[NYPOST] A purported member of the MS-13 gang broke into the bedroom of a sleeping 11-year-old Brooklyn girl and raped her in her bed, cops said Saturday as the suspect was taken into custody.
The horrific crime happened at 11:30 p.m. Wednesday in Prospect-Lefferts Gardens, officials said.
The suspect ‐ identified by police sources as El Salvadoran immigrant Julio Cesar Ayala, 18, who lives nearby ‐ had allegedly climbed onto the roof of the girl’s apartment building.
He then somehow shoved aside the girl’s window air conditioner on the second floor and crawled inside through the opening, police sources said.
The fiend raped the girl in her bed, officials said.
But he dashed back out the window as she screamed to alert her mother, who rushed to her aid, sources said.
The mother called 911 but did not catch sight of the attacker, the sources said.
By luck, though, police were able to grab video-surveillance images of the suspect.
On Saturday at 2:35 p.m., some 30 officers from the NYPD’s Emergency Service Unit and the 70th Precinct converged on Ayala at his hideaway in an under-construction three-story building at 930 Flatbush Ave.
They pulled out the scrawny, hunched man, who was seen handcuffed and dressed in filthy black jeans and a red T-shirt.
Ayala ‐ who police sources said carried a federal Permanent Resident Card, also known as a "Green Card," as his only identification ‐ was led struggling into a police SUV.
Posted by: Fred ||
09/03/2018 00:00 ||
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[PRESSTV] The US government has no plans to pull US troops from Afghanistan because the years-long war in the country provides the Pentagon with an "endless" source of money, an American analyst says.
Brian Becker, the national coordinator of the A.N.S.W.E.R. Coalition made the remarks in an interview on Sunday, after US Army General Scott Miller replaced General John William Nicholson as the new commander of more than 16,000 US-led NATO ...the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. A single organization with differing goals, equipment, language, doctrine, and structure.... forces in Afghanistan.
Upon taking the post, Miller said at the headquarters of the NATO-led Resolute Support mission that Washington and its allies needed to "adapt to the enemy" in order to defeat it.
Becker said the remarks by Miller shows "the thinking of the dominant faction in the Pentagon that is committed to continue the war in Afghanistan endlessly."
"Since 2001 the US has occupied Afghanistan, bombed Afghan villages, killed Afghan soldiers and civilians, continued to abuse and violate the basic rights of self-determination of the people of Afghanistan," the analyst said.
The US invasion of Afghanistan and the subsequent occupation of the country has dragged on for 16 years, costing the US economy more than $714 billion dollars, according to the Pentagon's Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR).
The second longest war in the US history has also killed over 2,000 American soldiers and injured 20,000 more.
Posted by: Fred ||
09/03/2018 00:00 ||
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#2
Firstly, it is NOT the 'Pentagon' who is in charge of the War in Afghanistan or post-conflict events in Iraq. The people in charge can be found in the US Embassy.
Mr. Becker has his "endless" source of money correct. He just needs to follow it back a bit further. When you see the media headline caption "senior Taliban leader Shimwad Shym el Syadwazzi killed today" (one of the tens of thousands of senior Taliban leaders). Rest assured it wasn't a motorcycle accident, he was targeted for removal.
Ask yourself, 'who does the targeting?' You'll quickly discover who is actually in charge of the greater Afghan effort.
#3
Uh...I feel dirty. Yes, the war in Afghanistan will never be won because it has no win condition. Yes, the military-industrial complex is making a mint off this war and never wants it to end. Yes, globalists want a US troop presence in Central Asia because they want to conquer all the territories.
Posted by: Herb McCoy ||
09/03/2018 5:28 Comments ||
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#4
Alexander couldn't do it. British couldn't do it. Russians couldn't do it.
[DAWN] General Scott Miller took command of US and NATO ...the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. Originally it was a mutual defense pact directed against an expansionist Soviet Union. In later years it evolved into a mechanism for picking the American pocket while criticizing the cut of the American pants... forces in Afghanistan on Sunday, as worsening violence erodes hopes for peace in the war-torn country.
Miller, who has commanded special operations units in Afghanistan since 2013, succeeds General John Nicholson, who is rotating out of the post after more than two years.
The handover comes at a sensitive time in the 17-year war that has seen little progress by Afghan or US forces against the Taliban ...the Pashtun equivalent of men... , Afghanistan's largest hard boy group.
Afghan and international players have been ratcheting up efforts to hold peace talks with the Taliban, which was toppled from power by US-led forces in 2001.
Posted by: Fred ||
09/03/2018 00:00 ||
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#1
Rolling out of a 17 year war after two years suggests a lack of commitment to winning.
[PRESSTV] Yemen’s former president Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi is to be transferred to the United States shortly to receive "medical treatment."
Preparations are under way to transfer Hadi to the US tonight, a 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... source told Rooters on Sunday.
Two Yemeni officials told Rooters that Hadi would stay in the United States until the United Nations ...a lucrative dumping ground for the relatives of dictators and party hacks... General Assembly meeting at the end of September.
Hadi has been in exile in 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... since 2015. Before fleeing to the kingdom, he and his government had resigned as the impoverished country was in the grip of political turmoil.
Yemen’s Houthi ...a Zaidi Shia insurgent group operating in Yemen. They have also been referred to as the Believing Youth. Hussein Badreddin al-Houthi is said to be the spiritual leader of the group and most of the military leaders are his relatives. The Yemeni government has accused the Houthis of having ties to the Iranian government, which wouldn't suprise most of us. The group has managed to gain control over all of Saada Governorate and parts of Amran, Al Jawf and Hajjah Governorates. Its slogan is God is Great, Death to America™, Death to Israel, a curse on the Jews ... Ansarullah movement took state matters into their own hands after the mass resignation and Hadi’s escape threw the country into a state of uncertainty.
