A man clad entirely in black threw an explosive device into a restaurant in Pasadena, California. The device — which was a crude homemade job, and gave off mostly smoke and noise — exploded under an unoccupied table, and no one was injured. Witnesses described the perpetrator as having a “Hispanic or Middle-Eastern appearance”, with a long beard and wearing a “beanie”. Authorities believe the act was not terror-related. The incident had nothing to do with Islam.
In other news, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan reprimanded German Chancellor Angela Merkel for referring to “Islamist terrorism”. He said that Muslims are saddened by her use of the phrase, because Islam is never associated with terror, and is a religion of peace.
To see the headlines and the articles, click “Continue reading” below.
Thanks to Caroline Glick, Dean, Fjordman, JD, Reader from Chicago, and all the other tipsters who sent these in.
Notice to tipsters: Please don’t submit extensive excerpts from articles that have been posted behind a subscription firewall, or are otherwise under copyright protection.
Caveat: Articles in the news feed are posted “as is”. Gates of Vienna cannot vouch for the authenticity or accuracy of the contents of any individual item posted here. We check each entry to make sure it is relatively interesting, not patently offensive, and at least superficially plausible. The link to the original is included with each item’s title. Further research and verification are left to the reader.
Trump Effect ‘Has Been Good for UK’ Says Central Banker
A boost to financial markets since Donald Trump’s election has helped the UK economy, a central banker has said.
Ben Broadbent, the deputy governor for monetary policy at the Bank of England, told the BBC that some of Mr Trump’s economic plans could help the UK.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Bearded, Black-Clad Bomb Thrower Terrorizes Cheesecake Factory in Pasadena
Authorities sought the public’s help Friday in identifying a black-clad, bearded bomb thrower who terrorized diners when he tossed a homemade explosive device into a Cheesecake Factory restaurant in Pasadena.
Witnesses described the suspect as either Hispanic or Middle Eastern, 6 feet tall, with a thin build, a heavy beard, all black clothing and a black beanie. While a motive was unknown, federal authorities were notified “out of an abundance of caution.”
Authorities made no reference to a possible terrorism motive.
No one was hurt in the blast, which was reported during the crowded dinner hour Thursday just after 6 p.m. at the restaurant at 2 W. Colorado Blvd.
Responding officers immediately evacuated the restaurant and located the detonated homemade pyrotechnic device, according to the Pasadena Police Department. The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department Bomb Squad also responded to the scene and rendered the device safe, police said.
| — Hat tip: Dean | [Return to headlines] |
Caught on Tape: Chaos Erupts at NYU College Republicans Event, 11 Arrested
The NYU College Republicans likely had no idea what they were setting themselves up for when they invited Vice Media co-founder Gavin McInnes to speak on their campus. Two years ago such an event almost certainly would have gone completely unnoticed but for the the couple of hundred students in attendance. But in today’s post-Trumpian world, every appearance of a conservative personality is taken by intolerant Leftists as just another opportunity to destroy public/private property, incite violence and shout catchy slogans incorporating the word “Nazi.”
According to Reuters, McInnes’speech was cut short when protesters rushed into the room where he was speaking and began interrupting him. The protesters subsequently scuffled with police officers and McInnes supporters outside the university’s student center in New York City, where he was invited to speak by NYU College Republicans. Here is some footage of the violence:…
| — Hat tip: JD | [Return to headlines] |
Exposed: Who Really Instigated the Berkeley Protests?
Find out the truth about the violent event
If you have never heard of Robert Reich, it is time to make him famous, and not for a good reason.
This mentally deranged liberal professor is promoting protests that have turned violent every time.
| — Hat tip: JD | [Return to headlines] |
Gorsuch Will Not Shift the Balance of Power on the Supreme Court as Much as You May Think
On Tuesday, President Trump announced that he would nominate Neil Gorsuch to fill the open seat on the U.S. Supreme Court. Gorsuch currently serves on the 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Denver, and he was confirmed unanimously by the Senate when he was appointed to that position by President George W. Bush in 2006. Gorsuch appears to have some strong similarities to Antonin Scalia, and many conservatives are hoping that when Gorsuch fills Scalia’ s seat that it will represent a shift in the balance of power on the Supreme Court. Because for almost a year, the court has been operating with only eight justices. Four of them were nominated by Republican presidents and four of them were nominated by Democrats, and so many Republicans are anticipating that there will now be a Supreme Court majority for conservatives.
Unfortunately, things are not that simple, because a couple of the “ conservative” justices are not actually very conservative at all.
| — Hat tip: JD | [Return to headlines] |
Homemade Explosive Thrown Into Crowded Pasadena Cheesecake Factory
“People were jumping over one another, fighting to get over bar stools,” a witness said
Authorities were searching for a man who threw a “homemade pyrotechnic device” containing gunpowder into a crowded downtown Pasadena restaurant Thursday night, sending diners scrambling for cover, police said.
Nobody was hurt in the explosion after 6 p.m. at the Cheesecake Factory on Colorado Boulevard in Old Pasadena, according to police. As of Friday morning, nothing suggested that it was “anything other than a really bad prank,” said Lt. Vasken Gourdikian of the Pasadena Police Department…
| — Hat tip: Dean | [Return to headlines] |
Look What Just Happened the Second Trump Got Off Marine One After Unexpected Landing
President Trump made an unexpected trip today on Marine Force one which nobody seemed to know about until it was up in the air. As sudden as his departure was, so was his landing where a small gathering of press were standing by and able to catch the shocking thing that happened the second before taking his final step off the aircraft.
It’ s been a long week of important work for out Commander-in-Chief who hasn’ t left the Oval Office for much other than an important afternoon in Delaware to show his respect for a fallen Navy SEAL on Wednesday. However, today he was back on Marine One for a different reason.
The helicopter was taking the president to a tarmac where Air Force One awaited him, fueled up and ready to take him to what will likely be a work-filled weekend away from the White House. He hasn’ t seen his wife and young son, so hopefully he’ ll get a couple days to spend reconnecting with them, but before he could get off Marine One and onto the jet, he stopped and stood before the military personnel there to greet him, and saluted them back, showing the utmost respect for their service to this country.
