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Iran claims the whole Persian Gulf. Both sides!
Today's Headlines
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-Short Attention Span Theater-
Ex-Politician Nuristani Pleads Guilty of SSI Fraud in US Court
[ToloNews] Under the US law, Nuristani faces up to 10 years in federal prison and a fine of up to $250,000.

A former Afghan politician, Ahmad Yusuf Nuristani, pled guilty in a US federal court on December 11 to "theft of public money," admitting that he received over $100,000 in government benefits by concealing foreign travel and residency between July 2015 and December 2018, according to a statement by the US Department of Justice.

According to the statement, Nuristani admitted that he applied for Supplemental Security Income (SSI) from the Social Security Administration in July 2015.

Supplemental Security Income (SSI) is a United States program that provides cash assistance to individuals residing in the United States who are either aged 65 or older, blind, or disabled.

Nuristani admitted to concealing and repeatedly lying to the Social Security Administration about his foreign travel and residency, and to receiving $27,492.44 in SSI payments and to "causing a loss of $73,090.34 to the State of Caliphornia, an impregnable bastion of the Democratic Party, for health care payments and services as a result of his fraud," the statement added.

Nuristani served as both the head of Afghanistan’s Independent Election Commission and as an Afghan senator even as he received SSI at his claimed address in El Cajon, California, the US statement said. He has also served as the governor of the western province of Herat
...a venerable old Persian-speaking city in western Afghanistan, populated mostly by Tadjiks, which is why it's not as blood-soaked as areas controlled by Pashtuns...
and he was appointed as a member of the Meshrano Jirga, Afghanistan’s senate, in September 2018.

As a part of his plea agreement, Nuristani has agreed to make full restitution to the Social Security Administration and the California Department of Health Care Services, the statement said. He also faces up to 10 years in federal prison and a fine of up to $250,000 at his sentencing on March 9, 2020.

According to the statement, Nuristani, 71," is a former Fulbright Scholar and has been a prominent politician in Afghanistan for many decades."

Nuristani was head of Afghanistan’s Independent Election Commission from August 2013 to March 2016 and was heading the election commission during the controversial 2014 presidential polls which ended up with the shared National Unity Government.

"Those who abuse the trust of the taxpayer will be brought to justice," said United States Attorney Robert S. Brewer, Jr.
Posted by: trailing wife || 12/16/2019 00:00 || Comments || Link || [7 views] Top|| File under:


How baby-faced Dutch teenage girls turned WWII freedom fighters seduced Nazi invaders in bars before luring them to their deaths
Posted by: Skidmark || 12/16/2019 00:00 || Comments || Link || [1 views] Top|| File under:

#1  "Truus recalled: 'He [the Nazi] grabbed the baby and hit it against the wall,' according to a new book seen by the New York Post. 'The father and sister had to watch. They were obviously hysterical. The child was dead.'

That would be enough to turn any peace-loving normal person into a killer.
Posted by: JohnQC || 12/16/2019 8:33 Comments || Top||

#2  ...well, not at Planned Parenthood. They're already the killers. (Also, why so much energy and resources are put into suppressing what PP actually does)
Posted by: Procopius2k || 12/16/2019 8:55 Comments || Top||


-Signs, Portents, and the Weather-
Greta Thunberg - Unscripted
[YouTube] HT AOS Sidebar

Posted by: Frank G || 12/16/2019 00:00 || Comments || Link || [2 views] Top|| File under: Commies

#1  I want to see an interview where she's handed written questions.
Posted by: g(r)omgoru || 12/16/2019 4:10 Comments || Top||

#2  Something that occurred to me yesterday during our "up against the wall" discussion was that little Greta is probably *not* writing her own speeches.
Posted by: SteveS || 12/16/2019 8:43 Comments || Top||

#3  The reporter has such a sweet (/sarc) eurine accented English until he gets to Grrrrrrretttttah with his lavishly rolling rrrrrrs. As phony as American reporters or politicians putting their southern or hispanic accents on like flipping a switch.
Posted by: M. Murcek || 12/16/2019 8:46 Comments || Top||

#4  Her parents are the puppeteers.

