bbc--2019-09-26--Chirac Political chameleon who charmed France

Chirac: Political chameleon who charmed France

Anyone who lived in France around the turn of the century will remember the special persona, a kind of avuncular clan elder, adopted by Jacques Chirac for his presidential broadcasts.  With an air of almost pained sincerity, he would furrow his brow at the latest negative turn of events. Then in rich, reassuring tones came the unvarying intro: "Mes chers compatriotes…" (My dear compatriots).  How many people fell for his Gallic charm, one will never know.  Plenty of French men and women regarded Jacques Chirac as one of the biggest political charlatans of all time. Not a bad man, they said. Not even, for all the Paris city hall scandals, particularly corrupt.  No, for his critics the president was something else, but worse. He was a man who was bereft of beliefs, but who played the political game to perfection and numbed his nation through the start of a long decline.  But even if we accept the version of Jacques Chirac as a kind of empty-headed hypnotherapist, sleep-walking his country into second-tier status, we still need to explain how he got away with it.  Why did his patients, France's voters - his "chers compatriotes" - keep coming back for more?  The answer is that the French always had a soft spot for someone who reflected back upon them much of their own self-perception.  Here was a man rooted in the countryside, but who adopted with ease the social superiority of the Parisian.  His family were secular Republicans, but he married into the Catholic upper strata.  The French may have abandoned religion, but they are conservatives at heart and the Church is bound up in their self-image.  He was friendly to the United States - he spent time there as a young man - but never lost the instinctive French suspicion of "les Anglo-Saxons". The highpoint of his presidencies was when he refused to kowtow to Washington over the Iraq war.  On a baser note, he drank hefty amounts of beer, ate like a true gourmand, and was in true French style faithfully unfaithful to his wife Bernadette. He later had the nickname "Mr Three Minutes - shower included".  At the latter end of his second term, with his opinion polls floundering, he was even voted the man most French people would like to have dinner with.  Jacques Chirac was old enough to remember World War Two and he came of age at the start of France's long period of post-war growth.  He saw service in Algeria, studied at the elite Ecole Nationale d'Administration when ENA was still seen as a dynamic agent of change, and entered government in the technological-industrial-scientific heyday of the late 1960s.  In other words Chirac came from a time when France radiated self-confidence and economic power.  As early as 1976, when he had already served his first term as prime minister, Chirac was being caricatured in the latest Asterix album as the archetypal technocratic high-achiever.  Anyone who appears in an Asterix album has clearly touched some affectionate nerve among the French.  With Chirac, it was his personal association with a time (under presidents Charles De Gaulle and Georges Pompidou) of energy, modernity and growth.  He was never really Charles De Gaulle's man, though he claimed the legacy.  He betrayed Valery Giscard d'Estaing in 1981, and preferred political flirtation with the Socialist Francois Mitterand.  His politics were all over the place.  As a youth he sold Communist party tracts, and when he founded the Gaullist RPR in 1976 it had a distinctly pro-labour feel.  In the 1980s he was a free marketeer, before switching back again and campaigning in the 1995 presidential election on a promise to end the "social fracture".  Just as inconsistent were his views on Europe.  Originally hostile to Giscard d'Estaing's euro-federalism, he gradually abandoned the nation-staters and by 2005 was urging a new EU constitution. The people were asked to vote on it, but said no.  The lack of principle became the stuff of jokes.  Chirac was Chameleon Bonaparte. When in 2011, after leaving office, he was finally condemned for vote-rigging in his long tenure as mayor of Paris, it was joked (abroad - because it does not work in French) that at least now he had one conviction.  But maybe it was also this absence of firm ideological ground that created his appeal to the French.  France is a country that over two centuries has been riven over and again by revolution, civil disorder and ideological dissension. Today, more than ever, there are people who would with little pushing take up the cudgel.  Chirac's presidential broadcasts were infuriating because behind the earnest frowns and the dark brown tones, there was never the remotest substance.  However this instinct to consensus that made him so ineffectual was also Chirac's political touchstone.  He may have zigzagged from right to left, totally failed to address the country's economic decline, and botched every meaningful reform. But you couldn't ever dislike the man. He was very French.


bbc--2019-11-21--Brazil's President Bolsonaro launches new political party

Brazil's far-right President Jair Bolsonaro has launched a new political party a day after leaving the right-wing Social Liberal Party (PSL).  His Alliance for Brazil (APB) met in a hotel in the capital Brasilia with hundreds of people in attendance.  The party would fight corruption and advance Christian values, he said.  Mr Bolsonaro left the PSL following a row with its founder over control of campaign funds. He wants PSL lawmakers and and senators to follow him out.  The PSL surged in popularity to become the second-largest in the Brazilian Congress after Mr Bolsonaro joined it last year for his presidential run. • Is the honeymoon period over for Brazil's Bolsonaro?  The APB now needs to collect about 500,000 signatures over the next six months to be able to register for next year's municipal elections.  Organisers hope to attract support from the country's Evangelical Christian population, many of whom voted for Mr Bolsonaro last year because of his stance on abortion, homosexuality and marijuana use.  Mr Bolsonaro, who came to power in January, is a deeply divisive figure who has made racist, homophobic and misogynistic remarks.  He will be APB's president while his eldest son, Senator Flavio Bolsonaro, will be vice-president.  "We have the opportunity to unite all Brazilians of good faith for the future of our fatherland," the president said at the event.  He added that Brazil had recovered international confidence since he took office last year and now had the lowest interest rates in its history.


bbc--2019-11-21--Impeachment inquiry: Sondland's 'domestic political errand'

The big names who had a bad day at the US hearing  The US ambassador to the EU, Gordon Sondland, points the finger at Republicans in his testimony.


bbc--2019-11-22--Israel's Netanyahu facing fight of his political life

Anyone who thought a decision on the long-running corruption investigation embroiling Israel's prime minister would resolve the country's political turmoil was wrong.  On Thursday Benjamin Netanyahu reacted to indictments on charges of bribery and fraud with a vitriolic attack on law enforcement, the judicial system and what he sees as hostile left-wing media. He claimed that police and prosecutors were conducting a grand conspiracy to remove him from power.  This was a line of attack he'd taken as the investigation closed in, and one he's expected to continue as the country staggers towards more months of political crisis.  And although Mr Netanyahu has been weakened, he has time on his side as he continues to struggle for political survival.  Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit announced the indictment after three years of probes into the prime minister's relationships with wealthy friends.  Mr Netanyahu is accused of accepting expensive gifts in exchange for political favours, and doing deals to get good press coverage.  Mr Mandelblit insisted he was not politically motivated but had acted professionally to uphold the law.  The force of Mr Netanyahu's response alarmed observers of Israel's political scene.  "He will set everything ablaze," wrote Ben Caspit of Maariv, a daily newspaper. "He won't stop until all is rubble."  Whatever the case, this certainly is uncharted territory. It's the first time a sitting prime minister in Israel has been indicted with criminal charges. And it comes in the midst of an unprecedented political stalemate.  Mr Netanyahu and his main political opponent Benny Gantz have both failed to form a government after two rounds of inconclusive elections.  The indictment seems to have made the chances of cobbling together a working coalition even more remote, increasing the prospect of another return to the ballot box.  A lot will depend on senior members of Mr Netanyahu's Likud party. Until now they have maintained their tribal loyalty to the prime minister, but he is facing a possible challenge from within.  The education minister, Gideon Saar, has called for party primaries to replace him. There may well yet be others.  There may also be shifts in political alignments as the right-wing parties allied with Likud assess the price to be paid in the event of another election under Mr Netanyahu's leadership. There's little doubt amongst political observers that Mr Netanyahu wants an election, which at the very least would buy him time. • Netanyahu: What are the allegations?  He's been preoccupied with efforts to form a right-wing government that would vote to grant him immunity from prosecution.  Despite failing to do so, his status as a member of the Knesset gives him 30 days to ask the legislative body to grant him such immunity. The indictment cannot be formally filed unless this process happens.  But that request for immunity cannot be made until there is a functioning government. There isn't one now and won't be for even longer if Israelis are forced to vote yet again.  That would give the prime minister more room to manoeuvre, but could also increase the pressure on him to step down. His political opponents are making those demands, and even some pro-Netanyahu media outlets are saying it would be a good idea.  Israeli law does not require the prime minister to leave office if indicted, but it's never been tested with a concrete case.  There are some who fear that an election would be a "civil war without arms" between Mr Netanyahu's energised base and Israelis who are fed up with his legal woes and attacks on the country's institutions.  Others see an opportunity. The prime minister's criticism of the media and his call to "investigate the investigators" has drawn comparisons with his close ally, US President Donald Trump.  Except for a key difference, writes Gil Hoffman in the right-wing Jerusalem Post: "In Israel a prime minister can be ousted much easier than the president of the United States… because our elections are not limited to every four years."  And on Thursday night, a third one in less than 12 months became almost inevitable.


