'Propaganda Organization': White Helmets 'Engage in Anti-Assad Activities' – Author Sy Hersh

Seymour (Sy) Hersh is an American who has won the Pulitzer Prize for journalism.

He has also won two National Magazine Awards and five George Polk Awards.

In 2004, he received the George Orwell Award.

White Helmets member walks on the rubble of destroyed buildings in Eastern Ghouta

© Abdulmonam Eassa / AFP

Although some members of the Western-supported White Helmets may be in the business of saving lives, the group is also a "propaganda organization," author Sy Hersh has told RT's 'Going Underground.'

"Too many times we've seen the same child in photographs, year after year, always covered in dust," Hersh said, adding that the White Helmets "do engage in anti-Assad [activities]." He added that such a tactic is "very easy" because Assad is "hated" by so many.

Hersh went on to explain that, when a chemical attack took place in Syria under the Obama administration in 2013, it was well known then that Damascus had sophisticated chemical weapons. Because of this, it was clear that the substance used in the attack "was not the same as in the Syrian military."

He explained that, in June 2013, there was a "very important" intelligence report put out by the US government. That report said there was "tremendous concern" in the intelligence community because Saudi Arabia and Turkey were providing chemicals to Al Nusra in Syria that, when mixed together, make a nerve agent referred to as "kitchen sarin."

"The government knew from this very important intelligence report...that there were two suspects – Al Nusra had the stuff and Syria had the stuff. Forget about having it analyzed – they knew right away and they only talked about one," Hersh said.

The Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist also spoke to RT about reporting in the United States and how it changed under the Obama administration, as well as the poisoning of Sergei Skripal and his daughter in Salisbury, UK.

Watch Hersh's full interview here:

The interview that follows may be very disturbing to some as Hersh levels the truth and it is often not pretty. It's about 28 minutes long but flies by in a hurry. He touches on My Lai, Viet Nam, and many stories including very enlightening stories about chemical weapons in Syria, and touches on the Skripal poisoning. It's fascinating stuff.

‘Post-West World Order’ Being Shaped as we Speak – Lavrov

Interesting piece, as brief as it is, follows beautifully with my previous post

Russian FM Sergey Lavrov © Sergei Karpukhin / Reuters

A new multipolar order, driven by economics and history, is emerging in the world and Western attempts to stop or to slow it down are unlikely to succeed, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov told UK’s Channel 4.

“I think that we are in the post-West world order,” Lavrov told the British Channel 4 in an interview on Friday. “It is a historical epoch, if you want. Certainly, after five or so centuries of domination of the collective West, as it were, it is not very easy to adjust to new realities that there are other powerhouses economically, financially and politically,” he added, pointing to China, India and Brazil.

Asked if Russia was shaping this world order, Lavrov replied it was rather the product of history and “development itself.”

“You cannot really hope to contain [these] new powerful, economically and financially, countries. You cannot really ignore their role in world trade and world economy,” despite attempts to slow down the process with sanctions and tariffs, the top Russian diplomat said.

The European Union is “certainly a very important pillar of any world order,” Lavrov added, but it needs to decide whether to remain reliant on the US or become more self-sufficient. By way of illustration, Lavrov brought up the migrant crisis, which the EU is currently struggling with.

“NATO bombed Libya, turned Libya into a black hole through which waves of migrants, illegal migrants, rushed to Europe. Now EU is cleaning the broken china for NATO,” Lavrov said.

Russia’s relations with the West, which have soured dramatically since the 2014 US-backed coup in Ukraine, will be among the topics discussed at the July summit between Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President Donald Trump in Finland.

During the interview, Lavrov brushed off Channel 4 speculation that Russia could offer to hand over NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden, whom it granted political asylum, in exchange for the lifting of US and EU sanctions.

9 Quick Facts About the ‘Merkel-Saving’ EU Deal on Tackling Influx of Refugees & Migrants

German Chancellor Angela Merkel. © Hannibal Hanschke / Reuters

EU leaders, racking their brains on how to share the burden of migrants and refugees, finally reached a vague compromise after almost 10 hours of deliberations. Here are nine main points to help you understand what was decided.

Europe saw around one million migrants arrive to the continent during the 2015 refugee crisis. More than 377,000 reached Europe in 2016 and some 160,000 entered by sea last year. The International Organization for Migration (IOM) estimates 80,000 people will enter by sea in 2018. Here's a breakdown of EU's latest agreement to tackle the migrant crisis.

1. 'Voluntary' migrant & refugee centers

Members of the European Union can set up "control centers" for "rapid processing" on a completely voluntary basis.

Police in Vienna watch as migrants wait for trains towards Germany on September 9, 2015. © Leonhard Foeger / Reuters

2. Fight against smugglers stepped up

Efforts to stop people smugglers operating out of Libya and elsewhere should be intensified.

Good luck with that! After 'taking out' the only person capable of administering law and order in Libya, you have no-one left to work with.

3. 'Standing by' Italy & other frontline states

The EU will step up its support for the Sahel region, the Libyan Coast Guard, and South European communities. It will increase its work towards ensuring humane reception conditions, voluntary humanitarian returns, cooperation with other countries of origin and transit, and voluntary resettlement.

