Photos of brutally murdered 2/05/2014 peaceful protesters in Odessa were brought today to the Ukrainian embassy in Moscow. #OdessaMassacrepic.twitter.com/CaNtVHbmRD
The countries in it, either in major or minor roles: USA, UK, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Lebanon, Libya, Mali, Jordan, UAE, Qatar,Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain, Iraq, Israel, Syria, Turkey, Kurdistan, Yemen, Nigeria,France with (Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger and Chad ) Germany, Italy, Czech Republic,Albania, Estonia, Hungary, Belgium, Denmark, Sweden, Switzerland, Austria, Japan,Republic of Korea, Ireland, Spain, Slovakia, Norway, The Netherlands, Luxembourg,Bulgaria, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Novorussia, Ukraine, Russia, Chechnya, Somalia, Iran, India, South Korea, North Korea, Central African Republic, Kenya, Tunisia, ThePhilippines, Egypt, Albania, Serbia, China, Sudan, South Sudan, Bukina Faso, Palestine,Georgia, Chad, Spain, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Indonesia, Nepal, Congo, Uganda, Romania,Mexico, Gambia, Haiti, Cameroon, Chad, Algeria, Venezuela, Thailand, Argentina, Vietnam,Myanmar, Georgia, Burundi, Senegal, Macedonia, Armenia, Dominican Republic, Guatemala
From FirstLook Yemen’s Hidden War: How the Saudi-Led Coalition Is Killing Civilians IN THE ISLAMIC CONCEPT of qadar, your divine destiny is inescapable. If you try to cheat death it will find you. For two women on a dusty road in mid-June on the southwest corner of the Arabian Peninsula, their repeated attempts to dodge fate ended in tragic failure. Leaving the war zone of Yemen’s southern port city of Aden on June 10, the women headed north in a Toyota Cressida driven by a male relative. The pair were escaping the violence that had already turned entire streets in Aden to rubble, left hundreds dead and thousands of civilians under siege, struggling to find food, water and medical care. Driving ahead of them was a family of four in a Hilux pick-up truck, slowing at the numerous checkpoints along the road and weaving around potholes in the asphalt. Between 4:30 and 5 p.m., seemingly from nowhere, the first missile struck. The Hilux flipped into a cartwheeling fireball, killing the two children and their parents inside. Before the women in the Toyota had a chance to compose themselves an ominous whistle........
A third explosion in China! Again at the chemical factory in Dongying City.
And, all after devaluation and dumping.
https://t.co/Cjgkz1KFKr
From Bangkokpost 19 killed, 123 hurt as bomb blast rocks Bangkok tourist attraction A bomb explosion inside one of Bangkok’s most popular tourist attractions killed at least 19 people and injured 123 others – mostly foreign tourists – on Monday. Of the 19 dead victims, 12 died at the scene. The figures were based on information released by the Royal Thai Police Office as of 11.20pm on Monday.....
From NPR Thai Prime Minister Says 'Main Suspect' In Bangkok Bombing Arrested Police in Thailand have arrested a second foreign man — who Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha said is the main suspect — in connection with the deadly Bangkok bombing on Aug. 17, Michael Sullivan reports for NPR. Prayuth told reporters the man arrested Tuesday was taken into custody in eastern Thailand, near the border with Cambodia, and that the suspect may have been attempting to flee the country, Sullivan reports. "Prayuth said the man is not Thai and is believed to be the main suspect in the bombing" Sullivan says. But officials don't know whether he is the yellow-shirted man seen on surveillance video leaving a backpack at Bangkok's Erawan Shrine on the day of the bombing.
From VICE VICE News Condemns Turkish Government Over Detention of Its Journalists on Terrorism Charges A Turkish court leveled formal charges of terrorism at two VICE News journalists and their colleague on Monday, as global rights groups have called for the reporters to be released. The two British journalists, Jake Hanrahan and Philip Pendlebury, have been detained since late Thursday evening local time in Turkey. The two were taken into custody in the southeastern Turkish city of Diyarbakir along with their fixer — a local journalist who serves as a translator and guide — and a driver. The driver has now been released. Kevin Sutcliffe, VICE's Head of News Programming in Europe, condemned the detention of the journalists in a statement Monday. "Today the Turkish government has leveled baseless and alarmingly false charges of 'working on behalf of a terrorist organization' against three VICE News reporters, in an attempt to intimidate and censor their coverage," he said. "Prior to being unjustly detained, these journalists were reporting and documenting the situation in the southeastern Turkish province of Diyarbakir......
Germany and EU's migrant problem
From CNN ISIS claimed responsibility for a car bomb attack that wounded at least 29 people in Cairo early Thursday, saying it was retribution for the execution of six men in May. The car detonated near the National Security Building in the northern suburb of Shubra al-Kheemag, Egypt's Health Ministry said. The driver had parked it then was picked up by a motorcycle and fled before the explosives went off. Among the 29 wounded were six police officers, the Interior Ministry said. The blast echoed through the capital for miles, waking residents in predawn hours, London Times reporter Bel Trew told CNN. Video revealed at least one building facade nearly defaced, cars mangled, and heavy concrete street barriers knocked over near the bomb site. ........
From NYTimes Saudis Said to Kill More Than 65 Civilians in Yemen Bombing Doctors Without Borders said that Saudi-led airstrikes killed more than 65 civilians early Friday in Yemen’s southwest province of Taiz, including 17 people from one family. If confirmed, it would be one of the largest tolls from airstrikes by Saudi Arabia and its military coalition partners since they began bombing Yemen five months ago in a campaign to crush the Houthi insurgency in the country, the Arab world’s poorest. A statement posted on the website of Doctors Without Borders, the international medical charity that works in many conflict zones, said the bombings left extensive damage in the area, with a population of 600,000. “Those who survived the bombings are searching through the rubble with their bare hands in the hope of finding survivors, as well as the bodies of victims of the attack,” Salah Dongu’du, the Doctors Without Borders coordinator in Taiz, said in the statement. He said many survivors, as well as the charity’s staff, had been unable to reach the seven hospitals still functioning in the area, which originally had 20. “These seven hospitals are totally overwhelmed with wounded patients and have run out of essential medication,” he said..........
From Guardian Libya urges Arab allies to launch air strikes against Isis Foreign minister asks for arms but does not expect Britain or other western countries to intervene militarily in north Africa Libya’s internationally recognised government is calling on fellow Arab states to carry out air strikes against Isis targets but it does not expect Britain or other western countries to intervene militarily, its foreign minister has said. Mohamed al-Dayri requested arms supplies to help the Tobruk-based administration fight “barbaric terrorists” who have crucified and beheaded Libyans and Egyptians as the north African country continues to suffer “catastrophic violence” four years after the overthrow of Muammar Gaddafi. Dayri told the Guardian in an exclusive interview that he had asked Philip Hammond, the British foreign secretary, to expedite the delivery of ammunition and night-vision equipment, which are banned under the current UN arms embargo.........
From Reuters Saudi-led warplanes hit Yemeni port, aid group sounds alarm Warplanes from a Saudi-led coalition hit Yemen's Red Sea port of Hodeida on Tuesday, and officials there said the raids destroyed cranes and warehouses in the main entry point for aid supplies to the north of the country. Hodeida, controlled by Iranian-allied Houthi forces, has become a focal point of efforts to resupply the impoverished Arab state, battered by five months of war that has killed over 4,300 people.
