[Daily Caller] A Turkish-American businessman who is head of the Democratic National Committee's Heritage Council claimed to have paid a former GOP congressman to write a pro-Turkey op-ed last year and also provided secret updates on his own political activities to members of Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan's inner circle, newly released emails reveal.
The businessman, Murat Guzel, was also interviewed by the FBI earlier this year along with several Turkish nationals linked to its government, other emails indicate. Obviously, Director Comey's FBI could find no 'intent' of a foreign government or it's operatives to enfluence political outcomes. Probably looking for Gulenists.
The bomshell revelations come from the hacked email account of Berat Albayrak, Turkey's energy minister and Erdogan's son-in-law. The emails, which number more than 57,000, were originally released by a hacker collective called RedHack, but they received little attention in the American press until they were published on Monday by WikiLeaks. 'Scant attention' you say? Sort of SOP for the 'American press' is it not ?
The documents, almost all of which are in Turkish, shed light into many secret activities between Erdogan's government and U.S.-based operatives working to further Turkey's agenda.
#1
Found at this (Citizens Against Special Interest) link is a piece written by Congressman Matt Cartwright in support of Fethullah Gulen. Apparently Guzel's contributions to the Cartwright political campaign fell on deaf ears. Guzel's rather lengthy 'I. B. Butthurt' retort is found at the bottom.
Special note: HRC wears Goldfinger mindworm pantsuit in graphic.
[Columbus Dispatch] His legend is other-worldly and now, in his 95th year, that’s where John Glenn has gone.
An authentic hero and genuine American icon, Glenn died this afternoon surrounded by family at the Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center in Columbus after a remarkably healthy life spent almost from the cradle with Annie, his beloved wife of 73 years, who survives.
He, along with fellow aviators Orville and Wilbur Wright and moon-walker Neil Armstrong, truly made Ohio first in flight.
"John Glenn is, and always will be, Ohio’s ultimate hometown hero, and his passing today is an occasion for all of us to grieve," said Ohio Gov. John R. Kasich. "As we bow our heads and share our grief with his beloved wife, Annie, we must also turn to the skies, to salute his remarkable journeys and his long years of service to our state and nation.
[DailyCaller] New York magazine reported Monday that many women in Washington D.C. are dealing with President-elect Donald Trump’s victory by cutting or dying their hair.
Julianna Evans, who works for a performing-arts company, told NY magazine that she “cried for three days” following Trump’s win. She said, “it was catastrophic.” What was catastrophic? Trump's election or your inability to control your emotions?
Despite being distraught over Trump’s victory, Evans did not lose her will. NY Magazine wrote that Evans, “put on her big-girl panties and dragged herself to the drugstore.” She then bravely grabbed “Natural Black box by Garnier.” Evans said, “I was like, fuck it! The election deadened my soul. I think I wanted to do something defiant to feel stronger.” Oookay. Buying a product is defiance? Check. Evans added, “For many of us, with this election, it’s like your boyfriend dumped you in a really shocking way with no explanation and then moved in next door.” The voice of experience. Vast experience...
She said, “Now, I feel like my hair says you can’t bring me down. This misogyny will not persevere. The bumper sticker for me is, ‘I am woman, hear me roar.'” I hear you whine, not roar... Marion Jacobs, a former psychology professor at University of California, Los Angeles, spoke to New York about the supposed hair change phenomenon. She said, “People will use all kinds of coping mechanisms, and cutting their hair and changing their look is one way to show or feel that they are doing something over which they have control.”
Nicole Butler, who dyes hair at a D.C. salon, told NY magazine, “When you see that much blonde hair on the floor, you know something is going on.” Butler said her salon has been facing a deluge of appointments for women “asking for a drastic change.” “It was like a mass declaration of independence,” Butler said. “Maybe this is some kind of compensation for not getting what we wanted in the election. By changing our hair, we can control the outcome.”
Another hair stylist Mariangela Moore told New York that women have been trying to become unattractive to rebel against Trump. “One of my clients said, ‘Think of Melania Trump and go in in the opposite direction,'” Moore said.
#4
Well, warm up the Wahls for the wailers,
And retailers, stand by with bailers!
