Evaluated by Northbay MDS Committees, serving as a 5th World News services [FifthWorldNews.blogspot.com], more news sites: [ww4report.com] [globalresearch.ca] [southfront.org] [fmso.leavenworth.army.mil] [corpwatch.org] [fpif.org]
Containing information on Institutions of Self-Government not recognized by the United Nations, as defined by the USA State Dept.'s legal statement supporting unilateral declarations of independence (2009-07) [.pdf link]: "The legal principle of territorial integrity does not prevent non-state entities from peacefully declaring its independence," and by the legal mandate set by the UN International Court (2010-07-22) [archive.is/mc6sX]: "No general prohibition may be inferred from the practice of the Security Council with regard to declarations of independence,” and “General international law contains no prohibition on declarations of independence."
European racial vanguardsGolden Dawn International [golden-dawn-international-newsroom.blogspot.com], European Knights Project [europeanknightsproject.com/category/ekp-news], English Asatru News [englishnews.org/news-central.html], Council of European Canadians [eurocanadian.ca], Albion's People [albionofengland.blogspot.com]
* " ‘Soldiers of Odin’: Finnish anti-migrant group with ‘extremist features’ takes to patrolling streets" (2016-01-14, rt.com) [archive.is/Q2EqM]
---
* "German neo-Nazis charged with plans to nail-bomb refugee shelters, kill clerics" (2016-01-14, rt.com) [archive.is/k9lXg]
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Global Anarchist vanguards & autonomous zones[anarchistnews.org] [ainfos.ca] [libcom.org] [anarchiststudies.org] [a-revolt.org]
* "Greek Anarchists Attack New Democracy Party Polling Station; Polling station in the Nea Filadelfeia suburb of Athens during a New Democracy party leadership vote was attacked by 15 people who threw paint-filled shuttlecocks, destroyed ballot boxes and spoiled ballot papers, according to local media" (2016-01-10, sputniknews.com) [archive.is/sWQ9y]
===*===*===
USA Homeland's resident nations:
Nations exist alongside the Federal [archive.is/VXoPR], and State governance [archive.is/Cz2uF]. Demographic maps: 2000 [archive.is/nXHXz], 2010 [archive.is/nKbSA], religion [archive.is/XArBS]. The New Afrikan nation, the nation of Nueva Aztlan, the Boriqueno, and of the overseas territories each have their own section separately on this news page.
Sovereign nations of the "Indian Country", and of traditional lodges.
Map [archive.is/s4FYb]; News [indiancountrytodaymedianetwork.com] [bsnorrell.blogspot.com]* "Here’s What Happened When These Unarmed Native American Sisters Defended Their Land from the Feds; Like the Bundys, the Dann sisters tried a standoff with the BLM. But it ended very differently" (2016-01-06, usuncut.com) [archive.is/2JkLM]
===*===*===
USA Homeland's resident nations:
American Nation, including the State Sovereignty campaigns, and Dominionist Campaigns[tenthamendmentcenter.com]
* "Delusional White Evangelical Christians: We’re More Persecuted Than Blacks, Jews, Atheists, and Muslims" (2014-09-24, aattp.org) [archive.is/txE0d]
* "Is BLM Inciting Armed Rebellion? Feds Caught On Tape Committing Felony 'Arsenal Terrorism' In Oregon" (2015-12-08, Pete Santilli Show) [youtube.com/watch?v=D_iT7EPBeNk]
* "Is the Oregon Occupation Being Stage-Managed?" (2016-01-08, stopimperialism.org) [archive.is/NMQy6]
* "Oregon Standoff, Public Land, Federal Land and Demonizing Militia" (2016-01-10, nsnbc.me) [archive.is/hoYIl]
* "Activists or Terrorists? How Media Controls and Dictates ‘The Narrative’ in Burns, Oregon" (2016-01-07, 21stcenturywire.com) [archive.is/8qOyQ]
* "A week out West: Oregon militia standoff hits day 7" (2016-01-09, rt.com) [archive.is/BJuql]
* " 'We may be breaking codes, but not supreme law of the land' - Bundy" (2016-01-13, rt.com) [archive.is/pz4kP]
* "Hammond Ranch Update: Open Letter To Sheriff David Ward & All Sheriffs In The United States" (2015-12-01, Pete Santilli Show) [youtube.com/watch?v=B3JqIceKh6I]
* "The Interests Shared by the Oregon Militia Movement, Koch Brothers and LDS Church; Chris Zinda discusses how groups such as those involved in the armed standoff in Oregon are influenced by the likes of the Mormon Church, the John Birch Society and Koch-funded Americans for Prosperity" (2016-01-04, therealnews.com) [http://is.gd/E88Yck], attached video [https://youtu.be/A0vGjIBK7ww]* " 'Dear Friends': Ammon Bundy Responds to Stewart Rhodes' Statement, Re: The Hammonds" (2016-01-01) original [youtube.com/watch?v=M7M0mG6HUyk], repost [youtube.com/watch?v=Zl5rkosu2Ig]. “I did exactly what the Lord asked me to do”. Another message titled "Hammonds need our Help" [youtube.com/watch?v=U1BCMJlV83E]
* "ALL CALLED TO ACTION: All able body men and women come to Burns, Oregon on or before January 2nd" [youtube.com/watch?v=hKiGOU8x5R8]
* Political debate about the intentions of the Bundy takeover: "Enclosure vs. Privatization" [archive.is/FHA4w]* "Heavily armed men offer 'security' for Oregon militia at wildlife refuge; ‘Pacific Patriot Network’ members with ‘long guns’ arrive at occupation; Militia spokesman: leader blindsided by ‘not a welcome development’ " (2016-01-10, theguardian.com) [archive.is/MIi71]
* "Oregon Republicans Express Support for Militia's Actions; Oregon Republicans will continue to endorse the Oregon militia’s conduct in seizing federal land in the state, Oregon Republican Party Chairman Bill Currier told Sputnik on Friday" (2016-01-08, sputniknews.com) [archive.is/ZwyDd]
* "Oregon militia occupying wildlife refuge aims to overthrow government, says sheriff Harney; County sheriff speaks of ‘alternative motives’ while Ammon Bundy’s group puts away firearms to convince media it is civil rights issue" (2016-01-04, theguardian.com) [archive.is/5BS48]* "Media Coverage of Oregon Militia Standoff Raises Eyebrows — and Ire; Despite the extreme nature of the demonstration, both media and law enforcement response appears muted, especially in comparison to other recent protests" (2016-01-03, commondreams.org) [archive.is/JduCX]
* "Failure to Label Oregon Gunmen Terrorists Sparks Backlash; Various websites and a senator have said the armed men occupying a federal building in Oregon are no more than ;domestic terrorists' " (2016-01-03, telesurtv.net) [archive.is/UanqB]
* "Morale at Oregon Standoff Collapses After Militia Member Goes AWOL, Drinks Away Donation Money" (2016-01-07, usuncut.com) [archive.is/CB3xp]* "Defeated by the Enemy Within: Oregon Militia Descends into Fist Fights and Paranoid Chaos" (2016-01-08, usuncut.com) [archive.is/cTvWe]
* "Armed, Pathetic and Hungry: How the Oregon Militants' Revolutionary Plan Went Sideways; The 'Y'all Qaeda' militia is short on people, supplies and food" (2016-01-05, rollingstone.com) [http://is.gd/Hi79yz]
* "Oregon 'terrorists' don't plan siege very well, put out plea for snacks and supplies; A group of around a dozen armed men have taken over a remote federal building on a wildlife reserve in Oregon as part of a protest against government "tyranny", demanding that the land be handed over to local ranchers" (2016-01-04, i100.independent.co.uk) [archive.is/N0ZXY]* "Authorities plan to cut off power to militia at occupied Oregon refuge" (2016-01-05, rawstory.com) [archive.is/Od9kx]
* "Oregon Sheriff Meets Ammon Bundy, Greets Him With Handshake Not Handcuffs" (2016-01-08, thinkprogress.org) [http://is.gd/1mFqGO]
* "Armed group in Oregon fears raid; critics decry goals; Militia occupation leader in Oregon: 'We're like Rosa Parks" (2016-01-06, cbsnews.com) [archive.is/CNGjz]* "Ammon 'Rosa' Bundy" (2016-01-07, Indian Country Today Media Network) [archive.is/9PDiM]
* "Bundy Militia Musters Again Over Paiute Land" (2016-01-03, indiancountrytodaymedianetwork.com) [archive.is/vmpYg]
* "Showdown in Oregon: How to - and How Not to Fight Tyranny" (2016-01-07, by Tony Cartalucci) [archive.is/OIgAu]
* "How the Leader of the Oregon Armed Protest Benefited From a Federal Loan Program; Ammon Bundy decries federal "tyranny," but he sought aid from the government to help his company" (2016-01-04, motherjones.com) [archive.is/OfAZB]
* "ISIS supporter joins Ammon Bundy’s armed occupation as resident computer expert" (2016-01-13, rawstory.com) [archive.is/nZRpi]
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* "KKK leader who murdered black girl with a crossbow wants out of prison after finding God" (2016-01-11, rawstory.com/) [archive.is/gyLcN]
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* "Militia Movement Leader Fatally Shoots Fellow Patriot Between the Eyes in Drunken Dispute" (2016-01-13, usuncut.com) [archive.is/YyztA]
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Regional insights for the lands of Anahuac, Carib, and Abya Ayla ("Latin" America)
"When the Eagle of the North flies with the Condor of the South, The Spirit of the Land, She will Reawaken".
* English language news [upsidedownworld.org] [narconews.com] [narcosphere.narconews.com] [nacla.org] [coha.org] [cepr.net] [cedema.org].
* Spanish language news [contrainjerencia.com]
* "Neoliberalism Raises Its Ugly Head in South America, as Washington Targets Venezuela, Brazil and Argentina" (2016-01-03, telesurtv.net) [archive.is/M2EYm]
---
* "Bolivia, Peru sign $500 mn deal for Lake Titicaca clean-up" (2016-01-08, AFP Newswire) [archive.is/1nTAW]
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United States of Mexico
"Mexico is a liberal-democracy, but Venezuela is a totalitarian Socialist state run by the ghost of a dead Communist dictator."
* "Mexico: Leftist Mayor Killed 1 Day After Taking Office" (2016-01-04, democracynow.org) [http://is.gd/2exLgr]
===*===*===
Central America, an "Economic Sacrifice Zone"
* "El Salvador Deemed Too Dangerous For Peace Corps, But Not For Deportees; The Central American country is on track to become the homicide capital of the world" (2016-01-12, huffingtonpost.com) [archive.is/58zbc]
===*===*===
Republic of Honduras
Most of the comments are collected from the daily "Presente Honduras Digest", and from the "Honduras Solidarity Network" listserve, authored by experts in geopolitics and history of Latin America. Libre is the "leftist" party working to uphold human rights and sovereignty, JOH is the dictator of Honduras supported by the USA.
* "The Prosecution of David Romero Ellner - Another attack on Journalists in Honduras" (2016-01-13, by Victoria Cervantes):
David Romero is the manager/director and a journalist of Radio/TV Globo Honduras recently convicted of defamation and slander charges; his sentencing is scheduled for February 9, 2016. Radio Globo came to international attention at the time of the 2009 coup de etat in Honduras when Romero and other staff defied the military forces and continued broadcasting the news about the coup until security forces invaded the station’s facilities. Romero escaped by leaping from a window. Mr. Romero and the station have continued since then to broadcast news about resistance to the coup and to provide broadcast access to resistance and human rights organizations. Globo journalists have exposed corruption and violence against the people by the government apparatus and death squads.
In 2014 Romero was the first journalist in Honduras to report on proof that the ruling Nationalist Party received money from corruption and the outright theft of 7 billion lempira (more than 30 million dollars) from the budget monies for the national public health services (IHSS). Part of that money went to finance the presidential election campaign of now President, Juan Orlando Hernandez. The crises in public healthcare that resulted from this corrupt plundering is held responsible for as many as 3,000 deaths. Mr. Romero reported death threats and other intimidation since broke the news. In 2015 the wife of a government official pressed defamation charges against Romero after he broadcast a program criticizing her and her husband.
Since Romero’s conviction for defamation in August 2015, irregularities have come to light that show the political nature of the prosecution of this case since it began. For example, former judge, José Dimas Agüero Echenique has complained that he was pressured by a high government officials to use the defamation charges to send Romero to prison.
In 2014 another journalist from Radio/TV Globo, Julio Ernesto Alvarado was also prosecuted for “damages” to Belinda Flores, who had held a high ranking position at the national university. Alvarado’s guests on his talk show denounced Flores for corruption. He was sentenced to 16 months prison and then the sentence was changed to a 16 month suspension from being able to practice journalism. This, despite the fact that the Inter-American Human Rights Commission objected to his prosecution. In February 2015 Globo staff member Erick Geovany Arriaga Casco (21) was gunned down in Tegucigalpa. In January 2016 two reporters from Radio/TV Globo were denied entrance to a speech by President Hernandez, although the rest of the press was admitted. These are only a few examples of the ongoing harassment, threats and violence.
Defamation and slander charges are also used by the government to try to silence human rights defenders. In 2014, human rights defender, Gladys Lanza was convicted of defamation because she represented a human rights victim in a public denunciation against a well-connected director of an NGO in Tegucigalpa. Other defenders have been threatened with slander and "slander against the nation” charges (sedition) for testifying to human rights abuses in international hearings. On May 25, 2015, Honduran Journalists’ Day, President Hernandez’s speech included a declaration against “pseudojournalists, who just want to damage the image of the country”.
There have been protests against the prosecution of David Romero Ellner during the entire legal process. The Honduras Solidarity Network supports the call from Hondurans for an end to the persecution of David Romero Ellner and for freedom from intimidation and violence for all journalists and human rights defenders.
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Police director Felix Villanueva is being accused of abuse of authority, breach of the duties of public servants, and human rights violations by ten of his sub-inspectors.
http://criterio.hn/abuso-autoridad-violaciones-denuncian-director-la-policia-nacional/
Congress' president Mauricio Oliva proposes a secret vote for the coming Supreme Court election.
This wasn't greeted well by the base of the political opposition and they started a campaign to force their members of Congress to make their vote public.
Ricardo Rodriguez, the president of the Nomination Committee, informed the public that the 16 out of 24 candidates singled out by the US embassy are kept out of the race.
And apparently there is a new list circulating from the US embassy with 19 names on it, which they want to have investigated.
http://noti-bomba.com/oliva-quiere-que-diputados-voten-en-secreto-para-la-elegir-la-csj/
http://noti-bomba.com/no-me-prestare-al-juego-del-pn-mi-voto-para-la-csj-sera-publico/
http://criterio.hn/descartan-16-aspirantes-la-corte-senalados-ee-uu/
http://criterio.hn/emabajada-ee-uu-envia-nueva-lista-19-aspirantes-magistrados-investigados/
http://criterio.hn/junta-nominadora-confirma-denuncias-rolando-argueta/
http://www.hondurastierralibre.com/2016/01/honduras-doris-gutierrez-eleccion-de-la.html
ACI-Participa offers a grim picture of the situation of human rights defenders in Honduras in 2015.
http://conexihon.hn/site/noticia/derechos-humanos/derechos-humanos/2015-un-a%C3%B1o-gris-para-defensores-y-defensoras-de-derechos
The IACHR demands from Honduras to investigate the violent death of inmate Luis Beltrand L?pez in December last year.
http://conexihon.hn/site/noticia/derechos-humanos/derechos-humanos/cidh-condena-la-muerte-de-una-persona-privada-de-libertad
FOSDEH fears that the current proposal for a new tax code will bring further promote secrecy and inequality.
http://conexihon.hn/site/noticia/transparencia-y-corrupci%C3%B3n/nuevo-c%C3%B3digo-tributario-promover%C3%ADa-la-secretividad-fiscal-en
Women's rights organization succeeded in inserting some progressive language in Honduras' budget.
http://conexihon.hn/site/noticia/derechos-humanos/mujeres/feministas-logran-inclusi%C3%B3n-en-presupuesto-de-la-rep%C3%BAblica
The amount of remittances sent to Honduras grew by over 8% last year in comparison to 2014. In total $3'700 million arrived in Honduras, i.e. more than 20% of GDP.
http://www.radiohrn.hn/l/noticias/m%C3%A1s-de-tres-mil-700-millones-de-d%C3%B3lares-llegaron-al-pa%C3%ADs-por-remesas
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Republic of Cuba (ALBA member)
[radiohc.cu]
* "Cuba will not Renounce the Principles and Ideals for which Generations of Cubans have Fought" (2015-12-31, resumen-english.org) [archive.is/mMN2U]
* "Cuba's Surprisingly Cost-Effective Healthcare" (2014-12-22, forbes.com) [archive.is/bBnM0]
* "Cuba Reports Lower Child Mortality Rate than US and Canada; Cuba's public health care system is renowned worldwide for its excellence and efficiency" (2015-12-24, telesurtv.net) [archive.is/KVomX]
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* "US Could Spend US$30M in 2016 to 'Promote Democracy' in Cuba; U.S. federal budget documents show that Washington could gives millions to shady ’Democracy’ programs in Cuba" (2016-01-02, telesurtv.net) [archive.is/ioMOI]
---
* "Cuban ‘Hellfire’ missile crisis: US wants rocket back after it was sent to Havana by mistake" (2016-01-08, rt.com) [archive.is/xKQ7o]
===*===*===
Republic of Haiti
* "Haiti still marching to overturn stolen election" (by David Welsh, haitisolidarity.net) [archive.is/idgHI]
* "Six years on, quake-devastated Haiti mourns its dead" (2016-01-12, AFP Newswire) [archive.is/la0s4]
* "Haiti, six years later" (2016-01-13, thehill.com) [archive.is/YZ9Df] [begin excerpt]: On January 12, 2010, a devastating earthquake struck Haiti, leaving hundreds of thousands dead, more than a million displaced and virtually shutting down Haiti’s already weakened government. Out of the devastation, however, came some measure of hope. Haitians came together following the quake, acting in unison to rebuild their shattered nation and make it stronger than ever. The international community pledged $10 billion toward the country’s relief and reconstruction efforts.
“This is the down payment Haiti needs for wholesale national renewal,” then Secretary of State Hillary Clinton remarked at the time. It was an opportunity to rebuild Haiti’s broken institutions, and “build back better” became the slogan of internationally backed relief efforts. [...]
Was Haiti “built back better”? Tens of thousands officially remain displaced, while hundreds of thousands more are simply off the map, living in unsafe housing never repaired after the quake, or on the western outskirts of Port-au-Prince. This is where a new city has risen from the dusty hillsides where victims of the quake are buried – by some estimates now one of the largest cities in Haiti.
Billions of dollars were squandered; either going immediately to for-profit “development” companies back in the capitals of donor countries or to haphazard and poorly planned projects implemented by thousands of disparate organizations that descended on Haiti looking for a piece of the pie. Shielded by corporate secrecy and a fear of criticism, there is very little information about how the billions have been spent despite U.S. lawmakers’ significant efforts to raise the bar of accountability around billions in U.S. assistance.
But it’s clear where the aid didn’t go: 99 percent of humanitarian assistance funding bypassed the Haitian government entirely, and just a small fraction of longer-term development aid was channeled through it. In 2011, budget support was lower than it was before the quake, in 2009. Sak vide pa kanpe, as the Haitian proverb goes; “an empty sack cannot stand.”
Decimated by years of aid policies that deliberately created a parallel public delivery system, the government is no longer responsible for providing many basic services for its citizens. Health, education and other key sectors are dominated by private sector actors and funded by NGOs, church groups and international donors. Though there have been successes, the billions in aid flows largely reinforced existing dynamics — a failure in its own right. But the international community’s blind support for illegitimate political processes have been the fatal blow to “building back better.” [end excerpt]
===*===*===
Republic of Colombia
[colombiasupport.net]
* "This Country Was Just Named The Happiest In The World, Again. No surprise here" (2016-01-05, huffingtonpost.com) [archive.is/kDefN]
Then why do thousands escape to the FARC for safety from government-backed anti-socialist death squads?
Hey, it looks like this didn't make it on the Huffington Post article about how Columbia is supposed to be the happiest place on earth.
* "Demand Humane Conditions at La Tramacua" petition [archive.is/DfeJp].
