Islam - Current Day > Egyptian Addict Poisons Family; Judges Jailed, Fired in Kuwait; 12,000 Afghans in UK Hotels; Russia Predicts Rise of ISIS Again

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Egyptian Addict kills entire family using rat poison

over financial hardship

Culprit told police he murdered them because he was unable to support them financially

Published:  December 29, 2021 15:48

Tawfiq Nasrallah, Senior News Editor

  

Dubai: An Egyptian man reportedly killed his wife and three children by mixing rat poison with their their dinner, local media reported.

According to media reports, the culprit, an addict, decided to kill his 54-year-old wife, and sons aged 15, nine, and five because he was unable to support them financially.

I wonder if he could have afforded to feed them if he wasn't feeding his addiction? I get the impression that there are a lot of addicts in Egypt.

The crime came to light when Bani Sweif police received a report from a man claiming that he had found his wife and children dead.

Bani Sweif police launched an immediate investigation into the incident; the autopsy report revealed that the four people died of rat poison.

Upon asking the man about what his family ate the day before their death, he said that they had some stuffed leaves. However, the said he had not had dinner with his family that night, which caused the police to suspect him.

Therefore, police took a sample of the food for lab tests and the results showed that the food was poisoned. Upon being confronted with evidence, the man admitted to killing his entire family because he was unable to support them financially. 

In first, Kuwait jails, fires 6 judges for graft

Ruling is linked to a high-profile case of bribery, money laundering

Published:  December 29, 2021 15:02

Ramadan Al Sherbini, Correspondent

  

The Criminal Court sentenced the six judges to imprisonment terms ranging from five to 15 years and ordered their dismissal from jobs and confiscating of cars they had received as bribes in the form of gifts.

Cairo: In an unprecedented ruling in Kuwait, six judges have been handed down to varying jail terms and sacked in connection to a high-profile case of bribery and money laundering involving an Iranian businessman, Kuwaiti media reported.

The Criminal Court sentenced the six judges to imprisonment terms ranging from five to 15 years and ordered their dismissal from jobs and confiscating of cars they had received as bribes in the form of gifts.

The court also acquitted a seventh judge and ordered an eighth to pay a fine of KD5,000 in the same case.

Varying jail terms were also given to employees in the Justice Ministry. The court ordered they must be fired from their jobs on charges of bribery, forgery and money laundering in the same case.

Dubbed in the Kuwaiti media as “the network of Fouad, the Iranian”, the case dates back to July 2020 when Kuwaiti police arrested several people and seized property and large amounts of cash linked to dubious deals.

They were charged with money laundering, dealing in banned alcohol and weaponry possession.

12,000 Afghan refugees stuck in UK hotels – reports

The British government is struggling to find permanent homes for the refugees,

who were evacuated in the summer

Some 12,000 Afghan refugees will start 2022 in a hotel in the UK, despite having arrived months ago during the evacuation of Taliban-ruled Afghanistan, as the British government reportedly struggles to find homes for them.

The Guardian reported on Tuesday that the government was struggling to persuade local councils to find permanent homes for the thousands of Afghan refugees who relocated to Britain following the Taliban’s takeover of Afghanistan. The group launched a military offensive during the summer and took Kabul on August 15. 

Sources within the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) and Home Office told the paper that more than 12,000 Afghan evacuees remained in the so-called ‘bridging accommodation’ as of December 22.

According to the DWP, of the 16,500 people airlifted from Afghanistan to Britain since August, “over 4,000 individuals have either moved into a settled home or are in the process of being moved or matched to a suitable home.”

The government has struggled to find permanent or suitable homes for refugees, meaning they remain in hotel accommodation at the taxpayer’s expense.

According to a Home Office spokesperson, more than 300 local authorities have come forward to offer permanent homes, but the scale of the offering has not met demand. 

Officials representing councils in London told the Guardian that many of the hotels being used were unsuitable for long-term stays, especially for children.

Some 7,500 people had been relocated to the UK under the Afghan relocations and assistance policy (ARAP) as of December 7. The plan offered sanctuary and asylum to Afghans who faced danger due to their affiliation with Britain and its two-decade-long operations in Afghanistan.

Around 15,000 people were brought to the UK during Operation Pitting in August. A further 1,500 have been airlifted to Britain in the following months.

Many Afghans have reached British shores by their own means and have claimed asylum.

Russia predicts revival of ISIS & ‘caliphate 2.0’

Moscow says that risks from militant groups worldwide have not gone away

By Layla Guest

FILE PHOTO. © Reuters / Stringer

Terrorism threats in unstable regions in the Middle East and Afghanistan still remain a key threat to Russia’s safety, Moscow has cautioned, speculating that radicals could be making gains on the African continent.

Speaking to RIA Novosti on Wednesday, Deputy Foreign Minister Oleg Syromolotov said that “the situation for counterterrorism remains very tense. The environment remains difficult in Syria and Iraq, where the main destabilizing factors are the holding of the Idlib de-escalation zone by radical groups and the presence of ISIS and Al-Qaeda cells.”

The official went on to add that “in Africa, especially in the Sahara-Sahel zone, [the Russian Foreign Ministry] can essentially observe the preconditions for… the revival of the terrorist ‘caliphate version 2.0’ there.”

