Violent crime and drug abuse in Philadelphia as a whole is a major problem. The city’s violent crime rate is higher than the national average and other similarly sized metropolitan areas.1 Also alarming is Philadelphia’s drug overdose rate. The number of drug overdose deaths in the city increased by 50% from 2013 to 2015, with more than twice as many deaths from drug overdoses as deaths from homicides in 2015.2 A big part of Philadelphia’s problems stem from the crime rate and drug abuse in Kensington.
Because of the high number of drugs in Kensington, the neighborhood has a drug crime rate of 3.57, the third-highest rate by neighborhood in Philadelphia.3 Like a lot of the country, a big part of this issue is a result of the opioid epidemic. Opioid abuse has skyrocketed over the last two decades in the United States and Philadelphia is no exception. Along with having a high rate of drug overdose deaths, 80% percent of Philadelphia’s overdose deaths involved opioids2 and Kensington is a big contributor to this number. This Philly neighborhood is purportedly the largest open-air narcotics market for heroin on the East Coast with many neighboring residents flocking to the area for heroin and other opioids.4 With such a high number of drugs in Kensington, many state and local officials have zoned in on this area to try and tackle Philadelphia’s problem.
[EXPRESS] A "CLUELESS" US army general branded British Paratroopers returning from Afghanistan last week "American heroes" in a cringe-worthy tweet.
Lieutenant General Maria R. Gervais
... deputy commanding general of and chief of staff of the US Army Training and Doctrine Command, so she ought to know ...
tweeted a widely-shared snap of exhausted-looking Parachute Regiment soldiers flying back to the UK after helping the humanitarian effort in the country. During the airlift - the largest the UK has carried out in decades - more than 15,000 people were rescued from the war-torn country before the Taliban took control. Forfoksake !
#3
Honestly this is about what I expect out of Army leadership these days. I can't name a single current general that I've heard of that I have any respect for. They all seem to be ones like this. Even "Mad dog Mattis" turned out to be one of them.
#8
Ref #5: My guess as well. The best and brightest do NOT usually gravitate toward Chemical officer branch and assignments. I'm guessing some Rapinoesque life-style similarities, but it's only a guess.
'Oh dad, you'd be so proud of me. I was selected for Chemical Branch.'
[OneIndia] The ISI which has claimed that it is a by-stander when it comes to Afghanistan has now turned into a trouble shooter with the government taking longer than anticipated to form.
The latest headache for the ISI is the reported clash between a group of the Taliban ...the Pashtun equivalent of men... and its long standing ally, the Haqqani Network. Reports said that the Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar was injured in a clash with the Haqqani Network.
Oh? Interesting.
This prompted ISI chief, Lt. General Faiz Hameed to rush to Kabul in an attempt to iron out differences.
Everything will be okay, Hameed said in a video message from Kabul. On being asked if he would meet with the Taliban leadership, Hameed remained non-committal but added that they are working on peace and stability. I have just landed he said.
Several Afghansitan watchers tell OneIndia that the formation of the government is not as simple as it looks. The dispute between the Taliban and its allies is worsening. The rift was out in the open after it was decided to chose Haibatullah Akhundzada ...Former deputy to Taliban supremo Mullah Akhtar Mansour, now The Big Man Himself... as the supreme leader. It was also decided that Baradar would work under his leadership.
The power struggle was something that was expected. The Haqqani Network are not agreeable to Akhundzada's leadership. Officials say that this dispute has forced the ISI to come out in the open. This is a clear sign that the Taliban is completely under the control of the ISI. Quelle Surprise!
Former Afghanistan Vice President, Amrullah Saleh told the Daily Mail that despite Pakistain's claims to the contrary the Taliban were being micromanaged by the ISI. He said that the spokesperson for the Taliban receives instructions from the ISI every hour.
A wholly owned subsidiary, in fact.
Prior to the visit by Hameed, The Mighty Pak Army chief, General Qamar Bajwa met with British foreign secretary Dominic Raab and said that his country would assist in the formation of an inclusive administration in Afghanistan.