bbc--2019-12-09--'No political bias' in FBI probe of Trump campaign

A US watchdog has found no evidence of political bias when the FBI launched an inquiry into the 2016 Trump campaign, despite "serious performance failures".  The US Department of Justice inspector general's report concluded the law enforcement bureau had "authorised purpose" to initiate the investigation.  But it also found applications to wiretap a Trump aide had "significant inaccuracies and omissions".  The 476-page report provides fodder for Trump critics and supporters alike.  Inspector General Michael Horowitz sought to assess the basis for the FBI's surveillance of Carter Page, a former Trump campaign adviser who had lived and worked in Russia.  How did the report criticise the FBI?  The inspector general identified 17 "significant inaccuracies or omissions" when the FBI applied to the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court (Fisa) for surveillance warrants to monitor Mr Page's communications.  Mr Horowitz wrote that the errors resulted in "applications that made it appear that the information supporting probable cause was stronger than was actually the case".  The watchdog also found that an FBI lawyer assigned to the Russia case doctored an email from the CIA to a colleague that was used in an application from the bureau to monitor Mr Page.  The attorney "altered an email that the other US government agency had sent" with the effect that "the email inaccurately stated that Page was 'not a source' for the other agency", the report said.  The watchdog also found FBI personnel "fell far short of the requirement in FBI policy that they ensure that all factual statements in a Fisa application are 'scrupulously accurate'".  The report said "so many basic and fundamental errors... raised significant questions regarding the FBI chain of command's management and supervision of the Fisa process".  How did the report back the FBI?  The inspector general found no basis for conservative claims that partisan hostility to Mr Trump had influenced the bureau's probe.  "We did not find documentary or testimonial evidence that political bias or improper motivation influenced the decisions to open the four individual investigations," he said.  Mr Horowitz also did not find that the FBI's mistakes were intentional.  The investigation was opened "in compliance with department and FBI policies", the report said.  Mr Horowitz also found the FBI's use of confidential informants was in compliance with agency rules.  What about the 'Steele dossier'?  The watchdog faulted how the FBI presented the work of former British intelligence agent Christopher Steele, who authored the so-called Steele dossier - a series of largely unsubstantiated allegations about Mr Trump.  Mr Steele was hired to do the research through a law firm on behalf of Mr Trump's political opponents, including Hillary Clinton's campaign.  Mr Horowitz said the FBI "overstated the significance" of Mr Steele's past work.  The watchdog also said the FBI left out relevant information about one of Mr Steele's sources, whom Mr Steele himself had called a "boaster" prone to "embellishment".  The report noted that the CIA itself viewed the Steele dossier as little more than "an internet rumour".  But the watchdog said ex-FBI Director James Comey and his former deputy, Andrew McCabe, argued the Steele dossier should not be dismissed.  While Mr Trump has often spoken of a so-called deep state plot to undermine his presidency, Monday's watchdog report also makes clear some FBI employees celebrated his victory over Hillary Clinton.  One FBI agent said in an instant message he "was so elated with the election" and likened the coverage to "watching a Super Bowl comeback".  Another agent sent a message on the morning after the election saying: "Trump!" His colleague replied: "Hahaha." "LOL," the agent responded.  Mr Trump has often cited messages previously uncovered by Mr Horowitz that were sent on work phones between two FBI employees, Peter Strzok and Lisa Page.  The messages expressed "statements of hostility toward then-candidate Trump", the watchdog notes.  But the watchdog found no evidence that Mr Strzok or Ms Page's investigative actions were influenced by their own political opinions.  Agents at the bureau are supposed to be apolitical, but they are now at the centre of a ferocious row. For those at the FBI, it's a nightmare.  The "G-men", as the government men were known in the 1930s, were once portrayed as good guys in Hollywood.  Overall FBI agents are more white, male and conservative than the general population in the US, and they were known in the past for their aggressive campaign against communists.  But now Trump has cast them as "Deep Staters", bureaucrats who seek to undermine his presidency because of supposed Democratic leanings.  However much the G-men might prefer to stay above the fray, they've been sucked into the biggest drama in town: the Trump Show.  Speaking at the White House on Monday, President Donald Trump said of the report's findings: "It's a disgrace what's happened."  "This was an attempted overthrow and a lot of people were in on it, and they got caught," he added.  US Attorney General William Barr rejected the inspector general's main conclusion that there was enough evidence for the FBI to launch its investigation of the Trump campaign.  America's top law official said the probe by the FBI, which he oversees, was launched "on the thinnest of suspicions that, in my view, were insufficient to justify the steps taken".  John Durham, a federal prosecutor hand-picked by the attorney general to conduct a pending, separate criminal inquiry into the roots of the Russia investigation, said he did not agree with some of Mr Horowitz's conclusions.  Democrats said the report undercuts Mr Trump's repeated claims that he was the victim of a "witch hunt".  "It was never a witch hunt," Democratic Senator Mark Warner said on Twitter. "It was the men and women of federal law enforcement doing their jobs."  Mr Horowitz reviewed more than one million records and conducted over 170 interviews after launching his investigation in March last year.  He scrutinised the FBI's process for launching its 2016 inquiry, known as Operation Crossfire Hurricane, to look for any collusion between the Trump campaign and the Russian government before the US presidential election.  That FBI investigation was ultimately taken over by special counsel Robert Mueller.  Mr Mueller's own 22-month inquiry concluded in April this year there was not enough evidence to conclude the Trump campaign had conspired with the Kremlin to sway the 2016 US presidential election.


bbcuk--2019-02-06--May meets Northern Ireland politicians over Brexit

Theresa May has held talks about Brexit with Northern Ireland's five main political parties at Stormont.  The PM was on a two-day visit to try to reassure people she can secure a Brexit deal that avoids a hard border.  Speaking on Wednesday, European Council President Donald Tusk said the EU would "insist" on the Irish backstop.  Mr Tusk also said that there was a "special place in hell" for "those who promoted Brexit without even a sketch of a plan of how to carry it safely".  He was speaking after talks with Taoiseach (Irish PM) Leo Varadkar in Brussels.  Mrs May is due to meet European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker on Thursday in an effort to secure changes to her Brexit deal.  The EU has maintained it will not renegotiate the withdrawal agreement, including the Irish border backstop.  On Tuesday, Mrs May told business leaders in Belfast that she wants changes to the controversial backstop but she suggested that she is not seeking to remove it from her Brexit deal.  Theresa May is in Northern Ireland meeting the different political parties - including the DUP, whose votes she needs in Parliament, who are totally opposed to the current version of the controversial backstop, as well as Sinn Féin, who are just as adamant that it must remain.  Tomorrow she will be in Brussels, asking again for the EU to amend the policy, seeking either a time limit or a legal upgrade to the promise that both sides will only use it if they really, really, really have to, and they don't expect it to last for ever.  In short, Wednesday's a chance for the PM to test out what she'll ask for; tomorrow is an opportunity to sell it as hard as she can in Brussels.  Remember she has asked for these changes before and been turned down.  And she's heard before from both sides in Northern Ireland how dug in their positions are.  So can she do anything other than take one more turn around the same carousel while the clock ticks down?  Mrs May held meetings about Brexit and Northern Ireland's political deadlock with Stormont's five biggest political parties:  There has been no functioning devolved government since January 2017, when a row between the DUP and Sinn Féin over a flawed green energy scheme collapsed the power-sharing executive.  It sparked a snap election but, since then, various talks processes have collapsed and the Northern Ireland Secretary Karen Bradley had to take control of financial matters and pass Stormont's budget bills through Westminster.  For almost 10 years before that, the DUP and Sinn Féin worked together in government under a system of mandatory coalition, where unionist and nationalist parties shared power.  Leader Arlene Foster reiterated the party's opposition to the backstop and said Mrs May must "stand strong" in her talks with the EU.  Brexit spokesperson Sammy Wilson responded to Mr Tusk's comments by calling him a "devilish euro maniac", and accused the European Council president of having "fanned the flames of fear" to try and overturn the referendum result.  President Mary Lou McDonald said Donald Tusk's words were "accurately reflecting the outrage" people in NI feel about how Brexit has been handled.  She added that the party's meeting with the PM was direct, but offered nothing new and she accused Mrs May of having "no honour".  Ms McDonald also reiterated the party's support for the backstop and that a border poll should take place if there is a no-deal Brexit.  Leader Robin Swann said his party would not accept a time-limited backstop, something the PM suggested when his party met her.  He added that Mrs May wanted to focus on Brexit and the UUP had to "drag" her to a place where they could raise the restoration of Stormont.  Mr Swann said his party told her they wanted direct rule implemented in Northern Ireland if there is a no-deal Brexit.  Leader Colum Eastwood said that his party had told Mrs May that it is now time to "put up or shut up".  He said it was clear the backstop was the only viable solution, save keeping the UK in the single market and the customs union.  He added that he had been "infuriated" when the government voted in favour of an amendment last week that called for alternative arrangements to replace the backstop.  Leader Naomi Long said the time for "assurances" about Brexit from the government was over, describing her party's talks with Mrs May as "constructive but very direct".  Ms Long reiterated that the party had heard nothing new from Mrs May and that it still backed the Brexit deal that included the backstop.  The backstop is a commitment to avoid physical barriers or checks on the border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland, if no UK-EU trade deal is agreed before the Brexit transition period ends.  Many people fear the return of customs checks would put the peace process at risk.  In Tuesday's speech in Belfast, Mrs May said: "There is no suggestion that we are not going to ensure in the future there is provision for this insurance policy... the backstop."  However, she indicated she would seek changes to address concerns raised by MPs about its "potential indefinite nature" when they overwhelmingly rejected her Brexit deal.  Last week, MPs voted for an amendment tabled by Conservative grandee Sir Graham Brady - and backed by the PM - which "requires the Northern Ireland backstop to be replaced with alternative arrangements to avoid a hard border".  Many fear the "temporary single customs territory" created under the backstop plan would keep the UK tied to EU rules in the long term.  Downing Street has insisted the government is still considering alternatives.  On Wednesday, the Alternative Arrangements Working Group, comprised of Leave and Remain MPs, will conclude three days of talks aimed at finding other Brexit options that would avoid a hard border.  MPs have been looking at "alternative arrangements" to the backstop, which Mrs May has said she will discuss with EU leaders. They include:  The UK is due to leave the EU at 23:00 GMT on Friday 29 March, when the two-year limit on withdrawal negotiations enforced by the Article 50 process expires.  If MPs approve a deal with Brussels, the parties will then have until the end of 2020 to negotiate a future trade deal.  If that is not in place by the end of this transition period, the backstop kicks in.  Without a deal, however, there would be no backstop and no transition period.  The prime minister has said she is "determined" to deliver Brexit on time but a number of cabinet ministers have indicated they would be willing to agree to a short extension to finalise legislation for Brexit.


bbcuk--2019-02-18--Its time we dumped old-fashioned politics

'It's time we dumped old-fashioned politics'

The seven MPs said they will sit in parliament as an independent group. They explained to the press why they decided to resign.  Chuka Umunna, MP for Streatham said the group had taken 'the first step in leaving the old tribal politics behind' and called on other MPs who share their views to follow them.


