI in parliament
[DAWN] A meeting of big shots of four parliamentary parties ‐ PML-N, MMA, PPP and ANP ‐ was held in Islamabad on Monday, during which they agreed on formulating a joint parliamentary strategy to counter PTI's emergence as the most powerful party in the National Assembly.

Talking to media persons following the meeting, former prime minister Yousuf Raza Gilani
... Pakistain's former prime minister, whose occasional feats of mental gymnastics could be awe-inspiring ...
said it has been decided that the agitating parties will "form a strong opposition both inside and outside parliament".

The parties also reiterated claims that the recently-held elections were massively rigged.

Gilani denounced the interference of "non-state elements" and also criticised the alleged self-imposed censorship by media houses while reporting election-related protests.

Senior PML-N leader Raja Zafrul Haq, also present, alleged that the Election Commission of Pakistain had "remained ineffective" in the conduct of the election and demanded that the Chief Election Commissioner tender his resignation.

MMA chief Fazalur Rehman said those institutions "which stole the mandate of people" should be "ashamed" of themselves.

He also talked about a joint strategy, saying that all parties are deliberating on the issue to reach a consensus regarding a future course of action.

"We have unanimously rejected the election results. Now, we want to adopt a unanimous approach for a future course of action," Fazal said.

The multi-party alliance had earlier announced that a joint protest would be launched against alleged "rigging" and "massive irregularities" in the polls and demanded a "transparent re-election".

"We have given sacrifices for democracy. We will not allow the establishment to hold this democracy hostage. We will fight for the independence of democracy," Fazal had said last week while talking to media persons following a multi-party conference on Friday.
Posted by: Fred || 07/31/2018 00:00 || Comments || Link || [0 views] Top|| File under: Govt of Pakistan


International-UN-NGOs
Iran Sues U.S. to Stop Imposition of Trump’s New Sanctions
[FreeBeacon] U.S. officials are fighting against a recently filed lawsuit by Iran in the International Court of Justice, or ICJ, that seeks to block the imposition of harsh new sanctions on Iran by the Trump administration.

Iranian officials launched a formal complaint with the ICJ earlier this month, alleging the reimposition of harsh new sanctions on Iran by the Trump administration violates international treaties created as a result of the landmark nuclear agreement.

Iran's lawsuit is reportedly gaining traction at the ICJ, which sent an official letter to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo earlier this week urging him and the Trump administration to hold off on new sanctions amid an economic collapse in Iran that has ignited popular protests across the country.

Iranian officials lauded the latest development at the ICJ and lashed out at the Trump administration in public comments in which they formally rejected the U.S. president's offers for a direct meeting. The war of words follows a tense few weeks between Trump and Iranian officials, which have sparked fears of a new regional war.

Trump administration officials working on the ICJ lawsuit told the Free Beacon Monday afternoon that Iran's claims are baseless. Senior U.S. officials are now working to ensure the lawsuit is tossed from the court.

"We are aware of the application filed on July 16, 2018 by Iran in the International Court of Justice instituting proceedings against the United States," a State Department official disclosed to the Free Beacon on Monday. "While I cannot comment on the specifics, Iran's application is baseless, and we intend to vigorously defend the United States before the ICJ."

Alaeddin Boroujerdi, chair the Iranian Parliament's National Security and Foreign Policy Commission, celebrated the ICJ's letter to Pompeo urging the United States to halt any new economic sanctions, calling the letter a "highly logical" step by the ICJ.

"The U.S.'s reinstatement of sanctions is against the international standards, because this country was obliged to lift all sanctions against Iran under the U.N. Security Council resolution," Boroujerdi was quoted as saying on Monday in Iran's state-controlled press. "Such unlawful act can be sued."


This article starring:
ALAEDIN BORUJERDI,ICJ,
International Court of Justice
Posted by: 3dc || 07/31/2018 00:00 || Comments || Link || [1 views] Top|| File under: Govt of Iran

#1  You and whose army?
Posted by: Procopius2k || 07/31/2018 1:21 Comments || Top||

#2  We don't bow to the International Court of Justice do we?

Iran must still think Obama is in office...
Posted by: CrazyFool || 07/31/2018 1:28 Comments || Top||

#3  Jesus, imagine if these globalist institutions had real teeth, like Hillary wanted to do. TPP. TTIP. We'd be fucked.
Posted by: Herb McCoy || 07/31/2018 3:39 Comments || Top||

#4  So... One of the world's most violent, tyrannical regimes, responsible for the slaughter of innocent people literally world-wide and not just at home, is on the brink of collapsing and the International Court of "Justice" says to lay off and let them recover?