They're crying and buying,
Defying by dyeing
And cussing to chasten gay sailors.
Sigh. The motions. I'm going through em. Voters, boaters... maybe it's time for a longer form?
#6
Remember guys, don't even attempt to have a conversation with those self identified having already sold their souls. You're safer in the long run to go to Craiglist instead or just taking care of it yourself.
[ENGLISH.ALARABIYA.NET] None of the dozens of people on board a Pakistain International Airlines aircraft that crashed into a mountain in northern Pakistain on Wednesday survived the accident, the airline’s chairman said. I'm leaving this on front page because it's Pakistain and who knows what might have shot it down.
"There are no survivors, no one has survived," Muhammad Azam Saigol told a presser late on Wednesday, about five hours after flight PK661 from Chitral to the capital, Islamabad, crashed near the town of Havelian, in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa ... formerly NWFP, still Terrorism Central... province.
The airline had earlier announced 48 people were on board the aircraft.
Saigol said the ATR-42 aircraft had undergone regular maintenance and had in October passed an "A-check" certification, conducted after every 500 hours of flight operations.
"I think that there was no technical error or human error ... obviously there will be a proper investigation," he said.
Posted by: Fred ||
12/08/2016 00:00 ||
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#1
who knows what might have shot it down.
perhaps Allan threw a lightning bolt at it, or was that Thor?
#2
How many copies of the Koran were incinerated on board? And who is responsible for that?Get a fatwa from the Imam right away. Sharpen the knives. Islam has been insulted. Someone must die.
[Dhaka Tribune] Prime Minister the loathesome Sheikh Hasina ...Bangla dynastic politician and current Prime Minister of Bangladesh. She has been the President of the Bangla Awami League since the Lower Paleolithic. She is the eldest of five children of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the founding father of Bangla. Her party defeated the BNP-led Four-Party Alliance in the 2008 parliamentary elections. She has once before held the office, from 1996 to 2001, when she was defeated in a landslide. She and the head of the BNP, Khaleda Zia show such blind animosity toward each other that they are known as the Battling Begums.. has said that there is nothing to be worried about the government’s new law to prevent child marriage.
In response to a supplementary question of Jatiya Party ...aka Jatiya Front; a political party established by Bangladictator Lieutenant General Hussain Muhammad Ershad in 1986 to lend a veneer of respectability to his rule. Since nobody was amused he was forced to resign by popular demand in 1990. The party remains in existence with about a dozen seats in Bangla's parliament... politician Fakhrul Imam, the premier Wednesday defended the Child Marriage Restrain Act 2016 approved by the cabinet on November 24.
The proposed law has drawn severe criticisms from home and abroad for keeping a provision allowing child marriage in special cases; such as if a girl becomes pregnant accidentally or illegally to protect her "honour" ‐ with approval from a court and agreement between the parents.
"The law has been framed taking the reality of our society into consideration," Hasina said, reports BSS.
She also blasted some NGOs and individuals for raising questions about the special provision. "They are far away from reality," the premier said, adding that many western countries allow marriage of girls at 14 and 16 years.
"A law can never be rigid, there must have an alternative in special cases particularly in case of unexpected pregnancy of any girl under 18. Otherwise, it may be disastrous for the society," she said.
Hasina said that her government had been making relentless efforts to make people aware about child marriage. "In view of this, girls are being encouraged for education and provided with scholarship side by side with creating scope for job.
"Girls are being given scholarship for higher studies to lessen the burden of education on their guardians so that the girls and their guardians do not become worried for their marriage at early age," BSS quoted her as saying.
Bangladesh has one of the highest rates of child marriage in the world, despite a three-decade-old law banning marriage for girls under the age of 18.
Punishment
In case of violation, the law proposes a maximum penalty of Tk100,000 along with two years’ imprisonment.
According to the law, the court will impose a ban on any marriage if anyone claims it as child marriage. The court might reject the ban also.
If anyone violates the ban, he or she will face six months’ imprisonment and Tk10,000 fine or both as punishment.
If the claim is proved false, punishment is maximum six months’ imprisonment and at least Tk30,000 fine or both.