bbcuk--2019-03-29--Independent Group of MPs to become political party

The Independent Group (TIG) of MPs has applied to become a political party to take part in European elections in May if they go ahead.  The group intends to call itself Change UK, and has named Heidi Allen as its interim leader.  The government has warned that unless the EU withdrawal agreement is approved later, the UK risks having to take part in May's European Parliament polls.  TIG said it would field a substantial number of candidates if this happened.  But the group's choice of name has caused controversy, with the petitions website change.org understood to be considering legal action.  The company, which says it has 15 million users in the UK, is understood to have contacted the elections watchdog amid concerns the Independent Group is trying to harness some of its profile and support by deliberately choosing a similar name.  The Independent Group, currently made up of eight former Labour and three ex-Tory MPs, has said it had applied to register as a political party in time for it to take part in those polls under the name "Change UK - The Independent Group".  If MPs reject the terms of the UK's withdrawal for the third time later, the UK will have until 12 April to come up with an alternative way forward for Brexit.  In this scenario, it is thought EU leaders will insist on a longer delay to the UK's departure - which could involve the UK having to put up candidates for European elections between 23 and 26 May.  If the elections watchdog approves its application and the polls go ahead, it said it would field a substantial number of candidates from backgrounds outside of politics to try and "shake up the two-party system".  Ms Allen, a former Conservative MP, told the BBC that the European elections would be a "weathervane moment for the country" and a "proxy for another referendum".  "It is real opportunity," she said. "The country is crying out for someone to lead and say we can just stay."  She claimed there was enormous support for a new political movement but she did not underestimate the challenges involved.  "This is David and Goliath stuff. We are literally just starting out and building a party together."  She said there had no squabbling over her appointment as interim leader and it felt a "nice fit" for her to take the role alongside Chuka Umunna, who is acting as the group's principal spokesman.  The group will elect a permanent leader at its first party conference in September.  The 11 MPs in the group, who include Mike Gapes, Chuka Umunna, Anna Soubry and Sarah Wollaston, will continue in their current roles in Parliament.  Mrs May has said the public would find taking part in European elections unacceptable and has appealed to MPs to support the agreement to ensure the UK is able to leave the EU on 22 May in an orderly fashion.


bbcuk--2019-05-27--What do the European election results tell us about UK politics

What do the European election results tell us about UK politics?

The leader of the Labour Party, Jeremy Corbyn has said: "There has to be an agreement with the European Union and there then has to be a public vote."


bbcuk--2019-08-08--The rise in political adverts on social media

Social media platforms have become the new campaign battlegrounds for UK political parties.  Adverts on sites like Facebook are increasingly being used by parties to target specific voters - but no one is regulating how it's done.  The BBC’s media editor Amol Rajan has been exploring the tactics and asks whether anything needs to change.


bbcuk--2019-09-06--PM moves political battleground to Scotland

Boris Johnson is to move the political battleground to Scotland when he visits Aberdeenshire to announce additional funding for Scottish farmers.  The trip marks the end of a bruising week in which the PM lost Commons votes on his general election plan and a bill designed to stop a no-deal Brexit.  The SNP said the motion to hold an early poll was a plot to make sure the UK left the EU without a deal.  The prime minister's trip will include a visit to the Queen's Balmoral estate.  He will also visit a farm, days after the government revealed a £160m funding package for Scottish farmers.  The move settled a long-running row over the distribution of the EU's Common Agricultural Policy payments across the UK.  And Mr Johnson will use his visit to Scotland to announce an additional £51.4m for Scottish farmers over the next two years.  Writing in the Daily Telegraph, Mr Johnson says the extra funding would "correct an injustice", but also help Scottish farmers "secure their future"  But Ian Blackford, the SNP leader at Westminster, insisted the money should have been given to farmers and crofters in Scotland in 2016.  "Three years too late the case is coming to Scotland," he said.  The prime minister - who lost his majority in the House of Commons this week - also used his article in the Telegraph to vow to prevent the break-up of the UK.  "I find it hard to comprehend why anyone would wish to break apart a successful country, tear the cross of St Andrew out of the Union Flag and draw an international frontier across our island," he writes.  Scotland's first minister and SNP leader Nicola Sturgeon on Thursday said her party would pledge to oppose Brexit and insist on "Scotland having the right to choose our own future".  Mr Johnson has said he would "rather be dead in a ditch than delay Brexit", but has declined to say whether he would resign if a postponement - which he has repeatedly ruled out - had to happen.  On a visit to Glasgow on Thursday, former prime minister Sir John Major criticised Mr Johnson's decision to suspend Parliament.  The ex-Tory leader accused the Government of operating via "bluster and threat in a climate of aggressive bullying" and urged Mr Johnson to ditch his "overmighty advisers"  The prime minister's younger brother, Jo Johnson, resigned as a minister and MP on Thursday, saying he had been "torn between family loyalty and the national interest".  The prime minister told the BBC he was "very sad to see the loss of Jo", as well as of the group of 21 rebel Tory MPs who were expelled from the party earlier this week.  Mr Johnson is expected to cut short his visit to the monarch's summer residence - a traditional prime ministerial trip each summer - because he needs to concentrate on the Brexit crisis.  Rather than the usual weekend-long visit, he and his girlfriend, Carrie Symonds, are likely to return to London on Saturday.  The funding was announced as the UK government confirmed it would work to ensure cash for farmers was fairly allocated across the whole of the UK, and that the industry will be ready for a "prosperous future" outside the EU.  Those are key recommendations from Lord Bew's newly-published review of farm funding.  NFU Scotland president Andrew McCornick described the money as being the "largest funding uplift for the sector in recent memory".  But the SNP's Stewart Stevenson said Mr Johnson was like a "thief returning to the scene of a crime".  Labour's Lesley Laird, the shadow Scottish secretary, said the prime minister was "no friend" of Scottish agriculture.  "Boris Johnson's disastrous plan for a no-deal Brexit will be calamitous for Scottish farming," she added.  While Mr Johnson travels north of the border on Friday, judges across the UK will rule on whether he broke the law by proroguing Parliament.  Scotland's highest civil court released documents which suggest he agreed to suspend Parliament two weeks before making it public.  Judges in Edinburgh have been hearing an appeal by a group of MPs and peers who want them to overturn a ruling that Mr Johnson had not broken the law.  Lord Chief Justice Lord Burnett and two other judges at the High Court in London have also been urged to find that Mr Johnson's 28 August advice to the Queen was an "unlawful abuse of power".


bbcuk--2019-09-10--Brexit What will politicians be doing while Parliament is suspended

Brexit: What will politicians be doing while Parliament is suspended?

So, Parliament has been shut down for five weeks.  You might think it's the perfect opportunity for MPs to take a breather from Brexit and visit the sunnier shores of Europe.  But the prorogation of Parliament - that's the official term - doesn't actually mean that politicians will be going on holiday.  They'll still be thinking about Europe - but mainly in terms of Brexit - along with a whole host of other issues.  So here's a breakdown of what MPs might be getting up to.  Parliament has voted against having an election, not once but twice - so you might be wondering why they will be preparing for an election.  Well, the Prime Minister Boris Johnson wants one to restore the Conservative Party's majority in Parliament - to make it easier for him to deliver Brexit.  He lost his majority last week, and after the expulsion of 21 of his own MPs, they only have 288 MPs left in the party - that's 38 MPs below a majority.  Opposition parties including the Labour Party may have voted against an election - but they say they still want one once it's clear we are not heading for a no-deal Brexit.  So expect the election planning machines of every party to be cranking into gear.  If you think a Parliament shutdown means an end to Brexit talk - you'd be wrong.  Mr Johnson has said the government would use the time to carry on negotiating a deal with the EU, while still "preparing to leave without one".  Meanwhile opposition parties will be trying to prevent a no-deal from happening - a law aiming to stop a no-deal Brexit on 31 October has been passed in Parliament.  This means that if a deal is not agreed between the UK and EU by 19 October, and MPs don't vote in favour of leaving with no deal, then the prime minister will be legally obliged to ask the EU for a Brexit delay.  But the PM has said his "government will not delay Brexit any further"...  So this means there's a big chance you'll be seeing lots of legal battles taking place about - you've guessed it - Brexit.  There have been suggestions that the government could ignore the anti no-deal law that was passed - some ministers have called it "lousy" and said they would "test to the limit" what it required of them.  But the PM has been warned this could cause a legal challenge.  And MPs have also voted for the government to release details of its no-deal plans and the conversations its had about the suspension of parliament.  But the Attorney General Geoffrey Cox - the government's top legal adviser - has questioned the legal right of releasing communications.  And if that wasn't enough - there's also a legal challenge to the original decision to suspend parliament.  Former Conservative PM, Sir John Major, and anti-Brexit campaigner and businesswoman, Gina Miller, had their challenge rejected by the High Court - but an appeal is expected to be heard at the Supreme Court on 17 September.  Party conferences are a bit like the Glastonbury of the political calendar.  Usually they're about the key issues - with speeches by big political players and plenty of panels, debates and drinks receptions to attend. There's even the odd karaoke session.  But this year - it'll be about elections.  Speeches and promises by the key leaders will be about pitching their big ideas and making their parties look electable to the public.  And of course, during this time, MPs will also be heading back to their constituencies - the areas they represent.  Normally, they would be listening to residents speak about the local issues which impact them.  But this time - like with most things - they'll probably be faced with questions about Brexit and how that's going to turn out.  Parliament is normally prorogued once a year for a short period - usually in April or May.  It's different to a recess - a break in the Parliamentary session - which was due to happen this year from roughly 13 September to 8 October.  It's normal for new governments to shut down parliament - it lets them hold a Queen's speech - setting out its plans for the future.  But the length of time varies - in 2016 Parliament was closed for four working days, while in 2014 it was closed for 13 days.  And this year, Parliament will be suspended for 24 working days.  But because of Brexit and the choppy political waters - the timing of this suspension has been controversial.  And it also means that as much as they might feel ready to, MPs won't be able to kick back and relax on their sun loungers.  Listen to Newsbeat live at 12:45 and 17:45 weekdays - or listen back here.