I'll listen to the International House of Pancakes before that "court".
Posted by: Rob Crawford || 07/31/2018 6:58 Comments || Top||

#5  So... One of the world's most violent, tyrannical regimes, responsible for the slaughter of innocent people literally world-wide and not just at home, is on the brink of collapsing and the International Court of "Justice" says to lay off and let them recover?

I'll listen to the International House of Pancakes before that "court".
Posted by: Rob Crawford || 07/31/2018 6:59 Comments || Top||

#6  Sorry for the double.

Oh, and BTW -- no treaties were involved. Nothing was sent to the Senate, let alone ratified. Obama lied to you; take it out on him.
Posted by: Rob Crawford || 07/31/2018 7:00 Comments || Top||

#7  How many Democrats are going to be witnesses for the prosecution?

If there are any they should be shot as traitors before they get back.
Posted by: AlanC || 07/31/2018 7:48 Comments || Top||

#8  ....Mr. Brennan to the courtesy phone.
Posted by: Procopius2k || 07/31/2018 7:55 Comments || Top||

#9  At least we'll be spared the injunction by a Hawaiian judge.
Posted by: Raj || 07/31/2018 9:18 Comments || Top||

#10  Good luck enforcing anything.

Dipshits. You really want the US to completely close its wallet? 'cuz this is how you get that.
Posted by: DarthVader || 07/31/2018 9:23 Comments || Top||

#11  Should have filed in the 9th Circuit Court.
Posted by: Glerong and Tenille3784 || 07/31/2018 14:41 Comments || Top||

#12  ..which has been acting a little off of narrative in the last couple of weeks. Strange?
Posted by: Procopius2k || 07/31/2018 15:55 Comments || Top||


Iraq
Iraq, Kurdistan premiers reiterate need for dialogue, security cooperation
Baghdad (IraqiNews.com) Iraq Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi and Kurdistan Region’s premier Nechirvan Barzani reiterated on Monday the need for dialogue and security cooperation between both governments.

A statement by Abadi’s media office said the Iraqi prime minister received Barzani in Baghdad, adding that both leaders discussed the political situation in Iraq and issues of common interest. It said both reiterated the need to continue dialogue and the importance of maintaining security collaboration between the forces of both governments.

Both leaders also agreed to proceed towards the formation of the next Iraqi government.
Posted by: trailing wife || 07/31/2018 00:00 || Comments || Link || [0 views] Top|| File under: Govt of Iraq


Shunned by opposition, Iraqi Kurdistan's 2 biggest parties head to alliance
Baghdad (IraqiNews.com) Iraqi Kurdistan's two leading parties are heading towards an alliance as opposition group show reluctance, a Kurdish politician was quoted saying.

Ariz Abdullah, a member of the commanding council of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK), told Almaalomah website that his party and the dominant Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) were heading towards an alliance after boycott from opposition groups.

He said the opposition, again, refused to join both parties "for their own political reasons", adding that "the two Kurdish parties decided to engage in negotiations alone should the opposition's stances persist".

According to Abdullah, "the Kurdish delegation is not going to visit Baghdad before results of the parliamentary elections are approved in order to determine the largest (parliament) block".

Relations deteriorated between Baghdad and Erbil after the autonomous region voted in a popular poll in September for independence from Iraq, a step Baghdad deemed unconstitutional.

After several penal measures from Baghdad, including an embargo on international flights to Kurdistan, and a recapture of territories where sovereignty is disputed by both sides, a detente was witnessed over the past few months after Baghdad lifted the embargo and both sides headed towards a joint management of disputed regions.Both sides have frequently emphasized on dialogue to address problematic issues.

Iraqi parliament elections, held in May, were surrounded by judicial and parliamentary challenges to its integrity, which prompted courts to decide a manual recount of votes.
Posted by: trailing wife || 07/31/2018 00:00 || Comments || Link || [0 views] Top|| File under:


Israel-Palestine-Jordan
In first, Iraq national soccer team to play match in West Bank
[IsraelTimes] Technically still at war with Israel, the Iraqi national squad will come to Ramallah, at the request of the Paleostinian Authority; will need Israel's okay
No mention of this on the Iraqi News site... One wonders if the team has humbled itself to apply for Israeli approval, or if they will swagger in without it, only to be sent home with their tail between their legs.
Iraq’s national soccer team is set to travel Thursday on its first-ever visit to the Paleostinian territories where it will face off against the Paleostinian national squad in the West Bank, a team official said Monday.

