[ToloNews] The Afghan government released about 31 Taliban ...Arabic for students... prisoners on Wednesday from Puli-e-Charkhi prison in Kabul, bringing the number of released Taliban prisoners to 933, according to the National Security Council’s office.
The NSC said that with the release of 527 Taliban in the upcoming days the numbers will reach 1,500, and the "first round" of the prisoner release will be complete.
The Afghan government made an earlier pledge to release a total of 5,000 Taliban prisoners but only after the start of the intra-Afghan negotiations, and if violence was reduced in a way that leads to a countrywide ceasefire.
So far, the Taliban has released 110 prisoners of the Afghan government.
Top Iranian official hold talks with Taliban leaders in Qatar
[KhaamaPress] A top Iranian official held talks with the Taliban ...Arabic for students... leaders based in the political office of the group in 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 capital of Doha, it has been reported.
Iranian Foreign Ministry’s special assistant for Afghanistan affairs Mohammad Ebrahim Taherian in a phone conversation with officials of Taliban political bureau in Qatar reviewed current developments in Afghanistan, according to IRNA news agency.
The source further added that both sides discussed the future of intra-Afghan talks and all-out efforts to prevent the spread of coronavirus (aka COVID19 or Chinese Plague) ...the twenty first century equivalent of bubonic plague, only instead of killing off a third of the population of Europe it kills 3.4 percent of those who notice they have it. It seems to be fond of the elderly, especially Iranian politicians and holy men... in Afghanistan.
This comes as the outbreak of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) in Afghanistan remains one of the main concerns of the Afghan government and the international community, especially Afghanistan’s neighbors.
According to IRNA, Taherian had earlier held separate talks with President Ashraf Ghani ...former chancellor of Kabul University, now president of Afghanistan. Before returning to Afghanistan in 2002 he was a scholar of political science and anthropology. He worked at the World Bank working on international development assistance. As Finance Minister of Afghanistan between July 2002 and December 2004, he led Afghanistan's attempted economic recovery until the Karzais stole all the money... , former Chief Executive Officer of Afghanistan Abdullah Abdullah ...the former foreign minister of the Northern Alliance government, advisor to Masood, and candidate for president against both Karzai and Ghani. Dr. Abdullah was born in Kabul and is half Tadjik and half Pashtun. He also held the meaningless salaried sop position as CEO of Afghanistan, while Ghani was president... , Acting Minister of Foreign Affairs Mohammad Hanif Atmar, National Security Advisor Hamdollah Mohib, former president Hamid Maybe I'll join the Taliban Karzai ...A product, and probably the sole product, of the Southern Alliance... and some other prominent Afghan officials advised to form an inclusive Government in Afghanistan.
US’s Khalilzad Meets With Taliban Deputy Leader in Qatar
[ToloNews] The US peace envoy for Afghanistan, Zalmay Khalilzad, has met with the Taliban's deputy leader Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar in Qatar on Wednesday and discussed the prisoner release, intra-Afghan talks and the US-Taliban peace agreement, Taliban's spokesman Suhail Shaheen said.
The US State Department on Wednesday said that Khalilzad departed on May 5 for travel to Doha, New Delhi, and Islamabad.
“In Doha, Ambassador Khalilzad will meet with Taliban representatives to press for full implementation of the US-Taliban agreement,” it said, adding: “In New Delhi, he will meet with Indian officials to discuss the important role of India in a sustainable peace in Afghanistan and the region.”
The statement said that in Islamabad, Khalilzad will meet with Pakistani officials and will also discuss the Afghan peace process.
Khalilzad and Baradar signed a peace agreement on Feb. 29. The US-Taliban deal called for the Taliban to release up to 1,000 government prisoners, and for the Afghan government to free up to 5,000 Taliban prisoners before peace talks that were to begin on March 10.
But a dispute over the pace and scale of the releases between the militants and the government, which was not a party to the deal, helped delay the talks.
US’s Khalilzad Meets with Indian Officials on Afghan Peace
[ToloNews] The US peace envoy for Afghanistan, Zalmay Khalilzad, on Thursday afternoon met with Indian officials and discussed the US peace and reconciliation efforts in Afghanistan, India’s Ministry of External Affairs said in a statement. Khalilzad was accompanied by the senior director in the US National Security Council, Lisa Curtis, and the US ambassador to India, Mr. Ken Juster.
Khalilzad provided an update on the US peace and reconciliation efforts in Afghanistan, saying: “The US side recognized India's constructive contribution in economic development, reconstruction and humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan,” the statement read.
“They laid importance to India's crucial and continuing role in sustainable peace, security and stability in Afghanistan,” it said.
Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, India's minister of external affairs and NSA reiterated India's continued support for strengthening peace, security, unity, democratic and inclusive polity and protection of rights of all sections of the Afghan society, including Afghan Hindus and Sikhs.
“India is deeply concerned at the upsurge in violence and supports call for immediate ceasefire and need to assist the people of Afghanistan in dealing with coronavirus pandemic. India remains engaged in extending humanitarian food and medical supplies to Afghanistan to deal with the situation created by coronavirus,” said the statement.
“It was emphasized that putting an end to terrorist safe havens and sanctuaries is necessary for enduring and sustainable peace and stability in Afghanistan,” it added.
[IsraelTimes] Washington removes 2 Patriot batteries from crude fields as tensions boil between kingdom and White House over fuel production.
The US is pulling two Patriot missile batteries and some fighter aircraft out of 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... , an American official said Thursday, amid tensions between the kingdom and the Trump administration over oil production.
The official said the decision removes two batteries that were guarding oil facilities in Saudi Arabia but leaves two Patriot batteries at Prince Sultan Air Base in the Saudi desert, along with other air defense systems and jet fighters. The US official said a THAAD anti-ballistic missile defense system will also remain in Saudi Arabia. The THAAD complements the Patriots by providing a defense against ballistic missiles traveling outside Earth’s atmosphere.
The decision scales back the American presence in Saudi Arabia just months after the Pentagon began a military buildup there to counter threats from Iran. About 300 troops that staff the two batteries would also leave Saudi Arabia, according to the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive military operations.
The move comes as the US has sent Patriot systems into Iraq to protect American and allied troops there, who came under an Iranian missile attack earlier this year. The Army has a limited number of the systems, and they routinely must be brought home for upgrades.
Two other Patriot batteries that are in the Middle East region are also heading home to the US, in a planned redeployment for maintenance and upgrades.
It’s not clear, however, whether the ongoing oil dispute or the struggle to parcel out the much-coveted Patriot systems was the key factor in the US decision to pull systems out of the kingdom.
Asked about the move Thursday, US President Donald Trump ...The tack in the backside of the Democratic Party... said, "We’re making a lot of moves in the Middle East and elsewhere. We do a lot of things all over the world, militarily we’ve been taken advantage of all over the world."
He didn’t provide details, but added, "This has nothing to do with Saudi Arabia. This has to do with other countries, frankly, much more."
The Saudi government and the Saudi Embassy in Washington did not immediately respond to a request for comment. State-run media in the kingdom similarly did not immediately acknowledge the troop removal.
The Pentagon announced last year that it would begin deploying forces and Patriot batteries to Prince Sultan Air Base, a former US military hub. The move was one of the more dramatic signs of America’s decision to beef up troops in the Middle East in response to threats from Iran.
When Gen. Frank McKenzie, the top US commander for the Middle East, visited the base earlier this year, the American troop presence had grown to roughly 2,500. At the time, McKenzie told news hounds with him that the base was a key strategic location, but that continued presence of troops and weapons there would depend on other national security needs around the world.
#2
"Ohmahgherd! I finally have a chance to defeat and punish those Trump Voters who elected the guy who's keeping Iran at bay instead of the guy who gave them 150 billion. Attack!"
[KhaamaPress] Refugees from Afghanistan, Syria and Cameroon ...a long, narrow country that fills the space between Nigeria and Chad on the northeast, CAR to the southeast. Prior to incursions by Boko Haram nothing ever happened there... are suing Germany for invasion of privacy after the authorities allegedly checked their phones to prove their identities.
The refugees are a 37-year-old woman from Afghanistan, 25-year-old woman from Cameroon and 29-year-old man from Syria.
The authorities in Germany have the authority to examine the cell phones of the asylum seekers who do not have valid identity documents such passports, according to Mail Online.
However, some people cause happiness wherever they go; others whenever they go... Berlin’s Society of Civil Rights (GFF) is arguing that this method was used too quickly and is a violation of the refugees’ human rights ...which are usually entirely different from personal liberty... The 29-year-old Mohammad, who was granted asylum in 2015 said "I didn’t know what exactly was happening, nobody had explained anything. But I was afraid to be deported, so I gave the mobile. It was as if I was handing over my whole life," according to a statement released by the GFF.
A GFF lawyer Lea Beckmann said "The BAMF (Germany’s ministry for migration and refugees) is disregarding the strict constitutional rules by which the state must abide when accessing personal data."
Meanwhile, ...back at the cheese factory, all the pieces finally fell together in Fluffy's mind... a BAMF spokesperson said "A mobile phone is often the only, or a very important, source to establish the identity and nationality of people entering Germany without a passport or identification documents." Don't like it? Get in the crate and we'll send you back.
Is this the kind of war we should expect from China, rather than an open crash of armies?