Minors who marry will face maximum 15 days’ imprisonment or Tk5,000 fine.
Any adult male or female will face a maximum penalty of Tk100,000 fine along with two years of imprisonment or both if he or she marries any minor.
If parents are found involved in organising child marriage, they will be punished with maximum six months’ imprisonment and at least Tk50,000 fine or both. If the parents are not capable of paying the fine, the jail term will be increased for more three months.
Posted by: Fred ||
12/08/2016 00:00 ||
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Russia said on Wednesday it would restrict the ability of U.S. diplomats based in Moscow to travel if a pending U.S. bill that would do the same to Russian diplomats in the United States entered into force.
The intelligence bill, an annual measure that provides broad Congressional authorization for a wide range of U.S. intelligence activities and agencies, has already been approved by both intelligence committees and the House of Representatives, but not yet by the Senate.
The new U.S. bill would create a special committee to combat clandestine Russian efforts to manipulate foreign opinion and tighten the rules on Russian diplomats in the United States who want to travel more than 25 miles (40.23 km) from their official posts. They would have to give advance notice of such trips and permission would not be granted unless the FBI told Congress in writing that the diplomats had abided by the travel rules in the previous quarter.
Maria Zakharova, a spokeswoman for the Russian Foreign Ministry, told reporters in Moscow the proposed rules would draw swift Russian retaliation if implemented.
"They (the U.S. authorities) should keep in mind that diplomacy is based on the principle of reciprocity. Put simply, American diplomats in Russia will be treated in the same way," said Zakharova.
She said the bill looked like an attempt to confine Russian diplomats to their embassy and make their work harder, and called the proposal for a special committee part of a "witch hunt" by the outgoing Obama administration against Russia.
"We are dealing with another example of clinical anti-Russian feeling," she said. "It's a carbon copy of a scheme used in the Cold War."
President Vladimir Putin has said he hopes that President-elect Donald Trump can oversee an improvement in battered U.S.-Russia ties, something the wealthy American tycoon has said he is keen to bring about.
[Free Beacon] United Airlines is drawing ire from customers over its recent decision to impose an extra fee on passengers who purchase its lowest-tier ticket to use the plane's overhead bins.
The Chicago-based airline announced last month it was introducing a "basic economy" fare in 2017 that would restrict customers to one small carry-on item that must be placed under the seat, rather than in the overhead cabins. The ticket will also automatically assign passengers a seat on the day of departure, which could separate flyers on the same reservation
United Airlines, one of the world's largest carriers, is the first major U.S. airline to charge passengers to store carry-ons. The company is hoping the move will push frequent flyers toward purchasing a more expensive economy ticket, Reuters reported.
#1
Dear United - May I call you 'United'? Thank you so much - anyways, United...can you say, 'tone deaf'?
Mike
Posted by: Mike Kozlowski ||
12/08/2016 7:48 Comments ||
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#2
The price of fuel has dropped since the near 150 dollar a barrel period. Still not making a profit off the extra-fuel cost tax you put on the ticket then and never removed? Maybe you should seek other venues of capitalism.
It's a market that's ripe for someone to copy the original Southwest model (which the suits have now destroyed and made it just another airline). It'll be like what small Japanese cars did to the American Big Three when the Oil Embargo hit in the 70s.
#4
It reminds me of the pre-Embargo time when you'd go to car dealerships and the price listing had a 'tack on' price of extras that nearly went the length of the door.
Then the embargo hit, not only did Americans discover the fuel economy of the Japanese cars and their quality, but the price tag was short, very short. Things the American companies charged extra for came standard. The Japanese said when you put them on everything, the unit price drops dramatically.
#5
If you have never wanted to see some fat, 4 foot tall woman trying to lift a steamer trunk into the overhead storage die on the spot of a hear attack, you must not fly much. Whatever they want to charge, triple it...
Snark of the day, though we'd prefer not to have the visual...
Posted by: M. Murcek ||
12/08/2016 10:04 Comments ||
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#6
They are getting discount tickets, so they get discount conditions. Capitalism means you get to choose what you will, and won't, pay for. The angry people aren't doing it right.
