Dr. Patrick Slattery’s News Roundup
A service of DavidDuke.com
From Russia Today
EU ‘cannot handle’ another year of refugees pouring into Europe – Danish PM
Published time: 19 Feb, 2016 19:41
© Michael Dalder / Reuters
The European Union cannot handle another year of the refugee crisis, the prime minister of Denmark said on Friday, stressing that the burden cannot be the responsibility of just a few countries.
“We need to find solutions that work. Because we cannot handle yet another year with an influx like the one we saw last year. Especially not if the burden continues to be borne by very few countries,” Lars Lokke Rasmussen told reporters on Friday, The Local reports.
From the Jewish Telegraphic Agency
Jewish groups join call for swift Senate consideration of Obama Supremes nominee
WASHINGTON (JTA) — An array of Jewish groups joined a call on Senate leaders to consider whomever President Barack Obama nominates to replace Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia.
Thirteen of the 31 groups signing the letter sent Friday to Majority Leader Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., and Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, the chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee were Jewish, among them groups representing the Reform movement and the Reconstructionist movement as well as the Anti-Defamation League, the Habonim Dror youth movement, the National Council of Jewish Women, the Jewish Council for Public Affairs and Jewish Women International.
“A seat intentionally left vacant for an extended period of time – either through a delayed nomination or delayed consideration – threatens the ability of the government to operate at full capacity, as well as the ability for justice to be served in a timely fashion,” said the letter, organized by the Reform movement’s Religious Action Center. “Justice delayed is anathema to us as Americans and as people of faith seeking to create a more just nation and world.”
McConnell has urged Obama to leave any nomination to the next president and has suggested that the Republican-led Senate simply would not consider a nomination. Grassley, whose committee would first consider any nomination, has been more equivocal, saying that he would not out of hand refuse to consider an Obama nominee, but also doubting that one would clear the Senate before Obama leaves office next January.
Click here for the full story
From PressTV
Saudi FM: Militants in Syria should be armed with surface-to-air missiles
Saudi Arabia’s foreign minister says the militants wreaking havoc in Syria should be equipped with surface-to-air missiles.
Arming militants with the missiles would “enable … [them] to neutralize the [Syrian] helicopters and planes,” German weekly Der Spiegel quoted Adel al-Jubeir as saying.
In an interview published online on Friday, Jubeir expressed Riyadh’s support for regime change in Syria.
Syrian government forces have been fighting foreign-backed militancy since March 2011. Several regional countries, namely Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Qatar, have been aiding the militants operating against the government of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.
In recent months, Syrian forces have gained huge victories in the battle against terrorists across the country.
Syrian government forces have been receiving air cover from Russia since September 2015. The Russian campaign was launched upon a request from Damascus.
Since September 2014, the US and its allies in the so-called anti-Daesh campaign have also been conducting airstrikes against purported positions of Daesh, without any authorization from Damascus or the UN. Many have questioned the effectiveness of the strikes.
Click here for the full story
From PressTV
US-supplied arms in hands of Daesh, Turkish president says
Turkey’s president says weapons supplied by the United States have ended up in the hands of Daesh Takfiri terrorists as well as the Kurdish fighters of the People’s Protection Units (YPG) and the Democratic Union Party (PYD) based in Syria.
“Months ago in my meeting with him (US President Barack Obama), I told him the US was supplying weapons. Three plane loads arrived, half of them ended up in the hands of Daesh, and half of them in the hands of the PYD/YPG,” Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Friday in Istanbul.
Erdogan was apparently referring to a US air drop of 28 bundles of military supplies in late 2014 meant for Iraqi Kurdish fighters near the Syrian city of Kobani. Pentagon officials said at the time one had fallen into the hands of Daesh militants.
“I will share my concerns with Mr. Obama when I talk with him. We will discuss these matters in detail. I will tell him, look at how and where those weapons you provided were fired.”
“Against whom were those weapons used?” the Turkish president asked, “They were used to fire on civilians in that area. They caused the death of people living in that area. Why did that happen? How can anyone justify this? Is it possible? The truth is there.”