From AntiWar Saudi Airstrike Hits Yemen Neighborhood, Killing 17 Civilians Saudi Arabia and its coalition partners are facing yet another round of condemnation today after an airstrike against northern Yemen’s Amran Province killed 17 civilians, including 13 teachers and four children. 20 other civilians were wounded in the strike. The attack hit a building which houses the teachers union offices for the region, and staff were preparing make-up exams for students who had missed final exams because of the ongoing Saudi war. The children at the site were the children of teachers, who were playing outside when the strike hit.....
From SCMP Ten days a fter Tianjin blasts, nine injured in explosion at chemical plant in eastern China A chemical factory in a village in eastern Shandong province exploded on Saturday night, injuring nine people, local media and police reported. The blast shattered windows of houses less than a kilometre away. ........... The explosion occurred at about 8.50pm at a chemical plant owned by Ruixing Chemical in Dongfu village near Zibo city, the Qilu Evening News reported on Weibo. Zibo city police said nine people were injured. The incident occurred just 10 days after a series of blasts at a chemicals factory in Tianjin, 120km east of Beijing, resulted in 121 casualties, including 67 dead firefighters and 54 people still unaccounted for.
From CBSNews Blast at U.S. Army depot in Japan lights up night sky An explosion at a U.S. Army depot outside of Tokyo set off a large blaze that lit up the night sky early Monday morning, but there were no reports of injuries. The blast happened after midnight at the Sagami Depot in Sagamihara, a city about 25 miles southwest of Tokyo, Pentagon duty officer Navy Commander Bill Urban said.......
From CounterPunch Ukrainians are Voting With Their Feet Against War and Economic Disaster The people of Ukraine are finding new and innovative ways to avoid compulsory military service and the vigilante military recruiters who enforce it. Deepening resistance to the draconian measure is now a significant impediment to the very prosecution of the war. Battle over public spaces Recruiters are routinely raiding public spaces to hunt down and grab men of conscription age (20-26) who fail to answer the call to war. They block exits to shopping centers, transit vehicles, parks and other public spaces and then conduct identification checks. Those found to have dodged service or whose call-up dates are approaching are hauled away or given strict instructions of when and where to report for duty. Vesti.com reports on the new phenomenon by Ukrainians of creating online maps to mark the public places where recruiters commonly hunt. Men and their families use the maps as a guide to public spaces to avoid. The first map appeared in the city of Dniepropetrovsk, reports Vesti. The phenomenon has quickly spread across the country.......
Boko Haram kills 79 people in three recent attacks in northeast Nigeria, local militia and residents say. http://t.co/OF6lwUp2ur
From VICE What We Learned While Embedded With Kurdish Forces Clearing the Islamic State From Hasakah Everyone was silent as we watched the flare spiral slowly to the ground, burning brightly, high above the smoke, noise, and flame of the burning oil refinery on the flat horizon. The Kurdish fighters then seemed to waken suddenly, shouldering their weapons and firing bursts of hot red tracer into the Islamic State (IS) positions just ahead. Six weeks earlier the jihadist group had launched a shock offensive on the city of Hasakah, northeast Syria, capturing almost half of it and initiating a bloody three-way struggle between IS, the Syrian regime and the Kurdish YPG forces, as well their allied militias. On this August night, however, the next few hours would see IS finally expelled from the city, and the YPG in almost total control of their first provincial capital in Syria.
Hasakah is the commercial and political center of the northeastern governorate of the same name, one of the most ethnically and culturally diverse in Syria. Thinly populated before French colonial rule in the early 20th century, the flat and dusty region is home to the majority of Syria's Kurdish population, as well as Assyrian and Syriac Christians, and Sunni Arab tribes, many of whom were planted in the region in the 1960s and 70s by the Syrian regime in an act of colonial settlement to dilute the region's Kurdish majority.........
From VICE Tens of thousands of Malaysian protesters turned out in the streets of Kuala Lumpur on Saturday to call for the resignation of Prime Minister Najib Razak following the discovery of millions of dollars worth of clandestine deposits made to his personal bank accounts. An internal probe uncovered more than $700 million that had been deposited into Razak's accounts from entities linked with the state investment fund 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB). .........
From RT 'Make it a revolution!’ : Lebanon protesters give 72-hour ultimatum to government Thousands of street protesters in Beirut are demanding the resignation of two government ministers, after hundreds were injured in a similar demonstration last week. RT's Paula Slier reports that violence has again broken out. The organizing movement behind the street protests, ‘You Stink!,’ said it would “escalate” its public protests unless the interior minister responsible for alleged police brutality was replaced along with the minister of the environment who is in charge of the ineffectual rubbish collection service that has left the streets of Beirut lined with trash. Its spokesman Rasha Halabi went further, however, telling a crowd that the movement will be pushing for new national elections.......
Trouble brewing in Guatemala which might erupt into a civil war. Note that the present criminal of a president has been there from the Reagan era and supported by the US govt.
From AP One-day record for migrant rescues in sea near Libya: 4,400 Italy's coast guard says it coordinated the rescue of some 4,400 migrants in a single day, a record-setting number, as smugglers took advantage of ideal sea conditions off Libya to launch a fleet of overcrowded, unseaworthy boats. The coast guard on Sunday said 22 rescue operations were carried out a day earlier for motorized rubber dinghies and fishing boats, all crammed with migrants desperate to reach Europe's southern shores. Italian coast guard, navy and border police boats pitched in, as did Norwegian and Irish naval vessels deployed in a European patrol-and-rescue force. Boats in distress use satellite phones to call coast guard rescuers or are spotted by patrolling Italian military aircraft. So far this year, some 110,000 migrants have been rescued off Libya and brought to southern Italian ports........
From PressTV At least 30 killed in huge explosion near hospital in Syria’s Rif Dimashq Dozens of people have reportedly been killed in a huge bomb explosion targeting pro-government forces in southwestern Syria. The bomb attack on Wednesday hit a hospital in Harasta, a town located around 10 kilometers from the capital Damascus in Rif Dimashq, killing at least 30 people and injuring tens of others, Sky News Arabia reported.........
From JapanTimes EU-bound refugee wave rolls through Macedonia, Serbia, threatening bloc’s ‘soul’ PRESEVO, SERBIA – Thousands of migrants, mostly Syrian refugees, traveled through Macedonia and Serbia on Sunday toward Western Europe, as Italy’s foreign minister said the escalating crisis threatened the bloc’s “soul. More than 7,000 men, woman and children crossed into southern Serbia from Macedonia overnight Saturday to Sunday alone, the U.N.’s refugee agency (UNHCR) said, with many more still expected to arrive. The mass movement came after Macedonian police on Saturday finally reopened the border with Greece after three days of trying to hold back streams of migrants.
Macedonia had on Thursday declared a state of emergency and sealed off its border to halt the influx, leaving thousands stranded in no-man’s land. After a tense standoff on the border, hundreds of stranded refugees, many carrying small children, forced their way through barbed wire fences in dramatic scenes on Saturday as police hurled stun grenades. By Saturday evening, border guards stood aside to allow 1,500 migrants through unhindered, with many heading straight for Serbia, the next stop on their journey to reach the European Union.........
From Reuters Rockets fired by Houthi militiamen killed 14 civilians, most of them children, as fighting intensified for control of Yemen's third largest city, Taiz, residents said on Monday. The Saudi-led coalition opposing the Houthis also launched air raids on military bases and Houthi positions in the southwestern city during the fighting, residents said, but no casualties were reported. Fighters loyal to Yemen's exiled government have been contesting control of Taiz - Yemen's cultural capital - with the Houthis since April. Hundreds of combatants and civilians have been killed..........
