tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34410030274862119792024-03-08T03:33:31.115-08:00Ghulam MuhammedAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05247739204754590667noreply@blogger.comBlogger1562125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3441003027486211979.post-57475647925393424242017-11-11T10:53:00.001-08:002017-11-11T10:53:53.388-08:00France: A Decomposing Civilization<a href="https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/11336/france-decomposing#.WgdHMpDxlNI.blogger">France: A Decomposing Civilization</a>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05247739204754590667noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3441003027486211979.post-17374485930961679002017-11-06T00:25:00.000-08:002017-11-06T00:25:15.814-08:00‘CIA and Mossad created ISIS’, says Julian Assange as Wikileaks releases 500k US cables<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #500050; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">---------- Forwarded message ----------</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #500050; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #500050; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">From: </span><b class="gmail_sendername" style="background-color: white; color: #500050; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">Impact</b><span style="background-color: white; color: #500050; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;"> </span><span dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; color: #500050; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;"><<a href="mailto:Editor@impact-magazine.com" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">Editor@impact-magazine.com</a>></span><br style="background-color: white; color: #500050; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #500050; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">Date: Sun, Nov 5, 2017 at 3:54 AM</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #500050; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #500050; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">Subject: ‘CIA and Mossad created ISIS’, says Julian Assange as Wikileaks releases 500k US cables</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #500050; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #500050; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;" /><br />
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<b><span style="color: red; font-size: x-large;">‘CIA and Mossad created ISIS’, says Julian Assange as Wikileaks releases 500k US cables</span></b></div>
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<span style="color: red; font-size: x-large;">28 October 2017</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;"><b>WIKILEAKS founder Julian Assange today said the CIA and Mossad were responsible for paving the way for ISIS as the whistle blowing organisation released more than half a million formerly confidential US diplomatic cables dating back to 1979.</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;"><b>On the sixth anniversary of the first infamous “Cablegate” by WikiLeaks, when it releases its first batch of sensitive US files, on November 28 2010, it has expanded its Public Library of US Diplomacy (PLUSD) with 531,525 new diplomatic cables from 1979.</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;"><b>In a statement to coincide with the release of the cables, known as “Carter Cables III”, Mr Assange explained how events which unfolded in 1979, had begun a series of events that led to the rise of ISIS.</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;"><b>He said: “If any year could be said to be the “year zero” of our modern era, 1979 is it.”</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;"><b>Mr Assange added: “In 1979 it seemed as if the blood would never stop.</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;"><b>“Dozens of countries saw assassinations, coups, revolts, bombings, political kidnappings and wars of liberation.”</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;"><b>The Carter Cables III bring WikiLeaks’ total published US diplomatic cable collection to 3.3 million documents.</b></span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05247739204754590667noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3441003027486211979.post-6629212864504178972017-10-31T01:32:00.001-07:002017-10-31T01:32:47.017-07:00Aadhaar Overkill - Editorial - The Times of India (New Delhi edition), 30 Oct 2017<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="color: red;">Aadhaar Overkill</span></h1>
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Originally conceived as an empowerment tool, it is disempowering citizens now</h2>
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<span style="font-size: large;">After months of pestering customers to mandatorily link bank accounts with Aadhaar numbers by December 31, the deadline has been extended till March 31. Where bank accounts are linked with PAN, and PAN is seeded with Aadhaar, the government demand for Aadhaar-bank account linkage of PAN holders becomes redundant. Technology can do this coupling instead of the constant badgering for Aadhaar numbers, which is plain annoying for those not availing benefits like cash transfers, subsidies, pensions and scholarships.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Threats of suspension of bank accounts, where people save their hard-earned money, for non-compliance under Prevention of Money Laundering Rules add insult to injury, particularly considering that the Aadhaar Act 2016 has no provision making enrollment compulsory. No different is the insistence on Aadhaar to verify mobile connections, when the government should instead be trying to enhance mobile connectivity. The fear of local SIM cards falling into terrorists’ hands fails to take note of facilities like international roaming, prepaid cards, or satellite and internet telephony.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Unique identification was originally sold to citizens as a way to efficiently deliver welfare benefits without duplication and pilferage by intermediaries. In the last couple of years, however, it has grown into an all-encompassing Leviathan even as there has been little progress on welfare. On one hand we have central and state governments conceiving uses for Aadhaar in everything from property to death registration, hailing ambulances to getting rations. The enthusiasm has rubbed off on the private sector too, with three-year-olds requiring Aadhaar for nursery admissions and job opportunities tied to Aadhaar submission.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Making biometrics a keystone to access so many essential services invades privacy, increases the potential for abuse, makes doing business difficult and ties up everyday activities in red tape. Fake Aadhaar card rackets have been busted that allegedly exploited vulnerabilities in the UIDAI enrollment ecosystem. Biometric verification is susceptible to failures and unauthorised usage. Poor connectivity, lax cyber security and data storage standards heighten the risks. All-encompassing Aadhaar linkages create the framework for mass surveillance and enhanced cybercrime. It’s time to roll back the Aadhaar empire and initiate restrictions on its mandatory use. The passport, driving licence, PAN, ration and voter cards all serve specific purposes unlike Aadhaar. Prime Minister Narendra Modi once declared, rightly, “minimum government, maximum governance”. But it’s important to remember the converse of that proposition is equally true: maximum government, minimum governance.</span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05247739204754590667noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3441003027486211979.post-82904575579778844712017-10-23T00:17:00.001-07:002017-10-23T00:17:45.360-07:00Malignant mindset<a href="https://www.telegraphindia.com/opinion/malignant-mindset-180129#.We2XjFy9qEU.blogger">Malignant mindset</a>: It is a measure of what has become of us as a people and a nation that we are actually applauding - or at least heaving an almost audible sigh of relief - at the turn of the Uttar Pradesh chief minister, Yogi Adityanath, as a 'good cop' in the latest episode of Hindutva's perverse pantomime.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05247739204754590667noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3441003027486211979.post-75588962104382133462017-10-10T06:54:00.000-07:002017-10-10T06:54:55.662-07:00What Killed the Promise of 'Muslim Communism'? By John T. Sidel, The New York Times<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<b><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">THE NEW YORK TIMES</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"><span style="color: red; font-size: x-large;">What Killed the Promise of 'Muslim Communism'?</span><span style="color: black; font-weight: normal;"></span></span></h1>
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<a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?hl=en&q=https://www.nytimes.com/column/red-century&source=gmail&ust=1507729710968000&usg=AFQjCNH6i9eQeCgaELrQlD8PvzWDPbD3-w" href="https://www.nytimes.com/column/red-century" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank"><span style="color: black; text-decoration-line: none;"><img alt="https://static01.nyt.com/images/2017/02/26/opinion/sunday/red-century-icon/26bug-thumbStandard.jpg" border="0" height="75" width="75" /></span></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"></span></div>
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<span class="m_1128611607336183050gmail-byline-author"><b><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="color: blue;">John T. Sidel</span></span></b></span><b><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; letter-spacing: 0.25pt;"><span style="color: red;"><a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?hl=en&q=https://www.nytimes.com/column/red-century&source=gmail&ust=1507729710968000&usg=AFQjCNH6i9eQeCgaELrQlD8PvzWDPbD3-w" href="https://www.nytimes.com/column/red-century" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">RED CENTURY</a> <time class="m_1128611607336183050gmail-dateline" datetime="2017-10-09T09:51:19-04:00" style="font-family: franklin-normal-500, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 0.6875rem; line-height: 0.6875rem; margin-left: 0px; white-space: nowrap;">OCT. 9, 2017<span style="font-weight: 500;"></span></time></span></span></b></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, serif;">LONDON — <span style="font-size: medium;">For a brief moment after the Bolshevik uprisings of 1917, it looked like revolution might be waged across vast swaths of the world under the joint banner of Communism and Islam.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, serif;">Pan-Islam had emerged in the final decades of the Ottoman Empire, with the efforts of Sultan Abdulhamid II to lay claim to the title of caliph among Muslims. New forms of Islamic schooling and associations began to emerge across the Arab world and beyond. From Egypt and Iraq to India and the Indonesian archipelago, Islam became a rallying call against European colonialism and imperialism.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, serif;">Islam’s mobilizing power attracted Communist activists in the 1910s and 1920s. The Bolsheviks, who lacked organizational infrastructure in the vast Muslim lands of the former Russian empire, allied with Islamic reformers in those areas. They created a special Commissariat for Muslim Affairs under the Tatar Bolshevik Mirsaid Sultan-Galiev, promising to establish a distinctive “Muslim Communism” across the Caucasus and Central Asia. During the 1920 Congress of the Peoples of the East in Baku, in what is today Azerbaijan, the Comintern chairman Grigory Zinoviev, a Ukrainian Jew, called for waging a “holy war” against Western imperialism.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, serif;">But as we now know, Communism and Islam failed to coalesce into a lasting alliance. By the onset of the Cold War, they seemed irrevocably opposed. Differing views about Communism divided Muslims across Asia, Africa and the Middle East in their struggles for independence and emancipation during the second half of the 20th century. An anti-Communist jihad fundamentally remade Afghanistan in the 1980s and helped set the stage for the rise of Al Qaeda and the emergence of a new form of Islamist terrorism.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, serif;">Yet around the time of the Russian Revolution, the prospects of Communism and Islam joining forces seemed very bright. They were perhaps no brighter than in the Indonesian archipelago, then under Dutch rule: In 1918-21, left-wing labor organizers working hand in glove with Islamic scholars and pious Muslim merchants built the biggest mass movement in Southeast Asia.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; letter-spacing: 0.25pt;"><span style="color: red;"><a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?hl=en&q=https://www.nytimes.com/column/red-century&source=gmail&ust=1507729710968000&usg=AFQjCNH6i9eQeCgaELrQlD8PvzWDPbD3-w" href="https://www.nytimes.com/column/red-century" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">Red Century</a></span><span style="color: #333333;"></span></span></h2>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-size: x-small;">Exploring the history and legacy of Communism, 100 years after the Russian Revolution.</span><span style="color: #999999; font-size: 0.75rem;"></span></span></h3>
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<article class="m_1128611607336183050gmail-story m_1128611607336183050gmail-theme-summary" style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?hl=en&q=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/09/05/opinion/brezhnev-era-russia-soviets.html?rref%3Dcollection%252Fcolumn%252FRed%2520Century&source=gmail&ust=1507729710969000&usg=AFQjCNGpWyKhxQfY5oTAeKlZ1Fw1lo7J3w" href="https://www.nytimes.com/2017/09/05/opinion/brezhnev-era-russia-soviets.html?rref=collection%2Fcolumn%2FRed%20Century" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank"><span style="color: #326891; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-decoration-line: none;"></span></a><br />
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<span style="font-size: 0.875rem; line-height: 1.125rem; max-width: 300px;"><span class="m_1128611607336183050gmail-headline-text"><span style="color: #326891; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-weight: normal;"><a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?hl=en&q=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/09/05/opinion/brezhnev-era-russia-soviets.html?rref%3Dcollection%252Fcolumn%252FRed%2520Century&source=gmail&ust=1507729710969000&usg=AFQjCNGpWyKhxQfY5oTAeKlZ1Fw1lo7J3w" href="https://www.nytimes.com/2017/09/05/opinion/brezhnev-era-russia-soviets.html?rref=collection%2Fcolumn%2FRed%20Century" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank"><span style="color: #326891; text-decoration-line: none;">The ‘Bright Tomorrow’: Growing Up in the Brezhnev Era</span></a></span><a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?hl=en&q=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/09/05/opinion/brezhnev-era-russia-soviets.html?rref%3Dcollection%252Fcolumn%252FRed%2520Century&source=gmail&ust=1507729710969000&usg=AFQjCNGpWyKhxQfY5oTAeKlZ1Fw1lo7J3w" href="https://www.nytimes.com/2017/09/05/opinion/brezhnev-era-russia-soviets.html?rref=collection%2Fcolumn%2FRed%20Century" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank"><span style="color: #326891; text-decoration-line: none;"><time class="m_1128611607336183050gmail-dateline" style="color: #999999; display: inline-block; font-family: nyt-franklin, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 0.625rem; font-weight: 500; line-height: 0.625rem; margin-left: auto; margin-top: 6px; text-transform: uppercase; white-space: nowrap;">SEP</time></span><span style="color: #326891; text-decoration-line: none;">5</span><span style="color: windowtext; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; text-decoration-line: none;"></span></a></span></span></h2>
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<footer style="border-top: 1px solid rgb(226, 226, 226); font-family: arial, sans-serif; padding-top: 8px;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Over the preceding decade, Indonesian labor activists had already established a strong union representing workers on the extensive railroad network servicing the vast plantation economy of Java and Sumatra. By 1914, the Indische Sociaal-Democratische Vereeniging, or Indies Social-Democratic Union, had expanded from labor organizing among railroad workers into broader forms of social activism and political action against colonial rule.</span></footer></div>
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<figure class="m_1128611607336183050gmail-media m_1128611607336183050gmail-photo m_1128611607336183050embedded m_1128611607336183050gmail-layout-large-vertical m_1128611607336183050gmail-media-100000005483594" id="m_1128611607336183050gmail-media-100000005483594" style="clear: both; display: flex; margin: 45px 75px; max-width: none; width: 570px;"><span style="overflow: hidden; text-align: center;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: nyt-cheltenham-sh, georgia, "times new roman", times, serif; font-size: 0.8125rem;">Pan-Islam had emerged in the final decades of the Ottoman Empire, with the efforts of Sultan Abdulhamid II, shown in this undated photo, to lay claim to the title of caliph among Muslims.</span><span class="m_1128611607336183050gmail-visually-hidden" style="font-family: nyt-cheltenham-sh, georgia, "times new roman", times, serif; font-size: 0.8125rem;"><span style="overflow: hidden;"><span style="border: 1pt none windowtext; font-family: Georgia, serif; padding: 0in;"><span style="display: inline-block; font-size: 0.6875rem; line-height: 1rem;">Credit</span></span></span><span class="m_1128611607336183050gmail-credit"><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">Corbis, via Getty Images</span></span></span></span></span><span style="overflow: hidden;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, serif;"><br /></span></span><span style="overflow: hidden;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, serif;"><br /></span></span><span style="overflow: hidden;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, serif;"><br /></span></span><span style="overflow: hidden;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, serif;"><br /></span></span><span style="overflow: hidden;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, serif;"><br /></span></span><span style="overflow: hidden;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, serif;"></span></span><figcaption class="m_1128611607336183050gmail-caption" style="color: #666666; font-family: nyt-cheltenham-sh, georgia, "times new roman", times, serif; font-size: 0.8125rem; line-height: 1.0625rem; margin-bottom: 30px; margin-left: 15px; margin-right: 0px; max-width: 100%;"></figcaption></figure><div class="m_1128611607336183050gmail-story-body-text" style="background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin: 0in 0in 12pt 56.25pt;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">In particular, members began to join the Sarekat Islam, an organization founded in 1912 as a Muslim batik traders’ association that had morphed into a broader popular movement and was staging mass rallies and strikes across Java. Socialist influence within the Sarekat Islam was already evident at the movement’s congress in 1916, where the Prophet Muhammad was proclaimed to be “the father of Socialism and the pioneer of democracy” and “the Socialist par excellence.”</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, serif;">The Russian Revolution further inspired the Sarekat Islam. By late 1917, activists from the Indies Social-Democratic Union had begun agitating and organizing among the lower ranks of the Dutch armed forces in the Indies. Borrowing the successful tactics of the Bolsheviks in Russia, hundreds of sailors and soldiers were recruited in the hope of staging mutinies and uprisings. The Dutch colonial authorities promptly arrested and imprisoned the activists and ordered their expulsion from the Indies.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, serif;">But by 1920, the Indies Social-Democratic Union had renamed itself the Communist Union of the Indies, becoming the first Communist party in Asia to join the Comintern. New unions were formed on Java and Sumatra. Peasant villagers mobilized against landowners. A railway strike briefly paralyzed the plantation belt in eastern Sumatra.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, serif;">It was in this context that the legendary figure of Tan Malaka first appeared. The scion of an aristocratic family from western Sumatra, Tan Malaka had spent World War I as a student in the Netherlands. He came into contact with Socialist activists and ideas, and witnessed the short-lived Troelstra Revolution of late 1918, during which Dutch social-democrats briefly tried to emulate an ongoing revolutionary uprising in Germany. In early 1919, Tan Malaka returned to Indonesia, where he was soon drawn into labor organizing. He joined the embryonic local Communist Party, quickly ascending to its leadership — before the colonial government forced him into exile, and back to the Netherlands, in early 1922.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, serif;">And so it was with early experience of the revolutionary potential of combining Communism and Islam that Tan Malaka made an appearance at the Fourth Comintern Congress in Moscow and Petrograd in 1922. There, he delivered a memorable speech about the similarities between Pan-Islamism and Communism. Pan-Islamism was not religious per se, he argued, but rather “the brotherhood of all Muslim peoples, and the liberation struggle not only of the Arab but also of the Indian, the Javanese and all the oppressed Muslim peoples.”</span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, serif;">“This brotherhood,” he added, “means the practical liberation struggle not only against Dutch but also against English, French and Italian capitalism, therefore against world capitalism as a whole.”</span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, serif;">The official record of the proceedings notes that Tan Malaka’s impassioned plea for an alliance between Communism and Pan-Islamism was met with “lively applause.” But his memoirs recall that after three days of heated debate following his speech, he was formally prohibited from further contributing to the proceedings. The official conclusions of the Fourth Comintern Congress, including the “Theses on the Eastern Question,” are notably ambiguous on the question of Pan-Islamism and strikingly silent on Indonesia, even though the movement there was far more successful than any other Communist mobilization in the so-called East at the time.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">An alliance between Communism and Islam was not to be, neither in Indonesia nor elsewhere. The strength of Communism, as a movement, was its ability to mobilize laborers to fight for better wages and working conditions through unions, whether in oil boomtown Baku or the plantations of Java and Sumatra. But as a form of government, Communism meant one-party rule, a command economy with collectivized agriculture and party-state control over all spheres of social life — including religion.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, serif;">Islamism, by contrast, was a much broader and enduringly more open-ended and ambiguous basis for political engagement. In Java and elsewhere, “Islam” provided a banner for Muslim merchants to contest economic encroachment by non-Muslims and build an infrastructure for organizing in the countryside, largely through Islamic schools. Politically, it was a supple notion: Islamist scholars and activists could be for colonialism, Communism or capitalism.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, serif;">In Indonesia, tensions between Communists and Islamic leaders had already begun to divide Sarekat Islam in the early 1920s. Communists urged escalating strikes and protests, whereas Islamic leaders advocated accommodation with the Dutch colonial authorities. Sarekat Islam dissolved in the face of Dutch repression after failed rebellions in 1926-7.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, serif;">In the late 1940s, Islamic parties opposed the Partai Komunis Indonesia (P.K.I.), or Indonesian Communist Party, during the struggle for independence. Islamic parties were uncomfortable with the Communists’ insistence that independence from Dutch colonial rule also upend aristocratic privileges and bring about the establishment of Socialist forms of ownership over land and industry. This conflict extended into the early post-independence period. Islamic organizations actively participated in the anti-Communist pogroms of 1965-66, which destroyed the P.K.I. and left hundreds of thousands of casualties across Indonesia.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, serif;">By this time, the pattern of antagonism was well established across the Muslim world, and it persisted throughout the Cold War. The institutional and ideological boundaries of both Communism and Islamism hardened, dashing prospects for renewed experiments in political alliance-building.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, serif;">In Muslim areas of the Soviet Union, the party-state suppressed institutions of Islamic worship, education, association and pilgrimage, which were viewed as obstacles to ideological and social transformation along Communist lines. Where Islamic states were established, left-wing politics was often associated with blasphemy, and outlawed. In countries like Sudan, Yemen, Syria, Iraq and Iran, Communist and other left-wing parties found themselves in bitter competition for power with Islamists.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, serif;">One effect of the failure of revolutionary forces to mobilize under the joint banner of Communism and Islam was to deeply divide Muslims, weakening their capacity first to fight colonialism during the first half of 20th century and then to resist the rise of authoritarianism across the Muslim world. Another effect was to stimulate new forms of U.S.-backed, anti-Soviet Islamist mobilization during the Cold War — including some that turned into the virulent anti-Western terrorist groups that partly define the world today.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, serif;">Divisions between leftists and Islamists in Egypt after the fall of President Hosni Mubarak in 2011 also helped set the stage for the country’s return to military rule in mid-2013. Similar tensions divided the opposition to President Bashar al-Assad in Syria, paving the way for the country’s descent into civil war over six years ago. A full century after the Russian Revolution, the failed alliance between Communism and Islam continues to shape the politics of the Muslim world.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">This is an essay in the series Red Century, about the history and legacy of Communism 100 years after the Russian Revolution.</span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05247739204754590667noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3441003027486211979.post-6660951453328929862017-10-10T05:42:00.000-07:002017-10-10T05:42:18.711-07:00How We Learned Not To Care About America’s Wars - By Andrew Bacevich - LobeLog<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="color: red; font-size: x-large;"><b>Let the world declare USA as a war-monger nation; to begin with.</b></span></div>
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How We Learned Not To Care About America’s Wars</h1>
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<div style="color: black; font-size: 12.8px; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 20px;">
<em><span style="font-weight: 700;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img alt="Inline image 2" class="CToWUd a6T" height="266" src="https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/?ui=2&ik=cf316c97fc&view=fimg&th=15f0648ba15aa690&attid=0.2&disp=emb&realattid=ii_15f06457675527c3&attbid=ANGjdJ8LuWmPGD2V8VV4A7_g3HSGlYlgGb8uZW-UUyh4UDxqyb_dTDreXpdv_SgczMrNeBDGn1hsKGp8grpdCTOwrkaoY5psKEAxN4v60QRFMKOuXxeKP-2McM4uJY8&sz=w942-h532&ats=1507638956598&rm=15f0648ba15aa690&zw&atsh=1" style="cursor: pointer; outline: 0px;" tabindex="0" width="471" /></span></span></em></div>
<div style="color: black; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 20px;">
<em><span style="font-weight: 700;">by Andrew Bacevich</span></em></div>
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<b><span style="color: red; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 24.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Let the world declare USA
as a war-monger nation; to begin with.</span></b><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 9.5pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><a href="http://lobelog.com/how-we-learned-not-to-care-about-americas-wars/#more-41460" target="_blank"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 9.5pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">http://lobelog.com/how-we-learned-not-to-care-about-americas-wars/#more-41460</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin: 12.75pt 0in 9.75pt;">
<b><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 28.5pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 18.0pt;">How
We Learned Not To Care About America’s Wars<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b><i><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">by
Andrew Bacevich</span></i></b><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 9.5pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Consider, if you will,
these two indisputable facts. First, the United States is today more or
less permanently engaged in hostilities in not one faraway place, but<b> </b><a href="http://nationalinterest.org/blog/the-buzz/scary-fact-america-dropped-26171-bombs-7-countries-2016-18961" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">at least seven</span></a>. Second, the vast majority of the
American people could not care less.</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 9.5pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Nor can it be said that
we don’t care because we don’t know. True, government authorities
withhold certain aspects of ongoing military operations or release only details
that they find convenient. Yet information describing what U.S. forces
are doing (and where) is readily available, even if buried in recent months by
barrages of presidential tweets. Here, for anyone interested, are press
releases issued by United States Central Command for just one recent week:</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 9.5pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><a href="http://www.centcom.mil/MEDIA/PRESS-RELEASES/Press-Release-View/Article/1324264/september-26-military-airstrikes-continue-against-isis-terrorists-in-syria-and/" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">September 19</span></a>: Military airstrikes continue against ISIS
terrorists in Syria and Iraq</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 9.5pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><a href="http://www.centcom.mil/MEDIA/PRESS-RELEASES/Press-Release-View/Article/1317427/september-20-military-airstrikes-continue-against-isis-terrorists-in-syria-and/" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">September 20</span></a>: Military airstrikes continue against ISIS
terrorists in Syria and Iraq</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 9.5pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><a href="http://www.centcom.mil/MEDIA/PRESS-RELEASES/Press-Release-View/Article/1318986/iraqi-security-forces-begin-hawijah-offensive/" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Iraqi Security Forces</span></a> begin Hawijah offensive</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 9.5pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><a href="http://www.centcom.mil/MEDIA/PRESS-RELEASES/Press-Release-View/Article/1319013/september-21-military-airstrikes-continue-against-isis-terrorists-in-syria-and/" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">September 21</span></a>: Military airstrikes continue against ISIS
terrorists in Syria and Iraq</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 9.5pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><a href="http://www.centcom.mil/MEDIA/PRESS-RELEASES/Press-Release-View/Article/1320711/september-22-military-airstrikes-continue-against-isis-terrorists-in-syria-and/" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">September 22</span></a>: Military airstrikes continue against ISIS
terrorists in Syria and Iraq</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 9.5pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><a href="http://www.centcom.mil/MEDIA/PRESS-RELEASES/Press-Release-View/Article/1322796/september-23-military-airstrikes-continue-against-isis-terrorists-in-syria-and/" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">September 23</span></a>: Military airstrikes continue against ISIS
terrorists in Syria and Iraq</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 9.5pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><a href="http://www.centcom.mil/MEDIA/PRESS-RELEASES/Press-Release-View/Article/1322828/operation-inherent-resolve-casualty/" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Operation Inherent Resolve</span></a> Casualty</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 9.5pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><a href="http://www.centcom.mil/MEDIA/PRESS-RELEASES/Press-Release-View/Article/1322838/september-25-military-airstrikes-continue-against-isis-terrorists-in-syria-and/" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">September 25</span></a>: Military airstrikes continue against ISIS
terrorists in Syria and Iraq</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 9.5pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><a href="http://www.centcom.mil/MEDIA/PRESS-RELEASES/Press-Release-View/Article/1324264/september-26-military-airstrikes-continue-against-isis-terrorists-in-syria-and/" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">September 26</span></a>: Military airstrikes continue against ISIS
terrorists in Syria and Iraq</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 9.5pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Ever since the United
States launched its war on terror, oceans of military press releases have
poured forth. And those are just for starters. To provide updates<b> </b>on
the U.S. military’s various ongoing campaigns, generals, admirals, and
high-ranking defense officials regularly testify before congressional
committees or brief members of the press. From the field, journalists
offer updates that fill in at least some of the details — on civilian
casualties, for example — that government authorities prefer not to
disclose. Contributors to newspaper op-ed pages and “experts” booked by
network and cable TV news shows, including passels of retired military
officers, provide analysis. Trailing behind come books and documentaries
that put things in a broader perspective.</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 9.5pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">But here’s the truth of
it. None of it matters.</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 9.5pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Like traffic jams or
robocalls, war has fallen into the category of things that Americans may not
welcome, but have learned to live with. In twenty-first-century America,
war is not that big a deal.</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 9.5pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">While serving as defense
secretary in the 1960s, Robert McNamara <a href="https://quotefancy.com/quote/1322097/Robert-McNamara-The-greatest-contribution-Vietnam-is-making-right-or-wrong-is-beside-the" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">once mused</span></a> that the “greatest contribution” of the
Vietnam War might have been to make it possible for the United States “to go to
war without the necessity of arousing the public ire.” With regard to the
conflict once widely referred to as McNamara’s War, his claim proved
grotesquely premature. Yet a half-century later, his wish has become
reality.</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 9.5pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Why do Americans today
show so little interest in the wars waged in their name and at least nominally
on their behalf? Why, as our wars drag on and on, doesn’t the disparity
between effort expended and benefits accrued arouse more than passing curiosity
or mild expressions of dismay? Why, in short, don’t we give a [</span><i><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">expletive
deleted</span></i><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">]?<b> </b></span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 9.5pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Perhaps just posing such
a question propels us instantly into the realm of the unanswerable, like trying
to figure out why people idolize Justin Bieber, shoot birds, or watch golf on
television.</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 9.5pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Without any expectation
of actually piercing our collective ennui, let me take a stab at explaining why
we don’t give a @#$%&! Here are eight distinctive but mutually
reinforcing explanations, offered in a sequence that begins with the blindingly
obvious and ends with the more speculative. <b> </b></span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 9.5pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Americans don’t attend all
that much to ongoing American wars because:</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 9.5pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">1. </span><i><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">U.S.
casualty rates are low</span></i><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">. By using proxies and contractors, and relying heavily on
airpower, America’s war managers have been able to keep a tight lid on the
number of U.S. troops being killed and wounded. In all of 2017, for
example, a <a href="http://icasualties.org/oef/" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">grand total</span></a> of
11 American<b> </b>soldiers have been lost in Afghanistan — about equal to
the number of shooting deaths <a href="https://www.dnainfo.com/chicago/2017-chicago-murders" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">in Chicago</span></a> over
the course of a typical week. True, in Afghanistan, Iraq, and other countries
where the U.S. is engaged in hostilities, whether directly or indirectly,
plenty of people who are not Americans are being killed and maimed. (The
estimated number of Iraqi civilians killed this year alone <a href="https://www.iraqbodycount.org/database/" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">exceeds 12,000</span></a>.)
But those casualties have next to no political salience as far as the United
States is concerned. As long as they don’t impede U.S. military<b> </b>operations,
they literally don’t count (and generally aren’t counted).</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 9.5pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">2. </span><i><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The
true costs of Washington’s wars go untabulated. </span></i><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">In a <a href="http://www.edchange.org/multicultural/speeches/ike_chance_for_peace.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">famous speech</span></a>, dating from early in his presidency,
Dwight D. Eisenhower said that “Every gun that is made, every warship launched,
every rocket fired signifies, in the final sense, a theft from those who hunger
and are not fed, those who are cold and are not clothed.” Dollars spent
on weaponry, Ike insisted, translated directly into schools, hospitals, homes,
highways, and power plants that would go unbuilt. “This is not a way of
life at all, in any true sense,” he continued. “[I]t is humanity hanging
from a cross of iron.” More than six decades later, Americans have long since
accommodated themselves to that cross of iron. Many actually see it as a
boon, a source of corporate profits, jobs, and, of course, campaign contributions.