He has invariably proven a staunch Saudi ally, prompting criticism that his closeness to Riyadh made the country vulnerable to interference in its internal affairs.
Posted by: Fred ||
09/03/2018 00:00 ||
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[ENGLISH.ALARABIYA.NET] The Arab Coalition fighting to restore legitimacy in 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... released a statement on Saturday saying they have accepted the findings of assessment report regarding a recent strike in Saada and pledged to "hold the ones who committed mistakes accountable".
The findings of the Joint Incidents Assessment Team (JIAT) regarding allegations surrounding one of the operations carried out by Coalition on Aug. 9 2018 in Saada concluded mistakes in compliance to the Rules of Engagement regarding the strike.
"Thereupon, the Joint Forces Command of the Coalition expresses regret over the mistakes, extends its sympathies, condolences and solidarity to the families of the victims and announces its acceptance of the results and findings of (JIAT). The Joint Forces Command will, as soon as the official findings are received, undertake legal proceedings to hold the ones who committed mistakes accountable according to the rules and regulations related to such cases, and continue to revise and enhance its Rules of Engagement, according to operational lessons learned, in a manner that guarantees non-recurrence of such incidents," the statement released on Saudi Press Agency read.
"The Joint Forces Command of the Coalition will task the Joint Committee to assess granting voluntary assistance to the ones affected in Yemen, and communicate with the Legitimate Government in Yemen to acquire identities and names of the ones affected, so that compensations can be provided under regulatory measures," the statement added.
Posted by: Fred ||
09/03/2018 00:00 ||
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[JOURNALDUCAMEROUN] The anti-immigration far-right is expected to soar in Sweden’s September 9 general election, capitalising on voter discontent as Swedes punish traditional parties over immigration, integration and health care.
Prime Minister Stefan Lofven’s Social Democrats, who have dominated Swedish politics since the 1930s, will remain the biggest party in the country but likely with a record low score, polls suggest.
The far-right Sweden Democrats (SD) are heading to make the most gains and come in a close second, followed by the conservative Moderates.
A Skop institute poll published on Sunday, a week before the election, credited the Social Democrats with 23.8 percent of support, compared with 31 percent in the 2014 election; SD with 20 percent, up from 13 percent in 2014; and the Moderates with 17 percent, down from 23 percent.
Speaking to AFP after a campaign rally outside Stockholm on Sunday, Lofven criticised the former centre-right government in power from 2006-2014 for having "decreased taxes the most for the richest and decreased resources to our welfare" system.
"We have shifted that, we have invested a lot in our welfare system, in our schools, in our hospitals... Investing in our welfare is the right direction."
Sweden is known as a pioneer in fields ranging from equality to environmentalism and women’s and children’s rights. It has been hailed for its transparency, consensus-building, strong business climate, low crime and tolerant society.
So what happened that made it possible for a party like SD, with roots in the neo-Nazi movement, to "impose its agenda", as Gothenburg University political science professor Ulf Bjereld put it.
Visitors to Sweden in 2018 will still see young dads on paternity leave pushing prams, and helmeted cyclists biking through clean, tranquil and picturesque cities.
But this year’s election campaign posters signal a change of tone in the public debate: "No to Prayer Calls", "Speak Swedish to become Swedish", and "Hate or Debate?".
Neither Lofven’s left-wing bloc nor the centre-right four-party Alliance are seen winning a majority. And both blocs have ruled out a collaboration with the far-right.
With a parliamentary deadlock in sight, no one can predict what the next government will look like.
Thorny, drawn-out negotiations are expected after the election, with most political analysts agreeing Sweden will end up with a weak minority government.
‐ PROTEST VOTE ‐ While SD has no chance of entering government as long as the other parties refuse to reconsider its pariah status, it will nonetheless wield strong influence, holding key positions on parliamentary committees that draft legislation.
"We’re going to lay out our conditions and push our position on ... immigration policy, crime-fighting, and health care," SD leader Jimmie Akesson told AFP in the final stretch of campaigning.
Akesson’s party has been siphoning voters primarily from the Moderates, but also from the Social Democrats with its voter base traditionally heavily anchored in the Trade Union Confederation (LO).
In rural areas ‐ far from Sweden’s growth and innovation hubs ‐ rising numbers have been seduced by SD’s nationalist rhetoric.
Up to a third of LO members could vote for SD, polls suggest.
"They often work in the transport and construction sectors which employ a lot of European workers on (their home countries’) minimum wage," Lund University sociologist Anders Kjellberg said.
"Those salaries are much lower than the salaries set by (Sweden’s) collective wage bargaining agreements," he said.
Average wage-earners, pensioners and first-time voters: many of those who would in the past have voted for the Social Democrats now accuse Lofven of compromising their cherished welfare state by welcoming so many asylum seekers, whom they see "as an economic and cultural threat," says Stockholm University sociology professor Jens Rydgren.
A country of 10 million people, Sweden has welcomed 400,000 asylum seekers since 2012, first under the centre-right government of Fredrik Reinfeldt and then under Lofven’s centre-left administration.
LO head Karl-Petter Thorwaldsson has warned that since SD has no chance of entering government, a vote for the far-right is a vote lost by the Social Democrats ‐ and therefore "a vote for the right".
Posted by: Fred ||
09/03/2018 00:00 ||
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#1
So henceforth, the lefty antifa types will not only refer to opponents as Hitler, fascists, Nazis, and Russian stooges, but will add Gustaphus Adolphus to the list.