Life jackets are handed to migrants during a search and rescue operation near Libya on April 1, 2017. © Yannis Behrakis / Reuters

4. Cooperation with Turkey

The EU-Turkey Statement should be fully implemented to prevent new crossings from Turkey and bring flows to a halt. More efforts are "urgently" needed to ensure swift returns.

5. Money for Africa & Turkey

A second tranche of the Facility for Refugees in Turkey will be launched, and 500 million euros from the European Development Fund (EDF) reserve will be transferred to the EU Trust Fund for Africa. EU member states are "called upon" to further contribute to the latter.

6. Border force to be strengthened

The European Council concluded that the European border and coast guard agency FRONTEX should be strengthened "through increased resources and an enhanced mandate."

Migrants are seen after arriving on a rescue boat at Tarifa, Spain, on June 29, 2018. © Jon Nazca / Reuters

7. They shouldn't want to risk it in the first place

The EU Council decided that, to prevent "tragic loss of life," one must "eliminate the incentive to embark on perilous journeys." The details are vague, but the solution apparently lies in "regional disembarkation platforms" for those saved during search and rescue efforts. These would require cooperation with international groups and third countries.

Perhaps, if Europe had not been so brutal and selfish in its colonizing the dark continent, and robbing it of much of its natural resources, and ensuring friendly governments, the continent might be in better shape politically and economically. 

This is very similar to the American raping of Central America, and perhaps, South America, leaving most countries destitute and without order and with the people desperate for help - so they go to the county that has stolen all their wealth.

8. Managing migration outside Europe

Funds dedicated to internal security, integrated border management, asylum and migration funds should include components for external migration management.

Migrants wait to be identified by Spanish civil guards on June 28, 2018. © Jon Nazca / Reuters

9. Make EU countries prevent 'secondary movements'

Member states should take "all necessary legislative and administrative measures" to counter secondary movements of asylum seekers between members states, and "closely cooperate with each other to that end."

Who wants what in Europe? 

Germany: Berlin, along with Brussels, has long pushed for a migrant quota program for all member states, and Chancellor Angela Merkel previously came up with a controversial open-door policy for those fleeing war and persecution. Berlin later struck a deal with Turkey to help alleviate Europe's burden. Now, however, Merkel finds herself in an urgent need of compromise, after her key ally and new Interior Minister Horst Seehofer threatened to use his power to begin rejecting some asylum seekers at the German border unless the chancellor was able to agree to a deal with EU partners. In a worst-case scenario, a wrong move by Merkel could even lead to a breakdown of the coalition with the Bavarian sister party, headed by Seehofer.

Italy: Seeking more support from the European Union, as it is a frontline state for migrants and refugees. Interior Minister Matteo Salvini has vowed that NGO rescue ships will not be allowed to dock in Italian ports. He has also criticized the EU compromise, saying it's too opaque. Rome has also been in a row with Paris over the pushing back of migrants on the France-Italy border.

France: President Emmanuel Macron has been a vocal supporter of EU solidarity in dealing with the crisis, and recently slammed Italy for refusing to accept an NGO ship. But Paris has recently come under fire from Italy for refusing to take in migrants from the border town of Ventimiglia.

Greece: Sentiments are mixed in Greece, another frontline state. Residents of islands that serve as arrival points for refugees are fed up, feeling as though Brussels and the government aren't providing enough help. However, Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras says he "doesn't care" if some migrants return from Germany to Greece. 

Hungary, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Poland: These four countries have long been against taking in refugees, strongly opposing any sort of quota system. The Thursday summit is seen as a victory for them, as the possibility of being forced to take in new arrivals is no longer on the table.

Along with Annapolis Attack, How Many People Were Shot Across U.S. Yesterday?

You need to know that I am not taking sides on this issue; I often take both sides. Guns will never, and should never be eliminated from the US. Assault weapons, on the other hand, should not be available to the public. 

Police officers secure the area after multiple people were shot at an office building housing The Capital Gazette newspaper in Annapolis, Md., on Thursday. (Jose Luis Magana/Associated Press)

U.S. gun violence

Five people were killed, and two wounded, when a gunman burst into the offices of the Capital Gazette newspaper in Annapolis, Md., yesterday.

The dead — four journalists and a sales assistant — and wounded were not the only victims of gun violence in America on Thursday.

By this tracker's count, there were at least 64 other shootings across the United States yesterday, resulting in 22 deaths and 37 injuries.

A man holds a copy of The Capital Gazette near the scene of a shooting at the newspaper's office on Friday in Annapolis, Md. A man armed with smoke grenades and a shotgun attacked journalists in the building Thursday. (Patrick Semansky/Associated Press)

And June 28 was a relatively slow day for gunplay.

On Wednesday, there were at least 93 gun incidents in the U.S., causing 30 more deaths and 83 woundings.

To date in 2018, there have been almost 28,500 shootings or attempted shootings in the U.S. More than 7,000 people have been killed, and just short of 13,500 have been injured.