As such, they avert their eyes from the opportunity costs of our never-ending
wars. The dollars expended pursuant to our post-9/11 conflicts will
ultimately number in <a href="http://watson.brown.edu/costsofwar/" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">the multi-trillions</span></a>. Imagine the benefits of
investing such sums<b> </b>in upgrading the nation’s aging <a href="https://www.infrastructurereportcard.org/" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">infrastructure</span></a>.
Yet don’t count on Congressional leaders, other politicians, or just about
anyone else to pursue that connection.</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 9.5pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">3. </span><i><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">On
matters related to war, American citizens have opted out. </span></i><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Others have made the
point so frequently that it’s the equivalent of hearing “Rudolph the Red-Nosed
Reindeer” at Christmastime. Even so, it bears repeating: the American
people have defined their obligation to “support the troops” in the <a href="http://www.tomdispatch.com/post/175912/tomgram%3A_rory_fanning,_why_do_we_keep_thanking_the_troops/" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">narrowest</span></a> imaginable <a href="http://www.tomdispatch.com/blog/175423/tomgram%3A_andrew_bacevich,_playing_ball_with_the_pentagon/" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">terms</span></a>, ensuring above all that such support requires
absolutely no sacrifice on their part. Members of Congress abet this
civic apathy, while also taking steps to <a href="http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/gop-leaders-quietly-remove-language-repealing-post-911-military-authorization-from-defense-bill/article/2629075" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">insulate</span></a> themselves from responsibility. In
effect, citizens and their elected representatives in Washington agree:
supporting the troops means deferring to the commander in chief, without
inquiring about whether what he has the troops doing makes the slightest
sense. Yes, we set down our beers long enough to applaud those in uniform
and <a href="http://www.bostonherald.com/sports/patriots/the_blitz/2017/09/devin_mccourty_explains_why_patriots_knelt_during_national_anthem" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">boo</span></a> those who decline to participate in mandatory
rituals of patriotism. What we don’t do is demand anything remotely
approximating actual accountability.</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 9.5pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">4. </span><i><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Terrorism
gets hyped and hyped and hyped some more. </span></i><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">While international
terrorism isn’t a trivial problem (and wasn’t for decades before 9/11), it
comes <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/you-re-more-likely-die-choking-be-killed-foreign-terrorists-n715141" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">nowhere close</span></a> to posing an existential threat to
the United States. Indeed, other threats, notably the impact of climate
change, constitute a far greater danger to the wellbeing of Americans.
Worried about the safety of your children or grandchildren? The opioid
epidemic constitutes an infinitely greater danger than “Islamic
radicalism.” Yet having been sold a bill of goods about a “war on terror”
that is essential for “keeping America safe,” mere citizens are easily
persuaded that scattering U.S. troops throughout the Islamic world while
dropping bombs on designated evildoers is helping win the former while
guaranteeing the latter. To question that proposition becomes tantamount
to suggesting that God might not have given Moses two stone tablets after all.</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 9.5pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">5. </span><i><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Blather
crowds out substance. </span></i><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">When it comes to foreign policy, American public discourse is —
not to put too fine a point on it — vacuous, insipid, and mindlessly
repetitive. William Safire of the </span><i><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">New York Times </span></i><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">once characterized
American political rhetoric as BOMFOG, with those running for high office
relentlessly touting the Brotherhood of Man and the Fatherhood of God.
Ask a politician, Republican or Democrat, to expound on this country’s role in
the world, and then brace yourself for some variant of WOSFAD, as the speaker
insists that it is incumbent upon the World’s Only Superpower to spread Freedom
and Democracy. Terms like </span><i><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">leadership </span></i><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">and </span><i><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">indispensable </span></i><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">are introduced, along
with warnings about the dangers of </span><i><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">isolationism </span></i><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">and </span><i><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">appeasement, </span></i><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">embellished with ominous
references to </span><i><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Munich</span></i><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">. Such grandiose posturing makes it
unnecessary to probe too deeply into the actual origins and purposes of
American wars, past or present, or assess the likelihood of ongoing wars ending
in some approximation of actual success. Cheerleading displaces serious
thought.</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 9.5pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">6. </span><i><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Besides,
we’re too busy. </span></i><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> Think of this as a corollary to point five. Even if
the present-day American political scene included figures like Senators <a href="http://progressive.org/dispatches/robert-la-follette-america-s-anti-imperialist-prophet/" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Robert La Follette</span></a> or <a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00G4JFCTK/ref=nosim/?tag=tomdispatch-20" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">J. William Fulbright</span></a>, who long ago warned against the
dangers of militarizing U.S. policy, Americans may not retain a capacity to
attend to such critiques. Responding to the demands of the Information
Age is not, it turns out, conducive to deep reflection. We live in an era
(so we are told) when frantic multitasking has become a sort of duty and when
being overscheduled is almost obligatory. Our attention span shrinks and
with it our time horizon. The matters we attend to are those that
happened just hours or minutes ago. Yet like the great solar eclipse of
2017 — hugely significant and instantly forgotten — those matters will, within
another few minutes or hours, be superseded by some other development that
briefly captures our attention. As a result, a dwindling number of
Americans — those not compulsively checking Facebook pages and Twitter accounts
— have the time or inclination to ponder questions like: When will the
Afghanistan War end? Why has it lasted almost 16 years? Why doesn’t
the <a href="http://www.tomdispatch.com/blog/175337" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">finest fighting
force</span></a> in history actually win? Can’t package an answer in
140 characters or a 30-second made-for-TV sound bite? Well, then,
slowpoke, don’t expect anyone to attend to what you have to say.</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 9.5pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">7. </span><i><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Anyway,
the next president will save us.</span></i><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> At regular intervals, Americans indulge
in the fantasy that, if we just install the right person in the White House,
all will be well. Ambitious politicians are quick to exploit this
expectation. Presidential candidates struggle to differentiate themselves
from their competitors, but all of them promise in one way or another to wipe the
slate clean and Make America Great Again. Ignoring the historical record
of promises broken or unfulfilled, and presidents who turn out not to be
deities but flawed human beings, Americans — members of the media above all —
pretend to take all this seriously. Campaigns become longer, more
expensive, more circus-like, and ever less substantial. One might think
that the election of Donald Trump would prompt a downward revision in the
exalted expectations of presidents putting things right. Instead, especially
in the anti-Trump camp, getting rid of Trump himself (Collusion!
Corruption! Obstruction! Impeachment!) has become the overriding
imperative, with little attention given to restoring the balance intended by
the framers of the Constitution. The irony of Trump perpetuating wars
that he once roundly criticized and then handing the conduct of those wars to
generals devoid of ideas for ending them almost entirely escapes notice.</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 9.5pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">8. </span><i><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Our
culturally progressive military has largely immunized itself from
criticism. </span></i><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">As recently as the 1990s, the U.S. military establishment aligned
itself with the retrograde side of the culture wars. Who can forget the
gays-in-the-military controversy that rocked Bill Clinton’s administration
during his first weeks in office, as senior military leaders publicly denounced
their commander-in-chief? Those days are long gone. Culturally, the
armed forces have moved left. Today, the services go out of their way to
project an <a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/2017/09/29/air-force-academy-head-tells-racists-get-oudelivers-stern-lecture-wake-racial-slurs-found-prep-schoo/715755001/" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">image of tolerance</span></a> and a commitment to equality on
all matters related to race, gender, and sexuality. So when President
Trump announced his opposition to transgendered persons serving in the armed
forces, <a href="http://www.cnn.com/2017/07/26/politics/trump-military-transgender/index.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">tweeting</span></a> that the military “cannot be burdened with
the tremendous medical costs and disruption that transgender in the military
would entail,” senior officers politely but firmly disagreed and <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2017/08/29/us/politics/mattis-trump-transgender-ban.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">pushed back</span></a>. Given the ascendency of cultural
issues near the top of the U.S. political agenda, the military’s embrace of
diversity helps to insulate it from criticism and from being called to account
for a less than sterling performance in waging wars. Put simply, critics
who in an earlier day might have blasted military leaders for their inability
to bring wars to a successful conclusion hold their fire. Having
women <a href="http://www.cnn.com/2015/08/21/us/women-army-ranger-graduation/index.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">graduate</span></a> from Ranger School or <a href="http://www.cnn.com/2017/09/22/politics/marine-corp-female-infantry-officer/index.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">command</span></a> Marines in combat more than compensates for
not winning.</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 9.5pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">A collective
indifference to war has become an emblem of contemporary America. But
don’t expect your neighbors down the street or the editors of the </span><i><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">New
York Times</span></i><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> to
lose any sleep over that fact. Even to notice it would require them — and
us — to care.</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 9.5pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<i><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Republished,
with permission, from <a href="http://www.tomdispatch.com/blog/176335/" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">TomDispatch</span></a>.
Photo: Sailors from Mobile Inshore Undersea Warfare Unit One Zero Five
board a plane to deploy to the 5th Fleet area of responsibility in support of
the global war on terrorism. (Wikimedia Commons)</span></i><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 9.5pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<i><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Andrew
J. Bacevich, a </span></i><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><a href="http://www.tomdispatch.com/post/176316/tomgram%3A_andrew_bacevich%2C_the_great_hysteria/" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">TomDispatch<i> regular</i></span></a></span><i><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">,
is the author, most recently, of </span></i><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/0553393952/ref=nosim/?tag=tomdispatch-20" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">America’s War for the Greater Middle East: A Military History</span></a>. </span><i><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Follow </span></i><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">TomDispatch</span><i><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> on <a href="https://twitter.com/TomDispatch" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">Twitter</span></a> and
join us on <a href="http://www.facebook.com/tomdispatch" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">Facebook</span></a>. Check out the newest Dispatch Book,
Alfred McCoy’s </span></i><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/1608467732/ref=nosim/?tag=tomdispatch-20" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">In the Shadows of the American Century: The Rise and Decline of
U.S. Global Power</span></a></span><i><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">, as well as John Dower’s </span></i><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/1608467236/ref=nosim/?tag=tomdispatch-20" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">The Violent American Century: War and Terror Since World War II</span></a></span><i><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">,
John Feffer’s dystopian novel </span></i><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/1608467244/ref=nosim/?tag=tomdispatch-20" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Splinterlands</span></a></span><i><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">, Nick Turse’s </span></i><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/1608466485/ref=nosim/?tag=tomdispatch-20" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Next Time They’ll Come to Count the Dead</span></a></span><i><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">,
and Tom Engelhardt’s </span></i><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/1608463656/ref=nosim/?tag=tomdispatch-20" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Shadow Government: Surveillance, Secret Wars, and a Global Security
State in a Single-Superpower World</span></a></span><i><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">. </span></i><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Copyright 2017 Andrew J.
Bacevich</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 9.5pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05247739204754590667noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3441003027486211979.post-79142138619607701232017-09-30T06:52:00.000-07:002017-09-30T06:52:19.586-07:00Sujata Mody questions Western notions of Feminism<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span class="gD" data-hovercard-id="sujatamody063@gmail.com" email="sujatamody063@gmail.com" name="Sujata Mody." style="display: inline; font-weight: bold; vertical-align: top;"><span style="color: blue; font-size: large;">Sujata Mody</span></span><span class="gD" data-hovercard-id="sujatamody063@gmail.com" email="sujatamody063@gmail.com" name="Sujata Mody." style="color: #222222; display: inline; font-size: 12.8px; font-weight: bold; vertical-align: top;">.</span> <span class="go" style="color: #555555; font-size: inherit; vertical-align: top;"><span aria-hidden="true"><</span>sujatamody063@gmail.com<span aria-hidden="true">></span></span></h3>
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<span alt="Sat, Sep 30, 2017 at 11:56 AM" class="g3" id=":12a" style="margin-right: 3px; vertical-align: top;" title="Sat, Sep 30, 2017 at 11:56 AM">11:56 AM (7 hours ago)</span><div aria-checked="false" aria-label="Starred" class="zd bi4" role="checkbox" style="cursor: pointer; display: inline-block; height: 20px; outline: 0px; user-select: none;" tabindex="0">
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<span class="hb" style="color: #777777; vertical-align: top;">to <span class="g2" data-hovercard-id="the-moderates@googlegroups.com" dir="ltr" email="the-moderates@googlegroups.com" name="the-moderates">the-moderates</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">I was in Berlin in the mid 1990s after the fall of the Soviet Union and the Berlin wall, and was struck by the hundred of women from eastern Europe who were engaged in sex trade. Trafficking was the key word in women's groups. Eastern Europeans were confused, wanted freedom, but the lack of security was demeaning and frightening to them. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"> I also witnessed the arrogance of western feminism over their Eastern European counterparts, but the streets had huge posters and advertisements using women's bodies. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif;">Today's piece in the Guardian about the horrid Playboy business magnate tells a lot about the achievements of western feminism. The way in which western feminism has allowed women's bodies to be commoditised and refused to challenge colonisation, capitalism and consumerism is an enormous failure. We in the former colonised and developing world have deepened our understanding of feminism. The western feminists got the condom and birth control pill, and the prosperity through white imperialism, but did they get liberation? Why is there so much inequality in ownership of wealth and does individualization of freedoms alone mean women are better off. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Feminism needs to be a much deeper exercise, it really must deal with the liberation and equality of all women, not some Indra Nooyi, while the others must look at them in wonderment. These are just some thoughts that come to my mind... Can we call someone who sells Pepsi and Coco Cola a feminist, someone who is instrumental in usurping water resources for private profit?</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"> If I am wrong, I would think my entire life and work is wasted, as I spent with penniless, propertyless and powerless women, understanding and trying to make a difference.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">I am asking western feminists who did not rage against war in Afghanistan, accepting government propaganda that war was required to destroy the Taliban had pushed women into the middle ages. It was such hogwash. They supported the worst regime - Saudi Arabia, while they without much noise recently destroyed Libya and Syria and would have done the same for Iran if they could. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">We in India have an onerous task of dealing with the huge irrational baggage of Hinduism, along with prevailing hinduised sematic religions. There is no space for feminism, no rationality, no truth... While triple talaq did make a dent into the regressive Islam, are we working to build greater gender equality within the communities and groups that follow Islam? </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif;">The small spaces of freedom and privilege do exist for women all over the world and in all religions. However, what is the route for the larger groupings to be less free? What do we in the Moderates think?? </span></span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05247739204754590667noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3441003027486211979.post-2016210048491470822017-09-30T06:39:00.001-07:002017-09-30T06:39:35.237-07:00Taking Educational Institutions Backwards - By Sandeep Pandey - Mainstream Weekly<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="color: #ddddcc; font-family: "inherit" , "serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;"><a href="http://www.mainstreamweekly.net/"><span style="border: 1pt none; color: #990000; padding: 0in;">Home</span></a> > <a href="http://www.mainstreamweekly.net/rubrique112.html" style="font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit;"><span style="border: 1pt none; color: #990000; padding: 0in;">2017</span></a> > <strong style="font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit;"><span style="border: 1pt none windowtext; font-weight: normal; padding: 0in;">Taking Educational Institutions Backwards</span></strong><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "inherit" , "serif";">Mainstream, VOL LV No 41
New Delhi September 30, 2017<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit , serif; font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: red;">Taking Educational Institutions Backwards<o:p></o:p></span></span></h1>
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<i><span style="color: #222222; font-size: 14pt;"><span style="background-color: white;">Friday 29 September 2</span></span></i><i><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">017</span><span class="sep" style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in;"><span style="font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit;">, </span></span></span></span></i></div>
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<i><span class="sep" style="background-color: white;"><span style="border: 1pt none windowtext; padding: 0in;"><span style="color: #222222; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit;">By </span><span style="font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit;"><span style="color: blue; font-size: large;"><b>Sandeep Pandey</b></span></span></span></span></i></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "inherit" , "serif"; font-size: 14.0pt;">On September 11, 1893 Swami
Vivekananda delivered his famous speech in the Parliament of World’s Religions
in Chicago. The Bharatiya Janata Party Government decided to celebrate the
event and Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed the youth of the country.
Incidentally, he shares his first name with Vivekananda’s original name,
Narendra Nath Datta.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "inherit" , "serif"; font-size: 14.0pt;">Vivekananda
has inspired the youth of this country for long. His preachings are thought-
provoking. For example, he says, ‘As certain religions of the world say that a
man who does not believe in a Personal God outside of himself is an atheist, so
the Vedanta says, a man who does not believe in himself is an atheist. Not
believing in the glory of our own soul is what Vedanta calls atheism.’ At
another place he pleads with his audience, ‘If you are not a prophet, there
never has been anything true of God... Everyone of us will have to become a
prophet.’<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "inherit" , "serif"; font-size: 14.0pt;">However,
when this occasion was celebrated on September 11, 2017 on university campuses,
students were asked to memorise the speech of Swami Vivekananda delivered in
1893 and regurgitate it. When students did not even bother to learn it by rote,
they were allowed to read it from paper. Such is the sorry state of affairs of
our academic institutions. If the Swami were alive today he would have cringed
in despair.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "inherit" , "serif"; font-size: 14.0pt;">He wanted
everybody to have complete faith in themselves and feel like a sovereign but
our higher educational institutions do not want our students to develop
independent thinking. Had the students been asked to give their comments on
Vivekananda’s speech they would have had to exercise their brain. But it is
amazing that university-level students are just being asked to memorise and reproduce
a speech! The entire idea of putting a curb on students’ thinking is
contradictory to Vivekananda’s idea of empowerment. How can the students have
belief in themselves if they are merely activating not the analytical power of
the brain but only its photographic ability? Quite clearly the autho-rities
want to produce followers and not leaders.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "inherit" , "serif"; font-size: 14.0pt;">That
Vivekananda is not taken seriously by the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, the
ideological parent of the ruling dispensation in India, is also clear from his
statement in the same speech, ‘We believe not only in universal toleration, but
we accept all religions as true. I am proud to belong to a nation which has
sheltered the persecuted and the refugees of all religions and all nations of
the earth.’ However, in the context of the current migration of Rohingya
Muslims from Myanmar, the Home Minister, Rajnath Singh, says they are illegal
immigrants and not refugees who have not followed the procedure to apply for
asylum, but it is not clear whether the Government of India would welcome them
even if they were to seek entry through the proper channel. They obviously
don’t have Viveka-nanda’s large heart. Narendra Modi chose not to raise the
issue of persecution of Rohingya Muslims during a meeting with its famous leader,
Aung San Suu Kyi, in his recent maiden visit to Myanmar. That demonstrates
India’s overall insensitivity towards the Rohingyas.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "inherit" , "serif"; font-size: 14.0pt;">Vivekanand
also said in Chicago, ‘Sectaria-nism, bigotry, and its horrible descendent,
fanaticism, have long possessed the beautiful earth. They have filled the earth
with violence, drenched it often and often with human blood, destroyed
civilisation and sent whole nations to despair. Had it not been for these
horrible demons, human society would be far more advanced than it is now.’
However sectarianism, bigotry, fanaticism and violence have increased with the
BJP’s ascent to power. Some <i style="font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit;"><span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in;">Sangh Parivar</span></i>loyalists can argue that this is in
response to the rise of similar tendencies in Islam globally. The moot question
is: could there have been a different response rooted in Vivekananda’s and
Mahatma Gandhi’s ideologies to it?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "inherit" , "serif"; font-size: 14.0pt;">It is also
worrisome that senior functionaries of the BJP governments are indulging in
negating scientific and rational thinking. The Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister,
Yogi Adityanath, while speaking at the convocation of the Sanjay Gandhi Post
Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences in Lucknow on September 16, claimed that
China was researching how Hindu God Ganesh’s head slain by his father Lord
Shiva was replaced with an elephant’s head and exhorted the Indian doctors to
delve into the treasure of our scriptures. He also beseeched the faculty and
students to find the herb which brought back Laxman to life. According to him,
Dr A.P.J. Abdul Kalam was inspired by the <i style="font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit;"><span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in;">Mahabharata</span></i> to work on missiles. Yogi Adityanath
holds a Bachelor’s degree in Mathematics.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "inherit" , "serif"; font-size: 14.0pt;">The State
Minister for Human Resources Development at the Centre, Satya Pal Singh,
claimed in a programme of the All India Council for Technical Education on September
20 in Delhi that Shivakar Babuji Talpade in India invented the air plane eight
years before the Wright brothers. According to him, plants in Ravana’s kingdom
were not required to be watered as they contained a mythical elixir,
Chandramani. He wants engineering students to learn about the Hindu deity,
Vishwakarma, <i style="font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit;"><span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in;">puranas </span></i>and mythology. Singh holds a Master’s
degree in Chemistry and is a former Indian Police Service officer.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "inherit" , "serif"; font-size: 14.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="background: white; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin-bottom: .25in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "inherit" , "serif"; font-size: 14.0pt;">By not
letting analytical thinking develop in students the RSS is ensuring that there
will be no one to ask the Yogi when he makes the suggestion to doctors to
research how an elephant’s head replaced the beheaded Lord Ganesh and that if
indeed doctors were successful in doing this surgery, whose brain would the
resultant creature possess—human’s or elephant’s? Or they don’t want any
student to ask Satya Pal Singh that if India possessed the know-how of making
planes, why is it not investing in rediscovering that knowledge rather than
buying Rafale jets from France?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background: white; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; vertical-align: baseline;">
<i style="font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit;"><span style="border: none 1.0pt; color: #222222; font-family: "inherit" , "serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; padding: 0in;">Noted social activist and
Magsaysay awardee Dr Sandeep Pandey is the Vice-President of the Socialist
Party (India). He was elected to this post at the founding conference of the
party at Hyderabad on May 28-29, 2011.</span></i></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05247739204754590667noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3441003027486211979.post-19290773176062723042017-09-27T07:33:00.001-07:002017-09-27T07:33:24.828-07:00Westerners: Guilty of Reading the News<a href="https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/11063/westerners-guilty#.Wcu2sORpJIk.blogger">Westerners: Guilty of Reading the News</a>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05247739204754590667noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3441003027486211979.post-55074564756684262292017-09-27T07:30:00.001-07:002017-09-27T07:30:19.306-07:00Wazeer e Kharija Khuwaja Asif ne Americans ko Khari khari suna dein<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="344" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/aQ6wB3iXMFg" width="459"></iframe>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05247739204754590667noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3441003027486211979.post-46677299524842225602017-09-25T07:01:00.001-07:002017-09-25T07:01:31.792-07:00America's Jews Are Driving America's Wars -By Philip Giraldi - www.unz.com<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
http://www.unz.com/pgiraldi/americas-jews-are-driving-americas-wars/<br />
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The Unz Review: An Alternative Media Selection</div>
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<span style="color: red;"><b>America's Jews Are Driving America's Wars</b></span></div>
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Shouldn't they recuse themselves when dealing with the Middle East?</div>
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<a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?hl=en&q=http://www.unz.com/author/philip-giraldi/&source=gmail&ust=1506434221380000&usg=AFQjCNH_tD0GXpisQptSOqyYw_ps-XLLaA" href="http://www.unz.com/author/philip-giraldi/" rel="author" style="border: 0px; color: #035da6; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank" title="Articles, Columns, and Major Blog Posts by Philip Giraldi"><b>PHILIP GIRALDI</b></a><span class="m_8431914640929984268gmail-datewords" style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> • SEPTEMBER 19, 2017</span><div class="m_8431914640929984268gmail-byline2" style="border: 0px; display: inline; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
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<span id="m_8431914640929984268gmail-_top" style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><section style="background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; float: left; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; max-width: 100%; min-width: 100%; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><div class="m_8431914640929984268gmail-section-holder" style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<blockquote style="background: rgb(248, 248, 248); border: 2px solid rgb(232, 232, 232); font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 1em 2em; padding: 0px 1em; quotes: none; vertical-align: baseline;">
<div class="m_8431914640929984268gmail-container" id="m_8431914640929984268gmail-p_1_1" style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 1em; padding: 0.3em; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span class="m_8431914640929984268gmail-links" style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><a class="m_8431914640929984268gmail-xlink" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?hl=en&q=http://www.unz.com/pgiraldi/americas-jews-are-driving-americas-wars/%23p_1_1&source=gmail&ust=1506434221381000&usg=AFQjCNF51SbacjCzI0e33Re-u0Hmhf_c1w" href="http://www.unz.com/pgiraldi/americas-jews-are-driving-americas-wars/#p_1_1" style="border: 0px; color: #035da6; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: bold; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank" title="Anchor Link to This Paragraph"></a></span><span class="m_8431914640929984268gmail-contents" style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><strong style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">UPDATE</strong>: On the morning of September 21st Phil Giraldi was fired over the phone by <a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?hl=en&q=http://www.theamericanconservative.com/about-us/&source=gmail&ust=1506434221381000&usg=AFQjCNHSyv88yc-Qfci2udZYt9As4wGywA" href="http://www.theamericanconservative.com/about-us/" style="border: 0px; color: #035da6; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: bold; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank" title="http://www.theamericanconservative.com/about-us/"><em style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">The American Conservative</em></a>, where he had been a regular contributor for fourteen years. He was told that “America’s Jews Are Driving America’s Wars” was unacceptable. The <em style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">TAC </em>management and board appear to have forgotten that the magazine was launched with an article by founder Pat Buchanan entitled <a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?hl=en&q=http://www.theamericanconservative.com/articles/whose-war/&source=gmail&ust=1506434221381000&usg=AFQjCNG8Ln8BEPz0CVgHDWCLUFbxfvOSbA" href="http://www.theamericanconservative.com/articles/whose-war/" style="border: 0px; color: #035da6; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: bold; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank" title="http://www.theamericanconservative.com/articles/whose-war/">“Whose War?” </a>which largely made the same claims that Giraldi made about the Jewish push for another war, in that case with Iraq. Buchanan was vilified and denounced as an anti-Semite by many of the same people who are now similarly attacking Giraldi.</span></div>
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<div class="m_8431914640929984268gmail-container" id="m_8431914640929984268gmail-p_1_2" style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0.7em 0.4em 0.7em 1em; padding: 0.3em; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span class="m_8431914640929984268gmail-links" style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><a class="m_8431914640929984268gmail-xlink" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?hl=en&q=http://www.unz.com/pgiraldi/americas-jews-are-driving-americas-wars/%23p_1_2&source=gmail&ust=1506434221381000&usg=AFQjCNH0gpwkCMIpbrLK_v3ubOxl4N9KCQ" href="http://www.unz.com/pgiraldi/americas-jews-are-driving-americas-wars/#p_1_2" style="border: 0px; color: #035da6; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: bold; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank" title="Anchor Link to This Paragraph"></a></span><span class="m_8431914640929984268gmail-contents" style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">I spoke recently at a conference on America’s war party where afterwards an elderly gentleman came up to me and asked, “Why doesn’t anyone ever speak honestly about the six-hundred-pound gorilla in the room? Nobody has mentioned Israel in this conference and we all know it’s American Jews with all their money and power who are supporting every war in the Middle East for Netanyahu? Shouldn’t we start calling them out and not letting them get away with it?”</span></div>
<div class="m_8431914640929984268gmail-container" id="m_8431914640929984268gmail-p_1_3" style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0.7em 0.4em 0.7em 1em; padding: 0.3em; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span class="m_8431914640929984268gmail-links" style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><a class="m_8431914640929984268gmail-xlink" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?hl=en&q=http://www.unz.com/pgiraldi/americas-jews-are-driving-americas-wars/%23p_1_3&source=gmail&ust=1506434221381000&usg=AFQjCNHx_VF5bQZ6ERdvToz5-uZ97dchHA" href="http://www.unz.com/pgiraldi/americas-jews-are-driving-americas-wars/#p_1_3" style="border: 0px; color: #035da6; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: bold; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank" title="Anchor Link to This Paragraph"></a></span><span class="m_8431914640929984268gmail-contents" style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">It was a question combined with a comment that I have heard many times before and my answer is always the same: any organization that aspires to be heard on foreign policy knows that to touch the live wire of Israel and American Jews guarantees a quick trip to obscurity. Jewish groups and deep pocket individual donors not only control the politicians, they own and run the media and entertainment industries, meaning that no one will hear about or from the offending party ever again. They are particularly sensitive on the issue of so-called “dual loyalty,” particularly as the expression itself is a bit of a sham since it is pretty clear that some of them only have real loyalty to Israel.</span></div>