Micheal Rubin of the American Enterprise Institute writing in 19fortyfive.com said that the Taliban could not meet its target of setting up a new government. This is because the Haqqanis and several other Taliban factions would not accept Akhundzada as their supreme leader. Rubin said that this delay brought ISI out of the woodwork and forced it to depute a delegation led by Hameed for the emergency trip. A unitary Taliban has always been an illusion as the Quetta Shura ...Taliban's command center, located in Quetta, that the Pak govt hasn't been able to find since its establishment in November, 2001. Honest... is different from the Haqqani Network which is different from the Northern Taliban.
Several Pakistain media outlets have reported about the ISI chief's visit to Kabul. Reports said that the ISI chief would discuss issues relating to security, pending request from countries about repartiation and economic matters.
Rubin also wrote that there are factions that are divided over issues such as the battle in Panjshir. Not many are enthusiastic about the battle in Panjshir. He said that the Taliban largely conquered Afghanistan on the basis of political deals rather than military victories. This is one of the main reasons why many within the Taliban are not enthusiastic about the Panjshir battle, Rubin also wrote.
Despite being all battle hardened and stuff? Oh, the humanity!
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited. by Aleksandr Kots
[KP] "It seems you better stay with me for a while," the salesman of the "wrestled property store" said carefully in good Russian, looking at the TV.
His shop is full of "native" American equipment, from uniforms and boots to backpacks and body kits to weapons. As a rule, the assortment is drawn from defeated NATO caravans. Fresh supplies, from abandoned warehouses of military bases.
"What is there?" I tensed.
Again Panjshir was taken. Now they will start celebrating.
"So they banned."
The seller shrugged his shoulders, "Who was here when the bans stopped?"
Taliban spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid made a special statement on Monday morning. He called the opponents mercenaries and assured that the rebellious province was now completely under the control of the new authorities . The resistance, of course, immediately denied this fact.
However, a photo of the Taliban appeared on the network in front of the residence of Governor Pandsher, and then a video at the mausoleum of the "Panjshir Lion," the grave of the legendary field commander Ahmad Shah Massoud.
The place is sacred to the forces of resistance. And with its capture, we can talk about the political defeat of the "Northern Alliance 2.0". Panjshir, who did not submit to either the Soviet troops or the Taliban in the 90s, nevertheless lost his autonomy, which he had de facto enjoyed for decades.
Of course, it is unrealistic to completely clear the gorge; it is too large and ramified, with a mass of strategic heights, which the Taliban will not have enough strength to hold. Therefore, the new authorities will probably have to face guerrilla warfare. But already, according to their "new Taliban ethics," they announced that they would not persecute those who lay down their arms.
"We assure the noble people of Panjshir that they will not face any manifestations of discrimination; they are all our brothers, and together we will serve one country and one goal," Zabiullah Mujahid broadcast from TV. "The civil war is over. And our people will have a place for freedom, independence, prosperity, calm and happy life. "
"Where are you going to get new goods now?" I asked the seller, sorting through the "trophy" chevrons.
Here is the badge of the K-9 Service Dog Unit, an American flag and a dog's head painted in the colors of the Afghan Republican flag. A funny patch with Trump's hair kissing, chevrons of the American embassy, star-and-striped eagles on buttonholes.
There are more awards: the Afghan dumps medals in packages on the table, "Purple Heart" (given for injury) for $15, and the rest are $10 each.
The awards are not numbered, and I, having doubted their authenticity, leave the store at my own peril and risk.
The street is surprisingly quiet. After the last "capture" of Panjshir, the Taliban fired into the sky all night. As a result, bullets that fell from a great height killed almost two dozen people. Zabiullah Mujahid called on his comrades-in-arms to abandon this tradition. And, apparently, they heard him.
After that false start, the Taliban still got their way. Rumor has it that they were helped in this by the Pakistani special forces, which directed the Pakistani Air Force to the positions of the rebels and with the surprisingly tacit consent of the international community.