Close La Tramacúa, a US funded prison in Colombia where torture is common, overcrowding extreme and access to running water is limited to 10 minutes a day! Please sign and share this petition! The United States is involved in the prison systems of at least 25 different countries, spreading a model of mass incarceration. This "prison imperialism" had its start in Colombia with the construction of "La Tramacúa", built in November, 2000 with US funding. The Alliance for Global Justice and the Coalición Larga Vida las Mariposas, are calling for La Tramcúa to be closed.At La Tramacua, temperatures get as high as 105 degrees, with no form of cooling, but prisoners are granted access to water only 10 minutes a day. Toilets are frequently nonfunctioning and open sewage has been observed running by the kitchen. Fecal contamination of food has been documented by the United Nations Commission on Human Rights and other governmental and nongovernmental organizations. Inmates are often subjected to harsh punishments, even torture, especially political prisoners and prisoners of war. La Tramacua was built with US Federal Bureau of Prisons and USAID funding as part of an effort to restructure the Colombian prison system. We call on the Colombian government to immediately close La Tramacua. We call on the US Congress and White House to investigate abusive conditions allowed to flourish at La Tramacúa and other penitentiaries that are funded by US tax payers and advised by US government agents.
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Towards a Bolivarian Republic of Colombia / Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia - People's Army (FARC-EP) Communiques [http://is.gd/rRiMnb], English Language: Peace Delegation [farc-epeace.org]; Spanish: [farc-epeace.org] [pazfarc-ep.org] [mujerfariana.org] [resistencia-colombia.org]
* "Roses and Rifles: Women from the FARC-EP, Colombia (2014)" (2015-12-04, revolutionarymovies.wordpress.com) [archive.is/X2j8Q], Attached video [https://youtu.be/A_YQCQjO-mo]: In the middle of this capitalist and patriarch reality, women face all kinds of oppression: economic, sexual, intellectual, among others. In Colombia, there is almost no women’s participation on different government levels, and it’s almost impossible for women from the Left to do legal politics. That’s why every day more women join the oldest guerrilla of Latin America. They decide to fight for their freedom with the ideal of constructing a society of peace with social justice, that is, a socialist society. This reality is hidden or manipulated by the media, who are at the service of the big capital which has its tentacles spread out over Colombia. These media companies have demonized and stigmatized the female guerrilla fighters of the FARC-EP as sexual slaves of their comandantes. To help breaking down the media blockade and manipulation is the mission of this documentary, in order to show the real life of the revolutionary women of the FARC-EP.
* "The Red Dance: Memory of the Silenced (2003)" (2015-12-09, revolutionarymovies.wordpress.com) [archive.is/OVkDR], attached video [https://youtu.be/AMQng34vHJc]: In the mid-1980s, peace initiatives between the Colombian government and the guerrilla group, FARC, led the latter to disband after two decades of fighting and establish a legal-political party, the Union Patriótica (Patriotic Union). As the UP met with some successs in local elections, it became a target of right-wing death squads and paramilitaries. So far, 3,000 UP members have been murdered or have disappeared, making it a case of political genocide unparalleled in the world. The documentary “The Red Dance” views, through the memories of survivors and relatives of victims, this period of terror and assassination. While FARC has reverted to war, a petition is pending before the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) regarding human rights violations by the State of Colombia.
* "Plan Colombia: Cashing In on the Drug War Failure (2003)" (2015-12-06, revolutionarymovies.wordpress.com) [archive.is/Gyg5d] attached video [https://youtu.be/8EE8scPbxAI]: The film details the reasons behind the drug trade (Colombia is the world’s biggest cocaine exporter), which include the corrupt government, and the simple fact that most farmers harvest coca because they can’t survive on the profits of legitimate food crops. Ungerman also explores the link to America’s notorious School of the Americas in Georgia and how targeted aerial fumigation has destroyed perfectly legal natural resources in the mission to eradicate drug crops. The film concludes that the U.S. military-industrial complex is cashing in on the violence they themselves perpetrate, while doing little to actually stem cocaine production.
===*===*===
Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela (ALBA member)
[venezuelanalysis.com] [rnv.gob.ve]
* "Maduro Warns of Privatization Ahead of New Parliament Term with Right-Wing Majority; The Venezuelan leader has also announced plans for the National Assembly to implement measures to overcome what he termed an 'economic emergency' " (2016-01-04, telesurtv.net) [archive.is/7dPJW]
* "Venezuela Right Wing Removes Picture of Chavez from Parliament; The opposition wasted no time in taking down portraits of former President Hugo Chavez and the Liberator of the Spanish Americas Simon Bolivar" (2016-01-06, telesurtv.net) [archive.is/hATaR]
* "Venezuelans from Both Political Sectors March in Caracas as National Assembly Swings Right" (2016-01-06, venezuelanalysis.com) [archive.is/icjXB]:
- "People of the world, we will continue to prevail!" -Chavista Territory.
- "We the legislative people are in the streets to defend the revolution."
- Flags of the People's Communist Party of Venezuela (PCV).
- An acronym for PODER POPULAR: People organizing, developing, exercising [their rights], revolutionaries, planning and occupying their participation in the union of struggle, self-sustainability and resistance.
- "A change is coming and no one can stop it." -Leopoldo Lopez (the USA-backed fascist with direct connections to ideologically aligned death-squads within the Republic of Colombia)
* (2016-01-05, telesurtv.net) [archive.is/XyU2r]: Venezuelans rally in the streets of Caracas in support of the socialist government alongside socialist lawmakers who stormed out of the National Assembly after accusing the right-wing opposition of violating assembly norms and procedures. Photos: [archive.is/byI3r] [archive.is/cBn38] [archive.is/O3nGa] [archive.is/2UHTx] [archive.is/gL16U] [archive.is/iRl8i] [archive.is/VjlKk] [archive.is/9aFXH] [archive.is/LCFzJ]
---
* "What Is to Be Done?" (2016-01-06, by Luis Britto Garcia, aporrea.org) [archive.is/n24PA]:
Renowned Venezuelan writer Luis Britto Garcia echoes Lenin in asking "What Is to Be Done?" at the start one of the most difficult years the Bolivarian revolution has ever faced. Here are his recommendations.
- Debate what went wrong, how and why.
- Reserve debate for the inner sphere, as all competing accusations and tirades serve to discredit.
- Reaffirm socialism as an ideological base, guide and aim for political organizations.
- Select state functionaries and candidates by scrupulously reviewing their career, attainments and council, rather than their personal relationships to or their agreements with the upper echelons (of the revolutionary leadership).
- Assemble schools for political and ideological training.
- Repair the corrupt structures that destroy all that they touch.
- Investigate, exhaustively, unexplained increases in wealth and external signs of wealth in both the public and private sectors.
- Combat the economic war, in which until now only the aggressor has fought.
- Preserve in their posts those functionaries who have actively and effectively applied measures against speculation, hoarding and scarcity.
- Assume state control of the importation and distribution of food and basic goods.
- Assume state control of the banks.
- Stop awarding preferential dollars to businesses that do not employ them for their designated purpose but rather for the destruction of the country.
- Clarify that to vote for a referendum would revoke all of the economic, social, cultural and public services we have achieved in fifteen years.
- Solicit the Supreme Court to nullify any laws that threaten the principle of irreversibility of those social achievements protected by the constitution.
- Veto by presidential act the laws that deny or destroy our economic, social, political or cultural rights.
- Propose a progressive tax reform and denounce as accomplices any parliamentarians that oppose it.
- Establish a price for fuel that at least recoups the cost of production.
- Actively support social movements that are struggling against paramilitarism, corruption bachaqueo [reselling], and smuggling.
- Communicate that a planetary economic crisis is currently underway, with global scarcity of food, in which the price of hydrocarbons has dropped by over half and the government has reduced its income on the same scale.
- Divulge the incomparable economic, social, cultural, educational and political achievements of Bolivarianism and its fulfillment of the [United Nations] Millennium Goals.
- Recall the miserable social, cultural and economic indicators of the past century and those of other countries that fall under neoliberal governments.
- Examine meticulously the origin, records, career and activities of possible beneficiaries of social benefits.
- Remember that those who are raising prices, hoarding and hiding merchandise are business actors in the Economic War and not the government.
- Reveal that over two thousands public functionaries are on trial for corruption.
- Recollect that Bolivarianism restored social benefits to workers and if they do not fight for them neoliberalism will take them away again.
- Restructure the public media system to uproot its merely reactive practices and convert it into a generator of debate and perspective.
- Stop mimicking the vulgar formats, interruptions, insertions, decorations, conning, and user abuse characterized by capitalist media in our socialist media.
- Substitute ephemera such as entertainment events for long-lasting government action.
- Eradicate paramilitarism and it’s cohort, parapolitics.
- Maintain rigorous control of border zones to block paramilitaries, resellers and smugglers.
- Rotate regularly and frequently the authorities in control of border zones.
- Investigate NGOs and bar those financed by the hostile power which declared Venezuela an extraordinary threat to its security (US).
- Dismiss foreign advisers that have never gained power in their country and may contribute to our losing it in this country.
- Abandon all hope of pact, conciliation, or cohabitation with the right wing which has spent the past 16 years trying to assassinate Bolivarianism.
- Act instead of declaring that action will be taken.
* "Maduro Appoints New Ministers and Vice-President in Cabinet Shakeup" (2016-01-07, venezuelanalysis.com) [archive.is/lQAmn]
* "President Maduro Signs Several Laws Before Decree Powers Expire" (2016-01-03, venezuelanalysis.com) [archive.is/afuHh]
A motorcyclist passes by a mural depicting Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro in Caracas defaced by a neo-Nazi symbol (photo taken on April 17, 2015)
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* "New National Assembly Starts With Trouble – Venezuela Headed For Crisis?" (2016-01-07, nsnbc.me) [archive.is/I7C85]
* "Legislators Present New Evidence of Irregularities in Venezuela’s National Assembly Elections" (2016-01-12, venezuelanalysis.com) [archive.is/meucK]
* "Venezuelan Supreme Court Suspends Swearing in of 4 Incoming Legislators" (2016-01-03, nsnbc.me) [archive.is/xlCW6]
* "Venezuelan Supreme Court: 'National Assembly is Void' " (2016-01-12, venezuelanalysis.com) [archive.is/ZI8Pt]
* "Why Did the Venezuelan Supreme Court Accept a Challenge to Election Results?" (2016-01-04, telesurtv.net) [archive.is/HxaW0]
* "Absurd Acts by Venezuelan Right Legislators Reveal True Colors" (2016-01-07, telesurtv.net) [archive.is/0RQqX] [begin excerpt]: But the decision of Ramos Allup to swear in three MUD legislators, in spite of their being suspended by the Supreme Court of Justice or TSJ pending an inquiry into voting irregularities in the state of Amazonas, transcends from provocative to senseless.
Because there is nothing in National Assembly guidelines that suggests that a party would need 112 deputies to hold a two-thirds majority: only that it needs a majority “of those present.”
Therefore, without the banned lawmakers (and a further PSUV lawmaker suspended for the same reasons) MUD would still have held a two-thirds supermajority—109 out of 163 instead of 112 out of 167—allowing it to make sweeping changes, including calling a recall referendum on President Nicolas Maduro and overhauling the constitution.
Former Supreme Court Justice Luis Martinez told teleSUR that “the new leadership (of the assembly) can not disobey an order from the judiciary” and that as a result decisions taken by the assembly would be void.
And now, the PSUV have appealed to the TSJ to sanction the leaders of the assembly, and to declare null any decisions made in parliament.
“This leadership purposefully ignored the sentence, ignoring the Judicial Power,” revolutionary party-members wrote in a co-signed letter.
“With this proposal they have tried to turn the Moral Power on its head ... before the management of the Legislative Power in an irresponsible way, ignoring the laws and the rest of the Public Powers, the patriotic power (PSUV) has approached the TSJ to introduce three documents to request that through a legal path a call is made for the moderation of the board of directors, that has demonstrated that it is going to ignore the powers.” [end excerpt]
* "8 Times the Venezuelan Opposition Didn't Play by the Rules" (2016-01-05, telesurtv.net) [http://is.gd/tkhubj]
* "Venezuelan New National Assembly President Attacked in Local Market; The new head of the Venezuelan National Assembly, Henry Ramos Allup, has been attacked while visiting one of the Caracas markets, local media reported" (2016-01-10, sputniknews.com) [archive.is/SfG1s]
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* "Venezuelan Military Vows 'Absolute' Loyalty to Nicolas Maduro; The declaration came after a PSUV legislator warned that the opposition was ignoring public institutions in order to launch a coup d’etat" (2016-01-07, telesurtv.net) [archive.is/CaOfC]
* "Venezuela army vows loyalty to President Maduro" (2016-01-08, presstv.com) [archive.is/kY5eQ] [begin excerpt]: Venezuela’s army has announced “absolute loyalty” to President Nicolas Maduro, amid a standoff between the government and the opposition-controlled parliament, which is seeking to oust him.
General Vladimir Padrino, the defense minister and chief of armed forces, said on Thursday that the country’s military was resolute in its support for Maduro.“The president is the highest authority of the state and we reiterate our absolute loyalty and unconditional support for him,” Padrino said.
This came after the center-right opposition laid claim to a majority in the parliament – the National Assembly – that would allow it to restrict the powers of Maduro.
The opposition also wants to use the mandate to remove Supreme Court judges, appoint key officials such as a new attorney general and a national comptroller, and even rewrite the constitution.
The portraits of former President Hugo Chavez were removed from the assembly building during the first regular legislative session on Wednesday.
Padrino criticized the removal of the photos, and so did the government, which vowed to fill the streets of the capital, Caracas, with the pictures of Chavez and Simon Bolivar, the country’s 19th-century independence icon.Also on Thursday, the socialist government applied to the Supreme Court to nullify any legislation passed by the new assembly.
The government also said the opposition’s majority in the National Assembly is illegitimate as the assembly swore in three anti-government lawmakers who had earlier been barred from the parliament by the Supreme Court in an injunction sought by Maduro.
The move gave the opposition a super-majority in the legislative body.
“This is an illegal parliament and therefore its decisions are illegal and null. The decisions made in that circus they have set up should be ignored,” said Pedro Carreno, the deputy head of the ruling United Socialist Party.
Carreno also accused the opposition of plotting a coup against the socialist government. [end excerpt]
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* "Nicolas Maduro Saves Mustache as He Delivers the Millionth Home" (2015-12-30, telesurtv.net) [archive.is/WGvit]
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* "New Agriculture Minister Launches Bid to Cut Import Dependency" (2016-01-11, venezuelanalysis.com) [archive.is/rrNgd]
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Republic of Ecuador (ALBA member)
* "Ecuador: Indigenous Pachakutik Party Joins Right-Wing Coalition; Pachakutik, which self-identifies as a leftist political party, is set to join an alliance of right-wing parties" (2016-01-12, telesurtv.net) [archive.is/S6UKL], photo caption: Marcelino Chumpi, prefect and member of the Indigenous Pachakutik party, has held regular meetings with right-wing politicians:
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NEW AFRIKAN PEACE MOVEMENT newswire[NewAfricaPeace.blogspot.com] An overview of Africa and the Diapora, with the Green Charter Committee, towards Pan-Afrikan Solidarity and Liberation!
* "Why America Should be Worried About China’s New Military Base in Africa; China’s plans to build a military base in Djibouti could be the first step toward Beijing’s deeper involvement in Africa – a strategy that should make the United States "very nervous," according to journalist James Poulos" (2016-01-12, sputniknews.com) [archive.is/FxUAf]
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African Renaissance Monument in Dakar, Senegal. Built and designed by the DPRK. More about the statue [archive.is/2CnQG].
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Jurisdiction of Libya
* "The US helped overthrow Libya in 2011. Here's what's happening there now" (2016-01-08, needfultruth.wordpress.com) [archive.is/73sq5]
Hillary Clinton's emails have recently revealed that intelligence sources explained to her that the quantity of gold and silver in Qaddafi's Libya was worth more than $7 billion, and was intended to be used to establish a pan-African currency based on the Libyan golden Dinar. This plan was designed to provide the Francophone African Countries with an alternative to the French franc (CFA). This was one of the reasons that French President Sarkozy supported the NATO invasion of Libya.* "New Hillary Emails Reveal Propaganda, Executions, Coveting Libyan Oil and Gold" (2016-01-04, levantreport.com) [archive.is/tAUak]
* "Hillary Emails Reveal True Motive for Libya Intervention; Newly disclosed emails show that Libya’s plan to create a gold-backed currency to compete with the euro and dollar was a motive for NATO’s intervention" (2016-01-06, foreignpolicyjournal.com) [archive.is/Jo4Bs]
* "What Hillary Knew about Libya" (2016-01-12, consortiumnews.com) [archive.is/DQck1]
* "Emails reveal Hillary Clinton knew about ethnic cleansing in Libya" (2016-01-12, shadowproof.com) [archive.is/PKhi8], attached video [https://youtu.be/Fgcd1ghag5Y]
* "Gaddafi's widow demands thorough investigation of his murder" (2013-10-21, sputniknews.com) [archive.is/97vUk]
* "Gaddafi accused Blair of ‘supporting Al-Qaeda,’ unseen phone transcripts reveal" (2016-01-07, rt.com) [archive.is/NxlYS]
* "Watch Nelson Mandela's answer to a question about his alliance with Gaddafi" [youtube.com/watch?v=RwwxcVTjt3Q]. Nelson Mandela lays down his defence of Fidel Castro, Yasser Arafat and Muammar Gaddafi in their struggle for human rights.
===*===*===
European Union (EU) / NATO
Documenting economic and political trends across the EU jurisdictions, and international operations.Maps: Homeland and overseas territories [archive.is/iqAFG], global Exclusive Economic Zone [archive.is/GJkE9]
* "Russian patriarch says Christians are oppressed in well-off Europe" (2016-01-08, rt.com) [archive.is/h6VWZ]
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* "Why Didn't Washington Dissolve NATO After Collapse of USSR? NATO has expanded dramatically after the collapse of its primary rivals, the USSR and the Warsaw Treaty Organization, Canadian Professor Michael Jabara Carley notes, posing the question whether NATO was founded as a defensive or an offensive alliance" (2016-01-06, sputniknews.com) [archive.is/D7iVw]
* "Why Is NATO In Yugoslavia?" (2010-09-12, by Sean Gervasi, globalresearch.ca) [archive.is/kyplF]
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United Kingdom of Great Britain (UKGB) (EU Member)
Map [archive.is/pyhbI]
* "Cameron has no ‘factual evidence’ proving welfare attracts EU migrants, admits Tory minister" (2016-01-08, rt.com) [archive.is/uCR5j]
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* "Toppling Leaders: The Efforts of Britain’s Right-Wing to Get Rid of Jeremy Corbyn" (2016-01-09, by Lesley Docksey) [archive.is/XUJBG]
* "BBC denies deliberately undermining Corbyn by airing Doughty resignation" (2016-01-08, rt.com) [archive.is/avzNM]
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* " ‘Secret’ police files relating to Green Party peer ‘deleted in highly irregular cover up’ " (2016-01-08, rt.com) [archive.is/w0Va3]
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* " ‘Cruel, outdated laws’: N. Irish woman faces life in prison in abortion case" (2016-01-13, rt.com) [archive.is/g01Mb]
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Republic of France (EU Member)
* "Permanent State of Emergency? France Seeks Alarming Expanse of Police Powers; Debate to see state of emergency enshrined in the nation's constitution will begin early next month" (20106-01-06, commondreams.org) [archive.is/iYfzK]
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Republic of Poland (EU Member)
* "Poland’s religious politics: Courting disaster; An attack on judicial independence reveals the government’s ideology" (2016-01-02, economist.com) [archive.is/pvbfa]
* "Hungary to block sanctions on Poland, Warsaw grip on media & judiciary tightens" (2016-01-08, rt.com) [archive.is/aKLVW]
* "Poland's New Gov't Undermines Free Press, Rule of Law – US Rights Group; Moves by Poland’s newly elected government to alter the nation’s high court and increase control of public broadcasters threaten to shake the foundation of the nation’s democracy, the US human rights group Freedom House said in a statement on Friday" (2016-01-08, sputniknews.com) [archive.is/M0CuT]
* "Over 20,000 People Rally in Warsaw Against New Law Restricting Media Freedom; More than 20,000 people participated in rally in Warsaw against a new law that would restrict the freedom of media in Poland, according to local media" (2016-01-09, sputniknews.com) [archive.is/8Dx8c]
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Republic of Latvia (EU Member)
Graduates in Latvia will award rings with swastika
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Republic of Hunagry (EU Member)
* (2016-01-07, Toni Sandström): If you look in the statue park in Hungary what kind of monuments the new "democratic" government after the fall of the socialist government removed from the public: not only Lenin but also monument for concentration camp victims, monument for anti-fascist fighters in the Spanish civil war, peace monuments and many more like that... That kind of action proves a lot who is behind the mask...- "Bad monument", anti-Franco fighters, removed by EU capitalist "democratic Hungary" [archive.is/AAd2p]
- Another "bad monument" removed to statue park... [archive.is/NoTe5]
- And this... [archive.is/c2dEr]
- And of course this one... [archive.is/Pudgt]
- Two more... [archive.is/QwSha] [archive.is/gacGw]
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Republic of Ukraine (EU / NATO associate state)[en.censor.net.ua] [eu.eot.su/language/en]
* "Ukrainians' Life Ratings Sank to New Lows in 2015" (2016-01-04, gallup.com) [archive.is/I5bWf]
The USA State Department officials promised the People of the Ukraine that their quality of life would become better, and that corruption would stop, despite working directly with the Ukraine's oligarchs to implement a violent coup in February, 2014, against the democratically elected Republic of Ukraine's President who had signed an economic association agreement with the (then future) Eurasian Union, despite promises to meet with European Union officials about an association agreement negotiated by the previous, USA-backed, President. The violent coup killed hundreds of thousands of members in the overthrown President's Political Party (the most popular party in the entire Republic of Ukraine), and disrupted the lives of millions of ethnic-Novorossiyans who as a people supported the overthrown President's political party (the Party of Regions).