<div class="m_8431914640929984268gmail-container" id="m_8431914640929984268gmail-p_1_4" style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0.7em 0.4em 0.7em 1em; padding: 0.3em; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span class="m_8431914640929984268gmail-links" style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><a class="m_8431914640929984268gmail-xlink" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?hl=en&q=http://www.unz.com/pgiraldi/americas-jews-are-driving-americas-wars/%23p_1_4&source=gmail&ust=1506434221381000&usg=AFQjCNEmGZXM13K3u5y_cnHC0ffHRBvo0w" href="http://www.unz.com/pgiraldi/americas-jews-are-driving-americas-wars/#p_1_4" style="border: 0px; color: #035da6; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: bold; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank" title="Anchor Link to This Paragraph"></a></span><span class="m_8431914640929984268gmail-contents" style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Most recently, some pundits, including myself, <a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?hl=en&q=http://www.unz.com/pgiraldi/iran-again/&source=gmail&ust=1506434221381000&usg=AFQjCNE0j0G7KsiyXGhLdQGchgOa5X6iiw" href="http://www.unz.com/pgiraldi/iran-again/" style="border: 0px; color: #035da6; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: bold; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank" title="http://www.unz.com/pgiraldi/iran-again/">have been warning</a> of an impending war with Iran. To be sure, the urging to strike Iran comes from many quarters, to include generals in the Administration who always think first in terms of settling problems through force, from a Saudi government obsessed with fear over Iranian hegemony, and, of course, from Israel itself. But what makes the war engine run is provided by American Jews who have taken upon themselves the onerous task of starting a war with a country that does not conceivably threaten the United States. They have been very successful at faking the Iranian threat, so much so that nearly all Republican and most Democratic congressmen as well as much of the media seem to be convinced that Iran needs to be dealt with firmly, most definitely by using the U.S. military, and the sooner the better.</span></div>
<div class="m_8431914640929984268gmail-container" id="m_8431914640929984268gmail-p_1_5" style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0.7em 0.4em 0.7em 1em; padding: 0.3em; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span class="m_8431914640929984268gmail-links" style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><a class="m_8431914640929984268gmail-xlink" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?hl=en&q=http://www.unz.com/pgiraldi/americas-jews-are-driving-americas-wars/%23p_1_5&source=gmail&ust=1506434221381000&usg=AFQjCNEjEFXM7l0oV8qaorRZPsobuNZxhg" href="http://www.unz.com/pgiraldi/americas-jews-are-driving-americas-wars/#p_1_5" style="border: 0px; color: #035da6; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: bold; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank" title="Anchor Link to This Paragraph"></a></span><span class="m_8431914640929984268gmail-contents" style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">And while they are doing it, the issue that nearly all the Iran haters are Jewish has somehow fallen out of sight, as if it does not matter. But it should matter. <a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?hl=en&q=https://www.newyorker.com/news/news-desk/how-iraq-war-hawks-can-help-stop-trump-from-going-to-war-with-iran&source=gmail&ust=1506434221381000&usg=AFQjCNG6XRwOGlomvcqsoS9G_WA_XyWU4A" href="https://www.newyorker.com/news/news-desk/how-iraq-war-hawks-can-help-stop-trump-from-going-to-war-with-iran" style="border: 0px; color: #035da6; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: bold; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank" title="https://www.newyorker.com/news/news-desk/how-iraq-war-hawks-can-help-stop-trump-from-going-to-war-with-iran">A recent article</a> in the <em style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">New Yorker</em> on stopping the impending war with Iran strangely suggests that the current generation “Iran hawks” might be a force of moderation regarding policy options given the lessons learned from Iraq. The article cites as hardliners on Iran David Frum, Max Boot, Bill Kristol and Bret Stephens.</span></div>
<div class="m_8431914640929984268gmail-container" id="m_8431914640929984268gmail-p_1_6" style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0.7em 0.4em 0.7em 1em; padding: 0.3em; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span class="m_8431914640929984268gmail-links" style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><a class="m_8431914640929984268gmail-xlink" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?hl=en&q=http://www.unz.com/pgiraldi/americas-jews-are-driving-americas-wars/%23p_1_6&source=gmail&ust=1506434221381000&usg=AFQjCNGFRMJXNzEhdBrIiMqwVSIWQuTLqg" href="http://www.unz.com/pgiraldi/americas-jews-are-driving-americas-wars/#p_1_6" style="border: 0px; color: #035da6; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: bold; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank" title="Anchor Link to This Paragraph"></a></span><span class="m_8431914640929984268gmail-contents" style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Daniel Larison over at <em style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">The American Conservative</em> has <a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?hl=en&q=http://www.theamericanconservative.com/larison/yes-iran-hawks-want-conflict-with-iran/&source=gmail&ust=1506434221381000&usg=AFQjCNHyEV9rvgXELW3-syicRKz39jeQ6g" href="http://www.theamericanconservative.com/larison/yes-iran-hawks-want-conflict-with-iran/" style="border: 0px; color: #035da6; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: bold; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank" title="http://www.theamericanconservative.com/larison/yes-iran-hawks-want-conflict-with-iran/">a good review</a> of the <em style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">New Yorker</em> piece entitled “Yes, Iran Hawks Want Conflict with Iran,” which identifies the four above cited hawks by name before describing them as “…a Who’s Who of consistently lousy foreign policy thinking. If they have been right about any major foreign policy issue in the last twenty years, it would be news to the entire world. Every single one of them hates the nuclear deal with Iran with a passion, and they have argued in favor of military action against Iran at one point or another. There is zero evidence that any of them would oppose attacking Iran.”</span></div>
<div class="m_8431914640929984268gmail-container" id="m_8431914640929984268gmail-p_1_7" style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0.7em 0.4em 0.7em 1em; padding: 0.3em; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span class="m_8431914640929984268gmail-links" style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><a class="m_8431914640929984268gmail-xlink" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?hl=en&q=http://www.unz.com/pgiraldi/americas-jews-are-driving-americas-wars/%23p_1_7&source=gmail&ust=1506434221381000&usg=AFQjCNFDcX04REBxUPP5WPSEMREezgT1bQ" href="http://www.unz.com/pgiraldi/americas-jews-are-driving-americas-wars/#p_1_7" style="border: 0px; color: #035da6; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: bold; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank" title="Anchor Link to This Paragraph"></a></span><span class="m_8431914640929984268gmail-contents" style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">And I would add a few more names, Mark Dubowitz, Michael Ledeen and Reuel Marc Gerecht of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies; Daniel Pipes of the Middle East Forum; John Podhoretz of <em style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Commentary</em> magazine; Elliot Abrams of the Council on Foreign Relations; Meyrav Wurmser of the Middle East Media Research Institute; Kimberly Kagan of the Institute for the Study of War; and Frederick Kagan, Danielle Pletka and David Wurmser of the American Enterprise Institute. And you can also throw into the hopper entire organizations like The American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), the Washington Institute for Near East Policy (WINEP) and the Hudson Institute. And yep, they’re all Jewish, plus most of them would self-describe as neo-conservatives. And I might add that only one of the named individuals has ever served in any branch of the American military – David Wurmser was once in the Navy reserve. These individuals largely constitute a cabal of sanctimonious chairborne warriors who prefer to do the heavy thinking while they let others do the fighting and dying.</span></div>
<div class="m_8431914640929984268gmail-container" id="m_8431914640929984268gmail-p_1_8" style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0.7em 0.4em 0.7em 1em; padding: 0.3em; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span class="m_8431914640929984268gmail-links" style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><a class="m_8431914640929984268gmail-xlink" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?hl=en&q=http://www.unz.com/pgiraldi/americas-jews-are-driving-americas-wars/%23p_1_8&source=gmail&ust=1506434221381000&usg=AFQjCNE-InChHt8Vcayi6s2kDNOIxOBBsw" href="http://www.unz.com/pgiraldi/americas-jews-are-driving-americas-wars/#p_1_8" style="border: 0px; color: #035da6; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: bold; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank" title="Anchor Link to This Paragraph"></a></span><span class="m_8431914640929984268gmail-contents" style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">So it is safe to say that much of the agitation to do something about Iran comes from Israel and from American Jews. Indeed, I would opine that most of the fury from Congress re Iran comes from the same source, with AIPAC showering our Solons on the Potomac with “fact sheets” explaining how Iran is worthy of annihilation because it has pledged to “destroy Israel,” which is both a lie and an impossibility as Tehran does not have the resources to carry out such a task. The AIPAC lies are then picked up and replayed by an obliging media, where nearly every “expert” who speaks about the Middle East on television and radio or who is interviewed for newspaper stories is Jewish.</span></div>
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<a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?hl=en&q=https://www.eventbrite.com/e/peace-and-prosperity-2017-where-were-going-and-how-well-get-there-tickets-36167049619&source=gmail&ust=1506434221381000&usg=AFQjCNGJbCtjLmNgg5aRp3DduqzSfkTh3Q" href="https://www.eventbrite.com/e/peace-and-prosperity-2017-where-were-going-and-how-well-get-there-tickets-36167049619" style="border: 0px; color: #035da6; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: bold; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank"><img class="m_8431914640929984268gmail-adv-logo m_8431914640929984268gmail-adv-wide CToWUd" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/proxy/AVvXsEi2OvzcG9Q2KThBqTyQmcYJITHiqMlAgih2MQIaU9xzFE2Lj-WCNqLHa_RYeOY5w5_WBkOLsueZMbDS34fvFVBGTJxpiKzV6Sz0VXQhL2OTaaieA5jYdP81UlIkYpbtorTJ48gkuIA1FgdAwArJzM5KtgBJp0_ep-NlV_Km2vOGSmouckGWIB_i8IJ4ZxED-1otTudd=s0-d-e1-ft" style="border: 3px solid black; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; height: auto; line-height: inherit; margin: 10px 5px 0px; padding: 5px; vertical-align: baseline; width: 400px;" /></a></div>
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<span class="m_8431914640929984268gmail-links" style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><a class="m_8431914640929984268gmail-xlink" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?hl=en&q=http://www.unz.com/pgiraldi/americas-jews-are-driving-americas-wars/%23p_1_9&source=gmail&ust=1506434221381000&usg=AFQjCNFQn60rBTfP8qbzGyDPs2dBuB97Ig" href="http://www.unz.com/pgiraldi/americas-jews-are-driving-americas-wars/#p_1_9" style="border: 0px; color: #035da6; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: bold; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank" title="Anchor Link to This Paragraph"></a></span><span class="m_8431914640929984268gmail-contents" style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">One might also add that neocons as a group were founded by Jews and are largely Jewish, hence their universal attachment to the state of Israel. They first rose into prominence when they obtained a number of national security positions during the Reagan Administration and their ascendancy was completed when they staffed senior positions in the Pentagon and White House under George W. Bush. Recall for a moment Paul Wolfowitz, Doug Feith, and Scooter Libby. Yes, all Jewish and all conduits for the false information that led to a war that has spread and effectively destroyed much of the Middle East. Except for Israel, of course. Philip Zelikow, also Jewish, in a moment of candor, <a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?hl=en&q=http://www.ipsnews.net/2004/03/iraq-war-launched-to-protect-israel-bush-adviser/&source=gmail&ust=1506434221381000&usg=AFQjCNH9iw9PFSURFbiPE-ruQqya_HR0yg" href="http://www.ipsnews.net/2004/03/iraq-war-launched-to-protect-israel-bush-adviser/" style="border: 0px; color: #035da6; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: bold; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank" title="http://www.ipsnews.net/2004/03/iraq-war-launched-to-protect-israel-bush-adviser/">admitted that</a> the Iraq War, in his opinion, was fought for Israel.</span></div>
<div class="m_8431914640929984268gmail-container" id="m_8431914640929984268gmail-p_1_10" style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0.7em 0.4em 0.7em 1em; padding: 0.3em; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span class="m_8431914640929984268gmail-links" style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><a class="m_8431914640929984268gmail-xlink" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?hl=en&q=http://www.unz.com/pgiraldi/americas-jews-are-driving-americas-wars/%23p_1_10&source=gmail&ust=1506434221381000&usg=AFQjCNGgytJZiJqF-YNYvlFap3N40Mi7aA" href="http://www.unz.com/pgiraldi/americas-jews-are-driving-americas-wars/#p_1_10" style="border: 0px; color: #035da6; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: bold; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank" title="Anchor Link to This Paragraph"></a></span><span class="m_8431914640929984268gmail-contents" style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Add to the folly a Jewish U.S. Ambassador to Israel who identifies with the most right-wing Israeli settler elements, a White House appointed chief negotiator who is Jewish and a Jewish son-in-law who is also involved in formulating Middle East policy. Is anyone providing an alternative viewpoint to eternal and uncritical support for Benjamin Netanyahu and his kleptocratic regime of racist thugs? I think not.</span></div>
<div class="m_8431914640929984268gmail-container" id="m_8431914640929984268gmail-p_1_11" style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0.7em 0.4em 0.7em 1em; padding: 0.3em; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span class="m_8431914640929984268gmail-links" style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><a class="m_8431914640929984268gmail-xlink" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?hl=en&q=http://www.unz.com/pgiraldi/americas-jews-are-driving-americas-wars/%23p_1_11&source=gmail&ust=1506434221381000&usg=AFQjCNFRkz44bQBcxhWHv-e5m30LTr-QDg" href="http://www.unz.com/pgiraldi/americas-jews-are-driving-americas-wars/#p_1_11" style="border: 0px; color: #035da6; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: bold; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank" title="Anchor Link to This Paragraph"></a></span><span class="m_8431914640929984268gmail-contents" style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">There are a couple of simple fixes for the dominant involvement of American Jews in foreign policy issues where they have a personal interest due to their ethnicity or family ties. First of all, don’t put them into national security positions involving the Middle East, where they will potentially be conflicted. Let them worry instead about North Korea, which does not have a Jewish minority and which was not involved in the holocaust. This type of solution was, in fact, somewhat of a policy regarding the U.S. Ambassador position in Israel. No Jew was appointed to avoid any conflict of interest prior to 1995, an understanding that was violated by Bill Clinton (wouldn’t you know it!) who named Martin Indyk to the post. Indyk was not even an American citizen at the time and had to be naturalized quickly prior to being approved by congress.</span></div>
<div class="m_8431914640929984268gmail-container" id="m_8431914640929984268gmail-p_1_12" style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0.7em 0.4em 0.7em 1em; padding: 0.3em; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span class="m_8431914640929984268gmail-links" style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><a class="m_8431914640929984268gmail-xlink" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?hl=en&q=http://www.unz.com/pgiraldi/americas-jews-are-driving-americas-wars/%23p_1_12&source=gmail&ust=1506434221381000&usg=AFQjCNH5rAk7uP2lfjN9dc82Npi3YCHSDg" href="http://www.unz.com/pgiraldi/americas-jews-are-driving-americas-wars/#p_1_12" style="border: 0px; color: #035da6; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: bold; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank" title="Anchor Link to This Paragraph"></a></span><span class="m_8431914640929984268gmail-contents" style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Those American Jews who are strongly attached to Israel and somehow find themselves in senior policy making positions involving the Middle East and who actually possess any integrity on the issue should recuse themselves, just as any judge would do if he were presiding over a case in which he had a personal interest. Any American should be free to exercise first amendment rights to debate possible options regarding policy, up to and including embracing positions that damage the United States and benefit a foreign nation. But if he or she is in a position to actually create those policies, he or she should butt out and leave the policy generation to those who have no personal baggage.</span></div>
<div class="m_8431914640929984268gmail-container" id="m_8431914640929984268gmail-p_1_13" style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0.7em 0.4em 0.7em 1em; padding: 0.3em; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span class="m_8431914640929984268gmail-links" style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><a class="m_8431914640929984268gmail-xlink" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?hl=en&q=http://www.unz.com/pgiraldi/americas-jews-are-driving-americas-wars/%23p_1_13&source=gmail&ust=1506434221381000&usg=AFQjCNHBveBkPsuymNaZUJYnD5ztCbQBNQ" href="http://www.unz.com/pgiraldi/americas-jews-are-driving-americas-wars/#p_1_13" style="border: 0px; color: #035da6; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: bold; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank" title="Anchor Link to This Paragraph"></a></span><span class="m_8431914640929984268gmail-contents" style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">For those American Jews who lack any shred of integrity, the media should be required to label them at the bottom of the television screen whenever they pop up, e.g. Bill Kristol is “Jewish and an outspoken supporter of the state of Israel.” That would be kind-of-like a warning label on a bottle of rat poison – translating roughly as “ingest even the tiniest little dosage of the nonsense spewed by Bill Kristol at your own peril.”</span></div>
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<span class="m_8431914640929984268gmail-links" style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><a class="m_8431914640929984268gmail-xlink" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?hl=en&q=http://www.unz.com/pgiraldi/americas-jews-are-driving-americas-wars/%23p_1_14&source=gmail&ust=1506434221381000&usg=AFQjCNErc8WYKRLacYl6Je95yfHZRTwdrw" href="http://www.unz.com/pgiraldi/americas-jews-are-driving-americas-wars/#p_1_14" style="border: 0px; color: #035da6; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: bold; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank" title="Anchor Link to This Paragraph"></a></span><span class="m_8431914640929984268gmail-contents" style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">As none of the above is likely to happen, the only alternative is for American citizens who are tired of having their country’s national security interests hijacked by a group that is in thrall to a foreign government to become more assertive about what is happening. Shine a little light into the darkness and recognize who is being diddled and by whom. Call it like it is. And if someone’s feelings are hurt, too bad. We don’t need a war with Iran because Israel wants one and some rich and powerful American Jews are happy to deliver. Seriously, we don’t need it.</span></div>
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1046 Comments to <a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?hl=en&q=http://www.unz.com/pgiraldi/americas-jews-are-driving-americas-wars/&source=gmail&ust=1506434221381000&usg=AFQjCNHLVdEvdFC_lb2ppbF0zMusRPYqxA" href="http://www.unz.com/pgiraldi/americas-jews-are-driving-americas-wars/" style="border: 0px; color: #1a374c; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank">"America's Jews Are Driving America's Wars"</a></div>
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<a class="m_8431914640929984268gmail-comment-link" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?hl=en&q=http://www.unz.com/pgiraldi/americas-jews-are-driving-americas-wars/%23comment-2012297&source=gmail&ust=1506434221382000&usg=AFQjCNH6l5JaJiqC3mvlBmK3o9GJao9vrQ" href="http://www.unz.com/pgiraldi/americas-jews-are-driving-americas-wars/#comment-2012297" rel="nofollow" style="border: 0px; color: #999999; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.3em; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank" title="Anchor Link to This Comment">September 19, 2017 at 4:14 am GMT</a></div>
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• <strong style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Replies: </strong><span class="m_8431914640929984268gmail-comment-replylink" style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?hl=en&q=http://www.unz.com/pgiraldi/americas-jews-are-driving-americas-wars/%23comment-2014022&source=gmail&ust=1506434221382000&usg=AFQjCNFStu0LPUQnCncLxdInVjCSSBxAwQ" href="http://www.unz.com/pgiraldi/americas-jews-are-driving-americas-wars/#comment-2014022" rel="nofollow" style="border: 0px; color: #1155cc; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank">@יְהוֹחָנָן</a></span>, <span class="m_8431914640929984268gmail-comment-replylink" style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?hl=en&q=http://www.unz.com/pgiraldi/americas-jews-are-driving-americas-wars/%23comment-2015516&source=gmail&ust=1506434221382000&usg=AFQjCNEBUj-xG0Fdqigk2VvBGTTdE6ZaKQ" href="http://www.unz.com/pgiraldi/americas-jews-are-driving-americas-wars/#comment-2015516" rel="nofollow" style="border: 0px; color: #1155cc; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank">@<wbr></wbr>Viktor Pilarski</a></span>, <span class="m_8431914640929984268gmail-comment-replylink" style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?hl=en&q=http://www.unz.com/pgiraldi/americas-jews-are-driving-americas-wars/%23comment-2015675&source=gmail&ust=1506434221382000&usg=AFQjCNH0AsNGkUKyBByfYm6kyDpbYCXHGw" href="http://www.unz.com/pgiraldi/americas-jews-are-driving-americas-wars/#comment-2015675" rel="nofollow" style="border: 0px; color: #1155cc; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank">@No More Neos</a></span>, <span class="m_8431914640929984268gmail-comment-replylink" style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?hl=en&q=http://www.unz.com/pgiraldi/americas-jews-are-driving-americas-wars/%23comment-2016129&source=gmail&ust=1506434221382000&usg=AFQjCNH8C_TC8m1hBb_irsgnVYQ-w0piow" href="http://www.unz.com/pgiraldi/americas-jews-are-driving-americas-wars/#comment-2016129" rel="nofollow" style="border: 0px; color: #1155cc; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank">@REALITY CHECK</a></span></div>
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<a class="m_8431914640929984268gmail-comment-link" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?hl=en&q=http://www.unz.com/pgiraldi/americas-jews-are-driving-americas-wars/%23comment-2012317&source=gmail&ust=1506434221382000&usg=AFQjCNH480ZNBZYF7kj1z9HooSMLuuAvmQ" href="http://www.unz.com/pgiraldi/americas-jews-are-driving-americas-wars/#comment-2012317" rel="nofollow" style="border: 0px; color: #999999; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.3em; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank" title="Anchor Link to This Comment">September 19, 2017 at 4:27 am GMT</a></div>
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<b style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">“Trump’s Jews and Generals!”</b></div>
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• <strong style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Replies: </strong><span class="m_8431914640929984268gmail-comment-replylink" style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?hl=en&q=http://www.unz.com/pgiraldi/americas-jews-are-driving-americas-wars/%23comment-2015469&source=gmail&ust=1506434221382000&usg=AFQjCNHuHps2e0fvZKD5of41obFfjCo6-g" href="http://www.unz.com/pgiraldi/americas-jews-are-driving-americas-wars/#comment-2015469" rel="nofollow" style="border: 0px; color: #1155cc; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank">@Advisor519</a></span>, <span class="m_8431914640929984268gmail-comment-replylink" style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?hl=en&q=http://www.unz.com/pgiraldi/americas-jews-are-driving-americas-wars/%23comment-2015745&source=gmail&ust=1506434221382000&usg=AFQjCNFE90B2JQLczvf0jCHwK0Z7o4PekA" href="http://www.unz.com/pgiraldi/americas-jews-are-driving-americas-wars/#comment-2015745" rel="nofollow" style="border: 0px; color: #1155cc; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank">@dav</a></span>, <span class="m_8431914640929984268gmail-comment-replylink" style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?hl=en&q=http://www.unz.com/pgiraldi/americas-jews-are-driving-americas-wars/%23comment-2016563&source=gmail&ust=1506434221382000&usg=AFQjCNFSAtaIrGUWLVkPQbd-D2t0LrSF5w" href="http://www.unz.com/pgiraldi/americas-jews-are-driving-americas-wars/#comment-2016563" rel="nofollow" style="border: 0px; color: #1155cc; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank"><wbr></wbr>@Aren Haich</a></span>, <span class="m_8431914640929984268gmail-comment-replylink" style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?hl=en&q=http://www.unz.com/pgiraldi/americas-jews-are-driving-americas-wars/%23comment-2016803&source=gmail&ust=1506434221382000&usg=AFQjCNEoWfkQx8j3f-P9csrIfjbUQeWAwg" href="http://www.unz.com/pgiraldi/americas-jews-are-driving-americas-wars/#comment-2016803" rel="nofollow" style="border: 0px; color: #1155cc; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank">@olde reb</a></span></div>
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<a class="m_8431914640929984268gmail-comment-link" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?hl=en&q=http://www.unz.com/pgiraldi/americas-jews-are-driving-americas-wars/%23comment-2012329&source=gmail&ust=1506434221382000&usg=AFQjCNH_wDIbfdzgBOykSzW3DRTBVokM5g" href="http://www.unz.com/pgiraldi/americas-jews-are-driving-americas-wars/#comment-2012329" rel="nofollow" style="border: 0px; color: #999999; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.3em; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank" title="Anchor Link to This Comment">September 19, 2017 at 4:41 am GMT</a></div>
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Wow, Phil, you hit another one right out of the ball park!</div>
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• <strong style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Agree: </strong><a class="m_8431914640929984268gmail-commenter-link" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?hl=en&q=http://www.unz.com/comments/all/?commenterfilter%3DCloak%2BAnd%2BDagger&source=gmail&ust=1506434221382000&usg=AFQjCNEYuMEz9j9jJLE0tNNrPCoS7pi23w" href="http://www.unz.com/comments/all/?commenterfilter=Cloak+And+Dagger" rel="nofollow" style="border: 0px; color: #1155cc; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank" title="See Commenting History - Over 100 Comments Since 2015">Cloak And Dagger</a></div>
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Trump will exterminate the Iranians.</div>
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Well said Mr Giraldi! Unfortunately the Jewish Mafia in this country won’t allow truth to be said and will do anything to keep us in the dark!</div>
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<a class="m_8431914640929984268gmail-comment-link" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?hl=en&q=http://www.unz.com/pgiraldi/americas-jews-are-driving-americas-wars/%23comment-2012373&source=gmail&ust=1506434221383000&usg=AFQjCNFN2TKZj9zNUdVLxb-Sgb6lX5XHrQ" href="http://www.unz.com/pgiraldi/americas-jews-are-driving-americas-wars/#comment-2012373" rel="nofollow" style="border: 0px; color: #999999; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.3em; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank" title="Anchor Link to This Comment">September 19, 2017 at 5:54 am GMT</a> • 100 Words</div>
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Amen brother! And I would like to throw some gasoline on your Neocon fire. President Trump has never worked with military generals before and he is extremely naive to their absolute Machiavellian manipulation of him. Most generals today are expert political backstabbers who advanced during the tragic Neocon and PC era of the past 30 years. Who can forget the disgusting General Casey when he said, “And what happened at Fort Hood was a tragedy, but I believe it would be an even greater tragedy if our diversity becomes a casualty here.” The generals that Trump hired for his administration are now running circles around him, particularly McMaster. They want war to keep the Neocons happy and that is what this crop of generals has been trained to do.</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05247739204754590667noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3441003027486211979.post-83667100726171752102017-09-24T06:45:00.001-07:002017-09-24T06:45:53.493-07:00Europe: The Great White Death?<a href="https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/11044/europe-white-death#.Wce3DLnWY68.blogger">Europe: The Great White Death?</a>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05247739204754590667noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3441003027486211979.post-89422405048309420932017-09-22T08:17:00.001-07:002017-09-22T08:17:28.976-07:00The Theft of the Raj: The British Empire in India<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="270" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/anliNlvCc5g" width="480"></iframe>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05247739204754590667noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3441003027486211979.post-63078704687508175522017-09-19T08:21:00.001-07:002017-09-19T08:21:26.248-07:00Aung San Suu Kyi made her first public speech on the violence in Rakhine.<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="270" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Qmp0FlONC88" width="480"></iframe>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05247739204754590667noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3441003027486211979.post-70862670767839816162017-09-12T07:31:00.001-07:002017-09-12T07:31:30.900-07:00Jinnah, Rohingyas and Pakistan, Current Affairs, Yasser Latif Hamdani, New Age Islam<br /><br />
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Four More Years of Pro-EU, Open-Door Migration Policies<o:p></o:p></h1><h1 style="margin-bottom: 3.75pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 16.8pt;"><o:p> </o:p></h1><h1 style="margin-bottom: 3.75pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 16.8pt;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">by <a href="https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/author/Soeren+Kern"><span style="color: #da5724;"><span itemprop="author">Soeren Kern</span></span></a><o:p></o:p></span></h1><h1 style="margin-bottom: 3.75pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 16.8pt;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"> </span></h1><h1 style="margin-bottom: 3.75pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 16.8pt;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">September 8,<br />
2017 at 5:00 am</span><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></h1><div class="nocontent" style="margin-bottom: 7.5pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><br /></div><div class="nocontent" style="margin-bottom: 7.5pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><b><a href="https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/10942/germany-election-merkel-schulz"><span style="color: #da5724;">https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/10942/germany-election-merkel-schulz</span></a></b><o:p></o:p></div><table border="1" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="MsoNormalTable" id="links" style="border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1pt; border-image: initial; border-left: none; border-right: none; border-top: none;"> <tbody>
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</tbody></table>..<div><br /><div style="background: white; border-bottom: dotted #DA0026 1.5pt; border: none; margin-left: .25in; margin-right: 0in; mso-element: para-border-div; padding: 0in 0in 0in 0in;"><br />
<div style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: none; margin-left: 0.25in; padding: 0in; text-indent: -0.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 10pt;">§<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14pt;">The policy positions of Merkel and Schulz on key issues<br />
are virtually identical: Both candidates are committed to strengthening the<br />
European Union, maintaining open-door immigration policies, pursuing<br />
multiculturalism and quashing dissent from the so-called far right.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: none; margin-left: 0.25in; padding: 0in; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14pt;"><br /></span></div><div style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: none; margin-left: 0.25in; padding: 0in; text-indent: -0.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 10pt;">§<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14pt;">Merkel and Schulz both agree that there should be no<br />
upper limit on the number of migrants entering Germany.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: none; margin-left: 0.25in; padding: 0in; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14pt;"><br /></span></div><div style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: none; margin-left: 0.25in; padding: 0in; text-indent: -0.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 10pt;">§<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14pt;">Merkel's grand coalition backed a law that would<br />
penalize social media giants, including Facebook, Google and Twitter, with<br />
fines of €50 million ($60 million) if they fail to remove offending content<br />
from their platforms within 24 hours. Observers say the law is aimed at<br />
silencing critics of Merkel's open-door migration policy.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: none; margin-left: 0.25in; padding: 0in; text-indent: -0.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 10pt;">§<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"> </span></div></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;">German Chancellor Angela Merkel, leader of the Christian<br />
Democratic Union (CDU), is on track win a fourth term in office after polls<br />
confirmed she won the first and only televised debate with her main election<br />
opponent, Martin Schulz, leader of the Social Democratic Union Party (SDP).<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;"><br /></span></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;">A survey for the public broadcaster ARD <a href="https://www.tagesschau.de/inland/btw17/tvduell-merkel-schulz-107.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #da5724;">showed</span></a> that 55% of<br />
viewers thought Merkel was the "more convincing" candidate during the<br />
debate, which took place on September 3; only 35% said Schulz came out ahead.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;"><br /></span></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;">Many observers agreed that Schulz failed to leverage the debate to<br />
revive his flagging campaign, while others noted that Schulz's positions on<br />
many issues are virtually indistinguishable from those held by Merkel.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;"><br /></span></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;">Rainald Becker, an ARD commentator, <a href="https://www.ft.com/content/cf9f2566-90cc-11e7-a9e6-11d2f0ebb7f0" target="_blank"><span style="color: #da5724;">described</span></a> the<br />
debate as, "More a duet than a duel."<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;"><br /></span></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;">"Merkel came out as sure, Schulz was hardly able to land a punch," <a href="http://www.sueddeutsche.de/politik/tv-duell-versemmelt-1.3651987" target="_blank"><span style="color: #da5724;">wrote</span></a> Heribert<br />
Prantl, a commentator at <i>Süddeutsche Zeitung</i>. "The candidate<br />
is an honorable man. But being honorable alone will not make him<br />
chancellor."<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;"><br /></span></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;">Christian Lindner, leader of the classical liberal Free<br />
Democrats, <a href="https://www.ft.com/content/d27866a0-9147-11e7-bdfa-eda243196c2c" target="_blank"><span style="color: #da5724;">compared</span></a> the debate<br />
to "scenes from a long marriage, where there is the occasional quarrel,<br />