This is a sight that has been seen more in one week than it has in the eight years that Barack Obama was in office. The most our former president did to salute these soldiers when he didn’ t completely ignore them, was to wave at them with a coffee cup in his hand. Another time he scratched his face in an awkward motion that appeared as though he was flipping the soldier off. His hate for our military was evident in countless ways but with Trump, respect and honor for these heroes is back and better than ever.
| — Hat tip: JD | [Return to headlines] |
New Poll Uses Huge “Oversample” To Suggest That 40% of Registered Voters Support Impeaching Trump
This morning a lot of media outlets are citing a new poll conducted by “Public Policy Polling” (PPP) which suggests, among other things, that 40% of registered voters in the U.S. support impeaching President Trump. Of course, about 15 seconds worth of actual critical thought could have saved these media outlets from embarrassingly pumping yet another “rigged poll” courtesy of aggressive “oversamples”.
To our great ‘shock’, this particular poll used one of the most aggressive “oversamples” we’ve seen, with 41% of respondents calling themselves Democrats versus only 30% Republicans. With that kind of spread, the 2016 election should have been a blow out for Hillary…how could this be?
Of course, when you’re willing to completely abandon all integrity to progress a chosen narrative then you can engineer almost any results you want. Hence these results suggesting that 40% of the electorate would support impeaching President Trump…
And while all of the results of this poll are pretty much useless, here are a couple other findings.
Even with a ridiculous Democrat oversample, Trump’s approval rating was found to be 47%.
| — Hat tip: JD | [Return to headlines] |
If you are wondering why Foggy Bottom is being purged today, and why the CIA will soon receive a similar treatment, the answer should be clear enough. Just as in the Stalin period, the State Department under Hillary (ably assisted by Muslim Brotherhood loyalist Huma Abedin) allowed the SecState to set up her own insecure email system, to which only Hillary’s circle had access, and which was obviously used to trade State Department goodies for big money to the Clinton Foundation, including oil-rich jihadist Arab Gulf regimes and probably Iran. This is clear criminal conduct, even if the Trump DOJ chooses to turn a blind eye…
Obama is a jihadophile. He has made that clear in a thousand different ways during his eight years, enough time to plant agents and suborn U.S. government personnel. No wonder we couldn’t do anything effective to resist jihad; Obama even refused to use the words “Islamic terrorism.” But he is still beloved by a veritable snowpack of campus flakes.
Exposing the real enemy is only the first step in national defense. Fighting the enemy is a next step, and even today the Democrats and EuroSocialists are self-righteously refusing to do that.
| — Hat tip: JD | [Return to headlines] |
Over 12,000 Tweets Calling for Trump’s Assassination
(MASHABLE) In the 12 days since Donald Trump took the oath of office, a steady stream of social media posts have called for the new president’s assassination.
The posts are pretty basic and many are jokes or sarcastic or hyperbolic — but there are a lot of them. In a Dataminr search of Twitter posts since Inauguration Day containing the phrase “assassinate Trump” more than 12,000 tweets came up.
The U.S. Secret Service, however, or even Twitter and Facebook themselves, doesn’t seem to be jumping onto many of these posts. When we asked several users about their recent “assassinate Trump” posts, all of them said they hadn’t been contacted by anyone about their post and they all remain up.\
| — Hat tip: JD | [Return to headlines] |
Pentagon Strikes New F-35 Deal With Lockheed After Trump Involvement
The Trump administration announced Friday that the Pentagon has reached a tentative deal with Lockheed Martin for the purchase of 90 F-35 jets at the lowest price in the program’s history — saving the government millions, officials said.
Trump, as president-elect, made headlines in December when he tweeted that the costs for the F-35 program were “out of control.”
This led to meetings and negotiations with the defense mega-contractor, apparently culminating in Friday’s nearly $9 billion agreement.
| — Hat tip: Fjordman | [Return to headlines] |
Over the last eight years, the Left has taken the offensive continually while Republicans either capitulated, cooperated, procrastinated, or employed purely defensive maneuvers that amounted to a finger in the dam.
How things have changed.
It’s been barely two weeks since Donald Trump has taken office and Democrats are facing a political blitzkrieg. They are grappling for the means to handle the assault, as the party of the Left has long thought it had total control of both the narrative and the battles.
Stunned political operatives like Nancy Pelosi don’t recognize President Trump is not interested in guerilla warfare tactics, but has put into effect a broad-based offensive against the very citadels of liberal power and bloated government.
The president is putting into play a classic military maneuver applied to politics: keep going on a total and accelerated offensive no matter what in order to keep your enemy digging foxholes and putting up barriers — while all the while they actually are being forced to slowly retreat under the onslaught, screaming and holding up protest placards all the way to the back of the line.
Democrats are unused to a total war offensive, as they have relied on relentless guerilla warfare and the long march. They are even more unused to being on the defensive, and are ill-prepared to fight defensively. They are aghast over the Trump tactics being applied against them, are assuming the old weapons once applied so effectively against their political enemies still work…
Trump correctly discerned that ordinary citizens who desire nothing more than to be left alone to enjoy peace and while at an actual job or sitting by their undisturbed hearths are sick to death of constantly being roiled by the incessant demands of the latest approved victim of the month. They are fed up with the constant assaults on authority and on their faith. For them, the old tactics from radicals’ playbooks dating from the 1960s have become merely irritating and meaningless liturgical chants rather than urgent and legitimate calls for justice.
The fact is that millions of Americans do not want the fundamental transformation desired by the Left. They want an America transformed by fundamentals — the fundamentals that have been and still are the bedrock of American society; namely, constitutional law and adherence to the Bill of Rights…
At the heart of the Trump political blitzkrieg is the core belief that America has been going down the wrong path for many years and that it is urgent that the ship of state be turned around before it sinks into the vortex created by extremists.