From ICRC Yemen: ICRC office in Aden attacked The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) strongly condemns an attack which has taken place on its offices in the city of Aden in Yemen. Unidentified gunmen stormed the building on Monday (24 August, 2015) and held staff at gunpoint. Cars, cash and equipment were subsequently stolen. As a result, fourteen international staff members have been relocated. "This is not the first time that we have had a security incident in Aden," said the ICRC's head of sub-delegation in the city, Samer Jarjouhi. "There have been at least ten such incidents recently. This is not acceptable and we have relocated staff until the situation improves." It is not clear who the gunmen were but the security situation in Aden has deteriorated in recent months. The ICRC will remain in contact with the authorities in the city to discuss safety considerations.........
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Russia has begun its military intervention in #Syria, deploying an aerial contingent to a permanent Syrian base pic.twitter.com/us1Z1SS5Tt
From Anadolu Germany, Turkey 'coordinated' Patriot's withdrawal Germany has denied reports that its withdrawal of Patriot anti-missile system from eastern Turkey is due to Turkish military strikes against PKK Germany has denied reports that its decision to end its deployment of Patriot anti-missile systems in southern Turkey is a reaction to recent Turkish military operations against the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK). Defense Ministry spokesman Ingo Gerhartz said Monday that Germany’s decision to end its contribution to NATO's Patriot system in Turkey was taken after a review within the alliance in June, which concluded that the threat against Turkish territories by Syrian ballistic missiles was very low........
From AlMonitor Oman’s diplomatic bridge to Syria Syrian Foreign Minister Walid Moallem’s recent visit to Oman signals Damascus’ heightened interest in negotiating an end to its 4½-year-old civil war, an interest rendered more urgent by a series of on-the-ground setbacks for the Syrian army. Moallem met Aug. 6 with his Omani counterpart, Yusuf bin Alawi in Muscat, Oman, to discuss “constructive efforts” aimed at ending the Syrian crisis. Syria’s state-run news agency reported the two diplomats “agreed to continue cooperation and coordination to achieve the shared goals of their peoples and governments.” Moallem’s visit, which came at Muscat’s invitation, marked his first trip to a Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) state since the Syrian conflict erupted in 2011. As early as 2011, Omani leader Sultan Qaboos bin Said hosted American and Iranian officials for talks, which laid the groundwork for last month’s historic nuclear agreement. Since the six world powers and Tehran signed the deal, numerous actors have signaled greater interest in pursuing diplomatic steps to resolve the Syrian crisis and in working together to counter the Islamic State (IS).........
FromTelegraph Nato launches largest airborne drills in Europe since end of Cold War 5,000 troops from 11 Nato allies are taking part in exercises across Germany, Italy, Bulgaria and Romania The US said Tuesday it has launched the biggest allied airborne drills in Europe since the Cold War ended, as fighting involving pro-Russian separatists escalated in eastern Ukraine. Nearly 5,000 soldiers from 11 Nato allies are taking part in four weeks of "simultaneous multinational airborne operations" across Germany, Italy, Bulgaria and Romania that began on Saturday, the US army said in a statement. "Swift Response 15 is the largest Allied airborne training event on the continent since the end of the Cold War," according to the statement from the US army in Grafenwohr in southern Germany. ..........
The countries in it, either in major or minor roles: USA,
UK, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Lebanon, Libya, Mali, Jordan, UAE,
Qatar,Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain, Iraq, Israel, Syria, Turkey,
Kurdistan, Yemen, Nigeria,France with (Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger and
Chad ) Germany, Italy, Czech Republic,Albania, Estonia, Hungary,
Belgium, Denmark, Sweden, Switzerland, Austria, Japan,Republic of Korea,
Ireland, Spain, Slovakia, Norway, The Netherlands, Luxembourg,Bulgaria,
Pakistan, Afghanistan, Novorussia, Ukraine, Russia, Chechnya, Somalia,
Iran, India,
South Korea, North Korea, Central African Republic, Kenya, Tunisia,
ThePhilippines, Egypt, Albania, Serbia, China, Sudan, South Sudan,
Bukina Faso, Palestine,Georgia, Chad, Spain, Armenia, Azerbaijan,
Indonesia, Nepal, Congo, Uganda, Romania,Mexico, Gambia, Haiti,
Cameroon, Chad, Algeria, Venezuela, Thailand, Argentina,
Vietnam,Myanmar, Georgia, Burundi, Senegal, Macedonia, Armenia,
Dominican Republic
From Reuters Turkey joined the fight against Islamic State, but not for the reasons you think After months of wavering, Turkey agreed on July 23 to partner with the United States in launching joint air strikes against Islamic State militants in Syria and Iraq. However, soon after pounding Islamic State positions in Syria, Ankara quickly turned its attention to strike at the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) in Iraq, whose Syrian wing, the People’s Protection Units (YPG) is a key U.S. ally against Islamic State. The decision to strike against the PKK was made with the aim of advancing Turkey’s governing AK Party’s political position ahead of early parliamentary elections. But it will be a pyrrhic victory: Syria’s problems will continue to spill over Turkey’s borders, making a solution to the conflict ever more elusive.......
From Time These 5 Stats Explain Turkey’s War on ISIS—and the Kurds Turkey enters the battle against ISIS, but it's real target seems to be the Kurds On the heels of a major suicide bombing in the border town of Suruç a couple weeks ago, Turkey has officially joined the war against ISIS—though it’s not clear what it actually aims to achieve. Turkey and its leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan were riding high just a few years ago, with a strong economy and a growing international profile. Now the country’s economy is tumbling, and its politics are fragmenting. These 5 facts explain Turkey’s various motivations for going to war. Be warned—they’re complicated. 1. A Faltering Economy Until recently, Turkey was an emerging market darling. In 2010, its economy was growing at a robust 9.2 percent. But by 2013, GDP growth had fallen to 4.1 percent. The slowdown has continued, and growth for 2015 is now forecast at 3.1 percent, which may actually be a generous estimate. Unemployment in the country has reached 11 percent, the highest rate in 5 years. It’s not clear that joining the fight ...........
From AlJazeera (interactive map at link) A close look at the most Major Kurdish factions influential Kurdish groups in the Middle East spread over Turkey, Syria, Iraq and Iran.
From Forbes Instead Of Fighting ISIS, Erdogan Pushes Turkey Toward Chaos And Despotism In Turkey, an ISIS suicide bomb kills 30 and wounds many more in the Kurdish area town of Suruc. The Kurdish insurgent terrorists, the PKK, then start killing Turkish policemen and soldiers while ISIS attacks a Turkish military border post. Peace demonstrations ensue in some cities which police put down with the, by now, familiar methods of severity against civilians. Ankara and Washington reach an agreement allowing the US to use its bases inside Turkey against ISIS in Iraq and Syria. Erdogan’s spokesmen announce that Turkey’s air force has conducted raids against both PKK and ISIS targets across the border. Turkish authorities arrest some 900 people nationwide, mostly Kurds, for allegedly belonging to terror networks. Turkish tanks shell Kurdish villages in Syrian borderlands near Kobani. Meanwhile, news leaks that the US has solid evidence of Turkish collusion with ISIS in months past. Let us pause here and dispel some of the fog. First, let us remember that Turkey conducted a national election on June 7 and still hasn’t formed a government. All these decisions in a time of crisis are being taken by somebody. Someone’s running the country. We’ll get to the full implications later but initiatives are being taken, ......
1. Turkey used 3 planes to strike IS targets in Syria on night of 23-24 July. The next night it used 75 planes to hit PKK targets in Iraq.
