#6
If it was the first time. After sixteen years I'm more interested in lunch. After 69 years I'd probably just think "Dumbasses!" if I bothered to notice at all.
Posted by: Fred ||
06/02/2017 13:15 Comments ||
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#7
Look for Somalia somewhere in the background....
[SHABELLENEWS] The UAE’s controversial military base in Somaliland could become operational within the very near future, the autonomous region’s foreign minister said on Friday.
The base is still being constructed in Berbera, located 100km north east of the capital, Hargeisa, but UAE ships have already started docking at its deep-water port.
"We don’t believe the use of the facility will add to the uncertainty and the conflict in the region," Saad Ali Shire told Voice of America.
"UAE has already a base in Assab, Eritrea ...is run by the People's Front for Democracy and Justice (PFDJ), with about the amounts of democracy and justice you'd expect from a party with that name. National elections have been periodically scheduled and cancelled; none have ever been held in the country. The president, Isaias Afewerki, has been in office since independence in 1993 and will probably die there of old age... , which is operational, and the use of the base in Berbera is not going to add anything new to the conflict."
Shire was previously extremely vocal in his opposition to the UAE base in Berbera and once threatened to resign over the issue.
Neighbouring countries, Æthiopia and Djibouti were also opposed to the plan when it was first tabled, but appear to have changed their policies. Æthiopia will reportedly also be allowed to use the port once it is fully constructed.
The minister said he had changed his mind for "economic reasons".
"The agreement is [for] UAE to use Berbera airport and port as a military facility, and in exchange, the UAE will be building roads, a new airport, and funding health, education and water [and] energy," he said.
The UAE has opened a number of military bases in the region in order to assist in its conflict in Yemen.
The New Arab revealed the extent of the UAE’s involvement on the Yemeni island of Socotra earlier this month.
Shire said the military base would be used for "training, surveillance and military operations."
Posted by: Fred ||
06/02/2017 00:00 ||
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Top|| File under: al-Shabaab (AQ)
(IraqiNews) A Saudi-owned television channel has launched a drama series portraying the brutality of life under the Islamic State ...formerly ISIS or ISIL, depending on your preference. Before that al-Qaeda in Iraq, as shaped by Abu Musab Zarqawi. They're very devout, committing every atrocity they can find in the Koran and inventing a few more. They fling Allah around with every other sentence, but to hear the pols talk they're not really Moslems.... to counter sleek propaganda from the jihadist group which has won it recruits worldwide.
Beamed across the Arab world by satellite channel MBC, the $10-million project reflects the kingdom’s self-appointed role at the forefront of a Moslem bulwark against extremism which was underlined in a May 20-21 visit by U.S. President Donald Trump
Continued on Page 49
[DAWN] The guided missiles that the United States is selling 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... will be used to target enemy positions in the Yemen ...an area of the Arabian Peninsula sometimes mistaken for a country. It is populated by more antagonistic tribes and factions than you can keep track of. Except for a tiny handfull of Jews everthing there is very Islamic... conflict, says acting Assistant Secretary of State Stuart Jones.
Mr Jones, who accompanied 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... on his recent visit to Saudi Arabia and Israel, also said that the United States had forged a defence partnership with the Saudis to counter "malign Iranian influence" in the region.
At a Tuesday afternoon news briefing on President Trump’s Middle East tour, the bigwig said the United States would also participate in the Saudi ETIDAL project for countering krazed killer ideology.
Under the project, the Saudis have established a Global Centre for Countering Extremist Ideology in Riyadh and plan to form partnerships with other Moslems nations and the United States for formulating a narrative countering the krazed killer ideology.
But the veteran diplomat, who has served as the US ambassador to Iraq and Jordan, was reduced to an awkward silence while responding to a question about democracy in Saudi Arabia.
On Wednesday, various US media outlets described Ambassador Jones’ 20-second silence as "the longest ever pause" from a US official at any news briefing.
He was asked: "While you were over there, the secretary criticised the conduct of the Iranian elections and Iran’s record on democracy. He did so standing next to Saudi officials. How do you characterise Saudi Arabia’s commitment to democracy, and does the administration believe that democracy is a buffer or a barrier against extremism?"