What despicable people.
Posted by: Lex || 12/16/2019 8:47 Comments || Top||

#5  Left wing St. Thunberg is beginning to sound like a nasty little thing and full of anger.
Posted by: JohnQC || 12/16/2019 9:29 Comments || Top||

#6  Greta is a victim of parental abuse.
Posted by: Bright Pebbles || 12/16/2019 9:32 Comments || Top||

#7  ^ Agreed. Her parents should go "up against the wall" first.
Posted by: Secret Master || 12/16/2019 11:01 Comments || Top||

#8  He Haw!
Posted by: SR-71 || 12/16/2019 16:46 Comments || Top||


UN climate talks unraveling, face failure
[AlAhram] Delegates from rich nations, emerging giants and the world's poorest countries all objected to a draft final text unveiled by host Chile in a botched attempt to find common ground.
Posted by: trailing wife || 12/16/2019 00:00 || Comments || Link || [3 views] Top|| File under:

#1  I'm from the pro-plant party - we want lots of CO2.
Posted by: g(r)omgoru || 12/16/2019 1:42 Comments || Top||

#2  Keren Kayemet L’yisrael, g(r)omgoru. Over a century of trees planted, and they need to be fed. Y’all clearly need to talk more, to keep them happy.
Posted by: trailing wife || 12/16/2019 1:53 Comments || Top||

#3  A most successful failure.
Posted by: Alaska Paul || 12/16/2019 2:26 Comments || Top||

#4  Oh dear,
How Sad!
Nevermind.
Posted by: Bright Pebbles || 12/16/2019 7:26 Comments || Top||

#5  UN Climate Talks = Left-wing money and power grab.
Posted by: JohnQC || 12/16/2019 8:21 Comments || Top||

#6  Greta will be most displeased!
Posted by: Warthog || 12/16/2019 9:48 Comments || Top||

#7  When voting yourself other people's money stops working...
Posted by: M. Murcek || 12/16/2019 9:49 Comments || Top||

#8  UN Climate Talks = Left-wing money and power grab.

I'd write that as
UN Climate Talks = Virtue Signalling + (Left-wing money and power grab)
Most everyone except TrumpHitler and the Evil USA are fine with the virtue signalling part. Where the wheels come off is the monetary payments that the US, Brazil, India and China object to.

Would it be mean to again point out that the US is the only country to reduce CO2 emissions despite not being a party to their stupid treaty? Frack on!
Posted by: SteveS || 12/16/2019 9:51 Comments || Top||

#9  The diplomacy is settled.
Posted by: Matt || 12/16/2019 10:30 Comments || Top||

#10  I guess this means the UN must be put up against a wall, right?
Posted by: charger || 12/16/2019 17:57 Comments || Top||


-Land of the Free
MAGA cap on personal FB page ends mall assignment for Waycross, GA Santa
[ABC] WAYCROSS, Ga. ‐ A Santa Claus who sparked controversy after posting a photo of himself wearing a hat supporting President Trump at a Georgia mall shared his side of the story Tuesday via Facebook.

Frank Skinner has played Santa Claus every Christmas for nearly 50 years, including the past 14 years at the Mall of Waycross in Georgia.

Skinner said the mall was closing and no children were around when he decided to switch hats and pose with the President Trump hat for fun.

"It really was an innocent thing. It really was," he told First Coast News.

Skinner believes someone saw the photo on his Facebook page and sent it to mall management - he was then told not to come back.

"I just felt like my constitutional rights were being taken away," he said.

In a lengthy statement posted to his personal Facebook page Tuesday afternoon, Skinner said he didn't intend to "create a firestorm by doing that but simply intended to post the photo on my page for a little humor, as I have many friends and family who, like me, support our president."

Skinner said after he posted the photo to his personal Facebook page, someone took a screenshot of the photo and reported it. The photo eventually made its way to mall management with a request to remove the hat. Skinner said the request was made out of context "as if I wear [the hat] all day."

Since that day, Skinner said he's unsure what actions the mall will take next after he was replaced as management investigates.

No matter what happens next, Skinner wants to make it clear that he did not intend to offend and that he's learned a serious lesson.

"I in no way meant to cause anyone discomfort," Skinner said. "At the time I thought it was harmless fun. Now I realize in this day and age that I should not have posted it. Obviously it did offend some folks. I can assure everyone that was not my intent. I have learned a lot from this. Going forward I will keep this in mind."
Posted by: Besoeker || 12/16/2019 03:44 || Comments || Link || [5 views] Top|| File under:

#1  Would it have been better had he been holding 'Baby Parts'?
Posted by: Mullah Richard || 12/16/2019 9:10 Comments || Top||

#2  no, rainbow panties
Posted by: chris || 12/16/2019 11:42 Comments || Top||

#3  He needs to man up, get a lawyer, and sue the mall for violating his civil rights.
Posted by: 49 Pan || 12/16/2019 11:42 Comments || Top||

#4  Because brick and mortar malls are doing so well now that they can afford to alienate half of their customers?
Posted by: Frank G || 12/16/2019 11:47 Comments || Top||


Afghanistan
Fight To Arrest Qaisari in Mazar-e-Sharif Ongoing
[ToloNews] Afghan helicopters firing on Qaisari compound.