Erdogan said he was disappointed with the West for refusing to call the PYD a terrorist group.
Click here for the full story
From Russia Today
US, France say Russia’s draft resolution on Syrian sovereignty has ‘no future’
Published time: 19 Feb, 2016 21:12
A Russian draft resolution condemning any plans for foreign military intervention and warning against violations of Syrian sovereignty has been rejected by the US and French ambassadors, as having ‘no future’ ahead of a UN Security Council meeting.
The Moscow-proposed draft calls on all states to avoid “provocative rhetoric and inflammatory statements” that could further incite foreign interference in Syria’s internal affairs, instead of promoting a political settlement to the conflict.
However, the US and French ambassadors to the UN both said that the Russian draft resolution had no future ahead of the closed-door session, Reuters reported. France’s Francois Delattre also criticized Russia as a contributor to a “dangerous military escalation that could easily get out of control,” according to AFP.
Click here for the full story
From the Jewish Telegraphic Agency
Report: German bank to close BDS group’s account
BERLIN (JTA) — Germany’s branch of the BDS movement may have been forced to give up its bank account used for fundraising, according to a report in The Jerusalem Post.
Jurgen Eikenbusch, spokesman for DAB Bank Munich, told JTA Thursday that he could not confirm that a decision had been made about the account of the BDS-Kampagne named in the Jerusalem Post article from Tuesday. But he said the bank took the information it received about the group “very seriously” and would take, “if necessary, the corresponding measures.”
In general, the bank can terminate accounts without explanation, giving a client 60 days’ notice. Accounts with proven illegal activity can be terminated more quickly.
German law does not bar anti-Israel campaigning unless it specifically calls for death to Jews or destruction of Israel.
Click here for the full story
From the Jewish Telegraphic Agency
Canadian parliament to pass motion rejecting BDS
TORONTO (JTA) — Canada’s parliament stands poised to reject the BDS campaign against Israel.
The Liberals, who comprise the majority of seats in the House of Commons, said the party will support an opposition motion introduced Thursday calling on the House to formally reject the goals of the boycott, divestment and sanctions movement.
The motion was introduced by two Conservative lawmakers in parliament. Both the New Democratic Party and Green Party have indicated that they will oppose the motion.
Click here for the full story
From PressTV
Over 700 Palestinians held under Israeli administrative detention
The Palestinian Prisoners Club says the number of Palestinians held under Israel’s administrative detention law has increased to more than 700 despite international criticism.
The Palestinian non-governmental organization attributed, in a statement on Friday, the rise in the number of Palestinians held by Israel without charge or trial to the new wave of violence began in October.
Since the start of October 2015, some 180 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces in what is regarded as the third Palestinian Intifada (uprising).
Tensions heightened in the Palestinian territories in August 2015, when Israel imposed restrictions on the entry of Palestinian worshipers into the al-Aqsa Mosque compound in East al-Quds.
The Palestinians say the Tel Aviv regime seeks to change the status quo of the holy Muslim site.
Palestinians, human rights groups and the international community have criticized the so-called administrative detention which is a sort of imprisonment without trial or charge and allows Israel to incarcerate Palestinians for up to six months which can be extended for indefinite times.
Click here for the full story
From PressTV
Halt in Saudi aid to Lebanon belies Riyadh’s fight against terrorism: Hezbollah
The Lebanese resistance movement Hezbollah says the Saudi decision to suspend its aid to the Lebanese army exposes the real face of Saudi Arabia and refutes its claims about fighting terrorism.
Hezbollah said in a statement on Friday that the Saudi decision exposes Riyadh’s false allegations of combating terrorism, including supporting the Lebanese army.
Earlier, Saudi Arabia suspended a $3-billion package to the Lebanese army and a remainder of $1 billion in aid to its internal security forces.
The $3-billion package was provided to Lebanon to buy military equipment from France. The first shipment of French weapons and military equipment had already been delivered to Lebanon in April 2015 under the Saudi-funded deal to bolster the Lebanese army’s fight against Takfiri militants encroaching from neighboring Syria.