#8
Following the banking model.
Less real estate, fewer tellers, shorter hours, reduced services, no interest, withdrawal penalties and increased account fees to use my money.
#9
Spent a long time at O'Hare a couple of times waiting on United problems. (But at least they didn't break my guitar (search Dave Carroll United breaks guitars (link tool not working for me) - it was at my daughter's.)
#10
Flew on United from Louisville KY to Chicago IL for a CIO conference. About over Springfield IL we turned around, back to L-ville to refuel. Keynote speaker at conference: United CIO, topic: increasing the positive seat mile survey responses. Little correlation between Operations and Management strategies.
#11
I have flown Alaska Airlines for many years. They give all Alaska residents 2 free checked bags. Inside the state they give 3 because people from the bush bring lots of groceries back home. No BS of overhead storage issues, but M. Murcek's comment was just seared, I say seared into my memory.
Posted by: Alaska Paul ||
12/08/2016 14:02 Comments ||
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#12
Prefer to fly Alaska, AA is second choice. United and SW tied for last.
#13
but M. Murcek's comment was just seared, I say seared into my memory.
Flew pretty much every week for 14 years...that was no steamer trunk, that was her purse...the steamer trunk was the one with wheels (or was that her lap-top).
#14
I've been flying to India twice a year for 10 years now. First on Continental (may they RIP) then United. I have very few complaints. Before that I flew that trip on AA for a number of years. I'll take United over AA any day. At least for that particular trip.
Posted by: Zebulon Spawn of the Sith6155 ||
12/08/2016 16:36 Comments ||
Top||
#15
Agree with Zebulon, United international flights aren't too bad.
Flying west - Cathay Pacific or Korean Air are about the best. Going east, Virgin Atlantic is better (really miss the old Lufthansa, though).
Won't fly any of the middle-eastern airways, other than El-Al.
UA Domestic services absolutely s*ck, unless you have the Business/First Class upgrade. Then they're mostly tolerable, but not super great.
Posted by: Mullah Richard ||
12/08/2016 17:04 Comments ||
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#16
Just remember folks, United breaks guitars....
[Ynet] A Greek court has agreed to the extradition of three of Turkish servicemen from a group of eight who fled to Greece after a failed July 15 military coup, a day after rejecting The Sick Man of Europe Turkey ...the only place on the face of the earth that misses the Ottoman Empire.... 's extradition request for three others.
All eight helicopter crewmen deny participating in the coup and a plot to assassinate Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan ... Turkey's version of Mohammed Morsi but they voted him back in so they deserve him... . They fled to Greece by helicopter and maintain they will not have a fair trial in Turkey.
The Athens council of appeals judges approved Turkey's extradition request for three of the group Tuesday on charges of being involved in the coup, attempting to impede a parliamentary session and the seizure of a helicopter. It rejected the charge of involvement in an liquidation attempt against Erdogan.
The court is expected to decide the fate of the remaining two officers on Thursday.
The Sick Man of Europe Turkey ...the only place on the face of the earth that misses the Ottoman Empire.... may still appeal the case, and any final decision to extradite rests with the Greek minister of justice.
The two Turkish commanders, four captains and two sergeants requested asylum in Greece after landing a military helicopter in the northern city of Alexandroupoli shortly after the attempted government takeover in mid-July.
The officers are currently also appealing against a Greek refusal to grant them asylum in September.
Ankara has asked Athens to extradite them all to face trial in Turkey for their alleged role in the failed coup, including an alleged attempt on Erdogan's life.
[DeutscheWelle] The Erdogan regime is targeting its own NATO personnel, accusing high-ranking Turkish officers of being coup plotters, ordering them to return home.
[IsraelTimes] NATO’s top military officer says about 150 Turkish officers have been recalled or retired from the alliance’s high command since a failed coup attempt in Turkey, placing a significant burden on his staff.
US Army General Curtis Scaparrotti says losing so many seasoned officers had placed “an extra load on our remaining people” and that “it obviously has an impact on their military.”
“I had talented, capable people here, and I’m taking a degradation on my staff,” he says.