From ZeroHedge Obama Authorizes "Defensive" Airstrikes Against Assad Regime In Syria On Friday, we checked in on the Pentagon’s ongoing effort to recruit, vet, and train ambitious "freedom fighters" to join the battle against ISIS in Syria.
It goes without saying that covert US efforts to aid the multifarious groups vying for control of the country have met with disastrous consequences so far, but if there’s anything Washington is particularly adept at, it’s making bad foreign policy outcomes worse, which is why we weren’t at all surprised to learn that the commander of the Pentagon's new Syrian "force" was captured, along with his deputy, by al-Qaeda affiliate al-Nusra last week near the border with Turkey. The NY Times called the kidnapping "perhaps [the] most embarrassing setback yet," for Washington’s ragtag contingent of volunteer militiamen and indeed, the fact that the Pentagon had hoped to field a "force" of 3,000 men by the end of the year but has so far only managed to train 54 speaks to the futility of the entire effort. Or perhaps not. It all depends on what the real aim behind the program was in the first place. If the goal was to field a fierce band of well-trained warriors to rout Islamic State, then things aren’t going so well. If, however, the idea was simply to give the US an excuse to get directly involved in facilitating the swift demise of Bashar al-Assad now that his forces have been largely decimated by a three-front war, well it’s mission accomplished, because as WSJ reports, President Obama has now authorized US airstrikes against Assad’s army in the event they interfere with America’s very serious 50 solider effort to combat ISIS. Here’s more:...........
From RT Taking sides in Syrian civil war? Obama authorizes airstrikes ‘to defend’ US-trained rebels The US president has reportedly authorized the Air Force to protect Syrian rebels trained by Washington to fight against Islamic State by bombing any force attacking them, including Syrian regular troops. Thus the US may become involved in the Syrian civil war on the rebel side. The change was first reported by US officials speaking on condition of anonymity with the Wall Street Journal Sunday. The first airstrikes to protect American trainees in Syria have already taken place on Friday, July 31, when the US Air Force bombed unidentified militants who attacked the compound of the US-trained rebels..............
From BBC ....Capt Davis said the US would provide defensive fire support to the NSF "no matter whom they came up against". Many will see this as "mission creep" as the administration of President Barack Obama has always insisted that the battle inside Syria is against IS alone, the BBC's Gary O'Donoghue at the Pentagon reports.......
. From AlMonitor Attacks on Chinese escalate in Turkey On July 1, news broke that a group of five men attacked a Chinese restaurant named Happy China with sticks and stones in the center of Istanbul. The attackers were heard to say, “We do not want a Chinese restaurant here, get out of our town!” The owner, Cihan Yavuz, said in a TV interview, “We are all Turks here; our chef is a Uighur Turk. We serve Muslim East Asian tourists and rarely ever have Chinese customers. We do not serve alcohol. We never received any warnings of an attack. But I see it may not be possible for us to earn a living here.” On July 4, in the western city of Balikesir, a group protested against China for persecuting Uighur Turks and hung an effigy of late Chinese leader Mao Zedong. On the same day, a group of ultranationalists attacked a Korean tourist they assumed was Chinese in the popular Istanbul tourist district of Sultanahmet. To add insult to injury, Devlet Bahceli, chairman of the Nationalist Action Party (MHP), gave an interview to popular journalist Ahmet Hakan on July 8 about the attacks. Bahceli said, “Our nationalist youth is sensitive to injustices in China. They should have the freedom to exercise their democratic rights. These are young kids. They may have been provoked. Plus, how are you going to differentiate between Korean and Chinese? They both have slanted eyes. Does it really matter?” His racist and ignorant statement caused an uproar in the Turkish and international media.
From Reuters Nusra Front attacks Western-backed rebels in northern Syria The al Qaeda-linked Nusra Front attacked Western-backed rebels in northern Syria on Friday, rebel groups and an organization monitoring the war said, escalating tension between rival insurgents near the Turkish border.... .....Opposition sources say that one of the rebel groups targeted in Nusra's overnight attack, Division 30, has been a participant in the newly launched U.S.-led program to train and equip insurgents to fight Islamic State. Division 30 says Nusra fighters abducted its leader and several other members earlier this week. The Pentagon has said however that no members of the "New Syrian Force" had been captured or detained..........
From BBC Ukraine court backs self-rule plan for conflict zone Ukraine's highest court has approved constitutional changes that would allow limited self-rule to the rebel-held eastern areas of Donetsk and Luhansk. The changes are part of a peace deal aimed at ending fighting between Ukrainian forces and pro-Russia rebels. But many MPs oppose autonomy for the east and the decision must be voted through parliament. Meanwhile, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has released $1.7bn (£1.08bn) in aid to Ukraine. The payment is part of a bailout aimed at stabilising Ukraine's struggling economy. The country is also trying to reach a deal with its main creditors on restructuring its debts.........
Here's a prediction which is super easy to make. As the Nordic countries are fast becoming fiercely anti-immigrant, especially immigrants and refugees from the Middle East and Africa, give them a few years and some of them will break away from the EU and will put in place new immigration laws instead of taking orders from Brussels or they will force Brussels to respect their own new laws on immigration. From Guardian Why are anti-immigration parties so strong in the Nordic states? The Danish People’s party’s success in the election continues a trend of rising support for rightwing parties across Finland, Denmark, Sweden and Norway..... .....Most crucially, attitudes to immigration have become significantly more negative in Sweden and Denmark. According to the Eurobarometer, a record number of people now see immigration as one of the two most important issues facing these countries. In Finland, the share has declined after spiking between 2007 and 2010 (support for the Finns follows a similar pattern), and immigration is now seen as less pressing than the economic situation and unemployment (the country was in recession for most of last year, and growth is still flat).......
From NYTimes Abductions Hurt U.S. Bid to Train Anti-ISIS Rebels in Syria A Pentagon program to train moderate Syrian insurgents to fight the Islamic State has been vexed by problems of recruitment, screening, dismissals and desertions that have left only a tiny band of fighters ready to do battle. Those fighters — 54 in all — suffered perhaps their most embarrassing setback yet on Thursday. One of their leaders, a Syrian Army defector who recruited them, was abducted in Syria near the Turkish border, along with his deputy who commands the trainees. They were seized not by the Islamic State but by its rival the Nusra Front, an affiliate of Al Qaeda that is another Islamist extremist byproduct of the four-year-old Syrian civil war........ http://www.dailystar.com.lb/News/Middle-East/2015/Aug-01/309278-syrian-rebel-group-leaves-their-hq-after-clash-with-al-qaeda.ashx US-backed rebel group flees north Syria HQ after clash with Nusra Clashes between members of al-Qaida's branch in Syria and a rebel faction in the country's north believed to have been trained by the U.S. government have stopped after the rebels left their headquarters, activists said Saturday. The fighting came a few days after the U.S. and Turkey announced the outlines of a deal to help rebels push ISIS back from a strip of territory it controls along the Syrian-Turkish border, replacing it with more moderate rebels backed by Washington and Ankara. Rami Abdurrahman, who heads the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, said members of the Division 30 faction fled to a nearby area controlled by a Syrian Kurdish militia. Abu al-Hassan Marea, a Syrian activist who is currently in Turkey near the Syrian border, confirmed Saturday that Division 30 fighters have withdrawn from their headquarters. Abdurrahman and Marea said Division 30 had less than 60 fighters and that on Friday alone the group lost five fighters and 18 others were wounded.......