The battle in America is the same battle that is being fought in Europe and around the world. Will it be the ideology of the radical Left that prevails? Will globalists prevail or will the legitimacy of national identities endure? Will a monoculture of the Left be established or will peoples of the world be free to be truly diverse in thought, word, and deed? Will international law trump national sovereignty or will Americans and citizens of other free nations retain their unique and indelible character as formed by founding documents, history and traditions?
[Comment: Trump is doing the right things. Proceeding to make America great and not pausing for a “con-fab” with commi-crats.]
| — Hat tip: JD | [Return to headlines] |
Milo: Media created environment where it’s OK to call everyone you disagree with a ‘Nazi’.
| — Hat tip: JD | [Return to headlines] |
Austrian Terror Suspect ‘Planned to Bomb Ramstein Air Base’
A 17-year-old suspected Islamic extremist who was arrested in Vienna planned to set off a pipe bomb near Ramstein Air Base in Germany but changed his mind because he didn’t want to “kill so many people,” according to a report in the weekly newspaper Falter.
The teenager, identified only as Lorenz K., reportedly told police of the plan after he was arrested in Vienna on January 20th.
Falter said it had obtained a transcript of the youth’s questioning. Austria’s Interior Ministry and German police have refused to comment on the report.
| — Hat tip: Fjordman | [Return to headlines] |
Austria: Congestion in Vienna Centre During Right-Wing Ball
Part of Vienna’s 1st district will be off-bounds to the public this evening, as demonstrators gather to protest against the controversial Akademikerball (Academics Ball) taking place in the Hofburg palace.
The yearly event is organised by the anti-immigration Freedom Party (FPÖ) and is a known gathering place for Austrian and German nationalist student fraternity members, some of whom are described as right-wing extremists.
An area around Heldenplatz will be closed off from 5pm, with a total of 2,700 police officers on duty in the centre of the city — where around 2,000 demonstrators are expected to gather under the slogan “Offensive against the Right”.
| — Hat tip: Fjordman | [Return to headlines] |
Barcelona (CNA).- Spain’s use of the courts will be once again at the centre of civil mobilisations next Monday. Under the motto ‘Love Democracy’, the main pro-independence associations in Catalonia, the Catalan National Assembly (ANC), Òmnium Cultural, the Association of Municipalities for Independence (AMI) and the Catalan Association of Municipalities (ACM) have called to show the citizens’ support for those politics who have been summonsed for allowing the 9-N symbolic vote on independence in 2014.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Europe to Crumble? Continent to Face Civil War Within 30 Years, Belgian Historian Claims
David Engels, a historian at the Free University of Brussels, drew parallels between Europe and the fall of the Roman Republic to make the alarming prediction.
He said: “In 20 to 30 years Europe will have become an authoritarian or imperial state, after a phase resembling civil war and decay.
“I expect a civil war, which will force a fundamental social and political reformation in Europe, whether we like it or not, following the example of the decaying Roman Republic in the first century BC.”
Mr Engels has claimed Europe would teeter towards authoritarianism since 2011 — and the ongoing migrant crisis has now added weight to his warnings.
The 37-year-old added that the parallels between the European Union and Julius Caesar’s equivalent are “so massive, so obvious and that has been the case for decades”.
On Sat, Feb 4, 2017 at 10:11 AM, Fjordman PJ
| — Hat tip: Fjordman | [Return to headlines] |
France: Marine Le Pen’s Internet Army
The National Front has long been at the cutting edge of digital communication — it was the first party in the country to put up a website in the mid-1990s — and has invested aggressively in its social media operation. Now the investment is paying off as Le Pen boasts the highest social media “engagement rate” (measured by likes and follows) of any presidential candidate, while commanding legions of online volunteers in France, Europe and beyond who work each day to amplify her message.
Le Pen’s web-centric insurgent approach mimics methods used by other outsider campaigns. The Brexit campaign in the United Kingdom and the electioneering efforts of Bernie Sanders and Donald Trump in the U.S. all made creative use of social media to short-circuit traditional media.
Yet in France, the National Front’s online campaign remains unique. Bigger and more professional than social media operations of rivals including former Economy Minister Emmanuel Macron, her web machine stands alone notably due to the ruthlessness of its negative campaigns, and the fact that so many “global populists” are willing to amplify them online.
| — Hat tip: Fjordman | [Return to headlines] |
French Journalist Says Fillon’s Chances ‘In Tatters’ After Scandal
FRANÇOIS FILLON’S presidential dreams are “over”, according to a leading French journalist following “fake job” allegations aimed at the candidate’s wife.
Pierre Haski, the founder of Rue 89, appeared on BBC Two’s Newsnight and gave his damning prediction on the fate of the Republicans hopeful.
It comes after M Fillon’s wife Penelope was paid hundreds of thousands of euros to work as a parliamentary assistant and satirical weekly Le Canard Enchaine claimed that she did not do the work she was paid for.
The presidential candidate has denied the claims and said everything was above board.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
German Islamists Come to Blows in Row Over Who is More Radical
ONE of Germany’s most infamous Islamists has been accused of beating up a fellow extremist — in a row over who was the most radical.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Historian: European Civil War Within 30 Years
“…The civil war, which he says cannot be avoided, will likely not look like a traditional military conflict, he said, because European societies are not militarised. Rather, he said the civil war will look like the situation in Sweden where over 50 no-go areas have formed or Brussels where suburbs like Molenbeek were able to hide Paris terrorist Salah Abdeslam from police for months.
French academic and Islamic expert Gilles Kepel made a similar prediction last year saying that the rise of radical Islam among young Muslims in Europe could take the continent into a large-scale civil conflict.”
[Comment: Should it happen, public should not forget about the traitorous politicians who forced the mass migrataion agenda upon the population.]
| — Hat tip: JD | [Return to headlines] |
Italian Muslims Sign Anti-Extremism Pact
Italy’s Muslim community signed a pact with the government on Wednesday pledging to “reject all forms of violence and terrorism”, with prayers in mosques to be held in Italian.
“It’s a very important document which concerns the present and future of our country through inter-religious dialogue, starting from a basic principle: We may have different religions… but we are all Italian,” said Interior Minister Marco Minniti.
He added: “One of the essential points is that all the signatories have committed to reject all forms of violence and terrorism.”