[Jpost] The attack took place at the end of April and attacked several Israeli Water Authority facilities.
Iran ...a theocratic Shiite state divided among the Medes, the Persians, and the (Arab) Elamites. Formerly a fairly civilized nation ruled by a Shah, it became a victim of Islamic revolution in 1979. The nation is today noted for spontaneously taking over other countries' embassies, maintaining whorehouses run by clergymen, involvement in international drug trafficking, and financing sock puppet militias to extend the regime's influence. The word Iran is a cognate form of Aryan. The abbreviation IRGC is the same idea as Stürmabteilung (or SA). The term Supreme Guide is a the modern version form of either Duce or Führer or maybe both. They hate JewsZionists Jews. Their economy is based on the production of oil and vitriol... was responsible for a widespread cyberattack on Israeli water and sewage facilities last month, Fox News reported on Thursday. According to the report, Iran used American servers to hack into the facilities.
Foreign correspondent for Fox News Trey Yingst wrote on Twitter that, "A bigwig at the US Department of Energy declined to comment on any specifics related to an ’ongoing investigation.’ The official reiterated that the DOE routinely gathers and shares info with private sector partners to protect the US and it’s allies from cyberattacks."
The attack took place at the end of April and affected several Israeli Water Authority facilities.
The head of the Water Authority’s security department, Daniel Lacker, told head of the cyber department Avi Azar that, "We have received a number of reports regarding a cyberattack on the... systems. No damage was reported during the incident," Ynet reported.
Iran is often accused of attempting cyberattacks against Israel.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addressed the issue at last year’s CyberTech conference in Tel Aviv, saying that "Iran is attacking Israel on a daily basis. We monitor it and prevent it every day."
He added: "They are threatening in other ways. What is important is that every country can be attacked and each country needs the combination of defense and attack capabilities — and Israel has such ability."
[Jpost] In 2018 and 2019 the salary payments appeared in the PA's Budget Performance Reports, but this year they have disappeared, while spending on the PLO has shot up.
Monthly budget documents prepared by the Paleostinian Authority for 2020 show that it is attempting to hide the salaries it pays forces of Evil from international donors, making a sham of its commitment to financial transparency.
The PA receives hundreds of millions of dollars annually from donor countries around the world and is therefore obliged to produce fully transparent financial records, with all expenses listed, for the benefit of its donors. However,
Continued on Page 49
#2
Consequently, the NGO Paleostinian Media Watch (PMW) has found that the PA is diverting the payments through the Paleostine Liberation Organization (PLO), a trick it has used in the past.
And the EU remains none the wiser *wink* *wink*
Posted by: Frank G ||
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Account Code 5186 - Other Postemployment Benefits Liability
Posted by: Mullah Richard ||
05/08/2020 13:32 Comments ||
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[IsraelTimes] The Paleostinians are condemning an announcement by Defense Minister Naftali Bennett that he is issuing building permits for 7,000 new homes in the Efrat settlement near Bethlehem in the West Bank.
The ministry indicated the land would allow the creation of a new neighborhood called Givat Eitam.
The Paleostine Liberation Organization denounces the new "violation of international law.
"This is an outrageous exploitation of the COVID-19 global pandemic to advance the illegal settler project," senior PLO official Hanan Ashrawi says in a statement.
[Fox News] The Senate failed Thursday to override President Trump's veto of legislation that would have curbed his ability to unilaterally launch military action against Iran without congressional authorization.
The Senate needed a two-thirds majority but came up short with a 49-44 vote, meaning Trump's veto stands. Seven GOP senators joined with Democrats.
Trump vetoed the war powers resolution Wednesday, calling the bipartisan measure "insulting" and argued that it was part of a ploy by Democrats to divide Republicans and oust him from office in November.
"The few Republicans who voted for it played right into their hands," he said. "Contrary to the resolution, the United States is not engaged in the use of force against Iran."
This was Trump's seventh veto of his presidency.
There's only been 111 successful veto overrides in history. With 93 senators voting Thursday, they needed 62 yeas to become the 112th, but fell far short.
Among the 49 yea votes were seven Republicans who broke with Trump: Sens. Lamar Alexander of Tennessee, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, Susan Collins of Maine, Mike Lee of Utah, Rand Paul of Kentucky, Todd Young of Indiana and Bill Cassidy of Louisiana.
Sen. Jerry Moran of Kansas joined with Democrats in passing the war powers resolution in February, but did not vote on Thursday.
The resolution followed a January airstrike ordered by Trump that killed Iranian Gen. Qassem Soleimani, the head of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps' elite Quds Force, at Baghdad International Airport. The attack was followed by Iran's own air attack on an Iraqi base housing American troops, in which dozens suffered traumatic brain injuries.