* "Ukraine's GDP Dropped by 35% Surpassing Zimbabwe, Central African Republic; Over the past 24 years, Ukraine’s real GDP has decreased by 35 percent, which is absolutely the worst in the world, according to World Bank data, Ukrainian newspaper Zerkalo Nedeli (ZN) reported" (2015-08-23, sputniknews.com) [archive.is/WQUZ8]. Capitalism's dictatorship does not exceed the benefits of the former administration of the Communist Party USSR that ended during 1991. In fact, capitalism is worse, but because "Stalin killed 30 million people", most people disregard the entire history of the Communist Party in the Ukraine through the 1980s, and how popular it remained (as the 3rd largest political party) after the imposition of the capitalist dictatorship during 1992 until the fascist's coup against the Ukraine of 2014.
* "IMF Tricks Did Not Save Ukraine From Economic Collapse – German Newspaper; Ukraine may face complete economic failure as inflation progresses and foreign loans are unable to save the country's economy. Kiev should admit that its plans to join the EU were unsuccessful, German newspaper Deutsche Wirtschafts Nachrichten (DWN) reported" (2015-12-30, sputniknews.com) [archive.is/zFaCI]
* "Western Anti-Russian Sanctions Ruining Ukraine’s Economy; The West’s anti-Russian sanctions as well as Russia’s responsive measures have badly damaged the Ukrainian economy, RBK reported, citing the memorandum on Ukraine’s debt restructuring" (2015-09-25, sputniknews.com) [archive.is/AeRik]
* "Where’s My Money? Half of Ukraine’s GDP Lost Due to Underground Economy; The size of Ukraine’s underground economy has risen to almost 50 percent of the country’s GDP, causing the government to lose billions of dollars, Gazeta.ru reported" (2015-08-17, sputniknews.com) [archive.is/Jgyn1]
* "Anti-Corruption Fight 'Biggest Disappointment’ Among Ukraine Reforms; Ukraine’s anti-corruption fight is the "biggest disappointment" among the country’s reforms over the past two years, Swedish Ambassador to Ukraine Andreas von Beckerath said Tuesday" (2015-12-19, sputniknews.com) [archive.is/EwdFD]
* "Nearly 9 in 10 Ukrainians Believe Corruption Widespread in Gov't - Poll; Eighty-eight percent of the Ukrainian population believe that corruption is widespread in their government, a poll revealed on Wednesday" (2015-12-23, sputniknews.com) [archive.is/cs4Hr]
* "The Three Stooges: Current Ukrainian Leadership Has Crippled the Country; The Ukrainian 'revolution of dignity' thrust the country into the quagmire of hopelessness and corruption" (2016-01-04, sputniknews.com) [archive.is/FySGk]
* "Ukraine Falls Victim to US Neocons' 'Regime Change' Experiment; The Ukraine crisis represents just another failure of neocon-driven "regime change," strikingly similar to those orchestrated by Washington in the Middle East and North Africa, US investigative journalist Robert Parry notes, warning that Ukraine may soon become the next failed state" (2016-01-08, sputniknews.com) [archive.is/oA1LV]
* "US 'Project Ukraine' Nearing Collapse, Threatening Obama’s Reputation; Despite the US and EU’s efforts, the Ukrainian "project" is in danger. If the Ukrainian government falls it will be a deep embarrassment for Washington, Brussels and the IMF which sacrificed relations with Russia to support it" (2015-12-30, sputniknews.com) [archive.is/rCBBw]
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* "Russia Versus Ukraine: The Court Case and the IMF In the legal dispute over Ukraine's $3 billion debt to Russia, it is Russia that has the advantage" (2016-01-08, russia-insider.com) [archive.is/FDQdK]
* "Ukraine challenges Russian gas project" (2016-01-07, UPI Newswire) [archive.is/YyfXG]
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* "Turning Seventeen? Ukrainian Armed Forces Are Waiting For You" (2016-01-06, strategic-culture.org) [archive.is/FbPGC]
* "In ATO zone Ukrainian military watch only Russian or Novorossian TV" (2016-01-09, dninews.com) [archive.is/jAFwp]
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* "Photos: ISIS militants among fighters of the Ukrianian Regiment 'Azov' " (2016-01-06, southfront.org) [archive.is/OpreP]
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Today 09.01.2016 in Dublin, Ireland outside of the Ukrainian embassy -
The Connolly Youth Movement, Humanitarian battalion Ireland&UK, p.o.Mobius, Communist Party of Ireland, Odessa commemorative committee, and the Anti imperialist Front (Ireland), held a protest against rise of nazism in Ukraine and Ukraine's ban of Communist Party. A letter supported by all organizations in which people voiced their condemnation of Ukrainian Nazi regime was read out and will be handed to the Ukrainian ambassador.
After the protest people gathered in Connolly books shop for the discussion on the situation in Donbass.
Photos: [archive.is/OhzHi] [archive.is/QmTIG] [archive.is/f0d72] [archive.is/h5x9q] [archive.is/7mcX8] [archive.is/KQRAR] [archive.is/YIbOe] [archive.is/2SPQ0] [archive.is/hMO44]
===*===*===
People's Republic of Donetsk (DPR, or DNR)* "Donetsk Peoples' Republic Rejects Kiev's UNSC Peacekeeping Force Proposal; DPR representatives have rejected Kiev's proposal to send UN Security Council peacekeeping mission to Donbas" (2016-01-08, sputniknews.com) [archive.is/pTOYU]
* "Ombudsman: Donetsk republic prepares for prisoner swap with Ukraine; Republic’s ombudsman did not specify the date and the format of the planned prisoner exchange" (2016-01-06, tass.ru) [archive.is/h5PPM]
* "Memory of perished children will be honoured in Donetsk" (2016-01-03, novorossia.today) [http://is.gd/VFqGmX]
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People's Republic of Lunghask (LPR, or LNR; Luhansk, Lugansk)* "Lugansk communist reflects on year of trials and solidarity" (2016-01-04, redstaroverdonbass.blogspot.de) [archive.is/So7bl], original [archive.is/dOgBJ]:
Photo: Lugansk communist leader Maksym Chalenko.
Congratulations to all and happy New Year! We’re nearing the end of the old year and, as is customary, I would like to briefly summarize its results.2015 was a year of trials for the communists of Lugansk, testing their ideological maturity, devotion to communist ideals and party unity. And the communists passed these tests with confidence, honor and dignity, preserving party unity, camaraderie and confidence in the victory of communist ideals.
2015 saw the launch of a new left-wing political organization in Ukraine, based on the best traditions, past experience and current trends in the development of our communist movement.
2015 was a year of solidarity. We met with many comrades from Germany, Italy, Spain, Greece, France, Hungary, Slovenia, Poland, Britain, Belgium, Austria, Serbia, and countries of Asia, Africa and Latin America, who are doing everything to ensure that the truth about the Donbass is heard in their countries despite the information blockade of the official authorities.
Special thanks to the comrades of the United States that throughout the year carried out actions in solidarity with Donbass in the "citadel of evil." We had many pleasant meetings and encounters with communist and leftist organizations of the former Soviet Union, especially with communist organizations of Russia and Belarus.
The 2015 International Forum "Anti-fascism, Internationalism, Solidarity" united around Donbass all who are not indifferent to the practice of revolutionary struggle by communists, and all who have the welfare of the people of Donbass at heart.
See you in 2016 at the 2nd International AIS Forum!
Success to all, good luck, health and simple human happiness!
Peace for Donbass and forward to meet new challenges in the New Year!
With communist greetings from Lugansk,
[signed] Maksym Chalenko (December 31, 2015)
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Republic of Crimea (part of the Federation of Russia; claimed by the Republic of Ukraine)
* " ‘Genocide’: Crimean parliament seeks UN action over Ukrainian energy blockade" (2016-01-13, rt.com) [archive.is/Sf66N]
* "Crimeans vote to give up electricity contract with Ukraine even if it means more power cut-offs" (2016-01-01, rt.com) [archive.is/KwEJL]
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Federation of Russia (EEU Member)
Map [archive.is/yFbmy]. News: [rbth.com]
* "Russia’s updated national security strategy" (2015-12-31, translated by southfront.org) [archive.is/XMwOq]
* "Russia wants rapprochement with Europe" (2016-01-13, rt.com) [archive.is/jePBc]
* "Russian documentary film ‘World Order’, Dec 2015, sub-titled in English" (2016-01-06, newcoldwar.org) [archive.is/8vRZI]: World Order is a nearly two-hour documentary film by documentary film director Vladimir Soloviev examining the vast political changes in the world since the fall of the Soviet Union in 1992. The film was first broadcast on Russian television channel Pervy Kanal on December 20. Now it has been subtited in English by Vox Populi Evo and can be viewed here [youtube.com/watch?v=ZNhYzYUo42g].
World Order contains many interviews with world political figures, including Russian President Vladimir Putin. In the words of Gilbert Doctorow, World Order is a “devastating critique of U.S. global hegemony in the name of democracy promotion and human rights”.
* "2016: Russian Documentary Aims to Avert Nuclear War - Western Media Still Busy Demonizing Putin; If ‘World Order’ is a piece of propaganda, it is sophisticated and serves certain higher values, not the interests of individuals or power for power’s sake. In effect, it is a wake-up call to avert nuclear war by reining in exceptionalism and safeguarding the principles of the UN Charter" (2016-01-03, by Gilbert Doctorow) [archive.is/Stvys]
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* "Meeting with KPRF leader Gennady Zyuganov Vladimir Putin met with leader of the Russian Federation Communist Party (KPRF) faction in the State Duma Gennady Zyuganov" (2015-12-29, en.kremlin.ru) [archive.is/udt4l]. Photo caption: With leader of the Communist Party faction in the State Duma, Chairman of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Russian Federation Gennady Zyuganov.
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* "Russia can be one of the most energy-competitive areas based on renewables" (2015-12-30, lut.fi) [archive.is/R1kig]
* "Can Nanotube Technology Save Planet Earth? One technology emerges from COP21 as more positive than all the rest - nanotube tech may well save the day" (2015-12-16, sputniknews.com) [archive.is/1q0rN] [begin excerpt]: Photo caption: Russian President Vladimir Putin Speaks at Climate Change Summit in Paris.
Many of the scientists and politicians attending the UN Climate Summit in Paris (COP21) warned of greenhouse gases approaching a “worst case” scenario. Now, as the world’s environmental issues are becoming acutely and unequivocally serious, there’s an air of fearful dread, and of hopeful anticipation too. Within this synergy of plusses and minuses, no potential seems more hopeful than that of nanotube technologies.
"Russia has developed technology for using carbon nanotube based additives. Experts estimate that use of this technology in Russia alone will reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 160–180 million tonnes by 2030.” President Vladimir Putin – COP21 Paris, November 30th, 2015.For those unfamiliar, carbon nanofibres and nanotubes can be used to make very light, very strong, materials. It’s fair to suggest they can be utilized to make “immensely strong” materials, which brings us to the ultimate potential to impact everything from transport to housing and on to medical technologies. But the structural advantages of these new carbon fiber technologies are only half the hopeful potential. New methods for literally “sucking” carbon from the atmosphere and then converting it to oxygen and nanoscale fibers made of carbon may lead to an inexpensive weapons against climate change.
The possibilities for using carbon fibers are literally endless. Already sectors from Aerospace to automotive and vast retail manufacturing applications are presented to the consuming public. Race cars to smart fabrics, this micro-thin wonder creation has been prohibitively expensive in the past. This barrier has been overcome recently with innovation from the Nanotechnology Incubator in Akademgorodok, more specifically a Russian physicist named Mikhail Predtechensky, who co-founded the world’s leading nano-technology company OCSiAl. The Company’s product, TUBALL contains 75% and more of single wall carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) than previous materials, and can be produced 50 to 100 times more cheaply than competing materials. I spoke with OCSiAl’s Director of Marketing, Ksenia Kulgaeva in tehe Moscow offices via phone about the potential of TUBALL in environmental applications.
As it turns out, OCSiAl products are what I call “foundation materials”, or materials fundamental to the value added production of other technologies and products. I was, I will admit, not aware of this before talking to Ms. Kulgaeva. We also discussed her company’s market focus, as well. Given Russia’s penchant toward Asia of late, I was keen to discover this technology’s adaptation in Asia.
As it turns out, TUBALL is has been a catalyst for a good many strategic alliances, including one with a key SME enabler in South Korea, CM Partner, a leading contract manufacturing service (CMS). Using the TUBALL BAT product as a stepping stone to other applications, the two companies aim to ramp up to sell directly to end users, beyond the B2B sphere. We know that lightweight nano-tech reduces the energy needed to move vehicles, and it’s clear nanotubes and fibers can be formed from the carbon in CO2, but OCSiAl is also engaged in making electrical current and power more efficient. Kulgavea had this to say about the CM Partner deal:
"A recent OCSiAI Asia Pacific initiative offers us a practical application template that's sure to positively affect the greenhouse gas situation. Through our partnership with electronics manufacturer CM Partner Inc. in South Korea, we will supply our unique material known as TUBALL, to be used in Li-ion batteries with dramatically improved performance. These batteries will in turn be used to power vehicles such as SUNBIKE, a super eco-friendly motorcycle." [end excerpt]
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Russian Repression Report: Actual incidents and false stories explained
* " ‘Traitors’: Kadyrov blasts non-system opposition for servicing foreign interests" (2016-01-13, rt.com) [archive.is/mWviT] [begin excerpt]: Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov has told reporters that many Russian opposition figures were “playing the game invented by Western special services” adding that such people should be put on trial for “subversive activities.”
At a press conference in the Chechen capital, Grozny, Kadyrov also described the non-system opposition (those who oppose President Vladimir Putin and the current Russian government, but fail to attract enough public support to be elected or sometimes even to launch a political party) as “persons who have never been heard of and who oppose President Putin only in order to boost their own popularity.”
In addition, Kadyrov said that fringe oppositions activists were attempting to capitalize on the difficult economic situation in Russia and that these people were “playing the game invented by Western special services.” He added that anyone who attempts to destabilize the political situation in Russia must be put on trial on charges of subversive activities. [end excerpt]
* " 'Cologne Rapes Are Putin's Handiwork' - Activist" (2016-01-10, translated by Ollie Richardson for Fort Russ) [archive.is/Rikp3]
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Eurasian Union (EEU) / Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO)
EEU Map [archive.is/7gu7z]
* "First the Middle East, now Central Asia slipping away from Turkey" (2016-01-06, al-monitor.com) [archive.is/autGz], photo caption: (L-R) Armenia's President Serzh Sargsyan, Belarus' President Alexander Lukashenko, Kazakhstan's President Nursultan Nazarbayev, Russia's President Vladimir Putin and Kyrgyzstan's President Almazbek Atambayev stand during a meeting of the heads of state of the Supreme Eurasian Economic Council at the Burabai resort near Astana, Kazakhstan, Oct. 16, 2015
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* "An attempted Maidan in Armenia" (2015-06-23, nvstarikov.wordpress.com) [archive.is/UmAlb]: Our geopolitical “partners” are again trying to stop the processes of integration through the use of “color” technology.
An attempt to “put up the tents” and “to capture the square” was suppressed in Armenia today. The reason chosen for the “protests” was convenient and popular: After all, who is “for” increasing prices for electricity?As for the possibility of Maidan in Armenia, I wrote about it in November 2014:
“Since we’re talking about the “orange” scenarios in the near future, this danger threatens Armenia. I’d like to remind you that in January 2015, Armenia should become a member of the Customs Union.
In addition, Hungary, which shows an unwavering desire to build a “South Stream”, which is beneficial not only to itself but also the entire European economy, is also in the danger zone.
Therefore, summing up the news, I make the following conclusion: at risk from the point of view of the “orange” scenarios are Serbia, Armenia and Hungary.”
===*===*===
Republic of South Ossetia (EEU Affiliate)[mfa-rso.su/en]; Maps [archive.is/e2FnM]
===*===*===
Republic of Turkey (NATO member state)* "Is Turkey heading to partition?" (2016-01-04, al-monitor.com) [archive.is/vW929]
* "Turkey’s War Against the Kurds" (2016-01-07, counterpunch.org) [archive.is/53dAo]
* "Turkey’s Military Onslaught On The Kurds: Why Are Europe And The US Silent?" (2016-01-04, socialeurope.eu) [archive.is/AVhEr]
* "NATO's Second-Largest Army Wages War Against 'Kids With AK-47s' ; Ankara's recent military campaign against Kurdish rebels marks "a whole new level of escalation" in a decades-long conflict, with few truly understanding its scope and implications, Istanbul-based journalist Asli Aydintasbas asserted" (2016-01-05, sputniknews.com) [archive.is/NQtoK]
* "Turkish police arrest pro-Kurdish opposition politicians in raid on HDP party HQ" (2016-01-08, rt.com) [archive.is/PTxH4]
---
* "Turkish-Daesh Oil Trade: Iraq, Iran, Syria, and Russia All Accuse Turkey of Smuggling Oil" (2015-12-18, strategic-culture.org, with photos added by syrianfreepress.wordpress.com) part 1 [archive.is/L7mh7], part 2 [archive.is/Di5Ru], part 3 [archive.is/3Y5hx], part 4 [archive.is/oeRmH]
* "Turkey blockades Syrian Kurdish areas surrounded by ISIS" (2016-01-13, rt.com) [archive.is/UOptg]
---
* "In Hitler's Footsteps? Erdogan's Scandalous Notion By No Means Accidental; The US media is determined to demonize Syria, Russia, Iran, and all the countries that are actively defeating Daesh (Islamic State/ISIL). At the same time the Western press remains mute about Recep Erdogan's colluding with the notorious terrorist group, US political analyst Caleb Maupin notes" (20106-01-05, sputniknews.com) [archive.is/KPcHc]
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* "Education union branch head arrested for ‘insulting’ Erdoğan" (2015-12-31, todayszaman.com) [archive.is/bDQ1N]
* "17 Year Old Teen Arrested By Turkish Junta For Insulting Fuhrer Erdogan On Facebook" (2015-12-29, novorossia.today) [archive.is/EqVgl]
===*===*===
Republic of Iraq
* "Iraqi Army Foils Daesh Attack on Strategic Chemical Factory; The Iraqi security forces have thwarted a planned attack by Daesh terrorists on a strategic chemical factory in the city of Samarra and continued their advances in Ramadi, Iran’s Fars news agency reported on Thursday" (2016-01-07, sputniknews.com) [archive.is/1orZx]
* "Iraq’s military: Senior Daesh commander killed in Anbar" (2016-01-09, presstv.com) [archive.is/HpDvD]
* "Iraqi Security Force's Ramadi Liberation Casualties Likely a Thousand; The number of Iraqi Security Forces (ISF) casualties in Ramadi has risen to the thousands, while the ISF death toll likely remains in the hundreds, Operation Inherent Resolve spokesperson Col. Steven Warren told reporters on Wednesday" (2016-01-06, sputniknews.com) [archive.is/OeWHy]
* "Iraqi Tragedy: Ramadi Reduced to Rubble by US-Coalition Bombing; A spokesman for the Iraqi volunteer forces reportedly hit out at the US-led coalition for destroying the city of Ramadi under the pretext of targeting Daesh positions" (2016-01-10, sputniknews.com) [archive.is/f6qtM]
---
* "Iraq Finance 2016" event announcement (2016-01-12), view email here [archive.is/DbyNY], visit webpage here [http://is.gd/5QbFUJ]:
It is our pleasure to introduce you to Iraq Finance 2016 a major international conference and Exhibition on Finance and Banking Services in Iraq, to be held on 7 - 8 March 2016 in Beirut, Lebanon.Recently there has been a huge expansion in Iraq’s financial industry and it is expected that 2016 will see an increasing range of fresh opportunities in this area particularly as a result of privatisation moves and the restructuring of state owned banks. Iraq has already witnessed the expansion of major players in the country including JP Morgan, Citibank, Standard Chartered and many others; there are still many investors on the brink of joining the market.
