Gates of Vienna News Feed 8/16/2021

Desperate Afghan citizens mobbed U.S. military aircraft at Kabul Airport in hopes of boarding flights to get out of Afghanistan. Seven people were killed, and some of the deaths were attributed to people falling from a C-17 transport plane after they had clung to its landing gear before takeoff. In an address to the nation, President Biden blamed the disaster in Afghanistan on his predecessor and the failure of the Afghan army.

In other news, anecdotal reports indicate that many French businesses are refusing to enforce the government’s new “health passport” rules against their patrons.

To see the headlines and the articles, click “Continue reading” below.

Thanks to Dean, DV, Fjordman, JW, 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. I 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.

Financial Crisis
» Polish GDP Shows Highest Growth in History
 
USA
» Full List of Venues Where New Yorkers Will Have to Show Proof of Vaccination for Entry
» Girl, 7, Killed and Over 40 Others Injured During Weekend Chicago Shootings
» Groups Organizing to Protest School Mask Mandates
» Healthcare Workers Against Vaccine Mandate to Protest in Ephrata, Moses Lake, And Wenatchee on Monday
» Hononegah Parents, Families Protest Mask Mandate on First Day of Classes
» Jimmy Fallon Audience Weirdly Celebrates Demographic Decline of White People
» Oklahoma Protest Against Mask, Vaccine Mandates Draws Hundreds to Statehouse
» Parents Protest Mask Mandate at Tipton County Schools
» Parents Hold ‘No More Mask in Schools’ Protest in Harford County
» Report: OPEC Snubs Biden, Rejects Plea for More Oil
» Seattle Terminates Contract With Former Pimp Turned ‘Street Czar’
» Seattle-Area Officials Release More Prisoners Citing COVID Despite Spike in Crime
» Sen. Rick Scott Calls for Probe Against Biden, Suggests Invoking 25th Amendment
» Sheriff Who Used “Pre-Crime” Algorithm to Target “Would-be” Criminals Will Face Trial
» SIUH/Northwell Health Employees Protest Vaccine Mandate
» Trump Asks: ‘Who or What Will Joe Biden Surrender to Next?’
 
Europe and the EU
» Businesses Are Refusing to Enforce France’s Vaccine Passport
» Gun Free Britain Sees Four Shot at London Barbecue
» UK Police Considering Declaring ‘Incel’ Shooting a Terror Attack: Report
» UK: Advertising Boycott of GB News Increased Viewership, Poll Suggests
» UK: Eton Teacher Fired Over YouTube Video Pushing Back Against Idea of “Toxic Masculinity” Cleared of Wrongdoing by Regulators
» UK: Mandatory Vaccines Will Have ‘Serious, Damaging Effect’ on Employment Rights, Warns Baroness Fox
 
Middle East
» Archaeologists Claim They’ve Discovered the Trojan Horse in Turkey
 
Russia
» YouTube to be Fined in Russia for Banning Channel in Accordance With US and EU Sanctions
 
South Asia
» Afghans Who Clung to Departing US Plane Fall to Their Death in Chaos That Left 7 Dead: Officials
» Biden Points Fingers for Afghanistan Debacle After Promising He Wouldn’t ‘Blame Others’
» Biden Ignores Questions, Resumes Camp David Retreat After Addressing Afghanistan Catastrophe
» Biden’s Afghanistan Withdrawal a ‘Total Failure of His Presidency’, Says Brexit’s Farage
» CNN Reporter Ridiculed After Saying Taliban Militants Chanting “Death to America” Seemed “Friendly”
» Czechia Evacuates Diplomats and Local Embassy Staff From Afghanistan
» GOP Senator Helping Get Americans Out of Afghanistan in Wake of Complete Lack of Any Plan From Biden
» Indonesia: Instagram Influencer Arrested After COVID Lockdown Protest
» Kabul Airport Plunges Into Chaos as Taliban Patrols Capital
» Singapore Issues New “Fake News” Censorship Order Against Facebook
» Taliban Leader Declares Occupation of Afghanistan… on Twitter
» Taliban Reportedly Conducting ‘Door-to-Door’ Searches in Kabul for US Collaborators
» UK ISIS Bride’s Lawyer Tweets and Deletes: ‘The Boys Are Back in Town’ As the Taliban Capture Kabul
» Videos: Complete Chaos at Kabul Airport After Fall of Afghanistan to Taliban
 