Only Iran was not very confident in its condemnation of the military operation in the Panjshir Gorge, and was limited to that. China, the United States, Russia and the European Union have made it clear that they will not take sides. In the end, it is easier to deal with one force with a not very good background than with the motley emirs of the vilayets, into which Afghanistan can disintegrate in the event of a new internecine war.
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited. By Aleksandr Kots
[KP] Sunny morning (in Kabul, it seems, there are no others) in the Shiite region of "Sakhi". Translated as "generous" - the epithet of the most revered among Shiites Imam Ali, son-in-law and companion of the Prophet Muhammad. Men and women with a characteristic Asian cut of the eyes climb the steps to one of the main Shiite shrines - the mosque named after Ali. Basically, these are the Hazaras, a people who inhabits central Afghanistan. They awaited the arrival of the Taliban with horror.
In 1998, when the Taliban entered Mazar-i-Sharif, they massacred the Hazaras. Ethnic and religious differences, suspicions of loyalty to Iran - there was no time for the trial. The militants simply drove around the city and shot everyone who came into sight. At the same time, it was forbidden to bury the bodies for six days. According to various sources, up to 20,000 people died, mostly Hazaras. The horror of these events is here at the genetic level.
But there was also a four-day execution in Bamiyan, during which almost two hundred people were killed, a massacre at the Robatak Pass. In general, it is difficult to imagine the mood with which the Hazaras were waiting for the "second coming" of the Taliban. Today his militants are on duty at the gates of the mosque with a Kalashnikov machine gun, emphasizing in every possible way that they have no claims to the Shiites.
"Of course, at first it was alarming," say the shopkeepers in front of the central entrance. "But so far we have not faced any discrimination."
"If we are given to work and earn money, then we do not see any problems," assures the ice cream man nearby.
And it is impossible to check the sincerity of his words. Behind me are two bearded men: one with a machine gun, the other with a submachine gun. They relentlessly accompany me on the territory of the shrine.
According to legend, the Bukhara emir, in order to make peace with the Afghan khan, sent envoys from Bukhara to Kandahar with a hirka (clothing similar to a robe) of the Prophet Muhammad. They spent the night at the site of the future mosque, and while they were sleeping, Imam Ali appeared and cut a huge stone with his sword. Shah ordered to build a mosque here. They say that if you crawl through the gap in this stone, any wish will come true. I was prevented from wearing a bulletproof vest.
"It has been 22 days since the Taliban occupied Kabul and the level of security has increased significantly," says local governor Said Yusuf. "We hope that there will be no further problems."
"There are no fears of persecution on the basis of ethnicity, as it was in the 90s?" I ask the question, while the bearded man was distracted by beggars.
"The Afghan people are always a little worried about this issue, " said Yusuf. He looks at the machine gunner half-turned. "But we have different peoples for many years used to live together, and now this problem is not."
It can be seen that the Afghan Hazaras are afraid of the new government - the memories of the past crimes of the Taliban are too fresh. And they are very wary of their "second coming". Some tried to escape by evacuation planes, some - through Pakistan. However, those who remain hope that the current Taliban, by all means, need at least partial recognition of the international community. And it cannot be achieved through mass executions.
"Do you have any complaints against us?" the bearded shopkeeper asks.
"No, no, everything is all right," they wave their hands.
"If someone will offend, immediately contact me," the Taliban waved patronizingly with the barrel of a machine gun.
"Tolerant Taliban" flashed through my head. Oxymoron.
[Garowe] Differences between outgoing President Mohammed Abdullahi Farmaajo and Prime Minister Mohammed Hussein Roble widened on Monday over embattled spy chief Fahad Yasin, who has now been placed at the center stage on the death of a junior officer.