but both sides know that they have to stick together in the future, too."<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;">Television presenter Günther Jauch, writing in <i>Bild</i>, <a href="https://www.ft.com/content/d27866a0-9147-11e7-bdfa-eda243196c2c" target="_blank"><span style="color: #da5724;">said</span></a> he had hoped<br />
to "at least understand what differentiates Merkel and Schulz in political<br />
terms. Instead, it was just a conversation between two political professionals<br />
who you suspect could both work pretty seamlessly in the same government."<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;"><br /></span></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;">Radio and television host Thomas Gottschalk <a href="https://www.ft.com/content/d27866a0-9147-11e7-bdfa-eda243196c2c" target="_blank"><span style="color: #da5724;">said</span></a> that the two<br />
candidates agreed with each other too often: "They were both always<br />
nodding their heads when the other was speaking."<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;"><br /></span></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;">Germany's general election is scheduled for September 24. If<br />
voters went to the polls now, Merkel's CDU, together with its Bavarian sister<br />
party, the Christian Social Union (CSU), would win 39%, <a href="https://www.merkur.de/politik/aktuelle-umfrage-zur-bundestagswahl-schwarz-gelb-moeglich-merkel-baut-vorsprung-aus-zr-7400305.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #da5724;">according</span></a> to a<br />
September 4 Politbarometer survey conducted for the public broadcaster ZDF.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;"><br /></span></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;">Coming in second, Schulz's SDP would win 22%; the classical<br />
liberal Free Democrats (FDP) 10%; the far-left Linke 9%; the Greens 8% and the<br />
anti-immigration Alternative for Germany (AfD) 8%.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;"><br /></span></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;">The poll also found that 57% of respondents said they preferred<br />
that Merkel serve another term; only 28% favored Schulz to become the next<br />
chancellor. Nevertheless, half of Germany's 60 million voters are said to be<br />
undecided, and some pollsters <a href="http://www.dw.com/en/germanys-election-will-non-voters-be-the-biggest-group-and-decide-the-outcome/a-40275583" target="_blank"><span style="color: #da5724;">believe</span></a> that the<br />
country's huge non-voting population may determine the outcome.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;"><br /></span></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;">As Merkel's CDU/CSU is unlikely to emerge from the election with<br />
an absolute majority, the 2017 vote effectively revolves around the issue of<br />
coalition-building. If current polling holds, Merkel, who has vowed to serve a<br />
full four years if re-elected, will have two main options.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;"><br /></span></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;">Merkel could form another so-called grand coalition, an alliance<br />
of Germany's two biggest parties, namely the CDU/CSU and the SPD. Merkel<br />
currently governs with a grand coalition and has done so during two of her<br />
three terms in office.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;"><br /></span></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;">Both the Christian Democrats and Social Democrats have said they<br />
hope to end the grand coalition and lead the government with smaller partners<br />
after the September election. After the debate, however, many observers believe<br />
a grand coalition between Merkel and Schulz is more probable than not.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;"><br /></span></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;">Merkel's second option would be to form a three-way coalition with<br />
the Greens and the FDP, which served as junior coalition partner to the CDU/CSU<br />
for almost half of Germany's post-war history. Merkel has already ruled out<br />
forming a coalition with either the Linke or the AfD.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;"><br /></span></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;">In any event, the policy positions of Merkel and Schulz on key<br />
issues are virtually identical: Both candidates are committed to strengthening<br />
the European Union, maintaining open-door immigration policies, pursuing<br />
multiculturalism and quashing dissent from the so-called far right.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;"><br /></span></div><div align="center"><br />
<table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="MsoNormalTable" style="max-width: 600px; mso-cellspacing: 0in; mso-padding-alt: 0in 0in 0in 0in; mso-yfti-tbllook: 1184;"> <tbody>
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<div class="MsoNormal"><img src="https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/pics/2757.jpg" /></div><div style="margin-bottom: 3.0pt; margin-left: 4.5pt; margin-right: 4.5pt; margin-top: 3.0pt;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">German Chancellor Angela Merkel (right)<br />
and her main election opponent, Martin Schulz (left), whose policy positions<br />
on key issues are virtually identical. (Image source: European<br />
Parliament/Flickr)<o:p></o:p></span></div></td>
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</tbody></table></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;"><br /></span></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;"><br /></span></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;">Merkel and Schulz are ardent Europhiles and both are committed to<br />
more European federalism. During an August 12 campaign speech in Dortmund, for<br />
example, Merkel <a href="http://www.br.de/bundestagswahl/merkel-auftakt-bundestagswahlkampf-100.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #da5724;">described</span></a> the<br />
European Union as the "greatest peace project" in history and vowed<br />
that she would never turn her back on this "wonderful project."<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;"><br /></span></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;">Previously, Merkel <a href="https://www.euractiv.com/section/eu-priorities-2020/news/merkel-calls-for-political-union-to-save-the-euro/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #da5724;">said</span></a>:<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;"><br /></span></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;">"We need more Europe, we need not only a monetary union, but<br />
we also need a so-called fiscal union, in other words more joint budget policy.<br />
And we need most of all a political union — that means we need to gradually<br />
give competencies to Europe and give Europe control."<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;"><br /></span></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;">Merkel has also <a href="https://www.euractiv.com/section/future-eu/news/merkel-backs-macrons-call-for-multi-speed-eu-small-eurozone-budget/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #da5724;">endorsed</span></a> the idea<br />
of a European Monetary Fund to deal with sovereign defaults by eurozone<br />
countries:<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;"><br /></span></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;">"It could make us even more stable and allow us to show the<br />
world that we have all the mechanisms in our own portfolio of the euro zone to<br />
be able to react well to unexpected situations."<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;"><br /></span></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;">Schulz has <a href="http://www.spiegel.de/international/europe/eu-parliament-president-trump-a-problem-for-the-whole-world-a-1112505.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #da5724;">argued</span></a> that the EU<br />
must be preserved at any cost:<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;"><br /></span></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;">"We are at a historical juncture: A growing number of people<br />
are declaring what has been achieved over the past decades in Europe to be<br />
wrong. They want to return to the nation-state. Sometimes there is even a blood<br />
and soil rhetoric that for me is starkly reminiscent of the interwar years of<br />
the past century, whose demons we are still all too familiar with. We brought<br />
these demons under control through European structures, but if we destroy those<br />
structures, the demons will return. We cannot allow this to happen."<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;"><br /></span></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;">Schulz has <a href="http://www.spiegel.de/international/europe/interview-with-eu-parliament-president-martin-schulz-on-euro-crisis-a-853657.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #da5724;">opposed</span></a> the idea of<br />
holding national referendums on leaving the EU:<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;"><br /></span></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;">"Referendums have always posed a threat when it comes to EU<br />
policy, because EU policy is complicated. They are an opportunity for those<br />
from all political camps who like to oversimplify things."<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;"><br /></span></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;">Schulz has also <a href="http://www.politico.eu/article/martin-schulz-hits-back-at-uk-over-eu-army-theresa-may-brexit/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #da5724;">voiced optimism</span></a> that<br />
the British decision to leave the European Union would facilitate the creation<br />
of a European Army:<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;"><br /></span></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;">"In the fields of security and defense policy, although the<br />
EU loses a key member state, paradoxically such a separation could give the<br />
necessary impulse for a closer integration of the remaining member<br />
states."<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;"><br /></span></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;">During the September 3 debate, Schulz <a href="https://www.ft.com/content/cf9f2566-90cc-11e7-a9e6-11d2f0ebb7f0" target="_blank"><span style="color: #da5724;">declared</span></a> that he<br />
would end Turkey's accession talks to join the European Union because of<br />
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's authoritarianism. Merkel initially<br />
said she opposed such a move but then suddenly changed her mind. Unexpectedly,<br />
Merkel said: "The fact is clear that Turkey should not become an EU<br />
member."<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;"><br /></span></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;">On the issue of migration, Schulz and Merkel differ on procedure,<br />
not principle. During the debate, for example, Schulz accused Merkel of failing<br />
to involve the European Union in her 2015 decision to open German borders to<br />
more than a million migrants from Africa, Asia and the Middle East. Merkel said<br />
that although some mistakes had been made, she would take the same decision<br />
again.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;"><br /></span></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;">In fact, Merkel and Schulz both agree that there should be no<br />
upper limit on the number of migrants entering Germany: "On the issue of<br />
an upper limit, my position is clear," Merkel <a href="http://www.berliner-zeitung.de/politik/ard-sommerinterview-kanzlerin-merkel-will-fluechtlings-obergrenze-nicht-akzeptieren-27980578" target="_blank"><span style="color: #da5724;">told</span></a>ARD television.<br />
"I won't accept one."<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;"><br /></span></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;">Schulz has <a href="https://www.welt.de/politik/deutschland/article161506288/Das-sagt-Schulz-ueber-Steuern-Fluechtlinge-und-Rot-Rot-Gruen.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #da5724;">said</span></a>:<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;">"A numerical cap is not a response to the refugee issue, even<br />
if it is agreed upon in a European context. What do we do with the first<br />
refugee who comes to the European frontier and has no quota available? Do we<br />
send him back to perhaps a sure death? As long as this question is not<br />
resolved, such a discussion makes no sense."<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;"><br /></span></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;">Schulz <a href="https://www.welt.de/politik/deutschland/article161506288/Das-sagt-Schulz-ueber-Steuern-Fluechtlinge-und-Rot-Rot-Gruen.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #da5724;">believes</span></a> the<br />
European Union should have a greater role in migration policymaking:<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;"><br /></span></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;">"What we need is a European right of immigration and asylum.<br />
The refugee crisis shows us clearly that we cannot give a national response to<br />
a global phenomenon such as the refugee movements. This is only possible in a<br />
European context."<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;"><br /></span></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;">Merkel has <a href="https://dailynewshungary.com/foreign-minister-merkel-remarks-hungary-upheld-schengen-rules-2015/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #da5724;">criticized</span></a> Hungary<br />
for failing to show "solidarity" in aiding refugees. She has also<br />
vowed to <a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-poland-eu-ruleoflaw-analysis/eu-heads-toward-tougher-action-on-poland-after-merkel-joins-fray-idUSKCN1BF15D" target="_blank"><span style="color: #da5724;">punish</span></a> Poland for<br />
its refusal to take in more migrants from the Muslim world:<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;"><br /></span></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;">"As much as I wish for good relations with Poland — they are<br />
our neighbor and I will always strive for this given the importance of our ties<br />
— we can't simply keep our mouth shut in order to keep the peace. This goes to<br />
the very foundations of our cooperation within the European Union."<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;"><br /></span></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;">Schulz <a href="http://www.politico.eu/article/hungary-martin-schulz-to-victor-orban-no-refugees-means-no-subsidies/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #da5724;">vowed</span></a> that, if<br />
elected chancellor, he would push for the EU to cut subsidies to countries that<br />
do not take in refugees: "With me as chancellor, we won't accept that<br />
solidarity as a principle is questioned."<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;"><br /></span></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;">Meanwhile, Merkel's grand coalition <a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-germany-hatecrime/german-parliament-backs-plan-to-fine-social-media-over-hate-speech-idUSKBN19L0WZ" target="_blank"><span style="color: #da5724;">backed</span></a> a law that<br />
would penalize social media giants, including Facebook, Google and Twitter,<br />
with fines of €50 million ($60 million) if they fail to remove offending<br />
content from their platforms within 24 hours. Observers say the law is aimed at<br />
silencing critics of Merkel's open-door migration policy.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;"><br /></span></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;">Like Merkel, Schulz has reserved his worst vitriol for the<br />
anti-immigration AfD, whose leaders he has <a href="https://www.welt.de/politik/deutschland/article161628427/Rattenfaenger-versuchen-aus-Fluechtlingen-Kapital-zu-schlagen.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #da5724;">described</span></a> as<br />
"rat catchers" (<i>Rattenfänger</i>) who are "trying to profit<br />
from the plight of refugees." He has also called them "shameful and<br />
repulsive."<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;"><br /></span></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;">In an August 22 interview with <i>Bild</i>, Merkel <a href="https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/angela-merkel-the-longer-i-stay-in-power-the-better-i-get-at-ruling-b3vbbj87d" target="_blank"><span style="color: #da5724;">answered</span></a> critics of<br />
her desire to continue in power by <a href="http://www.bild.de/politik/inland/angela-merkel/warum-sind-unsere-schulen-so-marode-52943422.bild.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #da5724;">saying</span></a> that the<br />
longer she rules, the better she gets: "I've decided to run for another<br />
four years and believe that the mix of experience and curiosity and joy that I<br />
have could make the next four years good ones."<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;"><br /></span></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;"><br /></span></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;"><a href="http://www.soerenkern.com/" target="_blank"><i><span style="color: #da5724;">Soeren Kern</span></i></a><i> is a Senior Fellow at<br />
the New York-based</i> <a href="http://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/" target="_blank"><i><span style="color: #da5724;">Gatestone Institute</span></i></a><i>.</i><o:p></o:p></span></div><ul type="square"><li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><i><span style="background: white; font-family: "Helvetica","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt;">Follow Soeren Kern on <a href="https://twitter.com/SoerenKern"><span style="color: #da5724;">Twitter</span></a> and <a href="https://www.facebook.com/Soeren.Kern"><span style="color: #da5724;">Facebook</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></i></li>
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<div align="center" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: none; padding: 0in; text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;">© 2017 Gatestone Institute. All rights reserved.</span></i><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;"> The<br />
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<div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05247739204754590667noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3441003027486211979.post-12216939348357183942017-09-07T08:08:00.001-07:002017-09-07T08:08:33.049-07:00European Court Orders EU Countries to Take Migrants<a href="https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/10956/european-court-migrants#.WbFgLyVcTnU.blogger">European Court Orders EU Countries to Take Migrants</a><br /><br />
<br /><br />
<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 20.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><a href="https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/10956/european-court-migrants">https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/10956/european-court-migrants</a><o:p></o:p></span></div><h1 style="background: white; margin-bottom: 3.75pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 16.8pt;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 20pt;"><br /></span></h1><h1 style="background: white; margin-bottom: 3.75pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 16.8pt;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 20pt;">European Court Orders EU<br />
Countries to Take Migrants<o:p></o:p></span></h1><h2 style="background: white; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 20pt;"><br /></span></h2><h2 style="background: white; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 20pt;">"Politics has raped<br />
European law and values."<o:p></o:p></span></h2><div class="sans-serif" style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 7.5pt;"><b><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 20pt;">by <a href="https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/author/Soeren+Kern"><span style="color: #da5724;"><span itemprop="author">Soeren Kern</span></span></a><br /><br />
<time class="nocontent" datetime="2017-09-07T05:00:00" itemprop="datePublished">September<br />
7, 2017 at 5:00 am</time></span></b><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 20pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="sans-serif" style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 7.5pt;"><b><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 20pt;"><time class="nocontent" datetime="2017-09-07T05:00:00" itemprop="datePublished"><br /></time></span></b></div><div class="nocontent" style="background: white; margin-bottom: 7.5pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><b><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 20pt;"><a href="https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/10956/european-court-migrants"><span style="color: #da5724;">https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/10956/european-court-migrants</span></a></span></b><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 20pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><table border="1" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="MsoNormalTable" id="links" style="background: white; border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1pt; border-image: initial; border-left: none; border-right: none; border-top: none;"> <tbody>
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</tbody></table><div style="background: white; border-bottom: dotted #DA0026 1.5pt; border: none; margin-left: .25in; margin-right: 0in; mso-element: para-border-div; padding: 0in 0in 0in 0in;"><br />
<div style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: none; margin-left: 0.25in; padding: 0in; text-indent: -0.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 10pt;">§<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 20pt;">The September 6 ruling, which has been hailed as a<br />
victory for European federalism, highlights the degree to which the European<br />
Union has usurped decision-making powers from its 28 member states. The ruling<br />
also showcases how the EU's organs of jurisprudence have become politicized.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: none; margin-left: 0.25in; padding: 0in; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 20pt;"><br /></span></div><div style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: none; margin-left: 0.25in; padding: 0in; text-indent: -0.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 10pt;">§<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 20pt;">Many so-called asylum seekers have refused to relocate<br />
to Central and Eastern Europe because the financial benefits there are not as<br />
generous as in France, Germany or Scandinavia.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: none; margin-left: 0.25in; padding: 0in; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 20pt;"><br /></span></div><div style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: none; margin-left: 0.25in; padding: 0in; text-indent: -0.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 10pt;">§<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 20pt;">"Let us not forget that those arriving have been<br />
raised in another religion, and represent a radically different culture. Most<br />
of them are not Christians, but Muslims. This is an important question, because<br />
Europe and European identity is rooted in Christianity. Is it not worrying in<br />
itself that European Christianity is now barely able to keep Europe Christian?<br />
If we lose sight of this, the idea of Europe could become a minority interest<br />
in its own continent." — Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: none; margin-left: 0.25in; padding: 0in; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 20pt;"><br /></span></div></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 20pt;"><br /></span></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 20pt;">The European Union's highest court has rejected a complaint by<br />
Hungary and Slovakia over the legality of the bloc's mandatory refugee quota<br />
program, which requires EU member states to admit tens of thousands of migrants<br />
from Africa, Asia and the Middle East.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 20pt;">The European Court of Justice (ECJ) <a href="https://curia.europa.eu/jcms/jcms/p1_452412/en/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #da5724;">ruled</span></a> that the European Commission, the<br />
powerful executive arm of the European Union, has the legal right to order EU<br />
member states to take in so-called asylum seekers, and, conversely, that EU<br />
member states have no legal right to resist those orders.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 20pt;"><br /></span></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 20pt;">The September 6 ruling, which has been hailed as a victory for<br />
European federalism, highlights the degree to which the European Union has<br />
usurped decision-making powers from its 28 member states. The ruling also<br />
showcases how the European Union's organs of jurisprudence have become<br />
politicized.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 20pt;"><br /></span></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 20pt;">Opponents of the relocation scheme say that decisions about the<br />
granting of residence permits should be kept at the national level, and that by<br />
unilaterally imposing migrant quotas on EU member states, unelected bureaucrats<br />
in Brussels are seeking to force the democratically elected leaders of Europe<br />
to submit to their diktat.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 20pt;"><br /></span></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 20pt;">The dispute dates back to September 2015, when, at the height of<br />
Europe's migration crisis, EU member states narrowly <a href="http://data.consilium.europa.eu/doc/document/ST-12098-2015-INIT/en/pdf" target="_blank"><span style="color: #da5724;">voted</span></a> to relocate<br />
120,000 "refugees" from Italy and Greece to other parts of the bloc.<br />
This number was in addition to a July 2015 plan to <a href="http://data.consilium.europa.eu/doc/document/ST-11131-2015-INIT/en/pdf" target="_blank"><span style="color: #da5724;">redistribute</span></a> 40,000<br />
migrants from Italy and Greece.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 20pt;"><br /></span></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 20pt;">Of the 160,000 migrants to be "shared," nine countries<br />
in Central and Eastern Europe were ordered to take in around 15,000 migrants.<br />
Although the Czech Republic, Hungary, Romania and Slovakia voted against the<br />
agreement, they were still required to comply.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 20pt;"><br /></span></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 20pt;">Since then, several states have refused to accept their assigned<br />
quotas of migrants. Poland, for example, has a quota of 6,182 migrants, not one<br />
of whom has been admitted. The Czech Republic has a quota of 2,691 migrants, of<br />
whom only 12 have been taken. Hungary has a quota of 1,294, none of whom has<br />
been admitted.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 20pt;"><br /></span></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 20pt;">In the EU as a whole, so far only around 25,000 migrants have been<br />
relocated (7,873 from Italy and 16,803 from Greece), <a href="https://ec.europa.eu/home-affairs/sites/homeaffairs/files/what-we-do/policies/european-agenda-migration/20170726_fourteenth_report_on_relocation_and_resettlement_en.pdf" target="_blank"><span style="color: #da5724;">according</span></a> to the<br />
EU's latest relocation and resettlement report, published on July 26, 2017. Of<br />
the 28 EU member states, only Latvia and Malta have taken in their full quotas<br />
— a combined total of 469 migrants.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 20pt;"><br /></span></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 20pt;">Many so-called asylum seekers have <a href="https://www.ft.com/content/826f1bf2-1b75-11e6-b286-cddde55ca122" target="_blank"><span style="color: #da5724;">refused</span></a> to relocate<br />
to Central and Eastern Europe because the financial benefits there are not as<br />
generous as in France, Germany or Scandinavia. Hundreds of migrants who have<br />
been relocated to Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, which rank among the poorest<br />
countries in the EU, have since <a href="http://www.reuters.com/article/us-europe-migrants-baltics-idUSKBN13N0RY" target="_blank"><span style="color: #da5724;">fled</span></a> to Germany and<br />
other wealthier countries in the bloc.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 20pt;"><br /></span></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 20pt;">Hungary and Slovakia, backed by Poland, argued that the European<br />
Union broke its own rules and exceeded its powers when it approved the quota<br />
system with a "<a href="http://eur-lex.europa.eu/summary/glossary/qualified_majority.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #da5724;">qualified majority</span></a>"<br />
— around two thirds of the bloc's members. They also argued that the relocation<br />
scheme is a direct violation of the European Union's <a href="http://www.ecre.org/topics/areas-of-work/protection-in-europe/10-dublin-regulation.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #da5724;">Dublin Regulation</span></a>, a law<br />
that requires people seeking refuge within the EU to do so in the first<br />
European country they reach.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 20pt;"><br /></span></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 20pt;">The European Court of Justice ruled that a qualified majority vote<br />
was sufficient because the EU "was not required to act unanimously when it<br />
adopted the contested decision." The ruling, which did not mention the<br />
Dublin Regulation, concluded: "The mechanism actually contributes to<br />
enabling Greece and Italy to deal with the impact of the 2015 migration crisis<br />
and is proportionate."<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 20pt;"><br /></span></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 20pt;">Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto <a href="http://www.dw.com/en/refugee-crisis-european-court-of-justice-rejects-quota-challenge/a-40375192" target="_blank"><span style="color: #da5724;">called</span></a> the court<br />
ruling "outrageous and irresponsible" and "contrary to the<br />
interests of the European nations, including Hungary." He added: "The<br />
decision puts at risk the security of all of Europe and the future of all of<br />
Europe as well."<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 20pt;"><br /></span></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 20pt;">Szijjarto <a href="http://www.dw.com/en/refugee-crisis-european-court-of-justice-rejects-quota-challenge/a-40375192" target="_blank"><span style="color: #da5724;">vowed</span></a> that Hungary<br />
would continue to challenge any attempts by the EU resettle migrants in Hungary<br />
without its approval. "The real battle is only just beginning," he<br />
said, adding that the decision was political: "Politics has raped European<br />
law and values."<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 20pt;">Slovakian Prime Minister Robert Fico <a href="http://www.dw.com/en/refugee-crisis-european-court-of-justice-rejects-quota-challenge/a-40375192" target="_blank"><span style="color: #da5724;">said</span></a> that while he<br />
"respected" the court's decision, his government's opposition to the<br />
relocation plan "has not changed at all." He added: "We will<br />
continue to work on having solidarity expressed in different ways other than<br />
forcing on us migrants from other countries that do not want to be here<br />
anyway."<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 20pt;"><br /></span></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 20pt;">Polish Prime Minister Beata Szydło also was <a href="https://euobserver.com/migration/138913" target="_blank"><span style="color: #da5724;">defiant</span></a>: "I was convinced that the court<br />
would make such a decision, but this absolutely does not change the stance of<br />
the Polish government with respect to migration policy."<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 20pt;"><br /></span></div><div align="center"><br />
<table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="MsoNormalTable" style="max-width: 600px; mso-cellspacing: 0in; mso-padding-alt: 0in 0in 0in 0in; mso-yfti-tbllook: 1184;"> <tbody>
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<td style="border: solid black 1.0pt; max-width: 600px; mso-border-alt: solid black .75pt; padding: 0in 0in 0in 0in;" valign="top"><br />
<div class="MsoNormal"><img src="https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/pics/2755.jpg" /></div><div style="margin-bottom: 3.0pt; margin-left: 4.5pt; margin-right: 4.5pt; margin-top: 3.0pt;"><span style="font-size: 20.0pt;">After the ruling of the European Court<br />
of Justice that the EU has the legal right to order member states to take in<br />
so-called asylum seekers, and that member states have no right to resist<br />
those orders, Polish PM Beata Szydło was defiant, saying, "this<br />
absolutely does not change the stance of the Polish government with respect<br />
to migration policy." (ECJ photo by Transparency International/Flickr;<br />
Szydło photo by Polish PM Chancellery)<o:p></o:p></span></div></td>
</tr>
</tbody></table></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 20pt;"><br /></span></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 20pt;">German Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel <a href="http://www.dw.com/en/refugee-crisis-european-court-of-justice-rejects-quota-challenge/a-40375192" target="_blank"><span style="color: #da5724;">said</span></a> that the<br />
ruling means Eastern European member states must abide by the refugee sharing<br />
scheme: "I always said to our Eastern European partners that it is right<br />
to clarify questions legally if there is doubt. But now we can expect all<br />
European partners to stick to the ruling and implement the agreements without<br />
delay."<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 20pt;">EU Migration Commissioner Dimitris Avramopoulos <a href="https://twitter.com/Avramopoulos/status/905341013656576000" target="_blank"><span style="color: #da5724;">welcomed</span></a> the ECJ<br />
ruling: "ECJ confirms relocation scheme valid. Time to work in unity and<br />
implement solidarity in full." He warned holdouts of legal action if they<br />
do not comply with the refugee obligations "in coming weeks."<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 20pt;">The European Commission has already <a href="https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/10610/migrant-crisis-central-europe" target="_blank"><span style="color: #da5724;">initiated</span></a> legal<br />
action against the Czech Republic, Hungary and Poland for failing to take in<br />
their quotas of migrants. The so-called <a href="https://euagenda.eu/events/2017/06/08/a-practical-guide-to-the-eu-infringement-procedure" target="_blank"><span style="color: #da5724;">infringement procedure</span></a>,<br />
which authorizes the Commission to sue member states that are considered to be<br />
in breach of their obligations under EU law, could lead to massive financial<br />
penalties.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 20pt;">The ECJ ruling and the continued threats from Brussels are likely<br />
to help Hungarian Prime Minister Victor Orbán in his campaign for re-election<br />
in 2018. In a recent opinion survey, Orbán's Fidesz party <a href="http://hungarianspectrum.org/2017/07/04/a-quick-look-at-three-recent-events-in-hungary/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #da5724;">polled</span></a> at 53%,<br />
followed by the nationalist Jobbik party, at 21%. He has <a href="http://abouthungary.hu/blog/pm-orban-hungary-hasnt-been-this-strong-since-trianon/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #da5724;">said</span></a> that his<br />
campaign platform would focus on boosting the economy, improving security and<br />
preserving national identity.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 20pt;">Orbán, who has emerged as the standard-bearer of European<br />
opposition to German Chancellor Angela Merkel's "open-door" migration<br />
policy, has repeatedly <a href="http://www.kormany.hu/en/the-prime-minister/the-prime-minister-s-speeches/those-who-are-overwhelmed-cannot-offer-shelter-to-anyone" target="_blank"><span style="color: #da5724;">warned</span></a> that Muslim<br />
migrants are threatening Europe's Christian identity:<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 20pt;">"Let us not forget that those arriving have been raised in<br />
another religion, and represent a radically different culture. Most of them are<br />
not Christians, but Muslims. This is an important question, because Europe and<br />
European identity is rooted in Christianity. Is it not worrying in itself that European<br />
Christianity is now barely able to keep Europe Christian? If we lose sight of<br />
this, the idea of Europe could become a minority interest in its own<br />
continent."<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 20pt;">At a September 3 campaign rally in the town of Kötcse, Orbán <a href="http://abouthungary.hu/blog/pm-orban-hungary-hasnt-been-this-strong-since-trianon/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #da5724;">cited</span></a> expert<br />
predictions that more than 60 million people are expected to make their way<br />
from Africa into Europe during the next 20 years — thereby pushing Europe's<br />
Muslim population to above 20% by 2030. "The Islamization of Europe is<br />
real," Orbán warned.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 20pt;"><a href="http://www.soerenkern.com/" target="_blank"><i><span style="color: #da5724;">Soeren Kern</span></i></a><i> is a Senior Fellow at<br />
the New York-based</i> <a href="http://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/" target="_blank"><i><span style="color: #da5724;">Gatestone Institute</span></i></a><i>.</i><o:p></o:p></span></div><ul type="square"><li class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal;"><i><span style="font-family: "Helvetica","sans-serif"; font-size: 20.0pt;">Follow<br />
Soeren Kern on <a href="https://twitter.com/SoerenKern"><span style="color: #da5724;">Twitter</span></a> and <a href="https://www.facebook.com/Soeren.Kern"><span style="color: #da5724;">Facebook</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></i></li>