Far East
» Afghan Abandonment a Lesson for Taiwan’s DPP: Global Times Editorial
 
Australia — Pacific
» Andrews Bans People From Removing Masks to Drink Outdoors
» Guests at Illegal Engagement Party to be Slapped With $5500 Fines
» Man Triggers Vic Service Station Explosion
 
Immigration
» Afghan Asylum Seekers Will be Allowed Into UK Without Passports
» Hundreds of Iraqi Migrants Flown Home After Being Repelled by Lithuanian Border Guards
» Macron Calls for European Plan to Manage Afghan Migration
» Mitarachi: Greece is No Longer Experiencing a Migration Crisis
 
Culture Wars
» Romania Could Join Hungary in Stopping Promotion of LGBT to Children
 

Polish GDP Shows Highest Growth in History

Poland’s GDP growth is breaking the country’s previous records, with strong economic data pointing to the country’s continued expansion, according to Statistics Poland (GUS).

GUS reported that Polish GDP increased by 1.9 percent from the first quarter of 2021, which saw Poland suffer a 0.9 percent year-over-year decrease in GDP.

In total, Poland’s GDP grew by 10.9 percent year-over-year in the second quarter, setting a record. In comparison, during the same period in 2020, it decreased by 8.3 percent.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

Full List of Venues Where New Yorkers Will Have to Show Proof of Vaccination for Entry

Details were revealed on Monday regarding NYC’s new “Key to NYC” plan, the first comprehensive “vaccine passport” initiative in a major city in the United States.

As of Sept. 13 2021 the order will start to be enforced, but the order, which NYC mayor Bill De Blasio has called “the shape of things to come,” actually goes into effect on Tuesday, Aug. 17 2021.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

Girl, 7, Killed and Over 40 Others Injured During Weekend Chicago Shootings

A 7-year-old girl was killed and her little sister left “fighting for her life” after the pair were shot in Chicago — two of at least 47 victims of gun violence there over the weekend, police said.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

Groups Organizing to Protest School Mask Mandates

Citizen groups are organizing protests aimed at stopping various school boards, including Riverhead’s, from implementing mask mandates intended to stop the spread of the coronavirus in schools.

Long Island Loud Majority, a Facebook page liked by over 9,400 people and which has organized rallies in support of former-President Donald Trump, has posted calls on its Facebook to rally against mandates, listing dates and locations of various school board meetings across Long Island. The posts echo the actions of parents in other states across the country who called for an end to masks in schools.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

Healthcare Workers Against Vaccine Mandate to Protest in Ephrata, Moses Lake, And Wenatchee on Monday

EPHRATA — Public displays against the state’s vaccine mandate for healthcare workers appear to be gaining momentum with three separate protests planned in the same day this week.

Alex Liebrecht is a registered nurse at Columbia Basin Hospital in Ephrata. Liebrecht informed iFIBER ONE News of a protest planned on Nat Washington Way in Ephrata at 4 p.m., a 3:30 p.m. protest planned for Chelan Avenue and 9th in front of Confluence Health in Wenatchee, and a 5 p.m. protest set to take place at Hill Avenue and Pioneer Way in front of Confluence Health’s Moses Lake facility.

“We protest NOT because we are anti-vax, but because we have the right to informed consent and the freedom to choose which medical treatments we want to receive,” Liebrecht wrote to iFIBER ONE News on Monday.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

Hononegah Parents, Families Protest Mask Mandate on First Day of Classes

ROCKTON, Ill. (WIFR) — Parents, families, and friends protest the school district’s mask mandate in front of Hononegah High School on the first day of class.

Donning signs, custom shirts, and American flags, parent’s voiced their frustration with the state government for mandating mask wearing for all students. Protestors say understand why school districts feel the need to comply, but still hope their message can reach the governor for reconsideration. Cars honked in approval as they passed the protestors.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

Jimmy Fallon Audience Weirdly Celebrates Demographic Decline of White People

After talk show host Jimmy Fallon mentioned the fact that the latest official U.S. census data shows white people are in demographic decline, his audience responded with enthusiastic applause.

Yes, really.

“The results of the 2020 census just came out — for the first time in American history, the number of white people went down,” said Fallon.

