[The Hill] July and August 2016 one day may be remembered as the infamous summer of Steele and Ohr.
That’s because new evidence shows former Associate Deputy Attorney General Bruce Ohr’s efforts to influence the FBI’s Russia probe ‐ on behalf of Donald Trump‐despising British spy Christopher Steele ‐ started much earlier than previously described.
For much of the past year, many in Congress have labored under the notion that Ohr, then the No. 4 Department of Justice (DOJ) official, began assisting the FBI’s probe into Russia election collusion only after Trump won the 2016 election.
Lawmakers’ belief was rooted in reports showing Ohr’s first documented interview with FBI agents occurred in November 2016, and in testimony from Fusion GPS founder Glenn Simpson, who mentioned Ohr’s involvement in the probe as starting after Thanksgiving 2016.
But now, based on Ohr’s own account in a closed-door congressional interview and other contemporaneous documents, congressional investigators have learned that Ohr made his first contact with the FBI about Trump-Russia collusion evidence in late July and early August 2016. And his approach was prompted by information he got from his friend, the former British intelligence agent Steele.
President Donald Trump has ordered that $25 million earmarked for the care of Palestinians in eastern Jerusalem hospitals be directed elsewhere as part of a review of American aid, a US State Department official said on Saturday.
Trump called for a review of US assistance to the Palestinians earlier this year to ensure the funds were being spent in accordance with American national interests and were providing value to taxpayers. To recollect PA spends 300 million $ a year on rewarding imprisoned and released terrorists, and the families of "Martyrs,": http://jcpa.org/paying-salaries-terrorists-contradicts-palestinian-vows-peaceful-intentions/
#5
Never happen. They've so oversold the Return™ lie, it's worse that reparations among the US black community. They actually believe it, and will kill anyone that tells them the truth. Expect Seething™
Posted by: Frank G ||
09/08/2018 17:06
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[FOX] They have been accused of assassinating Russia's enemies on foreign soil and helping shoot down passenger jets filled with families.
Now the GRU, Vladimir Putin's not-so-secret military intelligence agency, has been roundly blamed for the nerve agent attack on former comrade Sergey Skripal in Salisbury.
Russian agents Alexander Petrov and Ruslan Boshirov were seen smiling on CCTV hours before the alleged hit on Sergei Skripal, himself an ex-GRU operative, and his daughter Yulia in March.
It is rumored the bureau, which recruits only the most patriotic young soldiers from poor backgrounds, has nuclear suitcase bombs stashed around the US and helped bring down MH17.
Not only are they trained to gather top secret information on its rivals, its agents have been accused of creating "death squads" to assassinate its enemies on foreign soil.
Here, we delve deeper into its murkiest operations, psychotic recruitment process and assassination attempts of the GRU.
The GRU, officially known as the Main Intelligence Directorate, is the arm of the Russian Defense Ministry tasked with gathering what some experts refer to as "battlefield intelligence".
#3
#2 And assassinated Julius Caesar, and crucified Jesus?
Posted by: g(r)omgoru 2018-09-08 10:50
...And did it before lunch.
Mike
Posted by: Mike Kozlowski ||
09/08/2018 11:39
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Mike:
Yeah, I was wondering: Why not use Smersh?
Posted by: Frozen Al ||
09/08/2018 11:42
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#5
Superseded by SPECTRE?
Posted by: Bobby ||
09/08/2018 11:47
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#4 Mike:
Yeah, I was wondering: Why not use Smersh?
Posted by: Frozen Al 2018-09-08 11:42
Al,
For all its fame (or infamy) SMERSH had a very short lifespan - from just after the German invasion of the USSR to about the Japanese surrender, at which point it was folded into one of the agencies which eventually became the KGB.
Mike
Posted by: Mike Kozlowski ||
09/08/2018 13:59
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#8
Suitcase nukes. Yeah, yeah.
Shortly before I rejoined the civilian world in the 70's, I got 'briefed in' on the MK54 manpack , aka the Davy Crockett manpack. (One more reason to get out...)
It was actually a warhead from a Crockett recoiless nuke rocket, with a triggering control and timer (I wanted to know if it came with a bottle of whisky, but...). Supposedly for airborne insertion or stay behinds in Europe if it went down.
I recall a critical point they harped on was that because it was a small bomb, the critical mass unit was made from very highly enriched material (to keep size down), and as such half life decay gave you a shelf life of 10 years. After that, it might not work.
It's why we have a recycling plant at Pantex outside Amarillo, to re-refine the U or Pl back into a reliable product. As it is, there is a definite lower limit to the mass required in a nuke, and it continuously degrades.
Posted by: ed in texas ||
09/08/2018 21:30
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#9
We’ve discussed the threat of suitcase nukes here quite q few times over the years. One such discussion can be perused here.
[Bloomberg - bias alert] The birthplace of Ikea flat packs and Volvo cars is starting to look just as vulnerable to the populist movement as Italy, Hungary and the U.S. The HORROR!
A bastion of welfare and equality, Sweden faces an election on Sunday that could be its most tumultuous in a century. As in other democracies across the world, the establishment is being challenged on multiple fronts. The long-dominant Social Democrats are headed for their worst result since general voting started in 1921. The biggest opposition party, the conservative Moderates, may see its backing cut to about half the electoral support it enjoyed at the start of this decade
For a country that prides itself on stability and is seen as a model for social democracy across the world, the development is hard to grasp. But voters are now flocking to a party that was born of Sweden's neo-Nazi, white supremacist movement. Slur done, how about acknowledging they hate the EU and unfettered immigrant colonists? For good reason
The Sweden Democrats, whose stated goal is to rip their country out of the European Union, could win about 20 percent of the vote on Sept. 9. Fifteen years ago they weren't even big enough to make it into the parliament. Meanwhile, the other end of the political spectrum is also poised to do well, with the former communist Left Party set to win almost 10 percent.
The vote could bring to an end the dominance of Sweden's two main political blocs, which have defended centrist policies for the past century. The uncertainty has spooked investors, helping to weaken the krona to levels not seen since the global financial crisis.
Posted by: Frank G ||
09/08/2018
08:55 ||
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#1
Godwin's law.
Posted by: Oscar Crusorong4654 ||
09/08/2018 9:40
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#3
For a country that prides itself on stability and is seen as a model for social democracy across the world, the development is hard to grasp. But voters are now flocking to a party that was born of Sweden's neo-Nazi, white supremacist movement.
They keep doing this, and people will eventually vote for real Nazis on the assumption that they are the only ones willing to do something about Islamic immivasion.
#5
Some nasty propaganda within that article. The largest party named "Social Democrats" is not a centrist party -- they put Sweden on an accelerated path to socialism that was close to destroying the economy by the 70s. There was a massive brain drain of businessmen and ambitious young people to the rest of Western Europe in the 60s and 70s. By the 80s the Social Democrats were finally voted out of power and the actual "centrist" political parties (included such idiotically named as the "Moderates") worked to somewhat undo the damage but more importantly to deviate from the path to total socialism. When Sweden joined the EU it actually helped the country to get rid of a large amount of socialist crap -- because the EU was *relatively* more free. As for the "Left Party" these are unrepentant marxists who have pretty much always had close to 10 percent of the votes, and always cooperated with the Socialist Democrats, but felt they needed a change of named from "Communist Party" when the Soviet Union imploded.
Posted by: si vis pacem, para bellum ||
09/08/2018 15:12
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[Breitbart London] UKIP London Assembly member Peter Whittle raked Britain’s top police officer Cressida Dick over the coals for her "mealy-mouthed" description of radical Islamic terrorists as "so-called Islamist-inspired".
Intervening in a London Assembly questions and answers session as there was some suggestion in the chamber that the English Defence League street protest organisation founded ‐ but now abandoned ‐ by Tommy Robinson might be a terrorist outfit, Mr Whitte said: "Whether you agreee with them or not, and I don’t, if you start talking about people like the EDL in terms of terrorism, I think you’re on to a real problem... You’ve got to be careful when you start saying people are terrorists."
Mr Whittle used this intervention as a launchpad to question the use of terminology by the establishment and, in particular, Commissioner Dick herself, asking: "You’re talking about ’right-wing’ groups... ’extreme right-wing’, you have no problem saying that ‐ but then you go on to say ’so-called Islamist-inspired’. Why are you mealy-mouthed?"
#5
“If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles. If you know yourself but not the enemy, for every victory gained you will also suffer a defeat. If you know neither the enemy nor yourself, you will succumb in every battle.”
― Sun Tzu, The Art of War
#6
So, Muse, why ain't London less joyless
Since Cressida dicked Tommy Troilus?
Despite the entreaties
Of sad Diomedes,
She likes her metropolis boyless!