(inside humor)
Posted by: ed in texas ||
09/03/2018 8:39 Comments ||
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#2
So about all that healthcare the possibly outgoing Social Democrats invested in:
Sweden has the fifth-highest life expectancy in Europe and cancer survival rates are among the continent's highest, according to 2017 OECD figures.
But Swedes are frustrated over their universal healthcare, one of the main pillars of their cherished welfare state, with long waiting queues due to a shortage of nurses and available doctors in some areas.
Swedes, who on average pay more than half of their income in tax, see access to healthcare as the most important issue in the September 9 general election, polls suggest.
Prime Minister Stefan Lofven's Social Democrats, the largest party, are on course for a record low score, after losing voters disgruntled over rising immigration putting a strain on the welfare system to the far-right Sweden Democrats.
The rest of the article lays out in detail how bad the healthcare situation has become, despite the overall good health of the population.
[PRESSTV] 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... has lashed out at the United States for behaving like "wild wolves," saying Ankara would pursue non-dollar transactions in trade with Russia and other countries.
"America behaves like wild wolves. Don't believe them," Erdogan said in an address to a business forum in Bishkek on Sunday during a visit to Kyrgyzstan.
He added that negotiations were underway between The Sick Man of Europe Turkey ...just another cheapjack Moslem dictatorship, brought to you by the Moslem Brüderbund.... and Russia over using national currencies instead of the US dollar in bilateral trade ties.
The US has imposed punitive economic measures on both Ankara and Moscow.
"Using the dollar only damages us. We will not give up. We will be victorious," Erdogan told the meeting, attended by Kyrgyz and Ottoman Turkish businessmen as well as government officials.
Washington and Ankara are entangled in a dispute over an American pastor standing trial in Turkey over terror charges.
Pastor Andrew Brunson has been accused of having links with the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) and the Gulen movement, which Turkey blames for the 2016 failed military coup.
Brunson, who has already spent nearly two years behind bars in Turkey, has denied the charges, calling them "shameful and disgusting."
If found guilty, he will face up to 35 years in jail. His imprisonment and then house arrest have caused one of the deepest rows between Turkey and the US.
Posted by: Fred ||
09/03/2018 00:00 ||
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[DAWN] The Sick Man of Europe Turkey ...the only place on the face of the earth that misses the Ottoman Empire.... raised natural gas prices on Saturday by as much as 14 per cent, two sources said, while the energy regulator announced a similar increase in electricity costs as a deepening currency crisis stokes inflation.
The lira has fallen 42pc against the dollar this year, hit by concerns about President Tayyip Erdogan’s grip on monetary policy and a worsening rift with the United States over a detained American Christian pastor.
The sell-off has increased the cost of food and petrol and raised fears about the impact on the country’s wider economy and banks. Economists are particularly worried about the central bank’s inability to rein in inflation, which hit a 14-year high of nearly 16pc in July.
State pipeline operator Botas raised natural gas prices by 14pc for industrial use and 9pc for residential use effective from Saturday, two sources told Rooters. Officials for Botas were not immediately available to comment.
Posted by: Fred ||
09/03/2018 00:00 ||
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[DAWN] Joint opposition's presidential candidate Maulana Fazlur Rehman Deobandi holy man, known as Mullah Diesel during the war against the Soviets, his sympathies for the Taliban have never been tempered by honesty ... on Sunday declared that he is "ready for presidential battle" even if his attempts to convince PPP to withdraw their candidate Aitzaz Ahsan in his favour made little headway.
Rehman, following a meeting with PML-N President Shahbaz Sharif ...Pak dynastic politician, brother of PM Nawaz Sharif, chief minister of Punjab... in Lahore, delivered a media talk and made a last-ditch effort to convince PPP supremo Asif Ali Ten Percent Zardari ... husband of the late Benazir Bhutto ... 11th Prime Minister of Pakistain in two non-consecutive terms from 1988 until 1990 and 1993 until 1996. She was the daughter of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, founder of the Pakistain People's Party, who was murdered at the instigation of General Ayub Khan. She was murdered in her turn by person or persons unknown while campaigning in late 2007. Suspects include, to note just a few, Baitullah Mehsud, General Pervez Musharraf, the ISI, al-Qaeda in Pakistain, and her husband, Asif Ali Zardari, who shows remarkably little curiosity about who done her in... , who has been singularly lacking in curiosity about who done her in ... to back him in the presidential election, set to be held in less than 48 hours on Tuesday.
"For my withdrawal, I will have to take into confidence five parties," said the JUI chief, whose party is one-fifth of the Muttahida Majlis‐e‐Amal (MMA) ‐ a religiopolitical alliance.
"For PPP it is easier to withdraw its candidate," he added in response to PPP leader Qamar-uz-Zaman Kaira's call for Rehman to withdraw his candidacy earlier in the day.
While there have been little signs that the impasse between the joint opposition and PPP could be thawed prior to Tuesday's poll, Rehman is not giving up on the challenge. "We are trying to have the PPP accept the joint opposition's decision and back a single candidate; Asif Ali Zardari and Aitzaz Ahsan are good friends of mine."
Posted by: Fred ||
09/03/2018 00:00 ||
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[IraqiNews] The Iraqi Foreign Ministry has denied news that ’Iraqi gangs’ receive ballistic missiles from Iran.
In a statement issued on Sunday, Ahmed Mahjoub, the ministry’s spokesperson, said "the Iraqi Foreign Ministry is amazed at claims raised by a news report that Iraqi gangs receive ballistic missiles from Iran."