Most teams in Arab countries ‐ many of which do not recognize Israel ‐ refuse to visit the Paleostinian territories because Israel controls the West Bank’s borders and blockades the Gazoo Strip to prevent Hamas, a contraction of the Arabic words for "frothing at the mouth", importing weaponry.

But Paleostinian leaders have for years called on Arab countries to send sporting and cultural delegations to help ease their isolation.

The friendly match with Iraq will be held Saturday in Ramallah, the West Bank’s administrative center.

"A Paleostinian delegation will wait for the Iraqi team in Amman and escort it to Ramallah," Iraqi team official Basil Gorgis told AFP.

Iraq fought in wars against Israel in 1948, 1967 and 1973 and is still technically at war with the Jewish state. It was not immediately clear if Israel would give the team permission to enter the West Bank.

The Paleostinian team, a FIFA member since 1998, in May squared off against the Iraqi squad in the southern Iraqi city of Basra.
Posted by: trailing wife || 07/31/2018 00:00 || Comments || Link || [0 views] Top|| File under: Govt of Iraq

#1  A little early for a Black September.
Posted by: Skidmark || 07/31/2018 12:58 Comments || Top||


Lebanon's army: Israeli forces working on the fence entered our territory
[Ynet] Lebanon's army turned Monday to UNIFIL (United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon) demanding that Israel halts its work along the fence, claiming Israeli forces have crossed the border into Lebanon.
Good to know Israel is continuing to work on her border fences.
Posted by: trailing wife || 07/31/2018 00:00 || Comments || Link || [2 views] Top|| File under:

#1  "If he's going to have a Western Sandwich, then I want an Eastern Sandwich!"

"Uh, Premier, there is no Eastern Sandwich."

"Then I want the Eastern Portion of his Western Sandwich!"
Posted by: Thing From Snowy Mountain || 07/31/2018 16:27 Comments || Top||


IDF probing whether 2 Gaza sniper attacks were work of single gunman
[IsraelTimes] The Israeli military is reportedly probing whether a pair of recent sniper attacks on soldiers along the Gazoo border were carried out by the same gunman.

In the first incident on July 20, Staff Sgt. Aviv Levi was killed, making him the first Israeli fatality in an attack from the Strip since the 2014 Gazoo war. Days later, a soldier was moderately maimed by sniper fire along the border.

Both soldiers were wearing protective ceramic vests when they were shot.
If both were shot by an Iranian armour-piercing rifle, that certainly would be indicative. Staff Sgt. Aviv Levy was killed by an Iranian copy of an Austrian Steyr rifle.
Quoting sources in the Israel Defense Forces’s Southern Command, the Walla news site reports that though whoever was behind the attack likely did not get a "green light" from Hamas, always the voice of sweet reason,, the shooter or shooters probably received help from the terror group.

The sources also noted the difficulty of effectively targeting a sniper in Gazoo from beyond the border and said the sniper(s) apparently used rioting along the security fence as cover to fire at the troops.

"We estimate the sniper exploited distractions to the soldiers in the field during the demonstrations," the sources are quoted saying. "This isn’t coincidental."
Posted by: trailing wife || 07/31/2018 00:00 || Comments || Link || [0 views] Top|| File under: Hamas

#1  same guy. The odds of two different Paleos being able to hit their targets are less than stellar.
Posted by: Squinty Gurly-Brown3033 || 07/31/2018 13:37 Comments || Top||


Syria-Lebanon-Iran
In Iran, economic worries grow as new US sanctions loom
[Yahoo/AP] Iran's currency plummeted to a record low Monday, a week before the United States restores sanctions lifted under the unraveling nuclear deal, giving rise to fears of prolonged economic suffering and further civil unrest.

Already last month, protesters clashed with police outside parliament in Tehran in three days of demonstrations sparked by the Iranian rial plunging to nearly 90,000 to the dollar. That followed country-wide economic protests in December and January, in which 25 protesters were killed and nearly 5,000 people were arrested.

The currency hit a new low on Monday, closing at 122,000 to the dollar on the thriving black market, rapidly dropping from 116,000 on Sunday and 98,000 on Saturday. The official exchange rate, available only to businesses with import and export licenses, was about 44,000 to the dollar on Monday, down from 35,000 on Jan. 1.