The Italian Islamic Confederation, one of the signatories, hailed it as a “historic step for the formation of an Italian Islam”, representing “a community that is open and integrated”.
| — Hat tip: Fjordman | [Return to headlines] |
Louvre Machete Attack Just Latest to Target Soldiers and Police in France
The machete attack against soldiers at the Louvre on Friday is just the latest in a long line of attacks targeting France’s soldiers and police officers.
Isis terror group have frequently called on their followers to attack soldiers and police in France, who they see as a legitimate target becausethey represent the French state.
Before Friday’s attack on soldiers at the Louvre France’s forces of security and law and order have been targeted several times before.
| — Hat tip: Fjordman | [Return to headlines] |
Louvre Attack: Egyptian Man, 29, Believed to be Assailant
French authorities say they believe the man who tried to attack the Louvre museum in the capital Paris on Friday was a 29-year-old Egyptian man.
Prosecutor Francois Molins said he is thought to have travelled to Paris from Dubai on a tourist visa last month.
Police are trying to establish if the man acted alone or under instructions, he added.
The machete-wielding attacker was critically injured after he was shot by French soldiers in a bid to stop him.
| — Hat tip: Fjordman | [Return to headlines] |
Louvre Attack: Suspect Believed to be 29 Year Old Egyptian
The suspect in the machete attack near the Louvre entered France from Dubai on an Egyptian visa, according to sources close to the investigation. Prime Minister Bernard Cazeneuve said investigators were treating the incident as a “terrorist act”.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Romania’s President Backs Protesters Against Government
Romania’s president Klaus Iohannis told reporters in Malta that he supports the people protesting against a new government decree decriminalising low-level corruption. “We have hundreds of thousands of my Romanians out in the streets and I trust them, I trust my people, I believe in Romania,” he said. Iohannis said the issue was a matter of principle and that the “rule of law has to prevail.”
| — Hat tip: Fjordman | [Return to headlines] |
Spain: Madrid is Determined to Stop Catalonia’s Independence Referendum. How Far Will it Go?
Catalonia’s separatist government hit out Thursday at reported plans by Madrid to close schools in the northeastern region and even take control of the police to stop a contested independence referendum.
The latest spike in tensions between the wealthy Spanish region and the central government comes as jitters continue in Europe following Britain’s shock vote to leave the European Union.
“This threat is very serious and affects the essence of democracy: stopping access to polling stations,” Neus Munte, spokeswoman for the Catalan government, told regional radio RAC1.
Catalonia’s government decided last year to hold a Scotland-style binding referendum for independence this September — a move ratified in a resolution voted by the majority separatist, regional parliament.
But Madrid insists any such vote would be illegal and Spain’s Consitutional Court has suspended the resolution.
| — Hat tip: Fjordman | [Return to headlines] |
Survey: Hate Speech Suffered by One in Ten People in Finland
According to a poll carried out for Yle by Taloustutkimus Research, hate speech focusing on nationality, ethnicity, or religion is experienced by ten percent of those Finnish residents surveyed.
| — Hat tip: Fjordman | [Return to headlines] |
Sweden Gives Brussels Terror Attack Evidence to Belgium
A Swedish court decided on Friday to hand over evidence seized in the southern city of Malmö to Belgium in connection with the Brussels attacks last year, public prosecutors said.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Swedish Far-Right MP to Face Assault Charge Over Stockholm Brawl
Sweden Democrats (SD) MP Kent Ekeroth has been charged with minor assault over an incident outside a Stockholm nightclub in November, where he allegedly struck a man in the face.
The scuffle took place outside a club near Stureplan, a popular nightclub district in central Stockholm, on November 24th. The 35-year-old MP, who denies the charge, claims he acted in self-defence, and filed a counter-report to police at the time claiming he was also assaulted.
Police spoke to between 13 and 14 witnesses about the November incident according to chief prosecutor Lena Kastlund, providing a “largely coherent picture of what happened”.
Sweden’s Interior Minister Anders Ygeman labelled the charge against Ekeroth as “very serious”.
| — Hat tip: Fjordman | [Return to headlines] |
Trump Threat Catalyst for Stronger Europe, Says Austrian Chancellor
The threat posed by the US administration under president Donald Trump will act as a catalyst for a more united and stronger Europe, Austria’s federal chancellor Christian Kern told reporters in Malta. “It will be a catalyst for a stronger Europe, for a more united Europe, and I think it is like an alarm call,” he said ahead of Friday’s EU summit meeting in Malta’s capital Valletta.
| — Hat tip: Fjordman | [Return to headlines] |
Wilders “Stop Islam” Tram Wraps Forbidden on Rotterdam Public Transit
Rotterdam public transport company RET denied the PVV and Geert Wilders’ request to wrap anti-Islam banners around the city’s trams. “We are a public transport company and politically neutral”, a spokesperson said to NOS. According to the spokesperson, political messages on trams and buses does not suit the RET.
On Thursday morning Wilders posted a photo of the tram wraps on Twitter saying that he offered it to the RET. The wraps show a photo of Wilders and the slogan “Stop Islam”.
| — Hat tip: Fjordman | [Return to headlines] |
World’s First 3D-Printed Bridge Opened in Madrid
A Madrid park made history with the installation of the first ever pedestrian bridge created from a 3D printer.
The pioneering bridge was created by a team from the Institute of Advanced Architecture of Catalonia, a Barcelona-based research and education center that worked with a contingent of architects, mechanical and structural engineers, and municipal representatives to bring the design to life.
| — Hat tip: Fjordman | [Return to headlines] |
Caroline Glick: The Trump Way of Winning the War
The PLO is disoriented, panicked and hysterical. Speaking to Newsweek this week, Saeb Erekat, PLO chief Mahmoud Abbas’s chief conduit to Israel and the Americans, complained that since President Donald Trump was sworn into office, no administration official had spoken to them.
“I don’t know any of them [Trump’s advisers]. We have sent them letters, written messages. They don’t even bother to respond to us.”