On Sunday, a furious Roble suspended Yasin, an associate of President Mohammed Abdullahi Farmaajo, over the unanswered mysterious death of Ikran Tahlil, who previously worked as cyber security expert within the National Intelligence Security Agency [NISA]
Earlier, Roble had given Yasin 48 hours to issue a comprehensive report on the death, which has caused ripples in the country. But moments later, Yasin responded by asking Farmaajo to convene an emergency National Security Council meeting in what seemed to be defiance to Prime Minister Roble.
Continued on Page 49
#Ethiopia Airlines said on Monday its transport of weapons to #Sudan was a “legal and commercial” shipment of hunting guns, after reports the cargo had been confiscated by the authorities in #Khartoum.https://t.co/iFgf9cJT4p
[LIBYAREVIEW] On Monday, Libyan Minister of Oil and Gas, Mohammed Aoun said that the decision to suspend the head of the state-run National Oil Corporation (NOC), Mustafa Sanalla remained valid. This will potentially set the stage for renewed tensions, hours after Prime Minister Abdel-Hamid Dbaiba rescinded the order, according to Bloomberg.
The ministry said it was steadfast in doing its duty, "despite the many difficulties and obstacles it has, and still faces," according to a statement it released. An earlier decision to suspend Sanalla was "still in effect and awaiting enforcement by the authorities," it said.
Officials at the NOC were not immediately available for comment.
The move came after Dbaiba held a meeting with the two officials late on Sunday, and stressed that stability in Libya’s oil sector required "wisdom" and that issues that could threaten that goal must be addressed.
He also directed the two to address their differences, emphasising the importance of stabilising the oil sector, and increasing production rates. He added that the formation of an oil ministry after six years of individual work by the NOC required, "administrative and technical order to create an appropriate hierarchy."
[LIBYAREVIEW] On Sunday, Muammer Qadaffy’s third son, Saadi was reportedly released from prison in Tripoli ...a confusing city, one end of which is located in Lebanon and the other end of which is the capital of Libya. Its chief distinction is being mentioned in the Marine Hymn... , nearly a decade after the Colonel’s death, so where are the other family members?Three of the former ruler’s seven sons died in the uprising, including Mutassim, Saif al-Arab, and Khamis who were killed in the 2011 civil war. Other members of the Qadaffy family survived, including his wife Safiya, his eldest son Mohammed — from his first marriage — and his daughter Aisha, who live in exile.
After the fall of Tripoli to rebels in August 2011, Safiya, Mohammed, and Aisha escaped to Algeria. They were later granted refuge in Oman on condition they do not carry out political activities, the country’s then Foreign Minister, Mohammed Abdelaziz told AFP in 2013. Aisha, a lawyer by profession and a former UN goodwill ambassador, had been part of an international defence team for Saddam Hussein after the Iraqi leader was ousted in the 2003 US-led invasion.
Continued on Page 49
Posted by: Fred ||
09/07/2021 00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
[336077 views]
Top|| File under: Arab Spring
#1
Dead or hiding.
Posted by: ed in texas ||
09/07/2021 10:20 Comments ||
Top||
“Since there are no real fascists, Antifa has to manufacture them in order to have a raison d’etre.” @candiomercer, the Olympia city council candidate who was almost assaulted by antifa, speaks out in an essay on political violence. https://t.co/kBFxb9eset
There actually are fascists -- neo-Nazis and that kind of dipshit -- but it's a lot easier to beat up random citizens than it is to hunt down actual bad guys.
Posted by: Fred ||
09/07/2021 00:00 ||
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Link ||
[336074 views]
Top|| File under: Antifa/BLM
#1
Mr. & Miss Antifa persons, we need to have your pics for our "End of Times Digest"
Please put your head through our "Picture Frame"...
For a QUICK Snap ... Thanks
What is Fascism in simple terms?
Its basically a political agenda movement, that promotes nation and often race above the individual and that stands for a centralized autocratic government headed by a dictatorial leader, absolute economic and social control, and forcible suppression of opposition.
(None of this sounds like TRUMP or the PRO-USA Constitutional controlled USA we had under his Admin.)
So which Political Party Agenda best matches the definition of Fascism provided above?