[NYSlimes] The Venezuelans dying and suffering under Maduro thank the NY Times for damaging any coup in an attempt to hurt Trump
The Trump administration held secret meetings with rebellious military officers from Venezuela over the last year to discuss their plans to overthrow President Nicolás Maduro, according to American officials and a former Venezuelan military commander who participated in the talks.
Establishing a clandestine channel with coup plotters in Venezuela was a big gamble for Washington, given its long history of covert intervention across Latin America. Many in the region still deeply resent the United States for backing previous rebellions, coups and plots in countries like Cuba, Nicaragua, Brazil and Chile, and for turning a blind eye to the abuses military regimes committed during the Cold War.
The White House, which declined to answer detailed questions about the talks, said in a statement that it was important to engage in "dialogue with all Venezuelans who demonstrate a desire for democracy" in order to "bring positive change to a country that has suffered so much under Maduro."
But one of the Venezuelan military commanders involved in the secret talks was hardly an ideal figure to help restore democracy: He is on the American government's own sanctions list of corrupt officials in Venezuela.
He and other members of the Venezuelan security apparatus have been accused by Washington of a wide range of serious crimes, including torturing critics, jailing hundreds of political prisoners, wounding thousands of civilians, trafficking drugs and collaborating with the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or FARC, which is considered a terrorist organization by the United States.
American officials eventually decided not to help the plotters, and the coup plans stalled. But the Trump administration's willingness to meet several times with mutinous officers intent on toppling a president in the hemisphere could backfire politically. That's the whole pointy of the article
Posted by: Frank G ||
09/08/2018
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#1
So, according to the NYT, the WH under Obama meddling in Israel's internal politics against Netanhanyu was "appropriate" and this is "conspiracy"... because the (R)epublicans are in the WH.
[Wash Times] Assaults on ICE agents reached a decade high in 2017, and assaults on Border Patrol agents have also surged in recent years, according to new government numbers that seem to back up agents’ claims that illegal immigrants are increasingly looking to fight rather than flee.
The new numbers, reported by Homeland Security’s inspector general, could even be underselling the problem, investigators said, because the government doesn’t do a good job of tracking incidents, and agents and officers don’t always report them properly.
But the report does signal renewed danger particularly on the southwest border, where agents say a surge in illegal immigration in recent years generally correlates with growing violence.
Prosecutors, meanwhile, often refuse to bring charges or win cases against the perpetrators, the audit found.
At the border, the most frequent method of attack was projectiles ‐ usually large rocks ‐ which accounted for half of assaults. But bombs, clubs, knives, guns and even laser pointers to blind agents have all been used.
Why do the public discussions of immigration overwhelmingly focus on our Southern border while the influx of almost equal numbers of Asians, Europeans, and Indians goes unnoticed? Why fixate on Hispanics?
The prevailing explanation, at least the one advanced publicly by Donald Trump and his supporters, is that Hispanic immigrants are disproportionately inclined toward criminality and long-term welfare dependency vis-à-vis other immigrant groups.
The elephant in the room is the low I.Q. of these would-be future Americans. Specifically, the average I.Q. in central American countries ‐ Honduras 81, El Salvador 81, Guatemala 79, for example ‐ would assign these migrants and their offspring to the "educable" or mildly retarded category in schools, unable to master all but the basics (Mexico might be a small exception with an average I.Q. of 88).
[Victory Girls] This week, for Victory Girls, I will be reviewing "The Shadow President, The Truth About Mike Pence". We will talk about the truthiness of this book in a bit. First let me tell you a bit about the authors. It takes two, doncha know.
Michael D’Antonio, a CNN commentator, is the author of a book about Donald Trump while Trump was still the GOP front runner. The book is either "The Truth About Trump" or "Never Enough, Donald Trump and The Pursuit of Success". I found both books, published the same day in 2015. I assume that this/these book(s) are much like the one I just read. Filled with rumor, innuendo and Freshman Psych 101, mostly gleaned from anyone he ever bested at anything.
#1
Wow. I wish they'd read and review some of the Trump-Trash books.
Posted by: Bobby ||
09/08/2018 7:43
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#2
....An interesting thought: George Bush and Donald Trump are not foolish or stupid men by any stretch of the imagination - Bush was a Harvard Business School grad, fighter pilot, and very successful businessman, and we all know Trump's background. Yet somehow - quite possibly because both unexpectedly beat the Anointed Ones - they are considered foolish puppets who dance at the behest of men behind the throne. In Bush's case, Dick Cheney and in Trump's case Mike Pence.
My take is that the Lefties who believe that are either desperate to demean them at any price, or there's a bit of a hint there of the way they'd run things...
Mike
Posted by: Mike Kozlowski ||
09/08/2018 8:39
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[Guwardian] It was not a surprise to read that Dame Jocelyn Bell Burnell has said she will donate the money she has just won as recipient of the £2.3m Breakthrough prize to help students underrepresented in physics to study the subject she loves.
As a research student in the 1960s, Bell Burnell noticed a mysterious pulsing signal in data from a radio telescope. In time, and after much painstaking observation on her part, this was revealed to be a new type of star: a pulsar. She was the first scientist ever to have detected one ‐ but in the end the Nobel prize recognising the discovery went to her male PhD supervisor.
Bell Burnell is one of those rare scientists who go out of their way to help an inquiring mind. As a science journalist, I found her always prepared to answer a question or two on the latest discovery in astrophysics, or on the seemingly endless struggle to encourage more girls and women to enter the field and stay. In this latest move, she gives others the opportunity to make their mark in the way that she did. And as she puts it: "Increasing the diversity of physics could lead to all sorts of good things".
#2
I don't have a problem with diversity as long as the students are qualified acedemically to study in the field of choice. In this case I hope they don't wind up with idiot New Agers, Flat Earth Truth Seekers and the like.
[The Hill] A federal judge in Florida issued a ruling on Friday directing 32 county election officials to provide Spanish-language ballots, a move that could help more than 30,000 Puerto Ricans in the state vote.
Reuters reported that Chief Judge Mark Walker of the federal court in Tallahassee ruled that failing to help eligible voters is likely a violation of the Voting Rights Act.
"Puerto Ricans are American citizens," Walker wrote, according to Reuters. "Unique among Americans, they are not educated primarily in English ‐ and do not need to be. But, like all American citizens, they possess the fundamental right to vote."
The decision comes after several non-profit groups sued Florida’s Secretary of State Kenneth Detzner and the elections supervisor of 32 counties. The groups called for the specific counties to offer bilingual ballots and assistance for non English-speakers, with a focus on the growing population of Puerto Ricans in the state, including those displaced from last year's Hurricane Maria. After Hurricane Maria, more than 56,000 Puerto Ricans reportedly resettled in Florida.
In his ruling, Walker ordered Detzner to direct election officials to print sample Spanish ballots that mirror their English counterparts, HuffPost reported. He also ruled that election supervisors must provide the sample ballots and polling places with posted notices.
Sarah Revell, a spokeswoman for Detzner (R) told HuffPost that the Secretary of State would order election officials to comply with the ruling.
Reuters noted that the decision from Walker could be significant given Florida's reputation as a swing state.
It could be additionally impactful with the amount of Puerto Ricans who were displaced by Hurricane Maria living in the state.
"Florida is the world’s greatest melting pot, and we don’t want any registered voters to not be able to exercise their right because of a language barrier," John Tupps, a spokesman for Florida Gov. Rick Scott (R), told Reuters.
#4
Not that big a deal. You still need a FL drivers license or non-driver ID card, passport or CCW card (can you dig it?) to vote. Anyone who has any of those has proven residency in the process and really should be allowed to vote.
Posted by: M. Murcek ||
09/08/2018 11:16
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#5
I find it reasonable to require Spanish language ballots, in Florida or anywhere else, because Spanish is the native language of a block of US citizens - from Puerto Rico. Naturalized citizens from other Spanish-language countries are incidental beneficiaries.
#6
Residents of Puerto Rico which is a U.S. territory do not have the right to vote, nor do they pay taxes. There is no need for a ballot in Spanish for anyone who has no right to vote.
#7
If someone doesn't understand English, how do they get their information on candidates and issues to vote? If someone is only able to read Spanish venues that I believe may be biased to one frame of thought, not being able to get information from several sources for a good understanding, only printing the ballots in Spanish does a disservice. How about educating people in America to understand English so all can participate making that important informed choice.
Posted by: Jan ||
09/08/2018 15:33
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#8
They ARE US citizens and are free to move to any US state where they do have the right to vote, with no requirement to learn enough English to pass the citizenship test.
[The Hill] Former San Francisco 49er Jason Hairston was found dead in his California home this week.
The former NFL linebacker, who joined Donald Trump Jr. on a hunting trips just weeks ago, was confirmed dead by his hunting gear company, KUIU, on Wednesday.
"We are shocked and saddened to announce the tragic passing of KUIU founder Jason Hairston. His legacy lives on in KUIU’s spirit of relentless innovation," the company said on Twitter.