The Trump administration’s shunning of the PLO is a marked departure from the policies of its predecessor. For former president Barack Obama, together with Iran, the Palestinians were viewed as the key players in the Middle East. Abbas was the first foreign leader Obama called after taking office.
Erekat’s statement reveals something that is generally obscured. Despite its deep support in Europe, the UN and the international Left, without US support, the PLO is irrelevant.
All the achievements the PLO racked up under Obama — topped off with the former president’s facilitation of UN Security Council Resolution 2334 against Israel — are suddenly irrelevant. Their impact dissipated the minute Trump took office…
| — Hat tip: Caroline Glick | [Return to headlines] |
Does Shiraz Wine Come From Iran?
Until the Islamic revolution, Iran had a tradition of wine-making which stretched back centuries. It centred on the ancient city of Shiraz — but is there a connection between the place and the wine of the same name now produced and drunk across the world?
| — Hat tip: Fjordman | [Return to headlines] |
Erdogan Tells Off Merkel for Using Phrase ‘Islamist Terrorism’
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Thursday rebuked German Chancellor Angela Merkel for using the expression “Islamist terrorism”, saying the phrase was not correct and saddened Muslims.
Speaking after a critical bilateral meeting with Erdogan, Merkel spoke of the need for Turkey and Germany to cooperate even further to fight against terror, including “Islamist terrorism” and Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) militants.
“This expression ‘Islamist terror’ seriously saddens us Muslims,” Erdogan replied, glancing sternly at the German chancellor.
“Such an expression is not correct because Islam and terror cannot be associated. The meaning of Islam is peace.”
He said it would be “saddening” if the term was used because of the crimes of the so-called Islamic State (IS) extremist group, which has been blamed for a string of attacks in Turkey over the last year.
| — Hat tip: Fjordman | [Return to headlines] |
ISIS Amputate Hands of Boys in Front of Families in Mosul
Fanatics trained up a group of children from its stronghold in western Mosul to fight against advancing Iraqi troops.
| — Hat tip: JD | [Return to headlines] |
On November 27, 2016, the liberal website Elaph marked the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, which had occurred two days earlier, with a report on the situation of women in Algeria and the rising violence against them. The next day, Ahlam Akram, a Palestinian journalist, researcher and human and women’s rights activist who resides in London, responded to this report in an article titled “Legally Sanctioned Violence in Arab Societies.” She wrote that the report’s findings are valid for women not only in Algeria but across the Arab world.
Akram blamed the situation of women in Arab countries on political Islam, on religious programs in the media, and on the Arab governments that do not do enough to protect them from violence and sexual harassment. The laws in Arab countries, she said, not only fail to protect women but even encourage men to perpetrate crimes against them on the pretext of defending the family honor. Moreover, laws by themselves will not be sufficient; they must be accompanied by educational and informational activity to change attitudes towards women in society and restore their lost dignity.
The following are excerpts from her article:…
| — Hat tip: Fjordman | [Return to headlines] |
Turkish PM Claims 130 Aegean Islets Subject to Dispute, Opposes Kos Exercise
Upping the ante in the war of words between Ankara and Athens over territorial rights, Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim told reporters in comments published on Friday that a total of 130 islets in the Aegean “have no identity” and are therefore subject to dispute.
Yildirim also took the opportunity to refer to a recent decision by a Greek court to rule against the extradition of eight Turkish military officers who Ankara has linked to a failed coup last year, referring to a disappointing stance by Athens.
In a related development the Turkish Foreign Ministry objected to Greek media reports about an upcoming military exercise on Kos, claiming that the Greek island is “demilitarized” and that such an exercise would be illegal.
| — Hat tip: Fjordman | [Return to headlines] |
More Heavy Fighting in Eastern Ukraine
There’s been more heavy fighting in eastern Ukraine, with government forces and Russian-backed rebels accusing each other of attacking civilians.
Fighting has intensified over the last few days, with the focus of some of the heaviest clashes on the government-held city of Avdiivka, just over 10 miles from rebel-held Donetsk.
| — Hat tip: Fjordman | [Return to headlines] |
UN Whistleblower: UN Gave Names of Dissidents to Communist China
The United Nations “human rights” apparatus is being accused of, among other abuses, handing to the Communist Chinese dictatorship the names of activists who were set to expose the regime’s crimes at a UN review of China’s record. One of the dissidents in question ultimately died in detention. At least several other Chinese dissidents whose identities were reportedly provided to the regime by UN officials were also detained ahead of their trips to Geneva, according to reports. And then, making matters worse, the UN “human rights” leadership appears to have retaliated against the UN whistleblower who finally exposed and stopped the whole sordid affair.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Why Venezuela’s Currency Crisis is a Case Study for Bitcoin
As the value of hard currency changes drastically—and often—developing or recession-hit countries are finding Bitcoin as an innovative solution.
[Comment: That is why Venezuela is arresting Bitcoin miners. The marketplace created a relatively more viable currency to Venezuela’s state (and debauched ) currency.]
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
“Too White” Dutch Police Losing Support in Multicultural Community: Police Commissioner
The National Police has too few police officers with a multicultural background and is therefore losing the support of the Netherlands’ multicultural society, Max Daniel, police commissioner in Noord-Nederland and general commander for the National Staff Widespread Special Research team, said in an interview with the Volkskrant.
According to Daniel, the police in its current form does not sufficiently reflect society. And the small number of multicultural officers the police does have, don’t progress to senior positions often enough, he said, as a Dutch-Indian man the only officer with a non-western background in the top ranks of the Dutch police.
He’s been part of various diversity initiatives in the police. “But the police culture has never been in a position to achieve real results in the longer term”, Daniel said to the Volkskrant. “Only the data on all the notes on diversity is new, the content always remains the same.”
| — Hat tip: Fjordman | [Return to headlines] |
Austria: 13-Year Jail Sentence for Attempted Murder in Vienna Asylum Centre
A 46-year-old Moroccan asylum seeker has been sentenced to 13 years in prison in Vienna for the attempted murder of his roommate at an asylum centre in Simmering.
In his defence the man said that he thought the 27-year-old Syrian man and a group of other men were planning to rape him.