The resistance movement added that the Saudi halt of aid reveals the real stance of Riyadh, which supports and funds terrorism in the Muslim and Arab world.
Meanwhile, the statement said the decision was expected and has not surprised anyone in Lebanon as several officials with Beirut government were fully aware that the Saudi decision has been taken since a long time and many local and international media outlets circulated it.
Click here for the full story
From Russia Today
Italy’s threat to cut funds to eastern Europe is ‘political blackmail’ – Hungarian govt spox
Published time: 19 Feb, 2016 19:42
© Ognen Teofilovski / Reuters
A threat to leave the European Union’s eastern members with no financing voiced by Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi has been dubbed “political blackmail” by the Hungarian government spokesman.
Renzi gave a warning to eastern European members of the EU on Thursday that if they fail to carry out the obligation to take in their share of refugees, they might be stripped of financial support, Reuters reported.
The statement was described as a “political blackmail” by Hungarian government spokesperson Zoltan Kovacs who also stressed that Hungary has not changed its position on the EU quota system, the national news agency MTI reported on Friday. The EU’s decision to redistribute hundreds of thousands of refugees is a mistake and Europe’s migration policy has gone wrong, Kovacs added.
Click here for the full story
From Russia Today
US ambassador urges ‘elimination of graft & corruption,’ ‘meaningful steps to reform’ in Ukraine
Published time: 19 Feb, 2016 18:26
U.S. ambassador to Ukraine Geoffrey Pyatt © Gleb Garanich / Reuters
Ukraine will only receive American investment if Kiev continues to take “meaningful steps to reform its trade and investment climate,” the US ambassador to Ukraine, Geoffrey Pyatt, has stated.
Pyatt set out the conditions while speaking at Ukraine Defense and Security Forum. He said that he was glad to see a large number of US defense industry representatives there, but warned Kiev that these companies would be good partners if they “see that the government sticks to the path of reform, that you uphold your IMF commitments, that the government continues to make progress on the critical topic of rule-of-law reform.”
Click here for the full story
From Russia Today
Serbia closes Macedonia border to unregistered refugees
Published time: 19 Feb, 2016 14:24
Migrants and refugees rest on the ground as they wait to continue their journey towards western Europe from the Macedonia-Serbia border at a transit camp in the village of Presevo, Serbia © Darrin Zammit Lupi / Reuters
Serbia has closed its border with Macedonia to unregistered refugees, imposing stricter border controls for the purpose of preventing illegal migration, local state TV reported citing officials.
The Serbian border with Macedonia has been closed to refugees who have not been registered at the Greek-Macedonia border in accordance with the Thursday agreement between the countries of the so-called ‘Balkans route,’ RTS TV reported, citing police.
The Serbian Interior Ministry spokeswoman, Biljana Popovic Ivkovic, said that the border with Macedonia is not closed, but that passage is allowed only to refugees from countries affected by war.
“As of today, the signatories to the protocol are actually profiling the migrants, which means stricter border control for the purpose of preventing illegal migration,” she said.
Click here for the full story
From Russia Today
‘Are you kidding us?’: Moscow reacts to Ankara’s allegations that sided Russia with ISIS
Published time: 18 Feb, 2016 23:47
Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Maria Zakharova © Valeriy Melnikov / Sputnik
While terrorists rage in Syria and beyond, with many countries trying to unite their efforts in the fight against Islamic State (IS, formerly ISIS/ISIL), Ankara’s blame game looks more like an untimely joke, Moscow says.
“Mr. Davutoglu [Turkish Prime Minister], are you serious or is it just the way you joke? If it’s a joke, then I think at a moment like this everyone, and especially Turkey, should be busy not with irony or sarcasm, but rather with concrete actions to stand against terrorism. I think that’s what Turkish people are expecting from you,” Russia’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova said at a Moscow briefing on Thursday.
“Statements by Turkish officials alleging that Russia secretly supports IS are absolutely unacceptable,” she added.
Click here for the full story
From the Jewish Telegraphic Agency
Report: Anti-Israel campus activists shifting strategies, facing internal divisions
(JTA) — Anti-Israel campus groups in the United States are shifting their tactics, replacing BDS resolutions with “theatrics and disruptive tactics,” according to a report by a Jewish watchdog group.