The company later revealed on its website that Hairston took his own life.
"He is survived by his wife Kirstyn and 2 children," KUIU wrote. "The family has requested that donations be made to support CTE-related research at the Boston University Concussion Legacy Foundation in lieu of sending flowers."
Trump Jr. also took to Instagram to express condolences for his friend shortly after his passing, calling Hairston "an inspiration to all outdoorsmen and women for generations to come."
"Jason, I have no words. I will always remember our adventures and sharing a campfire with you. They will be some of my fondest experiences in the outdoors," Trump Jr. said in his post. "You were and will continue to be an inspiration to all outdoorsmen and women for generations to come. Thanks for the friendship and the memories buddy. I’m going to miss you. R.I.P."
[Free Beacon] Democratic congressional candidate Ayanna Pressley appeared outside a mosque that has played host to numerous radical figures during her primary campaign this year.
Dr. Wesley Muhammad gave a lecture at Boston’s Muhammad Mosque No. 11 in February entitled "The Secret Relationship between Blacks and Jews: The Homosexual Conspiracy!" Months earlier, anti-Semitic conspiracy theorist Christopher Bollyn gave a lecture on his views that Zionists and Israelis were behind the 9/11 attacks and Randy Muhammad spoke about "The Truth About UFO's."
Pressley appeared outside the mosque in July.
The Boston city councilor made headlines earlier this week when she sent yet another shock to the Democratic establishment by defeating ten-term congressman Michael Capuano. Unlike previous upsets of moderate Democrats such as New York's Joe Crowley, Capuano was a strident liberal and a member of the Progressive Caucus.
A Yahoo News profile of Pressley's primary campaign indicated she owed her win to a strong ground game, holding dozens of events in a single afternoon.
#2
Looks like the deep state might get the war it wanted with Russia after all. Trump notwithstanding.
Posted by: Herb McCoy ||
09/08/2018 4:30
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#3
I can understand why Israelis want the Iranians outta there but why are we getting so uptight about Idlib?
Posted by: Abu Uluque ||
09/08/2018 10:17
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#4
I can understand why Israelis want the Iranians outta there but why are we getting so uptight about Idlib?
Since it would be easier to convince Assad he doesn't need Iran once the "rebels" are beaten, I guess the ones making decisions for "we" don't want Iran gone. More "resistance"?
[Times of Israel] Hungary’s controversial Holocaust museum will open next year despite opposition by some in the Jewish community to its premise and staff, according to a government statement.
Gergely Gulyás, the head of the Prime Minister’s Office, said Friday at a news conference that the House of Fates will open in Budapest in 2019, four years after the building for the new institution was completed. The local Chabad community has replaced the country’s other Jewish federation of communities as a partner in the museum, according to the report.
"The horrors of the Nazi and communist dictatorships of the 20th century must never be forgotten," Gulyás said, according to the MTI news agency. "The fact that Hungary’s Jews were shipped off to death camps after the German invasion of March 19, 1944 doesn’t absolve the state ... of the crime of failing to protect its citizens. There’s no collective guilt, only state responsibility."
[MAIL] It appears Dracula may have been onto something when he drank the blood of young maidens.
Scores of start-ups have been tinkering with transfusions of blood from younger adults to treat age-related diseases.
But a leading geneticist at University College London insists those experiments are no joke, and are seriously considered by leading physicians to be one of the most promising ventures in modern medicine.
Publishing an analysis of data in the journal Nature, Dame Linda Partridge, a geneticist, says research shows young blood could allow humans to live a life free of diseases like cancer, dementia and heart disease, right up until their deaths.
Her work forms part of a wave of studies and trials, including a set of human trials backed by Peter Thiel at a San Francisco start-up called Ambrosia, injecting older adults with young blood - something that would cost $8,000 if it were rolled out to the public.
[Asharq Al-AWSAT]
The leaders of Russia, Turkey and Iran failed on Friday to agree on a ceasefire on the northwestern Syrian region of Idlib, perhaps the final chance to avoid what activists warn will be a humanitarian disaster.
Turkey’s Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Russia’s Vladimir Putin and Iran’s Hassan Rouhani, meeting in Tehran for a summit of key foreign players in Syria’s war, agreed in a final statement that there could be no military solution to the conflict and it could only end through a negotiated political process.
But as Syrian regime and Russian warplanes mounted air strikes in Idlib on Friday morning in a possible prelude to a full-scale offensive on the opposition stronghold, Putin and Rouhani pushed back against Erdogan’s call for a truce.
"Idlib isn't just important for Syria's future, it is of importance for our national security and for the future of the region," Erdogan said. "Any attack on Idlib would result in a catastrophe. Any fight against terrorists requires methods based on time and patience."
"We don't want Idlib to turn into a bloodbath," he added.
Putin said a ceasefire would be pointless as it would not involve extremist groups it deems terrorists. Rouhani said Syria must regain control over all its territory.
In the final statement, the three leaders agreed on the need to eliminate ISIS, the Nusra Front, and other extremist groups. But there were other armed opposition groups who could join any ceasefire agreement, they said.
The communique also called on the United Nations and the international community to step up humanitarian aid to Syria and help in restoring basic infrastructure assets.
Efforts must be made to protect and to create conditions for the safe return of refugees, it added.
The Idlib province and surrounding areas are home to about 3 million people — nearly half of them civilians displaced from other parts of Syria. That also includes an estimated 10,000 fighters, including the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham group.
The Syrian regime was not directly represented at the summit, nor were the United States and other Western powers.
America's ambassador to the United Nations, Nikki Haley, has warned any military offensive in Idlib "would be a reckless escalation."
"There is no military solution to the Syrian conflict," Haley said in a statement Wednesday. "Assad's brutal regime — backed by Russia and Iran — cannot continue to attack and terrorize Syria's citizens."
[MAIL] British Airways hired a convicted paedophile to represent the national airline at the Pride Festival held in Brighton last month.
Darren Sewell, who was convicted of child rape in 1999 and broke a court order banning him from contact with children in 2011, worked as a drag queen on the British Airways float that toured the seaside city.
Sewell, who is known by the stage name Crystal Couture, can be seen wearing a cabin crew costume and standing among British Airways ambassadors waving the rainbow flag celebrating the LGBTQ+ community.
He was one of two drag queens British Airways hired via an entertainment agency to represent the national airline for the Pride Festival held in Brighton on 4 August.
British Airways was one of the sponsors of 2018 Pride Festival, under the logo ’Flying Proud’.
[DE] WikiLeaks released a trove of CIA documents on Tuesday that it claimed revealed details of its secret hacking arsenal.
The release included 8,761 documents that it claimed revealed details of "malware, viruses, trojans, weaponized 'zero day' exploits, malware remote control systems and associated documentation."
The leaks purportedly revealed that a top secret CIA unit used the German city of Frankfurt am Main as the starting point for numerous hacking attacks on Europe, China and the Middle East.
Frankfurt base
WikiLeaks reported that the group developed trojans and other malicious software in the American Consulate General Office, the largest US consulate in the world. The programs focused on targets in Europe, the Middle East and Africa.
The documents revealed that CIA experts worked in the building under cover and included advice for life in Germany.
"Do not leave anything electronic or sensitive unattended in your room," it told employees, also advising them to enjoy Lufthansa's free alcohol "in moderation."
The Frankfurt hackers, part of the Center for Cyber Intelligence Europe, were said to be given diplomatic passports and a State Department identity. It instructed employees how to safely enter Germany. A WikiLeaks tweet published an section of the Frankfurt information.
[News Asia] CHICAGO: Two major health scares at US airports involving inbound flights are related to pilgrims returning from the Haj, the Muslim pilgrimage to the holy city of Mecca, Saudi Arabia, which ended in late August, US health officials said on Friday.
On Wednesday, US health officials sent an emergency response team with mobile diagnostic equipment to John F Kennedy International Airport in New York after they were told that more than 100 passengers aboard an Emirates airlines flight from Dubai were experiencing flu-like symptoms.
Dr Martin Cetron, director for the division of Global Migration and Quarantine at the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, told Reuters in a telephone interview that health officials evaluated nearly 549 passengers at the airport, and sent a total of 11 people to a local hospital for more testing.
[American Thinker] The crazed, rabid left is back again, this time stabbing and seriously wounding the leading presidential candidate in Brazil, just weeks before the Oct. 7 first round of the election.
According to Reuters:
JUIZ DE FORA, Brazil (Reuters) ‐ The leading candidate in Brazil's presidential election is in serious but stable condition after being stabbed by an assailant at a campaign rally on Thursday, doctors said, pushing an already chaotic campaign into further disarray.
Far-right firebrand Congressman Jair Bolsonaro, a controversial figure who has enraged many Brazilians for years with divisive comments, but has a devout following among conservative voters, could take two months to fully recover and will spend at least a week in the hospital, said Dr. Luiz Henrique Borsato, who operated on the candidate.