Over the past four years, the U.S. has averaged more than 56,500 shootings annually, causing 14,200 deaths and almost 28,000 injuries.

It appears that gun violence is increasing in the United States — or people are doing a better job of keeping track of it.

Four-year-old Demi Gonzalez of New York stands among thousands of empty shoes owned by or representing deceased victims of gun-related violence in the United States, during a May 2 protest near the headquarters of the Smith & Wesson gun company in Springfield. Her cousin Christopher Matthews was accidentally shot to death by a 12-year-old friend. (DRIEGELAB)

In 2014, there were 12,556 deaths. In 2017, 15,631 people were shot and killed.

So far 2018, is running closer to the four-year average, on pace for:

56,800 shootings

14,150 deaths

26,894 gun injuries

The number of mass shootings — defined as four or more shot and/or killed — seems to be declining, with 154 recorded through almost half the year, on pace for somewhere in the low 300s. (Although July and August are traditionally busy months for gun violence.) In 2017, there were 735 mass shootings, up from 671 in 2016, and 335 in 2015.

In the past week, the U.S. has experienced 15 mass shootings, including yesterday's Maryland attack. Nine people have been killed and 58 more wounded.

Gun violence happens in big cities, like Chicago — where 13 people shot on Wednesday and Thursday alone — and in places you might consider relatively safe. There were two mass shootings at birthday parties in the early hours on Sunday — one in Florida, the other in North Carolina.

Protestors march through the streets at the 'End of School Year Peace March and Rally' in Chicago on June 15 to kick off a national gun-reform tour by students from Parkland, Fla., site of one of the worst U.S. school shootings. (Jim Young/AFP/Getty Images)

Last weekend in Gary, Ind., there were four separate shootings, resulting in one death and 16 injuries.

"These senseless and egregious acts must stop," Richard Allen, the local police chief, told reporters. "Not only does it cause an emotional drain on the spirit of our city, but it casts a shadow on the progress we have made."

Last year, Gary — a city of 76,000 — had 46 murders and 118 gunshot wound victims. It has the third-highest murder rate of all American municipalities.

I live in Abbotsford, B.C. Canada, in a district of 2 cities, Abbotsford and Mission - total population 180,000. For the past couple years we have had a drug war play out in our area giving us one of the highest, if not the highest ratio of murders-per-100,000 people in Canada - 5.53. There were 10 murders in our district in 2017. Before the drug war we averaged 4 murders per year and in 2011 had not one single murder.

Gary, Indiana, had a ratio of 60.5 murders per 100,000 in 2017. If Abbotsford-Mission had that ratio there would have been more than 100 murders or 10 times the current rate.

I don't know how to fix it! I suspect very few of the murders in Gary were committed by assault weapons. I would like to see them banned anyway as it might save the lives of a few children in the next school massacre. If that shooting is at your child's school, I suspect you might be glad they weren't using an assault weapon. But banning assault weapons is just one small band aid on a system riddled with bullet holes. It may slow down the bleeding in one spot, but you are still going to bleed out eventually. 

I suggest a Congressional Inquiry into what can be done to address this problem which has reached way beyond ridiculous in proportion.

Myanmar: ‘400 Villages Destroyed, 150,000 People Displaced’ in Kachin State

These are mostly Christian victims as Myanmar's ethnic cleansing

is not confined to Muslims

An elderly Kachin woman looks for shelter after fleeing fighting between Myanmar’s army and Kachin rebels in December 2011. (Photo: World Watch Monitor)

More than 400 villages have been damaged or destroyed and 150,000 people displaced since the collapse of a ceasefire in 2011 between Myanmar’s army and rebels in northern Kachin state, reports Catholic website AsiaNews.

In 2018 alone, 50 villages were abandoned and more than 7,000 people fled their homes, seeking refuge in local churches, with host families or relatives, or in official camps for internally displaced people (IDPs).

Many people have been killed or injured by landmines – 13 people died this year and 39 suffered serious injuries since fighting escalated in January this year – according to the charity Caritas Myanmar.

Of those displaced since the collapse of the 17-year ceasefire between the Kachin Independence Army (KIA) and the Myanmar government, 130,000 live in the 165 IDP camps dotted all over Kachin and across the north of neighbouring Shan state.

Furthermore, 311 churches, 24 Buddhist monasteries, 34 childcare centres, 122 schools, and 264 outpatient clinics have been destroyed, Caritas Myanmar says.

It seems obvious that Myanmar is determined to protect its Buddhist religion by cleansing the country of those that might compete with it. This, quite possibly, is what Europe is headed for if they don't stop the mad influx of Muslims into the continent.

I wonder how long it will be before mainstream media report this, or if they ever will report this?

Two weeks ago a Catholic church in Kamaing Kawng Ra village was hit by military fire, leaving bullet holes in the walls and an unexploded shell in the church compound. A toddler was wounded after a second shell exploded near her home, sending shrapnel fragments through the bamboo walls, Catholic news site UCAN reported.

About 300 Catholics from the village, and some 45 IDPs who fled their homes a month ago, are staying in a hall near the church compound, according to UCAN.