bbcuk--2019-10-09--Hunt: 'The EU don't understand British politics'

Jeremy Hunt has told the BBC he fears a "catastrophic failure in statecraft" will prevent a Brexit deal being reached.  In an exclusive interview with political editor Laura Kuenssberg, the former foreign secretary and Tory leadership contender said the EU does not understand the state of British politics and was beset by "bureaucratic inertia".  "If you're trying to get 27 countries to agree a common position the easiest thing is always to do nothing," he said. "And that's the risk we face."


bbcuk--2019-10-31--Women MPs say abuse forcing them from politics

MPs have increasingly become the target of abuse - and some women politicians say they are bearing the brunt of it.  Labour MP Rachel Reeves - who has written a history of women in Parliament - recalls how the first female MP to take up her seat, Nancy Astor, had to push past jeering male colleagues in the chamber to get there.  But the abuse has intensified in recent years, with death and rape threats "a daily occurrence for women MPs", she says.  More than 50 MPs have announced they are standing down at the next general election on 12 December- 18 of them female.  But a number of high-profile women have cited abuse as a factor in their decision. • LIVE: Corbyn pledges to transform UK at campaign launch • Which MPs are standing down at the election? • How many threats do MPs receive? • The first 24 hours of social media election ads  Culture Secretary Nicky Morgan has been subject to a number of threats, including phone calls from 64-year-old Robert Vidler telling her her "days were numbered". He was jailed for 18 weeks.  She said being an MP had had a "clear impact" on her family, and the abuse had "changed enormously" in the past decade "because of how strongly people feel about the current political situation" - in a time when Brexit deliberations have dominated.  But the minister is far from alone in her experience.  Liberal Democrat - and former Tory - MP Heidi Allen, is also stepping down due to the abuse she has faced.  This includes death threats related to her stance on Brexit sent from a fake email address by 51-year-old Jarod Kirkman. He was later jailed for 42 weeks.  In a letter to her constituents, the Remain campaigner said: "Nobody in any job should have to put up with threats, aggressive emails, being shouted at in the street, sworn at on social media, nor have to install panic alarms at home.  "Of course public scrutiny is to be expected, but lines are all too often regularly crossed and the effect is utterly dehumanising."  The abuse is not just targeted at those who want to stay in the EU.  Tory Brexiteer Andrea Jenkyns has had a raft of abuse, from emails threatening to sexually mutilate her through to suicide-related graffiti at her constituency office.  "The ones that really get to me are the ones that call me a bad mother," she said.  But Ms Jenkyns is still standing for her Morley and Outwood seat.  "I am here to do a job and I love representing my area," she said. "I am dealing with a number of local cases, including a terrible one to do with child abuse, so that does keep you grounded.  "But if I gave up, I would let them win that way."  Lib Dem MP Sarah Wollaston - who left the Conservatives at the same time as Ms Allen - has been advised by police not to advertise her whereabouts, putting an end to public meetings in her constituency.  But like Ms Jenkyns, she also plans to run again in her Totnes seat, telling BBC Radio 4's Today programme: "You can't respond to [abuse] by giving in to it. You have to confront it and keep going."  She said her colleagues had suffered even more serious abuse.  Ms Wollaston said: "I look around my select committee table... and I look at [Labour MP] Rosie Cooper, who has had actual plots to murder her, [Lib Dem MP] Luciana Berger, who has several people in prison for threats to her and her family, and I have had threats and one person jailed for threats to myself and others."  Labour's shadow home secretary Diane Abbott knows the issue more than most.  A study by Amnesty International showed she received almost half of of all abusive tweets that were sent to female MPs in the run up to the last election in 2017.  Despite that, she will be a leading voice in her party's election campaign.  She told Today: "It is not about weathering [the abuse], it's just about putting one foot in front of the other."  A spokesman for the House of Commons said it worked closely with local police forces on the safety and security of MPs, and kept arrangements under constant review.  The facts and figures of who is standing down  Ahead of the 2019 election, 57 MPs so far have announced they won't be standing.  This figure is quite small compared to previous elections, with 149 stepping aside in 2010 and 117 in 1997. But the period since the last election in 2017 is not long.  Some have questioned, whether this time it is skewed more towards women.  Tory Chairman James Cleverly retweeted statistics showing 32% of MPs standing down were female - in line with the current overall representation in the House of Commons, where 32% of the 650 MPs are women.  The figure was right. Of the total leaving, 18 are female - which can be rounded up to 32% or down to 31%.  But Lib Dem Sarah Wollaston said those women leaving the Conservatives were much younger and had spent less time as MPs in the Commons - compared to the older men who were at the age of retirement. And that they were leaving sooner because of the abuse.  The average age of the male MPs leaving the Commons is 63, compared to 59 for females.  It is true, however, that of the Conservative women departing they are on average younger than this - at 51.  The average length of service for the Conservative male MP was almost 18 years, compared to 9 and a half for female MPs.  Of the MPs standing down, 89% voted to Remain in the referendum.  And of the five who voted Leave, three were Labour MPs.


tass--2019-10-12--Russian senior diplomat, Syrian opposition politician discuss situation in northern Syria

MOSCOW, October 12. /TASS/. Russian Special Presidential Representative for the Middle East and Africa Mikhail Bogdanov and Qadri Jamil, a leader of the Syrian Opposition’s Moscow Group, held talks on Saturday, focusing on a political solution to the Syria crisis and a military and political situation in the northeastern Syria, the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement.  "The talks focused on the unfolding military and political scenario in Syria, particularly in the country’s northeast, as well as a political solution to the Syria crisis. They placed an emphasis on the goal of ensuring the constitution committee’s sustainable work, in accordance with the rulings of the Syrian National Dialogue Congress held in Sochi and Resolution 2254 of the United Nations Security Council," the foreign ministry said.  On October 9, Ankara launched an offensive in north Syria dubbed Operation Peace Spring, which began with airstrikes on Kurdish units. The objective is to establish a safety zone in northern Syria for protection of the Turkish border. In addition, Syrian refugees could return to that area from Turkey, Ankara believes. Syria’s SANA news agency slammed Ankara’s operation as an act of aggression.  On September 23, UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres announced the establishment of Syria’s constitutional committee. The first session is scheduled for October 29-30 in Geneva.


tass--2019-12-15--Senator says Russia should leave Japanese politician’s remark on Kuril Islands unanswered

MOSCOW, December 15. /TASS/. Russia should not respond to a provocative statement by Chairman of the opposition’s Japanese Communist Party Kazuo Shii on talks about the Kuril archipelago, First Deputy Chairman of the Russian upper house’s International Affairs Committee, Vladimir Dzhabarov told TASS.  The Japanese Communist Party leader said in an interview published by Yomiuri Shimbun newspaper on Sunday that at talks with Moscow Tokyo should outline its stance that the entire Kuril archipelago is Japan’s territory. According to the politician, this would help Japan return the Southern Kuril Islands.  "I believe we should not react to this statement at all. As far as I know, the Communist Party of Japan is not the ruling party and it does not unite large social groups either. To tell you the truth, I have not even heard about this party before. Their statement is provocative and is aimed at fueling tensions in the relations between our countries," Dzhabarov said.  The senator emphasized that Russia’s condition for signing the peace treaty is an absolute recognition by Japan of the Second World War’s outcome. "If it does not recognize it, then probably, the peace treaty cannot be signed. As for dividing the Kuril Islands, Russia is not going to discuss this at all," he stressed.  Russia and Japan have been in talks to sign a peace treaty since the mid-20th century. The main stumbling block to achieving this is the ownership issue over the Southern Kuril Islands. After the end of World War II, the Kuril Islands were incorporated into the Soviet Union. However, the ownership of Iturup, Kunashir, Shikotan Islands and the Habomai Islands is being challenged by Japan. Russia’s Foreign Ministry has stated many times that Russia’s sovereignty over the islands is beyond doubt. In 1956, the Soviet Union and Japan signed a joint declaration on ceasing the state of war, but no peace treaty has been signed so far.  On November 14, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe agreed at the Singapore summit to accelerate the Russian-Japanese peace treaty talks basing on the joint declaration as of October 19, 1956. The joint declaration between the Soviet Union and Japan stated that the state of war had ended whereas diplomatic and consular relations were restored.


france24--2019-04-23--Synagogue that survived Mosul battle now faces reconstruction challenge

The owner of a Jewish synagogue that was damaged in the war against the Islamic State group wants to reconstruct the ancient site and preserve the cultural diversity that marked Mosul’s Old City. But it's an uphill challenge.


newswars--2019-03-13--China Ready to Help Venezuela Restore Electricity

This comes after Venezuelan President Maduro said he would request China, Russia, Cuba and Iran, as well as the UN, to probe a recent attack on the country’s power grids that left the country’s vast territories without electricity for several days.  The Chinese Foreign Ministry has voiced Beijing’s readiness to help Venezuela restore its energy supply system.  At the same time, according to a statement made by Venezuelan Minister of Communication and Information Jorge Rodriguez on Tuesday, operation of the country’s power grids has almost fully resumed throughout the country, which had experienced a blackout for five days.  While Caracas blames the US and the Western-backed opposition for the “sabotage” of the electricity system, President Nicolas Maduro has also announced he would ask the United Nations, Russia China, Cuba and Iran to probe the reasons behind the cyberattack on the energy supply system.  According to Maduro, after a five-day nationwide blackout the Venezuelan authorities have managed to eliminate the consequences of the attack that “was carried out from the US territory”.  The blackout hit Venezuela on 7 March, as national electricity supplier Corpoelec reported of “sabotage” at a major hydroelectric power plant called Guri. Media subsequently reported about power outages in 21 of 23 Venezuelan states. Maduro has blamed the United States for waging an energy war against Venezuela, while Washington has denied having a role in the crisis.     Dr. Nick Begich breaks down the booming middle class in Asia and exposes how the west’s economy has been systematically transferred eastward to allow for this financial boom, especially in China.