The in-house audience, the significant majority of whom were white, reacted with glee and elongated clapping.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

Oklahoma Protest Against Mask, Vaccine Mandates Draws Hundreds to Statehouse

Chanting, “USA! USA!” hundreds gathered at the Oklahoma Statehouse in Oklahoma City on Saturday to protest coronavirus mask and vaccine mandates and fight for their “freedom” to make their own choice.

The demonstrators sang patriotic songs inside the building’s rotunda and held signs with slogans such as: “No vaccine mandate,” “Mandate medical freedom” and “Protect our freedom” at the protest dubbed the Oklahoma Freedom Rally, according to KOCO-TV in Oklahoma City.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

Parents Protest Mask Mandate at Tipton County Schools

UPDATE: Later Monday, after the protest in Tipton County, Gov. Bill Lee announced a new executive order that would allow parents to opt their children out of school mask requirements. See more on that story here:

COVINGTON, Tenn. — Several parents staged a protest outside the board of education in Tipton County after a mask mandate went in effect for students Monday morning.

About two dozen parents carried signs outside the building on Highway 51 with messages including “Unmask Our Kids,” and “We The People, Not The Sheeple.” One child held a sign that read, “I was kicked out of school today.”

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

Parents Hold ‘No More Mask in Schools’ Protest in Harford County

BEL AIR, Md. (WJZ) — Parents in Harford County are currently participating in a “no more masks in schools” protest in Harford County outside of a school board meeting.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

Report: OPEC Snubs Biden, Rejects Plea for More Oil

The Biden administration’s plea for more oil production has been rejected by OPEC and its allies, including Russia, according to Reuters.

The group of big oil producers believe oil markets do not need more oil than they plan to release in the coming months, Reuters reported.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

Seattle Terminates Contract With Former Pimp Turned ‘Street Czar’

Andre Taylor, the former pimp who was appointed Seattle’s “Street Czar” by Mayor Jenny Durkan, has since lost his six figure contract after failing to make an impact as crime continues to spike in the city.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

Seattle-Area Officials Release More Prisoners Citing COVID Despite Spike in Crime

Seattle and King County are once again releasing prisoners under the guise of COVID, despite a massive spike in crime in the region.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

Sen. Rick Scott Calls for Probe Against Biden, Suggests Invoking 25th Amendment

Sen. Rick Scott (R-FL), the GOP Campaign Chair, has asked on Monday if the 25th Amendment should be invoked against incumbent President Joe Biden.

Scott, who is also a former Governor of the state of Florida, took to Twitter to criticize Biden over the rapidly increasing US debt, the ongoing crises at its southern border, and now the recent chaos in Afghanistan resulting from mass evacuations.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

Sheriff Who Used “Pre-Crime” Algorithm to Target “Would-be” Criminals Will Face Trial

A federal judge refused to dismiss a case against a sheriff in Florida over a “Minority Report-style” computer program that predicts criminals. The sheriff’s office is accused of then proceeding to harass the “future criminals” identified by the program.

Pasco County Sheriff Chris Nocco sought to dismiss the case. According to the Institute for Justice(IJ), the organization representing the plaintiffs in the case, Judge Steven Merryday’s ruling to dismiss the motion to dismiss is a victory.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

SIUH/Northwell Health Employees Protest Vaccine Mandate

STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. — Nearly 100 people, both Northwell employees and local community members, gathered in front of the Staten Island University Hospital (SIUH) North Campus on Monday to unite against medical mandates. While the attendees were protesting against their employer requiring them to be vaccinated or receive weekly PCR testing, Governor Andrew Cuomo announced a new state mandate for all healthcare workers in the state to be vaccinated.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

Trump Asks: ‘Who or What Will Joe Biden Surrender to Next?’

After calling for President Joe Biden’s resignation over the weekend, former President Donald Trump took aim at the missing head-of-state in another statement on Monday.

He wrote: “First Joe Biden surrendered to COVID and it has come roaring back. Then he surrendered to the Taliban, who has quickly overtaken Afghanistan and destroyed confidence in American power and influence. The outcome in Afghanistan, including the withdrawal, would have been totally different if the Trump Administration had been in charge. Who or what will Joe Biden surrender to next? Someone should ask him, if they can find him.”

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

Businesses Are Refusing to Enforce France’s Vaccine Passport

Anecdotal evidence detailed by former Google software engineer Mike Hearn strongly suggests that most restaurants, cafes and other businesses in France are not enforcing the country’s controversial vaccine passport system.

