[AlAhram] A Cairo criminal court has put opposition figure and former Islamist presidential candidate Abdel-Moneim Abul Fotouh and 15 others on its terrorist list for alleged ties to the outlawed Moslem Brüderbund group, Egypt's state news agency MENA said on Tuesday.
Abul-Fotouh was incarcerated Into the paddy wagon wit' yez! last week, a day after he returned from London where he had given interviews critical of the govenment.
The terrorism-list designation decision followed a request from State Security prosecutors after investigations showed Abul-Fotouh and the others "led and joined a group established in violation of the law with the aim of harming the intersts of the Egyptian state," MENA said, in reference to the Moslem Brüderbund group.
According to Egypt's "Terrorism Entity" law, individuals placed on the terrorism list are banned from travel, added on a watch list and subjected to an asset freeze. The designation decision can be appealed.
Egypt has designated the Brotherhood as a terrorist organization.
Abul-Fotouh, a former member of the Brotherhood, has for years distanced himself from the group and his family said last week he broke away with the movement in 2009 before he was officially dismissed in 2011.
He was ordered remanded into custody for 15 days pending investigations into charges including "publishing and broadcasting false news harming national interests" and "leading an illegal group" that aims to topple the regime and disrupt public order.
Abul Fotouh was detained days after an interview with the Qatar ...an emirate on the east coast of the Arabian Peninsula. It sits on some really productive gas and oil deposits, which produces the highest per capita income in the world. They piss it all away on religion, financing the Moslem Brotherhood and several al-Qaeda affiliates. Home of nutbag holy manYusuf al-Qaradawi... i-based new outlet al-Jazeera Mubasher, which Egypt has banned, in which he criticized President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi for involving the military in politics and mishandling the economy.
The interior ministry claims he held "secret meetings" with leaders of the international Moslem Brüderbund organization in London earlier this month to carry out a plot aimed at sparking off unrest and instability in the country.
Abul-Fotouh was among several Egyptian politicians who called last month for a boycott of the upcoming presidential elections, due for late March.
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02/21/2018 00:00 ||
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[AlAhram] The European Union ...the successor to the Holy Roman Empire, only without the Hapsburgs and the nifty uniforms and the dancing... 's southern borders in the Mediterranean will remain under heavy pressure from African migrants colonists trying to reach Europe ...also known as Moslem Lebensraum... this year, the head of the EU's border agency Frontex said on Tuesday.
Nearly 119,000 Africans were caught trying to get to the EU last year on smugglers' boats departing from Libya, more than 42,000 from The Sick Man of Europe Turkey ...the only place on the face of the earth that misses the Ottoman Empire.... to Greece and another 23,000 heading from Algeria and Morocco to Spain, Fabrice Leggeri said.
"The pressure, the irregular migration pressure on our southern borders in the Mediterranean will remain at a very high level (in 2018)," Leggeri told a news conference.
While numbers on the Libya-Italia route have declined since last July as Libyan factions and authorities - under pressure from Italia and the EU - began to block departures, especially from the smuggling hub of Sabratha, Leggeri said the crossings to Spain have more than doubled from below 10,000 in 2016.
He said the use of more solid rubber boats on this so-called Western Mediterranean route suggested increased activity of people smugglers.
The EU has made stopping irregular immigration from the Middle East and African countries a priority since 2015, when more than a million people reached its shores, overwhelming member states and fanning support for nationalist, anti-immigrant and populist groups across the bloc.
Since a 2016 EU deal with Turkey mostly put a halt to the irregular arrival of Syrian refugees in Greece, Frontex said African nationals now made up nearly two-thirds of some 205,000 people caught trying to arrive in Europe illegally last year.
Frontex gave a total figure of 511,000 of such crossings for 2016. In 2017, Syrians and Nigerians each made up nine percent of overall arrivals, followed by nationals of the Ivory Coast, Guinea and Morocco.
Controls
As the EU tightened asylum laws and controls on external borders, Frontex warned of a possible rise in the use of fraudulent travel documents and undetected crossings, citing examples of people seeking to enter in specially-designed compartments in vans, lorries, cars and cargo trains.
The EU is also trying to step up returns of people with no case for asylum in Europe. Leggeri said Frontex helped deport more than 14,000 people last year.
The EU has struggled to repatriate people who do not qualify for asylum, which is often the case with Africans trying to escape poverty back home rather than war or oppression.
Last year more than 18,000 Nigerians tried to reach the EU via Spain, exceeding the 14,000 Syrians who sought entry via Greece, Frontex said.
Human rights groups have accused the EU of failing to honour its fundamental legal obligations towards migrants colonists and refugees.