He told the jury that he had been sexually abused by two men the day before in an apartment in Ottakring.
| — Hat tip: Fjordman | [Return to headlines] |
Federal Judge in Seattle Temporarily Halts Trump’s Immigration Order Nationwide
A federal judge in Seattle brought the Trump administration’s executive order on immigration to a halt nationwide Friday, issuing a temporary restraining order in U.S. District Court until further hearings can be held.
“The Constitution prevailed today,” Washington Attorney General Bob Ferguson said after the ruling. “No one is above the law — not even the president.”
“This ruling shuts down the (president’s) executive order immediately — shuts it down — so people can travel like they did before,” Ferguson said.
The hearing came about after the Attorneys General of Washington and Minnesota filed a lawsuit seeking to halt President Donald Trump’s Jan. 27 executive order restricting immigration to the United States from seven Muslim-majority countries. It also placed restrictions on refugees entering the country.
| — Hat tip: Fjordman | [Return to headlines] |
Foreigners ‘Should Renounce Citizenship to Become Swiss’
Should foreign nationals be forced to give up their citizenship if they want to become Swiss?
That’s what some right-wing MPs have suggested in parliament.
Swiss People’s Party (SVP) MP Erich Hess spoke out against the system of dual nationality, which currently allows foreigners to keep their original nationality when they become Swiss citizens, reported 20 Minutes.
| — Hat tip: Fjordman | [Return to headlines] |
France’s Le Pen Promises to Levy National Preference Tax on Foreign Workers
French presidential candidate Marine Le Pen wants to introduce a ten percent tax on work contracts for foreigners; according to her adviser Florian Philippot. The tax will apply to non-nationals, including those from other European Union countries.
“Alternatively, he (an employer) can hire a French national and avoid having to pay the tax,” Philippot told RTL radio on Friday.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Geert Wilders Praises Trump’s Immigration Policy
Dutch populist leader Geert Wilders praised U.S. President Donald Trump for his executive order to temporarily ban immigration from seven countries, saying he has already done more to curb mass migration than the entire European continent ever has.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Germany Starts Paying Up to €1,200 to Asylum-Seekers Who Go Back Home
Germany has launched a program for asylum-seekers that offers up to €1,200 (almost $1,300) to applicants who voluntarily decide to go back to their home countries.
The StartHilfe Plus program, initiated by the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (BAMF) in cooperation with the International Organization for Migration (IOM), kicked off on Wednesday, the German Interior Ministry reported, according to DPA.
| — Hat tip: JD | [Return to headlines] |
Germany: Buying Illegal Guns to Protect Themselves From Migrant Attacks
Left-wing website VICE shames customers with home visits
Hundreds of Germans have purchased illegal guns from a website called “Migrants fright” in a bid to protect themselves against escalating attacks from newly arrived “refugees”.
“Do you want your town to become a lawless arena for asylum seekers? Think you need to protect your women?” asks a promo ad for the website, which has since been shut down.
The German branch of left-wing website VICE.com managed to obtain a customer list from the website before dispatching journalists to make home visits in an effort to shame individuals who purchased guns and ammunition and had them delivered by DHL.
The men responsible for the website subsequently claimed that it was legal because it was based in Hungary, where gun laws are less strict. German laws state that all weapons have to be registered and pre-approved by authorities.
| — Hat tip: JD | [Return to headlines] |
Iceland, An Unexpected Arctic Asylum for Syrian Refugees
The wind blows in icy gusts and the rain gently melts the snow: welcome to Iceland! Far from their hometown Damascus, Joumaa and his family don’t mind the Arctic cold, they’re just happy to be living in safety.
With 330,000 inhabitants surrounded by volcanoes, glaciers and geysers, Iceland is an unusual destination for refugees fleeing war in Syria.
But since 2015, 118 Syrians have found hope for a new and tranquil life in the Nordic nation.
Many of them lived in Lebanon for several years before coming to the land of ice and fire, sent by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).
Most of them have settled in the capital Reykjavik and its surroundings, while others are beginning their new lives in Akureyri in the north of the country, 70 kilometres (45 miles) south of the Arctic Circle.
| — Hat tip: Fjordman | [Return to headlines] |
Iraqi Archbishop: Where Were the Protestors ‘When ISIS Came to Kill Christians’?
The Catholic Archbishop of Erbil has denounced the hypocrisy of those protesting President Trump’s recent executive order on immigration, wondering aloud where all of the demonstrators were when Islamic State fighters were slaughtering Christians and other minorities in the Middle East.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Netherlands: It is Almost Impossible to Tell a Jihadist From an Asylum Seeker
It’s very difficult to tell a jihadi from a genuine asylum seeker and the government should acknowledge the fact, say criminologists Joris van Wijk and Maarten Bolhuis.
| — Hat tip: Fjordman | [Return to headlines] |
Over 1,750 Saved at Sea as Italy Prepares for Summit on Stemming Migrant Flow
More than 1,750 migrants have been rescued in the Mediterranean within 24 hours, Italy’s coast guard said Thursday, as EU leaders prepared for a summit on stemming the flow of boats from North Africa to Europe.
On the eve of the Malta meeting, Italian Prime Minister Paolo Gentiloni and his Libyan counterpart signed a deal in Rome on tackling people smugglers in the North African country.
Italy pledged money, coastguard training and equipment to assist the UN-backed government and urged EU leaders to do the same when they meet in Valletta to address the worst migrant crisis since World War II.
Closing the smuggling route from Libya to Europe is “within our reach”, EU chief Donald Tusk said Thursday.
But Doctors Without Borders retorted that “declaring war on people smugglers does nothing to end the wars, poverty and lack of alternatives that fuel their trade”.
| — Hat tip: Fjordman | [Return to headlines] |
President Niinistö Urges Re-Evaluation of Dual Citizenship Laws
Finnish President Sauli Niinistö says that Finland should look again at dual citizenship laws, as the situation has changed since they were framed in 2003. He said he was particularly concerned that other countries, including Russia, do not recognise dual citizenship.
| — Hat tip: Fjordman | [Return to headlines] |
Small Steps Taken to Improve Conditions at Lesvos Migrant Camp
Following the deaths of three migrants in less than a week and criticism from humanitarian groups, the government has started making progress in improving conditions at the Moria processing center on the eastern Aegean island of Lesvos.