A clash that started late Saturday night in Mazar-e-Sharif, capital of Balkh province, is still ongoing. Security forces have surrounded the house of Nizamuddin Qaisari, the former police chief of Faryab’s Qaisar district, police officials confirmed.

Afghan helicopters targeted the house of Nizamuddin Qaisari, and "special forces have arrived at the scene," said police officials.

The festivities between security forces and Qaisari fighters started at 11:30 pm local time in PD5 of Mazar-s-Sharif after the security forces launched an operation to arrest Qaisari, said Gen. Mohammad Ajmal Fayez, provincial police chief.

The illegally-gunnies affiliated with Qaisari recently "destabilized the security situation in the city" and an "arrest warrant has been issued," officials said, adding that "Qaisari is fighting against police forces with his 150 gunnies."

"The arrested warrant has been issued after the residents complained against Qaisari," officials said.

Nearby houses have been damaged in the shootings, said Najibullah, a resident: "Our house was damaged in the shooting and is very close to the house where Qaisari is living."

Qaisari was formerly held by the National Directorate of Security
...the Afghan national intel agency...
(NDS), but was recently freed.

Qaisari was arrested by the Afghan commandos in July after being accused of "insulting" the government, employing illegal gunnies and violating human rights
When they're defined by the state or an NGO they don't mean much...
Qaisari’s job had been suspended and travel ban had been put on him, according to source.

Before his release, Qaisari appeared at a ceremony at first Vice President General Abdul Rashid Dostum
...ethnic Uzbek warlord who distinguished himself fighting the Soviets and the Taliban. The story that he had a bad guy run over with a tank is an exaggeration. It was an armored personnel carrier...
’s residence in Kabul where he met a number of his supporters.

Qaisari is a close aide to Dostum.
Khaama Press adds:
The Afghan security forces have been unable to detain Nizamuddin Qaisari and his 150 armed men after 18-hour battle in Mazar-e-Sharif of Balkh province.

Nizamiuddin Qaisari was a warrior commander of General Dostum, but lately their relationships have been strained.
Posted by: trailing wife || 12/16/2019 00:00 || Comments || Link || [7 views] Top|| File under:


Bangladesh
Fifth grader rape survivor gave birth
[Dhaka Tribune] A fifth grader girl, who is a rape survivor, gave birth to a baby girl on Saturday in Barisal Sher E Bangla Medical College Hospital (SBMCH).

According to a rape case filed on August 20, the minor was allegedly raped by her uncle Jewel and two unnamed others on multiple occasions for over a year.

Confirming the incident Bakerganj cop shoppe OC Abul Kalam said, police arrested Jewel on October 30 and submitted a charge-sheet to the court.

The girl however alleged the headmaster of her school, and a neighbour is also involved with the incident, but her mother couldn't add their names in the case as they were threatened by the accused.

Posted by: Fred || 12/16/2019 00:56 || Comments || Link || [1 views] Top|| File under:

#1  I lost count. How many nooses do we eed?
Posted by: Richard Aubrey || 12/16/2019 1:06 Comments || Top||

#2  I wonder how paternity DNA testing fits into Islamic law.
Posted by: gorb || 12/16/2019 3:30 Comments || Top||

#3  ...doesn't fit in American law, see child support. That's where the state becomes an accomplice to the crime of filing false official statements (birth certificates).
Posted by: Procopius2k || 12/16/2019 7:14 Comments || Top||


Britain
BoJo eyes parliament vote before Christmas to ‘get Brexit done’
[DAWN] British Prime Minister Boris Johnson will “get Brexit done” by Jan 31 and then agree a new trade deal with the European Union by the end of 2020, cabinet office minister Michael Gove said on Sunday, vowing to deliver on the government’s top priority.