As we highlighted last week, on the first day the new program was in place, police were visibly patrolling bars and cafes demanding customers show proof they’ve had the jab.

However, this seems to have largely been a bluff as just days later, businesses and venues have become very lax at checking people’s papers despite the threat of large fines.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

Gun Free Britain Sees Four Shot at London Barbecue

Three women and one man have been hospitalised after a suspected shooting in the London borough of Camden on Saturday.

At around 10 pm on Saturday, five men began “indiscriminately” firing gunshots into a crowd gathered for a barbeque in a communal space in Clarence Gardens, Camden.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

UK Police Considering Declaring ‘Incel’ Shooting a Terror Attack: Report

British police are reportedly considering declaring the mass shooting in Plymouth, England, by ‘incel’ Jake Davison a terror attack.

Davison, 23, had fatally shot five men and women, including his mother and a three-year-old girl, and injured several more before turning the gun on himself on Thursday night.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

UK: Advertising Boycott of GB News Increased Viewership, Poll Suggests

According to a recent poll, the attempts by social media activists to pressure companies to stop advertising on GB News made people more likely to watch the new center-right TV channel and streaming service in the UK.

The poll was conducted by CT Group. It involved 1,000 respondents, 29% of whom said they were more likely to watch the channel as a result of the boycott. Only 14% said the boycott made them less likely to watch the channel.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

UK: Eton Teacher Fired Over YouTube Video Pushing Back Against Idea of “Toxic Masculinity” Cleared of Wrongdoing by Regulators

The Eton College teacher who was terminated over a YouTube video criticizing the invading idea of “toxic masculinity” has been cleared of any professional misconduct by the Teaching Regulation Agency (TRA).

Will Knowland, 35, was fired following a YouTube video where he questioned the idea of “toxic masculinity.” The school fired him after he refused several requests to delete the video from his YouTube channel.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

UK: Mandatory Vaccines Will Have ‘Serious, Damaging Effect’ on Employment Rights, Warns Baroness Fox

Mandatory vaccines will have a “serious, damaging effect on people’s employment rights”, Claire Fox, Baroness Fox of Buckley, has warned.

“When it comes to people’s employment rights and their jobs, the idea that you would be told that this… very efficient vaccine is going to be forced on you with the threat of your job seems to me to undermine any of the positive ways one can argue for taking the vaccine and actually, has a serious, damaging effect on people’s employment rights,” Baroness Fox told talkRADIO host Calvin Robinson on Saturday.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

Archaeologists Claim They’ve Discovered the Trojan Horse in Turkey

Turkish archaeologists claim they have found what they believe are pieces of the Trojan Horse. According to a report by newsit.gr, Turkish archaeologists excavating the site of the historical city of Troy on the hills of Hisarlik have unearthed a large wooden structure. Historians and archaeologists think what they have discovered are remains of the legendary Trojan Horse.

The excavations brought to light dozens of fir planks and beams up to 15 meters (49 feet) long. The remnants were assembled in a strange form, that led the experts to suspect they belong to the Trojan Horse. The wooden structure was inside the walls of the ancient city of Troy.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

YouTube to be Fined in Russia for Banning Channel in Accordance With US and EU Sanctions

Tsargrad TV, a news channel owned by a sanctioned Russian entrepreneur, has given up on talks with Google to have its YouTube account unblocked. The Russian company has accused Google of stalling in the talks, Reuters reported.

The businessman appears to be President Putin’s associate, who operates the channel YouTube had blacklisted and was unable to reach an agreement with Alphabet Inc.’s Google.

The ban, which began in July 2020, was in reaction to a “violation of legislation on sanctions and trade rules.”

according to Google. Tsargrad has a million YouTube subscribers and claims to promote Orthodox Christian principles.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

Afghans Who Clung to Departing US Plane Fall to Their Death in Chaos That Left 7 Dead: Officials

At least seven individuals have been killed in the chaos at Kabul’s international airport on Monday as thousands of Afghans desperately attempt to flee the Taliban’s capture of their country, according to senior military officials speaking on condition of anonymity to the Associated Press.