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2017 Gatestone Institute. All rights reserved.</span></i><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 20pt;"> The<br />
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Gatestone Institute. No part of the Gatestone website or any of its contents<br />
may be reproduced, copied or modified, without the prior written consent of<br />
Gatestone Institute.<o:p></o:p></span></div></div><br /><br />
<div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05247739204754590667noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3441003027486211979.post-91746910355707371572017-08-31T05:20:00.001-07:002017-08-31T05:20:38.760-07:00Has France Been Bought by a State Sponsor of Islamic Terrorism? by Drieu Godefrid iAugust 31, 2017 <a href="https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/10911/france-qatar#.Waf2qOOBA_Y.blogger">Has France Been Bought by a State Sponsor of Islamic Terrorism?</a><br /><br />
<br /><br />
<div class="MsoNormal"><a href="https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/10911/france-qatar">https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/10911/france-qatar</a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><h1 style="background: white; line-height: 16.8pt; margin-bottom: 3.75pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15pt;">Has France Been Bought by a<br />
State Sponsor of Islamic Terrorism?<o:p></o:p></span></h1><div class="sans-serif" style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 7.5pt;"><b><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">by <span style="color: #da5724;"><span itemprop="author"><a href="https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/author/Drieu+Godefridi">Drieu Godefridi</a></span></span></span></b></div><div class="sans-serif" style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 7.5pt;"><b><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"><span style="color: #da5724;"><br /></span></span></b></div><div class="sans-serif" style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 7.5pt;"><b><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"><span style="color: #da5724;"><br /></span><br />
<time class="nocontent" datetime="2017-08-31T05:00:00" itemprop="datePublished">August<br />
31, 2017 at 5:00 am</time></span></b><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="sans-serif" style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 7.5pt;"><b><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"><time class="nocontent" datetime="2017-08-31T05:00:00" itemprop="datePublished"><br /></time></span></b></div><div class="nocontent" style="background: white; margin-bottom: 7.5pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><b><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"><span style="color: #da5724;"><a href="https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/10911/france-qatar">https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/10911/france-qatar</a></span></span></b><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="nocontent" style="background: white; margin-bottom: 7.5pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><b><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"><br /></span></b></div><table border="1" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="MsoNormalTable" id="links" style="background: white; border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1pt; border-image: initial; border-left: none; border-right: none; border-top: none;"> <tbody>
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<div style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: none; margin-left: 0.25in; padding: 0in; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 10pt;"><br /></span></div><div style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: none; margin-left: 0.25in; padding: 0in; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 10pt;"><br /></span></div><div style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: none; margin-left: 0.25in; padding: 0in; text-indent: -0.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 10pt;">§<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">It<br />
is through these tax breaks that the Qataris are buying the "jewels"<br />
of France. The U.S. is not selling its defense companies to Qatar.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: none; margin-left: 0.25in; padding: 0in; text-indent: -0.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 10pt;">§<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">Thanks<br />
to its huge gas and oil reserves, Qatar has the highest per capita income in<br />
the world and huge reserves of cash to invest everywhere, whereas France,<br />
thanks to 40 years of socialism, is in dire need of cash.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: none; margin-left: 0.25in; padding: 0in; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: none; margin-left: 0.25in; padding: 0in; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"><br /></span></div></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"><br /></span></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"><br /></span></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">The state of Qatar has been officially labelled as a "state<br />
sponsor of terrorism", and an active supporter of Islamic terrorist<br />
organizations such as the Muslim Brotherhood, al-Qaeda and the Islamic State --<br />
not by Western governments, but <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/jun/05/saudi-arabia-and-bahrain-break-diplomatic-ties-with-qatar-over-terrorism" target="_blank"><span style="color: #da5724;">by Saudi Arabia</span></a>, the<br />
cradle of Islamic faith, and the other Islamic regimes of the region.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"><br /></span></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">Knowing the facts of Qatar -- 11000km<sup>2</sup>, one-third the<br />
size of Belgium, population 2.5 million -- the question may seem far-fetched:<br />
How could France, the great France, possibly be bought by a tiny state such as<br />
Qatar?<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"><br /></span></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">For the single reason that, thanks to its huge gas and oil<br />
reserves, Qatar has the highest per capita income in the world and huge<br />
reserves of cash to invest everywhere, whereas France, thanks to 40 years of<br />
socialism, is in dire need of cash and has a tradition of <a href="https://www.transparency.org/news/feature/corruption_perceptions_index_2016" target="_blank"><span style="color: #da5724;">corruptible officials</span></a>,<br />
to say nothing of a propensity for "collaboration".<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"><br /></span></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">On August 4, the English press -- not the French press -- <a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/08/03/nicolas-sarkozy-scrutiny-prosecutors-probe-qatar-world-cup-vote/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #da5724;">revealed</span></a> that<br />
French prosecutors are actively investigating two events: the awarding the 2022<br />
World Cup of football (soccer) to Qatar, and the purchase by "Qatari<br />
Diar", a state-owned investment company, of a stake in the French utility<br />
firm Veolia.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"><br /></span></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">At the center of the investigation is former French President<br />
Nicolas Sarkozy. To be sure, Sarkozy has not been formally indicted (and he may<br />
never be), but the evidence is overwhelming.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"><br /></span></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">First, the World Cup. That the State of Qatar, known for decades<br />
for its active support of Islamic terror organizations, and with a temperature<br />
among the highest in the world -- in addition to zero tradition in the world of<br />
football -- was awarded the 2022 World Cup is, of course, a source of wonder<br />
ever since the award was announced by FIFA, the international governing body of<br />
football.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"><br /></span></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">French investigators are now looking into a meeting that took<br />
place between then-President Sarkozy, Michel Platini -- the French former<br />
president of the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA), who sat on the<br />
FIFA committee that chose Qatar -- and Qatari officials on November 23, 2010<br />
(10 days before the vote). It is alleged that Platini was dead-set against<br />
Qatar and that <a href="https://www.irishtimes.com/sport/sarkozy-orchestrates-qatar-s-french-revolution-1.13902" target="_blank"><span style="color: #da5724;">Sarkozy urged him</span></a> to<br />
change his mind: "They're good people."<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"><br /></span></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">The "deal" is said to have been sealed when Qatar agreed<br />
to buy the biggest French soccer team, the Paris-Saint-Germain (PSG). It is<br />
alleged that huge bribes were paid by Qatar to high-ranking French officials,<br />
to secure these two deals: the World Cup and the Veolia investment. Although no<br />
evidence has </span></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"><br /></span></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">yet been presented, the case would not have been opened by French<br />
prosecutors without it. In addition, no one has ever denied the meeting of<br />
November 23, 2010.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"><br /></span></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">In April 2010, the "Qatari Diar" fund bought a 5% stake<br />
in Veolia. Investigators are tracking 182 million euros suspected of having<br />
been used to bribe French officials. Investigators are also looking into a<br />
possible link between these two operations: Qatar investing in Veolia as a<br />
favor to France, possibly in exchange for France's support for Qatar to host<br />
the 2022 World Cup.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"><br /></span></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"><br /></span></div><div align="center"><br />
<table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="MsoNormalTable" style="max-width: 600px; mso-cellspacing: 0in; mso-padding-alt: 0in 0in 0in 0in; mso-yfti-tbllook: 1184;"> <tbody>
<tr>
<td style="border: solid black 1.0pt; max-width: 600px; mso-border-alt: solid black .75pt; padding: 0in 0in 0in 0in;" valign="top"><br />
<div class="MsoNormal"><img src="https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/pics/2737.jpg" /><!--[endif]--></div><div style="margin-bottom: 3.0pt; margin-left: 4.5pt; margin-right: 4.5pt; margin-top: 3.0pt;"><span style="font-size: 8.5pt;">France's then-President Nicolas Sarkozy<br />
(left) greets Qatar's then-Prime Minister Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim bin Jabor<br />
al-Thani (right) on March 19, 2011 in Paris, France. (Photo by Franck<br />
Prevel/Getty Images)<o:p></o:p></span></div></td>
</tr>
</tbody></table></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"><br /></span></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"><br /></span></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">It is doubtful if the French investigators will ever get to the<br />
bottom of these two cases. The judiciary in France has a long tradition of<br />
submitting to the government. Since 1789, the French judiciary has not even<br />
been an independent power -- as are the Legislative and the Executive<br />
-- but a mere authority with a more limited scope.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"><br /></span></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">It is revealing that these two investigations were exposed, not by<br />
the French press, but by the English press.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"><br /></span></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">What we already know for sure is the following:<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"><br /></span></div><div style="background: white; margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: -.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">1.<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;"> <br />
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">A state sponsor of terrorism, Qatar, was allowed to buy France's<br />
leading soccer team, Paris-Saint-Germain, with the help of then-president<br />
Nicolas Sarkozy. The former owner of the PSG was a private fund controlled<br />
in Europe by one of Sarkozy's close friends. There would have been no deal<br />
without the direct consent of Sarkozy -- that is the way France functions.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="background: white; margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: -.25in;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"><br /></span></div><div style="background: white; margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: -.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">2.<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;"> <br />
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">A state sponsor of terrorism, Qatar, was not only allowed, but<br />
actively <a href="https://wikileaks.org/berats-box/emailid/39377" target="_blank"><span style="color: #da5724;">courted</span></a>, by French<br />
officials to invest in some of France's largest companies, including defense<br />
companies, such as Veolia, as well as the Airbus parent company, European<br />
Aeronautic Defence and Space Company (EADS); the energy group EDF; the<br />
construction firm, Vinci; and the media and defense group Lagardère.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="background: white; margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: -.25in;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"><br /></span></div><div style="background: white; margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: -.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">3.<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;"> <br />
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">A state sponsor of terrorism, Qatar, was actively supported in its<br />
2022 bid for the World Cup by the government of France and Nicolas Sarkozy,<br />
who <a href="http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/nicolas-sarkozy-colluded-to-get-qatar-2022-world-cup-8471758.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #da5724;">declared</span></a> after the<br />
FIFA vote in 2010: "Sport does not belong to a few countries. It belongs<br />
to the world... I don't understand those who say that events should always be<br />
held in the same countries and the same continents."<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="background: white; margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: -.25in;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"><br /></span></div><div style="background: white; margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: -.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">4.<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;"> <br />
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">There is a significant part of the French political class that<br />
seems to consider the Embassy of Qatar in Paris some sort of automatic teller<br />
machine (ATM), as has been showed by renowned journalists Christian Chesnot and<br />
Georges Malbrunot in their book, <i>Nos très chers émirs</i> <i>(Our<br />
Very Dear Emirs</i>) and <a href="https://www.challenges.fr/challenges-soir/comment-le-qatar-a-achete-une-partie-de-la-classe-politique-francaise_434048" target="_blank"><span style="color: #da5724;">deplored</span></a> by the new<br />
ambassador of Qatar in France, Meshaal al-Thani.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="background: white; margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: -.25in;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"><br /></span></div><div style="background: white; margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: -.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">5.<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;"> <br />
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">Since 2008, a state sponsor of terrorism, Qatar, has benefited<br />
from a huge <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/id/101017040" target="_blank"><span style="color: #da5724;">tax break</span></a> in France: the exemption of<br />
profits on property sales. In France, profits on property sales are not only<br />
taxed at 19%, they are subject to a further CSG/CRDS and social tax (15.5%),<br />
resulting in a combined total <i>minimum</i> tax rate of 34.5%. The<br />
rule is the same for everyone, whether a person or a corporation. Everyone,<br />
that is, but the State of Qatar, when the administration of Nicolas Sarkozy<br />
decided to exempt it from the tax. As a result, Qatar's royal family and<br />
sovereign fund have since built up a huge portfolio of assets in France, one<br />
that dwarfs the portfolio of a state such as Saudi Arabia. Qatar's portfolio<br />
ranges from a Champs-Élysées mall to the Lido Cabaret. "Our deficit has<br />
destroyed our freedom," <a href="http://www.arabianbusiness.com/french-resentment-builds-over-qatari-tax-free-property-empire-517335.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #da5724;">said Nathalie Goulet</span></a>, a<br />
centrist senator from Lower Normandy, in 2013.</span></div><div style="background: white; margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: -.25in;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"><br /></span></div><div style="background: white; margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: -.25in;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"><br /></span></div><div style="background: white; margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: -.25in;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"> "The Qataris are here to<br />
buy, while we are selling our family jewels." Which they did. <a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="_ftnref1"></a><a href="https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/10911/france-qatar#_ftn1" target="_blank"><span style="color: #da5724;">[1]</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">Qatar and other Gulf states try to benefit from tax exemptions<br />
everywhere in the world, but this convergence of facts -- the selling of<br />
assets, sports clubs, defense companies and governmental representatives -- is<br />
unique to France. It is through these tax breaks -- this is only one of them --<br />
that the Qataris are buying the "jewels" of France. Of course, the<br />
U.S. is also <a href="http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/u-s-sells-arms-qatar-complicating-gulf-dispute/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #da5724;">selling arms to the Qataris</span></a> --<br />
the U.S. has a military base in Al Udeid -- but the U.S. is not selling its<br />
defense companies to Qatar.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"><br /></span></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">We therefore probably do not even have to wait for the results of<br />
the latest investigations to note that France, particularly but not exclusively<br />
under the auspices of Nicolas Sarkozy, has literally been bought by a state<br />
sponsor of terrorism, Qatar.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"><br /></span></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">At the same time, Islam in France has been spreading. France has<br />
been deeply infiltrated by the <a href="https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/9942/muslim-brotherhood-terrorism" target="_blank"><span style="color: #da5724;">Muslim Brotherhood</span></a> terror<br />
organization, which is not categorized in France -- unlike the UK -- as a<br />
sponsor of terror. This organization, since it was overthrown by Egypt's<br />
current president, Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, is now the darling of Qatar. Without<br />
Qatar, the Muslim Brotherhood would be without a home-base. Given its huge<br />
financial, corporate and political dependence on Qatar, it is clear that France<br />
-- in the name of "stability" -- would not do anything to displease<br />
its darling.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"><br /></span></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">Although France is a member of NATO and a nuclear power, nowhere<br />
else in the West is Islamism so deeply embedded in the fabric of the<br />
institutions, mind and <i>zeitgeist</i> of a country as it is there.<br />
Even in the UK, you still find very powerful counter-powers (see the<br />
governmental report on the Muslim Brotherhood). Not in France.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"><br /></span></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">Consider the case of the Palestinian official <a href="http://palwatch.org/main.aspx?fi=981" target="_blank"><span style="color: #da5724;">Jabril Rajoub</span></a> -- sentenced to life in<br />
prison in 1970 for throwing a grenade at an Israeli army vehicle, but released,<br />
along with others, in exchange for three Israeli soldiers taken hostage by the<br />
Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP). Rajoub is now chairman of<br />
the Palestinian Football Association -- another illustration of the deep<br />
infiltration of FIFA by Islamists and Jew-haters sponsored by Gulf States,<br />
beginning with Qatar. Would that position even be thinkable without France's<br />
sponsorship of Qatar in FIFA? Probably not.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"><br /></span></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">It is true that Qatar is <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/qatar-is-suddenly-investing-heavily-in-the-us-bankrolling-dcs-city-center-other-projects/2013/12/17/1ffaceca-5c6a-11e3-95c2-13623eb2b0e1_story.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #da5724;">buying assets</span></a> from<br />
around the world, including politicians, not only in France. And it is true<br />
that the U.S. is also selling arms to the Qataris, as are many other countries.<br />
It is one thing, however, to sell arms, but another to sell your defense<br />
companies. It is one thing to be open to foreign investment, but another to<br />
give huge tax breaks to a state sponsor of terror so it can acquire the<br />
"jewels" of your country.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"><br /></span></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">It is also not an accident that the main face of Islamism in<br />
Europe, the Muslim Brother Tariq Ramadan (from his base in Oxford, England) now<br />
sees France as the <a href="https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/8637/islam-europe-conquest)" target="_blank"><span style="color: #da5724;">future of Islam in Europe</span></a>,<br />
and not the UK (still number 2 on the list).<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"><br /></span></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">The U.S. and other countries may be selling things, but France is<br />
selling herself.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"><br /></span></div><div style="background: white;"><i><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">Drieu Godefridi, a classical-liberal Belgian author, is the<br />
founder of the l'Institut Hayek in Brussels. He has a PhD in Philosophy from<br />
the Sorbonne in Paris and also heads investments in European companies.</span></i><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt; line-height: 115%;"><br />
<br />
<hr align="left" size="1" width="33%" /><br />
</span></div><div style="background: white;"><a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="_ftn1"></a><a href="https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/10911/france-qatar#_ftnref1" target="_blank"><span style="color: #da5724; font-family: "Helvetica","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.5pt;">[1]</span></a><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"> The<br />
6th of December 2014, Nicolas Sarkozy was <a href="http://tempsreel.nouvelobs.com/politique/20141212.OBS7697/sarkozy-s-offre-une-conference-remuneree-au-qatar.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #da5724;">invited and paid</span></a> by<br />
the "Qatar National Bank" to give a lecture in Doha. Subject?<br />
Investment opportunities in France.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="background: white; border-top: dotted gray 1.0pt; border: none; mso-border-top-alt: dotted gray .75pt; mso-element: para-border-div; padding: 11.0pt 0in 0in 0in;"><br />
<div align="center" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: none; padding: 0in; text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 9.5pt;">© 2017<br />
Gatestone Institute. All rights reserved.</span></i><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 9.5pt;"> The articles<br />
printed here do not necessarily reflect the views of the Editors or of<br />
Gatestone Institute. No part of the Gatestone website or any of its contents<br />
may be reproduced, copied or modified, without the prior written consent of<br />
Gatestone Institute.<o:p></o:p></span></div></div><br /><br />
<div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05247739204754590667noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3441003027486211979.post-70978875243473333532017-08-30T02:05:00.001-07:002017-08-30T02:05:15.709-07:00The Fake News Media of Sweden By Nima Gholam Ali Pour<a href="https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/10838/sweden-fake-news#.WaZ-9gCr3NA.blogger">The Fake News Media of Sweden</a><br /><br />
.<br /><br />
<div class="MsoNormal"><a href="https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/10838/sweden-fake-news">https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/10838/sweden-fake-news</a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><h1 style="margin-bottom: 3.75pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 16.8pt;"><span style="font-size: 18pt;">The<br />
Fake News Media of Sweden<o:p></o:p></span></h1><h1 style="margin-bottom: 3.75pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 16.8pt;"><span style="font-size: 18pt;"> </span></h1><h1 style="margin-bottom: 3.75pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 16.8pt;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">by <a href="https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/author/Nima+Gholam+Ali+Pour"><span style="color: #da5724;"><span itemprop="author">Nima Gholam Ali Pour</span></span></a><o:p></o:p></span></h1><h1 style="margin-bottom: 3.75pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 16.8pt;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"> </span></h1><h1 style="margin-bottom: 3.75pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 16.8pt;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">August 30,<br />
2017 at 4:00 am</span><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></h1><div class="nocontent" style="margin-bottom: 7.5pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><b><a href="https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/10838/sweden-fake-news"><span style="color: #da5724;">https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/10838/sweden-fake-news</span></a></b><o:p></o:p></div><table border="1" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="MsoNormalTable" id="links" style="border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1pt; border-image: initial; border-left: none; border-right: none; border-top: none;"> <tbody>
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<div style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: none; margin-left: 0.25in; padding: 0in; text-indent: -0.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 10pt;">§<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">In<br />
most democratic countries, the media should be critical of those who hold<br />
power. In Sweden, however, the media criticize those who criticize the<br />
authorities. Criticism is not aimed at the people who hold power, but against<br />
private citizens who, according to the journalists, have the "wrong"<br />
ideas.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: none; margin-left: 0.25in; padding: 0in; text-indent: -0.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 10pt;">§<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">TV4<br />
and all other media refused to report that it was Muslims who interrupted the<br />
prime minister because they wanted to force Islamic values on Swedish<br />
workplaces. When the Swedish media reported on the event, the public were not<br />
told that these "hijab activists" had links with Islamist<br />
organizations. Rather, it was reported as if they were completely unknown<br />
Muslim girls who only wanted to wear their veils.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: none; margin-left: 0.25in; padding: 0in; text-indent: -0.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 10pt;">§<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">The<br />
Swedish media are politicized to the extent that they act as a propaganda<br />
machine. Through their lies, they have created possibilities for<br />
"post-truth politics". Instead of being neutral, the mainstream<br />
Swedish media have lied to uphold certain "politically correct" values.<br />
One wonders what lifestyle and political stability Sweden will have when no one<br />
can know the truth about what is really going on.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: none; margin-left: 0.25in; padding: 0in; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"><br /></span></div></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"><br /></span></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"><br /></span></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">In February 2017, after U.S. President Donald Trump's <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2017/02/19/world/europe/last-night-in-sweden-trumps-remark-baffles-a-nation.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #da5724;">statements</span></a> about<br />
events in Sweden, the journalist Tim Pool travelled to Sweden to report on<br />
their accuracy. What Tim Pool concluded is now available for everyone to watch<br />
on <a href="https://youtu.be/v0p7Oyvql9s" target="_blank"><span style="color: #da5724;">YouTube</span></a>, but what is really interesting is how<br />
the Swedish public broadcasting media described him.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">On Radio Sweden's website, one of the station's employees, <a href="https://www.curtisbrown.co.uk/client/ann-tornkvist" target="_blank"><span style="color: #da5724;">Ann Törnkvist</span></a>, wrote an <a href="http://sverigesradio.se/sida/artikel.aspx?programid=4042&artikel=6646362" target="_blank"><span style="color: #da5724;">op-ed</span></a> in which Pool<br />
and the style of journalism he represents are described as "a threat to<br />
democracy".<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">Why is Pool "a threat to democracy" in Sweden? He <a href="https://youtu.be/ODw7o34Vdbk" target="_blank"><span style="color: #da5724;">reported</span></a> negatively<br />
about an urban area in Stockholm, Rinkeby, where more than 90% of the<br />
population has a foreign background. When Pool visited Rinkeby, he had to<br />
be <a href="https://www.svt.se/nyheter/lokalt/stockholm/amerikansk-journalist-i-rinkeby-maskerade-man-skrek-efter-oss" target="_blank"><span style="color: #da5724;">escorted</span></a> out by<br />
police. Journalists are often threatened in Rinkeby. Before this incident, in<br />
an interview with Radio Sweden, Pool had <a href="http://sverigesradio.se/sida/artikel.aspx?programid=1637&artikel=6640734" target="_blank"><span style="color: #da5724;">described</span></a> Rosengård,<br />
an area in the Swedish city of Malmö heavily populated by immigrants, as<br />
"nice, beautiful, safe". After Pool's negative but accurate report<br />
about Rinkeby, however, he began to be described as an unserious journalist by<br />
many in the Swedish media, and finally was labeled the "threat to<br />
democracy."<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">One might think that this was a one-time event in a country whose<br />
journalists were defensive. But the fact is that Swedish journalists are deeply<br />
politicized.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">In most democratic countries, media are, or should be, critical of<br />
those who hold power. In Sweden, the media criticize those who criticizes those<br />
who hold power.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">In March 2017, the public broadcasting company <i>Sveriges<br />
Television</i> <a href="https://www.svt.se/nyheter/inrikes/fd-moderatpolitiker-bakom-radda-varden-stottas-av-stod-svenska-polisen" target="_blank"><span style="color: #da5724;">revealed</span></a> the name<br />
of a person who runs the Facebook page <i>Rädda vården</i> ("Save<br />
Healthcare"). The person turned out to be an assistant nurse, and was<br />
posting anonymously only because he had been critical of the hospital where he<br />
worked. Swedish hospitals are run by the local county councils, and thus when<br />
someone criticizes the healthcare system in Sweden, it is primarily politicians<br />
who are criticized. <i>Sveriges Television</i> <a href="https://www.svt.se/nyheter/inrikes/darfor-granskar-vi-de-anonyma-facebooksidorna" target="_blank"><span style="color: #da5724;">explained</span></a> on its<br />
website why it revealed the identity of the private individuals behind<br />
Facebook:<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">"These hidden powers of influence abandon and break the open<br />
public debate and free conversation. Who are they? What do they want and why?<br />
As their impact increases, the need to examine them also grows."<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">It is strange that <i>Sveriges Television</i> believes<br />
that an assistant nurse who wants to tell how politicians neglect public<br />
hospitals, is breaking "the open public debate and free<br />
conversation". This was not the only time that the mainstream Swedish<br />
media exposed private citizens who were criticizing those who hold power. In<br />
December 2013, one of Sweden's largest and most established newspapers, <i>Expressen</i>, <a href="http://www.expressen.se/nyheter/expressen-avslojar/namn-pa-anonyma-anvandare-knackta/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #da5724;">announced</span></a> that it<br />
intended to disclose the names of people who commented on various Swedish<br />
blogs:<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">"<i>Expressen</i> has partnered with <i>Researchgruppen</i>.<br />
The group has found a way, according to their own description, without any kind<br />
of unlawful intrusion, to associate the usernames that the anonymous commentators<br />
on the hate websites are using to the email addresses from which comments were<br />
sent. After that, the email addresses have been cross-checked with registries<br />
and authorities to identify the persons behind them."<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">The term "hate websites" (<i>hatsajterna</i>) is what<br />
that the mainstream media uses to describe some of the blogs that are critical<br />
of Islam or migration.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">It is one thing to be critical of bloggers who you may consider<br />
have racist opinions. But exposing the people who have written in comments<br />
sections of various blogs in one of Sweden's biggest newspapers is strange and<br />
terrifying.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="background: white;"><i><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">Researchgruppen</span></i><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"> has clear <a href="https://www.dagenssamhalle.se/nyhet/granskare-som-inte-tal-en-granskning-14461" target="_blank"><span style="color: #da5724;">links</span></a> to <i>Antifascistisk<br />
Aktion</i> (Antifascist Action), a group which, <a href="http://samtalskompassen.samordnarenmotextremism.se/valdsbejakande-extremism/valdsbejakande-vansterextremism/grupperingar/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #da5724;">according</span></a> to the<br />
Swedish government, consists of violent left-wing extremists. For their efforts<br />
to expose private individuals in the comments section, <i>Researchgruppen</i> received<br />
the <a href="https://www.dagensmedia.se/medier/dagspress/researchgruppen-och-expressen-far-guldspade-for-avpixlingen-av-avpixlat-6089521" target="_blank"><i><span style="color: #da5724;">Guldspaden</span></i></a>, a<br />
prestigious journalistic award in Sweden.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">Jim Olsson was one individual exposed in <i>Expressen</i> simply<br />
because he wrote something in a blog's comments section. A 67-year-old docent<br />
in physical chemistry, Olsson received a home-visit from <i>Expressen</i> with<br />
a camera and microphone present. A private citizen with no connection to any<br />
political party or organization, he exposed by Sweden's media because he<br />
had <a href="http://www.expressen.se/nyheter/expressen-avslojar/har-ar-fler-som-hatar-anonymt-pa-avpixlat/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #da5724;">written</span></a> the<br />
following in the comments section:<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">"The Swedish asylum system rewards swindlers with a permanent<br />
residence permit. There are, of course, swindlers flooding Sweden."<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"><br /></span></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"><br /></span></div><div align="center"><br />
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<div class="MsoNormal"><img src="https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/pics/849.jpg" /><!--[endif]--></div><div style="margin-bottom: 3.0pt; margin-left: 4.5pt; margin-right: 4.5pt; margin-top: 3.0pt;"><span style="font-size: 8.5pt;">The Swedish newspaper <i>Expressen</i> accessed<br />
databases of website commenters, targeted critics of immigration, and<br />
confronted them at home. The above screenshot is taken from a video on<br />
the <i>Expressen</i> website, published under the headline<br />
"Jim Olsson writes on hate sites."<o:p></o:p></span></div></td>
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</tbody></table></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"><br /></span></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"><br /></span></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">Another private individual, Patrik Gillsvik, with no political<br />