Johnson and his team were triumphant last week when he won a commanding majority of 80 at an early election he said he was forced to call to break the Brexit deadlock. Winning over many traditionally Labour voters in northern and central England, Johnson has proclaimed he will lead a “people’s government”.
Posted by: Fred || 12/16/2019 00:31 || Comments || Link || [4 views] Top|| File under:

#1  Strike while the iron is hot.
Posted by: Iblis || 12/16/2019 10:56 Comments || Top||

#2  Keep up the skeer!
Posted by: g(r)omgoru || 12/16/2019 15:39 Comments || Top||


Ninety peers call for Baroness Tonge to issue unqualified apology for blaming Corbyn defeat on Israel
[Telegraph.UK. $$ to read further] Nearly 90 peers from the main political parties are calling for Baroness Tonge to apologise for claiming that the Tories won the general election due to Israeli attacks on Jeremy Corbyn.

The letter, from an "unprecedented" number of former cabinet ministers, senior lawyers and leaders of industry and commerce, calls on Lady Tonge to apologise for bringing the House of Lords into disrepute over the remarks.

Lady Tonge, a former Liberal Democrat MP, wrote on social media after the result last week: "The Chief Rabbi must be dancing in the street. The pro-Israel lobby won our General Election by lying about Jeremy Corbyn."
Oh my dear, whatever gave you the idea that this was primarily about Israel for even all of Britain’s Jews? BoJo was pro-Brexit, and so, for different reasons, was the corrupt and vicious Corbyn, which left nobody for the Remainers to vote for. And there were so very many reasons to vote against Mr. Corbyn or stay home, so Bob’s your uncle.
Posted by: Frank G || 12/16/2019 00:00 || Comments || Link || [3 views] Top|| File under:

#1  We also crucified the dinosaurs, baroness.
Posted by: g(r)omgoru || 12/16/2019 1:40 Comments || Top||

#2  G(r)om__ as a mammal, I can only applaud dinosauricide, not to be confused with Arkansasicide
Posted by: Mercutio || 12/16/2019 8:20 Comments || Top||

#3  Wiki: Critical of Israel and vocal in support of the Palestinian cause, controversial acts and comments led to accusations of antisemitism and to her eventual suspension from the Liberal Democrats group in the Lords in 2012, then her suspension and resignation from the party itself in October 2016. She has sat as an independent in the Lords since 2012.
Posted by: b || 12/16/2019 8:50 Comments || Top||

#4  as a mammal, I can only applaud dinosauricide

My only regret is that they were really big and tasted like chicken. Hey, you don't suppose the Juice had anything to do with that asteroid impact, do you?
Posted by: SteveS || 12/16/2019 9:00 Comments || Top||

#5  "Lady", pshaw

More like Madam Medusa. What a vile specimen.
Posted by: Lex || 12/16/2019 9:00 Comments || Top||

#6  Barrenness Tonge
Posted by: Lex || 12/16/2019 9:00 Comments || Top||

#7  Another burley looking guy in a dress, ala Big Mike...
Posted by: M. Murcek || 12/16/2019 9:09 Comments || Top||


China-Japan-Koreas
REVEALED: America secretly expelled two Chinese diplomats suspected of spying after they trespassed on to Specials Ops military base with their wives
[Daily Mail, where America gets its news]
  • Two Chinese Embassy officials were kicked out of the U.S. after they breached a military base in Virginia in September

  • Neither Washington or Beijing announced the incident or expulsion

  • The episode could be the first instance in more than 30 years of Chinese espionage in the U.S.

  • American officials say Chinese officials with diplomatic passports have been trying to access research and government facilities more often lately
Dawn adds:
The United States quietly expelled two Chinese embassy officials in September after they drove onto a sensitive military base in Virginia, The New York Times

...which still proudly displays Walter Duranty's Pulitzer prize...

reported on Sunday.

The newspaper, which cited multiple people with knowledge of the episode, said it appeared to be the first time in more than 30 years that the US has expelled Chinese diplomats on suspicion of espionage.

At least one of the diplomats was believed to be an intelligence officer operating under cover, the Times said.

The Times said the diplomats, accompanied by their wives, drove up to the checkpoint at the entrance to a sensitive installation near Norfolk, Virginia that includes special operations forces.

The guard saw that they didn’t have permission to enter and directed them to go through the gates, turn around and exit.

The Chinese officials continued onto the base, evading military personnel pursuing them until they were forced to stop by fire trucks blocking their path, according to the Times.

The Chinese officials said they had not understood the instructions they were given, but US personnel were unconvinced by their explanation.