Steps have included moving 300 people, mostly families, to another facility at Kara Tepe and providing winter tents to 700 camp residents who were staying in shelters designed for summer despite the cold weather.
| — Hat tip: Fjordman | [Return to headlines] |
Sweden: Stefan Löfven: There Will be No “Deal” With Libya
The Swedish prime minister on Friday expressed concern over the human-trafficking route from Libya and across the Mediterranean, but also insisted that while the EU will assist Libya in stemming the flow of migrants to Europe, it will not sign a deal with the country.
European leaders are gathering at a summit in Malta to discuss, among other things, ways to stem the flow of migrants sailing from the Libyan coast for Italy and the rest of the EU. News agency AFP reports that the EU may offer training and equipment to the Libyan coastguard as a means to discourage the refugees taking the risky journeys from Libya and across the Mediterranean.
Löfven told Swedish Radio that he was alarmed that between 700,000 to 1 million migrants and refugees are in Libya at the moment. As the weather grows warmer, many may try to cross the waters.
“We have unscrupulous traffickers who send people out in shoddy boats, and they die,” Löfven said. “It must stop.”
| — Hat tip: Fjordman | [Return to headlines] |
Swiss-Based Scientist Sues Trump as Ex-US Envoy Blasts Policy
An Iranian scientist who lives in Switzerland is suing US President Donald Trump and top officials of two federal agencies, in a direct challenge to Trump’s ban on visitors from some Muslim-majority countries.
Her lawsuit comes just as the recently departed United States ambassador to Switzerland, Suzi LeVine, took to Facebook to ridicule Trump’s immigration crackdown — and to assert that “extraordinary amounts of vetting” already occurs with Iranians and others headed to the US.
| — Hat tip: Fjordman | [Return to headlines] |
Switzerland Toughens up Rules for Eritrean Asylum Seekers
Switzerland has slammed shut its open-door policy toward Eritreans which had automatically granted them refugee status.
In announcing its decision on Thursday, the Swiss federal administrative court in St Gallen said the lax policy was unjustified. It had also been criticized by several Swiss politicians who claimed it was being abused.
To qualify as a refugee upon arrival in Switzerland, Eritreans simply needed to say that they had left their country “illegally”.
| — Hat tip: Fjordman | [Return to headlines] |
Terrorists Are Trying to Sneak Into Canada
More than 300 foreign terrorists, spies and criminals who pose a risk to Canada’s national security tried to sneak into Canada last year, according to a report quietly released by the federal government on Monday.
It outlines all visa applications rejected between November 2015 and December 2016, and the grounds for refusal.
There were 310 cases where an individual was found inadmissible under Section 34 of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (IRPA) — the section dealing with national security concerns.
Among these 310 were seven individuals rejected for “engaging in terrorism,” nine for “engaging in an act of espionage or subversion,” and 13 for “subversion by force” against any government.
In short, Liberal Party Members in waiting.
| — Hat tip: JD | [Return to headlines] |
Thousands of Disgusting Muslims Just Shut Down NYC Street Forcing Horrifying Act on People
At the height of the immigration fight, thousands of Muslims from Yemen filled several streets in New York City proving the need for President Trump’ s executive order on the matter. With no way of stopping the masses, the herd of angry Muslims began forcing a foul Islamic ritual on these innocent people who wanted no part in it.
The protests across the country rage on over the mainstream media’ s misrepresentation of what Trump’ s travel ban actually is. While many demonstrations expressing their disapproval of our President’ s solid decision have been mostly peaceful, that’ s not what happened in New York City late this afternoon when hoards of these immigrants decided to impose a nasty dose of Islam on everyone.
The media is strangely silent about this massive overtaking since the reality of what happened would destroy their narrative that Muslims are great and should be allowed into the U.S. no matter what terrorist-tied country they come from. In what’ s being called a “ bodega strike,” according to the Gateway Pundit, thousands of Yemeni-American Muslims took to the streets to protest what the media told them is a “ Muslim ban” from President Trump, all praising and praying to Allah as one speaker on a megaphone yells “Allahu Akbar.”
One of the most powerful demonstrations I’ ve ever seen #bodegastrike pic.twitter.com/NM95aN3irG
– — Christopher Mathias (@letsgomathias) February 2, 2017
As nauseating and astounding as thousands of Muslims praying loudly at once and forcing others to hear it, is the fact that at least one person shouted the call to death on Westerners in a loudspeaker and not a single thing was done about it. These people didn’ t have a permit to take over this significant area in one of the largest cities in America and they don’ t have a right to shout for deaths of citizens during their “ demonstration.”
In tears at the amazing turn out for #BodegaStrike by Yemenis and it’ s only 3pm. pic.twitter.com/JbFbPHwZLJ
– — Dr.Debbie Almontaser (@DebbiAlmontaser) February 2, 2017
Only in a liberal city run by lunatic leftist, Bill De Blasio, would this be acceptable and even encouraged. If it had been Christians gathering in mass like this and praying to God, they would have been criminalized treated like terrorists, driven out of the area, cited, arrested, and probably spit on. The revolt against Trump’s ban is empowering to Muslims who are laughing at us and taking advantage of the situation for their ultimate gain.
| — Hat tip: JD | [Return to headlines] |
Viral Video: U.S. Marine Reveals Truth About Trump’s Travel Ban
Native Iraqis reveal how they feel about Americans
Steven Gern, a Texan working in Iraq, discusses the reality of how Americans are treated there, in a video that has been shared over 500,000 times and viewed by over 12 million people in 20 hours since he posted it.
Mr. Gern, a U.S. Marine Corps veteran, posed a question to his Iraqi counterparts, asking them what fate might befall him if he were to travel alone amongst the local citizenry.
Their frank response was chilling, and further supported executive orders signed by President Trump, placing a moratorium on immigration and travel from Iraq and similar regions.