"His internal wounds were grave and put the patient's life at risk," Borsato said, adding that a serious challenge now would be preventing an infection that could be caused by the perforation of Bolsonaro's intestines.
Yes, it was a leftist.
And yes, the candidate, Jair Bolsonaro, 63, pretty well parallels President Trump in his rise to power.
[AlMasdar] The US envoy for Syria stated on Thursday that the Syrian government forces preparing to use chemical weapons in the Idlib province.
"I am very sure that we have very, very good grounds to be making these warnings," said Jim Jeffrey, who was named on Aug. 17 as Secretary of State Mike Pompeo’s special adviser on Syria overseeing talks on a political transition in that country.
According to the Rooters news agency, the US has sufficient evidence to believe that a chemical weapons provocation will be carried out by the Syrian government forces.
"Any offensive is to us objectionable as a reckless escalation," Jeffrey told news hounds.
"There is lots of evidence that chemical weapons are being prepared," he added.
Jeffrey’s comments come just days after the Russian Foreign Ministry accused the government of the United Kingdom of preparing to frame the Syrian troops of using chemical weapons.
[AlMasdar] Russian special forces took part in drills in the Mediterranean Sea, as seen in footage released by the Russian Ministry of Defence on Thursday.
The exercise took place at an undisclosed location.
The Russian МоD reports that the troops practiced counter-measures against saboteurs and pirates, as well as the landing of marines, and rescuing hostages.
Units also participated in coastal facilities defence drills.
[AlMasdar] The Russian Ministry of Defense released footage from Russian Navy and Russian Aerospace Forces joined exercises in the Mediterranean Sea on Thursday.
The Marshal Ustinov cruiser and Admiral Makarov frigate are taking part along with other ships from the Northern, Baltic and Black Sea fleets, as well as the Caspian flotilla and Russian Aerospace Forces.
A total of 26 ships, two submarines and 34 aircraft are involved.
The exercises began on 1 September and will run until Saturday.
#3
Finally, proof of reincarnation. P.T. Barnum is among us.
Successful, witty, original, creative, and a scam artist from the word GO.
Posted by: ed in texas ||
09/08/2018 7:22
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#4
I think that comparison is very unfair to P. T. Barnum. Barnum said that people should come to his shows and his circus and be entertained, and they did and were.
#6
not the first guy to smoke pot, it is still a crux behavior: like licorice you either like it or you don't.
plus he's in Nevada, Reno no less : the city that has'nt recovered from 2008 but has recently had weed legalized.....they tend to go nuts for the first couple years just say'in
like the Isrealis dont smoke Lebonese give me a break
[BBC] A Russian who was murdered in Britain last March believed two men from Moscow had tried to poison him five years earlier, it has been reported.
Nikolai Glushkov was found apparently strangled in his home in south-west London a week after the Novichok poisoning of the Skripals in Salisbury.
The Guardian has now revealed he was allegedly poisoned in 2013 after he shared champagne with two Russians.
The paper says the police are reinvestigating the incident.
Mr Glushkov - a prominent Russian businessman and former deputy director of state airline Aeroflot - was jailed for five years in his home country in 1999 after being charged with money laundering and fraud.
After being given a suspended sentence for another count of fraud in 2006, he was granted political asylum in the UK in 2010 and became a critic of Russian President Vladimir Putin.
#3
Is this an official Official roving assassin team? Actually a serious question when you remember the chaos in pre-WW2 Nazi Germany: everybody had their own spies and foreign agents... Is the Putin's Boys or one of his Corrupt oligarch's cronies adlibbing with cyanide?
[Townhall] A group of 11 Catholic groups came together to purchase stock in Smith & Wesson. The group purchased 200 shares, the minimum number required to for shareholders to demand reports from the company. Now, they want the gun manufacturer to provide a report that details what the company is doing to promote "gun safety measures" and "produce safer gun and gun products."
According to an SEC filing, which is submitted to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), here's what the group wants to see from Smith & Wesson:
Shareholders request the Board of Directors issue a report by February 8, 2019, at reasonable expense and excluding proprietary information, on the company’s activities related to gun safety measures and the mitigation of harm associated with gun products, including the following (emphasis mine):
Shareholders request the Board of Directors issue a report by February 8, 2019, at reasonable expense and excluding proprietary information, on the company’s activities related to gun safety measures and the mitigation of harm associated with gun products, including the following:
• Evidence of monitoring of violent events associated with products produced by the company.
• Efforts underway to research and produce safer guns and gun products.
• Assessment of the corporate reputational and financial risks related to gun violence in the U.S.
The resolution asks American Outdoor Brands Company (AOBC) to report on activities underway to mitigate the risks that its products may be misused in criminal acts of gun violence. Contrary to what the company suggests, AOBC has both the responsibility and capacity to play a more active role in how its products are used; the requested assessment and reporting are the first steps towards acceptance of this responsibility. As a result of several high profile mass shootings in the past year, most recently the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, FL, gun violence is increasingly being seen as a public health crisis with extraordinary human and financial costs.
Importantly, events of gun violence have led to mounting public backlash against gun makers and retailers including calls for boycotts, divestment and demands for gun safety regulation at both the federal and state levels. This environment presents serious business risks which demand a meaningful response from AOBC. The UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights make clear the corporate responsibility to seek to prevent or mitigate adverse human rights impacts that are directly linked to their operations, products or services by their business relationships, even if they have not contributed to those impacts.
AOBC has a responsibility to mitigate potential impacts through improved monitoring of its distribution and retail sales channels and enhanced reporting on research and development efforts to improve the safety features of its consumer products. The resolution does not request that AOBC produce smart guns or other specific products; nor does it call for the company to endorse a gun control regulatory or policy agenda. The resolution does, however, ask for reporting because existing disclosures of current risk mitigation measures are seen as insufficient for investors to assess their effectiveness.
The argument in favor of the proxy ballot vote:
Given recent events of gun violence, weapons manufacturers are facing an extraordinary climate of heightened and sustained scrutiny which may negatively impact their businesses if they do not take more meaningful efforts to mitigate risks.
James Debney, the President and CEO of American Outdoor Brands Corporation, the parent company of Smith & Wesson, the entire saga is a political ploy.
“Unlike a bonafide investor, this proponent purchased just 200 shares, the bare minimum needed under SEC rules to place an item on the proxy with the sole objective to push an anti-firearms agenda, designed to harm our company, disrupt the local sale of our products and destroy stockholder value,” Debney said Thursday during a conference call with investors, Guns.com reported. “This proponent will gladly sacrifice its investments and yours to achieve its political objectives.” More at the link
#3
Smith & Wesson should respond with a free gun program to any adult never convicted of a crime but molested or raped by the catholic clergy. maybe the Catholics could provide a list of potential free gun recipients.
[ToloNews] Following reports on a potential threat to Faryab’s center, local officials said a proper security plan is under implementation to ensure Taliban ...the Pashtun equivalent of men... movements are restricted on the outskirts of Maimana City, the historic provincial capital.
Faryab governor Naqibullah Fayiq said establishing outposts on the outskirts of the city and increasing the number of army forces are part of the security plan.
"We admit that we have lost many areas over the past three years, but we will not let any other area to fall to Death Eaters. We will use all our resources to make this happen. We will not let anyone to enter Maimana City for war," Fayiq told TOLOnews on Thursday.
Some units of public uprising forces have also been deployed on the outskirts of the city to help government forces in their mission against the Taliban.
One member of the public uprising forces said they have been deployed by government.
"I have been assigned as head of the group in this outpost by government. We are here to serve the people," said Yar Mohammad Cherik, a public uprising force member.
Zabihullah, a commander of the public uprising forces, said they will not allow the Taliban to attack Maimana City.
"This area is the first line of the battle. We are tired of witnessing liquidations therefore we are here to stand against the enemies of the country. We will not allow them to attack the city," said Zabihullah, who pointed out to areas from which Taliban conduct sporadic attacks on their outposts outside Maimana City.
Among army soldiers deployed outside Maimana was Faizullah, a former Taliban fighter, who joined government forces four months back.
"We are here to stand besides our brothers to fight against anyone who is against this country and anyone who is the enemy of this country," said Faizullah.
Faryab has witnessed heavy festivities between government forces and Taliban over the past few months. Residents of the province said last week that they are concerned about their security. They said the province will fall to bully boyz if government stays reluctant to take any step against it.
Faryab has changed into an insecure province over the past three years. Talibs are now controlling most parts of the province, according to local officials.
"The majority of areas are under control of the Taliban," Faryab governor said last month but added that "only Bialchiragh (district) is fully under Taliban control ‐ but they do not have full control over any other district in Faryab."