From AlMonitor ...Perhaps the strongest criticism came from Reformist Ghanoun newspaper in an article by Saman Saberian, “Hamas: Bank account in Tehran, stronghold in Riyadh.” Saberian wrote that Hamas’ turn to Saudi Arabia cannot be viewed as merely seeking Saudi funding and help because in the latest war, “The Saudis helped Tel Aviv the most and the only support they gave to Gaza was coffins for the martyrs.” The article touched on a rumor circulating in the Iranian media that Meshaal would send fighters for Saudi Arabia's war in Yemen. Saudi Arabia is three months into a bombing campaign of Ansar Allah forces, which it claims are backed by Iran. The multi-sided war has been a humanitarian catastrophe in Yemen. Saberian acknowledged that no one has confirmed the rumor of an agreement between the Saudis and Hamas, but Iranian reports citing anonymous Saudi sources have said that Saudi Arabia has requested special Hamas forces trained in the same military tactics as the Lebanese group Hezbollah to combat Yemen’s Ansar Allah. Whether the rumor is psychological warfare or not, it reveals how tense the region and how heated the rivalries have become.
From PressTV Russia willing for joint Iran in fight against ISIL Russia has voiced interest to team up with Iran to fight the Takfiri ISIL terrorists operating in the Middle East region. “We can develop anti-terror cooperation with Iran, first of all, in the Middle East region,” Ilya Rogachev, the director of Department of New Challenges and Threats Issues of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said on Monday. “The notorious international terrorist organization as Islamic State (ISIL) can be and has to be the object of our cooperation with Iran,” the Russian official said.
From Guardian Turkey sends in jets as Syria’s agony spills over every border Turkish air strikes in Syria last week signalled a new phase in a conflict that has left its bloody mark on every country in the region. But will the Turks now agree to US demands to cease all clandestine dealings with Islamic State? When US special forces raided the compound of an Islamic State leader in eastern Syria in May, they made sure not to tell the neighbours. The target of that raid, the first of its kind since US jets returned to the skies over Iraq last August, was an Isis official responsible for oil smuggling, named Abu Sayyaf. He was almost unheard of outside the upper echelons of the terror group, but he was well known to Turkey. From mid-2013, the Tunisian fighter had been responsible for smuggling oil from Syria’s eastern fields, which the group had by then commandeered. Black market oil quickly became the main driver of Isis revenues – and Turkish buyers were its main clients. As a result, the oil trade between the jihadis and the Turks was held up as evidence of an alliance between the two. It led to protests from Washington and Europe – both already wary of Turkey’s 900-mile border with Syria being used as a gateway by would-be jihadis from around the world..........
How migrant smuggling is funding extremist groups like ISIS in Libya: http://t.co/KbA6Vc3YbD
From AlJazeera Turkish warplanes have bombed military positions of Turkey's Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) in neighbouring Iraq, a spokesman for the PKK has said. The air raids came just hours after Turkish warplanes pounded Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) positions in Syria on Friday morning, marking a significant shift in Ankara's position on how to deal with armed groups in Syria and Iraq. "At around 11:00pm (20:00 GMT) tonight, Turkish warplanes started bombing our positions near the border, accompanied by heavy artillery shelling," PKK spokesman Bakhtiar Dogan told the AFP news agency.....
From Reuters Turkish warplanes pounded Islamic State targets in Syria for the first time on Friday, with President Tayyip Erdogan promising more decisive action against both the jihadists and Kurdish militants. Hours after the initial attacks, fighter jets were launched in a second round against Islamic State, while others targeted militants camps of the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) in northern Iraq, according to local media. Reuters was unable to confirm the second round of strikes. An attack against PKK camps in Iraq would likely mark a major blow to Turkey's already stalled peace process with the Kurds.
Friday's operations followed a telephone conversation between Erdogan and U.S. President Barack Obama on Wednesday, and were accompanied by police raids across Turkey to detain hundreds of suspected militants, including from Kurdish groups. Ankara said it had approved the use of its air bases by U.S. and coalition aircraft to mount strikes against Islamic State, marking a major change in policy that has long been a sore point for Washington.........
From ConsortiumNews Mideast Alliances Shift Again July 31, 2015 Like shifting desert sands, the volatile Middle East is going through a new, though subtle, realignment of adversaries and allies, with Turkey’s political tensions shaking up one area while Saudi Arabia makes moves of its own, as recounted by ex-CIA analyst Paul R. Pillar. By Paul R. Pillar Some recent policy decisions by Middle Eastern governments have the potential to shake up regional alignments, or what are widely perceived to be alignments. In the near term this will have little to do with the Iran nuclear agreement, despite the attention the agreement is getting at the moment. That accord will not lead to realignments as great as its opponents fear, and its larger impact on regional diplomacy will be gradual and only slightly apparent in the near term. The agreement by the Turkish government to cooperate more actively than previously with the United States in combating the so-called Islamic State or ISIS in northern Syria represents a more immediate shaking up..........
From Time Egypt Is Struggling to Cope With Its ISIS Insurgency A rocket attack on a warship was just the latest in a series of escalating attacks on Egyptian forces in Sinai They have attacked on land and at sea, killing dozens of soldiers. They have assassinated a senior official in daylight and attempted to seize a small Sinai town. The insurgents control no significant area of land, but they are far from being defeated. A season of deadly attacks by insurgents in Egypt — including those backed by the Islamic State in Iraq and Greater Syria group (ISIS) — underscores an escalating insurgency that the Egyptian state is struggling to suppress. The surge in violence began in late June when Egypt’s chief prosecutor was killed in a car bombing in daylight in an upscale Cairo neighborhood. Two days later, the ISIS-affiliated militants launched a massive assault on military positions in north Sinai, attempting to seize control of a small chunk of territory in Egypt. At least 17 Egyptian soldiers died, although some reports placed the death toll much higher........
From TodayNigeria Suspected Boko Haram chief recruiter arrested in Chad Suspected Boko Haram recruiter Bana Fanaye, also known as Mahamat Moustapha, has been arrested by the authorities in Chad. Fanaye, who is said to be the mastermind of Boko Haram operations in Chad and northern Cameroon, was arrested on Friday afternoon, with assorted weapons, as well as cell phone SIM cards for various countries, including Nigeria, Cameroon, Chad and Niger. The suspect is said to be the brain behind most Boko Haram operations including arms purchases in Chad and northern Cameroon. Multiple media reports quoted Chadian officials as saying that Fanaye is in charge of recruiting Boko Haram terrorists, arms purchases and planning of terrorism targets and operations in Chad and northern Cameroon. It was his arrest that helped security forces locate and kill other Boko Haram members housed in an area called Diguel Diguessou in the 8th district, tchadinfos.com reported.......
From Reuters Chad says killed 117 Boko Haram fighters in two-week campaign N'DJAMENA Chad said on Thursday its forces had killed 117 Boko Haram insurgents during a two-week military campaign aimed at clearing islands on Lake Chad used by the militants as hideouts and bases to launch attacks. Chad has deployed thousands of soldiers alongside troops from neighbors Nigeria, Cameroon and Niger to tackle the militant group whose six-year insurgency has killed thousands. "We killed 117 Boko Haram fighters during the two-week operation. We lost two men and several wounded," Colonel Azem Bermandoa, spokesman for the Chadian army, said. "We destroyed their boats and seized various weapons during the operation," he said........