The ministry, according to Mahjoub, "emphasizes that Iraq is not obliged to respond to news reports that have no evidence on its claims. It also confirms that all Iraqi institutions should enforce and are committed to the seventh article of constitution, which states that Iraqi lands should not be used as headquarters for any operations to target another country."
A news report by Rooters earlier quoted Iranian, Iraqi and western sources as saying that Tehran provided Ballistic missiles to pro-Iran groups in Iraq.
On Saturday, deputy commander of General Staff of Iranian Armed Forces for international affairs Brigadier General Qadir Nezami denied that Tehran provided any ’group’ with missiles in Iraq.
[PRESSTV] Iraqi political factions, which did best in the country’s May parliamentary elections, announce separate alliances within the legislature, which they claim enables them to form the country’s new government.
On Sunday, politicians following senior holy man Moqtada Sadr and Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi’s lead said they had created an alliance that would give them a majority bloc at the Parliament.
A rival grouping led by commander Hadi al-Amiri and former premier Nouri al-Maliki responded by saying it had formed its own alliance, asserting it featured the lion’s share of the seats at the legislature.
The 329-seat legislature is to come together on Monday to elect a speaker and launch the government formation process.
Sadr's Sairoon bloc came first in the polls, while the Fatah (Conquest) Alliance led by Amiri, and Abadi's Nasr finished second and third. A bloc led by Maliki ended in the fifth place.
A recount was called after the polls due to allegations of electoral fraud. The procedure delayed the process of government formation by three months, but confirmed the primary results with little change.
[Sputnik] After three years of war with Daesh and three months of a vote recount, Iraq can now form a new government and begin the process of rebuilding.
Sixteen political groups in Iraq, including those of Shiite cleric Muqtada Al-Sadr and outgoing Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi, reached an agreement Sunday to form the largest bloc in the Iraqi parliament.
This agreement, reached just before the first session of the Iraqi Parliament on Monday, gives Al-Sadr the exclusive right to form a government.
Prime Minister Haider Al-Abadi, reportedly backed by the West, is also a part of the coalition. Al-Abadi is purportedly interested in extending his position into a second term, but as he is no longer the only candidate from the alliance, it is uncertain whether he will succeed.
[IraqiNews] Iraqi Vice President Nouri al Maliki stressed on Sunday that he would not run again for the post of prime minister.
“I was serious when I announced four years ago that I will not run again for the post of prime minister. I am still committed to my attitude and I will not change it,” Al Ekhbariya TV channel quoted al Maliki as saying in a statement.
Maliki stressed, in his statement, that he will “stand by any person who assumes this top post to help him improve the situation in Iraq and achieve national goals.”
Maliki served as prime minister of Iraq from 2006 to 2014. He is is assuming the posts of secretary-general of the Islamic Dawa Party and vice president of Iraq.
Al-Maliki began his political career as a Shia dissident under Saddam Hussein’s regime in the late 1970s and rose to prominence after he fled a death sentence into exile for 24 years.
During his time abroad, he became a senior leader of the Islamic Dawa Party, coordinated the activities of anti-Saddam guerrillas and built relationships with Iranian and Syrian officials whose help he sought in overthrowing Saddam.
Maliki worked closely with United States and coalition forces in Iraq following their departure by the end of 2011.
[IraqiNews] Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi said on Sunday that he will attend the first parliamentary session scheduled on Monday morning as a premier and election winner after his alliance came third in the general elections, held in May.
Dijlah TV channel quoted Abadi as telling reporters that “the Victory alliance will be present at the parliament tomorrow, Monday. And I will be also there as a prime minister and a winner in the elections.”
Abadi said, however, that he will not take oath at the parliament tomorrow because that will prevent him from assuming his executive tasks as a prime minister.
Abadi has been serving as a prime minister of Iraq since September 2014.
In the May 12 parliamentary polls, Iraqi Shia cleric Muqtada Al-Sadr’s Sairoon coalition won 54 parliamentary seats, followed by an al-Hashd al-Shaabi-linked coalition (47 seats) and Prime Minister Haidar al-Abadi’s Victory bloc (42 seats).
Last week, Iraqi President Fuad Masum issued a decree, ordering the newly-elected parliament to convene Monday under the oldest lawmaker, a move which precedes the election of the new president and formation of the new cabinet.
Under the Iraqi constitution, 15 days after final election results are endorsed by the Federal Supreme Court, the new parliament must hold its first session during which the speaker will be chosen.
A new president will be elected within three days of the legislature convening and the president will then ask the largest parliamentary bloc to form a cabinet.
Iraq’s president is elected by the parliament by a two-thirds majority and is limited to two four-year terms
The speaker of the Iraqi parliament should be a Sunni Arab, the prime minister a Shiite, and the president a Kurd.
Posted by: Fred ||
09/03/2018 00:00 ||
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JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Israel signaled on Monday that it could attack suspected Iranian military assets in Iraq, as it has done with scores of air strikes in war-torn Syria.
Citing Iranian, Iraqi and Western sources, Reuters reported last week that Iran had transferred short-range ballistic missiles to Shi’ite allies in Iraq in recent months. Tehran and Baghdad formally denied that report.
Israel sees in Iran’s regional expansion an attempt to open up new fronts against it. Israel has repeatedly launched attacks in Syria to prevent any entrenchment of Iranian forces helping Damascus in the war.
"We are certainly monitoring everything that is happening in Syria and, regarding Iranian threats, we are not limiting ourselves just to Syrian territory. This also needs to be clear," Defence Minister Avigdor Lieberman told a conference hosted and aired live by the Israel Television News Company.