In its “Fall 2015 Campus Trends” report, released Friday, the Israel on Campus Coalition also reports that anti-Israel groups have invested “significant efforts” in strengthening ties with other activist causes on campus, yet the movement overall has faced “considerable divisions.”
While the number of anti-Israel events has dropped since the previous fall, when Israel’s war in the Gaza Strip “triggered an unusually high number,” more such events are enjoying co-sponsorship from “groups unrelating to Israel, reflecting the impact of coalition-building” among anti-Israel activists, according the report.
Meanwhile, the report found an increase in pro-Israel activities on campus.
Click here for the full story
From the Jewish Telegraphic Agency
Columbine shooters had tense moment over Passover seder, mother recalls
(JTA) — Columbine school shooter Dylan Klebold revealed he was Jewish when he mentioned dreading a family Passover seder — creating a tense moment with his fellow shooter, his mother said.
Dylan Klebold and Eric Harris had openly admired Adolf Hitler. They opened fire on students and teachers at Columbine High School in Columbine, Colorado, on the Nazi leader’s birthday in 1999, killing 12 classmates and a teacher and wounding 23 people before taking their own lives.
Dylan’s mother, Sue Klebold, confirmed to radio host Terry Gross on “Fresh Air” Tuesday that she is Jewish, and her now ex-husband, Dylan Klebold’s father, is Lutheran, and said her son had not wanted to attend the family’s Passover seder, which took place weeks before the shooting.
Click here for the full story
From Russia Today
PKK splinter group claims responsibility for Ankara bombing, says it’s revenge for Cizre
Published time: 19 Feb, 2016 16:49
Cars of emergency services arrive after an explosion in Ankara, Turkey February 17, 2016 © Umit Bektas / Reuters
The Kurdistan Freedom Hawks (TAK), a Kurdish militant group, has claimed responsibility for the Ankara bombing that killed 28 people this week, according to its website. It said the attack was in retaliation for Ankara’s military operation in Turkey’s southeast.
The TAK, which is a splinter group of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), vowed to continue its attacks.
The militant group claimed in the statement published on Friday that the Ankara blast was carried out to avenge the “defenseless and wounded civilians brutally massacred in basements in Cizre.”
“Everyone should know that those who ordered the massacre of civilians were responsible for the Ankara incident.”
Click here for the full story
From Russia Today
Just blame Moscow! Declassified papers reveal UK policy of accusing Soviets of everything
Published time: 19 Feb, 2016 13:30
© Andrew Winning / Reuters
Declassified papers from the British Cabinet Office have put an end to the long-standing myth of Moscow’s unwillingness to cooperate with the West, revealing the UK’s efforts to blame every problem on Russia.
The papers date back to 1983, when the UK Foreign and Cabinet offices were ecstatic at the outcome of the Madrid review conference on the implementation of the Helsinki Final Act on security and cooperation in Europe.
“… We now have a provisional mandate for a CDE (Conference on Disarmament in Europe) which establishes four basic criteria, all of which have required concession on the part of the Soviet Union and her allies,” officials in Whitehall wrote at the time.
But it was the fourth of the criteria that was the most exciting for the West.
Click here for the full story
From Russia Today
US State Dept. accuses China & Russia of increasing global tensions
Published time: 19 Feb, 2016 12:18
© US NAVY / Reuters
A US State Department spokesman has taken a swipe at Beijing and Moscow, saying their militarization is making the world unsafe. John Kirby said this is a view shared by “much of the rest of the international community.”
Spokesperson Kirby for the US Department of State told a press briefing on Thursday that US military expansion into Eastern Europe and the South China Sea is at the behest of its allies, while dismissing that this could be perceived as a threat by Russia and China.
“Our allies and partners, I think, find [it] pretty comforting and reassuring [that there is a] US military presence in the region, which will continue,” Kirby replied when asked about NATO’s move towards the east not being perceived as a threat, or US ships sailing into the South China Sea.
Click here for the full story