[IsraelTimes] Iraqis set Iran consulate in southern city ablaze, decry Tehran’s interference
Demonstrators against corruption in restive Basra accuse Iranian-backed political parties of interfering with Iraqi politics
Angry protesters stormed the Iranian consulate in the southern city of Basra Friday, setting a fire inside as part of ongoing demonstrations that have turned deadly in the past few days, a security official and eyewitnesses said.
At least 10 protesters have died in festivities with security forces since Monday, including three who were rubbed out by security forces on Thursday night as protesters lobbed Molotov cocktails and set fire to a government building and offices of Shiite militias in the city.
Residents of Basra and other cities in Iraq’s oil-rich southern Shiite heartland have been protesting since July over endemic corruption, soaring joblessness and poor public services. Clashes erupted earlier this week, leaving several civilians and police dead. Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi has ordered an investigation into the violence which shows no sign of abating.
The violence prompted the temporary head of Iraq’s parliament, the eldest politician, to call an emergency meeting on Saturday to discuss the snowballing protests.
The protesters shouted anti-Iranian slogans outside the Iranian consulate Friday evening, including "Iran, out, out!" before they stormed it and set a fire inside. Smoke could be seen rising from the building. Protesters also burned an Iranian flag. Many residents of the predominantly Shiite city accuse Iranian-backed political parties of interfering with Iraqi politics and some hold them responsible for mismanagement and the poor services in the city.
In Baghdad, security forces launched a search operation to determine the source of three mortar shells that landed inside Baghdad’s heavily fortified Green Zone. There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the mortar shells that landed just after midnight Friday in an abandoned lot in the Green Zone, and no casualties were reported.
The rare attack comes amid a political crisis and against the backdrop of the Basra protests, adding to overall tensions in the country.
The newly-elected parliament earlier this week held its first session since the national elections in May. The session was adjourned amid disagreements as two blocs, both claiming to hold the most seats, vied for the right to form a new government.
The new parliament faces the twin tasks of rebuilding the north of the country following the war against 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.... group and rehabilitating services in the south, where severe water and electricity shortages have fueled protests.
A coalition led by al-Abadi and populist holy manMoqtada Tater al-Sadr ... the Iranian catspaw holy man who was 22 years old in 2003 and was nearing 40 in 2010. He spends most of his time in Iran, safely out of the line of fire, where he's learning to be an ayatollah... has the support of the US and 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... , while an alliance between former Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki and militia leader Hadi al-Amiri has the backing of Iran.
Both alliances are dominated by Shiites, who have held the preponderance of power in Iraq since Saddam Hussein’s ouster in 2003. But the largest Sunni blocs are aligned with al-Abadi and al-Sadr. Iraq’s two main Kurdish parties have not taken a side.
A representative of the Shiite community’s spiritual leader, the Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, condemned during the Friday prayers sermon the violence against peaceful protesters and called for the quick formation of a new government that can deal with the challenges facing the country.
[AnNahar] A curfew was imposed in the southern Iraqi city of Basra after a fresh outbreak of violent protests over poor public services left one person dead and 35 injured.
Thousands of demonstrators converged in central Basra Thursday after local officials decided to scrap an earlier curfew imposed by central authorities in Baghdad, with the atmosphere appearing calmer than in previous days.
"One person was killed and 35 were maimed; 24 civilians and 11 coppers," said health ministry front man Seif al-Badr, without giving any more details.
The statement came as authorities announced a new curfew in the city, where the local government headquarters and the offices of political organizations were in flames.
Fire was seen spreading around the massive government complex that has been the focus of anger, with witnesses saying it tore through offices housing state TV channel Iraqiya.
AFP journalists also reported that the nearby governor's residence was alight, while witnesses and sources said fires were raging at the local offices of several political organizations.
It was unclear if the blaze started as the result of a fresh attack with incendiary devices or was due to earlier fires that emergency services had failed to extinguish.
[IsraelTimes] Gazooks hang, burn, beat and trample Trump effigies at first protest since US cut UNRWA aid; teen said killed, dozens maimed; rioters hurl rocks, Molotov cocktails, grenade at troops
Around 7,000 Paleostinians rallied near the Gazoo border Friday afternoon in weekly protests at the Israeli frontier.
The Israeli military said demonstrators hurled rocks and Molotov cocktails at soldiers, who responded with tear gas and other less lethal means. Troops fired at Paleostinians who attempted to breach the border fence and enter Israel.
The army said it struck two Hamas, one of the armed feet of the Moslem Brüderbung millipede, posts in the Strip. One was attacked in response to a grenade thrown towards troops along the border, while another was hit after protesters damaged military infrastructure.
The Hamas-run Gazoo health ministry said a 17-year-old teen was killed in the demonstrations and 94 people were maimed, of which 30 had been injured by gunfire.
Balloons with incendiary devices attached were again flown across the border, after being largely absent in recent weeks. Two fires broke out in Israel as a result of the arson attacks.
Some protesters staged a mock execution of Israeli and US leaders, hanging effigies of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman and 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... Earlier Israeli aircraft shot up a group of Paleostinians who were trying to send incendiary balloons over the border in the northern Gazoo Strip, the military said. Two people were lightly injured, according to reports in Gazoo.
Two protesters attempted to damage the fence and were shot by an IDF sniper, Paleostinian social media reports a Paleostinian medic was shot as well.
Around 1,000 protesters were protesting in five locations near the border between the Gazoo Strip and Israel.
The protesters were able to set fire to a tire, attach it to a kite, and get it to land on an antennae in Kerem Shalom, the spokesperson for the Southern Fire Fighting service stated on Friday.
Unconfirmed reports on Paleostinian social media suggest protesters were able to breach the security fence east of the city of Jabaliya.
[AlAhram] Air strikes hit parts of Syria's rebel-held Idlib province on Friday, a war monitor said, the same day as the presidents of Iran, Russia and The Sick Man of Europe Turkey ...just another cheapjack Moslem dictatorship, brought to you by the Moslem Brüderbund.... will meet in Tehran to discuss what to do about the enclave.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the strikes were targeting positions belonging to rebel groups in the northern Hama and southern Idlib provinces.
Around 3 million people live in the last major stronghold of active opposition to Hereditary President-for-Life Bashir Pencilneck al-Assad Supressor of the Damascenes... 's rule, which comprises most of Idlib province and adjacent small parts of Latakia, Hama and Aleppo provinces.
Damascus, backed by allies Russia and Iran, has been preparing an assault to recover those rebel-held parts of the northwest, and resumed air strikes alongside Russia on Tuesday after weeks of lull.
The Britannia-based Observatory said strikes on Friday had destroyed a building used by the Islamist Ahrar al-Sham ...a Syria jihadi group made up of Islamists and salafists, not that there's that much difference, formed into a brigade. They make up the main element of the Islamic Front but they don't profess adoration of al-Qaeda and they've been fighting (mainly for survival) against the Islamic State. Their leadership was wiped out at a single blow by a suicide kaboom at a crowded basement meeting in September, 2014... group near the town of al-Habeet resulting in a number of casualties.
Ahrar al-Sham is part of the Turkey-backed National Liberation Front alliance which formed earlier this year.
Russian officials have stated clearly they want turbans to be pushed out of Idlib. The United Nations ...a lucrative dumping ground for the relatives of dictators and party hacks... has warned that a military offensive in Idlib could cause a humanitarian catastrophe.
On Friday morning, Russian air raids targeted rebel positions in the southwest of the province, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.
Among them were positions of the jihadist Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) alliance, as well as of the hardline Ahrar al-Sham group, the Britannia-based monitor said.
They destroyed one Ahrar al-Sham post, killing one of its fighters and wounding 14 others in the area of Hobait, it said.
A shepherd was also killed and four other people maimed in the bombardment, the Observatory said, although it was not immediately clear if they were fighters or civilians.
"The aim was to destroy rebel fortifications," Observatory head Rami Abdel Rahman.
Russian warplanes then carried out a second wave of strikes on the same target, preventing rescue workers from extracting victims from the rubble, he said.
HTS controls more than half of Idlib province, while other rebels, including Ahrar al-Sham, hold most of the rest.
The Damascus regime is present in a southeastern chunk of the province.
[AlMasdar] A recently captured 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.... commander confessed to the Syrian Army this week that he was trained by the US forces in southern Syria.
According to this Islamic State commander’s confession, he was previously leading his forces in the southern districts of Damascus before their defeat earlier this year.
Following their defeat to the Syrian Army, the Islamic State commander and his forces were transported to the Badiya al-Sham region of southern Syria, where they remained until his capture earlier this month.
The Islamic State commander said that he was trained by the US forces at the Rukban Refugee Camp in southern Syria and that he joined the terrorist group for monetary purposes.
The Islamic State commander also revealed that the main leader of the terrorist forces in southern Syria is a man named Abu Ayoub al-Iraqi.
He would end his confession by telling the army that at least 500 of his comrades managed to escape southern Damascus and make their way to the Ottoman Turkish border.