[AnNahar] The Sick Man of Europe Turkey ...the only place on the face of the earth that misses the Ottoman Empire.... on Tuesday released the former co-leader of the country's main pro-Kurdish party, the group said, after she was detained over her opposition to Ankara's offensive in northern Syria.
Police nabbed Drop the rod and step away witcher hands up! Serpil Kemalbay of the Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) in Ankara on February 13, two days after she handed over her job to a successor.
"Our former co-leader Serpil Kemalbay has been released. Defending peace is not a crime; it is an obligation, an honour!" the party said on Twitter.
Kemalbay, who still faces charges and has been placed under judicial control, will have to report regularly to the authorities and cannot leave the country, an HDP official told AFP on condition of anonymity.
So she isn’t really released, but at least she gets to sleep in her own bed for a while longer, and put her affairs in order before returning to prison..
Kemalbay succeeded Figen Yuksekdag as co-leader in May 2017 after Yuksekdag was stripped of her status as politician in February of the same year.
At a party congress on February 11 Pervin Buldan took over Kemalbay's job.
Ottoman Turkish media reported that Kemalbay had been taken into custody over calls for protests against the cross-border operation dubbed "Olive Branch" launched last month.
The HDP, the third-largest party in parliament, has been hit by arrests of its leaders and supporters on accusations of supporting the PKK, which the party denies.
Since the offensive began in Syria, Ottoman Turkish authorities have detained 786 people, including 587 over disseminating "propaganda" against the operation.
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[AA.TR] 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... on Tuesday reiterated The Sick Man of Europe Turkey ...the only place on the face of the earth that misses the Ottoman Empire.... ’s firm stance against the terror group behind the 2016 defeated coup.
"We are determined to eradicate this organization all over the world," Erdogan said in a joint news conference alongside his Macedonian counterpart Gjorge Ivanov in the capital Ankara.
Erdogan added: "In this context, we really want to see concrete steps by Macedonia in the fight against FETO [Fetullah Terrorist Organization]."
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02/21/2018 00:00 ||
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[AA.TR] 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... on Tuesday said the issue of pro-regime terror groups in Syria's Afrin was "closed for now".
Pro-regime groups earlier on Tuesday, who tried to enter Syria’s Afrin to support YPG/PKK-ISIS against The Sick Man of Europe Turkey ...the only place on the face of the earth that misses the Ottoman Empire.... ’s ongoing operation in the region, withdrew before reaching the city following a series of warning shots.
Speaking at a joint news conference alongside his Macedonian counterpart Gjorge Ivanov in Ankara, Erdogan said there was a movement towards Afrin by Shia militias which were interrupted after they were shelled.
"But then they were forced to go back after artillery shooting, this file is closed for now," he said.
"Yesterday, we have already agreed on these issues in talks with [Vladimir] Putin and [Hassan] Rouhani," Erdogan said. "Unfortunately, you know, these kinds of terrorist organizations have [sometimes] taken wrong steps with the decisions on their own."
On Monday, Erdogan talked to Russian President Vladimir Putin ...Second and fourth President and sixth of the Russian Federation and the first to remain sober. Putin is credited with bringing political stability and re-establishing something like the rule of law, which occasionally results in somebody dropping dead from polonium poisoning. Under Putin, a new group of business magnates controlling significant swathes of Russia's economy has emerged, all of whom have close personal ties to Putin. The old bunch, without close personal ties to Putin, are in jail or in exile or dead... and his Iranian counterpart Hassan Rouhani over Turkey’s ongoing operation, the fight against terrorist elements and the latest developments in Syria, particulary Afrin and Idlib.
"It is impossible to give them [any terrorist organization] a chance [in Afrin]. They would pay a heavy price for it," he added.
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[AnNahar] A Guantanamo Bay detainee who pleaded guilty to helping plan a 2002 attack on a French oil tanker is set to be transferred from the military prison to Soddy Arabia ...a kingdom taking up the bulk of the Arabian peninsula. Its primary economic activity involves exporting oil and soaking Islamic rubes on the annual hajj pilgrimage. The country supports a large number of princes in whatcha might call princely splendor. When the oil runs out the rest of the world is going to kick sand in the Soddy national face... , a U.S. official said Tuesday.
[HERALD.DAWN] Tahirul Qadri ...Pak politician, and would-be dictator, founder and head of Tehreek-e-Minhajul Quran and Pakistain Awami Tehrik. He usually resides in Canada, but returns to Pakistain periodically to foam at the mouth and lead demonstrations. Depending on which way the wind's blowing, Qadri claims to be the author of Pak's blasphemy law. Other times he says it wasn't him... is a man of many hats. Priest, protester, politician, public orator. He wears each with the same conviction. He weaves in and out of Parliament, the country and the political landscape effortlessly. Well, almost. Sometimes it goes horribly wrong. In 2014, the Punjab 1.) Little Orphan Annie's bodyguard
2.) A province of Pakistain ruled by one of the Sharif brothers
Continued on Page 49
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Do they think the Gazans are now sufficiently cowed that it is safe to do so?