links, was exposed and fired from his job because, in a blog's comments<br />
section, he <a href="http://www.expressen.se/kvallsposten/skrev-rasistiskt--kan-aterkomma-som-chef/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #da5724;">wrote</span></a>:<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">"I would like to join the structural prejudices of the<br />
majority in society and state that gypsies are inventive and witty<br />
entrepreneurs who can enrich our culture -- yes, and then they steal like<br />
ravens, of course!"<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">Although the statement can be criticized for being unacceptably<br />
racist, what is unique is that the mainstream media in a Western democracy can<br />
expose private individuals because they wrote something in a blog's comments<br />
section. Criticism is not aimed at the people who hold power, but against<br />
private citizens who according to the journalists have the "wrong"<br />
ideas.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">Moreover, each of these private citizens, who have had their lives<br />
ruined because they wrote something distasteful in a comments section, serves<br />
as a warning, so that others will not dare to make the mistake of posting<br />
something politically incorrect on a blog.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">It is shocking that in a democracy, the media acts this way, but<br />
that is how Swedish -- and, increasingly, other Western media -- operate these<br />
days.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">In addition to punishing private individuals who, according to the<br />
them, communicate "wrong" ideas, the media celebrate and support<br />
people who have the "right" ideas. On May 1, 2017, Sweden's Prime<br />
Minister Stefan Löfven was interrupted by a number of hijab-wearing activists<br />
who were protesting a verdict of the Court of Justice of the European Union<br />
that employers are entitled to prohibit staff from wearing a hijab. Given that<br />
Sweden's prime minister cannot directly influence the Court, and that one<br />
should not interrupt the country's prime minister when he speaks, one would<br />
think that these "hijab activists" might be criticized in the media.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">TV4, a national TV-channel and one of the first media outlets<br />
to <a href="http://www.tv4.se/nyheterna/klipp/demonstranter-avbr%C3%B6t-l%C3%B6fvens-tal-3912333" target="_blank"><span style="color: #da5724;">report this incident</span></a>,<br />
refused to say that those who interrupted the prime minister were wearing the<br />
Islamic veil. The title of TV4's clip was "Demonstrators Interrupted<br />
Löfven speech". The sub-headline read as follows: "Female protesters<br />
screamed out their anger against the prime minister and wondered where the<br />
feminist government was."<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">From the text, it is not clear that these activists demonstrated<br />
against the verdict of the Court of Justice of the European Union; that all<br />
activists wore a hijab, or that they screamed, "Stand up for Muslim<br />
women's rights!" However, <a href="http://www.situationmalmo.nu/vilka-var-det-som-avbrot-lofven/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #da5724;">information</span></a> that<br />
these activists were wearing hijabs and protesting the verdict of the Court of<br />
Justice of the European Union was on their Facebook page and YouTube.<br />
Nevertheless, TV4 and all other media refused to report that those who<br />
interrupted the prime minister were Muslims who were interrupting the prime<br />
minister because they seemingly wanted to force Islamic values on the Swedish<br />
workplace.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">The day after their protest, in an <a href="http://sverigesradio.se/sida/artikel.aspx?programid=96&artikel=6687424" target="_blank"><span style="color: #da5724;">interview</span></a> with<br />
Radio Sweden, these activists had the opportunity to explain why they protested<br />
-- but were not asked any critical questions. The next day, an <i>Expressen</i> columnist,<br />
Maria Rydhagen, compared one of the hijab-activists glowingly with one of the<br />
founders of the Swedish Social Democratic Party, Axel Danielsson. Rydhagen<br />
wrote the <a href="http://www.expressen.se/kvp/kronikorer/maria-rydhagen/ar-det-inte-lite-synd-att-2017-ars-hjalte-jagas-bort-av-polis/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #da5724;">following</span></a> about<br />
Jasmin Nur Ismail:<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">"Then, on Monday, the protest of the girls was perceived as<br />
only an incident. But imagine if it was the start of something big? Perhaps<br />
history was being written, there and then? Imagine if Jasmin Nur is the Axel<br />
Danielsson of 2017. Hero and rebel. In that case: Was it not a pity to remove<br />
her with the help of the police?"<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">As the media refused to write anything negative about the protest<br />
against the prime minister, this author began to investigate the matter. It<br />
took half an hour to find out several important <a href="http://www.situationmalmo.nu/vilka-var-det-som-avbrot-lofven/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #da5724;">things</span></a>which were never<br />
mentioned by the Swedish mainstream media. Jasmin Nur Ismail had written about<br />
the incident on her Facebook page shortly after the protest. Who was behind the<br />
protest was not a secret.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">The demonstration had been organized by the Hayat Women's Movement<br />
and a network called, "The Right to Our Bodies". The Hayat Women's<br />
Movement was founded by Aftab Soltani, who in March 2017 was one of the <a href="http://muslimskafamiljedagarna.se/2017/gaster/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #da5724;">speakers</span></a> at a much-criticized annual<br />
Islamic event in Sweden, <i>Muslimska Familjedagarna</i> (Muslim<br />
Family Days). The event was blamed by both the <a href="http://www.politism.se/story/muslimska-familjedagarna-maste-skarpa-sig/#post-10065" target="_blank"><span style="color: #da5724;">left</span></a> and the <a href="https://www.svd.se/homofober-anyo-pa-gastlistan" target="_blank"><span style="color: #da5724;">right</span></a> for inviting hate preachers,<br />
anti-Semites and Muslim radicals as speakers. Another speaker at this Islamic<br />
event in March 2017 was Jasmin Nur Ismail, a heroine of the Swedish<br />
media. <i>Muslimska Familjedagarna</i> was organized by the <a href="https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/9603/sweden-islamists" target="_blank"><span style="color: #da5724;">Islamist</span></a> Ibn Rushd Educational Association,<br />
the Islamic Association of Sweden (<i>Islamiska Förbundet i Sverige</i>) and<br />
Sweden's Young Muslims (<i>Sveriges Unga Muslimer</i>).<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">Jasmin Nur Ismail, hailed as a heroine in <i>Expressen,</i> is<br />
a public figure. Southern Sweden's largest newspaper, <i>Sydsvenskan</i>, <a href="https://www.sydsvenskan.se/2016-10-28/poesi-som-talar-for-sig-sjalv" target="_blank"><span style="color: #da5724;">described</span></a> her in an<br />
October 2016 article as an "activist, anti-racist and writer".<br />
According to <i>Sydsvenskan</i>, Jasmin Nur Ismail's political role-model<br />
is Malcolm X. During the Swedish Forum for Human Rights in 2016, Jasmin Nur<br />
Ismail was, in a <a href="http://invitepeople.com/public/seminars/5342?list_type=list" target="_blank"><span style="color: #da5724;">panel discussion</span></a><u>,</u> the<br />
representative for Malmö's Young Muslims -- in turn, a subdivision of an <a href="https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/9603/sweden-islamists" target="_blank"><span style="color: #da5724;">Islamist organization</span></a><u>,</u> Sweden's<br />
Young Muslims.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">Swedish newspapers did not write a single word that the person and<br />
organizations behind the protest against Sweden's prime minister had links with<br />
Islamist organizations. When the Swedish media reported about the event, the<br />
public were told that these hijab-activists were completely unknown Muslim<br />
girls who only wanted to wear their veils.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">Mainstream Swedish media outlets simply do not report some things.<br />
When the <a href="https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/10373/sweden-qatar" target="_blank"><span style="color: #da5724;">largest mosque in Scandinavia</span></a> was<br />
opened in Sweden's third largest city, Malmö, the news about this was first<br />
published in the <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20170505205929/http:/www.qna.org.qa/en-us/News/17050317520055/Ministry-of-Awqaf-Opens-Largest-Mosque-in-Scandinavia" target="_blank"><span style="color: #da5724;">Qatar News Agency</span></a> and <a href="https://thepeninsulaqatar.com/article/03/05/2017/Largest-mosque-in-Scandinavia-built-by-Qatar-opens" target="_blank"><i><span style="color: #da5724;">The Peninsula</span></i></a> on<br />
May 3, 2017. The reason that Qatar's media wrote about it was because Qatar<br />
financed a large part of the mosque. On May 5, an article about this mosque was<br />
published in <a href="http://www.breitbart.com/london/2017/05/05/qatari-government-opens-scandinavias-biggest-mosque-malmo-sweden/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #da5724;">Breitbart</span></a>. On May 6, one<br />
day after Breitbart reported the news and three days after the Qatari media<br />
reported the news, the Swedish terrorist expert Magnus Ranstorp sent a <a href="https://twitter.com/magnusranstorp/status/860793404334256128" target="_blank"><span style="color: #da5724;">tweet</span></a> about this<br />
mosque, but he linked it to the Qatari media. At this time, there are still no<br />
Swedish media outlets that have reported anything about the largest mosque in<br />
Scandinavia.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">On May 8, the Swedish blog <i>Jihad i Malmö</i> <a href="http://jihadimalmo.blogspot.se/2017/05/qatar-oppnar-skandinaviens-storsta.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #da5724;">wrote</span></a> about the<br />
mosque and its Qatari financing. On May 9, the Swedish blog <i>Pettersson<br />
gör skillnad</i> <a href="https://petterssonsblogg.se/2017/05/09/qatar-oppnar-skandinaviens-storsta-salafistmoske-i-malmo/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #da5724;">wrote</span></a> about the<br />
mosque. At the same time, the Norwegian author and activist Hege Storhaug, who<br />
is critical of Islam, <a href="https://www.rights.no/2017/05/hurra-skandinavias-storste-moske-er-reist-av-qatar-i-malmo/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #da5724;">wrote</span></a> about the<br />
mosque and noted that the Swedish media had not yet written about it:<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">"I had expected that the Swedish media at the very least<br />
would mention the opening of Scandinavia's largest mosque with positive words.<br />
But no, not a word in Swedish mainstream media, as far as I have noticed. You<br />
have to go to the English version of Arabic media to get some limited<br />
information, like Qatar News Agency."<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">By the time I <a href="https://twitter.com/nimagap/status/862362084000100352" target="_blank"><span style="color: #da5724;">tweeted</span></a> about it on May 10, the<br />
mainstream Swedish media still had not widely reported it. On May 15, I wrote<br />
an <a href="http://www.situationmalmo.nu/alla-alla-hemliga-mosken/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #da5724;">article</span></a> on it for<br />
the news website <i>Situation Malmö</i>, run by the Sweden Democrats party<br />
branch in Malmö. With one hour's research, I managed, through what the mosque<br />
had published on Facebook, to discover that one of the leading Social Democrat<br />
politicians in Malmö, Frida Trollmyr, a municipal commissioner with<br />
responsibility for culture, recreation and health, had been at the mosque's<br />
opening. Representatives of the Qatari government also attended, but the<br />
mainstream Swedish media still had not reported anything about it.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">On May 17, two weeks after the Qatari media had written about the<br />
opening of Scandinavia's largest mosque in Malmö, 12 days after Breitbart had written<br />
about the event, and two days after my article, the <i>Sydsvenskan</i> newspaper <a href="https://www.sydsvenskan.se/2017-05-17/qatar-bygger-jattemoske-i-malmo" target="_blank"><span style="color: #da5724;">wrote</span></a> about the<br />
mosque opening. You could not read the article, however, if you had not paid<br />
for "premium membership" to this newspaper.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">One can see this omission as an unfortunate coincidence, but it is<br />
strange when Breitbart succeeds in communicating more information about Malmö<br />
than southern Sweden's largest newspaper, which is headquartered in Malmö. Why<br />
would the Swedish media not write about the mosque? It was certainly not a<br />
secret. There was no explanation from the Swedish media or anyone else. Yet,<br />
these same media outlets did not hesitate to expose the names of private citizens<br />
who wrote inappropriate opinions on a public comments page.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">There are journalists in Sweden who change their views as soon as<br />
the government changes its opinion. Göran Greider, a journalist and editor,<br />
active in the public debate in Sweden for more than 30 years, wrote the <a href="https://www.metro.se/artikel/ett-%C3%A5ldrande-europa-skulle-vinna-p%C3%A5-starkt-%C3%B6kad-invandring-xr" target="_blank"><span style="color: #da5724;">following</span></a> in August<br />
2015, about migration policy:<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">"The European governments who say no to increasing the number<br />
of refugees received not only show a shameful lack of solidarity. They are also<br />
silent when they decline to rejuvenate their populations."<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">In November 2015, only three months later, when the Swedish<br />
government was forced to change its migration policy because of the migration<br />
crisis, Göran Greider <a href="http://www.expressen.se/debatt/vi-bevittnar-sorgsen-realism-och-hyckleri/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #da5724;">wrote</span></a>:<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">"But even the left, including many Social Democrats and<br />
members of the Green Party, have sometimes been characterized by an<br />
unwillingness to discuss the great challenges that receiving refugees, in the<br />
quantity we have seen lately, implies for a society. No one wants to be a<br />
nationalist. No one wants to be accused of running the errands of Sweden<br />
Democrats, or racism. But in this way, people on the left, who are so broadly<br />
for bringing in refugees, have often locked themselves out of a realistic<br />
discussion."<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">There is nothing wrong in reconsidering one's opinion. But it has<br />
become common for Swedish journalists frequently to have opinions that favor<br />
certain political parties -- often the Social Democrats, the Left Party and the<br />
Green Party. The issue is not even about values. People who work for the<br />
mainstream Swedish media are ready to reconsider their values so long as it<br />
helps certain parties to stay in power. This is far from what is presumably the<br />
media's main task in a democracy.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">How is it that no newspaper is rebelling against this order? It<br />
would be a good business proposition; such a media outlet could gain financial<br />
benefits. Sweden's political establishment is, after all, <a href="http://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/7860/sweden-establishment" target="_blank"><span style="color: #da5724;">not popular</span></a>. Well, we<br />
can look at the example of someone who tried. In February 2017, a financier,<br />
Mats Qviberg, bought a free daily newspaper, <i>Metro</i>, usually<br />
distributed in subways and buses in Sweden. In May, he gave an interview to the<br />
newspaper <i>Nyheter Idag</i>, considered by the Swedish establishment to<br />
be "right-wing" or "populist". In his <a href="https://nyheteridag.se/qviberg-om-journalisten-som-skrev-metros-tiggarartikel-en-typisk-stalinist-som-vi-borde-bli-av-med/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #da5724;">interview</span></a><u>,</u> Qviberg<br />
gave a slight playful hint that <i>Metro</i> might in some way<br />
cooperate with <i>Nyheter Idag</i>.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">The <a href="http://www.aftonbladet.se/nyheter/a/Ox2Jl/mp-vill-bryta-sls-avtal-med-metro-efter-kritiserad-intervju" target="_blank"><span style="color: #da5724;">consequence</span></a> of the<br />
playful statement was that the Green Party in Stockholm County Council<br />
threatened that Stockholm County would stop handing out <i>Metro</i> in<br />
Stockholm's subways. A columnist stopped writing for the paper. Other media<br />
outlets started to wonder out loud if <i>Metro</i>were becoming a racist<br />
platform. Before the month of May was over, Qviberg had <a href="http://www.aftonbladet.se/nyheter/a/lPyo9/mats-qviberg-saljer-sitt-innehav-i-metro" target="_blank"><span style="color: #da5724;">sold</span></a> his shares<br />
in <i>Metro</i>. That politicians would punish a newspaper owner who had<br />
"wrong" views did not surprise anyone in Sweden; the situation was<br />
not worth mentioning. In Sweden, even owners of newspapers are supposed to<br />
follow the political order.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">In June 2017, the leader of the Sweden Democrats (SD), Jimmie<br />
Åkesson, spoke in Järva, a district in Stockholm dominated by immigrants. The<br />
Sweden Democrats is a social-conservative party in the Swedish parliament; it<br />
supports, among other matters, a restrictive migration policy. While Åkesson<br />
was speaking, there were protests against him; and among the protesters were<br />
various placards. A photograph of Radio Sweden's van showed an anti-SD placard<br />
inside it. On it, one could read "Jimmie = Racist". The <a href="http://www.expressen.se/nyheter/anti-sd-skylt-lag-i-sveriges-radios-bil/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #da5724;">explanation</span></a> from<br />
Radio Sweden was:<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">"Someone put a sign on Ekot's (a Radio Sweden news program)<br />
car in Järva on Sunday evening. It was taken down and put into the car and then<br />
thrown away on the way from there."<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">You can have a discussion about why Radio Sweden spends its time<br />
discarding placards that left-wing protesters use. Is that what journalist are<br />
supposed to do when they are covering a story? In the end, however, it does not<br />
matter. The people's confidence in the mainstream media in Sweden is being<br />
eroded as we write.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">A new study from <i>Institutet för Mediestudier</i> <a href="https://www.medievarlden.se/2017/05/stor-misstro-mot-journalistik-om-invandring/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #da5724;">shows</span></a> that 54%<br />
agree, or partly agree, that the Swedish media are not telling the whole truth<br />
about problems in society linked to migration. Instead of the media accepting<br />
that they are biased and starting to change their ways, the media continue to<br />
attack citizens who appear critical.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">In June 2017, the editorial writer of the daily <i>Aftonbladet</i>,<br />
Anders Lindberg, wrote an <a href="http://www.aftonbladet.se/ledare/a/7r5PW/hitler-litade-inte-heller-pa-medier" target="_blank"><span style="color: #da5724;">editorial</span></a>titled,<br />
"Hitler Did Not Trust the Media Either," in which he equated the<br />
critics of the Swedish media with Nazis. Anders Lindberg, after working 10<br />
years for the Social Democrats, <a href="https://www.dagensmedia.se/medier/dagspress/ledande-s-politiker-till-aftonbladet-6211662" target="_blank"><span style="color: #da5724;">resigned</span></a> as the<br />
Communications Ombudsman for the Social Democrats in 2010, to start working as<br />
an editorial writer for <i>Aftonbladet</i>. He is so well-known for what<br />
his critics view as unusual versions of the truth that he has the privilege of<br />
writing for Sweden's largest newspaper. In 2015, he <a href="http://www.aftonbladet.se/ledare/ledarkronika/anderslindberg/article20819696.ab" target="_blank"><span style="color: #da5724;">described</span></a> the issue<br />
of organized begging, a visible problem in northern Europe, as "legends<br />
and folklore". Today there is no party that denies that organized begging<br />
is a real problem.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">I often have difficulty explaining to many of my American friends<br />
and colleagues how the Swedish media work. Often, there may be clear examples<br />
of anti-Semitism and other unsavory behavior. The first question I always get<br />
is: Why is the media not writing about this? The answer is simple. The Swedish<br />
media are politicized to the extent that they act as a propaganda machine. It<br />
is not a propaganda machine in the traditional sense of the word, with an<br />
official Ministry of Propaganda. But in Sweden, many journalists and editors<br />
are either old established political party employees, as Anders Lindberg, or<br />
simply ideologically indoctrinated and therefore extremely biased. The Swedish<br />
propaganda machine punishes those who have the "wrong" opinions and<br />
celebrates those who have the "right" opinions.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">What happened to Tim Pool was a part of how media works in Sweden.<br />
As long as he said the "right" things, the Swedish media gave a<br />
positive picture of him. When he started to have the "wrong" opinion,<br />
the propaganda machine started doing its work and Pool became "a threat to<br />
democracy".<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">There are, of course, more examples that show how sick the Swedish<br />
debate- and media-climate has become. In such a negative environment, there are<br />
many casualties. The first casualty is, obviously, the truth. When people start<br />
to understand that the mainstream media are lying, they turn to alternative<br />
media. Alternative media outlets, however, also usually have political agendas.<br />
A democracy cannot survive well only on biased media. A democracy desperately<br />
needs mainstream media outlets that inform its citizens and criticize people<br />
who hold power. That is something Sweden does not have today.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">A large portion of the Swedish population are apparently aware of<br />
this and do not trust the media. Through its lies, the Swedish media have<br />
created possibilities for "post-truth politics" in Sweden. Instead of<br />
being a neutral party, the mainstream Swedish media have lied to uphold certain<br />
"politically correct" values. The result is an atmosphere where many<br />
people believe that everything that the media says has a political agenda. When<br />
the mainstream media in Sweden lie shamelessly, where can one go to find the<br />
truth? One wonders what lifestyle and political stability Sweden will have when<br />
no one can know the truth about what is really going on.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="background: white;"><i><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">Nima Gholam Ali Pour is a member of the board of education in the<br />
Swedish city of Malmö and is engaged in several Swedish think tanks concerned<br />
with the Middle East. He is also editor for the social conservative website<br />
Situation Malmö, and is the author of the Swedish book "</span></i><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/9163794454" target="_blank"><i><span style="color: #da5724;">Därför är mångkultur förtryck</span></i></a><i>"("Why<br />
Multiculturalism is Oppression").</i><o:p></o:p></span></div><ul type="square"><li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><i><span style="background: white; font-family: "Helvetica","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.5pt;">Follow Nima Gholam Ali Pour on <a href="https://twitter.com/nimagap"><span style="color: #da5724;">Twitter</span></a> and <a href="https://www.facebook.com/nimagap"><span style="color: #da5724;">Facebook</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></i></li>
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<div align="center" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: none; padding: 0in; text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 9.5pt;">© 2017 Gatestone Institute. All rights reserved.</span></i><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 9.5pt;"> The<br />
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Gatestone Institute. No part of the Gatestone website or any of its contents<br />
may be reproduced, copied or modified, without the prior written consent of<br />
Gatestone Institute.<o:p></o:p></span></div></div><br /><br />
<div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05247739204754590667noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3441003027486211979.post-91883942015997909812017-08-26T08:36:00.001-07:002017-08-26T08:36:22.901-07:00My Family, Partition and Me: India 1947 - Episode 2/2<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="270" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/aSyEbthwPjI" width="480"></iframe>Youtube BBC documentary on partition<br /><br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 8.5pt;">Top comments</span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/user/ghulammuhammed3"><span style="color: #128ee9; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Ghulam Muhammed</span></a><span style="color: #767676; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 8.5pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aSyEbthwPjI&lc=z22sh3nx5z2ryzee5acdp4322jg14zuzjkmhtbxuukhw03c010c">1 second ago</a></span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">It is reprehensible that BBC of all the media,<br />
should ignore the role of British colonials, especially Churchill, who<br />
conspired with USA, to carve a military outpost for their security needs and<br />
exploited Jinnah to spread the lies that Pakistan was meant to be carved as<br />
refuge for Muslims. Nehru and Patel refused to cooperate with the leaving<br />
British and paved the way to partition. US and UK were afraid of the marauding<br />
Soviet Communist Russia, that had to be stopped forging south in search of warm<br />
water access to Indian Ocean. Communist Russia would have cut of access to<br />
Persian Gulf oil to the West, that desperately needed oil for reconstruction of<br />
war ravaged Europe. BBC should have guts to come out in the open about the<br />
ghastly conspiracy which is already exposed by Sarila in his well-researched<br />
book - The Great Game.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 7.5pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Read more</span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Reply</span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> <span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05247739204754590667noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3441003027486211979.post-48363587628039799602017-08-25T07:57:00.001-07:002017-08-25T07:57:36.033-07:00India: Triple Talaq Verdict, Gender Justice and RSS Combine | LS Herdenia<a href="http://communalism.blogspot.in/2017/08/india-triple-talaq-verdict-gender.html#.WaA6U2fws2p.blogger">India: Triple Talaq Verdict, Gender Justice and RSS Combine | LS Herdenia</a>: Dated: August 24, 2017 by LS Herdenia Although the BJP and Sangh Parivar celebrating Talaq judgment of Supreme Court and claiming credit...<br /><br />
<br /><br />
<div class="titlewrapper" style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.17px;"><h1 class="title" style="font-family: Georgia, Times, serif; font-size: 20.1214px; font-stretch: normal; letter-spacing: 0.2em; line-height: normal; margin: 5px 5px 0px; padding: 15px 20px 0.25em;"><a href="http://communalism.blogspot.in/" style="color: #e60000; text-decoration-line: none;">Communalism Watch</a></h1></div><div class="descriptionwrapper" style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.17px;"><div class="description" style="color: #191919; font-size: 12.3279px; font-stretch: normal; letter-spacing: 0.2em; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 5px; margin-right: 5px; padding: 0px 20px 15px;">Resources for all concerned by the rise of the far right in India (and with occasional information on other countries of South Asia and beyond)</div></div><br /><br />
<div class="widget HTML" data-version="1" id="HTML3" style="background-color: white; border-bottom: 1px dotted rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.17px; margin: 0px 0px 1.5em; padding: 0px 0px 1.5em;"><div class="widget-content"><form action="http://communalism.blogspot.in/search" id="searchthis" method="get" style="display: inline;"><input id="search-box" name="q" size="20" type="text" /> <input id="search-btn" type="submit" value="Search" /> </form>| <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/CommunalismWatch" style="color: #660000; text-decoration-line: none;"><img alt="" height="26" src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~fc/CommunalismWatch?bg=99CCFF&fg=444444&anim=1" style="border: 0px;" width="88" /></a></div><div class="clear" style="clear: both;"></div><span class="widget-item-control" style="float: right; height: 20px; margin-top: -20px; position: relative; z-index: 10;"></span><div class="clear" style="clear: both;"></div></div><div class="widget Blog" data-version="1" id="Blog1" style="background-color: white; border-bottom: 0px dotted rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.17px; margin: 0px 0px 1.5em; padding: 0px 0px 1.5em;"><div class="blog-posts hfeed"><div class="date-outer"><h2 class="date-header" style="color: #cc0000; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.1862px; font-stretch: normal; letter-spacing: 0.2em; line-height: 1.3em; margin: 1.5em 0px 0.5em; text-transform: capitalize;">August 24, 2017</h2><div class="date-posts"><div class="post-outer"><div class="post hentry" style="border-bottom: 1px dotted rgb(0, 0, 0); margin: 0.5em 0px 1.5em; padding-bottom: 1.5em;"><a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="2256022334193078338"></a><h3 class="post-title entry-title" style="color: #000033; font-size: 19.1295px; font-weight: normal; line-height: 1.4em; margin: 0.25em 0px 0px; padding: 0px 0px 4px;"><a href="http://communalism.blogspot.in/2017/08/india-triple-talaq-verdict-gender.html" style="color: black; display: block; text-decoration-line: none;">India: Triple Talaq Verdict, Gender Justice and RSS Combine | LS Herdenia</a></h3><div class="post-header-line-1"></div><div class="post-body entry-content" style="line-height: 1.6em; margin: 0px 0px 0.75em;">Dated: August 24, 2017<br /><br />by LS Herdenia<br /><br />Although the BJP and Sangh Parivar celebrating Talaq judgment of Supreme Court and claiming credit for liberating Muslim women from the male dominating Muslim society. But there was no evidence that they took any initiative for empowering Hindu women. On the contrary they took every possible step to stall a major initiative taken by our first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nahru and our first law minister Dr. B.R. Ambedkar.<br /><br />It may be recalled that a draft Hindu code bill was introduced in the constituent assembly which incorporated several measures to empower Hindu women including right to divorce. The moment they came to know the contents of the bill RSS with the cooperation of other likeminded organisations launched a vicious campaign against Nehru and Ambedkar. What that campaign was and how they maligned both great leaders is described by eminent historian Ram Chandra Guha in his book "India After Gandhi". Relevant contents from the book are being reproduced here –<br /><br />Outside the Assembly the cries against the bill grew louder. Already in March 1949 an All-India Anti-Hindu-Code-Bill Committee had been formed. This held that that the Constituent Assembly has 'no right to interfere with the personal laws of Hindus which are based on Dharma Shastras'.<br /><br />The Anti-Hindu-Code-Bill Committee was supported by conservative lawyers as well as by conservative clerics. The influential Shankaracharya of Dwarka issue an 'encyclical' against the proposed code. Religion, he said, 'is the noblest light, inspiration and support of men, and the State's highest duty is to protect it'.<br /><br />The Anti-Hindu-Code-Bill Committee held hundreds of meetings throughout India, where sundry swamis denounced the proposed legislation. The participants in this movement presented themselves as religious warriors (dharmaveer) fighting a religious war (dharmayudh). The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh threw its weight behind the agitation. On 11 December 1949, the RSS organized a public meeting at the Ram Lila grounds in Delhi, where speaker after speaker condemned the bill. One called it 'an atom bomb on Hindu society'. Another likened it to the draconian Rowlatt Act introduced by the colonial state; just as the protests against that act led to the downfall of the British, he said, the struggle against this Bill would signal the downfall of Nehru's government. The next day a group of RSS workers marched on the Assembly buildings, shouting 'Down with Hindu code bill' and 'May Pandit Nehru perish'. The protesters burnt effigies of the prime minister and Dr Ambedkar, and then vandalized the car of Sheikh Abdullah.<br /><br />The leader of the movement against the new bill was one Swami Karpatriji Maharaj. We know little of this swami's antecedents, except that he was from north India and appeared to be knowledgeable in Sanskrit. His opposition to the Bill was coloured and deepened by the fact that it was being piloted by Ambedkar. He made pointed references to the law minister's caste, suggesting that a former Untouchable had no business meddling in matters normally the preserve of the Brahmins.<br /><br />In speeches in Delhi and elsewhere, Swami Karpatri challenged Ambedkar to a public debate on his interpretations of the Shastras. To the law minister's claim that the Shastras did not really favour polygamy, Swami Karpatri quoted Yagnavalkya: 'if the wife is a habitual drunkard, a confirmed invalid, a cunning, a barren or a spendthrift woman, if she is bitter-tongued, if she has got only daughters and no son, if she hates her husband, [then] the husband can marry a second wife even while the first is living.' The swami supplied the precise citation for this injunction: the third verse of the third chapter of the third section of Yagnavalkya's smriti (scripture) concerning marriage. He did not, however, tell us whether the injunction also allowed the wife to take another husband if the existing one was a drunkard, bitter-tongued, a spend-thrift, etc.<br /><br />For Swami Karpatri, divorce was prohibited in Hindu tradition, while 'to allow adoption of a boy of any caste is to defy the Shastras and to defy property'. Even by the most liberal interpretations, the woman's inheritance was limited to one-eighth, not a half as Ambedkar sought to make it. The bill was altogether in violation of the Hindu scriptures. It had already evoked 'terrible opposition', and the government could push it through only at its peril. The swami issued a dire warning: 'As is clearly laid down in the Dharmashastras, to forcibly defy the laws of God and Dharma very often means great harm to the Government and the country and both bitterly rue the obstinate folly.'<br /><br />Of course, not all Hindus were of the liberal party either. The reservations of the orthodox, as expressed in Parliament, were carried forward in the streets by the cadres of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh. They brought batches of volunteers into New Delhi, to shout slogans against the Hindu Code Bill and court arrest. Among their larger aims were the dismemberment of Pakistan and the unseating of Jawaharlal Nehru – as they shouted, 'Pakistan tod do', 'Nehru Hakumat Chhod Do'.<br /><br />The main speaker at these RSS-organized shows was usually Swami Karpatriji Maharaj. Addressing a meeting on 16 September 1951, the swami challenged the prime minister to a debate on the proposed bill. 'If Pandit Nehru and his colleagues succeed in establishing that even one section of the proposed Hindu Code is in accordance with the Shastras', said Karpatri, 'I shall accept the entire Hindu Code'. The next day, in pursuance of this challenge, the swami and his followers marched on Parliament. The police prevented them from entering. In the ensuing scuffle, reported a Hindu weekly, 'police pushed them back [and] Swamiji's danda [stick] was broken, which is like the sacred thread, [the] religious emblem of the sannyasis.'<div style="clear: both;"></div></div><div class="post-footer" style="color: #cc0000; font-family: Times, serif; font-size: 11.0526px; font-stretch: normal; letter-spacing: 0.1em; line-height: 1.4em; margin: 0.75em 0px; text-transform: uppercase;"><div class="post-footer-line post-footer-line-1"><span class="post-author vcard">POSTED BY <span class="fn">C-INFO</span> </span><span class="post-timestamp">AT <a class="timestamp-link" href="http://communalism.blogspot.in/2017/08/india-triple-talaq-verdict-gender.html" rel="bookmark" style="color: #660000; text-decoration-line: none;" title="permanent link"><abbr class="published" style="border: none;" title="2017-08-24T21:33:00+02:00">THURSDAY, AUGUST 24, 2017</abbr></a> </span><span class="post-icons"><span class="item-action"><a href="https://www.blogger.com/email-post.g?blogID=5008042&postID=2256022334193078338" style="color: #660000; text-decoration-line: none;" title="Email Post"><img alt="" class="icon-action" src="http://www.blogger.com/img/icon18_email.gif" style="border: 1px solid rgb(0, 0, 0); margin: 0px 0px 0px 0.5em !important; padding: 4px; vertical-align: middle;" /></a></span></span></div><div class="post-footer-line post-footer-line-2"><span class="post-labels"></span></div><div class="post-footer-line post-footer-line-3"></div><div class="post-footer-line post-footer-line-3"><br /></div><div><a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" id="http://communalism.blogspot.in/2017/08/india-triple-talaq-verdict-gender.html" name="India: Triple Talaq Verdict, Gender Justice and RSS Combine | LS Herdenia"><img alt="Bookmark and Share" height="16" src="http://s7.addthis.com/static/btn/lg-share-en.gif" style="border: 0px; padding: 4px;" width="125" /></a></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05247739204754590667noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3441003027486211979.post-43294730054990203142017-08-22T06:30:00.005-07:002017-08-22T06:30:21.088-07:00Spain: Barcelona Attack Was Preventable<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 20.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><a href="https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/10887/barcelona-attack">https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/10887/barcelona-attack</a><o:p></o:p></span></div><h1 style="margin-bottom: 3.75pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 16.8pt;"><span style="font-size: 20pt;"><br /></span></h1><h1 style="margin-bottom: 3.75pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 16.8pt;"><span style="color: red; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;">Spain:<br />