This is the 3rd International Conference and Exhibition on Finance and Banking Services in Iraq, continuing on from three acclaimed events held in London and in Dubai since 2012. These were attended by many national and international banks, financial institutions and investors as well as the Governor of CBI, Ministers and top executives from government and private industry in Iraq.At this latest event you will have the opportunity to exchange views, discuss opportunities and meet with many decision makers and representatives from Iraq’s financial sector including:
- The Governor of the Central Bank of Iraq
- Minister of Finance (TBC)- Minister of Industry and Mining
- Senior Advisors to the Prime Minister on finance and economy
- Chief Executive Officer, Iraq Stock Exchange; Chairman, Iraqi Securities Commission (TBC)
- Chairman of National Investment Commission; President of Trade Bank of Iraq and DGs of government own banks: Rafidain, Rasheed al-Nahrain.Iraq Finance comprises a series of events that have acted as the world’s most extensive link between the Government and global corporate leaders, bankers, finance and legal executives, and aimed at maximising financial industry opportunities in Iraq.
You will have the opportunity to engage, discuss and exchange views on relevant issues relating to:
- Financial sustainability in Iraq in light of declining of the oil incomes.- International perspectives on developing an effective and transparent financial system in Iraq.
- Private investment in Iraq following the new investment laws.
- Restructuring of government-owned banks and the potential for Islamic banking.
- How foreign banks can contribute to the stability of Iraq’s financial sector.
- Achieving long-term growth and returns on investment for foreign financial organisations
Is Iraq on the verge of major financial changes? How is this being managed? How do the government changes affect investors? What is the affect of cheaper oil on Iraq’s economy? What are CBI strategies in 2016? View the full agenda click here (.pdf) [http://is.gd/DCe7XK].
Hear: In order to gain informed impressions of the event please hear past delegates offer their views: click here [https://youtu.be/p6KJWswXDS0] [https://youtu.be/8dklRz6FtOw] [https://youtu.be/8mZRRq0d9vM] [https://youtu.be/ZV4wY5Wz3O4].
Exhibition: A few sponsorship packages remain for companies wishing to promote themselves to our valued and influential delegates. As at last events, the number of packages is limited: for further information, please click here [http://is.gd/RuSKSB].
Website: For further information please visit [http://is.gd/5QbFUJ]
Register Now: To be part of the world’s most extensive gathering on Finance and Banking Services in Iraq, please Register Now [http://is.gd/vCOtkW].
Basrah Gas Company
Biogh
Sanjay Motwani, President, Sansar Capital
US Department of Commerce
Testimonials of Iraq Finance 2012 & 2014 [http://is.gd/73RHLK]:
Basrah Gas Company
Andrew Tait, Finance Director, Basrah Gas Company
“An excellent platform to engage on latest experience and developments within Iraq finance.”
Biogh
Richard Cotton, Marketing, Biogh
“High quality delegates, important relevant topics openly discussed.”
Sansar Capital
Sanjay Motwani, President, Sansar Capital
“The event puts together key players in the market. It is a must go for anyone interested in any aspects of Iraq Finance.”
US Department of Commerce
Hamoda Zahawi, Attorney, US Department of Commerce
“For those seeking a ‘real world’ look at the future of Iraq finance by these movers and shakers making the future, this conference is a must!”
For sponsorship enquiries or for further information on the conference programme, please contact: Pamela Marenco, Iraq Finance 2016 Conference Manager: [pamela.marenco@)symexco.com]
Symexco Ltd/ 12-13, Greville Street, London EC1N 8SB, UK
Symexco Ltd is a registered company in the UK / Registration No. 07323791
Email: [enquiry@)symexco.com] Tel: +44 207 242 9394
Arab Republic of Syria: Diplomatic and Civil News
[sana.sy/en] [syriatimes.sy] [facebook.com/United.Syrian.Republic] [sana-syria.org] [joshualandis.com/blog] [syriasolidaritymovement.org] [syrianfreepress.wordpress.com] [syrianews.cc] [acloserlookonsyria.shoutwiki.com] [syrianperspective.com] [breakingnews.sy/en.html]* "What's the Trick? Bashar Assad Still Enjoys Public Support in Syria; Bashar al-Assad, the democratically elected leader of a sovereign country, has been labeled as a "dictator" and "tyrant" by the West; however, the Western media-narrative falls apart at the seams as Bashar al-Assad continues to enjoy overwhelming support in Syria, geopolitical analyst Steven MacMillan notes" (2015-12-20, sputniknews.com) [archive.is/3kgDz]
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* "Syria spent SYP 33,8 billion for Palestinian refugees in 2015, Report" (2016-01-01, sana.sy) [archive.is/FiO1w]
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* President of Syria, H.E. Dr. Bashar Hafez al-Assad take part in the commemoration of Prophet Mohammad’s birth (2015) [https://youtu.be/w9EF2qhJ5B8]
* "Christian denominations in Syria celebrated Christmas" videos (2015-12-25, SANA Newswire)[https://youtu.be/sYV4mYHDWrA] [https://youtu.be/6BFAJjjkD-4]
* "Christmas Celebrated in Terror-Ravaged Syria Christmas trees, carols, church services, and the resilience of the human heart" (2016-01-09, by Eva Bartlett) [archive.is/YXoCn], photos: [archive.is/abD2M] [archive.is/76j1o] [archive.is/xJEqK] [archive.is/KyjDq]
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* "UN Syria envoy to meet Security Council powers" (2016-01-12, AFP Newswire) [archive.is/5T38K]
===*===*===
Arab Republic of Syria: War News
* "Syrian Female Fighters: women in arms against Daesh in Syria" (RT News) [https://youtu.be/lL9nC8KV-_E]
The involvement of the Federation of Russia was organized meticulously with the intention of a semi-permanent presence as long as NATO/USA are deploying death squads to attack the Alawites and secular Arab people, as shown in the following article, "Russia Expands Military Its Presence in Syria, Satellite Photos Show; Apparent development of two fresh bases north of Latakia is latest sign Moscow prepares to sally into Assad’s civil war" (2015-09-22, wsj.com) [archive.is/oqFYC]
* "5240 Russian sorties against terrorist targets since the beginning of Russian operation in Syria" (2015-12-25, sana.sy) [archive.is/ZdOSS], relevant videos:
- "Surveillance footage: Oil tankers, trucks under heavy bombing in Syria by Russian Air Force" (2015-12-25, RT News) [https://youtu.be/jESgfd9bENA]: The aerial video shows Russian Air Force bombing of heavy-duty trucks transporting oil from Iraq to Turkey. The footage was made in the vicinity of Zakho (a city in Iraqi Kurdistan), there were 11,775 tankers and trucks on both sides of the Turkish-Iraqi border.
- "Combat cam: Russian airstrikes target gasoline trucks convoy in Aleppo province" (2015-12-24, RT News) [https://youtu.be/dxSfG-ZZmFo]: Russian Air Forces carried a series of airstrikes in Syrian Aleppo province targeting a convoy of gasoline trucks.
- "Combat cam: Russian Air Force target ISIS training camp in Syria" (2015-12-24, RT News) [https://youtu.be/tzX25hTbv3o]: The Russian Air Force carried out multiple airstrikes targeting a training camp of the Islamic State militants in Syrian province of Idlib on Wednesday.
- Photo showing oil tanker trucks destroyed by Russian airstrikes
* Jobar Region of Damascus: Apocalyptic Scenes of Ruins & Underground Tunnels Destroyed, videos (RT News) [https://youtu.be/mJtrBg8TQaM] [https://youtu.be/o7RbkLEBPKU]
* "A Christmas gift to the entire world ~ CONFIRMED: the mercenary Zahran Alloush, leader of the ‘Islam Army’ terrorist gang, killed with a large number of other terrorist leaders by Syrian Air Forces and Syrian Army Units" (2015-12-25, syrianfreepress.wordpress.com) [archive.is/NYT6A], attached videos [https://youtu.be/z2gzAynGrhU] [https://youtu.be/WDTGzIgryiY]
* "Murderers and enemies of the Syrian people are continuing their barbaric carnage: 19 civilians killed in terrorist attacks in Aleppo, Quneitra, Hama, Damascus" (2015-12-26, syrianfreepress.wordpress.com) [archive.is/zv7Kv]
* "Exclusive Video: Daraa Countryside, 2 brigades of jihadist mercenaries, eliminated by Syrian Military Engineers" (2015-12-28, syrianfreepress.wordpress.com) [archive.is/Af3GQ], attached video [https://youtu.be/28GeubnDya0]
* "2 Birds With 1 Stone: Two Brigades of Mercenaries Eliminated by Syrian Military Engineers" (2015-12-28) [https://youtu.be/28GeubnDya0]
* "Some 300 families leave besieged Al-Foua’a and Kafraya, gunmen leave al-Zabadani" (2015-12-28, sana.sy) [archive.is/iBbd4], attached video [https://youtu.be/ErdnWkrCjOY], photos [archive.is/EEEnt] [archive.is/GJYoR] [archive.is/VDXCV] [archive.is/9vhQi] [archive.is/LXhsk] [archive.is/opg4m] [archive.is/cDgSn] [archive.is/dFVS4] [archive.is/ElVi7] [archive.is/tCz7P] [archive.is/IwzlT] [archive.is/KBTnh]
* "Latest Reports in Relation to the Death of the Commander of Jaysh al-Islam: 'Infiltration by Syrian Army Intelligence Allowed Killing NATO’s Top Mercenary Zahran Alloush' " (2015-12-28, syrianfreepress.wordpress.com) [archive.is/yaJFs], attached video [https://youtu.be/WDTGzIgryiY]
* "Northern Latakia offensive ends in defeat for the Islamist rebels" (2016-01-03, almasdarnews.com) [http://is.gd/y75tJp]
* "Syrian Army launches counter-offensive in Hama – Map update" (2016-01-06, almasdarnews.com) [http://is.gd/cey8sT]
* "Syrian Army Launches Attack Against Daesh Near Palmyra; The Syrian Army alongside the National Defense Forces (NDF) launched a counter-offensive near the ancient city of Palmyra in the central province of Homs. They successfully repelled an attempted attack by Daesh militants" (2016-01-07, sputniknews.com) [archive.is/2q60e]
* "Russia deploying advisors near Palmyra: rebel media; All4Syria claimed that Moscow was seeking to bolster the regime's military operations around two key airbases" (2016-01-07, now.mmedia.me) [archive.is/oDJi9]
* "Taking the Ground Back: Syrian Army Further Liberates Aleppo; The Syrian Army alongside the National Defense Forces (NDF) attacked Daesh militants’ defense lines in the eastern part of Aleppo province and regained control over a strategic road" (2016-01-08, sputniknews.com) [archive.is/UPpja]
* "Syrian Army Destory Takfiri Rats in Daraa" (2016-01-09, fortruss.blogspot.ca) [archive.is/R8YGV]
* "Syrian forces cut off major militant supply lines on Turkish border region" (2016-01-09, presstv.com) [archive.is/PjIJc]
* "Kneel and Yield: Terrorists Pushed Back By Syrian Army, Russian Jets in Mountainous Latakia; Supported by Russian air strikes, the Syrian Army has reportedly managed to regain control of a spate of strategic areas in the western province of Latakia" (2016-01-09, sputniknews.com) [archive.is/Hl6zr]
* "Russia Delivers Nearly 14,000 Tons of Cargo to Syria’s Hmeimim Airbase; According to Russian Aerospace Forces spokesman, Russia’s military transport aviation has carried out over 280 sorties to deliver infrastructure for Syria’s Hmeimim airbase and has transferred almost 14,000 metric tons of cargo there" (2016-01-09, sputniknews.com) [archive.is/LwKCd]
* "Germany flies first anti-ISIS ‘intelligence extraction’ mission from Turkey" (2016-01-09, rt.com) [archive.is/VQMHS]
* "Syrian fighter jets pound Daesh oil tankers in Dayr al-Zawr" (2016-01-10, presstv.com) [archive.is/GmYuW]
* "Hitting the Enemy Where It Hurts: Kurdish Forces Disrupt Daesh Oil Trade; The Kurdish People’s Protection Units are waging a successful campaign against Daesh forces in Syria, targeting the terrorist movement’s primary source of income" (2016-01-10, sputniknews.com) [archive.is/Qb8ta]
* "Syrian Army Storms Daesh and al-Nusra Terrorists in Homs; Syrian government forces have killed scores of Daesh and al-Nusra terrorists after attacking their positions in Homs province, reported Fars news" (2016-01-10, sputniknews.com) [archive.is/AGG6o]
===*===*===
The International anti-Syria Alliance, the "Free Syria Army", and allied organizations
* "Assad Reveals Which Countries 'Transformed Syria Into Hotbed of Terrorism' ; According to Syrian President Bashar-al-Assad, the fight against terrorism “should be a stable, sustainable principle” based on a real social support" (2015-12-22, sputniknews.com) [archive.is/GGrsF]
* "West’s airstrikes cost ‘billions’ to Syria economy – Damascus’ UN envoy" (2016-01-12, rt.com) [archive.is/1bfe3]
* "Bad Math: Pentagon’s Numbers on Daesh 'Success' Don’t Add Up; While the US has touted its bombing campaign against terrorists in Syria, a closer look at the numbers reveals that for every militant killed, another is recruited" (2016-01-08, sputniknews.com) [archive.is/pLlbh]
* "Money shot: US bombs ISIS cash store, destroying millions of dollars" (2016-01-12, rt.com) [archive.is/e2zsq], don't worry, they'll make more.
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* "Cameron admits ‘70,000 moderate rebels’ in Syria include hardline Islamists" (2016-01-13, rt.com) [archive.is/ypVNC]
* "British SAS Special Forces “Dressed Up as ISIS Rebels” Fighting Assad in Syria" (2015-08-04, by Stephen Lendman) [archive.is/sMpBn]
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* "Leader of Ahrar al-Sham shot dead in Homs" (2016-01-05, almasdarnews.com) [http://is.gd/0zSaUZ]
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* "Beginning of the End? Nusra Turns on FSA Allies in Token Syrian Town; The al-Nusra Front terrorist organization attacked a radio station belonging to its FSA allies ahead of a ceasefire which does not include terrorist organizations" (2016-01-10, sputniknews.com) [archive.is/GcJed]
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* "Syria, the Real Story, CIA & Mossad Death Squads Exposed" [https://youtu.be/_orfcGnaseE]: The Western policy towards terrorism is to create terrorism! This video shows the beginning of the invasion by proxy armies coming out of Jordan and Turkey.
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* "UN watchdog finds evidence of sarin use while investigating Syrian govt tip" (2016-01-05, rt.com) [archive.is/OEyrE]
* "OPCW report: rebels used chemical weapons – not Assad" (2016-01-08, almasdarnews.com) [archive.is/CIdtl]
* "UN Inspector Says Syrian Rebels Used Chemical Weapons, Not Assad (May 2013)" [youtube.com/watch?v=fXmzBFyXvVI]: Testimony from victims now strongly suggests it was the rebels, not the Syrian government, that used Sarin Nerve Gas during a recent incident in the revolution-wracked nation, a senior UN diplomat said Monday. Carla del Ponte, a member of the UN Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Syria, told Swiss TV there were "strong, concrete suspicions but not yet incontrovertible proof," that rebels seeking to oust Syrian President Bashar al-Assad had used the nerve agent. But she said her panel had not yet seen any evidence of Syrian government forces using chemical weapons (CW), according to the BBC, she added that more investigation was needed. Damascus is facing growing Western accusations that its forces used such weapons, which US President Obama has described as crossing a Red Line. But Ms. del Ponte's remarks may serve to shift the focus of international concern.Ms. del Ponte, who in Y 1999 was appointed to head the UN was crimes tribunals for Yugoslavia and Rwanda, has sometimes been a controversial figure. She was removed from her Rwanda post by the UN Security Council in Y 2003, but she continued as the Chief prosecutor for the Yugoslav tribunal until Y 2008. Rebel Free Syrian Army spokesman Louay Almokdad denied that rebels had use chemical weapons (CW).
* "UN Official, Syrian Rebels Used Sarin Nerve Gas, Not Assad’s Army" (2013-08-27, livetradingnews.com) [http://is.gd/AVu8ER]
* "Syrian Chemical Weapons Attack Carried Out by Rebels, Says UN" (2013-08-27, guardianlv.com)[http://is.gd/YqcO2U]
* "Syrian Rebels Used Sarin Nerve Gas, Not Assad's Regime: U.N. Official" (2013-08-26, washingtontimes.com) [archive.is/w2392]
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* "Syrians Have No Food, NATO/MSM Have No Shame: Madaya Starvation Photos Faked For Propaganda" (2016-01-12, Brandon Turbeville) [archive.is/NKISa] [begin excerpt]: Another popular image being circulated by the likes of VICE News and Donatella Rivera, Amnesty International’s Senior Crisis Advisor, is neither current nor from Madaya. The photo shows a very emaciated young boy, crouching shirtless on the floor, ribs jutting out, and staring at the camera. It was first posted in 2013. [end excerpt]
Aren't the innocents simply being denied to leave Madaya by the ones fighting against Hezbollah and the SAA?
* "Madaya: A huge concentration camp where Hezbollah starves people to death" (2016-01-07, middleeasteye.net) [archive.is/i66E3]
* "Survival in Madaya: 'We are living on water and salt' ; Around two dozen people have already starved to death in the Syrian town, which has been under siege for six months" (2016-01-08, aljazeera.com) [archive.is/mnzuL]
* "Seeing the starving children of Madaya is shocking – but so is the world’s neglect; Media interest in Isis has overshadowed the humanitarian catastrophe occurring at the hands of pro-Assad forces. The Syrian conflct is more complex than good v evil" (2016-01-08, theguardian.com) [archive.is/c76b9]
* "Hezbollah denies accusations of ‘starving civilians in Madaya’ " (2016-01-08, almasdarnews.com) [http://is.gd/1D0JDk]:
Yesterday, a representative of the Lebanese resistance-militia Hezbollah released a statement in response to Syrian rebel groups and several western media outlets which have accused Hezbollah of blocking goods from reaching 40.000 civilians inside Madaya. Madaya is a rebel-held town which is geographically situated near the Lebanese border and just 3 kilometers from Zabadani; however, the Syrian Army (SAA) and Hezbollah have enforced a blockade on Madaya until local rebels give up their weapons and sue for amnesty. Eight significant Hezbollah points were made to adress the issue: 1. Tens of trucks carrying food and medical supplies were delivered to Madaya and Serghaya on the 18th of October. More will be brought in the week to come.
2. Madaya has been held hostage for months by 600 militants – these rebels are made up roughly by 60 % Ahrar al-Sham, 30 % Jabhat al-Nusra and 10 % the Free Syrian Army.
3. Armed groups in Madaya control food supplies within the town and sell to whoever can afford it; thus, starvation is widespread among poor civilians.
4. Madaya was not under siege until militants began to use it as a base from which they launched shells and attacks towards Hezbollah and the SAA inside the town of Zabadani.
5. Militants use inhabitants of Madaya as human shields and as a political card to further their propaganda campagain.
6. There have been many attempts by inhabitants of Madaya to leave the town but the militants block any such efforts.7. There are negotiations for 300 militants to hand themselves in to authorities but the remaining militants have refused to allow such a deal.
8. Finally, the goals of those behind the Madaya smear campaign are obviously to tarnish the image of the Lebanese resistance and Syrian government.
Photo caption: Marxist DFLP fighters parading with the Hezbollah flag in Gaza.