Asked if that included possible action in Iraq, Lieberman said: "I am saying that we will contend with any Iranian threat, and it doesn’t matter from where it comes ... Israel’s freedom is total. We retain this freedom of action."
There was no immediate response from the government of Iraq, which is technically at war with Israel, nor from U.S. Central Command in Washington, which oversees U.S. military operations in Iraq.
Posted by: Besoeker ||
09/03/2018 06:52 ||
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[IsraelTimes] Meeting comes despite Ramallah boycotting the Trump administration for recognizing Jerusalem as capital of Israel, moving embassy.
The report comes two days after the Trump administration announced it was cutting all funding for the UN refugee agency that aids Paleostinians.
Significantly, the US did not cut aid that goes to the Paleostinian security forces and Abbas told the participants of the meeting that it is important to him to maintain security coordination and intelligence sharing with the US.
Despite longstanding tensions with Israel, security coordination between the Paleostinian security forces and the IDF in the West Bank is very close and a key component of the relationship between the two sides.
The delegation to the US was being lead by Majed Faraj, head of the PA’s General Intelligence Service, Axios said, noting that he was also in the US to receive unspecified medical treatment.
This is not the first time Faraj has met with top US officials since the boycott began. Faraj reportedly met then-CIA director Mike Pompeo in April, shortly before Pompeo became Secretary of State.
Faraj, one of the Abbas’s closest associates, is considered a friend of Pompeo, and the two reportedly met last year, after Trump was sworn in as president.
#3
A week cannot pass without one of these former Klingon masters saying something derogatory or unflattering about President Trump. This week it was the onerous Leon Panetta's turn:
That would be the UN Security Council, where the United States of America has veto power? Clever.
[ASHARQ] Palestinians, the United Nations and the Arab League have widely condemned the US administration's decision to suspend United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) funding and vowed to confront it in all ways, while Israel welcomed the decision.
President Mahmoud Abbas and the Palestinian leadership are considering going to the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA)
“This US decision does not serve peace, but rather promotes terrorism in the region and is also an attack on the rights of the Palestinian people,” Abu Rudeineh said, pointing out that this decision is only one in a series of decisions and policies that are hostile to the Palestinian people.
Continued on Page 49
#2
Ah, great to see the leader of the free world, Germany, step up to waste their own money. It's fine, they're flush with cash while Uncle Sam is flat broke. It's nice stepping back from these endless international commitments.
Posted by: Herb McCoy ||
09/03/2018 5:26 Comments ||
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#3
"Give us your money or we're complain to the teacher"?
#6
Frank, the UN cannot tell us to do that. A) We have veto power. B) Nikki Haley is the US Ambassador. She will tell the UN where they can stick their ruling.
Posted by: Rambler in Virginia ||
09/03/2018 10:17 Comments ||
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#7
/rhetorical, Rambler
Posted by: Frank G ||
09/03/2018 10:21 Comments ||
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#8
It's fine, they're flush with cash
Given all that Germany is spending to support the replacement population, and then to guard against the criminals and jihadis within that population, not to mention the Palestinians, etc, I find it hard to believe they are anything like as flush as they used to be.
#11
Fine. The day the General Assembly or the Security Council announces hearings, I want Nikki Haley to stand up and announce that the people calling themselves "Palestinians" have made themselves enemies of the United States, and shall be "obliterated from the face of the earth". Follow it up with about two weeks of 12-aircraft ARCLIGHT strikes on the Gaza Strip, one every hour, and the first one a total surprise. Anything with the name "UNRWA" or plain "UN" will receive special attention. And we'll have satellites dedicated to recording secondaries.
After that, maybe we can look for and root out other crap wearing the UN label.
Posted by: Old Patriot ||
09/03/2018 22:41 Comments ||
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[PRESSTV] The Palestinian Authority (PA) reportedly “completely rejects” an offer by the United States for formation of a Jordanian-Palestinian confederation as an apparent substitute for an independent Palestinian state.
PA chief Mahmoud Abbas, who was speaking to Israeli movement Peace Now and Israeli lawmakers in Ramallah on Sunday, said he had been offered a “political plan” by the United States negotiating team that was based on formation of the federation, Ha’aretz reported.
He told the team, which includes US President Donald Trump’s advisor and son-in-law Jared Kushner, and the US Middle East envoy Jason Greenblatt, that “he would agree to such an offer only if Israel is a part of the confederation,” the paper added.
"I was asked if I believe in a federation with Jordan," Abbas said, adding, "I answered: Yes, I want a confederation with Jordan and Israel. I have asked the Israelis if they would agree to such an offer."
The US is to unveil a proposal targeting the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, which Trump has hailed as the “deal of the century.”
Back in May, Israeli intelligence website DEBKAfile reported that the plan gave the Palestinians limited sovereignty over about half of Tel Aviv-occupied West Bank and set Abu Dis, east of the occupied holy city of Jerusalem al-Quds, as their capital. Palestinians have historically sought east al-Quds as the capital of their future state.
Last year, Trump recognized al-Quds as Israel's "capital," and moved the US embassy to the city in May.
The PA stopped recognizing the US negotiation role afterwards, saying it could no longer trust Washington.
Abbas likewise said the US was "hostile towards the Palestinians.”
The US plan would also reportedly give Palestinians’ sovereignty over the Gaza Strip on the condition that the Palestinian resistance movement Hamas gave up its arms.
According to the US Ambassador to Israel David Friedman, Washington did not have an exact deadline for unveiling of its plan, and would not present it at the upcoming United Nations General Assembly session.