Videos circulating on social media show hundreds of Afghans running across the tarmac as U.S. troops fired warning shots in the air. One showed a crowd pushing and shoving its way up a staircase, trying to board a plane, with some people hanging off the railings. Another shows several individuals plunging to their death after attempting to cling onto a U.S. Air Force C-17 transport plane as it took off.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

Biden Points Fingers for Afghanistan Debacle After Promising He Wouldn’t ‘Blame Others’

President Biden appeared to go back on his campaign promise to “take responsibility” as commander-in-chief and not “blame others” during his speech on the botched withdrawal from Afghanistan that has seen the Taliban swiftly retake control of the country — and outcome Biden previously claimed was “highly unlikely.”

Biden on Monday suggested that the withdrawal debacle was the result of the peace deal he “inherited” from former President Donald Trump and claimed his only options were between “escalating the conflict and sending thousands of American troops back into Afghanistan.”

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

Biden Ignores Questions, Resumes Camp David Retreat After Addressing Afghanistan Catastrophe

President Joe Biden did not take any questions after addressing the nation on the situation in Afghanistan, instead ignoring the shouts of reporters as he exited the stage before returning to Camp David.

With the security situation in Afghanistan quickly deteriorating, Biden returned to the White House Monday amid growing pressure to address the unfolding events. Biden spent much of his time blaming past administrations and Afghanistan’s military forces for the situation in the country before refusing to take questions from the media after finishing his remarks.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

Biden’s Afghanistan Withdrawal a ‘Total Failure of His Presidency’, Says Brexit’s Farage

President Joe Biden’s withdrawal of American forces in Afghanistan has been branded a “total failure” by Brexit leader Nigel Farage.

Mr Farage noted that the public opinion in America had sharply turned against spending more blood and treasure in Afghanistan, with former President Trump spearheading the anti-war sentiment and then candidate-Biden voicing similar ideas during the 2020 campaign.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

CNN Reporter Ridiculed After Saying Taliban Militants Chanting “Death to America” Seemed “Friendly”

CNN reporter Clarissa Ward faced ridicule after she said that armed Taliban militants who were filmed chanting “death to America” also “seemed friendly at the same time.”

Yes, really.

Ward made the bizarre statement to camera while dressed in full black Islamic clothing after the U.S. Embassy in Kabul was abandoned.

The militants are seen chanting “Allahu Akbar” (God is great), before they begin a familiar rendition of “death to America.”

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

Czechia Evacuates Diplomats and Local Embassy Staff From Afghanistan

On Monday morning, the first Czech military plane landed at the airport in Prague’s Kbely, bringing 46 Czechs and their co-workers with families from Afghanistan. The rescue operation will continue after Afghanistan came under control of a new Taliban Islamic emirate after Kabul fell to the fighters on Sunday.

In addition to Czech diplomats, the Czech Republic evacuating local staff working at the Kabul embassy, including their families. For foreign workers in the country, there are fears they could become hostages of the Taliban or face executions.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

GOP Senator Helping Get Americans Out of Afghanistan in Wake of Complete Lack of Any Plan From Biden

Arkansas Republican Senator Tom Cotton is working to help get Americans out of Afghanistan, with his office telling a New York Times reporter that multiple U.S. citizens trapped behind Taliban checkpoints have attempted to contact him.

Cotton tweeted out the following announcement, calling the situation “dire”.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

Indonesia: Instagram Influencer Arrested After COVID Lockdown Protest

An Instagram influencer is potentially facing jail after she was arrested for staging a one-person street protest against draconian Covid-19 restrictions in just a red bikini.

DJ Dinar Candy, 28, who boasts 3.8 million followers on Instagram, staged her protest in the district of Cilandak in South Jakarta in Indonesia’s Special Capital Region of Jakarta on August 4.

The DJ wore a red bikini and face mask while holding a sign that read: “I am stressed because PPKM was extended.”

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

Kabul Airport Plunges Into Chaos as Taliban Patrols Capital

KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — Thousands of Afghans rushed into Kabul’s main airport Monday, some so desperate to escape the Taliban that they held onto a military jet as it took off and plunged to their deaths. At least seven people died in the chaos, U.S. officials said, as America’s longest war ended with its enemy the victor.

The crowds came while the Taliban enforced their rule over the capital of 5 million people after a lightning advance across the country that took just over a week to dethrone the country’s Western-backed government. There were no major reports of abuses or fighting, but many residents stayed home and remained fearful after the insurgents’ takeover saw prisons emptied and armories looted.