‘Invisible war’

The violence against the minority Christian population in Kachin “is an invisible war”, San Htoi, the joint secretary of Kachin Women’s Association Thailand, told the UK’s Guardian newspaper in May. She said that on a recent visit, representatives of the United Nations Security Council went only to Rakhine state and “left the country without knowing [about Kachin]”.

The new UN envoy for Myanmar, Christine Schraner Burgener, started her visit to the country yesterday (12 June), where she will discuss the Rohingya refugee crisis with officials and meet with civil society groups, religious leaders and members of the diplomatic community.

The International Criminal Court has been called upon to investigate the atrocities committed against the Rohingya Muslims, after the government was accused of genocide. And human rights activist Ewelina Ochab says “decisive” action is needed to prevent further crimes against humanity.

“First, they [the government] came for the Rohingya Muslims… then they came for the Christian minorities, and little will change if there will be no decisive steps to address the situation,” she wrote. Then they will come for all other minorities in Burma, and so our humanity will suffer yet another blow.”

Kachin State, Myanmar

White Helmets are Helping Syrian Militants Prepare ‘False Flag’ Chemical Attack – Idlib Residents

Yes, this is a Russian report so proceed with caution.

I am convinced, however, that the White Helmets are complicit in false flag operations that facilitate western militaries with excuses to bomb Syria. See any of several reports on this blog involving White Helmets. Also, when rebels were evacuated from Douma, the White Helmets left with them.

What I don't understand is why Europe is so determined to continue the war on Assad when it has already lost? Their insanity is preventing the war from ending completely and delaying Syria rebuilding. If the west expedited the end of fighting in Syria, many a Syrian migrant would return from Europe easing the craziness that the migration of 2015-16 began.

FILE PHOTO © Hosam Katan / Reuters

The notorious White Helmets have brought chemicals, protective gear and cameras to militant-controlled Idlib in Syria, in an apparent preparation of yet another false-flag attack, locals told the Russian Reconciliation Center.

A convoy of six vehicles, bearing the emblems of the White Helmets, reportedly arrived in the capital of Idlib province over the weekend, the head of the Russian Reconciliation Center, major general Aleksey Tsygankov, told journalists on Wednesday.

One of the trucks was loaded with missiles and canisters containing unknown substances, as well as protective gear and filming equipment. Local residents reported seeing four persons, wearing hazmat protection gear, filling the warheads with this liquid and some unknown powder. The convoy then reportedly left for the small town of Maarat al-Numaan, south of the city of Idlib, and, coincidentally, just north of Khan Shaykhun.

White Helmets have on several occasions become the first to provide footage of alleged chemical attack sites in Syria and the aftermath scenes, including the Khan Shaykhun and Douma incidents. Their photos and videos served as solid-enough proof for the US and its allies to immediately conduct ‘retaliatory’ strikes against the Syrian government forces in April 2017 and in April 2018.

The self-styled volunteer first-responders have also been mired in controversy by their links to al-Qaeda terrorists and other extremist groups in Syria. The group operates exclusively in militant-held areas of Syria, and its members have repeatedly been photographed and filmed fraternizing with jihadists.

Despite all the controversy, the group is praised as heroic by the mainstream media and receives funding from Western governments. While Washington briefly stopped financing the group, it apparently soon realized their usefulness and released $6.6 million for the “vital, life-saving operations” of the so-called Syrian Civil Defense activists. London also vowed to keep financing the group, while the British Prime Minister Theresa May even pledged to increase their funding.

It's probably just me, but I can't help but think that Theresa May always does exactly the wrong thing. I despised her as Home Secretary and I think she's even worse as PM.

Meanwhile, the Russian Defense Ministry repeatedly warned that it had credible intelligence that militants in Syria are involved in orchestrating false flag chemical attacks to justify Western airstrikes on Syrian government forces – and even accused US Special Forces of helping to stage such provocations.

Malaysian Police Seize $273M in Raid on Former PM's Properties

Corruption is Everywhere - Certainly in Malaysian Politics

By Daniel Uria  

Police in Malaysia seized an estimated $273 million worth of goods in a raid on properties belonging to former Prime Minister Najib Razak. Photo by Ahmad Yusni/EPA

UPI -- Malaysian police seized cash, jewelry, handbags and watches worth an estimated $273 million in a raid on properties belonging to former Prime Minister Najib Razak.

Police commissioner Amar Singh confirmed officials conducted the raids on six properties belonging to Razak and his wife, Rosmah Mansor, as part of an investigation into his 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) state fund.

"I think this is the biggest seizure in Malaysian history," Singh said. "So now you can understand why we couldn't do the counting at the premises itself? Because the numbers were just too huge."

Unbelievable!

Police seized more than 12,000 items including $12.7 million worth of Hermes handbags, $19 million worth of watches from makers such as Rolex, Richard Mille and Chopard, and 274 pairs of designer sunglasses from brands including Cartier, Versace and Dior valued at $19.4 million.

The most expensive single item was a gold and diamond necklace worth $1.6 million.

Police formed eight teams consisting of more than 150 officers and worked for weeks to analyze the items.