Hint: Its NOT the PRO-USA Trump supporters.
But, it sure does sound like the agenda of the now combined Democrat / Socialist Parties, or what I call Socialcrats.
EXAMPLES
BLM.
Anti-White
DC Rule down.
Presidential Executive orders.
Rewording / Redefining the US Constitution.
Appoint judges that rule based on Agenda and not Law.
Social controls out the wazoo.
DC control of the Health, oil, and etc. industries.
ANTI-FA using politically driven NAZI Brown Shirt tactics to suppress opposition.
Social Media & MSM working directly with DC rulers to promote the regimes agenda.
[Rudaw] The Sick Man of Europe Turkey ...the decaying remnant of the Ottoman Empire... has "neutralized" nearly 18,500 people that it calls "terrorists" over the past six years, the Defense Ministry said Sunday. The ministry uses the term to describe killed, maimed or captured combatants.
Since the start of this year, that figure was 1,865, spokesperson Maj. Pinar Kara told journalists in Ankara.
The vast majority of the 18,455 neutralized since July 2015 are thought to be members of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party, or PKK, which has waged war on Turkey since 1984. A 2½-year ceasefire with the PKK — listed as a terrorist organization by the U.S. and the European Union ...the successor to the Holy Roman Empire, only without the Hapsburgs and the nifty uniforms and the dancing... — broke down in 2015.
Turkey targeted the Islamic State ...formerly ISIS or ISIL, depending on your preference. Before that they were al-Qaeda in Iraq, as shaped by Abu Musab Zarqawi. They're really 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 western pols talk they're not really Moslems.... group after launching its first operation in northern Syria in 2016 but has since largely focused on the PKK and its affiliates in Turkey, Syria and Iraq.
Although the total figure of 40,000 deaths is often cited for the 37-year conflict with the PKK, the International Crisis Group says "the precise figure for the overall casualty toll of the conflict is impossible to confirm."
Turkey’s military conducted 22 operations against suspected forces of Evil inside Turkey and abroad over the past month, Kara said. Since April, it has been carrying out ground and air operations against the PKK in northern Iraq. These resulted in 244 gunnies being "neutralized," she added.
Turning to the withdrawal from Afghanistan, Kara said the Ottoman Turkish Armed Forces evacuated 1,129 Ottoman Turkish civilians between Aug. 25 and Aug. 27 and assisted citizens of other countries.
She also said that 23,931 military personnel had been dismissed since a coup attempt in July 2016 that saw elements of the military try to overthrow President His Enormity, 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. In Anatolia did Recep Bey a stately Presidential Palace decree, that has 1100 rooms. That's 968 more than there are in the White House, 400 more than in Versailles, and 325 more than Buckingham Palace, so you know who's really most important... ’s government.
Posted by: trailing wife ||
09/07/2021 00:41 ||
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Top|| File under: Sublime Porte
[ENGLISH.AAWSAT] Israeli Foreign Minister Yair Lapid will meet his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov for the first time in Moscow this week amid growing tensions between Russia and Israel over Syria, where Moscow is helping the regime thwart Israeli attacks to Tel Aviv’s discontent.
Lapid is set to depart Israel on Wednesday evening and return the following day.
The foreign minister is visiting the Russian capital a few days after the Russian military in Syria said the air defense system it supplied to Syria shot down 21 of 24 missiles launched by Israel.
The Russian military’s statement has alarmed Israel, especially since Moscow had previously promised Tel Aviv that its assistance to the Syrian regime will be limited and that the advanced S-300 air defense batteries sale to Hereditary President-for-Life Bashir Pencilneck al-Assad Despoiler of Deraa... ’s forces will not be used against Israeli jets.
Considered as a direct and frank challenge from Russia to Israel, the Russian military’s statement was unprecedented, especially since one of the downed missiles had its fragments fall over Tel Aviv neighborhoods, striking fear and panic among residents.
A few weeks ago, new director of the National Security Council, Eyal Hulata, and his predecessor, Meir Ben Shabbat visited Moscow to meet with Nikolay Patrushev, Secretary of the Security Council.