A resolute U.S. President Joe Biden said he stood “squarely behind” his decision to withdraw American forces and acknowledged the “gut-wrenching” images unfolding in Kabul. Biden said he faced a choice between honoring a previously negotiated withdrawal agreement or sending thousands more troops back to begin a third decade of war.

“After 20 years, I’ve learned the hard way that there was never a good time to withdraw U.S. forces,” Biden said in a televised address from the White House…

           — Hat tip: Dean [Return to headlines]
 

Singapore Issues New “Fake News” Censorship Order Against Facebook

Singapore’s “fake news” law that calls for online censorship has been put to much use since it was first passed in 2019.

The rise of the coronavirus saga has been a boon for the government to issue censorship orders to social media platforms and this week is no different.

An online post suggesting that a three-year-old preschooler died of Covid-19 at the KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital (KKH) led the Ministry of Health (MOH) to enforce Singapore’s false news law yesterday.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

Taliban Leader Declares Occupation of Afghanistan… on Twitter

As Joe Biden relaxes at Camp David, announcing that he may address the situation in Afghanistan in a few days, and as his press secretary takes the week off, the Taliban has seized complete control of the country with its leader declaring it an ‘Islamic Emirate’… on Twitter.

That’s right, the leader of the Taliban is on Twitter.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

Taliban Reportedly Conducting ‘Door-to-Door’ Searches in Kabul for US Collaborators

According to sources, Taliban militants are now going door-to-door searching for anyone who they see as a threat to their rule.

On Sunday, the BBC reported that a spokesperson for the Taliban assured “the people in Afghanistan, particularly in the city of Kabul, that their properties [and] their lives are safe,” adding that “there will be no revenge on anyone.”

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

UK ISIS Bride’s Lawyer Tweets and Deletes: ‘The Boys Are Back in Town’ As the Taliban Capture Kabul

A lawyer who has represented an infamous British Isis bride has drawn criticism after making a post interpreted by some as celebrating the capture of Kabul by Islamist Taliban forces.

The lawyer of ISIS bride Shamima Begum, Tasnime Akunjee posted an image on Sunday of senior Taliban militants in the Afghani presidential palace while writing “the boys are back in town”.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

Videos: Complete Chaos at Kabul Airport After Fall of Afghanistan to Taliban

In videos uploaded Sunday night, terrified people are seen trying to board airplanes to get out of Afghanistan by any means possible, underscoring the horrors they are sure to face if they stay in the country under Taliban rule.

The scenes look like something out of a disaster movie as thousands scramble to escape while gunshots, presumably from the military attempting to keep order, are heard.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

Afghan Abandonment a Lesson for Taiwan’s DPP: Global Times Editorial

The US troops’ withdrawal from Afghanistan has led to the rapid demise of the Kabul government. The world has witnessed how the US evacuated its diplomats by helicopter while Taliban soldiers crowded into the presidential palace in Kabul. This has dealt a heavy blow to the credibility and reliability of the US.

How Washington abandoned the Kabul regime particularly shocked some in Asia, including the island of Taiwan.

The DPP authorities need to keep a sober head, and the secessionist forces should reserve the ability to wake up from their dreams. From what happened in Afghanistan, they should perceive that once a war breaks out in the Straits, the island’s defense will collapse in hours and the US military won’t come to help. As a result, the DPP authorities will quickly surrender, while some high-level officials may flee by plane.

           — Hat tip: Fjordman [Return to headlines]
 

Andrews Bans People From Removing Masks to Drink Outdoors

Premier Daniel Andrews is “angry” after what occurred over the weekend and has announced people will not be permitted to remove their masks to drink alcohol outdoors.

“There will be no removal of masks to consume alcohol outdoors, you will no longer be able to remove your mask to drink a cocktail at a pop-up beer garden on a footpath as part of a pub crawl,” he said.

“I understand Victoria Police are looking at what occurred at a weekend at a number of licensed venues.

“There’s being reviews conduct into the terms of those licences and whether any of those licence holders have done the wrong thing.

“But why am I angry about that? Because it devalues the work that thousands of publicans and restaurant owners and bar owners, the good work they are doing, diligently following COVID-safe protocols providing take-away.

“Pubs are shut for a reason — it is not safe for them to be open,” he said.

Mr Andrews said the poor behaviour of a small number of people devalued the amazing work of the rest.