“I work currently in Iraq, which is one of the countries that’s on the list,” begins Gern. “Obviously, in the United States, a lot is going on — and over here, this is a lot going on, as well, just a lot of things y’all don’t see.”
“The other morning, we were having a discussion on the executive order, and a lot of the Iraqis showed their displeasure in this executive order, and why they feel like they’ve been betrayed by the United States.”
Gern clarifies that he is not presenting a partisan argument about his own feelings on Trump’s policies, but rather the contrast of how Iraqis view and treat Americans.
| — Hat tip: JD | [Return to headlines] |
Who Are Those Refugees Australia Doesn’t Want?
The refugees are the collateral damage in Australia’s widely criticized “Stop the Boats” policy, the rule that asylum seekers who try to reach Australian shores by sea will never “make Australia home,” even if they are genuine refugees, are children or have skills. — Los Angeles Times.
“[T]he arrivals by sea seem to prompt anger. One reason for this could be that migrants and refugees who try to reach Australia by sea are, in fact, coming illegally. Those that are being resettled through its Humanitarian Programme, meanwhile, are registered refugees being accepted under Australia’ s international obligations.” — J. Weston Phippen, in The Atlantic.
Then-Secretary of State John Kerry worked out the deal with Australia to “fast track” the immigrants, but did not tell Congress. It would be illegal if the deal was considered a treaty negotiated by Kerry. According to the Constitution, it would have to have been sent to Congress for ratification.
It is hard to complain about Australia — democratic, sunny, cheerful, and oh, those koalas and kangaroos. On a more serious note, Australia is a welcome ally, participating in military operations around the world with American forces and sharing our concerns about aggressive Chinese behavior in the South- and East China Seas. Australia is spending billions to modernize its military forces.
But a few things about Australia should be made clear as President Trump scuttles an Obama-administration deal to take 1,250+ refugees currently in Australian-run internment camps in Papua New Guinea and Nauru. Internment camps? Papua New Guinea and Nauru?
The Wall Street Journal explains:…
| — Hat tip: JD | [Return to headlines] |
Should Crosses Remain in Austrian Court Rooms?
The Christian cross will remain in Austrian court rooms, government ministers have said, despite a new programme of policies which says that state representatives must “present themselves as religiously neutral”.
The government programme includes banning Muslim women from wearing full-face veils in public places such as courts and schools.
The judges’ association has criticized the decision not to ban the Christian cross symbol from court rooms. “We demand a comprehensive neutrality,” the association’s vice-president Sabine Matejka told Der Standard newspaper. She said this should include both the judges’ clothing and the furnishings of the courtroom. “It is not neutral when I sit before a crucifix and speak in the name of the Republic.” Some judges already make a point of removing the two candles and the crucifix which sit on the judge’s bench.
However, the ÖVP secretary of state Harald Mahrer said that the neutrality law concerns the wearing of religious symbols and does not affect crosses in public places.
| — Hat tip: Fjordman | [Return to headlines] |
U.N. Official Admits Global Warming Agenda is Really About Destroying Capitalism
All of these movements seem to have a hidden agenda that the press helps to misrepresent all the time
A shocking statement was made by a United Nations official Christiana Figueres at a news conference in Brussels.
Figueres admitted that the Global Warming conspiracy set by the U.N.’s Framework Convention on Climate Change, of which she is the executive secretary, has a goal not of environmental activists is not to save the world from ecological calamity, but to destroy capitalism. She said very casually:
“This is the first time in the history of mankind that we are setting ourselves the task of intentionally, within a defined period of time, to change the economic development model that has been reigning for at least 150 years, since the Industrial Revolution.”
She even restated that goal ensuring it was not a mistake:
“This is probably the most difficult task we have ever given ourselves, which is to intentionally transform the economic development model for the first time in human history.”
I was invited to a major political dinner in Washington with the former Chairman of Temple University since I advised the University with respect to its portfolio. We were seated at one of those round tables with ten people. Because we were invited from a university, they placed us with the heads of the various environmental groups. They assumed they were in friendly company and began speaking freely.
| — Hat tip: JD | [Return to headlines] |
” The device — which was a crude homemade job, and gave off mostly smoke and noise — exploded under an unoccupied table, and no one was injured.”
Clearly a dissatisfied diner.
Yes, disgusted at all the pork dishes on the menu!
“FRANÇOIS FILLON’S presidential dreams are “over”, according to a leading French journalist following “fake job” allegations aimed at the candidate’s wife.”
This is every political candidates dream; your major opponent melting down in some scandal. Le Pen must be laughing now.
To see all those Christian from all age groups sitting patiently in the Muslim barber shops with the very serious scissored and blade handed and bearded Muslim barbarians, waiting for their call for a close shave and or a hair cut is amusing indeed. A bit like the west in general.
I am reading Gorka’s book, Defeating Jihad. Very much recommended. The man *knows*, deep down.
The book is easy to read, as he segues from his dissident father in Hungary to the history of the boggled wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, etc. He gives a very good history of jihad’s last 100 years, without getting too scholarly.
His solutions are also good, though a bit incomplete. Wish he had spent more time on the last section of the book.
Check out this disgusting piece of Islamic filth:
http://www.hindupost.in/world/rotherham-child-sex-gang-shout-allahu-akbar-uk-court-jailed-80-years/
Make no mistake—they are just replicating Mohammed’s behavior towards Kafir women. And what the heck is wrong with your “judge” who reversed Trump’s ban? Do you want more people like these? More Pakistanis who will run grooming gangs?
Also, ban on Islam has nothing to do with religion since Islam is NOT a religion—it is a political ideology and predatory cult masquerading as a religion.
This was the JV team….
On a serious note the US and (wishful thinking) Europe should publish all foiled attacks.
Over the past 2 years there were something like 10 mass transit attacks planned in the UK and who knows how many here in the States.
People need to know it is constant and once they do no 9th Circuit fruit loop judge will refuse Executive Orders to halt muzz imports.
Marxism = Islam = Anarchy
If the guy in Pasadena was sporting along beard and a beanie, I doubt he was Hispanic.
It had nothing to do with the Catholic church.