Singh said Razak and Mansor will be called to give statements regarding the investigation. Attorney General Tommy Thomas also is studying investigation papers for possible criminal or civil proceedings, after Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad said Najib would be charged with bribery and embezzlement of public funds.

Mahathir is looking to recoup $4.5 billion of funds possibly lost through 1MDB.

The Mad Rush to Legalize Pot Will Result in a Lot of Canadians Suffering Intolerably

Ottawa isn't putting a cap on the potency

of many cannabis products

New regulations unveiled today don't place upper limits

on THC content

Catharine Tunney · CBC News 

A worker collects cuttings from a marijuana plant at the Canopy Growth Corporation facility in Smiths Falls, Ont., in this Jan. 2018 photo. (Chris Wattie/Reuters)

Health Canada has released its new regulations for the legal recreational marijuana market, but they don't include a clear limit on how much tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) — the main psychoactive component in cannabis — can be sold in many products.

As of Oct. 17, Canadians will be permitted to legally buy fresh or dried cannabis, cannabis oil, plants and seeds, and to possess up to 30 grams of dried cannabis or its equivalent in public.

​Government officials, speaking on background, updated reporters on the regulations for producing and marketing those products during a conference call Wednesday morning.

The regulations, which will be officially published July 11, say THC cannot be added to a dried product and place limits on the net weight of dried cannabis products, but do not impose a cap on the potency of dried cannabis.

The officials said the lack of a threshold fits into the goal of the government's bill.

"There are significant varieties of cannabis, some with high levels of THC. This is consistent with the medical regulations that exist today. There is not a hard cap on the potency of dried cannabis," one official said.

"(It's) a means to move to a regulated, diverse marketplace that can compete with the illegal marketplace and successfully achieve the government's objectives."

It's a means of ensuring many Canadian teenagers will contract Schizophrenia or other psychosis. The high potency THC in cannabis is accomplished by replacing 'cannabidiol' with THC. Cannabidiol helps protect the human brain from some of the damaging aspects of THC, psychosis, for instance.

In breeding cannabidiol out of pot and replacing it with higher levels of THC, pot becomes exponentially more dangerous than ever. That's why in the Netherlands, a government committee has recommended declaring pot with levels of THC higher than 15% - a hard drug. 

However, there are strict potency rules for cannabis products other than dried marijuana. For example, cannabis products intended to be "administered orally, rectally, vaginally or topically" must not exceed a maximum yield quantity of 10 milligrams of THC.

Cannabis products "intended to be used in the human eye" will be banned.

As the official legalization date looms, some have questioned whether there will be enough product to serve the new legal recreational market.

Federal licences will be required to cultivate and process recreational cannabis, but they won't be processed until after legalization comes into effect.

Still, officials say they're pretty confident they'll have enough legal marijuana to meet the demand when legalization kicks in this fall.

Provincial governments are responsible for determining how and where recreational cannabis is sold. In some provinces — including Ontario, Quebec and most of Atlantic Canada — the stores will be run by the provincial governments. Elsewhere, the private sector will take the lead.

When asked about supply, officials speaking on background said they're pretty confident there will be enough cannabis for opening day.

According to the regulations, licence applications will be assessed on merit and a record of previous drug-related offences, including trafficking, won't automatically disqualify an applicant. So having a criminal background won't necessarily prevent Canadians from getting into the industry.

In March, Health Canada unveiled its proposals for the packaging and regulation of recreational cannabis.

The regulations released Wednesday confirm that cannabis products will have to be sold in plain packaging, with strict guidelines on logos, colours and branding, and must include health warnings.

The packaging also would have to indicate how much of the primary active compounds in cannabis — THC and cannabidiol (CBD) — are in a particular product.

Limits for micro growers

The rules outline how the federal government would regulate small cultivators and processors.

A micro-cultivator — someone growing pot on a small, boutique-like scale — will be restricted to a "plant canopy area" of no more than 200 square meters.

The regulations also impose rules on security and state where growers can set up shop. For example, a producer can't grow and harvest plants outside if the operation is adjacent to a school, a public playground, a daycare facility or any other public place frequented mainly by people under 18 years of age.

I would like to see some mention of the protection of children from 2nd hand pot smoke, and from consuming edibles. I don't see any mention of small children in this or any other article by the government on marijuana. Children are voiceless - those responsible for them must be twice as vigilant and protective. I don't see any research in this field at all.

‘You are Unbalanced & One-Sided’: Hungary’s FM Spars with BBC Reporter in Heated Migration Debate

BBC's hard-left propaganda is typical MSM

Peter Szijjarto on BBC Newsnight. June 26, 2018. © BBC Newsnight / YouTube

Hungary’s Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto hit back at a BBC reporter who suggested his government is xenophobic and authoritarian during an intense interview, in which the politician defended his country’s immigration record.

As Hungary’s foreign affairs chief sat down for an interview with BBC Newsnight on Tuesday, the talk quickly turned heated. Reporter Emily Maitlis recalled how the Hungarian parliamentary election, which happened two months ago, was criticized by the nation’s opposition parties.