Adding to the air of secrecy surrounding the plan, Greenblatt, meanwhile, said, "We will not discuss any specific ideas or private conversations that may or may not have been had with leaders in the region.” He was referring to the US team’s talks about the plan with regional states.
[IsraelTime] Abbas appears to warm to idea on condition Israel is involved, but Amman unwilling to even discuss plan; PA official says scheme has been under consideration for decades.
Posted by: Fred ||
09/03/2018 00:00 ||
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[Asharq Al-Awsat] Saudi Grand Mufti Sheikh Abdul Aziz Al-Asheikh praised on Saturday efforts by the Muslim World League (MWL) on unifying Muslims worldwide, advocating on their behalf, and ensuring their protection, further confirming the league’s undying efforts and great achievements.
“The Muslim World League is performing its role to carry out the Islamic halal slaughter, by making sure animals are slaughtered according to halal standards and trusted mechanisms,” he said.
For its part, the MWL reaffirmed its commitment to implementing premium standards of halal slaughter and continuing to fully adhere to regulations and standards set by the GCC Standardization Organization when issuing halal certificates.
MWL recently suspended the certification of a number of slaughterhouses and relevant companies around the world for violating guides to producing halal meat.
A royal decree gave the MWL sole responsibility for issuing halal certificates, in recognition of its expertise in coordinating and cooperating with local and international bodies and having met Islamic requirements for producing, manufacturing and marketing halal products.
The Supreme Council of Scholars issued a fatwa stating that the only authority responsible for slaughtered halal imports is the MWL, given that with over three decades of experience and partners and offices worldwide, the MWL is the oldest and most efficient Islamic organization working the field of halal foods manufacture.
The MWL works on finalizing the globally largest center for halal production within its headquarters in Mecca, Saudi Arabia.
MWL’s functions include supervising the slaughter and production of halal goods, and issuing Halal approved certificates, whether directly or indirectly via recognized offices and representatives abroad.
The center also issues certificates for selling halal goods, provides technical and Islamic consultancy services, introducing businesses to halal food.
This article starring:
Sheikh Abdul Aziz Al-Asheikh
Posted by: 3dc ||
09/03/2018 00:00 ||
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[PRESSTV] Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte lands in Israel as part of a regional tour including Jordan, as he pursues a pivot away from his nation's long-time reliance on American military hardware and support.
The four-day visit to Israel, which began on Sunday, will be the first by a Philippine leader in more than 60 years of diplomatic ties between the two nations, even though their links go back to Manila's sheltering of Jews during the Holocaust.
Duterte, accompanied by an entourage including soldiers and police, was welcomed at Ben Gurion airport near Tel Aviv by Israeli Communications Minister Ayoob Kara.
He then headed to Jerusalem al-Quds, where he will hold an event with some of the thousands of Filipino migrant workers in Israel.
On Monday, Duterte will meet with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and sign agreements before heading to the Yad Vashem Holocaust memorial.
He will meet with President Reuven Rivlin on Tuesday and on Wednesday inaugurate a memorial near Tel Aviv commemorating the Philippines' acceptance of 1,300 Jews fleeing the Holocaust.
Posted by: Fred ||
09/03/2018 00:00 ||
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#2
Israel may give them a bargain just for a chance to show the effectiveness of their weapons against the Chinese . They are already selling to the Indians. They would like to cut down the Russians on arms sales in this area.
[Al-Rooters] The Iranian rial hit a record low against the U.S. dollar on the unofficial market on Monday amid a deterioration in the economic situation and the reimposition of sanctions by the United States.
The dollar was being offered for as much as 128,000 rials, according to foreign exchange website Bonbast.com, which tracks the unofficial market. and what on the street?
The currency has been volatile for months because of a weak economy, financial difficulties at local banks and heavy demand for dollars among Iranians who fear the pullout of Washington from a landmark 2015 nuclear deal and renewed U.S. sanctions could shrink Iran's exports of oil and other goods.
A set of U.S. sanctions targeting Iran's oil industry is due to take effect in November.
Last week, Iran's parliament sacked the minister of economic affairs and finance, the latest in a continuing shakeup of top economic personnel. In early August Iranian lawmakers voted out the minister of labour and in July President Hassan Rouhani replaced the head of the central bank. rearranging chairs on the Titanic
Protests linked to the tough economic situation in Iran erupted last December, spreading to more than 80 cities and towns and resulting in 25 deaths.
Sporadic protests, led by truck drivers, farmers and merchants in Tehran's bazaar, have continued since then and have occasionally resulted in violent confrontations with security forces.
Posted by: Frank G ||
09/03/2018 10:51 ||
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#1
...Tsk, tsk, tsk.
That kinda rate isn't exactly gonna fill the skies with Kowsar fighters.
Mike
Posted by: Mike Kozlowski ||
09/03/2018 11:21 Comments ||
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#2
Fighters, hell! That's barely enough to renew their Photoshop(tm) license.
[ALMASDARNEWS] Syrian Foreign Minister Walid Muallem stated that Turkey should understand that Idlib province is part of the Syrian state, during an interview to RT aired on Saturday in Moscow.
“At first, the international community should admit the Idlib province is part of Syria and the Syrian state has to have its territories back. No one has a right to prevent it.
"At second, as the President Bashar Al-Assad stated, the priority at this moment is to liberate Idlib whether by reconciliation, which is more preferable, or with the help of army.
"At third, it’s clear that Jabhat al-Nusra, which is the most important organization in Idlib, is put on the list of terror agents by the United Nations Security Council.