From Xinhuanet News Analysis: Yemeni crisis mirrors regional unrest in Middle East CAIRO, July 25 (Xinhua) -- The ongoing crisis in conflict-stricken Yemen is reflection of a regional unrest in the Middle East, especially after the forces of fleeing President Abd-Rabbo Mansour Hadi seized strategic southern city of Aden against Shiite Houthi fighters, said Egyptian experts. Yemen has become more like a battlefield for regional and even international powers that seek more influence in the Middle East region through the ongoing conflict hitting the country, including the United States, Saudi Arabia and Iran. U.S. INTERESTS "Yemen has always been a place of interest for the United States, and former U.S. President Clinton said openly that Yemen is a matter of a national security for the United States," said Gehad Auda, professor of international relations at Helwan University. The professor told Xinhua that Yemen is highly located due to its control of Bab al-Mandeb Strait that connects between the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden as well as between the continents of Asia and Africa, "therefore it is a very critical area geopolitically and geostrategically." Being responsible for guaranteeing the security of its Gulf allies, the United States must have helped with the seizure of Yemen at the hands of pro-Hadi forces to reassure Saudi Arabia and other Gulf partners about their national security, according to the expert.
SAUDI ARABIA VS IRAN Unhappy with the recently-reached nuclear deal between Iran and six world powers led by the United States, Sunni Saudi Arabia is obviously concerned about greater influence of Shiite Iran in the region and about Iranian attempts to turn Yemen into a Shiite state, given that the Iran-backed Houthi fighters are Shiites. Although the deal is expected to strengthen Iran's influence in the region, experts believe that it will take a few years until Iranian regional expansion can be strongly felt after the deal. ......
From RT Saudi-led coalition airstrikes kill over 120 in Yemen, humanitarian truce announced Saudi-led coalition airstrikes killed over 120 civilians and left 150 injured after a fierce attack on Friday in the southwestern Yemeni province of Taiz. The coalition has announced a five-day humanitarian truce starting on Sunday night. Local sources told AP that most of the houses in the area were in ruins and a fire later broke out in the port city of Mokha, on the Red Sea coast of Yemen. They said that most of the corpses found there, including children, women and elderly people, had been completely immolated in the flames. One resident, Ahmed Mohammed al-Mouzay, who took part in rescue operations, reportedly said that most of his neighbors had died. A security official told AP that it was impossible to take the injured to the provincial capital due to the roads being blocked by the ongoing violence.......
Vid below is not for the faint of heart. See for yourselves how many civilians are dying at the hands of Saudi + coalition + USA/UK/Russia weapons
From English IRIB Bombing kills 14, injures 47 in northeast Nigeria At least 14 people have been killed and 47 others wounded in a bomb attack at a busy market in northeastern Nigeria, the latest in a string of deadly attacks in the violence-hit country. According to witnesses and hospital sources, the blast occurred on Sunday at 0850 GMT in the Nigerian town of Damaturu, the capital of Yobe State. Market trader Garba Abdullahi said the attack took place when a female assailant blew her explosives “at the... entrance of the market where commuters were arriving.”.......
From AlManar Saudi Defense Minister Threatens to Occupy Kuwait Saudi Defense Minister Mohammad bin Salman threatened to launch war on Kuwait after differences between the two Persian Gulf Arab states escalated over Khafji oilfield. "Mohammad bin Salman threatened that his country would attack and occupy Kuwait, claiming that not only Khafji oilfield but also entire Kuwait is part of the Saudi territories based on historical documents," Middle-East Panorama quoted on Sunday intelligence sources of the Persian Gulf Arab littoral states as saying. Kuwait has complained that the continued shut down of Khafji oilfield it shares with Saudi Arabia will incur huge losses Riyadh must compensate for in the future. Kuwaiti Oil Minister Ali Al Omair in a letter to his Saudi counterpart Ali Al Naimi urged him "to take adequate measures to resume production at Khafji........... From ArabNews Kuwait imposes limited control on entry of Saudis The security agencies of Kuwait have imposed a limited control over entry of Saudis into their country, said an online newspaper. This is being done to tighten security measures at various entry points of the country following the terror attack on June 26 at Imam Sadiq Mosque, which left 25 people dead and over 200 injured. Brig. Gen. Adil Al-Hashshash, director general of public relations and security media, told the newspaper that the number of those who were barred from entering Kuwait was very small and they had some security issues. He said the ban had come as a result of “precautionary actions and required measures due to the situation in the region... and that the situation should not be open as in the past.” ...........
From Reuters Suicide bomber, clashes kill 12 Libyan soldiers in Benghazi Nine Libyan soldiers were killed in the eastern city of Benghazi on Tuesday by a suicide bomber and in ensuing clashes between troops and Islamist fighters, medics and military sources said. Forces loyal to Libya's internationally recognized government have been fighting Islamist groups in the country's second-largest city since last year, part of a wider struggle since Muammar Gaddafi was overthrown and killed in 2011. A suicide bomber rammed a car laden with explosives into a group of soldiers during a street battle in the city center near Benghazi's Mediterranean port, killing three soldiers and wounding eleven, medics said. Shortly afterwards, Islamist fighters blamed by the army for the suicide bombing attacked troops loyal to the official government in the same area. Six more soldiers were killed and 10 wounded in the fighting, medics said.........
BBC subtle and stealth report trying to make way for UK and additional warmongers from EU to return to Libya. Read between the lines.
From PRI "The roads are targeted. Cars are often hit," says British Dr. Natalie Roberts. "Every few hundred meters you see another burned out vehicle; every bridge on the road has been bombed out". Roberts, who is in Yemen with Doctors Without Borders, has worked in conflict zones before. But she says Yemen's war zone is unlike anything she has seen elsewhere. "What's really surprising to me here is that I've never seen so few [aid workers and journalists] on the ground. Syria, when i was there, was counted as the most dangerous conflict in the world — but Yemen? I just haven't met anyone." Yemen is the poorest country in the Arab world, and has been politically unstable since the Arab Spring. But civilian casualties really began to increase in March this year, when a Saudi Arabian-led coalition began bombing towns and villages to try to defeat a rebel force known as the Houthis. More than 80 percent of Yemen's 25 million people are now in need some form of aid, and the United Nations has warned the coalition that indiscriminate bombing of populated areas is against international law......
From Jadaliyya In late March 2015, a coalition of states led by Saudi Arabia initiated a military campaign against Yemen consisting of intensive air raids, the arming of local allies and a de facto naval and air blockade of the country. Initially termed Operation Decisive Storm but since renamed Operation Restore Hope, it continues to this day. Riyadh identified the recent territorial gains of Yemen’s Houthi movement, and the ouster of President Abd-Rabbu Mansur Hadi and his government, as the reasons for its campaign and pledged that both would be swiftly rolled back. Four months later neither objective appears to be in reach, nor is a negotiated end to this conflict in sight. As part of a series of Quick Thoughts with International Crisis Group Middle East analysts, Jadaliyya asked April Longley Alley, Crisis Group Senior Analyst for the Arabian Peninsula, to shed light on the causes and course of this war.] Jadaliyya (J): Who exactly are the Houthis, why have they apparently aligned with their former nemesis Ali Abdullah Saleh, and is their domination of Yemen in your view sustainable? April Longley Alley (ALA): The Houthis are an armed group that has its roots in a movement for Zaydi cultural and religious revivalism in north Yemen. (Zaydism is a branch of Shia Islam distinct from the Twelver Shiism prevalent in Iran, Iraq, Bahrain and Lebanon). They have a strong militia component, but view themselves as a political and social movement against corruption and Western imperialism. Their primarily base of support is in the northern Zaydi highlands and especially in the Saada governorate bordering Saudi Arabia. During and after the 2011 uprising against former president Ali Abdullah Saleh, the movement expanded rapidly, forming alliances with disgruntled tribesmen in the north, left-leaning activists and even some southern separatists. As the Yemeni transition collapsed, they took advantage of.........