* "From Sarajevo to Madaya: Starvation as propaganda" (2016-01-12, rt.com) [archive.is/xQxcd] [begin excerpt]: The sudden interest of Western media and diplomats in the Syrian city of Madaya has very little to do with the thousands of purportedly starving civilians – and everything to do with propaganda in a war that is not going the way Western capitals wanted.
For the past two weeks, first the Western-backed Syrian “activists” and then the mainstream media reporting their every rumor as gospel truth, began spreading stories about the “Assad regime” deliberately starving some 40,000 civilians inside Madaya, a former resort town 25 miles northwest of Damascus. Sordid stories splashed across the front pages of the Anglophone press and social media, claiming the government in Damascus was deliberately withholding food from innocent civilians “for months.”
In truth, the last convoy of food to reach Madaya was promptly seized by the anti-government rebels holding the town. The rebels have been selling the looted food at exorbitant prices, to the few locals who could still afford to buy. One of the residents spoke to RT of $30 for a kilo of rice; it was even worse, it turned out, with prices running as high as $250.
So, it wasn’t the demonized Syrian President Bashar al-Assad personally overseeing the starving-out of Madaya, as one might think from the media coverage – but the very same “democratic moderates” backed by the West, who invented the narrative about the “walking skeletons of Madaya” and fed it to the gullible press.
One would imagine that now that food has been delivered, the false narrative would be exposed. Not so: the rebels and their backers are doubling down, using the story of Madaya to push for more intervention in the Syrian civil war. [end excerpt]
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* "Avaaz: The Online Pro-War Propagandist And Color Revolution NGO" (2016-01-12, by Brandon Turbeville) [archive.is/eFdkF]
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* "Turkey claims to have foiled ISIS raid on training camp, Iraq denies any battle" (2016-01-09, rt.com) [archive.is/DOOrJ]
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* "Will Saddam Hussein's Ghost Join the Fight Against Daesh? Daesh/ISIL terrorists in Iraq and Syria are believed to depend heavily on the experience of former officers of the armies of late Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein. However, according to counterterrorism expert Alain Rodier, these people's lack of ideological commitment to Daesh's ideology makes it theoretically possible to get them to switch sides" (2015-12-27, sputniknews.com) [archive.is/QBFLv]
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* "THE DONMEH GO TO WAR: Erdogan’s and Salman’s Sunni Legion marching east" (2016-01-06, Wayne Madsen Reports) [http://is.gd/mNY7D0], photo caption: The December 2015 Riyadh meeting of the Syrian branch of the Saudi- and Turkish-backed Sunni International. Christians and Kurds were not invited and that was just fine as far as Barack Hussein Obama was concerned. Somewhere lurking in the shadows of the conference was Turkish jihadist intelligence chief Hakan Fidan.
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* "US-trained Division 30 rebels 'betrayed US and hand weapons over to al-Qaeda's affiliate in Syria' Pentagon-trained rebels are reported to have betrayed US and handed weapons over to Jabhat al-Nusra immediately after entering Syria" (2015-09-22, telegraph.co.uk) [archive.is/4Oz0p]
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* "Above the law: How Israel thrives from Syria’s natural resources" (2015-12-12, almasdarnews.com) [http://is.gd/UWlqDQ]: We all know how the story goes. The Golan Heights is Syrian territory that has been occupied by Israel since the 1967 Six-Day War. It was then controversially annexed in 1981, despite the UN calling the efforts “null”, “void” and “without international legal effect”. Today it is still internationally and legally recognised as Syrian land, but Israel persists with its possession.
Of course, such persistence can prove to be quite lucrative when the land is abundant in resources – especially land as fertile as the Syrian Golan – a generous source of gushing waters and game changing oil reserves.
In fact, the Golan Heights contributes a quenching one-third of Israel’s entire water supply. Its catchments leading to the Jordan River and Lake Kinneret – Israel’s main water source – receive long bouts of heavy rainfall, particularly during the colder months and occasionally during stormy season in the summer.
But the Golan Heights does more than just fill Israel’s many swimming pools. It also provides snow for Israel’s one and only skiing destination, the Mount Hermon Ski Resort. The mountain’s peak reaches 9232 feet above sea level and is Syria’s highest point – an altitude Syrians no longer get to enjoy.
The remunerative resort attracts hundreds of thousands of tourists every year; many of them, foreigners, who are conveniently unaware of the land’s disputation. For most, the irony of supporting Israeli tourism on Syrian soil is lost on them.
Then there’s the contentious matter of oil. The Golan Heights has long been speculated to be sitting on serious amounts of hydrocarbon, and recent discoveries have confirmed these theories. US company, Genie Energy, along with its Israeli subsidiary, Afek Oil and Gas, are currently in the process of drilling for what Israel’s Channel 2 headlined as “an amazing discovery in the Golan Heights”.
An “amazing discovery” it surely is. One that will profoundly benefit Israel for many years to come, as well as Genie Energy shareholders, Rupert Murdoch, Dick Cheney and Lord Jacob Rothschild.
And in light of recent discoveries, the government of Netanyahu continues attempts to annex the Syrian land. The US backs the UN in its polite requests for Israel to comply with international law, while at the same time, US companies like Genie Energy, use the occupied land for their own ventures, emphasising the notion that the Pentagon is run by corporations.
Israel’s ‘oasis’ in the desert continues to develop at the expense of Syria and the Syrian people. And despite international indignation for Israel’s unlawful actions, nothing of any real substance is done about it. Over the years, this inactivity has encouraged Israel to presume it is above the law.
But while it may seem insignificant, considering Israel’s track-record of getting away with murder (so to speak), it is important to keep in mind that ‘the gift that keeps on giving’ never actually was one.
The Golan Heights was and still is Syrian territory.
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* "Haters Gonna Hate: As Syrian-Russian Coalition Continues Advance, Cynics Dream Up Plans for 'Moscow's Defeat' ; In 2015, the Syrian Army, supported by its Russian and Iranian allies, as well as by militants from Lebanon's Hezbollah, managed to halt the advance of the Daesh (ISIL/ISIS) terror state. Now, three months after Russia's intervention, The Atlantic magazine whimsically ponders whether 2016 could become the year that 'Putin's war finally unravels' " (2016-01-09, sputniknews.com) [archive.is/pVAr0]
===*===*===
Global Islamic Caliphate / Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL ; ISIS)A NATO-backed self-governing entity for the disruption of the Eurasian Union and other rival blocs.
* "Why Daesh Goal of Creating Islamic Caliphate is Doomed; Daesh’s grand dream of creating an Islamic caliphate is a picture of total absurdity with Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi as a doomed caliph, L. Ali Khan the founder of Legal Scholar Academy wrote" (2016-01-08, sputniknews.com) [archive.is/KPZ4d]
* "Middle East Time Bomb: The Real Aim of ISIS Is to Replace the Saud Family as the New Emirs of Arabia" (2014-09-02, huffingtonpost.com) [archive.is/VCLF1]
* "Wahhabism to ISIS: how Saudi Arabia exported the main source of global terrorism; Although IS is certainly an Islamic movement, it is neither typical nor mired in the distant past, because its roots are in Wahhabism, a form of Islam practised in Saudi Arabia that developed only in the 18th century" (2014-11-27, newstatesman.com) [archive.is/Bu4Tr]
* "Past and Present Islamist, Democratic and Nazi International Brigades (Comparing IS to Past Internationalists)" (2016-01-08, by Prof. James Petras) [archive.is/CKMjs]
* "America Supports the Islamic State, Provides Advanced Weapons to ISIS Terrorists: Iraqi MP" (2016-01-08, by Stephen Lendman) [archive.is/u9qaf]
* "Ex-CIA director: ‘IS affiliates multiplying faster than Al Qaeda’s ever did’ " (2016-01-13, rt.com) [archive.is/0q9VC]
* "Magical Thinking about Isis" (2015-12-03, lrb.co.uk) [archive.is/BBrBo] [begin excerpt]: In the last few weeks alone, Islamic State has carried out massacres in Baghdad, Ankara and south Beirut, and downed a Russian plane with 224 passengers. It has taunted survivors with threats of future attacks, as if its deepest wish were to provoke violent retaliation.
Already traumatised by the massacres in January, France appears to be granting that wish. ‘Nous sommes dans la guerre,’ François Hollande declared, and he is now trying to extend the current state of emergency by amending the constitution. Less than 48 hours after the event, a new round of airstrikes was launched against Raqqa, in concert with Russia. With a single night’s co-ordinated attacks, IS – a cultish militia perhaps 35,000 strong, ruling a self-declared ‘caliphate’ that no one recognises as a state – achieved something France denied the Algerian FLN until 1999, nearly four decades after independence: acknowledgment that it had been fighting a war, rather than a campaign against ‘outlaws’. In the unlikely event that France sends ground troops to Syria, it will have handed IS an opportunity it longs for: face to face combat with ‘crusader’ soldiers on its own soil.
Recognition as a war combatant is not IS’s only strategic gain. It has also spread panic, and pushed France further along the road to civil strife. The massacre was retribution for French airstrikes against IS positions, but there were other reasons for targeting France. Paris is a symbol of the apostate civilisation IS abhors – a den of ‘prostitution and vice’, in the words of its communiqué claiming responsibility for the attacks. Not only is France a former colonial power in North Africa and the Middle East but, along with Britain, it helped establish the Sykes-Picot colonial borders that IS triumphantly bulldozed after capturing Mosul. [end excerpt]
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* "Colonel Gaddafi warned Tony Blair of Islamist attacks on Europe, phone conversations reveal; Transcripts of two telephone conversations between the two leaders which took place on February 25, 2011, are made public" (2016-01-07, telegraph.co.uk) [archive.is/zLw1x]
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* "Ruqia Hassan: Isis executes first female citizen journalist in Raqqa, confirmed by 'Raqqa is Being Slaughtered Silently' ; Some of her last words were: ‘When Isis arrest and kill me it’s ok because… it’s better than [living] in humiliation with Isis’ " (2016-01-07, independent.co.uk) [archive.is/Ps0bY]
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* Daesh perverts reportedly conducts slave trade via office in Turkey (RT News) [https://youtu.be/ZjDsL2tUf7M]
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* "Saudi Arabia’s Top Cleric Says Daesh Militants Are 'Israeli Soldiers' ; Saudi Grand Mufti Sheikh Abdulaziz Al Sheikh urged increased Islamic cooperation against Daesh, claiming that the militant group was a 'part of the Israeli army' " (2015-12-30, sputniknews.com) [archive.is/Ay0hV]
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* "Daesh, Al-Qaeda Merging Forces in North Africa to Launch Offensive; The terrorists from Daesh group and al-Qaeda are trying to merge their forces in Northern Africa to launch a major offensive, the CEO of Spain’s major private intelligence and security firm AICS told Sputnik Friday" (2016-01-08, sputniknews.com) [archive.is/lN7Nz]
===*===*===
South Kurdistan (Basur), within the jurisdiction of the Republic of Iraq
* "Kurds make payments for oil exports" (2016-01-06, UPI Newswire) [archive.is/bxaq5]
* "MOL, Gulf Keystone give up Kurdish stake" (2016-01-11, UPI Newswire) [archive.is/BaSvY]
===*===*===
State of Israel and international operations
[972mag.com] [dukium.org] [icahd.org] [haaretz.com] [i24news.tv] [tabletmag.com]
* "2015: The Year of Blatant and Unapologetic Israeli Fascism; It was a year in which there wasn't even a semblance of peace talks or a diplomatic process, but that’s probably a good thing; enough with the charade" (2015-12-31, haaretz.com) [archive.is/hPxih]
* "Tikkun Magazine Applauds the United Methodist Church Boycott of Israeli Banks which are Funding the Israeli Occupation of the West Bank" (2016-01-13, tikkun.org) [archive.is/tFtrX] (though we don't support a general BDS of Israel but only of its settlements and Occupation of the West Bank)
* "Israel's Once-temporary Occupation Is Now Permanent; The Oslo Accords allow Israel to evade its responsibility for the Palestinian population and pretend to be the side that's being attacked" (2016-01-06, haaretz.com) [archive.is/FhKD8]
* (2016-01-08, Gunnar Angeles):
Gunnar Angeles: Ask Palestinian Christians, most of whom practice Syrian Orthodoxy, how they feel about Israel when they've either been expelled during the Nakba or currently live under Zionist occupation.
Steve Baum: Why then is there never a mention of this Christian dissatisfaction? Why don't YOU ask them, you idiot?
Gunnar Angeles: I have, and many support the right to return and a Palestinian state. The founder of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, George Habash, was an Orthodox Christian. According to Orthodox Christianity, and even early Western Catholicism and Lutheran Protestantism, premillenial dispensationalism, the theology used to justify Christian Zionism, is considered heresy. Modern Christian Zionism comes from Darby's and Schofield's teachings, Cyrus Schofield was a convicted forger who was paid by wealthy Ashkenazi Jewish Zionists to travel to Switzerland and incorporate Zionist idea into Biblical footnotes, which became known as the Schofield Reference Bible. This heresy has now became mainlstream, especially in North America, mainly because it serves the political agenda of US imperialism in the Middle-East, that continues to support Israel, in spite of their internationally recognized illegal occupation of Palestine, Syria and elsewhere. The reason why this is, "Never mentioned" in Western mainstream media is because of the enormous influence AIPAC and other Zionist organizations have. Have you ever spoken to Palestinian, or even Syrian, Christians? They are for the most part Anti-Zionist, politically and theologically.
Steve Baum: Gunnar Angeles, you are either deranged, or a Muslim in disguise.
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* "Israeli Professor Calls Justice Minister 'Neo-Nazi Scum' ; The Hebrew University professor further compared Israel to Germany of the 1930s" (2015-12-28, telesurtv.net) [archive.is/pPE6D]
* "Israeli justice minister turns to police after professor calls her ‘neo-Nazi scum’ on FB" (2015-12-30, rt.com) [archive.is/cpXm0]
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* "Airbnb lets you vacation in illegal West Bank settlements; Fancy a vacation with breathtaking views of the Holy Land? Airbnb will let you rent out luxurious cottages atop barren hilltops, making no mention of the fact that they are in settlements on occupied land" (2016-01-07, 972mag.com) [http://is.gd/2XdXFP]
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* "Israeli rabbis: killing Palestinians ‘religious duty’ ; Even Israeli politicians believe only in killing Palestinians, not solving the issues with them peacefully" (2015-10-21, daysofpalestine.com) [archive.is/kz4dq]
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* "Michael Ganoe, who calls Muhammad a 'blood-thirsty, child-raping false prophet,' has visited numerous IDF bases, spoken to soldiers, instructors; IDF allows anti-Islam activist to spread hate, chocolate to soldiers; Beneath a cheery name, head of the ‘Hershey’s for Heroes’ organization disseminates messages against Muhammad, Allah, Dome of the Rock — sweetened with candy" (2016-01-04, timesofisrael.com) [archive.is/RgqVP]
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* "Israeli maritime intelligence system for Southeast Asia" (2016-01-12) [archive.is/oYHpA] [begin excerpt]: Israel's TSG IT Advanced Systems reports it is preparing to deliver its 2C maritime intelligence system to an unidentified country in Southeast Asia. The 2C system, based on advanced algorithms and artificial intelligence is for detecting and identifying threats at sea. It self-learns sea routes, integrates that knowledge with existing databases, and automatically triggers alerts in real time. The system connects with existing command and control systems or creates an independent marine image by integrating various types of sensors. [end excerpt]
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* "Israel gets fifth German submarine" (2016-01-12, AFP Newswire) [archive.is/AjuJA]
* "Germany to buy Israeli drones which can be weaponised: minister" (2016-01-12, AFP Newswire) [archive.is/M79Wg]
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* "Work underway on F-35 for Israel" (2016-01-11, UPI Newswire) [archive.is/OaOWX]
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* "Freedom of Speech No More in America: Jewish Student Slammed over Her Anti-Israel Tweets; New Jersey high school student Bethany Koval has gained thousands of followers in social media overnight following accusations of bullying over her pro-Palestine messages" (2016-01-10, sputniknews.com) [archive.is/Zyj6j]
* "New Jersey high schooler accused of violating bullying laws for making anti-Israel tweets" (2016-01-07, rt.com) [archive.is/1hSEf]
* "Tweets About Israel Land New Jersey Student in Principal’s Office" (2016-01-07, nytimes.com) [archive.is/HwfyR]
---
Authentic Jewish Position on Al-Aqsa
Letter by Rabbi Yosef Chaim Zonenfeld, Chief Rabbi of Jerusalem in 1931
Dec. 6, 1931 - Jerusalem
To the honorable Muslim Congress of Jerusalem,
Orthodox Jewry in Palestine, under the auspices of the worldwide Orthodox organization Agudas Yisroel, is honored to greet the Muslim Congress in the Holy City of Jerusalem. May it be G-d’s will that this gathering of Muslim leaders bring blessing to the city and the land chosen by G-d, and help to bring about peace among all its inhabitants.The Congress will deal with the question of the Islamic holy sites in the Holy Land. In regard to this, it is important to us to declare before all those gathered, and before all of the Muslim world, that Jews have no intention to challenge the rights of Muslims to their holy sites, or even to demand any rights to these places, just as we do not want others to challenge our rights to sites holy to us.
We completely deny any suspicion that we want to demand rights to your holy site that is called “the Al-Aqsa Mosque” and the other holy sites located on the Temple Mount compound.
As far as the Western Wall, the place from which the Divine Presence never departed, our only wish is that we be allowed the same privilege as was allowed our grandfathers – to pour out our hearts in prayer respectfully, without disturbance, before G-d who dwells in this place.
We hope that a spirit of peace will envelop the Congress, helping to remove the suspicions harbored in the hearts of each segment of the population against the other. May the Holy One, blessed is He, spread His canopy of peace over all the inhabitants of the land, giving success to its building and flowering for the good of all.
The Center of Agudas Yisroel in the Holy Land, Jerusalem
Photo, Rabbi Yosef Chaim Zonenfeld (center) welcomed by King Abdullah I of Jordan (second from left)
===*===*===
State of Palestine, exile community, and occupied territories
[english.palinfo.com] [qassam.ps] [pflp.ps/english] [
* "Palestinian prisoners on hunger strike for justice: Support their strikes for freedom!" (2016-01-06, samidoun.net) [archive.is/RZw5l] [begin excerpt]: 50 Palestinian prisoners in Nafha prison have launched a collective hunger strike, protesting mistreatment, frequent transfers and poor conditions, returning their meals beginning Tuesday evening. The strikers are joining currently six Palestinian and Arab prisoners on individual hunger strikes in Israeli jails, protesting their detention.
Mohammed Al-Qeeq (photo above), a 33-year-old journalist from Dura, has now been on hunger strike for over 40 days as medical experts warn of severe danger to his health. Held in administrative detention without charge or trial, Al-Qeeq launched a hunger strike on 25 November 2015. He is being held in Afula hospital and demanding his release; his lawyer reported that he is refusing medicines and at times water. [end excerpt]
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There are two histories: That of the jurisdiction, and that of the people themselves. Palestine is a legal jurisdiction containing an ethnically diverse and religiously tolerant people, established during the 1910s, when the UKGB government was "granted" jurisdiction over the area and implemented a religious administration over the objections of the inhabitants.
* "Palestine" (retrieved 2015-09-23, britishempire.co.uk) [archive.is/ZbE4g], a history page with research materials, such as the following maps, captioned "1921 Map of British and French Mandates" [archive.is/syqEp] (shown below), and "1944 Map of Palestine Mandate" [archive.is/MFIVW]. [begin excerpt]: For most of the nineteenth century, the British were considered to be one of the staunchest defenders of the autonomy of the Ottoman empire where Palestine would have been considered a key central province of this sprawling empire. Britain's only real direct political involvement with the area was in the 1830's and only then as a result of French diplomacy. Mohammed Ali of Egypt temporarily displaced Ottoman rule in the area with the tacit agreement of the French. The French used Ottoman treatment of christians in the holy lands as an excuse to extend their influence over the area. However, Britain and Russia came to the diplomatic rescue of the Ottomans and compelled Mohammed Ali to withdraw from the area. Partly to placate the French, special agreement was made with the Ottomans to allow the French to protect Catholic citizens and the Russians to protect Orthodox citizens of the Ottoman empire. British (and other European) citizens in the area were granted extraterritorial legal status. With the exception of this incident, official British involvement in the area was extremely limited throughout the nineteenth century. As usual, the British government preferred not to interfere in areas that they did not need to do so. Unofficially, the holy land proved a powerful draw and influence to many British scholars, artists and upper class travellers.