“There is a sense of erosion of the rule of law. This is no longer a democracy. It is creeping authoritarianism,” she told Szijjarto, whose conservative Fidesz party won over 70 percent of votes in April. The minister rebuffed the allegations.

“You echo lies on this television. And I don’t think it’s fair. You are unbalanced, you are one-sided,” he responded. “You look only at the opinion of those who are frustrated because they lost the election.”

BBC’s Maitlis also suggested that Hungary’s anti-immigration law “flouts human rights” and recalled the fierce rhetoric of country’s Prime Minister Viktor Orban, known for branding certain migrants “Muslim invaders” and speaking about the need to protect “Christian Hungary.”

“So, this isn’t actually about immigration, is it? It’s about xenophobia,” the reporter told Szijjarto who said that he considered the accusation a “very serious insult.”

“What we don’t want is a massive illegal influx coming from the south to us. We want to keep Hungary a Hungarian country. And we don’t think multiculturalism is by definition good,” he explained. “I understand that the liberal mainstream doesn’t like our laws. But it is the Hungarian voters whose expectations we have to fulfill.”

And whose country they have to protect from cultural suicide that much of Europe seems determined to inflict upon itself. A generation or two from now, when European countries are either worshiping Allah or at war with Islam, Hungary will be at peace.

MSM has fallen for the liberal propaganda that accepting Muslims into Europe is the right thing to do. If it is, why aren't Gulf countries accepting any migrants? They have accepted not one single migrant, and they are Muslim countries. They are also wealthy. In 2015, Qatar had just built housing for 70,000 badly needed migrant workers. Did they take 70,000 migrants from Syria or Iraq? No, they took migrant workers from India, Indonesia, and other countries not involved in the war on ISIS. How do you explain that?

MSM is also disgustingly ignorant of history, both ancient and recent. Otherwise they would know that when Islam moves into a country it takes over. It removes any opposition or extremely violent war breaks out in the attempt. This is what is coming to Europe and the left-wing media is too blind and stupid to see that.

Orban’s Hungarian government regularly faces criticism from the European Union and human rights groups for its ‘zero tolerance’ policy towards migration from the Middle East and Africa. Hungary is one of the few countries that refuses to accept mandatory migrant quotas proposed by the EU.

Last week, Hungary adopted a controversial bill punishing NGOs and aid workers suspected of “enabling illegal immigration.” The law, like many of Hungary’s anti-immigration measures, was denounced by various human rights watchdogs.

West Turns Blind Eye to Arrest of Ukrainian Lawmaker Savchenko

Corruption is Everywhere - Certainly in the Ukrainian Politics

and Western Media?

Savchenko’s arrest and detention in Russia had been subject to intense scrutiny by the Western media, but her recent arrest in Ukraine went almost unnoticed in the West, Maria Zakharova said

Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova on Tuesday expressed her concern about the lack of international reaction to the arrest of Ukrainian lawmaker Nadezhda Savchenko.

"Does anyone in the world still remember Savchenko?" Zakharova asked rhetorically during the "60 minutes" show on Russia’s Rossiya-1 TV.

Savchenko, a former Ukrainian military pilot who had taken an active part in Kiev’s military operation in eastern Ukraine, was detained in Russia in June 2014. She had been sentenced to 22 years in jail over complicity in the killing of two Russian journalists in east Ukraine. She spent nearly two years in Russian custody and was pardoned by Russian President Vladimir Putin on May 25, 2016. 

Upon her return to Kiev, Savchenko began an active political career as a member of the Ukrainian parliament. However, she fell into disfavor of Ukraine’s authorities after her private trips to the self-proclaimed Donetsk and Lugansk People’s Republics in eastern Ukraine and talks with their leadership.

The Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman said Savchenko’s arrest and detention in Russia had been subject to intense scrutiny by the Western media. However, her recent arrest in Ukraine went almost unnoticed in the West.

"Right now, Savchenko is in prison again. And, again, she is on a hunger strike. The charges <…> that had been laid against her are totally absurd," Zakharova said.

"I will reveal a secret to you about how Western politicians describe Savchenko in unofficial talk. The people, who used to talk about her as a hero, a fighter woman… now describe her as a mad person," she added.

Ukrainian investigators claim that Savchenko plotted to carry out terrorist attacks in the parliament building and in the government district. If found guilty, she may face more than five years in prison. 

The Verkhovna Rada (parliament) stripped Savchenko of her parliamentary immunity and granted the go-ahead to detain and arrest her. A Kiev court put Savchenko into custody for two months on March 23, prompting her to declare a hunger strike. The court later rejected her appeal against the arrest and extended it for another two months.

18 Year Old Sex Assault Allegation Paints Justin Trudeau into His Own Corner

Trudeau has boxed himself in with his own zero-tolerance policy on sexual misconduct: Robyn Urback

An 18-year-old allegation against Trudeau, originally printed in a community paper,

resurfaced this month

Robyn Urback · CBC News 

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has made clear, over and over again, that there is no time limit on defending women's rights or for standing up for what is right. (Justin Tang/Canadian Press)

If the climate in Canada were different, an 18-year-old allegation of sexual misconduct against Prime Minister Justin Trudeau would be swiftly addressed, then probably dismissed.