The two sides discussed the ongoing conflict of interests in Syria and other regional issues.
Even though the rising tensions in Syria were discussed, the two sides failed in finding a solution to the problem.
Many observers have predicted that the change in Russian rhetoric towards Israeli strikes in Syria stems from discontent towards Israel obstructing Moscow’s efforts to evacuate the Syrian opposition from the southern governorate of Daraa and looking to escalate tensions on Syrian territory.
Posted by: Fred ||
09/07/2021 00:00 ||
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Top|| File under: Govt of Iran Proxies
#1
especially since one of the downed missiles had its fragments fall over Tel Aviv neighborhoods, striking fear and panic among residents.
[ENGLISH.AAWSAT] Lebanese President Michel Aoun ...president of Leb, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Hizbullah... continued on Sunday his verbal campaign against what he calls the corrupt system, which he said controls the country and fears accountability.
"Failure of every plan for financial and economic recovery means one thing, which is that the corrupt system that still controls the country and the people fears accountability," he said during a meeting with a youth delegation at the Baabda Palace.
Aoun explained that a recovery plan stems from three main pillars: identifying losses, defining responsibilities and accountability, and determining treatment methods.
He added that the failure to determine the financial losses and their distribution between the central bank, banks and the state led to two serious matters: First, ignoring those responsible for the financial ruin of the country and second, holding the Lebanese people solely responsible for the financial collapse, and depleting their deposits.
"The people must know who is humiliating them on a daily basis as they try to obtain their most basic rights and who is preventing them from freely accessing their money at banks," Aoun said.
He added that every popular revolution must aim to identify and distribute losses, define responsibilities, hold officials accountable, and find solutions and identify those who caused the financial disaster.
The people alone should not be held responsible for the crisis, he urged.
Posted by: Fred ||
09/07/2021 00:00 ||
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[ENGLISH.AAWSAT] Lebanese Force leader Samir Geagea ...Geagea was imprisoned by the Syrians and their puppets for 11 years in a dungeon in the third basement level of the Lebanese Ministry of Defense. He was released after the Cedar Revolution in 2005... slammed on Sunday President Michel Aoun ...president of Leb, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Hizbullah... , saying his term was catastrophic for Leb
Continued on Page 49
Posted by: Fred ||
09/07/2021 00:00 ||
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Top|| File under: Hezbollah
[NPASYRIA] On Monday, the directorate of Municipalities, Social Affairs and Civil Registry Department of the Syrian government started to work on a census of the population and homes in its held areas in the western countryside of Deir ez-Zor.
The committees of the Municipalities and Social Affairs started the census process, starting from the town of al-Masrab, west of Deir ez-Zor, to the town of al-Tebni in the same countryside, in conjunction with another committee started in the city of al-Mayadin, east of Deir ez-Zor.
"The teams belong to the Municipalities and are accompanied by employees of the Civil Registry Department under the guidance of the Directorate of Real Estate in Deir ez-Zor to inform all parties of the census results and to know the number of the residents in the area and the population residing outside the areas of the Syrian government," said Fawaz al-Jassem (pseudonym), employee at al-Tebni municipality.
"The homes, shops and lands whose owners reside outside the government-held areas will counted in order to find out the reasons for living outside their cities and villages, and to seize these properties until their owners return, and see the Real Estate Department in Deir ez-Zor," he added.
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.
[EXPRESS] A "CLUELESS" US army general branded British Paratroopers returning from Afghanistan last week "American heroes" in a cringe-worthy tweet.
...Former deputy to Taliban supremo Mullah Akhtar Mansour, now The Big Man Himself...
...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. In Anatolia did Recep Bey a stately Presidential Palace decree, that has 1100 rooms. That's 968 more than there are in the White House, 400 more than in Versailles, and 325 more than Buckingham Palace, so you know who's really most important...
Hereditary President-for-Life Bashir 
...president of Leb, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Hizbullah...