The Great war was to unexpectedly turn the imperial spotlight onto this part of the world. As the Ottomans had thrown in their hand with the Germans, it was inevitable that the British would want to defend their strategic connection with India through the Suez. And, in 1915 they would even try to force a way through to the Russians through the Dardanelles. Palestine was suddenly thrust into an active theatre of war. At this period of time the most important indigenous group that the British had to work with was the Arabs. The number of Jews in Palestine were less than 60,000 at the outbreak of the war. Therefore, initial British contacts were, almost exclusively, aimed at the Arabs. The most important advance at this time was when the British High Commissioner of Egypt, Sir Henry McMahon, tried to co-opt the help of the Sharif of Mecca, in the fight against the Ottomans. He did this through a series of correspondence known as the Hussein-McMahon letters. This correspondence seemed to promise the Arabs their own state stretching from Damascus to the Arabian peninsular in return for fighting the Ottomans. However, not only was the correspondence deliberately imprecise but the status and ability of the Sharif of Mecca to speak for all of the Arabs was itself in question. Despite these problems, the Sharif of Mecca formally declared a revolt against Ottoman rule in 1916. Britain provided supplies and money for the Arab forces led by the Sharif's sons; Abdullah and Faisal. British military advisers were also detailed from Cairo to assist the Arab army that the brothers were organizing. Of these advisers, T.E. Lawrence was to become the best known.
To complicate the diplomatic waters, the British entered into an agreement with the French and Russians to divide the entire Middle East into areas of influence for each of the imperial powers but leaving the Holy Lands to be jointly administered by the three powers. This was a secret arrangement that was known as the Sykes Picot agreement of 1916. It directly contradicted many of the promises made to the Sharif of Mecca.
Indeed, the waters were even further muddied by a third commitment entered into by the British in 1917. The British government made a promise to prominent Jews in Britain that the establishment of a Jewish homeland in Palestine would be looked on with favour by the British. The reason for this pledge is not exactly clear, but it seems to have been made for two reasons. The first was to secure financial support from prominent Jewish financiers in Europe. The second seems to have been a way of breaking their own secret arrangement with the French and Russians by promoting their own influence into Palestine at their supposed allies' expense.
Whatever the reason for this diplomatic chicanery, the diplomatic timebomb of these conflicting promises was about to explode as a direct result of the Russian revolution. The newly formed Bolshevik government took great pleasure in releasing the imperialistic designs of the British and French governments by publishing the Sykes-Picot agreement publicly and in full. The idea was to expose these capitilastic nations as morally bankrupt in their prosecution of the war and these secret agreements seemed to confirm that fact.
The publication of the Sykes-Picot agreement was not to be as politically devastating as feared for the simple fact that, at this point in time, the Arabs were advancing swiftly and assuredly against their Ottoman enemies. The Arabs felt that if they could make even further gains against the Ottomans that they would have more leverage in dealing with the imperial powers after the fighting had finished. The British were also advancing steadily through Palestine, capturing Jerusalem in December 1917. The British decisively defeated the Turks at Megiddo in September 1918, although the Arabs did manage to enter Damascus before the British were in a position to do so. The Ottomans capitulated soon after which left all of their previous dominions up for grabs.
The Versailles peace conference was used to impose allied plans and ideas on the defeated Central Powers, amongst whom was the Ottoman Empire. Both the Arabs and the Jews had delegations represented there. But, it was the victorious allies who virtually dictated all of the relevant terms and divisions of the lands. The Arab delagation was unsuccessful in promoting Arab independence, but had some success in persuading a border commission that Jewish immigration was not a good idea. Unfortunately, by this time, the British had already been declared as holding the mandate over Palestine and they had independently reaffirmed the Balfour declaration opening the way for a Jewish homeland.
The intense rivalry and competition between the Jews and Arabs was to afflict the British administration for virtually their entire period of governance. Unfortunately, the Zionists and the Arabs had mutually exclusive goals. The Zionists wished to create a Jewish homeland in their Holy Land. Whereas the Arabs were equally adamant that they should not lose their autonomy and rights in their own homeland. At this stage, the Arabs still massively formed the majority of the population. But what the Zionists lacked in numbers they more than made up for with political influence in the West and a zeal to succeed that bordered on fanatacism.
The fact that the British mandate included references to the Balfour Declaration and the establishment of a Jewish homeland was a severe blow to the Arabs. Partly to try and mollify this disappointment, the British split the Palestine mandate into two distinct areas, using the Jordan River as a natural boundary. The British claimed that Jewish immigration would be confined to the West of the river. The East of the river, which represented three quarters of the whole mandate area was to be reserved for the Arabs alone. The Hashemite Abdulla was to become the ruler of what was to become Transjordan. Most Arabs still felt ill at ease with this British plan. They regarded Transjordan as little more than an arid, empty desert. Besides, the principle of any Jewish homeland anywhere in Arab lands was still completely abhorrent to them.
Arab intransigence and unwillingness to work with the Jews was demonstrated almost immediately as the British tried to set up a legislative council and a constitution. The council was supposed to have ten of the seats allocated to the Arabs and only two to the Jews. The Arabs refused to cooperate on the basis that two seats for so few Jews meant that they were relatively over represented. They also resented the comments and concessions made to Zionism in the constitution. This failure meant that the British had no choice but to continue ruling Palestine directly themselves. [end excerpt]
* "Reply to the Advisory Opinion of 9 July 2004 in the matter of the Legal Consequences of the construction of a wall in the Occupied Palestinian Territory as submitted by the International Court of Justice, part 2: The 'Mandate for Palestine' Document" (2006-01, online edition, by Eli E. Hertz, mythsandfacts.org) [archive.is/OJhue] [begin excerpt]: The “Mandate for Palestine” laid down the Jewish right to settle anywhere in western Palestine, the area between the Jordan River and the Mediterranean Sea, an entitlement unaltered in international law and valid to this day.
The legally binding Mandate for Palestine document, was conferred on April 24 1920, at the San Remo Conference and its terms outlined in the Treaty of Sevres on August 10 1920. The Mandate’s terms were finalized on July 24 1922, and became operational in 1923. [end excerpt]
Maps:
- 1920 - Original territory assigned to the Jewish National Home
- 1922 - Final territory assigned to the Jewish National Home
* Set of maps [archive.is/MDXsQ], accompanying the book "Hydropolitics along the Jordan River: Scarce Water and its Impact on the Arab-Israeli Conflict" (1995, United Nations University Press, archive.unu.edu) [archive.is/M2ZWQ], including -
- Map 8 Jewish colonies in Palestine, 1916. Source: Sacher (1916) [archive.is/Zio8C]
- Map 13 Growth of the Jewish national home, 1931-1939 [archive.is/TWChw]. Jewish immigration: 1931, 4,075; 1932, 12,533; 1933, 37,337; 1934, 45,267; 1935, 66,472; 1936, 29,595; 1937, 10,629; 1938, 14,675; 1939, 31,195. Source: Sachar (1979)
- Map 18 Palestine Land Transfer Regulations, February 1940 [archive.is/pPUK2]. Total area 10,429 square miles, including 266.5 square miles of water surface (Lake Tiberius and Palestinian half of Dead Sea). Zone A (6,615 sq. miles): land purchases by Jews prohibited; zone B (3,295 sq. miles): land purchases by Jews restricted; free zone (519 sq. miles): land purchases unrestricted; Jewish land owned by the Jewish national fund or in private ownership. Source: Esco Foundation (1947)
* "Rescuing the 1948 Palestinian Mind is Crucial to Achieving Justice for All" (2016-01-09, by Shady Srour) [archive.is/272E9]:
We often hear from Palestinians from Gaza and the West Bank on the struggle for freedom from occupation. One group of Palestinians who are not heard from as often is the 1948 Palestinians, those who after the 1948 Nakbe were able to remain within what became the State of Israel. While 750,000 -800,000 Palestinians were ethnically cleansed from their homes during the Nakbe, a very small number were allowed to remain or return [1].Those Palestinians who were able to remain or return had Israeli citizenship forced upon them and became known as 1948 Palestinians.
My lineage descends from these 1948 Palestinians, in the small village of Ilabun, in the north of historic Palestine.
I have spent most of my life in the United States. The journey to understanding my origin as Palestinian was a long one.This experience has profound implications for people trying to understand the best strategy for pursuing justice for Palestinians. Despite my recent activism and writing, I have not always understood my own identity.
The educational system in the United States, while growing up, was in general, quite biased against the Palestinians and our history.
The media, for the most part, also did little to educate one on these issues.
Having United States citizenship and Israeli citizenship did not in any way promote my understanding of who I am, and where I come from. The summer visits while growing up to Ilabun to see family did little to further my education. The process of true education on this issue began in 2011 and continues today. All of it was done due to my own interest.
Prior to this self-education process, I made many mistakes when discussing the Israeli-Palestinian issues and history. In my defense, I knew next to nothing of my own history and repeated platitudes about peace without any honest understanding of the reality. I felt that somehow I had some kind of confused identity, which everyone around my referred to as “Israeli-Arab.” I didn’t understand what that meant. Why were we in Israel? Why are “they,” referring to Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank, Palestinians, and we, being fellow Arabs, referred to as “Israeli Arabs.”
It took a lot of self-education from 2011 onward to finally understand what had happened. Part of the issue that blinded me for so long is that much of the discussion of the issue looks at the problem as if it began in 1967. This history totally ignores the basis of the problem, which is Zionism. The roots of the conflict therefore began long before 1967, and actually long before even 1948, with the early Zionist ideas beginning in the 1880s.
As I devoured material on the history, I finally understood my identity. My questions and feelings which were so confused and conflicted finally were resolved. I finally understood that I was Palestinian. I was just as Palestinian as the Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank. I was just as Palestinian as the refugees and just as Palestinian as the diaspora. We were all the same people. There is no difference in terms of identity. The only difference is location.
After much time spent in Ilabun and discussing these issues with people, I began to understand what had happened. The program of Zionism requires racism as a prerequisite to create a Jewish majority state in land which is majority non-Jewish. The 1948 Palestinians (my grandparents and their parents, etc) were the first victims during the Nakbe, along with the refugees. Those remaining were put under martial law from 1948-1966. A systematic erasure of our identity has been organized and implemented on all levels (media, education, etc). The suppression of the idea of us being Palestinians was and continues to be the cornerstone of Israeli government policy. The creation of the term “Israeli-Arab” was intended to separate our identity from our fellow Palestinians in the rest of historic Palestine and the Palestinian refugees. I no longer accept this term, which is a colonialist creation intended to further the Zionist aim of ethnically cleansing the maximum amount of land. This is pure divide and conquer strategy.
In the decades since 1948, the Israeli government has continued to maximize isolation of the 1948 Palestinians from the rest of our Palestinian brothers and sisters. In my discussion with fellow 1948 Palestinians who retained their identity (more common in the older generation), and with additional historical self-education, I discovered a disturbing pattern of propaganda and control. The education system has long been the target of the Israeli government, with teacher selection tightly controlled and anti-Zionist teachers excluded as much as possible. Textbooks also have been screened to minimize any possibility of teaching 1948 Palestinians their identity and history. Although the various forms of suppression did not remain the same over the past 67 years, and occasionally became more or less strict, the overall goal of isolating 1948 Palestinians remains the same today as it was in 1948.
Nakbe denial was common and continues today, although it has lessened slightly since the “new historians” of the 1980′s and onward. A bit more disturbing is the replacement of some Nakbe denial with Nakbe justification, which seeks to justify the ethnic cleansing of 50% of the population of historic Palestine during the Nakbe.
Through martial law for the 1948 Palestinians from 1948-1966 (very similar to the policies of the occupation in the West Bank today), and a systemic attempt to eliminate the Palestinian identity through government, media, and educational propaganda and control, the 1948 Palestinians have gone through much and continue to suffer greatly.
When coming from the United States to visit Ilabun, I immediately, upon entering historic Palestine, sense that something is wrong. I feel that I am entering a prison. There is something disturbing in the air. I remember, when I was a young child in the 1990s, being questioned in the airport in Tel Aviv about what language I spoke at home. The security official looked at me and with hate-filled eyes, asked me “Do you speak Arabic at home?”
“Yes,” I answered, all the while perceiving his eyes as if he had just gotten me to confess to a murder. It was the strangest thing, and at such a young age, with no historical understanding, I simply brushed it off as a strange occurrence. But today, I look back upon it as something deeply disturbing. It was an intentional method to cause the indigenous inhabitants of Palestine to feel unwelcome and hated. The government wanted us to feel that, by letting us in, Israeli security was doing us a favor, allowing us into our homeland. The incident, with that feeling of being hated for admitting to speaking Arabic, has stuck with me since then.
In 2012, upon leaving to go back to the United States, I experienced the worst airport screening experience in my life in Tel Aviv airport. I remember the security officer stating “We don’t care about your health, we only care about security.” I remember thinking as I left, “I will never come back here.” Later on, when I processed that thought in a historical context, I realized that this is exactly what the Israeli government wants. The government wants to encourage Palestinian emigration. They want to make sure you get that last bit of humiliation and suffering on your way out, just to keep fresh in your memory, in case you ever consider visiting or living in Palestine. On recent trips, I have avoided the Tel Aviv Airport and used the Amman, Jordan airport instead whenever possible.
The point of all of this is to highlight some current issues which I believe are relevant to the struggle for Palestinian rights. There is a unique history of suppression and identity removal that the 1948 Palestinians have experienced which requires significant efforts to overcome. Although I speak mainly from experience in Ilabun, I believe that this unique history has resulted in many 1948 Palestinians not knowing their identity and history. It has led to increasing numbers of 1948 Palestinians being Zionist in their outlook. It has led to rising numbers of 1948 Palestinians hating themselves (self-hating Arabs/Palestinians). It has led to more 1948 Palestinians enlisting in the Israeli army, something which is quite problematic. We have been taught to hate ourselves and to believe that we are inferior to Jews. Obviously, the truth is that all human beings are all equal. There are also many 1948 Palestinians who today celebrate independence day in Israel. The level of self-hatred and/or ignorance of one’s history and identity is stunning in such scenes. These people are essentially celebrating their own ethnic cleansing. It will take a lot of effort to reverse the effects of the Zionist propaganda machine of the Israeli government.
In particular, in the last 15 years, I can see some of the indirect effects of all this propaganda on people in the 1948 Palestinian community. While there are many in our community who are struggling valiantly for Palestinian rights and justice, there has been a cumulative effect on many people’s psyche. Many people have left (emigrated), feeling hopeless. There are dozens of laws that distinguish between Jews and non-Jews in Israel. [2]. And in terms of the supposedly “democratic” nature of living in Israel, it is illegal for any political party to run for the Knesset unless it believes in the “democratic and Jewish” nature of the state. Basically, this implies that it is illegal for a political party to run for the Knesset unless it is Zionist, and therefore racist.
The sky-high poverty rate among 1948 Palestinians (approximately 53%), combined with constant incitement to hate one’s own people from the Zionist media, and the confusion of one’s identity, have resulted in numerous psychological and social effects. Crime and organized crime have become an issue, egoism has increased, with a loss of caring about neighbors and the community around them. Principles and ethics have been reduced dramatically, with people more likely to look at economic issues as more important than any other issue. Capitalism has become more common as a guiding force for people in their daily interactions, with price being considered more important than environmental, labor, and ethical standards.
All of these issues have occurred concurrently with the slow loss of the Arabic language. The older 1948 Palestinian generation speaks a relatively complete Arabic. Many Arabic vocabulary terms have been lost in today’s generation, which occasionally finds it difficult to find the words in Arabic, as they only know the word in Hebrew. Other 1948 Palestinians stubbornly hold on to their language as an act of cultural self-preservation in the context of the settler-colonialism of Zionism.
Learning the Hebrew language, and as many languages as possible, is a positive development. I do, however, find it disconcerting that in the context of our Palestinian history, a history that involves ethnic cleansing, occupation, colonialism, and cultural oppression, that many 1948 Palestinians no longer have the ability to speak the complete Arabic language. I am concerned about the deteriorating Arabic vocabulary and saddened at the slow loss of our language, and believe that a revival in our language would be a positive development.
We also have an environmental crisis in some areas where 1948 Palestinians reside. The continual effect of propaganda on people’s psyche has resulted in a casual attitude toward polluting the land and littering. People have lost their identity as Palestinians, and they have lost their deep connection with the land which is traditional in Palestinian culture. As more and more of the land has been stolen by the Israeli government, people have become more and more unconcerned with taking care of the Earth and the land of our ancestors. In general, we, as the 1948 Palestinians are losing our connection with the land and the environment, becoming more capitalistic, more individualistic, and more materialistic. Consumerism is becoming more common as well. The combined effects of poverty, ethnic cleansing, environmentally-induced neurological damage, consumerism, capitalism, the destruction of our heritage and connection with the land, the destruction of our identity and self-esteem, have all combined to cause severe environmental problems, particularly in the past 15 years.
The overall world trend of increasingly toxic environments (toxic chemicals, heavy metals, plastics, genetically modified foods, synthetic pesticides/herbicides/insecticides, and electromagnetic fields-blood brain barrier damage from microwave radiation from wireless devices, for example), has strongly contributed to impaired brain activity, among many other negative health, environmental, and social consequences [10, 12-15]. Another contributor to this brain damage and other health problems is the current vaccination program [8-10]. Corrupt multinational corporations which produce these vaccines have severely biased the science on this topic in pursuit of profits at the expense of health. A proper, safe, and effective vaccination program for infants, toddlers, children, adults, and seniors could be designed based exclusively on homeoprophylaxis, which could provide very solid protection with essentially no side effects. A massive study in Cuba related to Leptospirosis demonstrates the potential for such a program based on homeophrophylaxis [7]. Instead, children with undeveloped blood-brain barriers and immune systems (under the age of 2) are given toxic vaccines, causing post-vaccine encephalopathy and autoimmune problems, among other negative results. This brain damage which is increasing due to the toxic environment, particularly, in the younger generation, is contributing to a “carefree” attitude toward everything. Such an attitude does not think twice before dumping a television onto the land. This attitude does not consider the toxic effects of such behavior on the community, and ultimately, themselves. Everyone worldwide is effected by these issues and problems. There are differences in degree of effects based on local and national differences in policies/exposure/legal framework/etc. Certainly, 1948 Palestinians are affected severely by these increasing environmental and health problems.
As I recently walked the path toward my family’s ancestral olive grove north of Ilabun, I was shocked and dismayed by the televisions, computers, electronics, trash, plastics, and other toxic materials thrown on the ground. The toxicity of such dumping is incredibly destructive to our people’s health and well-being. We must reverse these negative influences on our health and environment, and reclaim our connection with the land in order to recover as a people. There are encouraging signs on this front in terms of Palestinian cooperative organic farming booming in the West Bank. Unfortunately, the same level of organic fair-trade cooperative movement has not yet occurred among 1948 Palestinians.
I believe strongly in the Boycott Divestment Sanctions (BDS) movement as a method to advance Palestinian rights, and I follow the guidelines to the best of my ability. I call on everyone worldwide to join the BDS movement and promote justice for all. I use the research center whoprofits.org to avoid any company involved with violations of Palestinian human rights [16]. It is essential that all people worldwide, including Arabs, Jews, and all others who care about human rights use their financial resources to promote positive change in the world. Every penny removed from the hands of people involved in abusing Palestinians is a victory for humanity as a whole.
I feel that the enthusiasm for BDS would be higher if 1948 Palestinians were reminded or taught for the first time about their own history and identity. BDS is a positive movement because it moves us toward justice and equal rights for everyone, whether that be in the context of a one-state, two-state, bi-national solution, etc. The name doesn’t really matter, whether one calls it Palestine or Israel or some combination of the two. What matters is substance. Equal rights and justice for everyone, including all refugees, is the goal, regardless of race, religion, ethnicity, etc.
If one looks at what has happened to 1948 Palestinians in the past 67 years, it gives an idea of the goals of Zionism for the rest of the Palestinians. Despite making up approximately 20% of the population, 1948 Palestinians only control 2-3% of the land. What this reflects is a massive land theft that occurred not only during the 1948 Nakbe, but long afterwards [6]. Massive land theft occurred to the point that today only 2-3% of land is owned by 1948 Palestinians. 600 Jewish settlements have formed since 1948, while there have been zero new Palestinian settlements [17]. Remember, we are talking about “Israel proper/pre-1967 Israel” here, not the West Bank or Gaza.