In his veto message, Trump said the resolution would have hampered a U.S. president's ability to protect America's allies.
"The resolution implies that the president's constitutional authority to use military force is limited to defense of the United States and its forces against imminent attack," he said. "That is incorrect. We live in a hostile world of evolving threats, and the Constitution recognizes that the president must be able to anticipate our adversaries' next moves and take swift and decisive action in response. That's what I did!"
Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., authored the bipartisan resolution to curb Trump's war powers and urged his colleagues to override the president's veto, saying the legislation is needed to help avoid unnecessary war in the Middle East.
He said he was "shocked" that Trump thought a move by Congress to assert its constitutional powers on matters of war and peace had to do with his November election and politics.
"What I find so notable about that statement is that the president could not see Congress expressing an opinion about war through any lens other than himself and his reelection," Kaine said in a speech before the vote.
Posted by: Frank G ||
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Trump's opposition within the party came from both the near-left RINOs and the libertarians; he carried his center.
[IsraelTimes] Private intel firm ImageSat International releases photographs of target of Arclight airstrike ...KABOOM!... in Syria attributed to Israel earlier this week.
An airstrike attributed to Israel earlier this week caused major damage to a presumed missile workshop outside Aleppo in northern Syria, according to satellite images released Thursday by an Israeli intelligence firm.
Late Monday night, the Israeli military conducted two rounds of airstrikes on Iran-linked targets in Syria, including one against a weapons factory in al-Safira outside Aleppo and a second against militia bases in Deir Ezzor in the east of the country, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights war monitor.
Those attacks appeared to be the sixth and seventh strikes attributed to Israel against Iran-linked forces in Syria in the past two weeks. There was no word on the raids by the Israel Defense Forces, which rarely comments on individual cross-border attacks, though Defense Minister Naftali Bennett appeared to confirm Israel’s role in the strikes, repeatedly saying in the days preceding and following them that Israel was working to expel Iran ...a theocratic Shiite state divided among the Medes, the Persians, and the (Arab) Elamites. Formerly a fairly civilized nation ruled by a Shah, it became a victim of Islamic revolution in 1979. The nation is today noted for spontaneously taking over other countries' embassies, maintaining whorehouses run by clergymen, involvement in international drug trafficking, and financing sock puppet militias to extend the regime's influence. The word Iran is a cognate form of Aryan. The abbreviation IRGC is the same idea as Stürmabteilung (or SA). The term Supreme Guide is a the modern version form of either Duce or Führer or maybe both. They hate JewsZionists Jews. Their economy is based on the production of oil and vitriol... from Syria.
On Thursday evening, the satellite imagery analysis firm ImageSat International released photographs of the weapons factory that was struck in the raids, showing significant damage to one of the structures.
Before and After photos of Al-Safirah can be seen at the link.
"The workshop probably had a critical role in the missile production and assembly process, and possibly included unique machinery. Such an attack can stop the production process at this site," the firm wrote in its assessment.
In recent years, Jerusalem has accused Iran of helping the Hezbollah terror group develop advanced precision-guided missiles. Israel has vowed to prevent Hezbollah from obtaining such munitions, threatening military action in order to do so.
According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, the airstrike on the al-Safira facility caused massive secondary explosions.
A Syrian security official told the Kremlin-backed Sputnik news outlet that the Israeli aircraft that conducted the Aleppo attack came from the region of the US military’s al-Tanf military base, which is near the Syrian border with Jordan and Iraq and is surrounded by a large de-confliction zone.
A front man for the US-led coalition battling the Islamic State ...formerly ISIS or ISIL, depending on your preference. Before that they were al-Qaeda in Iraq, as shaped by Abu Musab Zarqawi. They're really very devout, committing every atrocity they can find in the Koran and inventing a few more. They fling Allah around with every other sentence, but to hear western pols talk they're not really Moslems.... jihadist group said it was not responsible for the strikes.
According to the Observatory, the strike on Tehran-backed militia bases in the Deir Ezzor region killed 14 pro-Iranian fighters, who were all either Iranian or Iraqi nationals.
The Britannia-based monitor did not report any deaths in the strike on the weapons factory outside Aleppo.
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.
...Arabic for 
...the former foreign minister of the Northern Alliance government, advisor to Masood, and candidate for president against both Karzai and Ghani. Dr. Abdullah was born in Kabul and is half Tadjik and half Pashtun. He also held the meaningless salaried sop position as CEO of Afghanistan, while Ghani was president...
...The tack in the backside of the Democratic Party...
...a theocratic Shiite state divided among the Medes, the Persians, and the (Arab) Elamites. Formerly a fairly civilized nation ruled by a Shah, it became a victim of Islamic revolution in 1979. The nation is today noted for 
...