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#1
Another McStain legacy....
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[AlMasdar] The general command of the Ottoman Turkish backed Free Syrian Army ... the more palatable version of the Syrian insurgency, heavily influenced by the Moslem Brüderbund... announced this week that there will be a curfew inside Afrin region of the Aleppo province.
According to the statement released by the Free Syrian Army’s general command, all residents of the Afrin region must be inside their homes by 8 PM local time.
Any resident that does not adhere to this curfew will be tossed in the calaboose ... anything you say can and will be used against you, whether you say it or not... by the Free Syrian Army police.
This move by the Ottoman Turkish back rebels comes in response to the latest attacks by the Kurdish led People’s Protection Units in northwestern Aleppo.
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[AnNahar] Moroccan authorities have so far this year foiled 54,000 bids by illegal migrants colonists to cross to Europe, the official MAP news agency reported Friday.
It said that authorities had dismantled 74 "criminal networks" linked to people smuggling and seized 1,900 boats over the same period.
The North African country -- a key route for sub-Saharan Africans trying to reach Europe ...also known as Moslem Lebensraum... via Spain -- has launched an operation targeting people smugglers.
In July, hundreds of migrants colonists forced their way into the Spanish enclave of Ceuta by violently storming a heavily fortified border fence with Morocco.
Ceuta and Melilla, Spain's other tiny territory in North Africa, make up the European Union ...the successor to the Holy Roman Empire, only without the Hapsburgs and the nifty uniforms and the dancing... 's only land borders with Africa.
Spain has become the main entry point for migrants colonists arriving in Europe, after Italia and Greece.
More than 35,000 migrants colonists have arrived in Spain by sea and land so far this year, according to the International Organization for Migration.
MAP did not give the nationalities of the migrants colonists prevented from crossing to Europe or specify what action was taken.
According to the interior ministry, 230 suspected people smugglers -- Moroccans and sub-Saharan Africans -- have been put on trial since the start of 2018.
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[Rudaw] Around a base near the Syria-Iran-Jordan border, the US-led international coalition conducted a show of force on Friday amid repeated reported violations of a Russian-US de-confliction zone in southeast Syria.
"The exercise involved an aerial assault by a company-sized dismounted element..." read a statement released by US Central Command (CENTCOM) on Friday.
The coalition maintains a garrison in Syria's At Tanf near the tri-country border, where it trains local tribal members of Maghawir al-Thawra (MaT) for the fight against ISIS.
"Our forces will demonstrate the capability to deploy rapidly, assault a target with integrated air and ground forces, and conduct a rapid exfiltration anywhere in the OIR combined joint operations area," stated US Navy Capt. Bill Urban, the front man for CENTCOM.
The United States and Russia ‐ the Assad regime's primary backer ‐ agreed to a roughly 55 kilometer de-confliction zone around the coalition's At Tanf garrison in 2017. Both have said they have a hotline to avoid direct conflict. The area is called al-Waleed in Iraq. Coalition war planes struck advancing pro-Syrian forces in May 2017 and destroyed a drone this summer.
Most recently, the coalition told Rudaw English regarding reported strikes on Iranian forces in the area on September 3, "sometimes there are delays on strikes being reported." The coalition now releases strike reports on a weekly basis and is yet to release this week's. Often strikes remain "open" and can take weeks to close.
"The Coalition continues to train MaT forces in At Tanf in order to achieve our shared goal of defeating ISIS, and the MaT continues to interrupt movement of ISIS personnel and equipment through Al Tanf, proving that they are capable of securing the area," added the coalition.
Moscow has warned the United States twice this week that Russia and Syrian regime forces are prepared to attack in an area where US troops are located, CNN reported on Friday, citing several unnamed US defense officials.
"Exercises like this bolster our defeat-ISIS capabilities and ensure we are ready to respond to any threat to our forces," added the CENTCOM statement.
[Breitbart Texas] Former President Barack Obama appeared upset on Friday that President Donald Trump was getting credit for the booming economy.
The former president made his remarks at the University of Illinois after the United States economy posted more positive news; over 200,000 jobs created and a 3.9 percent unemployment rate in August.
Obama reminded students that they were probably too young to remember how the economy was on the brink of depression when he took office.
"When you hear how great the economy is doing right now, let’s just remember when this recovery started," he said.
"When you hear about this economic miracle that’s been going on... when the job numbers come out ... suddenly Republicans are saying, ’It’s a miracle,'" he said. "I have to kind of remind them, actually those job numbers are the same as they were in 2015 and 2016."
#1
Your shadow government a few blocks from Trumps hugely successful White House is turning out to be a useless little appendage so the empty suit man child can only resort to throwing a tantrum.
#2
Son say's the U of I speech was lottery only for members of the Student Democrats. Only %10 who wanted tickets actually won and were vetted for them. He said out of his MBA program year only one person got in. People with winning tickets had to show up 3 hours early to be vetted.
#4
Problem is that he actually believes the cooked reports he and his lackeys published, you recall the ones that were a week or so later always 'revised downward'.
#10
Baraq is full of shit. He always was. So he goes to some university and he starts spreading it to a bunch of college kids who don't know any better and the MSM never call him on any of it.
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[Imagine thick Country Accent] "He shore talks pretty. He's all hat and no cattle."
[Babylon Bee] WORLD‐In a modern-day repeat of the Tower of Babel narrative, the Lord has reportedly confused the languages of everyone who uses the internet in order to stop all the arguing.
The miraculous intervention occurred in an instant, as people around the world suddenly realized their means of communication had been scrambled so as to confound their efforts to flame each other.
A heavenly representative then released the following modern-day revelation, to be added to the end of the Bible, in order to record the event:
And the whole earth was of one internet, and of one online community.
And they said one to another, "Let us build websites and call them Facebook and Twitter, and we shall argue on them and call each other nazis and make each other miserable and angry."
And the Lord came down to the see the websites which the children of men had built.
And the Lord said, "Behold, the people is one, and they have all one internet and this they begin to do: just yell and scream at each other and make straw-man arguments in their own image. They are completely useless, and they make me sad. Let us go down and there confound their language, that they may not understand one another’s speech, and thus stop all the stupid arguing and maybe do something useful with their time instead."
So the Lord confounded their languages and broke Google Translate and the people were unable to use Twitter or Facebook get in pointless arguments with each other. Some then went on to do useful things, though most just watched something off Netflix.
At publishing time, humanity had agreed to begin to work together to figure out their new languages so they could resume arguing again as soon as possible.
[BBC] US rapper Mac Miller has been found dead at his California home, US media report.
Reports say the 26-year-old, who was open about his substance abuse, died from an apparent overdose. He really was getting on in years.
The rapper, whose real name was Malcolm James McCormick, rose to fame after topping US charts with his debut album in 2011.
He released his latest record, Swimming, earlier this year and was due to go on tour. Miller went through a well-publicised break-up with singer and girlfriend Ariana Grande earlier this year.
The pair collaborated on a number of songs and performed together at the One Love Manchester concert in 2017. Charges were filed against the rapper last month after he was arrested in May for driving under the influence and hit and run.
Grande spoke out publicly about ending their "toxic relationship" after fans blamed her for his arrest.
[IsraelTimes] Senior officer predicts war in the north unlikely in near future, but sees serious threat in terror group’s border infiltration units
The Israeli military this week publicly unveiled its 11-kilometer-long, nine-meter-tall concrete border wall along the Lebanese border ‐ a barrier that is hotly contested by Leb, but that Israel maintains is lawful and fully in accordance with the international armistice line.
In a briefing to news hounds near the border, a senior army officer also issued a stern warning to the Leb-based Hezbollah terrorist army, saying that "any of its forces who infiltrate into Israeli territory will not come back alive."
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The attacker was a member of the socialist PSOL party for 7 years, praised Maduro and Lula and called right wingers Nazis in his FB page. Media trying to suppress these facts.
The last time a presidential candidate suffered an attempted murder was in 1954, when Carlos Lacerda, also a right-winger, was shot.
[Ynet] Iran's Revolutionary Guards said on Friday they had killed six members of a Kurdish bad boy group involved in a July attack on an Iranian border post, the official news agency IRNA reported.
The six were part of a group of fighters from the Kurdish opposition group PJAK who had attacked the facility on the border with Iraq on July 20, killing 10 Guards, the elite Revolutionary Guards said in a statement carried by IRNA.
[Babylon Bee] URBANA, IL‐In a moving speech delivered Friday, President Barack Obama called for the nation to turn from fear, anger, and resentment, despite having stoked these emotions at every opportunity during his time in office.
The man who had carefully stoked divisions and pushed identity politics for a full eight years called the nation to turn away from divisive "politics of resentment" and instead be loving and inclusive.