Iranians have already seen their savings dwindle, and shopkeepers are increasingly refusing to sell certain goods, unsure of their true value. Many fear things will only get worse once the sanctions go into effect.
Posted by: 3dc || 07/31/2018 00:00 || Comments || Link || [0 views] Top|| File under: Govt of Iran

#1  The US will now block the importing of Persian rugs. It may not seem much, but the trade will impact rural Iran, creating more pressure on the regime and its kleptocrats.
Posted by: Harcourt Bucket3271 || 07/31/2018 10:00 Comments || Top||

#2  Watch as the Ayatollahs declare possession of dollars a criminal offense. Rial dropped 33% in value in 3 days?
Posted by: Frank G || 07/31/2018 10:38 Comments || Top||

#3  No Persian rugs?

Damn we just bought a new house and need another one.
Posted by: AlanC || 07/31/2018 11:58 Comments || Top||

#4  Home Depot is having a sale on Berber carpet.
Posted by: Skidmark || 07/31/2018 12:53 Comments || Top||


Background on the Druze including in Druze city of Sweida
[Yahoo] Syria's Druze minority, targeted by deadly Islamic State group attacks and kidnappings last week in Sweida, had managed to keep itself relatively insulated from the country's seven-year war.

Here is a summary of the community's profile, its role in Syria's conflict and previous attacks against it.

- Secretive minority -
With around 700,000 people, the Druze community accounted for around three percent of Syria's pre-war population of 23 million.

They are located mainly in the southern province of Sweida with smaller pockets around Damascus and in the northwest, although some have fled jihadist held parts of the latter area.

Druze are monotheistic and considered Muslim, but the sect is otherwise highly secretive, includes mystical elements like reincarnation, and does not allow new converts.

Some 200,000 Druze are located in neighbouring Lebanon and over 100,000 are in Israel, while 18,000 live in the Israeli-occupied Golan.

- Split by war -
Syria's Druze have been split by the uprising that erupted in 2011 against President Bashar al-Assad, who had long portrayed himself as a protector of the country's minorities.

Druze should not be seen "as being neutral in this war -- it's more multifaceted and the Druze are not a monolithic bloc," said Tobias Lang, an analyst focused on Druze populations in the Middle East.

One of the first soldiers to defect from Syria's army in protest at its handling of demonstrations was Druze officer Khaldun Zeineddine, who later died in clashes against regime forces.

Others remained firmly loyal, like General Issam Zahreddine, one of the highest-ranking Druze army officers who died last year in a mine blast after battling the Islamic State group in Syria's east.

Druze leaders have often tried to maintain a precarious relationship with the regime to keep their areas autonomous and spare them from government attacks.

- Druze defence -
Syria's Druze have protected their heartland in Sweida with their own forces.

The most powerful has been the Sheikhs of Dignity, which was headed by Balous and included fighters and other religious figures.

Sheikhs of Dignity has fought fierce battles against the Islamic State group and Al-Qaeda's Syrian affiliate.

Other militia have been closely linked to the regime, including the Dareh al-Watan (Shield of the Nation), a Druze force founded in April 2015 with 2,000 fighters.

The militia appear to have protected Sweida's sons from compulsory military service, with authorities turning a blind eye so long as young men fight in units not opposed to the regime.

- Targeted by rebels, jihadists -
Suicide bombs and shootings carried out by IS in Sweida on Wednesday left more than 250 people dead, mostly civilians, and the jihadists reportedly kidnapped more than 30 Druze women and children.

The attacks were by far the worst against the Druze community in seven years of war, but they were not the first.

About the Druze women, children kidnapped by IS in Syria's Sweida last week

[IsraelTimes] The Islamic State
...formerly ISIS or ISIL, depending on your preference. Before that al-Qaeda in Iraq, as shaped by Abu Musab Zarqawi. They're very devout, committing every atrocity they can find in the Koran and inventing a few more. They fling Allah around with every other sentence, but to hear the pols talk they're not really Moslems....
group kidnapped dozens of Druze women and kiddies when it attacked their village last week in Syria’s Sweida, residents of the southern province and a monitor says.

The Britannia-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights says 36 Druze women and kiddies were kidnapped, but that four women had since managed to escape while another two had died.