From WashingtonTimes Bitter feud between Turkey, Egypt undercuts U.S. hopes for Middle East Two of America’s linchpin allies in the Middle East are bitterly feuding, complicating the Obama administration’s hopes of confronting Sunni Salafists and containing the ambitions of Shiite Iran. Egypt is accusing Turkey of working with the Islamic State on the Sinai Peninsula, a new low in the already poor relations between the two regional powers.......
From Ahram: Regional manoeuvres: A Hamas visit to Riyadh leaves Egypt, Iran wondering A visit to Riyadh by the head of Hamas left consternation among some parties and questions among some observers. What did Saudi Arabia aim to achieve, asks Ahmed Eleiba The visit by Hamas Politburo Chief Khaled Meshaal to Saudi Arabia and his meeting with King Salman Bin Abdel-Aziz raised the issue of how the kingdom has opened up to the group under King Salman’s reign. The visit is part of a series of meetings with other Muslim Brotherhood leaders, including Yemeni Muslim Brotherhood leaders and key figures in the Yemeni Reform Party (Al-Islah), Abdel-Meguid Al-Zindani and Salman Al-Ouda. Senior sources close to Hamas, however, stated there were problems between the kingdom and Hamas that delayed the visit by two months, but that the Muslim Brotherhood general guide in Jordan, Hamam Said, visited Saudi Arabia two weeks ahead of Meshaal’s trip. Said was invited by Saudi Minister of Religious Endowments Saleh Bin Abdel-Aziz Al-Sheikh and talks resolved most outstanding issues between the two sides. Saudi Arabia Foreign Minister Adel Al-Jubeir at a joint press conference with his Egyptian counterpart Sameh Shukri on Thursday, said "there was no political visit by Hamas to the kingdom", trivialising the significance of Hamas visit, saying it was only a religious pilgrimage and Riyadh's position on the Palestinian Islamist movement remains unchanged..........
Some of the countries in it, either in major or minor roles:
USA, UK, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Lebanon, Libya, Mali, Jordan, UAE, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain, Iraq, Israel, Syria, Turkey, Kurdistan, Yemen, Nigeria, France with (Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger and Chad ) Germany, Italy, Czech Republic, Albania, Estonia, Hungary, Belgium, Denmark, Sweden, Switzerland, Austria, Japan, Republic of Korea, Ireland, Spain, Slovakia, Norway, The Netherlands, Luxembourg, Bulgaria, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Novorussia, Ukraine, Russia, Chechnya, Somalia, Iran, India, South Korea, North Korea, Central African Republic, Kenya, Tunisia, The Philippines, Egypt, Albania, Serbia, China, Sudan, South Sudan, Bukina Faso, Palestine, Georgia, Chad, Spain, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Indonesia, Nepal, Congo, Uganda, Romania, Mexico, Gambia, Haiti, Cameroon, Chad, Algeria, Venezuela, Thailand, Argentina, Vietnam, Myanmar, Georgia, Burundi, Senegal, Macedonia
From Guardian Why did the Taliban go to Tehran? In the fight against Isis, the Taliban has softened its approach toward Iran and Shia groups, says veteran Afghan journalist Reports of an official Taliban delegation’s clandestine visit to Iran this week raised eyebrows in both Kabul and Tehran: why would Iran, a Shia powerhouse involved in proxy wars with several Sunni states and sectarian groups in the Middle East, host a radical Sunni militant group on its soil? The two erstwhile foes once came to the brink of a full-blown war against each other. However, when it comes to regional politicking the two have found much in common, including their fear of the spread of the Islamic State influence in the region. In 1998, Tehran deployed more than 70,000 forces along the Afghan border in a clear show of military might and threatened to invade Afghanistan and avenge the deaths of at least eight Iranian diplomats at the hands of Taliban in the northern city of Mazar-e-Sharif that year. Iranian generals predicted they would topple the Taliban regime within 24 hours, but the situation was defused when the United Nations interfered...........
From MacedoniaOnline The gang pretending to be NGOs and trained to overthrow Governments and stage coups around the world is paying $1,500 for ideas how to better organize demonstrations, reported Vecer.
That gang is Soros' Open Society Institute, USAid (Front for the CIA) and the Forum Group (another Soros financed "NGO"). This very group has already backed and financed not just the Macedonian opposition SDSM, but their activists & protests, dating back to 2009. The document (shown above) was sent to Macedonian students asking for their best ideas in an effort to overthrow a Government. Cash is offrered for the best ideas. The document has two headers, the first is that this is a "School for Active Citizens" and the second below is a "Call for Action". Serbian based Canvas led by Srgja Popovic who specializes in demonstrations has been hired both by Soros and the CIA to "help" overthrow a Macedonian Government that enjoys the support of nearly 75% of the populaiton. Canvas itself has gained quite the notoriety. Namely, the UAE has listed Canvas in the same ranks as Al-Qaeda, it is the only non-muslim terrorist organization listed by the Emirates! Canvas and Srgja Popovic were hired by the CIA and were instrumental in bringing chaos to Ukraine (look at Ukraine today) and in removing Egypt's Hosni Mubarak from power. Canvas members have managed to get themselves permanently banned from ever entering Russia, but they seem to be welcomed in the Macedonian capital. Soros Open Society Institute and the CIA via its fronts (PNAC, NED, USAid) have hired Canvas to do Kiev v2.0 in Macedonia. Canvas activists got themselves busy instantly. Realizing the Government enjoys massive support of the populace, it first started offering cash to students to bring others to protest. Failing to gain traction the money started flowing in all directions where through the USAID, OSI and Forum cash wsa offered just for decent ideas to overthrow a popular Government. These ideas were sent to Sonja Ismail, daughter of Guner Ismail, a popular SDSM member and former official. Several years ago Sonja Ismail was the focus of investigation for illegally owning three state apartments through her father that she rented out for years, earning her over 300,000 euros. ...........
The 7th most populous country in the world gets a Muslim president. Will the country remain turned towards the West or pivot elsewhere? 40% of Nigeria's population is either Christian or non-Muslim. From Guardian President Buhari’s to-do list: Boko Haram, democracy and the 'petrocalypse' Amidst a fuel crisis and an ongoing islamist insurgency Daily Maverick chart the most pressing concerns for Nigeria’s new administration In the vast expanse of Abuja’s Eagle Square, Muhammadu Buhari became Nigeria’s head of state on Friday. There is little doubt that most Nigerians are glad to see the back of his controversial predecessor, Goodluck Jonathan, whose most significant act in office was to concede defeat in the March election. This means that Buhari assumed office on a tide of national goodwill – but also under pressure from stratospheric expectations, and burdened with lofty campaign promises. The new president has plenty of work to do, and these are the issues that will be top of his overflowing inbox:....
From ChristianPost Boko Haram Hacks to Death Dozens, Including Scores of Christians; Continues Forcing Young Girls to Carry Out Suicide Bombings Boko Haram has killed dozens of people, including many Christians, in a slew of separate attacks carried out in raids on villages in Nigeria in the past week. The U.N. has said that the Islamic terror group continues forcing women and young girls to carry out its suicide bombings. Morning Star News reported that Boko Haram's raids in Adamawa state have killed at least 29 people, most of whom are believed to have been Christians. Last week the jihadists hacked to death 10 Christains with machetes in Pambula-Kwamda, a Christian community in Adamawa's Madagali Local government Area. "They destroyed the telephone mast first before invading our community — this was to prevent us from telephoning and requesting help," said one pastor from the community who did not wish to be named. "They killed 10 members of our church [Church of the Brethren in Nigeria, or EYN] using machetes and then slaughtering them." Although the Nigerian army has successfully pushed out Boko Haram from a number of its hideouts in the past several months, the terror group continues carrying out deadly raids..........