Mr Jones kept quiet for a full 20 seconds after which he managed a stuttering response: "I think what we would say is that at this meeting we were able to, err, make significant progress with Saudi and GCC [Gulf Cooperation Council] partners in both making a strong statement against extremism and also, and also putting err... putting in place certain measures through this GCC mechanism where we can combat extremism," he said.
And then he turned to Iran: "Clearly one source of extremism -- one source -- one terrorism threat is coming from Iran. And that’s coming from a part of the Iranian apparatus that is not at all responsive to its electorate."
Posted by: Fred ||
06/02/2017 00:00 ||
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Top|| File under: Govt of Saudi Arabia
[DAWN] A robotic policeman which can help identify wanted criminals and collect evidence has joined Dubai's police force and will patrol busy areas in the city, as part of a government programme aimed at replacing some human crime-fighters with machines.
If the "Robocop" experiment is successful, Dubai Police says it wants the unarmed robots to make up 25 percent of its patrolling force by 2030.
Clad in the colours of the Dubai Police uniform, the life-size robot, which can shake hands and perform a military salute, is the lighter side of a government plan to use technology to improve services and security ahead of Dubai hosting Expo 2020.
"These kind of robots can work 24/7. They won't ask you for leave, sick leave or maternity leave. It can work around the clock," said Brigadier Khalid Nasser Al Razooqi, director general of the Smart Services Department at Dubai Police.
The first automated policeman in the Middle East, the robot on wheels is equipped with cameras and facial recognition software.
It can compare faces with a police database and flag matches to headquarters. It can read vehicle licence plates and its video feed can help police watch for risks such as unattended bags in popular areas of Dubai, a financial and tourism hub.
Members of the public can also talk to the robot to report a crime or communicate with it using a touch screen computer embedded in its chest. Built by Barcelona-based PAL Robotics, and programmed by Dubai Police, the cost of the robot has not been disclosed.
Posted by: Fred ||
06/02/2017 00:00 ||
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#1
Robocop joins Dubai Detroit police to fight real life crime
[IsraelTimes] Uyghur people of northwest Xinjiang province caught fasting ’will be dealt with,’ as officials try to stamp out Islam. How about some nice forced conversions?
Authorities in China’s predominantly Moslem province have enacted a series of measures to prevent observance of the Moslem holy month of Ramadan, with one official saying that those caught fasting "will be dealt with."
An official government notice stated that the region has adopted many measures to "ensure social peace and harmony," including ordering all restaurants to remain open for Ramadan, the World Uyghur Congress (WUC) website reported on Monday.
An official from the Zawa township, speaking on condition of anonymity ... for fear of being murdered... , was quoted as saying that teachers, public servants and employees in the service sector are "not allowed to fast" during Ramadan.
"It is strictly prohibited and if they are found fasting during this period, they will be dealt with," he said.
Communist China has tried for decades to replace religious observance with allegiance to the party, particularly among the Uyghur people, most of whom are Moslem, and who live in the Xinjiang province of northwest China.
The region also borders several Moslem-majority countries including Afghanistan and Pakistain where Islamic terrorist groups have strongholds. Islamic State ...formerly ISIS or ISIL, depending on your preference. Before that al-Qaeda in Iraq, as shaped by Abu Musab Zarqawi. They're very devout, committing every atrocity they can find in the Koran and inventing a few more. They fling Allah around with every other sentence, but to hear the pols talk they're not really Moslems.... have recruited Death Eaters from within the Chinese province.
The "2017 Work Conclusion on the Stability Maintenance of Xinjiang during the Ramadan Period" notice warns that the Industrial and Commercial Bureau of Aksu which regulates business and alcohol licenses for restaurants, will "strengthen leadership," "control," and "inspection" in the county, and "widen the scope of propaganda [to] focus on prevention," the site reported.
In addition, the authorities are forcing party activists to do marathon shifts, requiring them to "stand on 24-hour uninterrupted guard," making fasting all but impossible.