fortruss--2019-07-05--TEXAS VIDEO Mission to Rebuild Petrovsky June 2019

TEXAS: VIDEO – Mission to Rebuild Petrovsky June 2019

We brought surgical supplies to the hospital and donated clothing to the community center free store in Petrovsky District. We also documented another war crime by Ukraine Army- shelling civilian area with prohibited artillery. THANKS to Donbass Human Aid, Novorussia Museum (in St. Pete) and Volunteers of Novorussia!


hitandrun--2019-10-07--Civil Court Can't Decide What "Torah Law" Means, Even if Contract Calls for Applying It

From Tilsen v. Benson, decided last month by Connecticut Superior Court Judge Daniel J. Klau, but just posted on Westlaw:  "[I]n undertaking … an examination [of religious documents], a civil court must take special care to scrutinize the document in purely secular terms, and not to rely on religious precepts in determining" the parties' intentions…. [C]ourts cannot "take sides" in inherently religious disputes….  "Courts have considered it constitutionally appropriate to resolve cases using neutral principles of law so long as they do not implicate or are not informed by religious doctrine or practice. Courts have properly resolved property disputes … so long as the disputes may be resolved by the application of ordinary principles of property law and without resort to ecclesiastical matters … Similarly, contractual matters, including employment disputes, may be resolved by the secular judicial system in other than religious contexts. Thus, ordinary business contracts may be litigated civilly, as may employment disputes with secular employees." …  [It is] apparent that a trial on the validity and interpretation of the Ketubah would involve competing expert rabbinical testimony. That is, the court would have to choose between competing interpretations of the Ketubah's requirement that the parties' divorce should accord with "Torah law." …  As noted, the Ketubah states that the parties agreed to divorce "according to Torah law …" It further provides that the parties "agreed to accept upon themselves the Rabbinic Court [the Beit Din of the Rabbinical Assembly] to instruct them in the terms of Torah law … [and to] respond to the summons of the other to appear before above-referenced Rabbinic Court, or one mutually agreed upon, to the end that both of them can live in compliance with Torah law all the days of their lives." {[T]he plaintiff has not asked the court to order the parties to arbitrate their alimony and property division dispute before the Beit Din.} {The court does not decide whether the first amendment would bar the court from granting the types of relief that the plaintiff has not sought. But any request for a judicial order enforcing the Beit Din provision would raise serious first amendment concerns.} …  The parties married on December 3, 1989, in a ceremony conducted in accordance with Jewish tradition. Shortly before the marriage ceremony the parties signed their Ketubah—a traditional Jewish marriage contract written in Hebrew and Aramaic. Solely for the purposes of this ruling, the court accepts as accurate the plaintiff's English translation.  This memorandum of decision addresses a narrow yet dispositive issue: Assuming, without deciding, that the Ketubah is otherwise a valid prenuptial agreement under Connecticut law, does the first amendment to the United States constitution nonetheless forbid the court to enforce the cited provision? For the following reasons, the court answers that question in the affirmative….  The plaintiff seeks to enforce a Jewish marriage contract, known as a "Ketubah," contending that it is a valid prenuptial agreement. In relevant part, the Ketubah states that the parties "agreed to divorce (or, separate from) one another according to custom all the days of their life (i.e., as a continuing obligation) according to Torah law as in the manner of Jewish people." (Emphasis added.) The plaintiff argues that "Torah law" mandates a 50/50 division of property and relieves him of any obligation to pay alimony to his wife of nearly thirty years. The defendant disagrees and generally contests the validity of the Ketubah as a prenuptial agreement.  The court concludes that it cannot interpret the "Torah law" provision of the parties' Ketubah using strictly neutral, secular legal principles. To the contrary, granting the plaintiff the specific relief he seeks based on his preferred interpretation of the Ketubah and Jewish law would excessively entangle the court in a religious dispute and, therefore, would violate the first amendment….  This case appears to be one of first impression among published opinions, certainly in Connecticut, if not nationally. Distilled to its essence, the plaintiff's argument is that the "Torah law" provision of the parties' Ketubah is no different from any other choice of law clause in a civil contract.  To educate the court about the parties' chosen law, the plaintiff submitted the affidavit of a rabbi, who would presumably testify at trial, describing his understanding of Torah law as it pertains to alimony and property division. The defendant also submitted the affidavit of a rabbi. However, the defendant's rabbinical expert disagrees with the plaintiff's rabbinical expert. [The court doesn't discuss whether one of the rabbis disagreed even with himself. -EV]  It is clear, then, that enforcement of the "Torah law" provision in the Ketubah would require the court to choose between competing interpretations of Jewish law. But resolving such a dispute is precisely what the neutral principles approach forbids a court to do. The first amendment does not permit courts to resolve disputes over the meaning and interpretation of the Torah—or the Koran, the New Testament or any other religious text. This is where the plaintiff's analogy to traditional choice of law analysis breaks down. Construing the civil law of a foreign jurisdiction (other than a pure theocracy) does not require a court to choose between competing interpretations of religious law. In other words, traditional choice of law provisions generally do not have first amendment implications.  One … commentator on first amendment issues offers the following hypothetical, which helps clarify the limits of a court's power to interpret documents with religious implications or motivations.  "Religiously motivated contracts (and wills and trusts) should be interpreted the same as secularly motivated documents, so long as they can be interpreted using neutral principles and without evaluating religious doctrine. That makes sense as a matter of contract law and wills and trusts law, and required by the Free Exercise Clause principle that people ought not be discriminated against based on the religious nature of their practices. See, e.g., Church of the Lukumi Babalu Aye v. City of Hialeah (1993)."  "Thus, to take the simplest example, imagine a man dies and leaves a will that provides that 2/3 of his property will go to his son and 1/3 to his daughter, and it's clear that this stems from his understanding of Islamic law, under which sons should get twice the share of daughters. Such a will, it seems to me, must be enforced, even if we think it stems from a sexist religious belief system. People are entitled to be sexist—and religiously motivated—in deciding whom to leave their property to."  "On the other hand, if a man leaves a will that provides for division 'according to the principles of Shari'a,' courts can't enforce that, because that requires courts to interpret what Islamic religious law actually calls for, something that they can't do." Eugene Volokh, "Court Refuses to Enforce Islamic Premarital Agreement That Promised Wife $677,000 in the Event of Divorce," last modified September 10, 2012), available at http://volokh.com/2012/09/10/ court-refuses-to-enforce-islamic-premarital-agreement-that-promised-wife-677000-in-the-event-of-divorce.  The court shares the view of first amendment law expressed above. The "Torah law" provision in the parties' Ketubah is functionally indistinguishable from the "Shari' a law" provision in the hypothetical will. Interpreting what Hebrew, Islamic, Christian, Hindu, etc. law or religious doctrine requires in terms of alimony and property division is precisely the sort of task that would excessively entangle courts in inherently religious matters. The specter of a civil court being forced to decide which religious experts' proffered interpretation is more "credible" is also troubling.  {The plaintiff cites In re Marriage of Goldman (Ill. Ct. App. 1990) as precedent for civil courts to interpret the "Torah law" provision in the parties' Ketubah. The trial court in that case interpreted a Ketubah provision very similar to the one at issue here. Based on "uncontroverted expert testimony," the trial court accepted the wife's argument that the general reference to "Torah law" required the husband to give her a Get. The court ordered specific performance of that obligation. The Illinois [court] affirmed and rejected the husband's argument that the first amendment barred the trial court from ordering him to give his wife a Get.  The court agrees with the plaintiff that in re Marriage of Goldman is relevant precedent, but it is not binding on a Connecticut Superior Court. It is also distinguishable because it involved uncontroverted expert testimony. The court declines the plaintiff's invitation to follow that case. More persuasive is Victor v. Victor (Ariz. Ct. App. 1993), in which the Arizona Appellate Court held that a comparable provision in a Ketubah was too vague to be enforceable. "If this court were to rule on whether the ketubah, given its indefinite language, includes an unwritten mandate that a husband under these circumstances is required to grant his wife a get, we would be overstepping our authority and assuming the role of a religious court. This we decline to do."}  Finally, this court … is unpersuaded that the distinction under Jewish law between laws governing the relationship between man and God and laws governing relationships between men avoids the first amendment problem in this case. The court acknowledges the distinction within Jewish law. Nevertheless, both categories of laws are rooted in the Torah and other textual sources of Jewish law. Even disputes over the correct interpretation of Jewish civil laws are disputes over the meaning and requirements of Jewish law. From the perspective of an American civil court—state or federal—such disputes are inherently religious….  The neutral principles approach requires civil courts to refrain from deciding disputes involving matters of religious faith, law, doctrine, practice and the "true" meaning of religious texts. Here, enforcement of the "Torah law" provision of the parties' Ketubah would require the court to choose between competing rabbinical interpretations of Jewish law. This the court cannot do without violating the first amendment….


instapundit--2019-02-09--TORAH ON ONE FOOT The Secret to Happiness

TORAH ON ONE FOOT: The Secret to Happiness….