The motive for the incursion was not clear, but US officials said they believe the Chinese diplomats were hoping to test the security measures at the base.

Weeks after the incident at the Virginia base, the State Department placed restrictions on the activities of Chinese diplomats, in what it said was a response to years-old Chinese regulations limiting the movements of US diplomats. China instituted similar restrictions on US diplomats in December.
Posted by: Skidmark || 12/16/2019 00:00 || Comments || Link || [6 views] Top|| File under: Commies


Economy
US exports to China set to double in next two years under new trade deal
[JPost] The "phase one" U.S.-China trade deal will nearly double U.S. exports to China over the next two years and is "totally done" despite the need for translation and revisions to its text, U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer said on Sunday.
Lighthizer, speaking on CBS' "Face the Nation" program, said there would be some routine "scrubs" to the text but "this is totally done, absolutely."
A date for senior U.S. and Chinese officials to formally sign the agreement is still being determined, Lighthizer said.
Posted by: g(r)omgoru || 12/16/2019 02:42 || Comments || Link || [1 views] Top|| File under:


Europe
Battle of the Bulge - 75 Years Ago
Posted by: Yosemite Sam || 12/16/2019 11:22 || Comments || Link || [5 views] Top|| File under:

#1  Having 3 halftracks shot out under him near Bastogne, my uncle John quickly learned the value of marching silently deep in the woods. That knowledge served him well until the war ended and he was deep in the Ruhr.
Posted by: 3dc || 12/16/2019 11:35 Comments || Top||

#2  Good to see this post. Not being taught these days. This keeps the history alive.
Posted by: Dale || 12/16/2019 12:14 Comments || Top||

#3  My Uncle Bob was in the 106th Division and was captured just before Christmas. He spent the rest of the war in a POW camp and nearly starved. When the camp was taken by US forces at the end of the war he weighed less than 100lbs. If not for the Red Cross packages that we not stolen by the German guards, he said they would have not survived. He never missed a meal for the rest of his life and at the end of his life showed his family the Bible he kept during captivity. Every page edge was filled with descriptions of food and meals he remembered. He was still 19 when he was captured and even after coming home on a troopship with a mess deck open 24/7 for the repatriated prisoners still was described by my grandmother when she first saw him at Walter Reed as skeletal.
Posted by: NoMoreBS || 12/16/2019 12:27 Comments || Top||

#4  My godfather (my dad's youngest brother) fought in the Battle of the Bulge- at age 18. He dropped out of high school to enlist.

And kids today need puppies and therapy if someone expresses a contrary opinion.
Posted by: Rambler in Virginia || 12/16/2019 12:51 Comments || Top||

#5  Not being taught these days

The Bulge, Tet, the 507th in Iraq. Heck the military doesn't teach it today. In that, there occurs events in which there are no cooks, no clerks, no maintenance personnel, just plain infantry. If you're not infantry, then you are a POW or dead. The enemy sets the standards on the battlefield not ribboned politicians in or out of uniform.
Posted by: Procopius2k || 12/16/2019 13:36 Comments || Top||

#6  Yeah, in some cases a handful of guys with a 57mm anti-tank gun delayed an SS tank column, but did they use the correct pronouns? "Yo -- do you guys prefer du, ihr or sie?"
Posted by: Matt || 12/16/2019 14:29 Comments || Top||

#7  My wife's father was in the 82nd Airborne and dropped into Normandy. He was at the Bulge as well. Won a Silver Star, Bronze Star, and Purple Heart.
Posted by: Deacon Blues || 12/16/2019 15:17 Comments || Top||


Home Front: Politix
Five Staffers of Rep. Jeff Van Drew RESIGN over the lawmaker's decision to leave the Democratic Party
[MAIL] Five staffers serving under freshman Democratic Congressman Jeff Van Drew resigned on Sunday after news of the lawmakers decision to join the Republican Party following a meeting with President Donald Trump.

In a letter addressed to Allison Murphy, Van Drew's chief of staff, the aides wrote that the politician's latest move, 'does not align with the values we brought to this job when we joined his office.'