For those of you who do not know what Israel is currently doing to Palestine. pic.twitter.com/1QrHZeRJaw
From NYTimes Taliban and Afghan Peace Officials Have Secret Talks in China A peace envoy from Afghanistan met in western China last week with former Taliban officials with close ties to Pakistan’s intelligence agency, in an attempt to keep open the possibility of formal Afghan peace talks, officials said on Monday. The meeting, hosted by China and, in part, organized by Pakistani officials, took place on May 19 and 20 in Urumqi, capital of the western region of Xinjiang, which has mountainous borders with Afghanistan and Pakistan and is home to many Muslims. The main representative of the Afghan government was Mohammad Masoom Stanekzai, who was, at the time, a key member of the country’s Peace Council, the group charged with exploring talks with the insurgency, and since then has been nominated by President Ashraf Ghani as defense minister. On the other side of the table were three figures from the old Taliban government in Afghanistan, according to current and former officials with knowledge of the discussions who agreed to speak on the condition of anonymity because of diplomatic sensitivities............
From TheTimes Libya fights jihadis with DIY weapons Libya’s battered army has been forced to fashion arms out of scraps from the Second World War to fight the country’s insurgency, leading it to call for a UN weapons embargo to be lifted. In six warehouses in the east of the country, soldiers convert weapons that date from the 1940s into usable arms to fight militias and jihadists. However, after a year-long war, they said that they were running out of scrap to make the DIY arms and fear the consequences for their neighbours across the Mediterranean. “We are fighting the biggest battle in North Africa — it’s as important.......
From AlMonitor Libya PM escapes assassination attempt Libya's Prime Minister Abdullah al-Thani escaped unharmed when would-be assassins opened fire on his car on Tuesday, the spokesman for his internationally recognised government said. "The prime minister's car was hit by bullets when armed men opened fire as it was leaving an area where a session of parliament was held" in the eastern city of Tobruk, said Hatem el-Ouraybi. "The prime minister was not hurt, but one of his bodyguards was wounded," he told AFP on the phone......
USA trained, armed, funded jihadis from the past/present/always
Laurent Brayard, journalist, French citizen writing at UkraineWar ...........I accuse you, the French Government together with all, or almost all, journalists in our country, of participating in a monstrous lie, from which people are dying in the Donbass: this—the myth of Russian Army aggression in Ukraine. I was in Donbass, I drove in there through two checkpoints Novoshakhtinsk and Matveyev Kurgan. If there were 50,000 Russian soldiers over there, as alleged by pro-Ukrainian activists such as the immoral Nathalie Pasternak, whose hands are now stained with blood; if there really were entire divisions, I would certainly have seen hundreds of tanks, trucks, service and supply units. Yet I did not notice any accumulation of Russian troops on the border, hiding whom would be extremely difficult in a region where the landscape consists mainly of Cossack steppe. During the trip, I saw neither soldiers nor regiments nor brigades nor divisions nor the army of the Russian Federation. Everywhere I went, in the cities through which I passed, such as the Cossack city of Antrasit with 54,000 residents, south of Lugansk, I did not encounter any Russian troops. I was able to interview the locals I encountered, and all of them, including those who do not support Novorossiya (and I did come across such people), said that there is no Russian Army in the Donbass. I myself was able personally to confirm this, as throughout the trip I met only republican army soldiers, dressed and armed very diversely.
Later, I will talk about what exactly I saw and heard in the Donbass. For the French Government it would be enough to send a single diplomat, only as an observer, so that they could............
Novorussian mom/grandma curses the Kiev government for bombing of her son's residence which killed members of her family, which govt let me remind you, is supported by Canada, USA, UK, Australia and the EU.
From AlJazeera Syrians in Yemen: 'Back to square one' Syrian refugees in war-torn Yemen have been catapulted into the same type of conflict they were fleeing. Sanaa, Yemen - Hussar Huwais moved swiftly between cars, selling wreaths of white jasmine. As the traffic lights turned green at this intersection in the Hadda neighbourhood of Yemen's capital, Sanaa, Huwais scurried back towards the pavement. These few crucial minutes at the crossing presented a chance to earn a few dollars to sustain his family for another day. After selling his small plot of land in Hama, Syria, two years ago, Huwais fled to Yemen. Leaving behind their war-torn country, Huwais and his family said Sanaa initially felt like a safe haven. "Enough of Arabs killing each other. Young people who never used weapons are fighting and dying innocently. They are paying a bigger price for the war," said Huwais, who is in his early 40s..........
From CTVNews UNICEF reports 'alarming spike' in Boko Haram female suicide bombers Children are now being seen as potential threats after an "alarming spike" in suicide bombings by girls and women used by Boko Haram militants in northeastern Nigeria, the U.N. children's agency said Tuesday. The number of reported suicide attacks has jumped to 27 in the first five months of this year compared to 26 for all of last year, it said. Tuesday's report came as Gov. Kashim Shettima of Borno state visited the site of the latest Boko Haram attack and surveyed the damage: 37 people killed Sunday, 400 buildings razed including mosques, and 22 vehicles and dozens of motorcycles torched.........
From AntiWar ISIS Gains Ground Against Tripoli Govt in Libya Western Officials Express Alarm as Forces Retreat ISIS forces are making a new round of gains along the western Libyan coast, seizing more territory in Sirte and moving westward toward Misrata, the base of operations for the current Tripoli government. Western officials are expressing alarm at the sudden shift, with officials from the Misrata militia insisting they had no choice but to retreat in the face of recent offensives by ISIS. Concern of falling morale among their forces is adding to fears that ISIS will be able to expand greatly in this area. The Misrata militia, now known as Libya Dawn, was one of the major powers during the Libyan Civil War, and retained autonomy in the city after the ouster of Gadhafi. They’ve since expanded, and now control Tripoli and much of the rest of the country’s west, while the Western-backed government is operating out of Tobruk, near the Egypt border, and controls only a portion of the east. The rest of the country is mostly held by various militias, with ISIS taking much of the central coast. ISIS in Libya was actually a totally separate Islamist militia faction which pledged loyalty to the Syria-based leadership last year. Since then, they’ve gained advisers and training from parent ISIS, and a much higher profile that has allowed them to recruit more easily...........
#ISIS Wilayat #Sinai claims responsibility for the bombing of an #Egypt - #Jordan gas pipeline in al-Arish
Sinai attacks kill Egyptian policeman, wound 8 An Egyptian policeman was killed and eight wounded in three roadside bombings on Wednesday in the Sinai Peninsula where an Islamic State-linked group is spearheading an insurgency against security forces. Jihadists have killed scores of police and soldiers in attacks in the peninsula since the army ousted Islamist president Mohamed Morsi in July 2013. Wednesday's attacks targeted police vehicles near a police station in North Sinai's provincial capital of El-Arish, security officials said. One explosion killed a policeman, and a total of eight were wounded in the three separate attacks..........
From Independent Turkish President Erdogan threatens editor over photos 'showing weapons being sent to Syria' Istanbul's prosecutor's office is investigating a newspaper editor, after the publication he heads published images of truckloads of ammunition being transported from Turkey to Syria. The Cumhuriyet newspaper has suggested that the images, published on 29 May but allegedly dating from 19 January 2014, prove that a Turkish intelligence mission was carrying arms to rebels in bordering war-torn Syria. Can Dundar, chief editor of the Cumhuriyet daily newspaper, is now being investigated over allegations he breached anti-terrorism laws, the Anadolu Agency reported. .......... Meanwhile, in Canada.