TORAH ON ONE FOOT: The Secret to Happiness.


sputnik--2019-03-23--Tehran Slams Pompeo for Distorting Torah Holy Text to Serve Iranophobia

Tehran Slams Pompeo for Distorting Torah Holy Text 'to Serve Iranophobia'

Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif has encouraged Mike Pompeo to get better acquainted with the Torah, the Jewish holy text, and educate himself with Jewish religious scholars' writings about the Ancient Persians, the predecessors of modern-day Iran.  "Even the Torah is distorted to serve Iranophobia," Zarif wrote on his official Twitter page, before proceeding to list some of the things the scripture actually said, including multiple references to Persian efforts to save Jews from captivity and genocide, and reference to Persian ruler Cyrus the Great's capture of the city of Babylon in 539 B.C. which allowed exiled Jews to return to their homeland and resulting in the king being bestowed the title of 'Messiah' – becoming the only foreigner to be so hailed in Jewish scripture.  The tweet followed remarks by Secretary Pompeo last week, when, speaking to the Christian Broadcasting Network during his trip to Israel, the US diplomat said his faith made him believe it was "possible" that President Trump had been chosen by God to help save the Jewish people from what his interviewer described as "an Iranian menace."  Pompeo travelled to Jerusalem last week, visiting the city's holy sites and holding a press conference with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who praised Washington over Trump's recent statement about it being time for the US to "fully recognise Israel's sovereignty over the Golan Heights," a Syrian territory occupied by Tel Aviv since the 1967 Arab-Israeli War.  Tehran earlier expressed its dismay over Trump's statement about the necessity to recognise Israel's sovereignty over the Golan Heights, with Zarif tweeting that Iran and other members of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (IOC) were "shocked" by President Trump's move "to try to give what is not his to racist Israel."


usnews--2019-11-19--Torah Scrolls Damaged in Synagogue Fire Burned in Garage

DULUTH, Minn. (AP) — Damaged Torah scrolls and prayer books that were salvaged from a Duluth synagogue fire in September have burned again in a garage fire.  Officials of Adas Israel Synagogue say the items were being kept in the garage and were to be buried in keeping with Jewish tradition.  The garage fire broke out Sunday in Duluth’s Central Hillside.  Fire officials say the garage fire is not suspicious, but the cause is under investigation.  Former synagogue president Phillip Sher tells WDIO-TV the damaged scrolls still will be buried.  A homeless man admitted starting the fire that destroyed the 117-year-old synagogue. Matthew Amiot told police he tried to spit on the fire to put it out, but walked away when that didn't work. Police don’t believe the synagogue fire was a hate crime.  Copyright 2019 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.


redstate--2019-01-06--No Bible Rashida Tlaib Becomes First Congresswoman to Swear in on a Quran it Wasnt Jeffersons

No Bible: Rashida Tlaib Becomes First Congresswoman to Swear in on a Quran, & it Wasn’t Jefferson’s

The political landscape is definitely changing.  On Thursday, Democratic Minnesota Rep. Rashida Tlaib was sworn in with her hand on the Quran instead of a Bible.  I previously covered Rashida with an August 15th article about her expressed hope to deny further aid to Israel. See that story here.  She made RedState headlines on Friday (courtesy of Brandon Morse), thanks to the previous day’s post-swearing-in speech, which included an absolutely stunning “expletive-filled Trump impeachment comment”:  This is where we are.  The civility and class of politics continues down a muddy hill. And more rain is surely on the way (also see here and especially here).  As are, no doubt, more erroneous reports: Despite online posts to the contrary, Tlaib has denied she took her congressional oath on former President Thomas Jefferson’s 18th-century Quran:  That “photo with Speaker Pelosi” was likely none too warm — as I noted on August 10th, the nation’s first Muslim congresswoman told CNN she wasn’t planning to endorse Nancy as Speaker, suggesting the left-wing Armegeddon-proclaiming goof was a corrupt “sellout” (here and here).  Guess she Rashida wanted to oust that mother****er, too.  Meanwhile, the political climate is changing like a mother****er.  For the proud-as-a-peacock vulgarity, see the uncensored tweet below.  See 3 more pieces from me:  And please follow Alex Parker on Twitter and Facebook.  Thank you for reading! Please sound off in the Comments section below. For iPhone instructions, see the bottom of this page.  If you have an iPhone and want to comment, select the box with the upward arrow at the bottom of your screen; swipe left and choose “Request Desktop Site.” You may have to do this several times before the page reloads. Scroll down to the red horizontal bar that says “Show Comments.”


sputnik--2019-04-16--WATCH Migrants Brawl After Quran-Throwing Protests in Denmark

A manifestation by Rasmus Paludan, the leader of the right-wing anti-Islam and anti-immigration party Stram Kurs ("Hard Line") has led to mass unrest with street fires, tear gas and stones hurled at riot police.  A longer movie clip that the party itself has published on its YouTube shows how an African man suddenly attacks Paludan, but gets incapacitated by the police. This happened after the party leader and his associate threw about the Quran, the holy scripture of Islam.  From there, the violence escalated. Images published by the daily newspaper BT show masked police with their weapons drawn. BT described how immigrant youth started throwing parked bicycles on Nørrebrogade Street to block the traffic.  "Cafe benches are lying on the site, because people have rushed away from there", BT reported.  Other clips show the police being attacked, the streets ravaged by flames and black some rising over rooftops. Another clip described the encounter as "war between police and Muslims".  By his own admission, Rasmus Paludan remained unperturbed by the attack and intends to hold a similar demonstration in Nørrebro at the same square.  The new demonstration will take place on 13.30 on Tuesday, Stram Kurs founder told BT.  "We were not able to do it yesterday. I could only stand there for two minutes and 43 seconds before it all went to hell", Paludan explained. "Then we were led away by the police. You can see that cops pull me by the arms. It's not that I voluntarily left the place", he pointed out.  While many politicians, including Danish Prime Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen, called Paludan's actions as a "senseless provocation" intended to stoke division and demolish a sense of belonging, Paludan himself denied the accusations.  "It seems to me as if some people just wanted to set the district on fire. Then they just use me as an excuse", he said.  Stram Kurs is a fringe party that identifies as "ethno-nationalist", "libertarian" and "Danish patriots". Despite only being founded in 2017 and enjoying a limited membership, the party repeatedly makes headlines in Denmark with its protest actions, which often involve symbolic Quran burnings made possible after the repealing of Denmark's age-old blasphemy law. The party describes these actions as "Bacon a-la Quran".


sputnik--2019-09-18--German Serial Quran Desecrator Suspected to Be Iraqi Refugee Despite Allegations Against Right-Wing

German Serial Quran Desecrator Suspected to Be Iraqi Refugee, Despite Allegations Against Right-Wing

The German police have arrested a man who allegedly stuffed Qurans into toilets in mosques in northern Germany, local outlet the Weser Kurier reports. The suspect, reported to be a refugee of Kurdish origin from Iraq, was detained in Schleswig last week on suspicion that he had vandalised the holy book of Muslims there. The man admitted that he had also committed similar acts in other cities, including allegedly desecrating 50 copies of the Quran, tearing them apart and urinating on the pages, in a mosque in Bremen in early June.  According to the police, he tore down soap dispensers, sinks in the sanitary rooms, and threw pages of the Quran into a toilet in a mosque in Schleswig a month after his suspected rampage in Bremen. Similar incidents also took place in two other cities in northern Germany – in Minden, where Quranic pages and excrements were scattered in a prayer room, and in Muenster.  These acts prompted outrage among the Muslim community. Bremen’s Mosque Association Shura branded the incident a "disgusting attack", noting in a statement that it hurt the feelings of Muslims. The Central Council of Muslims in Germany also condemned the act, with its chairman, Aiman Mazyek, describing the act as “a new dimension of perversion” that “clearly aims to further fuel the spiral of hatred and violence against Muslims and their mosques”. He also demanded that the Bremen police investigate the case thoroughly and that mosques in Germany should be better protected.  The outlet also points out that almost immediately before the alleged suspect was apprehended, the misdeeds were attributed to the political right. SPD lawmaker from Schleswig Birte Pauls even called on the AfD to finally understand that words can turn into violence.  However, police warned against pointing fingers as long as the case is still being investigated. Moreover, the prosecutor in Flensburg, located in Schleswig, ruled out a right-wing background in the incidents.  "A xenophobic background can be ruled out. There are no signs at all", the prosecution office’s spokeswoman Stephanie Gropp said, noting that the probe is ongoing.


sputnik--2019-11-27--Norwegian Flag Torched in Pakistan to Protest Quran Burning as Islam's Opponents Promise New Fires

The Quran burning that occurred during an event by Stop Islamisation of Norway (SIAN) has sparked strong reactions in the Muslim world.  While Turkey and Iran issued their formal condemnations, the Norwegian flag was torched during a demonstration in Karachi, alongside the US flag, Norwegian national broadcaster NRK reported.  Hashtags like #Boycottnorway and #Norwayattackonislam are gathering momentum on Twitter, together with calls to ostracise the Scandinavian nation for its perceived lack of respect for religion.  Norwegian Prime Minister Erna Solberg received many comments about the Quran burning on her Instagram page, even in seemingly unrelated posts, such as one about women's football.  Trude Måseide, the head of communications at the foreign ministry, said the authorities were monitoring the situation closely and distancing themselves from the flag burning.  “Violation of the Norwegian flag is an instrument that we refrain from precisely because we do not want an increasingly polarised social debate,” Måseide said. She stressed that provocations and incitement with disrespectful actions contributes to conflict. “Although this is legal and within the freedom of speech, we are clear that we disagree,” she told NRK.  Telenor, Norway's leading telecom company, said they were closely following the reactions in social media and calls to boycott. Spokeswoman Hanne Knudsen said the company was working fully to maintain regular operations. In a tweet, Telenor stressed that respect for others was one of their core values and condemned acts “that don't respect religion”.  Meanwhile, Pakistan's Foreign Ministry summoned the Norwegian ambassador to inform him that the Quran burning “hurt the sentiments of 1.3 billion Muslims around the world, including those in Pakistan”. By contrast, the Muslim man who attacked SIAN activists won a lot of praise, including from the Pakistani Armed Forces spokesperson Asif Ghafoor.  Within or Outside the Limits of Free Speech?  The Quran burning in Kristiansand, which ended in a violent clash and arrests, has sparked a heated discussion in Norway, with many politicians and journalists arguing that the police violated the principles of free speech by interfering and stopping it.  Justice Minister Jøran Kallmyr stressed to NRK that burning the Quran was “part of the freedom of speech, whether we like it or not” and therefore fully legal.  Others, such as Liberal Party heavyweight and former Norwegian parliament vice president Abid Raja, condemned both the Quran burning and the flag-burning response as “destructive actions for the entire society”. His party colleague Odd Einar Dørum, however, went so far as to draw parallels between Quran burning burning and Kristallnacht or the Night of Broken Glass 1938, when Nazis carried out massive pogroms against Jews, the newspaper Dagbladet reported.  Meanwhile, SIAN, an organisation set up in the early 2000s to stop the proliferation of Islam, pledged reruns of the Quran burning.  At the same time, he admitted that Quran burning is not his preferred course of action.  Muslims currently make up about 5.7 percent of Norway's population, following a steep rise amid mass immigration.