The allegation originally appeared in an August 2000 edition of the Creston Valley Advance, a small community newspaper in B.C. The editorial, which resurfaced earlier this month, claimed that the then-28-year-old Trudeau "groped" a young reporter at a music festival, noting that he only apologized when he learned that she worked for a newspaper.

If there was no merit to the allegation, in this hypothetical alternative climate, the Prime Minister's Office could simply say so.

If there was merit to the allegation — again, theoretically speaking — Trudeau could concede that he had indeed behaved unacceptably, and remind us that he has since devoted his life to defending the integrity of all Canadians, but especially women.

Again, only if the climate in Canada were different.

In reality, neither of these options is available to Trudeau.

Cannot recall 'negative interactions'

If the allegation is false (CBC News continues to investigate the claim) Trudeau doesn't really have the option, from a political perspective, to say so.

In the current climate, denying the claim is akin to saying, "She's lying," which is a taboo phrase for the leader of a government that has made believing women central to its approach to sexual misconduct allegations.

If the allegation is true, on the other hand, Trudeau can't simply explain, apologize and attempt to move on. It would look like he afforded himself leniency that he'd denied to members of his caucus who were accused of misconduct.

So the prime minister is stuck: he can't confirm or deny. As a result, his office opted for the most unsatisfactory of all possible responses, telling the National Post that Trudeau does not recall any "negative interactions" in Creston during that time. In other words, Canada's highest-profile women's rights advocate has been stricken by a convenient bout of amnesia. 

There is room to distinguish this allegation from some of the others that have plagued Ottawa over the past couple of years. The claim is from nearly two decades ago, long before Trudeau entered politics, and without the power imbalance we sometimes see in cases where prominent men abuse their authority. For those reasons, some will surely argue that Trudeau is being unfairly railroaded by a movement that lacks necessary nuance.

And indeed, there would be ample sympathy for this notion, had Trudeau not helped to create the very climate to which he is now vulnerable. 

In 2014, he suspended two MPs from the Liberal caucus after allegations surfaced about sexual misconduct. Trudeau publicly named the two — Scott Andrews and Massimo Pacetti — before actually informing them of the allegations against them. A subsequent independent investigation concluded there was merit to the complaints, though they were of two decidedly different natures: Andrews was accused of harassing behaviour, unwelcome groping and grinding, while Pacetti was accused of sex without "explicit" consent. 

There are different contexts, implications and considerations when it comes to what these different claims mean, but the Liberal machine nevertheless lumped them together, forcing the pair to share headlines, a hired investigator, and an announcement of their expulsion. Andrews eventually accepted the findings of the review, saying he's since learned how his "jovial Newfoundland friendliness can be perceived," but Pacetti has always maintained his innocence. That important distinction is often overlooked. 

Alberta MP Kent Hehr is out of the federal cabinet permanently following an investigation into his conduct with women.

(Fred Chartrand/Canadian Press)

More recently, Kent Hehr, once the minister for sports and persons with disabilities, stepped down from cabinet, initially temporarily, in response to allegations that he made sexually suggestive and other unwelcome comments to a woman in an elevator, and touched a woman inappropriately at an event. Though the subsequent independent investigation found the touch was involuntary (Hehr is a quadriplegic and has limited feeling in and control of his limbs), Hehr conceded that his comments were inappropriate, even though he says he cannot remember the interaction. In any case, Hehr will not return to cabinet.

Interestingly, Hehr managed to maintain his cabinet position up to that point, despite reportedly telling thalidomide survivors that "everyone in Canada has a sob story," and dismissing a Calgary mother's "loaded question" about why the government was denying maternity benefits to sick mothers, saying it was akin to "the old question … 'When did you stop beating your wife?'" 

Perhaps it was simply the weight of all of the allegations that made keeping Hehr in cabinet untenable by the time the sexual misconduct claims landed, but the implication is that while there is some tolerance for cabinet members in terms of disparaging the disabled community, there is zero tolerance for harassing women.

Trudeau: Misconduct standards apply to me, too   03:44   

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says the zero-tolerance standards on misconduct toward women applies to him, too, in an exclusive interview with CBC News. Trudeau says women who come forward with allegations of misconduct and sexual harassment should be supported 3:44

Trudeau has said as much in various interviews about his approach to tackling sexual harassment. "We have no tolerance for this — we will not brush things under the rug, but we will take action on it immediately," he told The Canadian Press earlier this year. In a CBC Radio interview around the same time, the prime minister said he should be held to high standards of conduct, adding: "I've been very, very careful all my life to be thoughtful, to be respectful of people's space and people's headspace as well."

In his many interviews on the topic, he has not included an appeal for allowances for youthfulness or genuine remorse, or simply the acknowledgement that people sometimes do bad things. This is not to suggest that any combination of these factors should necessarily exonerate the aforementioned men. I only mean to point out that the excuses that some have already used to defend the prime minister against this one accusation (This was almost 20 years ago!) haven't actually crossed his lips.