Furthermore, they expressed how 'deeply saddened' and 'disappointed' they were by Van Drew's decision.
Posted by: Besoeker || 12/16/2019 07:23 || Comments || Link || [3 views] Top|| File under:

#1  Regardless of the party, the departure of congressional staffers should be celebrated. They are generally an obsequious lot.
Posted by: Besoeker || 12/16/2019 7:36 Comments || Top||

#2  Resigning seems like a normal thing to do since they were probably all Dims. I would have been surprised and applauded them if the staff resigned and all went with Jeff Van Drew to the Pubs.
Posted by: JohnQC || 12/16/2019 7:47 Comments || Top||

#3  Very sad. Very disappointing.
Posted by: Lex || 12/16/2019 7:47 Comments || Top||

#4  Good. The honorable thing to do rather than staying on and sabotaging him...like (cough, cough) Obamites in Trump admin.
Posted by: Mercutio || 12/16/2019 7:57 Comments || Top||

#5  Good. So long.
Posted by: DarthVader || 12/16/2019 8:44 Comments || Top||

#6  I'd prefer to withhold celebration / judgement until it is proven absolute that Mr. Van Drew is not a "boomerang" of some variety.
Posted by: Anomalous Sources || 12/16/2019 21:37 Comments || Top||


Democrats aim to abolish right-to-work laws
BLUF:
[Washington Examiner] When this legislation is proposed in coming weeks, it will not pass. But it must also not go unnoticed. Democratic attacks on the right to work will only become stronger, especially if they continue their efforts to break down the rule of law. If Democrats manage to take control of the Senate and abolish the filibuster, pro-union, anti-worker policy will become a top priority.

The repeal of right-to-work laws would reimpose upon large and now prosperous areas of America the very sort of labor rules that used to hold them back, from a time no one remembers anymore. Many of today’s baby boomers were not yet born when Taft-Hartley passed. In those times, the South was a backwater and the mountain West an undeveloped, provincial region. Those regions’ embrace of right-to-work laws was part of what helped them take the lead in our country’s economy in the modern era. It is no accident that 11 out of CNBC’s top 15 states for business are right-to-work states, or that right-to-work states enjoy lower unemployment, or that personal incomes in those states grew 50% faster between 2001 and 2016.

Democratic efforts to abolish right-to-work laws should be viewed as the rejection of seven decades of sound labor policy, the economic equivalent of resurrecting the polio virus and setting it loose on unsuspecting populations. Washington has no business fouling up the healthy business climates of the nation’s best-run states, just as a kickback to union bosses for their partisan contributions and activism. The abolition of the right to work would be a quid pro quo for unions and a knife between the ribs of the workers whom organized labor is supposed to represent.
Posted by: Besoeker || 12/16/2019 03:12 || Comments || Link || [6 views] Top|| File under:

#1  You exist to serve this ship union.

The Donks never did like the 13th Amendment.
Posted by: Procopius2k || 12/16/2019 7:16 Comments || Top||

#2  It is too good of a revenue stream for them. They will never give up the idea that workers must be parted from the government's hard earned money.
Posted by: DarthVader || 12/16/2019 9:02 Comments || Top||

#3  Maybe Right-To Work-Laws should be the law of the land.
Posted by: JohnQC || 12/16/2019 9:27 Comments || Top||

#4  Buying a Union shakedown of employees, just like corporations buy a shakedown of "customers".
Posted by: Bright Pebbles || 12/16/2019 11:02 Comments || Top||

#5  Remember the Card Check Initiative to outlaw Secret Ballots because the Union thugs organizers couldn't strongarm "persuade" employees how to vote when they were behind the curtain?
Posted by: magpie || 12/16/2019 14:19 Comments || Top||


India-Pakistan
Gun-toting man arrested for torture of citizen on road
[DAWN] LAHORE: Police claimed on Sunday to have arrested an armed suspect involved in torture of a citizen on a road in Cavalry Ground after a footage of the episode went viral on social media.

A video footage on social media showed an armed man brutally torturing a citizen, later identified as Shan Shehzad, whose vehicle accidentally hit the attacker’s on a road in Calvary Ground.

The suspect can be seen armed with a pistol that he took out of his car and then started beating the man with kicks and fists. The social media users continued to condemn the torture and demanded the law enforcement agencies should arrest the armed attacker.

Capital City Police Officer (CCPO) Zulfiqar Hameed taking notice of the incident directed his subordinates to trace and arrest the suspect.

Acting on CCPO’s orders, Cantonment Division SP Furqan Bilal constituted a police team to arrest the suspect who was later identified as Aqeel Mirza, manager of a private bank, living in State Life Society.

The police raided the suspect’s house and arrested him, recovering the vehicle and gun from the house.

Police also started the paperwork but haven't done much else against the attacker on the complaint of the victim, Shehzad.