That leaves 14 women and 16 children in IS captivity, says Observatory head Rami Abdel Rahman. Another 17 men were unaccounted for, but it was unclear if they were also kidnapped.

IS has not claimed the kidnappings and no details on them could be found on its propaganda channels.

According to news outlet Sweida24, the 36 civilians were kidnapped on Wednesday from the village of al-Shabki, in the eastern hinterlands of Sweida province.

Sweida24 and other online outlets published a video that appeared to show one of the hostages making demands of the Syrian government, purportedly on IS’s behalf.

AFP could not independently verify its authenticity, but several Sweida residents confirmed that a woman appearing in the footage was among those missing after the attacks.
Posted by: 3dc || 07/31/2018 00:00 || Comments || Link || [0 views] Top|| File under: Govt of Syria


Russian ambassador: We can't force Iran to leave Syria
[IsraelTimes] Russia’s ambassador to Israel says his country cannot force Iran to withdraw all of its forces from Syria, despite Israel’s insistence that it do so.

Anatoly Viktorov tells Channel 10 news that the Iranians are "playing a very, very important role in our common and joint efforts to eliminate gunnies in Syria.

"The Iranian presence in Syria... is fully legitimate according to the UN principles and the UN charter," he continues.

Viktorov says Russia can talk to its "Iranian friends" about a full withdrawal from Syria, as Israel demands, but "we cannot force them."

He also does not confirm Israeli officials’ statement to the effect that Moscow had offered to keep Iran at a distance of 100 kilometers (62 miles) from the border, though he implies that Russia will not oppose continued Israeli Arclight airstrikes on Iranian bases in the country, Channel 10 says.
Posted by: trailing wife || 07/31/2018 00:00 || Comments || Link || [0 views] Top|| File under: Govt of Iran

#1  Thanks Obama!

Because Syria is a "Client State" 2012

Posted by: newc || 07/31/2018 4:16 Comments || Top||


Trump says he would meet with Iranian president under ‘no preconditions’
[ALMASDARNEWS] U.S. President 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...
stated during his presser on Monday that he would "certainly meet" with his Iranian counterpart Hassan Rouhani under "no preconditions".

"They want to meet, I’ll meet. Any time they want," he said at his presser with Italian Prime Minister Guiseppe Conte.

"I’d meet with anybody. I believe in meetings," he added.

Trump’s comments come just two months after he withdrew from the Iran Deal and imposed more sanctions against the Persian Gulf nation.
Posted by: Fred || 07/31/2018 00:00 || Comments || Link || [1 views] Top|| File under: Govt of Iran



Who's in the News
22[untagged]
7Islamic State
6Govt of Pakistan
5Commies
5Govt of Iran
3Hamas
3Govt of Syria
3Taliban
2Govt of Iraq
2Sublime Porte
1Houthis
1al-Nusra
1Jamaat-e-Islami
1Moro Islamic Liberation Front
1Moslem Colonists
1Tin Hat Dictators, Presidents for Life,
1Govt of Iran Proxies
1al-Qaeda

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In no particular order...
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Two weeks of WOT
Tue 2018-07-31
  It was terrorism: Iran denies any role in deadly Tajikistan attack
Mon 2018-07-30
  2 killed in Gaza blast during attempted launch of projectile toward Israel
Sun 2018-07-29
  Duterte invites the Abu Sayyaf to peace talks
Sat 2018-07-28
  Police enter Al-Aqsa Mosque, clash with worshipers in Temple Mount riots
Fri 2018-07-27
  Imran to be next PM
Thu 2018-07-26
  Houthis send missiles at tankers transiting from the Red Sea
Wed 2018-07-25
  Russian Air Force launches more than 40 airstrikes over southwest Syria
Tue 2018-07-24
  2 Syrian missiles with half-ton warheads trigger Israel's anti-missile system
Mon 2018-07-23
  Several dead in Kabul suicide blast as exiled VP Dostum returns
Sun 2018-07-22
  Iraq protests death toll reaches 11 amid ongoing popular unrest
Sat 2018-07-21
  Rebels handover more towns to ISIS in southwest Syria
Fri 2018-07-20
  Senegal convicts 13 suspected Boko Haram fighters
Thu 2018-07-19
  26 persons killed in regime offensive on Daraa and Qunaitra
Wed 2018-07-18
  15 Afghan Taliban killed in attack by suspected IS rivals
Tue 2018-07-17
  Israeli army drills for Gaza incursion, in apparent warning to Hamas

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