"Common ground exists, I have seen it, I have lived it," he said, though his presidency was spent turning people on each other and encouraging a culture of victimhood and resentment. "I know I spent a lot of time encouraging you to feel oppressed by each other so look to the federal government to fix it and turn a blind eye while I massively increased the power of the executive branch. But this time I’m serious. Let’s not hate each other, at least not until a Democrat is in office again."
He also blasted President Trump for his policies and brash style of governance, hoping the assault on Trump’s rude behavior would help Democrats forget that Obama bombed foreign countries constantly throughout his presidency. "Trump is really mean, let’s all focus on that," he said.
#8
Referred to himself 102 times in the first stump speech. Watching the asshat bask in the adoration made me remember how nauseous that self absorbed dipshit made me. . That entire reptilian cabal with ValJar and the Wookie needs to be looked at carefully because much of the deep stare resistance flows from there.
"So, you're saying there's a chance?"
[Pluralist] Are you a man? Are you confused by rapidly changing social norms on matters of sexuality and gender? Are you scared you might find yourself on the wrong side of the #MeToo revolution?
Fear not.
For $895 you could have secured yourself a place in this summer's "Women Teach Men" wellness retreat in the scenically mountainous town of Ojai, California.
"If manhood was a texture," quizzes an Instagram post by the official event account. "What would it be? How does it feel? Can it change?"
Are 900 bucks (not including travel) more than you can afford to spend on a single weekend at at the 5-star Ojai Valley Inn, but you are still perturbed by the toxicity of your own masculinity?
Fear not.
Elle Magazine's Rose Surnow went there so that you don't have to.
Surnow, who -- being a caustic feminist herself -- apparently needed her "faith in the male species" to be "renewed," attended the resort for a weekend in July so she could observe how forty well-earning men come to grips with the toxicity of their own sexuality.
The event was founded by entrepreneur Michael Hebb, a man who had an epiphany.
"Everything came into focus when I began to think about how much I have learned from my daughters and my former partner," he wrote on the event's website. "These remarkable women held up a mirror and asked me to look at myself."
The retreat promises to allow men to explore "the depths of spirituality, meditation, boxing, dancing, yoga, wilderness survival, cooking, business, creativity, and a million other things from the women we admire most."
And sip some good wine, too, of course.
"Over 72 hours, I attended ten talks, drank eight glasses of rosé, interviewed seven men, and cried four times," She wrote about the camp (to which she also referred to as a "husband hideout," thanks to the wide array of vulnerable men on display). "It was a true whirlwind that left me thinking that women aren’t the only ones that need support and allyship."
[AlMasdar] The Syrian Arab Army unleashed a powerful assault inside the northern countryside of the Hama province tonight, a military source told Al-Masdar News.
According to the military source, Syrian Arab Army fired a plethora of missiles and artillery shells towards the jihadist rebels in the northern countryside of the Hama province.
Among the many targets for the Syrian Army were the towns of Kafr Zita, Zakat, Alayweh, and Al-Lataminah.
This attack by the Syrian military comes just shortly after the jihadist rebels fired several muscles towards the Syrian government stronghold of Mhardeh.
[AlMasdar] On Friday, the jihadist rebels in northern Hama launched a deadly attack on a densely populated town controlled by Syrian government.
According to a military source in northern Hama, the jihadist rebels fired several missiles towards the large Christian town of Mhardeh, which is located near the Idlib axis.
As a result of this attack, at least nine civilians were killed and another 20 more were seriously wounded.
Due to its proximity to the jihadist held towns in northern Hama, Mhardeh has been a prime target for groups like Hay’at Tahrir Al-Sham and thr Free Syrian Army (FSA).
The jihadist rebels launch this attack this evening in response to the large scale buildup of Syrian army troops in northwest Syria.
[LATimes] Gavin Newsom wasn’t born rich, but he was born connected ‐ and those alliances have paid handsome dividends throughout his career.
A coterie of San Francisco’s wealthiest families has backed him at every step of his political rise, which in November could lead next to his election as governor of California.
San Francisco society’s "first families" ‐ whose names grace museum galleries, charity ball invitations and hospital wards ‐ settled on Newsom, 50, as their favored candidate two decades ago, said Willie Brown, former state Assembly speaker and former mayor of the city.
"He came from their world, and that’s why they embraced him without hesitancy and over and above everybody else," said Brown, who is a mentor to Newsom. "They didn’t need to interview him. They knew what he stood for."
A Times review of campaign finance records identified eight of San Francisco’s best-known families as being among Newsom’s most loyal and long-term contributors. Among those patrons are the Gettys, the Pritzkers and the Fishers, whose families made their respective fortunes in oil, hotels and fashion. They first backed him when he was a restaurateur and winery owner running for county supervisor in 1998, and have continued their support through the governor’s race.
They are not Newsom’s largest donors: The families in total have given about $2 million of the $61 million that donors have contributed to his campaigns and independent committees backing those bids. But they gave while he was a relative unknown, providing crucial support to a political newcomer in the years before his campaign accounts piled high with cash from labor unions, Hollywood honchos, tech billionaires and donors up and down the state.
Now the families appear poised to see their investments pay off.
These donors are mostly liberal, inspired by Newsom’s history as an early supporter of progressive causes, including same-sex marriage as San Francisco mayor in 2004. But some are Republicans, including President Trump’s new ambassador to Austria, who are drawn by Newsom’s background as a small businessman.
The front-runner’s opponents have attacked him for his connections. During the primary, two of his Democratic rivals, Antonio Villaraigosa and John Chiang, painted Newsom as the beneficiary of wealth and privilege. John Cox, his GOP opponent in the November election, reiterated the theme in a new website titled "Fortunate $on." And an independent expenditure committee supporting the Republican spent a quarter-million dollars late last month on an ad calling Newsom "a child of privilege, his path greased by family and political connections and billionaire patrons." Hat tip to Drudge for an interesting article from the LA Times, of all sources, on the California gubernatorial race. Newsom is slime but it seems he has some very rich and powerful backers. Much more at the link including great pictures of the guy hobnobbing with San Fran's upper crust. If you like San Francisco, you're gonna love Newsom.
Posted by: Abu Uluque ||
09/08/2018
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#1
The same Pritzkers as this fat guy running for gov. in IL?
#2
Looks like it, 3dc. Click on the link to the article, scroll down and there is a graphic that shows how much each family member donated to Newsom's campaigns. JB Pritzker donated $1,250, not as much as some of the others but it also looks like he spends a lot on food. Maybe also kind of a carpet bagger in Illinois if his family is from San Francisco.
Posted by: Abu Uluque ||
09/08/2018 9:48
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[AlMasdar] Over 1,000 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.... Lions of Islam are still active in the vast desert region of southern Syria, a captured commander from the turban group admitted this week.
According to this Islamic State commander, at the start of the battle for the al-Safa region, over 1,500 Lions of Islam were active in this volcanic area of southern Syria.
However, Switzerland makes more than cheese... over the last month and a half, the Islamic State has suffered hundreds of casualties at the hands of the Syrian Arab army and their allies in the al-Sweida province.
With over 1,000 Islamic State Lions of Islam still active in this large pocket, the Syrian Arab Army has repeatedly attempted to crack their frontlines in order to force them to surrender their last positions.
The Islamic State has offered to surrender their last positions in exchange for transportation to the eastern desert Syria; however, the Syrian Army rejected this proposition from the terrorist group and resumed their field operations in order to retake all of the territory currently occupied by the Islamic State.
[Almasdar] Scores of Islamic state terrorists were killed on Thursday after Syrian Arab Army launched a massive assault across the volcanic region of southern Syria.
Backed by heavy airstrikes and artillery, the Syrian Army began the day by storming the Islamic states positions across the Al-Safa region; this would result in a series of intense clashes with the terrorist group.
According to a military report, Syrian Army managed to liberate more than 2 km of Islamic state occupied territories.
Furthermore, the Syrian Army was able to inflict heavy damage on the terrorist groups positions along this vast volcanic region in southern Syria.
The military report read that at least 40 terrorist combatants were killed during this large-scale assault on Thursday.
Since making this large-scale advance, Syrian Army has shifted their focus to the northeastern axis of the Al-Safa region.
Posted by: trailing wife ||
09/08/2018
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It's been awhile since we've had a bleg. I always hate to ask. I feel like I'm promising to gladly pay you Tuesday for a donation today. (Wait. Today's Tuesday. Make that Saturday.)
Still, the Burg costs money to run. Software's mostly free, but the hosting company charges us, and we have hardware costs. We've got the server in Baltimore and a backup server that currently lives in my bedroom and is about to change backup methods. And then there's the cost of beer and gin and Thunderbird...
I try to keep the blegging to a minimum, but every once in a while I have to. So if you've got it, please help keep us going. We've been around longer than most, coming up on 17 full years. With your help we'll be around for a few more years.