The officers who were recalled or retired from NATO make up about half of Turkey’s roughly 300-strong officer contingent at the alliance’s high command in Belgium, Italy and the Netherlands.
Scaparrotti says that about 75 of them have been replaced so far.
Authorities have arrested close to 38,000 people and purged more than 100,000 others from government jobs, including the military.
Posted by: trailing wife ||
12/08/2016 00:00 ||
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[FoxNews] DETROIT – A federal judge who ordered Michigan to begin its recount effectively ended it on Wednesday, tying his decision to a state court ruling that found Green Party candidate Jill Stein had no legal standing to request another look at ballots.
The ruling seals Republican Donald Trump's narrow victory over Democrat Hillary Clinton for Michigan's 16 electoral votes.
U.S. District Judge Mark Goldsmith agreed with Republicans who argued that the three-day recount must end a day after the state appeals court dealt a blow to the effort. The court said Stein, who finished fourth in Michigan on Nov. 8, didn't have a chance of winning even after a recount and therefore isn't an "aggrieved" candidate. Go back to your safe spaces.
"Because there is no basis for this court to ignore the Michigan court's ruling and make an independent judgment regarding what the Michigan Legislature intended by the term 'aggrieved,' plaintiffs have not shown an entitlement to a recount," Goldsmith said. Hey Pubs, see what happens when you get enough spine to stand up to these people?
#1
That effectively ends the Stein Clinton kabuki dance to over turn Trumps election.
Hildawitch needed all three of Pennsylvania, Michigan, and Wisconsin to win the electoral college. With Michigan gone, she's done, even if she gets Pennsylvania and Wisconsin, she's done, Trump still has 276 which is a majority in the electoral college.
#4
I wish they would continue and make that stein pay for it all. I would really like the true electoral pull in that state. Wisconsin recount increasing Trump’s lead
#6
CrazyFool, delegitimizing Trump was the whole purpose of this. There was never any chance that the election would be overturned.
Look at your Alinsky and you'll understand what they were doing. This is all part of the Gramscian march through the institutions, chaos is their friend.
#7
"#6 CrazyFool, delegitimizing Trump was the whole purpose of this. There was never any chance that the election would be overturned.
Look at your Alinsky and you'll understand what they were doing. This is all part of the Gramscian march through the institutions, chaos is their friend.
Posted by: AlanC 2016-12-08 07:47"
Word. There were a few articles I saw that offered the explanation that the idea was to throw the election into Congress, where of course Trump would win...and then the Democrats would spend the next four years refusing to cooperate in any way shape or form, on the grounds that:
1. Malificent won the popular vote.
2. Trump couldn't even win the Electoral vote.
3. Trump was 'selected' President by a GOP-controlled Congress. Therefore,
4. 'By Any Means Necessary' would be perfectly justified.
They learned from 2000 - never let up on the charges that the Winner is illegitimate. This whole idea makes sense, especially when you consider the kind of 'pull-down-the-temple' thinking we've seen in the last thirty days. They would have been perfectly willing to cripple us, domestically and internationally, and use our own institutions to do it.
Mike
Posted by: Mike Kozlowski ||
12/08/2016 8:10 Comments ||
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#8
All they seemed to do was discredit themselves.
#11
The only thing that shut them up for a bit after 2000 was 9/11 -- for about 2 days, if that long. I remember scanning the internet on 9/11 & finding the usual suspects plotting against the rest of us even on that day.
[Fighter Sweep] On December 6, 1959 US Navy Commander Lawrence E. Flint set a new world’s record when he zoom climbed his YF4H-1 Phantom II prototype to an altitude of 98,561 feet or 30,041 meters.
The previous altitude record for turbo jet aircraft had been held by the Soviet Union (USSR) when in July 1959, Major V.S. Ilyushin flying a Tupolev Tu-431 reached an altitude of 94,658 feet or 28,852 meters.
Project Top Flight
To demonstrate the power and versatility of their new fighter jet the US Navy undertook a series of record breaking flights. The program was called Project Top Flight.
#3
A pedantic snide aside, the F4 was to be all missile fleet protector, so no guns until Viet Nam air combat showed the need for them.
Golf claps will be appreciated.
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.