Despite the obvious atrocious history and the fact that approximately 53% of 1948 Palestinians suffer under the poverty line today, we have a continued ignorance among many 1948 Palestinians, who having been brain-washed by Zionist propaganda, do not speak the truth. Until we reverse the profound effects of the brain-washing campaign of 67 years, we will not have the full measure of self-Palestinian support for our rights. What is necessary is a massive counter-educational campaign, done on all fronts to reach the 1948 Palestinian. I am concerned that the path that is occurring with 1948 Palestinians will be followed by Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza.
We must remind 1948 Palestinians (or teach them for the first time) of our shared history and identity with all Palestinians. Zionist media, news, and education must be overcome. Fear must be overcome, as many 1948 Palestinians fear speaking out. Whether as a result of ignorance, fear, or a combination, reigniting our common Palestinian heritage will be incredibly helpful, and potentially necessary, in achieving justice in the long struggle for Palestinian rights. This includes restoring our connection with the land and natural environment. We cannot ignore the 1948 Palestinians, call them “traitors,” or simply view them as a lost cause after suffering for 67 years of Zionist propaganda. Our pursuit of righteousness must include all issues, including environmental, cultural, health, social, and economic. Rescuing the minds of 1948 Palestinians is a missing piece in the quest for this justice.
Shady Srour is a writer, activist, and musician. His interests include peace-making, social justice, environmentalism, organic agriculture, permaculture, cooperative movements, naturopathic medicine, ecological living, sustainability, homeopathy, and spirituality. He received his BA in Zoology with a minor in Neuroscience from Miami University-Oxford, Ohio. He can be reached at srours8@autistici.org. In 2014, he wrote Radical Revolution: A Conversation with God (https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/488107).
Suggested References:
Pappe, Ilan. The Ethnic Cleansing of Palestine. 2007. One World Publications.
Adalah-The Legal Center for Arab Minority Rights in Israel. Adalah.org accessed January 4, 2016.
Kovel, Joel. Overcoming Zionism: Creating a Single Democratic State in Israel/Palestine. 2007. Pluto Press.
Said, Edward. Bayoumi, Moustafa. Rubin, Andrew. The Edward Said Reader. 2000. Vintage.
Pappe, Ilan. Chomsky, Noam. Gaza in Crisis: Reflections on Israel’s War Against the Palestinians. 2010. Hamish Hamilton.
Palestine Remembered. PalestineRemembered.com accessed January 4, 2016.
Bracho G, Varela E, Fernández R , Ordaz B, Marzoa N, Menéndez J, García L, Gilling E, Leyva R, Rufín R, de la Torre R, Solis RL, Batista N, Borrero R, Campa C. Homeopathy. Large-scale application of highly-diluted bacteria for Leptospirosis epidemic control. 2010 Jul;99(3):156-66.
Tenpenny, Sherri. Saying No to Vaccines: A Resource Guide for all Ages. 2008. NMA Media Press.
Humphries, Suzanne. Bystrianyk, Roman. Dissolving Illusions: Disease, Vaccines, and the Forgotten History. 2015. CreateSpace Independent Publishing.
Murray, Michael. Pizzorno, Joseph. The Encyclopedia of Natural Medicine. 2012. Altria Books.
Said, Edward. Hitchens, Christopher. Blaming the Victims: Spurious Scholarship and the Palestinian Question. 2001. Verso.
Davis, Devra. Disconnect: The Truth About Cell Phone Radiation, What the Industry Has Done to Hide It, and How to Protect Your Family. 2010. Dutton.
Milham, Samuel. Dirty Electricity: Electrification and the Diseases of Civilization. 2012. iUniverse.
Rees, Camilla. Havas, Magda. Public Health SOS: The Shadow Side of the Wireless Revolution. 2009. CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform.
Crofton, Kerry. Wireless Radiation Rescue: safeguarding your family from the risks of electro-pollution. 2012. Global Wellbeing Books.
Whoprofits.org. A research collaboration detailing involvement of specific corporations in the illegal occupation.
Electronic Intifada Interview with Haneen Zoabi October 29, 2010. Available at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xDs5vhQsrQ8
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Kingdom of Saudi Arabia & GCC Council member states
* "Saudi Arabia could be bankrupt within five years, IMF predicts Saudi Arabia generates 90 per cent of its income from oil - a commodity which has recently plummeted in value" (2015-10-23, independent.co.uk) [archive.is/MobSf]
* "Saudi Arabia to run out of cash in less than 5 years; Not even the mighty Middle East can survive cheap oil forever" (2015-10-26, money.cnn.com) [archive.is/WZpoY]
* "Down, But Not Out: How Saudi Arabia Will Avert an Oil Economy Collapse" (2015-12-01, foreignaffairs.com) [archive.is/pSQuY]
* "The Saudis Are Stumbling. They May Take the Middle East with Them. America’s leading Sunni ally is proving how easily hubris, delusion, and old-fashioned ineptitude can trump even bottomless wealth" (2015-11-12, thenation.com) [archive.is/p3FT7]
* "Fanning the Flames: Saudi Arabia 'Deliberately Provoked' Conflict With Iran; After protesters attacked the Saudi embassy in Tehran and consulate in Mashhad, Riyadh broke off diplomatic ties with Iran. At the same time, this move has reaffirmed the importance of the Iranian nuclear deal" (2016-01-05, sputniknews.com) [archive.is/lCJBY]
* "Nimr’s execution shows Saudi regime on its last legs: Analyst" (2016-01-05, presstv.com) [archive.is/vB8QV]
* "Saudi forces open indiscriminate fire at buildings, cars in Shia town" (2016-01-05, presstv.ir) [archive.is/fRelC]
* "Saudi jets 'bomb Iranian embassy in Yemen' as tensions mount following Riyadh's execution of prominent Shiite cleric; Warplanes struck embassy during air raid on Wednesday, Iran has claimed; Tehran's foreign ministry spokesman described it as a 'deliberate action' " (2016-01-07, dailymail.co.uk) [archive.is/NKj8N]
* "Rouhani: Guess Who Stirs Up Shia-Sunni Divide, Arms Daesh and Bombs Yemen? Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said Saudi Arabia needed chaos in the region to cover up its own failures" (2016-01-06, sputniknews.com) [archive.is/Sz5hB]
* "Bowing to the King: What Lies Beneath US-Saudi Friendship? The King of Saudi Arabia is one of the richest people in the world, and one of the most influential political figures in the Middle East, according to American historian and journalist Eric Zuesse, adding that maybe that is why US President Obama usually bows so deeply to the Saudi King" (2016-01-09, sputniknews.com) [archive.is/sFgCd]
* "Toxic Alliance: Why Does Washington Blindly Support Saudi Arabia? The killing of Shiite cleric Sheikh Nimr al-Nimr should serve as an imperative for Washington to reconsider its "toxic" alliance with Saudi Arabia, American political activist Medea Benjamin believes" (2016-01-05, sputniknews.com) [archive.is/c57Sj]* "US-Saudi “Dirty Schemes”: Riyadh Escalates “Pre-Planned” Tensions against Iran, on Behalf of Washington" (2016-01-09, by Stephen Lendman) [archive.is/vTl6A]
* "Mideast Chessboard: Did Saudis Execute Shiite Cleric to Manipulate US? The execution of a prominent Shiite cleric Sheikh Nimr Baqir al-Nimr, which sparked outrage and protests among the Shiites, was a "deliberate provocation" by the House of Saud to achieve three ambitious goals, political commentator Patrick Buchanan asserted" (2016-01-06, sputniknews.com) [archive.is/zFHhu]
* "Will the U.S. fall for Saudi Arabia’s deliberate provocation in killing of Shi’ite cleric?" (2016-01-04, Reuters newswire) [archive.is/bcD9O]
* "After Executing Regime Critic, Saudi Arabia Fires Up American PR Machine" (2016-01-04, theintercept.com) [archive.is/gtB4S]
* "Washington Turns Its Back on Saudi Brutality, Blames Everything on Iran" (2016-01-08, 21st Century Wire) [archive.is/dqaYs]
* "Foreign Secretary Refuses to Condemn Saudi Mass Execution" (2016-01-08, reprieve.org.uk) [archive.is/gMyLG]
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* "Business Fail: No One Wants Shares in the Saudis' Secretive, Overvalued & Corrupt Oil Company; While Saudi officials contemplate whether or not to sell shares in their massive energy company – Aramco, some experts suggest that Riyadh may have underestimated Western investors' concerns about the company's secrecy, corruption, and the global oil glut" (2016-01-09, sputniknews.com) [archive.is/qFwol]
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* "Rights advocate sister of jailed Saudi blogger Raif Badawi arrested, put in same prison" (2016-01-16, rt.com) [archive.is/xm7pP]
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* "Iran Bans Citizens from Making Pilgrimages to Mecca; In a further escalation of tensions with Saudi Arabia, Iran on Thursday banned Saudi imports and forbid Iranian citizens from making the annual trip to Mecca" (2016-01-08, sputniknews.com) [archive.is/g0QXo]
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* "Britain Aiding Saudi Terror War on Yemenis" (2016-01-09, by Stephen Lendman) [archive.is/Bpoep]
* "UK military experts allegedly aiding Saudi military campaign in Yemen" (2016-01-08, rt.com) [archive.is/yb3Zn]
* "UK Government urged to reveal its role in getting Saudi Arabia onto UN Human Rights Council Liberal Democrat and Green Party leaders call on David Cameron to reveal whether British government supported Saudi bid" (2016-01-03, independent.co.uk) [archive.is/NJCFe]* "UK Government attempting to keep details of secret security pact with Saudi Arabia hidden from public; Theresa May agreed to ‘memorandum of understanding’ with Crown Prince Muhammad bin Nayef last year" (2015-12-22, independent.co.uk) [archive.is/Zkuei]
* "Britain’s training of 270 Saudi police sparks calls for transparency" (2016-01-08, rt.com) [archive.is/n4aWN]
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* "When foreign policy hits foreign reality" (2016-01-07, theglobeandmail.com) [archive.is/ldORR] [begin excerpt]: There is something perversely reassuring about the Liberal government’s insistence that it will stand by a controversial arms sale to Saudi Arabia despite the kingdom’s egregious human-rights record, exemplified by the recent execution of an outspoken Shia cleric. It suggests that Prime Minister Justin Trudeau understands that foreign policy is often more about dark arts than sunny ways.
In foreign policy, the realist dictum goes, countries have neither permanent friends nor enemies, only interests. Canada and Saudi Arabia have almost nothing in common, least of all in the values department. But like its U.S. counterpart, the Canadian government has traditionally seen Saudi Arabia as a stabilizing force in a Middle East constantly under threat from rogue actors.
Yes, the Saudi ruling family enforces a strict form of Wahhabism whose barbarism some have likened to that of the Islamic State, although Saudi Arabia remains a partner in the coalition to eliminate the terrorist organization. Yes, Saudi madrassas are considered breeding grounds for terrorism – such is the hatred toward Shiites and other “heretics” they instill in their students. [end excerpt]
* "The Blood on Canada's Hands: Weapons fair hits nation's capital as Amnesty International calls on Harper government to carry out human rights assessment of $15-billion armored vehicle deal with the Saudis" (2015-06-04, nowtoronto.com) [archive.is/4ldWW], photo caption: Policing images of war outside CANSEC weapons trade show in Ottawa May 27 and 28
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* "How Zionism helped create the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia" (2016-01-07, mondoweiss.net) [archive.is/55Qz8]
* "The Caliphate, The Hijaz and the Saudi Wahabi Nation State" book (1996), intro [http://is.gd/lZ9uzD], book (.pdf) [http://is.gd/vicDeB]
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Ansar Allah Revolutionary Government of Yemen ("Houthis")[sabanews.net/en] [ansar-allah.net] [yemen-news-today.org]
* "Yemeni Army’s ballistic-missile attacks killed 550 occupation troops in 1 week" (2015-12-23, data collected by syrianfreepress.wordpress.com) [archive.is/MojTn]
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* "Saudi warplanes hit Yemen’s Hajjah, four people killed" (2016-01-06, presstv.com) [archive.is/usuvk]
* "Yemen: Coalition Drops Cluster Bombs in Capital Indiscriminate Weapon Used in Residential Areas" (2016-01-07, hrw.org) [archive.is/uhZcl]
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* "Kuwait to send ground troops to protect Saudi Arabia from Houthi incursions – report" (2015-12-29, rt.com) [archive.is/FtAg2]
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* "UK Accused of Direct Involvement in Saudi-led Bombing of Yemen; The UK has been accused of directly taking part in the internationally condemned Saudi-led coalition’s military campaign in Yemen, with claims that experts are helping Saudi forces select specific targets to attack" (2016-01-08, sputniknews.com) [archive.is/GmCW5]
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Islamic Republic of Iran, and international operations
* "Leader visits Christian martyrs’ homes on Christmas" photo album (2015-12-27) [archive.is/zKQjG]: Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei has visited the families of Iranian Christian martyrs on the occasion of Jesus Christ’s birth anniversary. Photos [archive.is/ZXdMA] [archive.is/L5Tzd] [archive.is/bJdYz] [archive.is/qb0kE]
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* "Pentagon: Two U.S. Navy Boats Seized in Iran" (2016-01-12, mediaite.com) [archive.is/7HLSY]
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Towards a People's Republic of India
[signalfire.org/category/maoists-india] [icspwindia.wordpress.com] [liberationbase.wordpress.com] [sanhati.com]
* "58% in AP say Naxalism is good, finds TOI poll" (2010-09-28, timesofindia.indiatimes.com) [archive.is/lEn13]. A resident writes: Those areas are now part of newly formed Telangana state. Current Chief minister of Telangana (as of January 2016) promised to implement Maoist agenda in Telangana after state formation and getting elected to power but now he is busy conducting religious rituals worth millions of rupees, there's a growing discontent in Telangana now against the CM.
* "Naxalism in India" (2015-10-05, ias.org.in) [http://is.gd/IlwfAV]
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Towards a People's Republic of Nepal
[redstarnepal.com] [thenextfront.com]
* "CPN M declares autonomous province" (2016-01-03, thehimalayantimes.com) [archive.is/pSiMm]: Netra Bikram Chand-led CPN Maoist today proclaimed autonomous Abadh state incorporating the three districts of Lumbini Zone for the operation of a parallel government.
At a proclamation assembly organised in Butwal, Rupandehi, Chand-led Maoists declared Rupandehi, Nawalparasi and Kapilvastu districts as Abadh autonomous state.
At the function, politburo member and Revolutionary People’s Council Nepal Chief Santosh Budhamagar likened it to the independent province created during the Maoist insurgency and said that it would play the same pivotal role.
Budhamagar said his party would soon unveil the rules and regulations of People’s Council and autonomous state.
At the programme, party central member and Lumbini Sub-bureau in-charge Chandra Bahadur Chand urged the party rank and file to be ready to take the party to a new height.
Other speakers said that they were preparing to set up party mechanism at the district and village levels to take the agitation to a new height.
A people’s representative created out of three districts has declared a 51-member representative assembly.
The assembly is led by Basanti GC.
Similarly, the assembly has declared Abadh Provincial People’s Council. Nathuram Tharu and Chaitraram Musihar are the chief and deputy chief of the people’s council.
Earlier, Maoists declared autonomous Magrat, Tamsaling, Tharu states, among others.
At the press meet organised after declaration of Abadh state, Maoist politburo member Santosh Budhamagar said that his party had kept the form of agitation open.
He warned that if they were suppressed they would retaliate against the government. “Our party was forced to revive the old structures as the government was unable to solve the people’s basic problems after India’s blockade of Nepal’s border points “, Budhamagar said.
On the allegation that his party was fighting to revive the defunct monarchy, Budhamagar clarified that it was his party that had fought for ten years to abolish monarchy.
He warned that youths in his party might wield weapons at any time if the need arises.
* "CPN M declares autonomous province Nawalparasi, January 3; Proclamation of autonomous Abadh state in Nepal for the operation of a parallel government by the new Communist Party of Nepal Maoist" (2016-01-13) [archive.is/13vBV]:
Netra Bikram Chand-led CPN Maoist today proclaimed autonomous Abadh state incorporating the three districts of Lumbini Zone for the operation of a parallel government.
At a proclamation assembly organised in Butwal, Rupandehi, Chand-led Maoists declared Rupandehi, Nawalparasi and Kapilvastu districts as Abadh autonomous state.
At the function, politburo member and Revolutionary People’s Council Nepal Chief Santosh Budhamagar likened it to the independent province created during the Maoist insurgency and said that it would play the same pivotal role.
Budhamagar said his party would soon unveil the rules and regulations of People’s Council and autonomous state.
At the programme, party central member and Lumbini Sub-bureau in-charge Chandra Bahadur Chand urged the party rank and file to be ready to take the party to a new height.
Other speakers said that they were preparing to set up party mechanism at the district and village levels to take the agitation to a new height.
A people’s representative created out of three districts has declared a 51-member representative assembly.
The assembly is led by Basanti GC. Similarly, the assembly has declared Abadh Provincial People’s Council.
Nathuram Tharu and Chaitraram Musihar are the chief and deputy chief of the people’s council. Earlier, Maoists declared autonomous Magrat, Tamsaling, Tharu states, among others.
At the press meet organised after declaration of Abadh state, Maoist politburo member Santosh Budhamagar said that his party had kept the form of agitation open.
He warned that if they were suppressed they would retaliate against the government. “Our party was forced to revive the old structures as the government was unable to solve the people’s basic problems after India’s blockade of Nepal’s border points “, Budhamagar said.
On the allegation that his party was fighting to revive the defunct monarchy,
Budhamagar clarified that it was his party that had fought for ten years to abolish monarchy.
He warned that youths in his party might wield weapons at any time if the need arises.
Rumours of revival of underground movement; unrest in Nepal’s Maoist splinter groups
In a move that may may bring the current political dispensation to a new threat, a splinter group of the Maoist Party announced the revival of the “peoples government”, with a message that another “armed insurgency” may be round the corner.
Maoist group led by Netra Bikram Chand ‘Biplab’, a fierce commander from the decade-long insurgency that ended in 2006 with the Maoists deciding to join the peace process, decided to form the “peoples council”, an equivalent of the “peoples government” since dissolved, at the end of a secret meeting held some three weeks ago in the capital.
A senior functionary of the group told ENS that “conveners” for provincial and district level councils have been formed, and further course of actions would be decided soon.
The news about revival of the council follows series of complaints lodged “unofficially” with the police by many individuals that they are being “threatened of dire consequences if they did not comply to the request for donation by the group” indicating that the Maoists-era extortion campaign is also back.
The Unified Communist Party of Nepal-Maoists that joined the peace process in April 2006 has since split into five groups, but Biplab’s is the group that has revived guerrilla training, and has now announced formation of the council.
Baburam Bhattarai, second-in-command in the party all these years and a former Prime Minister, quit the party but is now busy building a “third force” apparently with a non-communist ideology.
There are speculations that the Maoists did not “hand over” their entire armoury when they joined the peace process, and a substantial part of it was “hidden” under the supervision of Biplab
===*===*===
People's Republic of China
News: [news.cn/english] [news.xinhuanet.com]; Map [archive.is/X1hWW]; History & the Current Context [http://is.gd/QwvQLr]
* "China’s next five-year plan to spend $580bn on 30,000km of rail track; China’s railway administration has asked the government to approve a $584bn five-year construction programme, according sources close to the discussions, who were reported in Bloomberg today" (2016-01-04, globalconstructionreview.com) [archive.is/vqPcO]
* "GlobalData reports 2015 saw China push global renewable installed capacity beyond 900 gigawatts" (2016-01-13, renewableenergyfocus.com) [archive.is/86hcJ]
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* " 'Chinese Dream': Beijing Unveils Major Military Restructure; China unveiled three new units to its military: a force to oversee strategic missiles, an army general command and strategic support force, Chinese state media reported" (2016-01-04, sputniknews.com) [archive.is/lbwJZ]
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* "China chemical giant to acquire Germany's KraussMaffei" (2016-01-11, AFP Newswire) [archive.is/z8dvh]
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* "Mao's 122nd birthday bash in Shaoshan village" photo set: [archive.is/fqTGg] [archive.is/gtyGX] [archive.is/hwdHE] [archive.is/SVyiZ] [archive.is/6MSwm]
* "Apocalypse Mao: Giant gold statue of Communist leader demolished" (2016-01-08, rt.com) [archive.is/BKw3U] [begin excerpt]: A humongous gold-coloured statue of Communist China’s founding father Mao Zedong has had a spectacular fall from grace after it reportedly fell foul of government planning laws. The gaudy 120ft (36.5 meter) effigy of China’s former leader was built over nine months by a collective of farmers and businessmen on a vacant field in Tongxu County, east China.However, days after images showed the statue near completion it was demolished because it “lacked authorities’ approval,” reports People’s Daily, the official Chinese Communist Party newspaper. [end excerpt]
* "This 3-million-yuan statue of Mao Zedong doesn’t look like him" (2016-01-04, CCTVNews, facebook.com/cctvnewschina): A village in China’s Henan Province has set up a 36.6-meter-tall golden statue of late Chinese leader Mao Zedong, which has cost local entrepreneurs and villagers almost 3 million yuan (459,300 US dollars). However, as photos of the under-construction statue went viral online on Monday, Chinese netizens jabbed at the poor craftsmanship, saying that the face doesn’t resemble that of Mao. “It doesn’t look like Chairman Mao. I guess it’s someone from the village,” joked Weibo user @Xinjiangkankan. Others, meanwhile, have been wondering why the villagers didn’t use the money to do something more practical rather than building a giant statue.