Barcelona Attack Was Preventable</span></h1><h1 style="margin-bottom: 3.75pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 16.8pt;"><span style="font-size: 20.0pt; font-weight: normal;"><br /></span></h1><h1 style="margin-bottom: 3.75pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 16.8pt;"><span style="font-size: 20.0pt; font-weight: normal;">by <a href="https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/author/Soeren+Kern"><span style="color: #da5724; text-decoration-line: none;"><span itemprop="author">Soeren<br />
Kern</span></span></a>August 22, 2017 at 5:00 am</span><span style="font-size: 20.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></h1><div class="nocontent" style="margin-bottom: 7.5pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><b><span style="font-size: 20.0pt;"><br /></span></b></div><div class="nocontent" style="margin-bottom: 7.5pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><b><span style="font-size: 20.0pt;"><span style="color: #da5724; text-decoration-line: none;"><a href="https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/10887/barcelona-attack">https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/10887/barcelona-attack</a></span></span></b><span style="font-size: 20.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><table border="1" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="MsoNormalTable" id="links" style="border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1pt; border-image: initial; border-left: none; border-right: none; border-top: none;"> <tbody>
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</tbody></table><div style="background: white; border-bottom: dotted #DA0026 1.5pt; border: none; margin-left: .25in; margin-right: 0in; mso-element: para-border-div; padding: 0in 0in 0in 0in;"><br />
<div style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: none; margin-left: 0.25in; padding: 0in; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 10pt;"><br /></span></div><div style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: none; margin-left: 0.25in; padding: 0in; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 10pt;"><br /></span></div><div style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: none; margin-left: 0.25in; padding: 0in; text-indent: -0.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 10pt;">§<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 20pt;">The measures to place bollards or planters in public<br />
areas were never implemented in Barcelona because the leaders of the Catalan<br />
independence movement did not want to be seen as taking orders from the central<br />
government in Madrid.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: none; margin-left: 0.25in; padding: 0in; text-indent: -0.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 10pt;">§<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 20pt;">Far more difficult to explain is why no one reported<br />
suspicious activity at the chalet.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: none; margin-left: 0.25in; padding: 0in; text-indent: -0.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 10pt;">§<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 20pt;">Although some Catalans are having second thoughts about<br />
the wisdom of promoting Muslim mass immigration as a strategy to achieve<br />
Catalan independence, at least 10,000 Catalans with links to the separatist<br />
movement have actually converted to Islam in recent years..<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: none; margin-left: 0.25in; padding: 0in; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 20pt;"><br /></span></div></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 20pt;"><br /></span></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 20pt;">As details emerge of the August 17 jihadist attack in Barcelona,<br />
the evidence points to one overarching conclusion: the carnage could have been<br />
prevented if a series of red flags had not been either missed or ignored.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 20pt;"><br /></span></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 20pt;">The failure to heed intelligence warnings, enhance physical<br />
security and report suspicious activity are all factors that facilitated the<br />
attack, which had been in the planning stage for more than six months.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 20pt;"><br /></span></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 20pt;">The attack was also enabled by the idiosyncrasies of Spanish<br />
politics, especially the tensions that exist between the central government and<br />
the leaders of the independence movement in Catalonia, the autonomous region of<br />
which Barcelona is the capital.<o:p></o:p></span></div><h3 style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 20pt;">Failure to Install Bollards on Las Ramblas<o:p></o:p></span></h3><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 20pt;">The Barcelona attack could have been prevented had municipal<br />
officials complied with an order to install bollards, vertical poles designed<br />
to prevent car ramming attacks, on the Rambla, the city's main tourist<br />
thoroughfare.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 20pt;"><br /></span></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 20pt;">On December 20, 2016, one day after a Tunisian jihadist drove a<br />
truck into a Christmas market in Berlin, killing 12 people and injuring 56,<br />
Spanish National Police <a href="http://www.elperiodico.com/es/politica/20170819/por-que-no-hay-bolardos-en-la-rambla-de-barcelona-6233473" target="_blank"><span style="color: #da5724; text-decoration-line: none;">issued</span></a> a circular ordering all central, regional and<br />
municipal police departments in Spain to "implement physical security<br />
measures to protect public spaces" to prevent jihadist attacks "in<br />
places with high numbers of people." The circular advised:<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 20pt;"><br /></span></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 20pt;">"Municipalities should protect these public spaces by<br />
temporarily installing large planters or bollards at access points to hinder or<br />
prevent the entry of vehicles."<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 20pt;"><br /></span></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 20pt;">The measures were never implemented in Barcelona because the<br />
leaders of the Catalan independence movement did not want to be seen as taking<br />
orders from the central government in Madrid.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 20pt;"><br /></span></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 20pt;">After receiving the directive, Catalan autonomous police, known as<br />
the Mossos d'Esquadra, <a href="http://www.elperiodico.com/es/internacional/20161221/los-mossos-se-desmarcan-del-ministerio-en-la-proteccion-de-multitudes-5705536" target="_blank"><span style="color: #da5724; text-decoration-line: none;">accused</span></a> the central government of "alarmism"<br />
and insisted that it would not order municipalities in Catalonia to implement<br />
this "indiscriminate measure." The Mossos also claimed to have the<br />
jihadist threat under control, that local police were trained to "detect<br />
symptoms or radicalization," and that there were "no concrete<br />
threats."<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 20pt;"><br /></span></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 20pt;">After the Barcelona attack, Deputy Mayor Gerardo Pisarello <a href="http://www.elperiodico.com/es/politica/20170819/por-que-no-hay-bolardos-en-la-rambla-de-barcelona-6233473" target="_blank"><span style="color: #da5724; text-decoration-line: none;">blamed</span></a> the absence of bollards on the Catalan Interior<br />
Ministry. "The City of Barcelona has never refused to install bollards.<br />
Whenever it has been requested, we have done so," Pisarello said. Ada<br />
Colau, Barcelona's leftwing mayor, however, has repeatedly refused to<br />
"fill Barcelona with barriers," insisting that it must remain "a<br />
city of liberty."<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="background: white;"><i><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 20pt;">El Periódico de Catalunya</span></i><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 20pt;">, a paper based in<br />
Barcelona, <a href="http://www.elperiodico.com/es/internacional/20151116/cinco-claves-que-explican-por-que-catalunya-es-tan-vulnerable-a-un-ataque-yihadista-4677142" target="_blank"><span style="color: #da5724; text-decoration-line: none;">elaborated</span></a>:<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 20pt;"><br /></span></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 20pt;">"The total absence of police collaboration between the Mossos<br />
d'Esquadra, which is the police force deployed on the ground, and the National<br />
Police and the Civil Guard translates into huge security deficiencies. The<br />
relationship between police forces — influenced by the political situation — is<br />
terrible and, in the case of the Mossos and the National Police, it is open<br />
war.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 20pt;"><br /></span></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 20pt;">"The result is that the information services of the Mossos,<br />
on the one hand, and those of the National Police and the Civil Guard, on the<br />
other, do not exchange information. The cooperation is reduced to the personal<br />
relationships of individual agents who, without the knowledge of their<br />
superiors, exchange information and put safety first."<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 20pt;"><br /></span></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 20pt;">On August 19, hours after the jihadist attack in Barcelona,<br />
Spanish Interior Minister Juan Ignacio Zoido <a href="http://www.elperiodico.com/es/politica/20170819/por-que-no-hay-bolardos-en-la-rambla-de-barcelona-6233473" target="_blank"><span style="color: #da5724; text-decoration-line: none;">repeated</span></a> that it would be "appropriate" for all<br />
municipalities to comply with the December circular. His ministry issued a new<br />
letter calling on municipalities to install safety measures in the neuralgic<br />
points of cities. It remains to be seen if Catalan officials will now implement<br />
the recommendations.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 20pt;"><br /></span></div><div style="background: white;"><img src="https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/pics/2717.jpg" /></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 20pt;"><br /></span></div><div align="center"><br />
<table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="MsoNormalTable" style="max-width: 600px; mso-cellspacing: 0in; mso-padding-alt: 0in 0in 0in 0in; mso-yfti-tbllook: 1184;"> <tbody>
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<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 20.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-no-proof: yes;"><!--[if gte vml 1]><v:shape id="Picture_x0020_4" o:spid="_x0000_i1025"
type="#_x0000_t75" alt="https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/pics/2717.jpg"
style='width:450pt;height:300pt;visibility:visible;mso-wrap-style:square'><br />
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</v:shape><![endif]--><!--[if !vml]--><!--[endif]--></span><span style="font-size: 20.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 3.0pt; margin-left: 4.5pt; margin-right: 4.5pt; margin-top: 3.0pt;"><i><span style="font-size: 20.0pt;">Too little, too late.</span></i><span style="font-size: 20.0pt;"><br /><br />
Police officers line the street on Las Ramblas on August 18, 2017, near the<br />
scene of the previous day's terrorist attack in Barcelona, Spain. (Photo by<br />
Carl Court/Getty Images)<o:p></o:p></span></div></td>
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</tbody></table></div><h3 style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 20pt;">Failure to Heed Warnings<o:p></o:p></span></h3><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 20pt;">In June, the CIA reportedly warned Catalan police that Barcelona<br />
was being targeted by jihadists: "Two months ago the Central Intelligence<br />
Agency warned Catalan police of a threat to Las Ramblas," <a href="http://www.elperiodico.com/es/politica/20170817/cia-aviso-riesgo-atentado-ramblas-barcelona-6228987" target="_blank"><span style="color: #da5724; text-decoration-line: none;">according</span></a> to <i>El Periódico</i>.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 20pt;"><br /></span></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 20pt;">Additionally, on June 30, two weeks before the Barcelona attack, a<br />
Twitter account associated with the Islamic State <a href="http://www.elperiodico.com/es/politica/20170817/cia-aviso-riesgo-atentado-ramblas-barcelona-6228987" target="_blank"><span style="color: #da5724; text-decoration-line: none;">warned</span></a> of an impending attack against <i>al-Ándalus</i>,<br />
the Arabic name given to those parts of Spain, Portugal and France occupied by<br />
Muslim conquerors from 711 to 1492. Many jihadists believe that territories<br />
Muslims lost during the Christian Reconquest of Spain still belong to the realm<br />
of Islam and that Islamic law gives them the right to re-establish Muslim rule<br />
there.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 20pt;"><br /></span></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 20pt;">It remains unclear why Catalan authorities failed to increase<br />
security in light of the warnings and threats.<i> El Periódico</i> <a href="http://www.elperiodico.com/es/internacional/20151116/cinco-claves-que-explican-por-que-catalunya-es-tan-vulnerable-a-un-ataque-yihadista-4677142" target="_blank"><span style="color: #da5724; text-decoration-line: none;">wrote</span></a>:<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 20pt;"><br /></span></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 20pt;">"In recent years Barcelona has become a city known all over<br />
the planet. Both because of its attraction as a tourist destination and because<br />
of the media impact of the Barça football club, the Catalan capital is a world<br />
icon. In the eyes of the jihadists, that makes it a priority objective, as they<br />
seek to attack sites that generate a great impact at the international level.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 20pt;"><br /></span></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 20pt;">However, neither the authorities nor the citizens seems to have<br />
realized that their city is on the same list of targets as other major cities<br />
such as New York, Paris, London or Madrid."<o:p></o:p></span></div><h3 style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 20pt;">Failure to Report Suspicious Activity<o:p></o:p></span></h3><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 20pt;">The jihadists <a href="https://www.elconfidencial.com/espana/cataluna/2017-08-21/atentado-barcelona-y-cambrils-bombonas-de-butano-con-dinero-y-joyas_1431388/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #da5724; text-decoration-line: none;">prepared</span></a> for the Barcelona attack at a chalet in the<br />
beachfront town of Alcanar, situated 200 kilometers (120 miles) south of<br />
Barcelona. A year ago, the terror cell "occupied" the property, which<br />
was foreclosed and had been vacant. Squatters are protected by Spanish law, so<br />
it is <a href="http://suitelife.com/blog/barcelona-real-estate/okupa-movement-barcelona/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #da5724; text-decoration-line: none;">common</span></a> for youth in Catalonia to take over vacant<br />
properties. This may explain why neighbors did not contact the police.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 20pt;"><br /></span></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 20pt;">Far more difficult to explain is why no one reported suspicious<br />
activity at the chalet. During the course of several months, the jihadists<br />
collected more than 100 large gas canisters, which investigators believe were<br />
to be used as car bombs. An explosion on August 16, the night before the<br />
Barcelona attack, leveled the property.</span></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 20pt;"><br /></span></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 20pt;">Investigators later found traces of the<br />
explosive triacetone triperoxide (TATP), also known as the "Mother of<br />
Satan," a substance widely used by members of the Islamic State in Europe.<o:p></o:p></span></div><h3 style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 20pt;">Failure to Follow-Up on Leads<o:p></o:p></span></h3><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 20pt;">Police found the remains of at least two people in the rubble of<br />
the Alcanar chalet. The head of the Mossos d'Esquadra, Josep Lluís<br />
Trapero, <a href="http://www.abc.es/espana/catalunya/abci-mossos-tienen-indicios-solidos-iman-ripoll-murio-alcanar-201708211404_noticia.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #da5724; text-decoration-line: none;">confirmed</span></a> that one of the bodies was that of Abdelbaki<br />
Es-Satti, a Muslim cleric who is suspected of organizing the terror cell and<br />
radicalizing its members.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 20pt;"><br /></span></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 20pt;">Es-Satti, a Moroccan national who lived in the Catalan town of<br />
Ripoll, served in a local mosque. He was a convicted drug trafficker who had<br />
spent four years at a prison in Valencia, where he is believed to have met<br />
Rachid Aglif, known as "The Rabbit," one of the main plotters of the<br />
2004 Madrid bomb attacks that killed 192 people and wounded 2,000. Police are<br />
now looking into whether Es-Satti was involved in the ISIS attacks on the<br />
Brussels airport and metro in 2016.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 20pt;"><br /></span></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 20pt;">Ali Yassine, the director of the mosque in Ripoll, said that he<br />
had reported Es-Satti to local police more than a year ago as part of a<br />
security protocol to monitor Muslim preachers. Authorities did not place him on<br />
a watch list, however, even though he had been convicted of trafficking drugs<br />
and violating Spanish immigration laws.<o:p></o:p></span></div><h3 style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 20pt;">Catalan Migration Policy Fuels Radicalization<o:p></o:p></span></h3><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 20pt;">Catalonia not only has the highest Muslim population in Spain, it<br />
is also one of the most Islamized regions of the country. Catalonia has 7.5<br />
million inhabitants, including an <a href="http://www.abc.es/espana/abci-mapa-islam-espana-300000-musulmanes-mas-ultimos-cinco-anos-y-1400-centros-culto-201604102314_noticia.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #da5724; text-decoration-line: none;">estimated</span></a>510,000 Muslims, who account for around 7% of the<br />
total Catalan population. In some Catalan towns, however, the Muslim population<br />
is above 40% of the overall population.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 20pt;"><br /></span></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 20pt;">In his book "Jihadism: The Radical Islamic Threat to<br />
Catalonia," Catalan terrorism analyst Jofre Montoto <a href="http://www.angleeditorial.com/Gihadisme-214" target="_blank"><span style="color: #da5724; text-decoration-line: none;">estimates</span></a> that<br />
at least 10% of the Muslims in Catalonia are "radicals" who are<br />
hardcore believers in the "doctrine of jihadism."<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 20pt;"><br /></span></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 20pt;">A five-page diplomatic cable, dated October 2, 2007, <a href="https://elpais.com/internacional/2010/12/11/actualidad/1292022007_850215.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #da5724; text-decoration-line: none;">described</span></a> the link between mass immigration to Catalonia<br />
and the rise of radical Islam in the region:<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 20pt;"><br /></span></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 20pt;">"Heavy immigration — both legal and illegal — from North<br />
Africa (Morocco, Tunisia, and Algeria) and Southeast Asia (Pakistan and<br />
Bangladesh) has made Catalonia a magnet for terrorist recruiters. ... The<br />
Spanish National Police estimates that there may be upwards of 60,000<br />
Pakistanis living in Barcelona and the surrounding area; the vast majority are<br />
male, unmarried or unaccompanied, and without legal documentation. There are<br />
even more such immigrants from North Africa. ... They live on the edges of<br />
Spanish society, they do not speak the language, they are often unemployed, and<br />
they have very few places to practice their religion with dignity. ... Individually,<br />
these circumstances would provide fertile ground for terrorist recruitment;<br />
taken together, the threat is clear....<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 20pt;"><br /></span></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 20pt;">"There is little doubt that the autonomous region of<br />
Catalonia has become a prime base of operations for terrorist activity. Spanish<br />
authorities tell us they fear the threat from these atomized immigrant<br />
communities prone to radicalism, but they have very little intelligence on or<br />
ability to penetrate these groups."<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 20pt;"><br /></span></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 20pt;">Many of Catalonia's problems with radical Islam are<br />
self-inflicted. In an effort to promote Catalan nationalism and the Catalan<br />
language, Catalonian pro-independence parties have deliberately promoted<br />
immigration from Arabic-speaking Muslim countries for more than three decades,<br />
in the belief that these immigrants (unlike those from Latin America) would<br />
learn the Catalan language rather than speak Spanish.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 20pt;">Although some Catalans are having second thoughts about the wisdom<br />
of promoting Muslim mass immigration as a strategy to achieve Catalan<br />
independence, at least 10,000 Catalans with links to the separatist movement<br />
have actually converted to Islam in recent years.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 20pt;"><br /></span></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 20pt;">It is believed that two out of every ten Catalan radicals who<br />
belong to the Republican Left of Catalonia (ERC), a far-left political party,<br />
are converts to Islam.</span></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 20pt;"><br /></span></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 20pt;"> The ERC, which now governs Catalonia, has<br />
vehemently <a href="https://intereconomia.com/economia/politica/pedcar-cdc-erc-se-negaron-firmar-pacto-terrorismo-yihadista-ha-dejado-13-muertos-100-heridos-barcelona-20170818-0149/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #da5724; text-decoration-line: none;">refused</span></a> to sign a cooperation agreement with the central<br />
government in Madrid to fight jihadist terrorism.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 20pt;"><br /></span></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 20pt;"><a href="http://www.soerenkern.com/" target="_blank"><i><span style="color: #da5724; text-decoration-line: none;">Soeren Kern</span></i></a><i> is<br />
a Senior Fellow at the New York-based</i> <a href="http://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/" target="_blank"><i><span style="color: #da5724; text-decoration-line: none;">Gatestone<br />
Institute</span></i></a><o:p></o:p></span></div><ul type="square"><li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><i><span style="background: white; font-family: "Helvetica","sans-serif"; font-size: 20.0pt;">Follow Soeren Kern on <a href="https://twitter.com/SoerenKern"><span style="color: #da5724; text-decoration-line: none;">Twitter</span></a> and <a href="https://www.facebook.com/Soeren.Kern"><span style="color: #da5724; text-decoration-line: none;">Facebook</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></i></li>
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<div align="center" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: none; padding: 0in; text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 20pt;">© 2017 Gatestone Institute. All rights reserved.</span></i><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 20pt;"> The<br />
articles printed here do not necessarily reflect the views of the Editors or of<br />
Gatestone Institute. No part of the Gatestone website or any of its contents<br />
may be reproduced, copied or modified, without the prior written consent of<br />
Gatestone Institute.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div align="center" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: none; padding: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 20pt;">---</span></div><div align="center" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: none; padding: 0in; text-align: center;"><img alt="Catalonia location on the Spain map" src="http://ontheworldmap.com/spain/autonomous-community/catalonia/catalonia-location-on-the-spain-map-max.jpg" /></div></div><br /><br />
<div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05247739204754590667noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3441003027486211979.post-53662488386868857392017-08-22T06:30:00.003-07:002017-08-22T06:30:18.828-07:00Spain: Barcelona Attack Was Preventable<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 20.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><a href="https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/10887/barcelona-attack">https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/10887/barcelona-attack</a><o:p></o:p></span></div><h1 style="margin-bottom: 3.75pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 16.8pt;"><span style="font-size: 20pt;"><br /></span></h1><h1 style="margin-bottom: 3.75pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 16.8pt;"><span style="color: red; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;">Spain:<br />
Barcelona Attack Was Preventable</span></h1><h1 style="margin-bottom: 3.75pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 16.8pt;"><span style="font-size: 20.0pt; font-weight: normal;"><br /></span></h1><h1 style="margin-bottom: 3.75pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 16.8pt;"><span style="font-size: 20.0pt; font-weight: normal;">by <a href="https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/author/Soeren+Kern"><span style="color: #da5724; text-decoration-line: none;"><span itemprop="author">Soeren<br />
Kern</span></span></a>August 22, 2017 at 5:00 am</span><span style="font-size: 20.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></h1><div class="nocontent" style="margin-bottom: 7.5pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><b><span style="font-size: 20.0pt;"><br /></span></b></div><div class="nocontent" style="margin-bottom: 7.5pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><b><span style="font-size: 20.0pt;"><span style="color: #da5724; text-decoration-line: none;"><a href="https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/10887/barcelona-attack">https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/10887/barcelona-attack</a></span></span></b><span style="font-size: 20.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><table border="1" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="MsoNormalTable" id="links" style="border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1pt; border-image: initial; border-left: none; border-right: none; border-top: none;"> <tbody>
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</tbody></table><div style="background: white; border-bottom: dotted #DA0026 1.5pt; border: none; margin-left: .25in; margin-right: 0in; mso-element: para-border-div; padding: 0in 0in 0in 0in;"><br />
<div style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: none; margin-left: 0.25in; padding: 0in; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 10pt;"><br /></span></div><div style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: none; margin-left: 0.25in; padding: 0in; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 10pt;"><br /></span></div><div style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: none; margin-left: 0.25in; padding: 0in; text-indent: -0.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 10pt;">§<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 20pt;">The measures to place bollards or planters in public<br />
areas were never implemented in Barcelona because the leaders of the Catalan<br />
independence movement did not want to be seen as taking orders from the central<br />
government in Madrid.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: none; margin-left: 0.25in; padding: 0in; text-indent: -0.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 10pt;">§<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 20pt;">Far more difficult to explain is why no one reported<br />
suspicious activity at the chalet.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: none; margin-left: 0.25in; padding: 0in; text-indent: -0.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 10pt;">§<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 20pt;">Although some Catalans are having second thoughts about<br />
the wisdom of promoting Muslim mass immigration as a strategy to achieve<br />
Catalan independence, at least 10,000 Catalans with links to the separatist<br />
movement have actually converted to Islam in recent years..<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: none; margin-left: 0.25in; padding: 0in; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 20pt;"><br /></span></div></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 20pt;"><br /></span></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 20pt;">As details emerge of the August 17 jihadist attack in Barcelona,<br />
the evidence points to one overarching conclusion: the carnage could have been<br />
prevented if a series of red flags had not been either missed or ignored.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 20pt;"><br /></span></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 20pt;">The failure to heed intelligence warnings, enhance physical<br />
security and report suspicious activity are all factors that facilitated the<br />
attack, which had been in the planning stage for more than six months.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 20pt;"><br /></span></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 20pt;">The attack was also enabled by the idiosyncrasies of Spanish<br />
politics, especially the tensions that exist between the central government and<br />
the leaders of the independence movement in Catalonia, the autonomous region of<br />
which Barcelona is the capital.<o:p></o:p></span></div><h3 style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 20pt;">Failure to Install Bollards on Las Ramblas<o:p></o:p></span></h3><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 20pt;">The Barcelona attack could have been prevented had municipal<br />
officials complied with an order to install bollards, vertical poles designed<br />
to prevent car ramming attacks, on the Rambla, the city's main tourist<br />
thoroughfare.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 20pt;"><br /></span></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 20pt;">On December 20, 2016, one day after a Tunisian jihadist drove a<br />
truck into a Christmas market in Berlin, killing 12 people and injuring 56,<br />
Spanish National Police <a href="http://www.elperiodico.com/es/politica/20170819/por-que-no-hay-bolardos-en-la-rambla-de-barcelona-6233473" target="_blank"><span style="color: #da5724; text-decoration-line: none;">issued</span></a> a circular ordering all central, regional and<br />
municipal police departments in Spain to "implement physical security<br />
measures to protect public spaces" to prevent jihadist attacks "in<br />
places with high numbers of people." The circular advised:<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 20pt;"><br /></span></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 20pt;">"Municipalities should protect these public spaces by<br />
temporarily installing large planters or bollards at access points to hinder or<br />
prevent the entry of vehicles."<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 20pt;"><br /></span></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 20pt;">The measures were never implemented in Barcelona because the<br />
leaders of the Catalan independence movement did not want to be seen as taking<br />
orders from the central government in Madrid.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 20pt;"><br /></span></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 20pt;">After receiving the directive, Catalan autonomous police, known as<br />
the Mossos d'Esquadra, <a href="http://www.elperiodico.com/es/internacional/20161221/los-mossos-se-desmarcan-del-ministerio-en-la-proteccion-de-multitudes-5705536" target="_blank"><span style="color: #da5724; text-decoration-line: none;">accused</span></a> the central government of "alarmism"<br />
and insisted that it would not order municipalities in Catalonia to implement<br />
this "indiscriminate measure." The Mossos also claimed to have the<br />
jihadist threat under control, that local police were trained to "detect<br />
symptoms or radicalization," and that there were "no concrete<br />
threats."<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 20pt;"><br /></span></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 20pt;">After the Barcelona attack, Deputy Mayor Gerardo Pisarello <a href="http://www.elperiodico.com/es/politica/20170819/por-que-no-hay-bolardos-en-la-rambla-de-barcelona-6233473" target="_blank"><span style="color: #da5724; text-decoration-line: none;">blamed</span></a> the absence of bollards on the Catalan Interior<br />
Ministry. "The City of Barcelona has never refused to install bollards.<br />
Whenever it has been requested, we have done so," Pisarello said. Ada<br />
Colau, Barcelona's leftwing mayor, however, has repeatedly refused to<br />
"fill Barcelona with barriers," insisting that it must remain "a<br />
city of liberty."<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="background: white;"><i><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 20pt;">El Periódico de Catalunya</span></i><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 20pt;">, a paper based in<br />
Barcelona, <a href="http://www.elperiodico.com/es/internacional/20151116/cinco-claves-que-explican-por-que-catalunya-es-tan-vulnerable-a-un-ataque-yihadista-4677142" target="_blank"><span style="color: #da5724; text-decoration-line: none;">elaborated</span></a>:<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 20pt;"><br /></span></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 20pt;">"The total absence of police collaboration between the Mossos<br />
d'Esquadra, which is the police force deployed on the ground, and the National<br />
Police and the Civil Guard translates into huge security deficiencies. The<br />
relationship between police forces — influenced by the political situation — is<br />
terrible and, in the case of the Mossos and the National Police, it is open<br />
war.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 20pt;"><br /></span></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 20pt;">"The result is that the information services of the Mossos,<br />
on the one hand, and those of the National Police and the Civil Guard, on the<br />
other, do not exchange information. The cooperation is reduced to the personal<br />
relationships of individual agents who, without the knowledge of their<br />
superiors, exchange information and put safety first."<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 20pt;"><br /></span></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 20pt;">On August 19, hours after the jihadist attack in Barcelona,<br />
Spanish Interior Minister Juan Ignacio Zoido <a href="http://www.elperiodico.com/es/politica/20170819/por-que-no-hay-bolardos-en-la-rambla-de-barcelona-6233473" target="_blank"><span style="color: #da5724; text-decoration-line: none;">repeated</span></a> that it would be "appropriate" for all<br />
municipalities to comply with the December circular. His ministry issued a new<br />
letter calling on municipalities to install safety measures in the neuralgic<br />
points of cities. It remains to be seen if Catalan officials will now implement<br />
the recommendations.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 20pt;"><br /></span></div><div style="background: white;"><img src="https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/pics/2717.jpg" /></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 20pt;"><br /></span></div><div align="center"><br />
<table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="MsoNormalTable" style="max-width: 600px; mso-cellspacing: 0in; mso-padding-alt: 0in 0in 0in 0in; mso-yfti-tbllook: 1184;"> <tbody>
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<td style="border: solid black 1.0pt; max-width: 600px; mso-border-alt: solid black .75pt; padding: 0in 0in 0in 0in;" valign="top"><br />
<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 20.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-no-proof: yes;"><!--[if gte vml 1]><v:shape id="Picture_x0020_4" o:spid="_x0000_i1025"
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style='width:450pt;height:300pt;visibility:visible;mso-wrap-style:square'><br />