sputnik--2019-12-05--Norwegian Muslims to Distribute Quran in Aftermath of Public Burning

Following the uproar created by the recent attempt to set fire to Islam's central scripture, three Muslim organisations will distribute free copies of the Quran to Norwegians in an attempt to prevent future instances of Quran burning.  The Norwegian Muslim Arts and Culture Association, the Islamic Literature Association and the Minhaj-ul-Quran Mosque in Oslo intend to distribute a total of 10,000 copies of the Quran at several stands in the Norwegian capital and possibly Bergen, Norway's second-largest city, sometimes seen as the nation's cultural capital, the newspaper Vårt Land reported.  The Quran distribution will be funded by the three organisations, as well as donations by private individuals. The action is intended as a response to the burning of the Quran by the organisation Stop Islamisation of Norway (SIAN) during a demonstration in Kristiansand over two weeks ago.  “I believe many people are curious about what the Quran contains and what Muslims stand for. We hope this project can help demystify the Quran's content,” Hamza Ansari, board member of the Norwegian-Pakistani Minhaj-ul-Quran mosque in Oslo, told Vårt land.  According to the Islamic Literature Association, the Quran teaches how to "show love and spread knowledge", which is why is it seen as an effective vehicle against "hate and racism".  Incidentally, a similar idea was set forth by former Labour Culture Minister Hadia Tajik, the first Muslim to serve in the Norwegian government. In 2014, at the height of Daesh's so-called “caliphate”, she proposed giving Muslim youth the Quran before the extremists got to them.  The Quran burning in Kristiansand, which resulted in violent clashes and arrests, sparked a heated debate in Norway concerning the border between free speech and religious hatred.  While some argued that such actions were destructive, drawing historic parallels with the 1938 Kristallnacht, when Nazis carried out massive pogroms against Jews, others, including Justice Minister Jøran Kallmyr, insisted that Quran burning was indeed covered by the freedom of speech and suggested that police overstepped their powers as it interfered to stop the fire.  Meanwhile, the Quran burning has sent ripples across the Muslim world, with Turkey, Pakistan and Iran issuing their formal condemnations. Additionally, the Norwegian flag was torched during a demonstration in Karachi, while calls to boycott and ostracise Norway were made on social media.  SIAN, an organisation set up in the early 2000s to stop the spread of Islam, pledged reruns of the Quran burning, which stressing that they would have preferred a debate.  Muslims currently make up about 5.7 percent of Norway's population due to mass immigration of the recent decades.  In 2013, Norway's first complete Quran translation was accomplished. According to Aqil Qadir of the Norwegian-Muslim Arts and Culture Association, it contains explanations based on the modern world in a “unique interpretive style”.


thedailycaller--2019-01-03--Rep Rashida Tlaib Sworn In On Jeffersons Quran

Rep. Rashida Tlaib Sworn In On Jefferson’s Quran

Democratic Michigan Rep. Rashida Tlaib, one of the first Muslim women elected to Congress, was sworn into office Thursday using Thomas Jefferson’s copy of the Quran.  Tlaib, the first Palestinian woman to take congressional office, insisted on using the Quran, ostensibly to make a positive statement about Islam’s place in U.S. history and the diversity of American society. She also reportedly wore a traditional Palestinian gown, called a thobe, for the ceremony. (RELATED: America’s First Two Muslim Congresswomen Officially Endorse Anti-Israel Legislation)  “My swearing in on the (Quran) is about me showing that the American people are made up of diverse backgrounds and we all have love of justice and freedom,” Tlaib told the Detroit Free Press. “My faith has centered me. The prophet Mohammed was always talking about freedom and justice.”  Jefferson purchased a copy of the Quran in 1765 while studying the law. He was a collector of books, and historians speculate he might have purchased the Quran because of his curiosity about world religions and because a significant number of the slaves taken from African countries to the U.S. followed Islam.  “It’s important to me because a lot of Americans have this kind of feeling that Islam is somehow foreign to American history,” Tlaib said of using Jefferson’s Quran. “Muslims were there at the beginning.”  Tlaib also said she is “going to be a voice for” Palestinians. After winning her congressional primary race, she gave a victory speech with the Palestinian flag draped around her shoulders. Many Palestinian women on social media hailed her announcement that she would wear a thobe during her swearing-in.  Interestingly, the copy of the Quran on which she made her oaths was translated by British lawyer George Sale for the purpose of Christians evangelizing Muslims. Sale intended his translation to help Christians understand Islam and to enable them to argue against it.  “Whatever use an impartial version of the Korân may be of in other respects, it is absolutely necessary to undeceive those who, from the ignorant or unfair translations which have appeared, have entertained too favourable an opinion of the original, and also to enable us effectually to expose the imposture,” Sale wrote in the foreword, according to History.  The Koran was also a popular read among Christians at the time due to a desire among Americans and the British to better understand the peoples of North Africa and the Ottoman Empire.  “The Quran gained a popular readership among Protestants both in England and in North America largely out of curiosity,” University of Texas Professor Denise Spellberg said. “But also because people thought of the book as a book of law and a way to understand Muslims with whom they were interacting already pretty consistently, in the Ottoman Empire and in North Africa.”  Despite criticism over her choice to use a Quran and to promote her Palestinian heritage, Tlaib said she is undaunted.  “My mere existence, that I’m even of Muslim faith, is going to be a problem for them with or without me swearing in on any Koran,” she said.  Content created by The Daily Caller News Foundation is available without charge to any eligible news publisher that can provide a large audience. For licensing opportunities of our original content, please contact licensing@dailycallernewsfoundation.org.


theindependent--2019-03-19--New Zealand shooting Parliament opens session with reading from Quran

New Zealand shooting: Parliament opens session with reading from Quran

The Quran was recited during New Zealand’s parliament session on Tuesday, the first since last week's terrorist attack on two mosques that claimed 50 lives.  A Muslim imam led prayers in parliament, in what is being seen as a gesture of solidarity with the victims of the shooting.  Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, who has received international praise for her response to the attack including offering to pay the funeral costs of victims, started her speech with the phrase “As-Salaam-Alaikum”, an Arabic greeting meaning ‘peace be unto you’.  She encouraged people to acknowledge the Muslim community’s grief on Friday – the Muslim day of worship, and one week since the attack, and vowed that the full force of the law will come down on the attacker.  The verses come from chapter al-Baqarah (The Cow), which emphasise patience, prayers, and justice on judgement day.  This is thought to be the first time the Quran has been read in the New Zealand parliament.  Ibrahim Kalin, Chief Counsellor to the President of the Turkish Republic, said: “I commend the [parliament] for this heartwarming and graceful act. It is these acts of kindness and resolution that will defeat terrorism and fascism.”  Prime Minister Ardern has been vocal about her refusal to name the attacker, who has been charged, saying: “I implore you, speak the names of those who were lost rather than the name of the man who took them.  "He is a terrorist. He is a criminal. He is an extremist. But he will, when I speak, be nameless."  We’ll tell you what’s true. You can form your own view.  At The Independent, no one tells us what to write. That’s why, in an era of political lies and Brexit bias, more readers are turning to an independent source. Subscribe from just 15p a day for extra exclusives, events and ebooks – all with no ads.


zerohedge--2019-11-25--Furious Pakistan Summons Norway's Ambassador After Public Quran Burning & Brawl

Over the weekend Pakistan announced it has summoned Norway's ambassador to convey the Muslim country's outrage over a televised Quran burning incident in the southern Norwegian city of Kristiansand.  Similar to the controversial Florida-based pastor Terry Jones attempting to hold a Quran burning rally in 2010, this latest rally put on last week by the Stop Islamization of Norway (SIAN) had attracted a local and international media frenzy in the run-up to the event. Local reports further described that some 500 counter-demonstrators showed up, sending tensions soaring.  The head of the anti-Muslim group, Lars Thorsen, stood in front of a considerable crowd and torched the Islamic holy book, and that's when chaos ensued, with at least two Muslim men rushing Thorsen after they jumped a police barrier — all of which was captured on film and went viral.  Police could be seen subduing the attackers, and in the mayhem the burning Quran fell to the ground, after which the police used a fire extinguisher to put it out.  The filmed incident sparked angry protests in Pakistan's most populous city of Karachi, where locals burned Norwegian and American flags.  On Saturday Pakistan's foreign ministry said: “Such actions hurt the sentiments of 1.3 billion Muslims around the world,” the Associated Press reported.  The Ministry said further that the public burning of a Quran “could not be justified in the name of freedom of expression,” and demanded that Norwegian authorities "prevent" such attacks on Islam in the future.  Turkey is also reported to have lodged a formal diplomatic complaint with Oslo over authorities allowing the Quran burning to happen.  Meanwhile, the Muslim youth who spearheaded the attack on Thorsen, forcing the Norwegian man to drop the burning book and attempt to flee, is being hailed as a hero inside Pakistan, with even a Pakistani Army official praising him publicly for “displaying courage to stop an absolutely deplorable action,” he wrote on Twitter.  Norwegian reports indicated Thorsen was taken by police for questioning, along with five others who were involved in the ensuing brawl.  Over the past years a number of right-wing anti-Muslim and anti-immigrant groups have gained popularity and large followings in Scandinavian and northern European countries amid growing backlash against lax immigration policies among EU countries.  There's also growing frustration over the reality that as birthrates plummet among northern European populations, migrant populations from the Middle East and North Africa are exploding.