“In any event, there will be no more drinking alcohol with your mask off in those circumstances. There will — they will simply not be permitted,” he said.

The premier also announced playgrounds, basketball courts, skate parks and exercise equipment will be closed from 11.59pm tonight, while permits for authorised work and authorised higher education students will return 11.59pm Tuesday…

           — Hat tip: DV [Return to headlines]
 

Guests at Illegal Engagement Party to be Slapped With $5500 Fines

People who attended an engagement party in Melbourne during the citywide lockdown will be copping fines of up to $5500 each.

Victoria Police said the illegal engagement party allegedly happened on August 11 and was “a deliberate and blatant breach of the Chief Health Officer directions”.

The party took place at a private residence in Caulfield North, with police only becoming aware of the event after footage was shared to social media.

Incredibly, several attendees were medical professionals, whose presence at the event is under investigation by police.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

Man Triggers Vic Service Station Explosion

An explosion has rocked a service station in Melbourne’s inner north after a man starting lighting paper and flammable liquids in the store.

The 20-year-old man entered the Fitzroy service station on Monday night and allegedly lit the material.

Police were called by the attendant, who got into a scuffle with the man as he approached him.

The fire triggered an explosion, which forced the men out of the building.

Both were uninjured and the alleged firebug was arrested and taken to hospital under police guard.

           — Hat tip: JW [Return to headlines]
 

Afghan Asylum Seekers Will be Allowed Into UK Without Passports

The British government will scrap border requirements for passports for Afghan asylum seekers attempting to flee to Britain, Defence Secretary Ben Wallace said on Monday.

As Taliban forces have captured the Afghan capital of Kabul on Sunday amid a disastrous withdrawal of American and British forces, the UK will ease immigration restrictions for Afghanis who assisted the allied forces as translators or contractors.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

Hundreds of Iraqi Migrants Flown Home After Being Repelled by Lithuanian Border Guards

The Iraqi government has retrieved hundreds of its citizens from Belarus after they were forcefully repelled at the Lithuanian border, according to reports.

More than 300 migrants boarded special flights from Minsk to Baghdad last week during an operation organized by Iraqi authorities.

Thousands of illegal aliens hailing mostly from the Middle East and Africa have been pouring into Lithuania through Belarus amid deteriorating relations between Minsk and the European Union.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

Macron Calls for European Plan to Manage Afghan Migration

France and Germany will push for a European plan to tackle migration flows from Afghanistan as people flee the Taliban’s control, Emmanuel Macron said Monday evening.

“We must anticipate and protect ourselves against major irregular migratory flows that would endanger those who use them and feed trafficking of all kinds,” the French president said in a pre-recorded speech from Fort de Brégançon, where he is spending the summer break.

“Europe alone cannot bear the consequences of the current situation,” he added.

[Comment My plan is simple: Allow no migration to Europe. Let the co-religionists of the Afghans take them in.]

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

Mitarachi: Greece is No Longer Experiencing a Migration Crisis

“Greece is no longer experiencing a migration crisis,” Migration and Asylum Minister Notis Mitarachi said on Monday.

Arrival flows are down 60 pct in the first seven months of 2021 compared to the same period in 2020, he said.

There was also a 79 percent drop in those hosted on the islands in July 2021 compared to July 2020 and a 46 percent drop in those hosted in Greece, the minister explained.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

Romania Could Join Hungary in Stopping Promotion of LGBT to Children

Brussels has been at odds with Warsaw and Budapest for many months. In the case of Poland, EU officials are fixated on the reform of the judicial system and the planned media law, while Hungary is being criticized mainly for restricting the promotion of sexual minorities and LGBT content in schools. The European Commission has taken legal action against Hungary, talking about discrimination and violations of European values.

Now, it looks like another “bad student” could join Hungary as the latest target.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

7 thoughts on “Gates of Vienna News Feed 8/16/2021

    • Typical of Americans; to value a dog above a person.

      Cult of dog is strong here. Hence all the vehicles with bumper stickers proudly proclaiming the owner is a dog mom or a pet parent.

      • I would also like to paste over the whole car with images of schnauzers, but this tyrant, my husband is preventing me from doing this. The less attention the car gets on the road, the better, he says.

      • Yeah, I do hold dogs way above any 3rd worlder. As for the Ukrainians being left behind? Some idiot left them off a manifest.

Comments are closed.