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</v:shape><![endif]--><!--[if !vml]--><!--[endif]--></span><span style="font-size: 20.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 3.0pt; margin-left: 4.5pt; margin-right: 4.5pt; margin-top: 3.0pt;"><i><span style="font-size: 20.0pt;">Too little, too late.</span></i><span style="font-size: 20.0pt;"><br /><br />
Police officers line the street on Las Ramblas on August 18, 2017, near the<br />
scene of the previous day's terrorist attack in Barcelona, Spain. (Photo by<br />
Carl Court/Getty Images)<o:p></o:p></span></div></td>
</tr>
</tbody></table></div><h3 style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 20pt;">Failure to Heed Warnings<o:p></o:p></span></h3><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 20pt;">In June, the CIA reportedly warned Catalan police that Barcelona<br />
was being targeted by jihadists: "Two months ago the Central Intelligence<br />
Agency warned Catalan police of a threat to Las Ramblas," <a href="http://www.elperiodico.com/es/politica/20170817/cia-aviso-riesgo-atentado-ramblas-barcelona-6228987" target="_blank"><span style="color: #da5724; text-decoration-line: none;">according</span></a> to <i>El Periódico</i>.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 20pt;"><br /></span></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 20pt;">Additionally, on June 30, two weeks before the Barcelona attack, a<br />
Twitter account associated with the Islamic State <a href="http://www.elperiodico.com/es/politica/20170817/cia-aviso-riesgo-atentado-ramblas-barcelona-6228987" target="_blank"><span style="color: #da5724; text-decoration-line: none;">warned</span></a> of an impending attack against <i>al-Ándalus</i>,<br />
the Arabic name given to those parts of Spain, Portugal and France occupied by<br />
Muslim conquerors from 711 to 1492. Many jihadists believe that territories<br />
Muslims lost during the Christian Reconquest of Spain still belong to the realm<br />
of Islam and that Islamic law gives them the right to re-establish Muslim rule<br />
there.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 20pt;"><br /></span></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 20pt;">It remains unclear why Catalan authorities failed to increase<br />
security in light of the warnings and threats.<i> El Periódico</i> <a href="http://www.elperiodico.com/es/internacional/20151116/cinco-claves-que-explican-por-que-catalunya-es-tan-vulnerable-a-un-ataque-yihadista-4677142" target="_blank"><span style="color: #da5724; text-decoration-line: none;">wrote</span></a>:<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 20pt;"><br /></span></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 20pt;">"In recent years Barcelona has become a city known all over<br />
the planet. Both because of its attraction as a tourist destination and because<br />
of the media impact of the Barça football club, the Catalan capital is a world<br />
icon. In the eyes of the jihadists, that makes it a priority objective, as they<br />
seek to attack sites that generate a great impact at the international level.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 20pt;"><br /></span></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 20pt;">However, neither the authorities nor the citizens seems to have<br />
realized that their city is on the same list of targets as other major cities<br />
such as New York, Paris, London or Madrid."<o:p></o:p></span></div><h3 style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 20pt;">Failure to Report Suspicious Activity<o:p></o:p></span></h3><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 20pt;">The jihadists <a href="https://www.elconfidencial.com/espana/cataluna/2017-08-21/atentado-barcelona-y-cambrils-bombonas-de-butano-con-dinero-y-joyas_1431388/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #da5724; text-decoration-line: none;">prepared</span></a> for the Barcelona attack at a chalet in the<br />
beachfront town of Alcanar, situated 200 kilometers (120 miles) south of<br />
Barcelona. A year ago, the terror cell "occupied" the property, which<br />
was foreclosed and had been vacant. Squatters are protected by Spanish law, so<br />
it is <a href="http://suitelife.com/blog/barcelona-real-estate/okupa-movement-barcelona/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #da5724; text-decoration-line: none;">common</span></a> for youth in Catalonia to take over vacant<br />
properties. This may explain why neighbors did not contact the police.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 20pt;"><br /></span></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 20pt;">Far more difficult to explain is why no one reported suspicious<br />
activity at the chalet. During the course of several months, the jihadists<br />
collected more than 100 large gas canisters, which investigators believe were<br />
to be used as car bombs. An explosion on August 16, the night before the<br />
Barcelona attack, leveled the property.</span></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 20pt;"><br /></span></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 20pt;">Investigators later found traces of the<br />
explosive triacetone triperoxide (TATP), also known as the "Mother of<br />
Satan," a substance widely used by members of the Islamic State in Europe.<o:p></o:p></span></div><h3 style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 20pt;">Failure to Follow-Up on Leads<o:p></o:p></span></h3><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 20pt;">Police found the remains of at least two people in the rubble of<br />
the Alcanar chalet. The head of the Mossos d'Esquadra, Josep Lluís<br />
Trapero, <a href="http://www.abc.es/espana/catalunya/abci-mossos-tienen-indicios-solidos-iman-ripoll-murio-alcanar-201708211404_noticia.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #da5724; text-decoration-line: none;">confirmed</span></a> that one of the bodies was that of Abdelbaki<br />
Es-Satti, a Muslim cleric who is suspected of organizing the terror cell and<br />
radicalizing its members.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 20pt;"><br /></span></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 20pt;">Es-Satti, a Moroccan national who lived in the Catalan town of<br />
Ripoll, served in a local mosque. He was a convicted drug trafficker who had<br />
spent four years at a prison in Valencia, where he is believed to have met<br />
Rachid Aglif, known as "The Rabbit," one of the main plotters of the<br />
2004 Madrid bomb attacks that killed 192 people and wounded 2,000. Police are<br />
now looking into whether Es-Satti was involved in the ISIS attacks on the<br />
Brussels airport and metro in 2016.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 20pt;"><br /></span></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 20pt;">Ali Yassine, the director of the mosque in Ripoll, said that he<br />
had reported Es-Satti to local police more than a year ago as part of a<br />
security protocol to monitor Muslim preachers. Authorities did not place him on<br />
a watch list, however, even though he had been convicted of trafficking drugs<br />
and violating Spanish immigration laws.<o:p></o:p></span></div><h3 style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 20pt;">Catalan Migration Policy Fuels Radicalization<o:p></o:p></span></h3><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 20pt;">Catalonia not only has the highest Muslim population in Spain, it<br />
is also one of the most Islamized regions of the country. Catalonia has 7.5<br />
million inhabitants, including an <a href="http://www.abc.es/espana/abci-mapa-islam-espana-300000-musulmanes-mas-ultimos-cinco-anos-y-1400-centros-culto-201604102314_noticia.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #da5724; text-decoration-line: none;">estimated</span></a>510,000 Muslims, who account for around 7% of the<br />
total Catalan population. In some Catalan towns, however, the Muslim population<br />
is above 40% of the overall population.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 20pt;"><br /></span></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 20pt;">In his book "Jihadism: The Radical Islamic Threat to<br />
Catalonia," Catalan terrorism analyst Jofre Montoto <a href="http://www.angleeditorial.com/Gihadisme-214" target="_blank"><span style="color: #da5724; text-decoration-line: none;">estimates</span></a> that<br />
at least 10% of the Muslims in Catalonia are "radicals" who are<br />
hardcore believers in the "doctrine of jihadism."<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 20pt;"><br /></span></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 20pt;">A five-page diplomatic cable, dated October 2, 2007, <a href="https://elpais.com/internacional/2010/12/11/actualidad/1292022007_850215.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #da5724; text-decoration-line: none;">described</span></a> the link between mass immigration to Catalonia<br />
and the rise of radical Islam in the region:<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 20pt;"><br /></span></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 20pt;">"Heavy immigration — both legal and illegal — from North<br />
Africa (Morocco, Tunisia, and Algeria) and Southeast Asia (Pakistan and<br />
Bangladesh) has made Catalonia a magnet for terrorist recruiters. ... The<br />
Spanish National Police estimates that there may be upwards of 60,000<br />
Pakistanis living in Barcelona and the surrounding area; the vast majority are<br />
male, unmarried or unaccompanied, and without legal documentation. There are<br />
even more such immigrants from North Africa. ... They live on the edges of<br />
Spanish society, they do not speak the language, they are often unemployed, and<br />
they have very few places to practice their religion with dignity. ... Individually,<br />
these circumstances would provide fertile ground for terrorist recruitment;<br />
taken together, the threat is clear....<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 20pt;"><br /></span></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 20pt;">"There is little doubt that the autonomous region of<br />
Catalonia has become a prime base of operations for terrorist activity. Spanish<br />
authorities tell us they fear the threat from these atomized immigrant<br />
communities prone to radicalism, but they have very little intelligence on or<br />
ability to penetrate these groups."<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 20pt;"><br /></span></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 20pt;">Many of Catalonia's problems with radical Islam are<br />
self-inflicted. In an effort to promote Catalan nationalism and the Catalan<br />
language, Catalonian pro-independence parties have deliberately promoted<br />
immigration from Arabic-speaking Muslim countries for more than three decades,<br />
in the belief that these immigrants (unlike those from Latin America) would<br />
learn the Catalan language rather than speak Spanish.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 20pt;">Although some Catalans are having second thoughts about the wisdom<br />
of promoting Muslim mass immigration as a strategy to achieve Catalan<br />
independence, at least 10,000 Catalans with links to the separatist movement<br />
have actually converted to Islam in recent years.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 20pt;"><br /></span></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 20pt;">It is believed that two out of every ten Catalan radicals who<br />
belong to the Republican Left of Catalonia (ERC), a far-left political party,<br />
are converts to Islam.</span></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 20pt;"><br /></span></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 20pt;"> The ERC, which now governs Catalonia, has<br />
vehemently <a href="https://intereconomia.com/economia/politica/pedcar-cdc-erc-se-negaron-firmar-pacto-terrorismo-yihadista-ha-dejado-13-muertos-100-heridos-barcelona-20170818-0149/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #da5724; text-decoration-line: none;">refused</span></a> to sign a cooperation agreement with the central<br />
government in Madrid to fight jihadist terrorism.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 20pt;"><br /></span></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 20pt;"><a href="http://www.soerenkern.com/" target="_blank"><i><span style="color: #da5724; text-decoration-line: none;">Soeren Kern</span></i></a><i> is<br />
a Senior Fellow at the New York-based</i> <a href="http://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/" target="_blank"><i><span style="color: #da5724; text-decoration-line: none;">Gatestone<br />
Institute</span></i></a><o:p></o:p></span></div><ul type="square"><li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><i><span style="background: white; font-family: "Helvetica","sans-serif"; font-size: 20.0pt;">Follow Soeren Kern on <a href="https://twitter.com/SoerenKern"><span style="color: #da5724; text-decoration-line: none;">Twitter</span></a> and <a href="https://www.facebook.com/Soeren.Kern"><span style="color: #da5724; text-decoration-line: none;">Facebook</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></i></li>
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<div align="center" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: none; padding: 0in; text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 20pt;">© 2017 Gatestone Institute. All rights reserved.</span></i><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 20pt;"> The<br />
articles printed here do not necessarily reflect the views of the Editors or of<br />
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may be reproduced, copied or modified, without the prior written consent of<br />
Gatestone Institute.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div align="center" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: none; padding: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 20pt;">---</span></div><div align="center" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: none; padding: 0in; text-align: center;"><img alt="Catalonia location on the Spain map" src="http://ontheworldmap.com/spain/autonomous-community/catalonia/catalonia-location-on-the-spain-map-max.jpg" /></div></div><br /><br />
<div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05247739204754590667noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3441003027486211979.post-42910916007315392722017-08-22T06:30:00.001-07:002017-08-22T06:30:16.396-07:00Spain: Barcelona Attack Was Preventable<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 20.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><a href="https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/10887/barcelona-attack">https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/10887/barcelona-attack</a><o:p></o:p></span></div><h1 style="margin-bottom: 3.75pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 16.8pt;"><span style="font-size: 20pt;"><br /></span></h1><h1 style="margin-bottom: 3.75pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 16.8pt;"><span style="color: red; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;">Spain:<br />
Barcelona Attack Was Preventable</span></h1><h1 style="margin-bottom: 3.75pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 16.8pt;"><span style="font-size: 20.0pt; font-weight: normal;"><br /></span></h1><h1 style="margin-bottom: 3.75pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 16.8pt;"><span style="font-size: 20.0pt; font-weight: normal;">by <a href="https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/author/Soeren+Kern"><span style="color: #da5724; text-decoration-line: none;"><span itemprop="author">Soeren<br />
Kern</span></span></a>August 22, 2017 at 5:00 am</span><span style="font-size: 20.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></h1><div class="nocontent" style="margin-bottom: 7.5pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><b><span style="font-size: 20.0pt;"><br /></span></b></div><div class="nocontent" style="margin-bottom: 7.5pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><b><span style="font-size: 20.0pt;"><span style="color: #da5724; text-decoration-line: none;"><a href="https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/10887/barcelona-attack">https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/10887/barcelona-attack</a></span></span></b><span style="font-size: 20.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><table border="1" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="MsoNormalTable" id="links" style="border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1pt; border-image: initial; border-left: none; border-right: none; border-top: none;"> <tbody>
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</tbody></table><div style="background: white; border-bottom: dotted #DA0026 1.5pt; border: none; margin-left: .25in; margin-right: 0in; mso-element: para-border-div; padding: 0in 0in 0in 0in;"><br />
<div style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: none; margin-left: 0.25in; padding: 0in; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 10pt;"><br /></span></div><div style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: none; margin-left: 0.25in; padding: 0in; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 10pt;"><br /></span></div><div style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: none; margin-left: 0.25in; padding: 0in; text-indent: -0.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 10pt;">§<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 20pt;">The measures to place bollards or planters in public<br />
areas were never implemented in Barcelona because the leaders of the Catalan<br />
independence movement did not want to be seen as taking orders from the central<br />
government in Madrid.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: none; margin-left: 0.25in; padding: 0in; text-indent: -0.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 10pt;">§<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 20pt;">Far more difficult to explain is why no one reported<br />
suspicious activity at the chalet.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: none; margin-left: 0.25in; padding: 0in; text-indent: -0.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 10pt;">§<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 20pt;">Although some Catalans are having second thoughts about<br />
the wisdom of promoting Muslim mass immigration as a strategy to achieve<br />
Catalan independence, at least 10,000 Catalans with links to the separatist<br />
movement have actually converted to Islam in recent years..<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: none; margin-left: 0.25in; padding: 0in; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 20pt;"><br /></span></div></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 20pt;"><br /></span></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 20pt;">As details emerge of the August 17 jihadist attack in Barcelona,<br />
the evidence points to one overarching conclusion: the carnage could have been<br />
prevented if a series of red flags had not been either missed or ignored.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 20pt;"><br /></span></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 20pt;">The failure to heed intelligence warnings, enhance physical<br />
security and report suspicious activity are all factors that facilitated the<br />
attack, which had been in the planning stage for more than six months.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 20pt;"><br /></span></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 20pt;">The attack was also enabled by the idiosyncrasies of Spanish<br />
politics, especially the tensions that exist between the central government and<br />
the leaders of the independence movement in Catalonia, the autonomous region of<br />
which Barcelona is the capital.<o:p></o:p></span></div><h3 style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 20pt;">Failure to Install Bollards on Las Ramblas<o:p></o:p></span></h3><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 20pt;">The Barcelona attack could have been prevented had municipal<br />
officials complied with an order to install bollards, vertical poles designed<br />
to prevent car ramming attacks, on the Rambla, the city's main tourist<br />
thoroughfare.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 20pt;"><br /></span></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 20pt;">On December 20, 2016, one day after a Tunisian jihadist drove a<br />
truck into a Christmas market in Berlin, killing 12 people and injuring 56,<br />
Spanish National Police <a href="http://www.elperiodico.com/es/politica/20170819/por-que-no-hay-bolardos-en-la-rambla-de-barcelona-6233473" target="_blank"><span style="color: #da5724; text-decoration-line: none;">issued</span></a> a circular ordering all central, regional and<br />
municipal police departments in Spain to "implement physical security<br />
measures to protect public spaces" to prevent jihadist attacks "in<br />
places with high numbers of people." The circular advised:<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 20pt;"><br /></span></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 20pt;">"Municipalities should protect these public spaces by<br />
temporarily installing large planters or bollards at access points to hinder or<br />
prevent the entry of vehicles."<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 20pt;"><br /></span></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 20pt;">The measures were never implemented in Barcelona because the<br />
leaders of the Catalan independence movement did not want to be seen as taking<br />
orders from the central government in Madrid.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 20pt;"><br /></span></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 20pt;">After receiving the directive, Catalan autonomous police, known as<br />
the Mossos d'Esquadra, <a href="http://www.elperiodico.com/es/internacional/20161221/los-mossos-se-desmarcan-del-ministerio-en-la-proteccion-de-multitudes-5705536" target="_blank"><span style="color: #da5724; text-decoration-line: none;">accused</span></a> the central government of "alarmism"<br />
and insisted that it would not order municipalities in Catalonia to implement<br />
this "indiscriminate measure." The Mossos also claimed to have the<br />
jihadist threat under control, that local police were trained to "detect<br />
symptoms or radicalization," and that there were "no concrete<br />
threats."<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 20pt;"><br /></span></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 20pt;">After the Barcelona attack, Deputy Mayor Gerardo Pisarello <a href="http://www.elperiodico.com/es/politica/20170819/por-que-no-hay-bolardos-en-la-rambla-de-barcelona-6233473" target="_blank"><span style="color: #da5724; text-decoration-line: none;">blamed</span></a> the absence of bollards on the Catalan Interior<br />
Ministry. "The City of Barcelona has never refused to install bollards.<br />
Whenever it has been requested, we have done so," Pisarello said. Ada<br />
Colau, Barcelona's leftwing mayor, however, has repeatedly refused to<br />
"fill Barcelona with barriers," insisting that it must remain "a<br />
city of liberty."<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="background: white;"><i><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 20pt;">El Periódico de Catalunya</span></i><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 20pt;">, a paper based in<br />
Barcelona, <a href="http://www.elperiodico.com/es/internacional/20151116/cinco-claves-que-explican-por-que-catalunya-es-tan-vulnerable-a-un-ataque-yihadista-4677142" target="_blank"><span style="color: #da5724; text-decoration-line: none;">elaborated</span></a>:<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 20pt;"><br /></span></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 20pt;">"The total absence of police collaboration between the Mossos<br />
d'Esquadra, which is the police force deployed on the ground, and the National<br />
Police and the Civil Guard translates into huge security deficiencies. The<br />
relationship between police forces — influenced by the political situation — is<br />
terrible and, in the case of the Mossos and the National Police, it is open<br />
war.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 20pt;"><br /></span></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 20pt;">"The result is that the information services of the Mossos,<br />
on the one hand, and those of the National Police and the Civil Guard, on the<br />
other, do not exchange information. The cooperation is reduced to the personal<br />
relationships of individual agents who, without the knowledge of their<br />
superiors, exchange information and put safety first."<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 20pt;"><br /></span></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 20pt;">On August 19, hours after the jihadist attack in Barcelona,<br />
Spanish Interior Minister Juan Ignacio Zoido <a href="http://www.elperiodico.com/es/politica/20170819/por-que-no-hay-bolardos-en-la-rambla-de-barcelona-6233473" target="_blank"><span style="color: #da5724; text-decoration-line: none;">repeated</span></a> that it would be "appropriate" for all<br />
municipalities to comply with the December circular. His ministry issued a new<br />
letter calling on municipalities to install safety measures in the neuralgic<br />
points of cities. It remains to be seen if Catalan officials will now implement<br />
the recommendations.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 20pt;"><br /></span></div><div style="background: white;"><img src="https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/pics/2717.jpg" /></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 20pt;"><br /></span></div><div align="center"><br />
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<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 20.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-no-proof: yes;"><!--[if gte vml 1]><v:shape id="Picture_x0020_4" o:spid="_x0000_i1025"
type="#_x0000_t75" alt="https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/pics/2717.jpg"
style='width:450pt;height:300pt;visibility:visible;mso-wrap-style:square'><br />
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Police officers line the street on Las Ramblas on August 18, 2017, near the<br />
scene of the previous day's terrorist attack in Barcelona, Spain. (Photo by<br />
Carl Court/Getty Images)<o:p></o:p></span></div></td>
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</tbody></table></div><h3 style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 20pt;">Failure to Heed Warnings<o:p></o:p></span></h3><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 20pt;">In June, the CIA reportedly warned Catalan police that Barcelona<br />
was being targeted by jihadists: "Two months ago the Central Intelligence<br />
Agency warned Catalan police of a threat to Las Ramblas," <a href="http://www.elperiodico.com/es/politica/20170817/cia-aviso-riesgo-atentado-ramblas-barcelona-6228987" target="_blank"><span style="color: #da5724; text-decoration-line: none;">according</span></a> to <i>El Periódico</i>.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 20pt;"><br /></span></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 20pt;">Additionally, on June 30, two weeks before the Barcelona attack, a<br />
Twitter account associated with the Islamic State <a href="http://www.elperiodico.com/es/politica/20170817/cia-aviso-riesgo-atentado-ramblas-barcelona-6228987" target="_blank"><span style="color: #da5724; text-decoration-line: none;">warned</span></a> of an impending attack against <i>al-Ándalus</i>,<br />
the Arabic name given to those parts of Spain, Portugal and France occupied by<br />
Muslim conquerors from 711 to 1492. Many jihadists believe that territories<br />
Muslims lost during the Christian Reconquest of Spain still belong to the realm<br />
of Islam and that Islamic law gives them the right to re-establish Muslim rule<br />
there.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 20pt;"><br /></span></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 20pt;">It remains unclear why Catalan authorities failed to increase<br />
security in light of the warnings and threats.<i> El Periódico</i> <a href="http://www.elperiodico.com/es/internacional/20151116/cinco-claves-que-explican-por-que-catalunya-es-tan-vulnerable-a-un-ataque-yihadista-4677142" target="_blank"><span style="color: #da5724; text-decoration-line: none;">wrote</span></a>:<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 20pt;"><br /></span></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 20pt;">"In recent years Barcelona has become a city known all over<br />
the planet. Both because of its attraction as a tourist destination and because<br />
of the media impact of the Barça football club, the Catalan capital is a world<br />
icon. In the eyes of the jihadists, that makes it a priority objective, as they<br />
seek to attack sites that generate a great impact at the international level.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 20pt;"><br /></span></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 20pt;">However, neither the authorities nor the citizens seems to have<br />
realized that their city is on the same list of targets as other major cities<br />
such as New York, Paris, London or Madrid."<o:p></o:p></span></div><h3 style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 20pt;">Failure to Report Suspicious Activity<o:p></o:p></span></h3><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 20pt;">The jihadists <a href="https://www.elconfidencial.com/espana/cataluna/2017-08-21/atentado-barcelona-y-cambrils-bombonas-de-butano-con-dinero-y-joyas_1431388/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #da5724; text-decoration-line: none;">prepared</span></a> for the Barcelona attack at a chalet in the<br />
beachfront town of Alcanar, situated 200 kilometers (120 miles) south of<br />
Barcelona. A year ago, the terror cell "occupied" the property, which<br />
was foreclosed and had been vacant. Squatters are protected by Spanish law, so<br />
it is <a href="http://suitelife.com/blog/barcelona-real-estate/okupa-movement-barcelona/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #da5724; text-decoration-line: none;">common</span></a> for youth in Catalonia to take over vacant<br />
properties. This may explain why neighbors did not contact the police.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 20pt;"><br /></span></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 20pt;">Far more difficult to explain is why no one reported suspicious<br />
activity at the chalet. During the course of several months, the jihadists<br />
collected more than 100 large gas canisters, which investigators believe were<br />
to be used as car bombs. An explosion on August 16, the night before the<br />
Barcelona attack, leveled the property.</span></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 20pt;"><br /></span></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 20pt;">Investigators later found traces of the<br />
explosive triacetone triperoxide (TATP), also known as the "Mother of<br />
Satan," a substance widely used by members of the Islamic State in Europe.<o:p></o:p></span></div><h3 style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 20pt;">Failure to Follow-Up on Leads<o:p></o:p></span></h3><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 20pt;">Police found the remains of at least two people in the rubble of<br />
the Alcanar chalet. The head of the Mossos d'Esquadra, Josep Lluís<br />
Trapero, <a href="http://www.abc.es/espana/catalunya/abci-mossos-tienen-indicios-solidos-iman-ripoll-murio-alcanar-201708211404_noticia.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #da5724; text-decoration-line: none;">confirmed</span></a> that one of the bodies was that of Abdelbaki<br />
Es-Satti, a Muslim cleric who is suspected of organizing the terror cell and<br />
radicalizing its members.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 20pt;"><br /></span></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 20pt;">Es-Satti, a Moroccan national who lived in the Catalan town of<br />
Ripoll, served in a local mosque. He was a convicted drug trafficker who had<br />
spent four years at a prison in Valencia, where he is believed to have met<br />
Rachid Aglif, known as "The Rabbit," one of the main plotters of the<br />
2004 Madrid bomb attacks that killed 192 people and wounded 2,000. Police are<br />
now looking into whether Es-Satti was involved in the ISIS attacks on the<br />
Brussels airport and metro in 2016.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 20pt;"><br /></span></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 20pt;">Ali Yassine, the director of the mosque in Ripoll, said that he<br />
had reported Es-Satti to local police more than a year ago as part of a<br />
security protocol to monitor Muslim preachers. Authorities did not place him on<br />
a watch list, however, even though he had been convicted of trafficking drugs<br />
and violating Spanish immigration laws.<o:p></o:p></span></div><h3 style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 20pt;">Catalan Migration Policy Fuels Radicalization<o:p></o:p></span></h3><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 20pt;">Catalonia not only has the highest Muslim population in Spain, it<br />
is also one of the most Islamized regions of the country. Catalonia has 7.5<br />
million inhabitants, including an <a href="http://www.abc.es/espana/abci-mapa-islam-espana-300000-musulmanes-mas-ultimos-cinco-anos-y-1400-centros-culto-201604102314_noticia.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #da5724; text-decoration-line: none;">estimated</span></a>510,000 Muslims, who account for around 7% of the<br />
total Catalan population. In some Catalan towns, however, the Muslim population<br />
is above 40% of the overall population.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 20pt;"><br /></span></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 20pt;">In his book "Jihadism: The Radical Islamic Threat to<br />
Catalonia," Catalan terrorism analyst Jofre Montoto <a href="http://www.angleeditorial.com/Gihadisme-214" target="_blank"><span style="color: #da5724; text-decoration-line: none;">estimates</span></a> that<br />
at least 10% of the Muslims in Catalonia are "radicals" who are<br />
hardcore believers in the "doctrine of jihadism."<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 20pt;"><br /></span></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 20pt;">A five-page diplomatic cable, dated October 2, 2007, <a href="https://elpais.com/internacional/2010/12/11/actualidad/1292022007_850215.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #da5724; text-decoration-line: none;">described</span></a> the link between mass immigration to Catalonia<br />
and the rise of radical Islam in the region:<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 20pt;"><br /></span></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 20pt;">"Heavy immigration — both legal and illegal — from North<br />
Africa (Morocco, Tunisia, and Algeria) and Southeast Asia (Pakistan and<br />
Bangladesh) has made Catalonia a magnet for terrorist recruiters. ... The<br />
Spanish National Police estimates that there may be upwards of 60,000<br />
Pakistanis living in Barcelona and the surrounding area; the vast majority are<br />
male, unmarried or unaccompanied, and without legal documentation. There are<br />
even more such immigrants from North Africa. ... They live on the edges of<br />
Spanish society, they do not speak the language, they are often unemployed, and<br />
they have very few places to practice their religion with dignity. ... Individually,<br />
these circumstances would provide fertile ground for terrorist recruitment;<br />
taken together, the threat is clear....<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 20pt;"><br /></span></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 20pt;">"There is little doubt that the autonomous region of<br />
Catalonia has become a prime base of operations for terrorist activity. Spanish<br />
authorities tell us they fear the threat from these atomized immigrant<br />
communities prone to radicalism, but they have very little intelligence on or<br />
ability to penetrate these groups."<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 20pt;"><br /></span></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 20pt;">Many of Catalonia's problems with radical Islam are<br />
self-inflicted. In an effort to promote Catalan nationalism and the Catalan<br />
language, Catalonian pro-independence parties have deliberately promoted<br />
immigration from Arabic-speaking Muslim countries for more than three decades,<br />
in the belief that these immigrants (unlike those from Latin America) would<br />
learn the Catalan language rather than speak Spanish.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 20pt;">Although some Catalans are having second thoughts about the wisdom<br />
of promoting Muslim mass immigration as a strategy to achieve Catalan<br />
independence, at least 10,000 Catalans with links to the separatist movement<br />
have actually converted to Islam in recent years.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 20pt;"><br /></span></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 20pt;">It is believed that two out of every ten Catalan radicals who<br />
belong to the Republican Left of Catalonia (ERC), a far-left political party,<br />
are converts to Islam.</span></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 20pt;"><br /></span></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 20pt;"> The ERC, which now governs Catalonia, has<br />
vehemently <a href="https://intereconomia.com/economia/politica/pedcar-cdc-erc-se-negaron-firmar-pacto-terrorismo-yihadista-ha-dejado-13-muertos-100-heridos-barcelona-20170818-0149/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #da5724; text-decoration-line: none;">refused</span></a> to sign a cooperation agreement with the central<br />
government in Madrid to fight jihadist terrorism.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 20pt;"><br /></span></div><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 20pt;"><a href="http://www.soerenkern.com/" target="_blank"><i><span style="color: #da5724; text-decoration-line: none;">Soeren Kern</span></i></a><i> is<br />
a Senior Fellow at the New York-based</i> <a href="http://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/" target="_blank"><i><span style="color: #da5724; text-decoration-line: none;">Gatestone<br />
Institute</span></i></a><o:p></o:p></span></div><ul type="square"><li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><i><span style="background: white; font-family: "Helvetica","sans-serif"; font-size: 20.0pt;">Follow Soeren Kern on <a href="https://twitter.com/SoerenKern"><span style="color: #da5724; text-decoration-line: none;">Twitter</span></a> and <a href="https://www.facebook.com/Soeren.Kern"><span style="color: #da5724; text-decoration-line: none;">Facebook</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></i></li>
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