Trudeau has essentially boxed himself in with his own zero-tolerance policy. He has made clear, over and over again, that there is no time limit on defending women's rights or for standing up for what is right. This is the climate that Trudeau helped create. He can't forget that now.

It's interesting that opposition parties are being pretty quiet about this so far. Is it a case of, 'Let him who is without sin cast the first stone'? Are opposition leaders afraid of being caught in the same net?

General Strike Brings Argentina to a Halt

The theory is that Argentina is on strike because of the economy, but that's the excuse, not the reason. I predicted a national revolt in Argentina more than a week ago after their World Cup tie with Iceland. I told a friend that if they lost to Croatia, which they did - 3 nil, there would be a national revolt in Argentina. Messi, it's all your fault!

By Danielle Haynes

Dozens of militants from left parties and social organizations demonstrate at the Obelisk Square during the general strike in Buenos Aires, Argentina, on Monday. Photo by David Fernandez/EPA-EFE

UPI -- A general strike in Argentina brought transportation, schools and other services to a halt Monday as major workers' unions protested a $50 billion International Monetary Fund loan.

Trains, buses and the underground rail system stopped and there was no air or maritime transportation nationwide, affecting at least 15 million in the capital of Buenos Aires alone.

President Mauricio Macri said he made the decision to take the IMF loan in order to avoid an economic crisis.

In addition to rejecting the IMF agreement, the General Confederation of Workers protested Macri's general economic policies and called for a 30 percent pay increase. It was the third general strike against the president.

The General Confederation of Workers had warned the government it would hold a general strike if Macri didn't veto a law to roll back water, electricity and gas tariffs to November prices.

"The strike does not contribute to anything," Macri said. "Our economy will start growing again, but for that we need to sit round the table and decide what each one of us has to do," he added.

Union representatives said they'd be willing to negotiate with the government.

"There is a new opportunity and I hope the government has understood what today's strike means," said Carlos Acuña, a leader of the General Confederation of Workers.

Islamic Face Veils Banned in Public Buildings by Dutch Parliament

Islamization Backlash - Partial Burqa Ban in Netherlands

© Toussaint Kluiters / Reuters

The Upper House of the Dutch parliament has passed a law banning Islamic face veils and other face-covering garments in public places such as schools, hospitals and government buildings.

But not mosques, I presume?

Lawmakers cited security reasons when they introduced the legislation which outlaws all face-covering garb in public buildings but not on the street. Motorcycle helmets and ski-masks are included in the ban and people who break the new law face a fine of up to €410 ($430).

The bill was approved by the Lower House in 2016, following the failure of efforts to impose a more general ban on burqas and other face-covering veils. The Dutch government’s main advising body in 2015 said the choice to wear an Islamic veil is protected by the constitutional right to freedom of religion, and that it saw no ground to limit that right.

Staunch anti-immigration politician Geert Wilders welcomed the passing of the new law on Twitter, tweeting a screengrab of an article about the issue along with the message: “Adopted!”  

Wilders has long campaigned for a ban on face veils, originally tabling a motion seeking to have them outlawed more than 10 years ago.

The Dutch government describes the new law as “religion-neutral” and it does not extend as far as more comprehensive bans in neighboring France and Belgium.

France introduced a ban on Muslim women wearing full-face veils in public in 2011. Belgium followed suit and introduced a similar ban later that year.

Both countries were taken to the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) over their laws. The court upheld France’s burqa ban in 2014 and it also ruled in favor of Belgian authorities in 2017, saying that their law “doesn’t violate European human rights law.”

Three Migrants Sentenced for Molotov Attack on Swedish Synagogue

The New Normal - Growing Antisemitism in Sweden

By Daniel Uria  

Three men were sentenced for hate crimes for hurling Molotov cocktails at a synagogue in Sweden where 30 people were attending a youth event in December 2017, a week after .S. President Donald Trump publicly recognized Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. File Photo by Adam Ihse/EPA

UPI -- A district court in Sweden sentenced three men for hate crimes for carrying out a Molotov cocktail attack on a synagogue in Gothenburg in December 2017.

Two of the men, aged 24 years old and 22 years old, were sentenced to two years in prison, while third 18-year-old was sentenced to 15 months in prison after the court determined the attack was a hate crime.

"The crime had the clear goal of threatening, harming, and violating members of the synagogue and the Jewish community more generally," the court wrote in its judgement. "The crime therefore had a hate motive."

The attack took place during a period of increased violence against Jews in Sweden after U.S. President Donald Trump publicly recognized Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.

Also, the growing numbers of Muslim migrants mean an automatic growth in antisemitism in Sweden and most of the rest of the EU.

One of the men, a stateless Palestinian citizen, was ordered to be deported from Sweden after serving his sentence and won't be permitted to return until 2028.

The other two, a Palestinian and a Syrian citizen, had refugee status and permanent residence, so they couldn't be deported.

The three men were convicted for acting as part of a group of masked individuals who hurled Molotov cocktails at a community center attached to a synagogue in Gothenburg, as it hosted a youth event with as many as 30 attendees.

The building didn't catch fire and no one was injured in the attack, as police said people fled to safety in the basement.