"So, Syria along with its allies believes Idlib should be liberated either by reconciliation or by force of arms. In order to protect civilians from dangerous acts of military nature we opened a humanitarian corridor through Abu al-Ẓuhur aerodrome. This corridor has been open for a week. We welcomed hundreds of Syrian families who came from Idlib to the provinces controlled by the Syrian army.
"So, I state that if it would be necessary to apply force, it would be necessary to resist Jabhat al-Nusra. Speaking of these units which want to settle this conflict, they should declare their position and carry out further obligations.”
The Syrian Foreign Minister also mentioned the talks between Russian and Saudi Foreign Ministers Sergei Lavrov and Adel Al-Jubeir which took place in August in Moscow.
Posted by: Fred ||
09/03/2018 00:00 ||
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[ALMASDARNEWS] The Syrian Arab Army (SAA) troops in southeastern Idlib have reportedly moved in position to strike the jihadist rebels near the town of Abu Dali in the Ma’arat al-Nu’man District.
According to a field report from this area, a variety of armored vehicles and heavy weaponry, including tanks, could be seen being moving into positions in the southeastern countryside of the Idlib Governorate.
The majority of these troops were comprised of soldiers from the Tiger Forces, who are commanded by Major General Suheil al-Hassan.
The Tiger Forces were tasked by the Syrian Army’s High Command to lead the main operation near the Abu Dhuhour Crossing in southeast Idlib.
Furthermore, reinforcements from the Syrian Arab Army’s 5th Corps were seen heading towards the southern countryside of Idlib, where they are expected to take part in this upcoming operation.
The operation in southeast Idlib will only be one part of the Syrian Arab Army’s large-scale offensive in northwest Syria; they will also attack northern Latakia, northern Hama, and the al-Ghaab Plain (southwest Idlib/northwest Hama).
Posted by: Fred ||
09/03/2018 00:00 ||
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[ALMASDARNEWS] Speaking on France-Inter radio on Sunday, French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said that Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has won the country’s civil war but will not “win the peace” without a political solution aided by international mediators.
“Assad won the war, we have to state this. But he hasn’t won the peace,” Le Drian announced.
According to the minister, the West would retaliate if chemical weapons are used against civilians in the looming battle in the province of Idlib.
He further claimed that even if the government’s forces managed to retake Idlib – the last terrorist stronghold – it would not solve the problems that triggered the war seven years ago.
Le Drian also added that France will use this month’s UN General Assembly to push for a peaceful solution in Syria, and is currently involved in negotiations with the guarantors of peace in the region – Russia, Turkey and Iran – to push them to use their clout with Assad to make political talks happen after the war is over.
Posted by: Fred ||
09/03/2018 00:00 ||
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[5 views]
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#1
Well, he's still there on his ground.
Posted by: ed in texas ||
09/03/2018 8:40 Comments ||
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[DOD]
Secretary Of Defense James N. Mattis; Joint Chiefs Of Staff Chairman General Joseph F. Dunford.
This is a large article with broad coverage so a few highlights are emphasised
First, on building a more lethal force, we have no room for complacency in any domain. We recognize cyberspace and outer space as warfighting domains on par with air, land and sea. And these two domains, cyberspace and outer space, were made contested domains by the actions of others, so as a result we have elevated Cyber Command to full combatant command status and we have worked with Congress and the White House to define the evolving space problem that we confront.
In other adaptations, we've established a Joint Artificial Intelligence Center to experiment new concepts while drawing synergy from separate programs for this potentially game-changing capability. We have created the Close Combat Lethality Task Force to accelerate the fielding of advanced equipment and to train our warfighters at the speed of relevance for the battlefield they confront.
We have released our Nuclear Posture Review outlining the necessary steps we are taking to strengthen America's nuclear deterrents so these weapons are never used, nuclear war being a war that cannot be won and must never be fought.
And at the same time we are working with the Department of State to determine how to advance arms control where possible.
..
We are working with Colombia, Ecuador and others to schedule our hospital ship, the U.S. Naval Ship Comfort, to help our friends dealing with millions of poor Venezuelans fleeing their country, as we witness the human cost of Maduro's increasingly isolated regime. And we will stand with those people and our friends.
..
Twenty-five nations participated in this year's RIMPAC exercise hosted by the U.S. Pacific Fleet, the largest naval exercise in the world. It was emblematic of the refreshed military relationships in that the Chilean navy commanded the maritime element and this is the first time a Latin American country, in the history of this exercise, has done so.
We also continue to work closely with allies as our diplomats lead the effort to denuclearize the Korean Peninsula. We keep a clear-eyed view of the challenges, working together in support of the unanimous U.N. Security Council resolutions to economically sanction the DPRK. The sanction enforcement patrols today are international patrols.
..
A recent statement by a Taliban leader made specific mention of negotiations as a way to bring, and I quote here, "an end to the war," unquote. This one of the most forward-leaning statements made yet by a Taliban supreme leader, even as they conduct attacks designed to garner press attention, costing lives, and they are now stripped, however, of any religious guise for an inhumane campaign against the Afghan people.
..
On Yemen, we support our partner Saudi Arabia's sovereign right to self-defense, and we recognize the end of the conflict requires a political solution.
..
GENERAL JOSEPH F. DUNFORD, JR:
We're also conducting air and maritime operations to disrupt ship-to-ship transfers of fuel in violation of U.N. sanctions against the DPRK, and we're doing this in conjunction with allies and partners.
..
In Africa Command, approximately 7,200 U.S. forces are supporting thousands more African military partners in providing for their own security and conducting counterterrorist operations against ISIS and al-Qaida affiliates
..