therussophileorg--2019-02-03--Germany Reconstruction in Syria

Germany: Reconstruction in Syria

This  [post](https://www.veteranstoday.com/2019/02/03/germany-reconstruction-in- syria/)  was originally published on  [this site](https://www.veteranstoday.com/)  VeteransToday  []()  BERLIN/DAMASKUS/WASHINGTON (Own report) – Foreign policy advisors warn of severe setbacks in Berlin’s attempt to influence political development in Damascus through Syria’s reconstruction. So far, Berlin and Brussels had always insisted on only participating in the reconstruction of the war-ravaged country if significant political concessions were made. Now, however, the first EU states are breaking out of the common pressure front. The reason for this is that reconstruction has long since begun without the EU and Iranian, Indian and Chinese companies are achieving their first successes. European companies, on the other hand, are still out in the cold. The situation is made more complicated by the fact that the United States is working on a new sanctions law that is threatening all companies and individuals with painful punishments who do significant business with Syria’s government, for example carry out construction projects on its behalf. The law could prevent plans of German companies in Syria as well as in Iran; Berlin would remain uninfluenced in Damascus.  [![](https://i0.wp.com/www.therussophile.org/wp- content/uploads/2017/07/ASAMI-1-728x90.jpg?fit=728%2C90&ssl=1)![](https://i0.wp.com/www.therussophile.org /wp- content/uploads/2017/07/ASAMI-1-728x90.jpg?fit=728%2C90&ssl=1)](https://www.therussophile.org/linkout/1067590)  First major projects  Foreign policy advisors in Berlin and Brussels are currently worried that Germany and the other EU states may come too late with the reconstruction of war-damaged Syria and miss not only lucrative business, but above all a possibly last chance to build up a position of political influence in Damascus. Reconstruction has been underway for some time now. They hold a strong position because they supported the government of Bashar al Assad in the war, especially Russia and Iran. According to a recent working paper of the Federal Academy for Security Policy (BAKS), “the restoration of the energy sector” in Syria “has been driven forward by Iranian consortia in particular since the end of 2017”. These consortia have thus received “surcharges for five major Syrian cities”. According to reports, more than 50 Iranian companies were present at the 60th Damascus International Fair in September 2018; the central theme at the fair was reconstruction. At the end of January, Tehran announced that it would soon be making bank transfers between the two countries possible.  This was last prevented by the US sanctions against Iran.  Race for orders  The reconstruction measures are by no means limited to Russia and Iran. As reported by the BAKS, India, for example, is “working on the Syrian industrial sector”; “Indian funds” are already being used to “build a new thermal power station worth 240 million US dollars south of Damascus”. Chinese companies are also very active in Syria; according to reports, over 200 companies from the People’s Republic took part in the Damascus trade fair. The BAKS states that Beijing is relying “above all on new infrastructure projects” when it comes to reconstruction “as part of its belt-and-road initiative” in which it is seeking to integrate the country.[2] In addition, it has promised Damascus its first billion euro loans. In addition, Arab states are now also pushing vigorously towards Syria. One reason is that the monarchies and emirates on the Arabian Peninsula fear that after the announced US withdrawal from Syria their worst enemy, Iran, could gain a dominant position there; the United Arab Emirates, for example, have therefore begun to normalize diplomatic relations with Syria and are making great efforts to do business within the framework of reconstruction. Jordan, on the other hand, is interested in contracts in its neighboring country in order to set its severely crisis-ridden economy in motion.[3]  Europe’s dwindling leverage  Against this backdrop, the voices in Berlin are increasing, insisting that Germany and the EU should now finally develop their own activities. The BAKS stated that the EU should “participate in the reconstruction of Syria”: “This is not only desirable, but a real political necessity”[4] In fact, the German government has already promised support in the past, but explicitly linked this to extensive political concessions in Damascus. It has always been said that Moscow and Tehran could not possibly muster the mid-three-digit billion sums needed to repair the war destruction; they could therefore demand massive influence (german-foreign-policy.com reported [5]). So far, however, this calculation has not worked out – not least because countries like India and China are now in a position to step in as financiers and replace the lack of funds from the EU. Western wealth has lost leverage.  Highly pokered  This complicates the situation for Berlin’s power ambitions. Leading German foreign policy leaders continue to play high poker and demand the fulfilment of preconditions before participating in reconstruction. CDU foreign policy expert Roderich Kiesewetter argues that while Germany and the EU should support the reconstruction measures, they should call for the establishment of a “UN-mandated protection zone” in Syria.[6] Omid Nouripour, foreign policy faction spokesman for Bündnis 90/Die Grünen in the Bundestag, is also in favour of Damascus calling for political advance measures. In addition, he argues that any aids should not be made available to the government in Damascus, but should be handed over directly to “projects” on the ground.[7] Such an approach allowed Berlin to establish its own clientele structures in the middle of Syria.  The front is crumbling  However, in the meantime the first EU states are beginning to withdraw from the Berlin power poker, unnerved. At the end of October 2018, a delegation from the Polish Sejm visited Damascus to discuss a resumption of mutual economic relations. The chairman of the Chamber of Commerce in Damascus explicitly called on Polish businessmen to explore the “investment opportunities in Syria” offered by the reconstruction.[8] In January the Italian Foreign Minister announced that Rome was in the process of carefully examining the possibility of reopening its embassy in Syria. Foreign policy experts warn. According to a statement from the European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR), the EU front against Damascus threatens to crack or even break apart if individual states continue to press ahead.[9] This must be prevented. To achieve this, however, “Europeans who are trying to maintain a tough stance towards Assad” would have to recognise that under the current conditions it would hardly be possible to force through what had previously not been possible in the long years of the civil war.  US sanctions  The situation is further complicated by the fact that Washington is preparing new sanctions. Recently, the new “Caesar Syrian Civilian Protection Act” passed the US House of Representatives, which imposes harsh penalties on all those who provide “significant financial, material or technological assistance” to the Syrian government. In particular, sanctions are to be imposed on all persons or companies who “participate in construction and engineering projects controlled by the Syrian government”.[10] In fact, this excludes participation in Syria’s reconstruction for anyone who has business relations with US companies. If the law is passed, then German company activities in Syria would be practically as excluded as in Iran. Berlin would thus be obstructed in the foreseeable future from any serious possibility of exerting influence there. This would be a heavy blow for Germany’s ambitious ambitions to replace the United States, which is withdrawing from the Near and Middle East, in the ring of states around Europe (german-foreign-policy.com reported [11]).   _________________________   [1], [2] Stefan Luke, Marius Paradise: A difficult reconstruction. Prospects for European initiatives in Syria. Federal Academy for Security Policy. Security Policy Working Paper No. 2/2019.   [3] Ulrich Schmid: Jordan seeks proximity to Asad. nzz.ch 25.01.2019.   [4] Stefan Lukas, Marius Paradies: A difficult reconstruction. Prospects for European initiatives in Syria. Federal Academy for Security Policy. Security Policy Working Paper No. 2/2019.   [5] See also Reconstruction in Syria.   [6] Hans-Jürgen Deglow: Foreign politician Kiesewetter pleads for UN protection zone in Syria. stimmen.de 25.01.2019.   [7] Diana Hodali: Reconstruction of a destroyed country. de.qantara.de 09.01.2019.   [8] Syria and Poland to enhance economic, trade relations. sana.sy 31.10.2018.   [9] Julien Barnes-Dacey: What Europe should do about Syria. ecfr.eu 28.01.2019.   [10] Taylor Luck: Rebuilding Syria: Why Arabs and the West are on a collision course. Christian Science Monitor 29.01.2019.   [11] See also: Ordnungsmacht im Krisengürtel and Keine Ordnungsmacht.  GERMAN-FOREIGN-POLICY.com https://www.german-foreign-policy.com/news/list/  Share on Facebook  Tweet on twitter  Share on google+  Pin to pinterest  from https://www.veteranstoday.com/2019/02/03/germany-reconstruction-in-syria/


therussophileorg--2019-11-04--Iran dares to help Syria rebuild its power grid defying US sanctions on its 'terrorist' construction

Iran dares to help Syria rebuild its power grid defying US sanctions on its 'terrorist' construction sector

This post was originally published on this site  Tehran and Damascus have signed a preliminary deal on rebuilding Syria’s power grid at a major electricity expo, which by pure coincidence took place in Iran just as Washington sanctioned its construction sector.  The deal envisages not only the restoration of the country’s devastated electrical network and construction of additional power generation units – including solar and wind – but also localization of Iranian electrical equipment production in Syria.  While little has been revealed, the memorandum of understanding signed Saturday by the states’ energy ministers also outlines a potential three-way link between the power grids of Syria, Iran, and Iraq to boost regional energy stability. The Syrian government delegation also toured the 19th Iran International Electricity Exhibition, which featured products of more than 450 companies from Iran, China, and Russia, and signed a number of additional contracts there.   That expo, whether by ironic coincidence or not, kicked off the very same day Washington suddenly discovered that Iran’s entire construction sector is controlled by “terrorists.” Issuing a seemingly deliberately vague pamphlet, the US State Department let the mainstream media fill in the blanks between the ominous “strategic materials,””nuclear and ballistic” programs, and “proliferation-sensitive purposes.”  The actual list of those sanctioned “strategic materials,” conveniently swept under the rug, includes such despicable things as anti-corrosion brazing foils, a premium grade stainless steel alloy, and even steel pipes. Saddam’s ‘aluminum tubes of mass destruction’, anyone?


therussophileorg--2019-01-08--Turkey has plan to restore peace in Syria after Islamic State defeat president

Turkey has plan to restore peace in Syria after Islamic State defeat — president

### Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan  © Presidential Press Service via AP, Pool  NEW YORK, January 8. /TASS/. Ankara believes that the Islamic State terrorist group (IS, outlawed in Russia) has been completely defeated militarily in Syria and the Turkish government is ready to put forward its strategy of restoring peace in the country, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said in an article published by New York Times.  “Militarily speaking, the so-called Islamic State has been defeated in Syria,” he said. “Turkey proposes a comprehensive strategy to eliminate the root causes of radicalization.”  In other media