Posted by: Fred || 12/16/2019 00:25 || Comments || Link || [1 views] Top|| File under:


Iraq
‘Ready to sell my blood’: Kurdistan’s online black market in human body parts
The wild, wild East...
[Rudaw] "Ready to sell my blood, which is O+," the Facebook post reads. The page’s profile picture features a human kidney.

Hamid*, who posted the message along with his phone number, is a divorced father of one, living in Baghdad. His mother has cancer and he needs money, fast. He decided to put a kidney up for sale and said he got multiple offers ranging from $10,000 to $25,000.

The man buying his kidney also lives in Baghdad, but the surgery will take place in the Kurdistan Region’s northern city of Duhok.
Continued on Page 49
Posted by: trailing wife || 12/16/2019 00:12 || Comments || Link || [4 views] Top|| File under:


Israel-Palestine-Jordan
Mossad head instructed deputy: Tell CIA official to 'Kiss my a**'
During the Yom Kippur War then-Mossad chief Zvi Zamir was told that the CIA was threatening to not help Israel. What was his response? He told his own deputy Efraim Halevy to call then-CIA deputy head, Lt.-Gen. Vernon A. Walters, and say "kiss my a**," Ynet in Hebrew reported.

Halevy, also a former Mossad head, told the story at the annual FSU Study Association conference this past weekend in Ashdod.

Walters told Halevy that the US was not sure if Israel really needed its help, and that it wanted a summary of the war from Israel saying that Israel would win ‐ because US policy was to support the winner, according to Ynet. Halevy further stated that the CIA official threatened that if Israel did not give the US what it needed by the end of the day, the CIA would sever all ties with the Mossad and Israel.

Before he knew it, Halevy was presented with a non-secure phone, meaning the conversation could be heard by anyone, and Zamir was on the other end. He reportedly instructed Halevy to call Walters and say 'kiss my a**.'
Posted by: g(r)omgoru || 12/16/2019 12:51 || Comments || Link || [3 views] Top|| File under:

#1  Hahahahaha! I love it. The CIA is a tire fire in a dumpster. That is on fire.
Posted by: DarthVader || 12/16/2019 13:54 Comments || Top||

#2  The CIA records all Trump's phone calls and sends transcripts to the New York Times. It's a wonder he's still able to make deals with foreign leaders.
Posted by: jpal || 12/16/2019 15:23 Comments || Top||


Intel buys Israeli Habana Labs for $2 billion
[Ynet] The American multinational tech company Intel announced on Monday the acquisition of the Israeli tech company Habana Labs for $2 billion.

The company specializes in the development of artificial intelligence.

This acquisition follows another Israeli purchase by Intel, where in 2016, the company bought Mobileye for $15 billion.
Posted by: g(r)omgoru || 12/16/2019 12:43 || Comments || Link || [2 views] Top|| File under:


Brazil opens trade office in Jerusalem
[IsraelTimes] The Brazilian Trade and Investment Promotion Agency, known as Apex-Brasil, which operates under the auspices of the country’s foreign ministry, officially opens a trade office in Jerusalem’s Har Hotzvim tech park.

Eduardo Bolsonaro, the son of Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, is in attendance at the opening.

He tells the crowd his father will eventually relocate the country’s embassy to the capital, describing it as a "normal" step.

The trade office does not hold diplomatic status, an official told The Times of Israel earlier this month.
Posted by: trailing wife || 12/16/2019 02:47 || Comments || Link || [5 views] Top|| File under:

#1  We have seen a number of stories lately about minor countries (no offense!) recognizing Israel or moving their embassy to Jerusalem, along with a number of stories on jihadi plots that were thwarted thanks to shared Israeli intel.

Makes me wonder if there is some connection or whether said govts are simply acting like grown-ups for a change.
Posted by: SteveS || 12/16/2019 9:15 Comments || Top||

#2  I’ve been posting them to document how the atmosphere has changed since President Trump formally moved the American embassy to Jerusalem, SteveS. You’re right that most of the countries moving into Jerusalem are not big players — we’ll see what Britain does now that JoBo won his election, but I have no expectations despite his anti-BDS announcement — and no doubt some portion of those moving expect some sort of reward from our president, and from Israel, for openly following his lead on this. But the reported beneficiaries of Israeli jihad intelligence, like France, Germany, and Denmark, generally seem perfectly content to keep quiet the fact that they owe the juices a debt of gratitude, just as they keep quiet the fact that their industries have been picking up Israeli tech firms.
Posted by: trailing wife || 12/16/2019 14:03 Comments || Top||

#3  Need more Fracking! Break the Arab Oil Embargo Threat and a lot of this silliness goes away.
Posted by: magpie || 12/16/2019 14:22 Comments || Top||

#4  You’re right that most of the countries moving into Jerusalem are not big players

I appreciate the posts, tw. The important bit, IMAO, is that they feel safe doing it now.