In the neighboring Hotan county, students will gather on Fridays, the day when many Moslems attend prayer services in the mosque, and will "collectively study, watch red [communist propaganda] films, and conduct sports activities" in a way to "enrich their social life during the summer vacation," according to the notice.
An official refused to answer whether the measures were specifically targeting Moslems observing Ramadan. "I cannot give you any details on this matter," the official who spoke on condition of anonymity, said. "You’d better inquire about it with the public security sectors."
[IsraelTimes] Speaking in Arabic at PLO executive committee meeting, ’tense’ PA leader reportedly says US president expressed anger, confirms meeting was ’uncomfortable’.
Following insistent Paleostinian denials that 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... shouted at Paleostinian Authority President the ineffectual Mahmoud Abbas ... a graduate of the prestigious unaccredited Patrice Lumumba University in Moscow with a doctorate in Holocaust Denial... about Paleostinian incitement against Israel during their meeting last week, Abbas has conceded -- in Arabic -- that the story is true, according to a report by the London-based 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... i news site al-Araby al-Jadid.
Channel 2 News reported earlier this week that during their talks in Bethlehem last week, Trump yelled at Abbas and accused him of direct involvement in incitement against Israel.
"You tricked me in DC! You talked there about your commitment to peace, but the Israelis showed me your involvement in incitement," Trump was said to have shouted at a shocked Abbas.
The TV report said the outburst was followed by several minutes of stunned silence from the Paleostinians, and that the meeting was very tense before the two sides managed to get back on track.
Paleostinian sources denied the report, saying the meeting was comfortable and substantive.
According to Paleostinian sources quoted by the Qatari site, however, Abbas told an executive committee meeting of the Paleostine Liberation Organization in recent days that his encounter with Trump was "uncomfortable."
Abbas confirmed that the US leader expressed anger with him, accused him of inciting against Israel, and showed him videos that included one in which Abbas was recorded as saying, "We incite and the Israelis incite."
Abbas said he then told Trump that the videos only showed selections which had been edited and taken out of context.
He said he told the US leader, "You have the CIA, ask them to analyze the film clips and you’ll discover that that they were taken out of context or fabricated with the aim of inciting against the Paleostinians."
Trump’s anger was the result of Israeli government incitement against Paleostinians, Abbas claimed he told the US president, according to the sources.
I'll bet that went over well. Multiple examples of PA incitement against Israel as reported by various independent sources can be read at the link.
In the al-Jadeed al-Araby report, the sources cited by the paper described the PLO executive committee meeting as tense and said Abbas went kaboom! in anger in response to several members’ questions.
At the same meeting, Abbas reportedly slammed what he called a "conspiracy" by political rivals from within his Fatah party and from other organizations to exploit the recent hunger strike by Paleostinian prisoners in Israeli jails in order to undercut his authority.
[IsraelTimes] The West Bank town of Burqa on Tuesday vowed that it "would never capitulate to pressure and blackmail" and would not rename a women’s center named after a female Paleostinian terrorist, after the facility’s international backers pulled their support and lambasted the Paleostinians for glorifying terrorism.
"The center has no intention of caving in to the pressure and changing its name," Burqa council head Sami Daghlas told the official Paleostinian Authority news outlet Wafa.
Last week, Norwegian Foreign Minister Borge Brende condemned the Paleostinian Authority for naming the center after Dalal Mughrabi, who took part in the 1978 Coastal Road Massacre. Mughrabi and several other Fatah Lions of Islam landed on a beach near Tel Aviv, hijacked a bus on Israel’s Coastal Road and killed 38 civilians, 13 of them children, and maimed over 70. Oslo demanded its money back.
The United Nations ...an idea whose time has gone... also withdrew its support for the center over the "offensive name."
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.
(IraqiNews) A Saudi-owned television channel has launched a drama series portraying the brutality of life under the 
[DAWN] A robotic policeman which can help identify wanted criminals and collect evidence has joined Dubai's police force and will patrol busy areas in the city, as part of a government programme aimed at replacing some human crime-fighters with machines.
[DailyMail] 
[IsraelTimes] Speaking in Arabic at PLO executive committee meeting, ’tense’ PA leader reportedly says US president expressed anger, confirms meeting was ’uncomfortable’.