Posted by: Fred ||
09/08/2018
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#1
Here's a little for Tip Jar in honor of all the fine reading over the years
#11
I wish it could be more, right now I'm donating to Republican candidates, after the election I'll donate more. Thanks for all you do it's really appreciated. I love Rantburg
Posted by: Jan ||
09/04/2018 22:07
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#12
where can I send you cash
746 dear, in the righthand margin there is a yellow box in which the second item says E-Mail Me. Click on that, and you’ll get a form to email directly to Fred. Ask him on that, and he’ll tell you.
#19
Umm, so your email address didn't work. So I put it on a credit card. Now you guys know my true identity. Damn.
Enjoy the site, let me know when I can say (write) God with out pissing off special people!
#20
I have no issue with writing/saying God, and if he's who/what I think he is, he doesn't either - bigger issues and all that, along with a sense of humor - he created us, after all? He's not Valdemort.
Further, none of the mods (AFAIK) know any of your payment/personal info. I know I don't, and don't want to.
Posted by: Frank G ||
09/05/2018 21:20
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#21
Now you guys know my true identity. Damn.
Only Fred will, dear jvalentour. The moderators, as Frank G. noted, don’t have anything to do with that side of things, thank goodness. So even if tortured, we cannot tell. ;-)
#22
And good on you sir. Courage in the face of uncertainty. I like your point of view sir or madam. Say God like you mean it. :)
Posted by: Whiskey Mike ||
09/05/2018 23:02
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#23
They're impossibly narrow, and broad;
There's lots to applaud, but they're flawed.
Not much is beneath 'em,
And as to belief...
Um... I'm awed at how odd they are!
My apologies for the delay in responding, Sock Puppet of Doom. There is a PayPal portal in the right margin, below the yellow box and advertising for Fred’s and badanov’s books. The portal also takes credit cards. Or, as seen at the top of that yellow box, one can email Fred directly to ask him where to send a check, cash, money order, flowers and chocolates, VSOP cognac, or even a new server, should one be so moved.
[ShootingIllustrated] There’s a notion that in order to take advantage of high-velocity revolver loads, such as .38 Special +P or .357 Magnum, you must have a long barrel. The thought behind this is that the additional powder required to reach higher velocities requires more barrel length for the powder to completely burn. All things being equal, you would need more barrel length to burn more powder. However, some powders burn faster than others. This allows ammunition manufacturers and handloaders to level the barrel-length playing field.
If a longer barrel were needed to realize the advantages of +P or .357 Magnum loads over the .38 Special, defensive handgunners desiring to carry short-barreled revolvers would be better off avoiding .38 Special +P and .357 Magnum loads all together. After all, the recoil of the .357 Magnum can be three times that of the .38 Special. This makes the .357 Magnum harder to shoot with precision and slower when trying to deliver follow-up shots.
The thing is, there is no truth to this old wives’ tale. The .38 Special operates at a maximum average pressure (MAP) of 17,000 PSI, the .38 Special +P at 18,500 PSI, and the .357 Magnum at 35,000 PSI. Based on these SAAMI (Sporting Arms and Ammunition Manufacturers Institute) standards and limitations, you would expect .38 Special +P ammunition to run about 9 percent faster and be similarly more effective. The .357 Magnum should be twice as fast and as effective as the .38 Special.
Of course, that’s not the case. Velocity increases at an estimated rate of about a quarter of the pressure increase. This means that, on average, .38 Special +P ammo should run about 2 percent faster than standard .38 Special loads, and .357 Magnum ammo should be about 25 percent faster. This is an easy hypothesis to prove; all that’s necessary is to fire a collection of .38 Special, .38 Special +P and .357 Magnum loads over a chronograph through a short-barreled revolver.
I randomly selected nine loads—three in each chambering—and fired them over a chronograph out of a Smith & Wesson revolver with a 2.5-inch barrel. The .38 Special ammunition produced an average velocity of 836 fps. The .38 Special +P loads averaged 960 fps, and the .357 Magnum loads averaged 1,276 fps. The .38 Special +P loads showed a 15 percent increase in velocity over the 38 Special loads, and the .357 Magnum loads showed a 52 percent increase. However, the slow-poke 158-grain .38 Special load kind of skewed the results. Omit it and the velocity advantages would be about 4 percent and 38 percent, which is much closer to the prophesied 2 percent and 25 percent guess.
So, with regards to the suggestion that you’ll not see much velocity gain with .38 Special +P or .357 Magnum loads over standard .38 Special loads—when fired from a short barrel revolver—is nothing but a myth we can call busted. More at the link
#4
There's also an important question in powder burn rate, which can vary widely. And then there's the cylinder gap. (yada yada yada)
Just as an observation, most 357's are flamethrowers, including mine.
Posted by: ed in texas ||
09/08/2018 7:34
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#5
I've always heard nothing but good about the .357 Magnum.
#6
#5 - yes, but in a snubbie? I would have never thought of buying one because of kick
Posted by: Frank G ||
09/08/2018 9:08
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Your favorite .357 will of course handle .38 and .38 Special as well as .357 ammo. Shoot .38 or .38 Special in practice. Carry a loaded pistol with .357 for protection. Always use two handed grip shooting technique.
Firearms familiarization and practice, putting lead on paper targets at 5-10 meters does not require the more expensive and punishing (in a light pistol), .357 ammo. Just my opinion.
[AlAhram] The presidents of The Sick Man of Europe Turkey ...the decaying remnant of the Ottoman Empire.... , Iran and Russia on Friday failed to agree on a ceasefire that would forestall a Syrian goverment offensive in rebel-held Idlib province which the United Nations ...boodling on the grand scale... fears could cause a humanitarian catastrophe involving tens of thousands of civilians.
Continued on Page 49
[WesternJournal] From bumbling idiot to stable genius, opinions vary wildly regarding President Donald Trump. But now a psychologist who knows him has weighed in with her opinion ‐ and it is likely to send the left into a total meltdown.
Show host Dr. Gina Loudon, PhD has written a new book titled, "Mad Politics," in which she posits, "what if Trump isn’t the crazy man that the media pretends he is? What if he’s actually the cure for a country who’s been going mad for years?"
During an appearance on "Hannity," she elaborated further: Continues.
#2
Regardless of his mental state he clearly is not like the ineffective lot in DC running the swamp GIVERNMENT and ruining America over the last 70+ years.
[ToloNews] James Mattis, the US Defense Secretary, arrived in Kabul for an unannounced visit on Friday, US media reported.
Mattis and Marine Gen. Joseph Dunford, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, were meeting with Army Gen. Scott Miller, the new commander of NATO ...the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. It's headquartered in Belgium. That sez it all.... troops in Afghanistan, NBC News reported.
They were to discuss progress on peace talks with the Taliban ...Arabic for students... , despite a deteriorating security situation in the country.
Mattis is scheduled to conduct a town hall meeting with troops, attend a weekly memorial service and meet with senior Afghan leaders, officials said as quoted by NBC News.
Miller assumed command of NATO’s Resolute Support forces in Afghanistan on Sunday.
Speaking with news hounds this week, Mattis said he was hopeful about peace talks with the Taliban.
"Right now, we have more indications that reconciliation is no longer just a shimmer out there, no longer just a mirage," Mattis said.
"It now has some framework. There's some open lines of communication," he added.
This comes after last month a top US State Department official met with Taliban officials 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... to lay the groundwork for broader peace talks.
The US government has pointed toward the Taliban's accepting a temporary truce in June as a sign of why the talks should be viewed with hope.
"The most important work that has to be done is beginning the political process and reconciliation," Dunford told news hounds traveling with him, as quoted in NBC News report.
"What we are trying to do in the military dimension is convince the Taliban that they cannot win on the battlefield and that they must engage in a grinding of the peace processor," Dunford said.
US Defense Secretary James Mattis who arrived in an unannounced visit to Kabul on Friday held 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. .. and Chief Executive Abdullah Abdullah ... the former foreign minister of the Northern Alliance government, advisor to Masood, and candidate for president against Karzai. Dr. Abdullah was born in Kabul and is half Tadjik and half Pashtun... at the Presidential Palace, the president’s office said in a statement.
The Afghan and US officials discussed grinding of the peace processor, impact of US South Asia strategy, reforms in Afghan National Defense and Security Forces, upcoming parliamentary and presidential elections, counter-terrorism and dialogue with Pakistain.
In this visit, Mattis commended the National Unity Government’s efforts in different sectors particularly counter-terrorism, reforms and fighting against corruption, the statement said. He also commended Afghan forces’ "bravery" in defending the country.
Mattis said the US government and people will stay with Afghan people and government until there is lasting peace and stability in the country. He said US will continue its cooperation in different sectors including security, economy and strengthening of bilateral relations with Afghanistan.
President Ghani meanwhile appreciated US’s cooperation in different sectors to Afghanistan and said the Afghan government and the people want lasting peace and that they thank the US for its cooperation in this respect.
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.