Moar Fracking! Less Sillyness!
Posted by: SteveS || 12/16/2019 17:52 Comments || Top||


Science & Technology
B&T VP9: This Gun Is a 'Stealth Assassination Pistol'
[The National Interest] B&T's Veterinärpistole 9 (VP9) is one of the most niche products made by Swiss firearms manufacturer B&T AG. A bolt action pistol with a magazine grip designed to quietly kill wounded animals, it outwardly resembles the suppressed Welrod pistol used by the Allied Special Operations Executive (SOE) to assassinate targets during World War II. This, along with the stylish leather case the gun comes in, has led some to suggest that the VP9 is a modern stealth assassination pistol. But a closer look at the design and contemporary technology suggests that B&T was being honest with the name of the pistol.
British Welrod pistol in the graphic. Welrod wiki link here.
In mechanical design, it’s amazing how much the modern VP9 resembles its predecessor, the Welrod. It wouldn’t be surprising if the VP9 project started as a way to see if the company could modernize the Welrod. The design of the trigger bar and grip safety are practically the same as the original Welrod, albeit made with better materials and manufacturing. The design of the bolt is also similar, with two locking lugs operated by a rotating knob on the rear of the pistol.

The suppressor itself is where the differences begin to be seen. B&T’s VP9 has a detachable suppressor that screws onto a very short barrel. The detachable suppressor makes it easier to interchange the wipes and perform maintenance on the suppressor. The detachable suppressor also means that the sights are moved onto the front of the upper "receiver," rather than being on the tip of the suppressor as they are on the Welrod.

So why is the VP9 a true "veterinary" pistol? Part of it is the target market. Police in Germany are often called out to perform mercy kills on wounded animals, an action called a "Gnadenschuss" (directly translated, a mercy shot). These are usually carried out with hunting rifles or Bundeswehr surplus G3s. However, these usually end up bothering citizens due to the loud noise of a rifle shot.

Bonus pistol story at this link.
Posted by: Besoeker || 12/16/2019 00:00 || Comments || Link || [5 views] Top|| File under:

#1  You might enjoy a Forgotten Weapons video on the weapon:
B&T VP9 Silenced Pistol: A Modern Welrod
I always enjoy narrator Ian McCollum's take on things.
Posted by: magpie || 12/16/2019 11:17 Comments || Top||



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Two weeks of WOT
Mon 2019-12-16
  Iran claims the whole Persian Gulf. Both sides!
Sun 2019-12-15
  Attempt to assassinate the son of the political spokesman of Muqtada al-Sadr
Sat 2019-12-14
  Haftar-led Libyan Army claims new advance near Tripoli
Fri 2019-12-13
  Triumphant Boris hails landslide win gives him ‘power to get Brexit done’
Thu 2019-12-12
  AMAL, Hizbullah Supporters Try to Storm Riad al-Solh, Repelled by Tear Gas
Wed 2019-12-11
  Iraqi protesters defiantly turn out in the capital Baghdad
Tue 2019-12-10
  Jersey City shooting - possibly 6 dead at JC Kosher grocery
Mon 2019-12-09
  Al-Shabaab Militants Kill 8 On Bus In Northern Kenya
Sun 2019-12-08
  At least 10 killed in Kenya bus attack claimed by al-Shabab
Sat 2019-12-07
  Baghdad operations commander orders the Iraqi army to move in Sinak and Khilani to protect the protesters
Fri 2019-12-06
  Naval Air Station Pensacola shooter who killed 3 was Saudi aviation student
Thu 2019-12-05
  Pelosi Asks House Judiciary Committee to Proceed with Articles of Impeachment
Wed 2019-12-04
  Anti-government protesters have set fire to the Iranian consulate in Najaf for the third time in a week
Tue 2019-12-03
  Burkina Faso: 14 people killed in gun attack at church during Sunday mass
Mon 2019-12-02
  40 to 100 Iranian protesters executed in a marsh.


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