DUNFORD. Sure, I -- I -- I could start with that.
I think you know that there's one major area in the Middle Euphrates River Valley that still has a significant ISIS presence. So in the near-term, working with our Syrian Democratic Forces, we're working to clear that one remaining area in the Euphrates River Valley.
But what's really important, and I mentioned it briefly in my opening statement, is training the security forces necessary to stabilize those areas that have already been cleared of ISIS, and that is -- that is going to take some time to do that.
With -- with regard to the importance of stabilization funding, that is very important. That's why Secretary Pompeo has been engaging with regional actors, other -- other regional actors, to contribute to the stabilization funds, to get the basic services -- the water, the electricity, the jobs and those kinds of things established in those towns. That's distinct from reconstruction, which is a longer-term endeavor, and -- and we won't be ready to talk about reconstruction until there's a political solution.
..
On Iran, Iran has been put on notice that the continued mischief they've caused around the area, the murder that they have caused, the support from Syria, and what they're doing with Assad, the threats about the Straits of Hormuz, the support to the Houthis with the missiles that are being fired into Saudi Arabia, or the -- the Iranian-supplied UAVs that are being flown against international airports -- that this is not tolerant -- tolerated by us, and they're going to be held to account for it.
On Twitter Jeremy Binnie highlighted this when he said:
Last week SecDef Mattis appeared to contradict the UAE's denials that Abu Dhabi and Dubai airports were attacked with UAVs on 26 July and 27 August
..
Q: We have seen many media reports saying -- contacts between Israel and Russia to create, like, a security zone along the northern border of Israel, 60 to 80 kilometers inside Syrian territories. To -- to have this zone out of any fear of any Iranian --
SEC. MATTIS: Okay, so what -- what's your question?
Q: So my question is do you think this will happen?
SEC. MATTIS: You'll have to ask Israel and Russia on that one.
..
Q: How do you see the situation regarding Turkish arms purchases of the S-400? Are they -- are they continuing with that?
SEC. MATTIS: Well, Turkey has a choice to make, a sovereign decision to make. But clearly Turkey bringing a Russian anti-aircraft, anti-missile system into a NATO country, we cannot integrate that into -- into NATO. Yes, it does concern us, and we -- we do not recommend that.
..
{Korea} SEC. MATTIS: No, we're not turning them back off -- back on. They've never been turned off.
We turned off several to make a good-faith effort. We are going to see how the negotiations go, and then we'll calculate the future, how we go forward. I mean, this is about as straightforward as I can put it. I --
..
As far as Pakistan goes, the secretary of state and the chairman are going to fly in to Islamabad to meet with the -- the new government that's in place there now. And to make very clear what we have to do, all of our nations, in meeting our common foe, the terrorists. And make -- make that a primary part of the discussion.
..
Q: Thank you, Mr. Secretary. (inaudible) from Turkish Radio Television. I have a questions for both of you, particularly Mr. General.
First of all, you will deliver a report to Congress in 90 days regarding Turkey, the relations with Turkey, and the current situation about Turkey. What is the Turkey's importance about F-35 fighter jet program? And in the means of Incirlik base and some other means, what is the importance of Turkey, and what news will you deliver to Congress?
And for you, Mr. General, when do YPG give totally give control from Manbij?
SEC. MATTIS: Yeah. As -- as far as Turkey goes, we are working on a number of issues. I have open consultations. I was on the phone with the minister of defense of Turkey yesterday, I think it was, day before -- yesterday, I guess it was. And we had very candid discussions, we're working our way forward.
For example, as the chairman mentioned earlier on the Manbij situation, the training equipment has arrived in Ankara, and we're getting close to actually getting this process to a point that it's enabling the combined patrols. We're already waving each other across the line. Soon, we'll be patrolling together -- very confident of that.
So we continue to work on these kind of issues, but I can't give you an update on all of them right now because we're working them as we speak.
GEN. DUNFORD: You -- you asked about -- you asked about the YPG. The vast majority of the YPG are east of the Euphrates River. There's very few YPG left in Manbij, if any. Part of the -- part of the planning that we're doing with the Turks right now is to, one, start those independent patrols we spoke about, move to combine patrols, and then, there'll be a vetting process to make sure the security in Manbij is provided, and the governance in Manbij is provided by people who are from Manbij, regardless of what their ethnicity is.
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.
[NYPOST] A purported member of the MS-13 gang broke into the bedroom of a sleeping 11-year-old Brooklyn girl and raped her in her bed, cops said Saturday as the suspect was taken into custody.
...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...
[JOURNALDUCAMEROUN] The anti-immigration far-right is expected to soar in Sweden’s September 9 general election, capitalising on voter discontent as Swedes punish traditional parties over immigration, integration and health care.
Sweden is known as a pioneer in fields ranging from equality to environmentalism and women’s and children’s rights. It has been hailed for its transparency, consensus-building, strong business climate, low crime and tolerant society.
While SD has no chance of entering government as long as the other parties refuse to reconsider its pariah status, it will nonetheless wield strong influence, holding key positions on parliamentary committees that draft legislation.
... 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...
Maulana Fazlur Rehman
...Pak dynastic politician, brother of PM Nawaz Sharif, chief minister of Punjab...
"For my withdrawal, I will have to take into confidence five parties," said the JUI chief, whose party is one-fifth of the Muttahida Majlis‐e‐Amal (MMA) ‐ a religiopolitical alliance.
Saudi Grand Mufti 
[Al-Rooters] The Iranian rial hit a record low against the U.S. dollar on the unofficial market on Monday amid a deterioration in the economic situation and the reimposition of sanctions by the United States.