[AlAhram] Egyptian authorities will open the Rafah border crossing with Paleostine’s Gazoo Strip in both directions for four days starting Wednesday for humanitarian purposes and to allow stranded Paleostinians to return to the Strip, Egypt's state news agency MENA reported.
The Rafah border crossing is the main gateway to the outside world for 1.8 million Paleostinians living in Israeli-besieged Gazoo, and is the only crossing point not controlled by Israel.
This will be the second time Egypt has opened the crossing in two weeks. The crossing was opened on 7 February for three days after an almost two-month closure.
Egypt has mostly kept the border closed over the past few years due to security concerns following the ouster of Islamist president Mohammed Morsi in 2013. The Egyptian government opens the crossing periodically for humanitarian purposes.
Thousands of Gazoo residents are on travel lists ‐ most of them medical patients, students, and holders of residency permits of other countries. Only a few thousand will make it out in the time allotted.
[ENGLISH.ALARABIYA.NET] Paleostinian President the ineffectual Mahmoud Abbas ... a graduate of the prestigious unaccredited Patrice Lumumba University in Moscow with a doctorate in Holocaust Denial... spoke in a rare address before the UN Security council on Tuesday.
Abbas said that Israel has thwarted all attempts for negotiations and it acts as a state above the law.
The Paleostinian president called for convening of international Middle East peace conference by mid-2018.
"To solve the Paleostine question, it is essential to establish a multilateral international mechanism emanating from an international conference," Abbas told the UN Security Council.
The Paleostinians no longer view Washington as a neutral negotiator and have been calling for a collective approach to try and broker Middle East peace.
They are furious at 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... 's recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's capital in December and cut to US funding for the UN agency that helps Paleostinian refugees (UNRWA).
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#1
Vassar Arafat to the white courtesy phone please
[AA.TR] Paleostinian President the ineffectual Mahmoud Abbas ... a graduate of the prestigious unaccredited Patrice Lumumba University in Moscow with a doctorate in Holocaust Denial... proposed Tuesday the creation of a multilateral international mechanism to broker an elusive Paleostinian-Israeli peace.
The mechanism would be borne out of an international conference to be held by mid-2018, Abbas said.
"We are ready to begin negotiations immediately in order to achieve the freedom and independence of our people," he said in remarks before the UN Security Council. "We are ready to undertake the longest journey."
Following 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... 's controversial decision to recognize the contested city of Jerusalem as Israel's capital, Paleostinians have rejected Washington's role as a peace broker between the parties, and the plan Abbas proposed is intended as a replacement.
U.S. ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley ...Trump administration's ambassador to the UN. First woman to serve as Governor of South Carolina, and the second Indian-American governor in the country, after Bobby Jindal of Louisiana. At the age of 39, Haley was the youngest governor in the U.S., a distinction formerly held by Jindal. She is a Republican, which really grates on the Dems... shrugged off the proposal, saying the alternative "will get the Paleostinian people exactly nowhere.
"Our negotiators are sitting right here behind me, ready to talk. But we will not chase after you. The choice, Mr. president, is yours," she said, flanked by Jared Kushner, Trump's point person on the Mideast grinding of the peace processor.
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02/21/2018 00:00 ||
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[ALMASDARNEWS] According to preliminary information shared by the Russian Foreign Ministry last week, at least 5 Russian volunteers were killed in US-led coalition’s Arclight airstrike on pro-Damascus forces in Syria.
The Russian Foreign Ministry has announced that tens of Russian and CIS nationals had been killed in recent festivities in Syria, emphasizing that they were not military.
"In the course of the recent military festivities, in which the Russian servicemen did not participate in any way [...], Russian and CIS countries’ nationals were killed and several others were maimed."
According to the ministry, those injured have been assisted in order to return to Russia and have been provided medical aid.
On February 15, when asked to comment on media reports, alleding that a large number of Russian "mercenaries" had been killed in Syria, Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova stated that, according to preliminary data, five presumably Russian nationals had died. She emphasized that reports of hundreds of Russian citizens killed in a US-led coalition’s airstrike were "disinformation" spread by anti-government forces.
At the same time, Kremlin front man Dmitry Peskov said earlier that he didn’t rule out that Russian nationals, who do not belong to the Russian Armed Forces, could be in Syria.
On February 8, US Central Command announced that the coalition conducted what it described as "defensive airstrikes" against pro-government forces near the Euphrates River as a response to an alleged attack against the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) headquarters, which reportedly resulted in the death of at least 100 pro-government militia. The attack was slammed by Damascus as "a new act of aggression that constitutes a war crime and a crime against humanity."