* " 'Mega Mao' no more as ridiculed golden statue destroyed Statue of Chairman Mao in Henan province was subject of online mockery after photos went viral this week" (2016-01-08, theguardian.com) [archive.is/2WGdn]
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Republic of Korea (RoK) in southern Korea
* "Inquiry Report Terms S. Korean Regime Worst Human Rights Abuser" (2015-12-29, rodong.rep.kp) [archive.is/HmGj0]: The DPRK Measure Council for Human Rights in South Korea Saturday released an inquiry report dealing with the human rights abuses committed by the present south Korean conservative forces in 2015.
According to the report, the pro-U.S. conservative regime of south Korea committed the worst crimes, pursuant to the U.S. imperialists' moves for igniting a bio-chemical war.
It continues:
When the U.S. opened to public the introduction of anthrax germs into its military bases in south Korea on May 27, the south Korean regime was busy seeking a loophole only by feigning ignorance of the relevant information.
The pro-U.S. conservative regime was so shameless as to assert that the north has anthrax and pest germs and may use them for terrorist acts and all-out war. This was to justify the crimes the regime committed for carrying out the U.S. scenario for a bio-chemical war.
The ruling south Korean conservatives have kicked up the spiraling racket of human rights abuses the year round through the whirlwind of eliminating the "followers of the north", being hell-bent on confrontation with compatriots in the north.
When the case of knife attack on the U.S. ambassador occurred in Seoul on March 5, the conservative regime groundlessly linked the case with the DPRK, not content with describing the just action of the attacker an "act of terrorism". The case led to a wholesale racket of eliminating the "forces following the north", a "witch-hunt".
The racket reached an extreme phase recently, as evidenced by the brutal suppression of the public campaign opposing the regime's plan to introduce "state-compiled" textbooks and unpopular rule and demanding democracy and right to existence in south Korea.
The south Korean Supreme Court decided on closing the progressive internet newspaper Jaju Minbo in February.
The south Korean regime also let the riot police blast pressurized water and poisonous tear liquid against peaceful demonstrators to disperse them.
The pressurized water used by the police against peaceful citizens on April 18 and 24 and May 1 amounted to over 79 000 litres.
The inquiry report said that the south Korean authorities, in disregard of the people's life and health, failed to take proper preventive measures against epidemics, throwing the whole land of south Korea into appalling confusion.
MERS, which broke out on May 20 by a south Korean who visited a Mid-east country, left 95 people infected, 7 dead and at least 2 890 quarantined as of June 8.
Owing to the irresponsible and careless attitude of the south Korean authorities, the infection lasted for more than 200 days, infecting 186 people, killing 38 and quarantining at least 16 000. Even now respiratory diseases of unknown causes spread in south Korea, increasing social instability and horror.
The south Korean authorities obsessed with confrontation with the fellow countrymen abducted residents of the north, detained and forced them into "defection", separating them from their families against their will.
Citing materials disclosing the uproar of unemployment killing working masses, shocking cases of maltreating children, human rights abuses in the south Korean mercenary army and "anti-north human rights" racket, the inquiry report went on:
In 2015 the south Korean conservative ruling quarters committed human rights abuses in an organized, systemic and indiscriminate way.
It is quite natural that the international community branded south Korea as "the worst tundra of human rights on the globe."
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* "Tuberculosis Occurs in S. Korea" (2016-01-08, rodong.rep.kp) [archive.is/GJmOK]: Tuberculosis occurred among many pupils of a secondary school in Changwon, South Kyongsang Province of south Korea, according to the south Korean KBS.
Since the occurrence of the first case at the end of August last year its number has increased to more than 50.
The number of those infected with the case is expected to steadily swell, KBS added.
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Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) in northern Korea
Info collected by Juche-Buddhism Friendship Society, for Peace through Knowledge! [Juchebuddhism.blogspot.com]; News: [rodong.rep.kp/en] [naenara.com.kp/en] [kcna.kp/kcna.user.home.retrieveHomeInfoList.kcmsf] [dprktoday.com] [nktoday.kr/?cat=305]* "Let Us Usher in Golden Age for Building Thriving Nation" (2016-01-09, rodong.rep.kp) [archive.is/hoB6E]: All the party members, service personnel and other working people of the DPRK should rush forward to usher in a golden age in building a thriving nation, drawing great inspiration from the success made by Juche Korea in its first H-bomb test.
All the fields and sectors should ceaselessly perform miracles and feats with the great pluck and self-respect that the strong Korean nation should proudly advance at the head of the world people.
We should invariably follow the way of Juche with strong independent thinking that our strength and our style are the best and the pride and honor that our ideology, mode of revolution and lifestyle are the best.
The principle of giving priority to self-development should be maintained, bearing deep in mind that worship of big countries and dependence on foreign forces is the road to national ruin; self-development alone is the road to sustaining the dignity of our country and our nation and to paving a broad avenue for the revolution and construction.
There is a wide avenue for us to focus efforts on building an economic giant as the DPRK has the treasured sword--nuclear weapons capable of beating back any formidable enemy.
The electric-power, coal-mining and metallurgical industries and the rail transport sector should dynamically advance in the vanguard of the general offensive to achieve breakthroughs in building an economic giant. The crop farming, animal husbandry and fishing sectors and light industry and construction sectors should make great leaping advances.
Let us unite closer around the Party Central Committee and usher in a golden age in building a thriving nation with the same vim and vigor with which the service personnel and people demonstrated the dignity and might of Songun Korea far and wide.
* "Mass Rallies Held across Country" (2016-01-09, rodong.rep.kp) [archive.is/Divld]: Mass rallies took place in South Phyongan, South Hamgyong, North Phyongan, Jagang, Kangwon, North Hamgyong and Ryanggang provinces and Rason City on Wednesday and Thursday to vow to carry out the tasks set forth by supreme leader Kim Jong Un in his New Year Address.
Present at the rallies were officials, working people and youths of party, power and economic bodies, working people's organizations, industrial establishments, farms and universities in local areas.
Reporters and speakers said that the New Year Address made by Kim Jong Un serves as the militant banner arousing all the service personnel and people of the DPRK to the general charge for bringing about a new turn in all fields for building a thriving nation.
They stressed the need for all the party members and other working people to channel all efforts into building an economic giant and bringing about a fresh turn in developing economy and improving people's living standard under the slogan "Let us usher in a golden age in building a thriving nation in this year when the Seventh Congress of the Workers' Party of Korea is to be held!"
At the end of the rallies the participants staged demonstrations.
The following are sections of the DPRK's Constitution which lay out the framework of the DPRK's Socialist system:
Article 5: Democratic Centralism
Article 11: Vanguard Party
Article 12: Dictatorship of the Proletariat
Article 17: Socialist internationalism, working for national and class emancipation
Article 20 - 22: Socialist ownership of the means of production
Article 24: Socialist distribution
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* "WPK Central Committee Issues Order to Conduct First H-Bomb Test" (2015-01-07, rodong.rep.kp) [archive.is/fliOU]: Kim Jong Un, first secretary of the Workers' Party of Korea, first chairman of the National Defence Commission of the DPRK and supreme commander of the Korean People's Army, issued an order to conduct the first H-bomb test of Juche Korea on December 15, Juche 104 (2015) on behalf of the Workers' Party of Korea and then signed the final written order on Jan. 3, Juche 105 (2016).
The DPRK government issues a statement on the first H-bomb test of Juche Korea conducted under the strategic resolve of the Workers' Party of Korea.
Photo of the signing [archive.is/C1M0v], photos showing the written order [archive.is/ws5RZ] [archive.is/a0pvp]
* "Kim Jong-un threatens ‘holy war of justice’ against invaders of North Korea" (2016-01-01, rt.com) [archive.is/ZQGtf]
* "N. Korea says its H-bomb ‘capable of wiping out whole US at once’ " (2016-01-13, rt.com) [archive.is/Z8qRg]
* "DPRK's Access to H-bomb Is Right to Self-Defense" (2016-01-08, rodong.rep.kp) [archive.is/VV47a]
* "The Right To Self Defence" editorial cartoon (2015-12-07, by Bill Purkayastha) [archive.is/1usQv]. The author writes, "I drew this specifically as a f*ck you to the obsequious "liberal editorial cartoonists" on such Obamaganda sites as GoComics. I do hope I manage to infuriate other Obama worshippers as well." More about the Neo-cons of Israel embedded in the USA Federal government [archive.is/O3zAB], their war against the People of Korea [archive.is/YuXB3], and against the People of Iraq [archive.is/0S0HN]. Information technology companies managed by Israel Citizens, like Google.com (now Alphabet Co.) and Facebook.com, are administered as clandestine security agency assets and work with the USA and other governments to secure resources for their technological holdings. The DPRK administers $12 trillion worth of rare-earth minerals useful for information technology.* "N. Korea cites Kadhafi's 'destruction' in nuke test defence" (2016-01-09, AFP Newswire) [archive.is/2gmqH]
* (2015-01-08, Jay Tharappel): Can you blame North Korea for being paranoid when they lost a third of their population to American bombs within living memory of many of their citizens?Go ahead and imagine losing a third of everyone you know - that's an entire nation with PTSD, but they still manage to give their people a decent standard of living *relative* to capitalist countries with similar income levels and despite the cruel sanctions imposed on them.
Those of us from poor countries have a sense of perspective about the DPRK that's completely lost of most western leftists living in imperialist countries who have zero experience fighting colonialism let alone building socialism from scratch after their entire nation has been levelled by decades of war.
I learned a long time ago that there are two types of respect - respect out of love and respect out of fear - if you can't get them to love you, make them fear you.
* "Party and State Commendations Awarded to Contributors to H-bomb Test" (2016-01-13, rodong.rep.kp) [archive.is/qL6pC]
* "Russian Organization Hails DPRK's H-bomb Test" (2016-01-08, rodong.rep.kp) [archive.is/HtiK5]
* "DPRK's Successful H-bomb Test Welcomed by Chief of Pyongyang Mission of Anti-Imperialist National Democratic Front (AINDF)" (2016-01-09, rodong.rep.kp) [archive.is/1hIBa]
* Is the following New Yorker magazine cover racist? Read more at [archive.is/g2e8O].
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* "National Exhibition of Scientific and Technological Achievements of Youth and Students Opens" (2016-01-14, rodong.rep.kp) [archive.is/l8t1L]: A national exhibition of scientific and technological achievements of youth and students opened with due ceremony at the Central Youth Hall Wednesday to mark the 70th anniversary of the Kim Il Sung Socialist Youth League.
Presented to the exhibition were hundreds of valuable inventions and new technological innovations greatly conducive to the development of the nation's science and technology.
Present at the ceremony were Ri Il Hwan, department director of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea, officials of the youth league, officials concerned, young scientists, technicians, teachers, workers and three-revolution team members of the units which made presentations to the exhibition and youth and students in Pyongyang.
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* "Agricultural Workers Vow to Bring Turn in Agricultural Production" (2016-01-09, rodong.rep.kp) [archive.is/lo0SH]: Agricultural workers and members of the Union of Agricultural Workers of Korea (UAWK) met at the Chongsan Co-op Farm in Kangso District on Friday to vow to carry through the tasks set forth by Marshal Kim Jong Un in his New Year Address.
Ri Myong Gil, chairman of the UAWK Central Committee, made a report to be followed by speeches.
The reporter and speakers underscored the need for all the agricultural workers to bring about a turn in the agricultural production with the sense of responsibility that they are in the trench on the first line of the forward echelon of the campaign to defend socialism under the uplifted slogan "Let us usher in a golden age in building a thriving nation in this year when the Seventh Congress of the Workers' Party of Korea is to be held!" advanced by Kim Jong Un.All the agricultural workers should be the Songun revolutionary fighters who share the Party's ideas, breathe the same breath with it and keep pace with it in order to travel one road forever following the Party, they noted.
They called on the officials, agricultural workers and members of the UAWK to discharge their responsibility and mission in the efforts to usher in a golden age in building a thriving nation on the principle of giving priority to self-development.
They challenged the agricultural workers and members of the UAWK across the country to a socialist emulation to glorify this year with unprecedented agricultural production
Outlines for the socialist emulation were announced at the meeting.
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* "DPRK Premier Visits Hwanghae Iron and Steel Complex" (2016-01-14, rodong.rep.kp) [archive.is/u5ef1]:
DPRK Premier Pak Pong Ju made a field survey of the Hwanghae Iron and Steel Complex.Going round various places of the complex, he said that workers of the complex should expand the successes achieved in making the production Juche-based and modern and increase the output of iron and steel in order to become an advanced group in making a breakthrough in building an economic power.
The premier made a field survey of the remodeling Ryuwon Shoes Factory.
He underscored the need to update the factory at a high level and take thorough measures for the supply of raw and other materials to increase the production of shoes favored by the people.
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* "Day of Shining Star to Be Marked by Koreans in China" (2016-01-09, rodong.rep.kp) [archive.is/n5M2N]
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* "DPRK Foreign Minister Receives Credentials from WHO Representative" (2016-01-14, rodong.rep.kp) [archive.is/Etbmg]: Ri Su Yong, foreign minister of the DPRK, was presented with credentials by Thushara Fernando, representative of the WHO, on Wednesday.
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It is claimed that religion is not allowed in the DPRK, a claim reinforced with such common anti-DPRK videos such as "10 Everyday Activities That Are Illegal In North Korea" [youtube.com/watch?v=IGU_BrRlvB8].
Refutations:
- "Russian Orthodox Church in Pyongyang, North Korea (DPRK)" [youtube.com/watch?v=ajp5ZKibyXo]
- Chondoist Chongdu Party, a religious party in the DPRK parliament (retrieved 2016-01-09, wikipedia.org) [archive.is/tIbXi]
- The DPRK is recognized and admired by Islamic governments, as shown with "Greetings to Kim Jong Un from Iranian President" (2016-01-09, rodong.rep.kp) [archive.is/HLSsl]
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[https://www.facebook.com/groups/DPRKorea/permalink/10152842795618715/] [https://m.facebook.com/groups/2229498714?view=permalink&id=10152842795618715&_rdr]
How to stream KCTV to your PC.
KCTV:
http://121.167.43.161:50000/chosun (Can be slow or choppy)
rtsp://121.167.43.161/chosun (Can be slow or choppy)
mms://121.167.43.161/chosun (Can be slow or choppy)
http://www.ustream.tv/channel/dprk-tv (Not always working or timing is off)
Thaicom 5 3696 H, SR 3367, FEC 2/3 (Satellite works great)
Intelsat 21 3840 V, SR 27690, FEC 7/8 (Satellite works great)
Also worth mentioning. The IP 121.167.43.161 is a ROK (South Korea) based IP and could be "seized" by the KCSC see here: http://warning.or.kr/
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* "North Korea Is Newest Frontier for a Daredevil Investor" (2016-01-13, nytimes.com) [archive.is/hL5zy]
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* "In fast U-turn, Davos forum cancels invitation to N.Korea" (2016-01-13, gmanetwork.com) [archive.is/kT4BD], video of the announcement [youtube.com/watch?v=FZxHzfUuMXc]
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SPEND A WEEK IN NORTH KOREA, WRITE A NEGATIVE STORY AND GET A PRIZE!
2 Swedes spent 8 days in North Korea, wrote a book about their horrific 'insights', which qualifies it as a finalist for a prestigious prize
Thoughts?
LOGICALLY, A PULITZER PRIZE FOR THE MOST VIOLENT NORTH KOREA BOOK
Perhaps this book made Pulitzer spin in his grave. It became a huge bestseller, partly because of him. And it undermined Pulitzer’s prestige.
Author Adam Johnson and his publishers promoted his novel ‘The Orphan Master's Son’ as North Korea insight. Johnson searched on Google, talked to defectors and made a short trip as a tourist to Pyongyang. This qualified him to become another North Korea expert and a Pulitzer prize winner.
His book’s 450 pages contain a litany of unrelenting, inconceivable cruelty, brutality and atrocities with no redemption, page after page, day after day, particularly in its second part.
With his cartoon-like characters he dehumanized the people. He not only used Q-kee, Jujak as names that were as much or as little Korean as his talk about something like a “replacement husband.” He systematically used stereotypes: even his landing at Pyongyang’s airport was life-threatening, see here: http://northkoreacapitalist.tumblr.com/image/85118736952
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LIFE, VENTURES AND ADVENTURES IN NORTH KOREA:
THE INSIDE STORY OF A DIFFERENT, CHANGING COUNTRY, CHALLENGING STEREOTYPES AND SENSATIONAL REPORTING.
Felix Abt lived and worked as a senior executive on behalf of multinational groups and smaller enterprises for seven years in North Korea where he witnessed MANY FIRSTS that nobody would have expected from the world's most isolated, under-reported and misrepresented country:
The first fast food restaurant selling 'happy meals', the first café selling Western gourmet coffee, the first miniskirts and high heels, the first Mickey Mouse and Hello Kitty bags, the legalization of markets and advertising, the first North Korean debit card (with which he went shopping), the first technocrats instead of party committees, running state-enterprises, a foodstuff company's first robot (made by ABB, a multinational group whose chief representative he was in Pyongyang), a multiplication of all sorts of small private business, a massive expansion of private slope farming, the emergence of a fast growing middle class and a drop in poverty, cosmetic surgery in the capital (even though it was illegal), people watching foreign movies and reading foreign books (despite censorship), the first business school (which he co-founded and ran), the first e-commerce (set up by North Korean painters and Felix Abt, selling their paintings around the globe), the first North Koreans dancing Rock 'n Roll (with him), the first foreign chamber of commerce (which he co-founded and chaired), the first North Korean enterprise (a pharmaceutical factory whose CEO he was) winning contracts in competitive bidding against foreign companies, the first quality pharmacy chain (which he launched), the first software joint venture company exporting award-winning medical software (which he co-founded) and many more.☆ All this and more you will find in his memoir "A Capitalist in North Korea: My Seven Years in the Hermit Kingdom"
☆ Visit his website: [a-capitalist-in-north-korea.com]
☆ Watch his video "North Korea out of the dark": [youtube.com/watch?v=-35WjN42l9A]
☆ By engaging with North Koreans at all levels, this is how the author made a difference and helped to change minds and behavior patterns: [nknews.org/2015/11/north-korea-stuck-in-the-past-or-poised-for-the-future/]
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* A video of Global Peace Foundation's leader kicking his members for insubordination. This is an organization held within the USA State Dept. portfolio of assets to be used against the DPRK, and the video shows the typical State Dept. attitude towards human rights. [https://youtu.be/QZOM95Qn_3Y]
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Republic of the Philippines
Territorial map [archive.is/TmfDQ]. News [karapatan.org/news] [davaotoday.com]* "Palace: Left-wing groups in Philippines a dying breed" (2015-12-28, philstar.com) [archive.is/c9tHA]
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Towards a People's Republic of the Philippines[ndfp.net] [philippinerevolution.net]
* "PFLP salutes Communist Party of the Philippines on 47th anniversary of refoundation" (2015-12-26, ndfp.org) [archive.is/NOSmA]
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* "Duterte clarifies: I’m a socialist, not a communist; Davao City mayor says he adheres to socialism, not communism; He is happy that communist leader Joma Sison supports his candidacy; He is even willing to form a power-sharing scheme with the communists; However, they cannot control the armed forces, police, finance, and int’l relations dep’t" (2015-12-11, kickerdaily.com) [archive.is/2IRAE]
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