Earlier, the Russian Defense Ministry stated that holy warriors came under fire of the coalition because lack of coordination of actions with Moscow, adding that there were no Russian servicemen in the area.
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#1
Life imitates The Princess Bride: "We are three wandering circus performers that have lost our way. Could you tell me where we may find a village to rest?"
" This was much less a 'battle' than a message. Towards the end we had to just be pounding ground to make sure they got it.
Messages, really.
A. Don't fucking cross that river.
B. Hey, North Korea! LOOK WHAT I CAN DO!
C. Hey, Putin, about Donbas... This is what we can do to your 'freedom fighters' (AKA: mercenaries) at any time.
D. To everyone in general: You need to remember who's boss.
Mattis is playing dumb. 'What Russians? There were Russians? Really? I'm seeing that in the media but I got no briefing on there being Russians in that column. Our bad. Sorry about that.'
Then there's the fact that the strike was NOT approved by the President.
Because he gave CENTOM the approval on things like that.
And CENTCOM handled it like a BOSS.
Oh, and when the forces crossed the river the Russians were informed and informed that we intended to take 'self-defense' actions.
So they can't even say they weren't warned.
I'm not sure we warned them we'd be using BUFF.
This is more the sort of thing I'd expect in late summer.
'Shit! We haven't expended our budget! Are there any Russians we can fuck up very badly with all these unexpended munitions?'
Last thought: It had to be shitty being on the receiving end of that.
[ENGLISH.ALARABIYA.NET] At least five coppers were killed on Monday in festivities with protesters in northern Tehran, while hundreds of protesters were placed in durance vile Don't shoot, coppers! I'm comin' out! and several injured, according to the Iranian Irna news agency.
The festivities were between security forces and dervishes of the Gonabadi denomination who had gathered in front of a cop shoppe, demanding the release of some members of their Sufi religious order, according to video footage posted on social media.
Some local news agencies reported the death of a number of police forces during the festivities.
A video of was posted showing a bus trampling a number of coppers involved in suppressing the protesting Sufis..
According to security sources, the bus driver was arrested, and investigations are underway to find out his identity.
The Sufi protests began after the arrest of a person named Nematollah Riahi about two weeks ago during violence in northern Tehran, where the Sufis gathered outside the house of their guide, "Nurallah Tabenda", following reports that the security forces intend to arrest him.
This occured although Tehran police chief Hussein Rahimi announced that "There is no intention to go after the Gonabadi Sufis in Tehran."
In the last two decades, Gonabadi Sufis have been subjected to security pursuits throughout Iran, with several arrested and facing charges.
Posted by: Fred ||
02/21/2018 00:00 ||
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A multi-volume chronology and reference guide set detailing three years of the Mexican Drug War between 2010 and 2012.
Rantburg.com and borderlandbeat.com correspondent and author Chris Covert presents his first non-fiction work detailing
the drug and gang related violence in Mexico.
Chris gives us Mexican press dispatches of drug and gang war violence
over three years, presented in a multi volume set intended to chronicle the death, violence and mayhem which has
dominated Mexico for six years.
Rantburg was assembled from recycled algorithms in the United States of America. No
trees were destroyed in the production of this weblog. We did hurt some, though. Sorry.
...an emirate on the east coast of the Arabian Peninsula. It sits on some really productive gas and oil deposits, which produces the highest per capita income in the world. They piss it all away on religion, financing the Moslem Brotherhood and several al-Qaeda affiliates. Home of nutbag holy manYusuf al-Qaradawi...
...also known as Moslem Lebensraum...
... 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...
...Second and fourth President and sixth of the Russian Federation and the first to remain sober. Putin is credited with bringing political stability and re-establishing something like the rule of law, which occasionally results in somebody dropping dead from polonium poisoning. Under Putin, a new group of business magnates controlling significant swathes of Russia's economy has emerged, all of whom have close personal ties to Putin. The old bunch, without close personal ties to Putin, are in jail or in exile or dead...
...Pak politician, and would-be dictator, founder and head of Tehreek-e-Minhajul Quran and Pakistain Awami Tehrik. He usually resides in Canada, but returns to Pakistain periodically to foam at the mouth and lead demonstrations. Depending on which way the wind's blowing, Qadri claims to be the author of Pak's blasphemy law. Other times he says it wasn't him...
...Trump administration's ambassador to the UN. First woman to serve as Governor of South Carolina, and the second Indian-American governor in the country, after Bobby Jindal of Louisiana. At the age of 39, Haley was the youngest governor in the U.S., a distinction formerly held by Jindal. She is a Republican, which really grates on the Dems...