Syromolotov also said that Moscow is “closely monitoring the situation in Afghanistan”, where there is a high level of terrorist threats from the ISIS and Al-Qaeda sympathizers who have settled there after the fall of Kabul to the Taliban this summer. He cautioned that this poses a risk for Russia and Central Asian states.

ISIS, Al-Qaeda, and the Taliban are designated as terrorist organizations and banned in Russia.

The capital of Afghanistan, Kabul, was seized by the insurgent group on August 15 after capturing swathes of the country’s territory. In the wake of the takeover, Moscow positioned itself as a peace broker in Central Asia, hosting a delegation of political representatives from the Taliban.

Following the hasty withdrawal of Western troops from the war-torn country, Russia beefed up its presence in the region, holding joint exercises with former Soviet republics such as Uzbekistan and Tajikistan along the shared frontier.

In July, French President Emmanuel Macron announced that Operation Barkhane, a France-led military campaign against Islamist insurgents in Mali, was set to finish in early 2022. In September, the Malian Prime Minister Choguel Kokalla Maiga said Paris had “abandoned” the African country amid backlash against Bamako’s reported intention to hire up to 1,000 mercenaries from the Russian Wagner Group.

The news that Mali had contacted Russian mercenaries, notorious for their involvement in Syria and Africa, came under fire from several European countries. Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov revealed to RT’s Caleb Maupin that EU’s top diplomat, Josep Borrell, warned him to stay out of Africa, calling the continent “our place.” The Russian official insisted that it was important for Moscow and Europe to mount an effort to help the Sahel region.

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Ozzone 5-29 > “That day” is a day of peace and an untroubled relationship between God and His saint. Are you there?

 

Bits and Bites from Around the World > The Floating Tank; Mohammed Most Popular Baby's Name in Israel; Nostradamus's Prophecies for 2022

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Mysterious ‘tank’ spotted floating at sea

20 Dec, 2021 15:04

©  Social media

Who knew tanks could float? This could completely change ground warfare? Or not!

A mysterious object resembling military hardware has been spotted floating at sea. Indonesian military has acknowledged the bizarre occurrence, yet was unable to intercept the object that floated away.

Photos of the mysterious object emerged on Indonesian social media last week and promptly went viral. According to local media, the pictures were snapped by oil rig workers on the Natuna Sea – a vast, shallow basin in the southernmost portion of the South China Sea and located largely in Indonesia’s territorial waters.

One of the images shows the tank floating on the open sea, with its turret and gun clearly visible. While the vehicle appeared to be heavily rusted, some of its external equipment was intact, including spare jerry cans and a towing cable.

Another picture shows the seafaring tank with a real ship – the anchor handling vessel OPS Astrid – in the background. The ship reportedly tried to approach the floating object, yet was unable to do so due to rough waters.

The bizarre occurrence has been acknowledged by the country’s military, which sent rather mixed messages on the nature of the tank-like object. On Sunday, Major Saul Jamlaay told local media that the reports of finding “objects similar to tanks” were true, but that the “objects were not dangerous.” The tank-shaped object in question belonged to a local oil and gas company and was swept away from an offshore rig, the official claimed.

On Monday, however, Admiral Julius Widjojono provided a different account of the events, stating the nature and origins of the tank were not actually known, with the Navy still searching for the object that has “drifted away.”

“Please wait for a more in-depth analysis. The Navy’s seeking its whereabouts,” the admiral said, as quoted by local media.

Mohammed tops Israel’s list of popular baby names

22 Dec, 2021 10:15

A nurse holds a newborn baby at a nursery in Hadassah Ein Kerem Medical Center in Jerusalem.

© Reuters / Ronen Zvulun

The most common name given to new-born boys in Israel during 2020 was Mohammed and, for girls, Maya, according to government data.

Almost 2,400 boys in the Jewish state were named after the founder of Islam, its Prophet Mohammed, last year, the Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS) announced on Tuesday.

The name was more than likely dominant in the country’s Muslim community. According to the CBS data, some 1.7 million Muslims made up 18% percent of Israel’s population as of late 2020.

Which means Muslims have more than 5 times the number of boys than Israelis. How many years will it take before Israel becomes a Muslim country? It never will, of course. Let us not forget God's intervention.

Mohammed is generally believed to be the most popular male name globally, having been taken by 150 million people across the world, according to some estimations.

It became the fifth most common baby’s name in the UK in 2020, while also making it to the top 10 in the US the previous year.

In the UK, Muslims make up about 4.0% of the population; in the USA, they account for only 1.1%. There is an alarming difference in Muslim birthrates and the rest of the world.

As for Israel's Jewish population, it's top three preferences for boys' names last year were David, Lavi and Ariel.

The most popular girl’s name in the country in 2020 was Maya, being preferred by both Jewish and non-Jewish populations.

It means ‘water’ in Hebrew, Spanish and Greek, but is also encountered in other cultures. For example, Maya is translated as ‘illusion’ from Sanskrit.

Elon Musk, crypto, cannibalism: French sage's prophecies for 2022

Nostradamus prophesies may offer insight on global economy next year

An empty street is seen in Manhattan borough during the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) outbreak, in New York City, US, March 15, 2020. © Reuters / Jeenah Moon

According to prophesies by the long-dead French plague doctor, astrologer and seer Nostradamus, next year promises more food shortages and inflation, while many will seek financial stability by turning away from traditional money.

Nostradamus published his ‘Les Prophéties,’ full of predictions for centuries, back in 1555. Despite the fact that his foretelling is poetically vague, open to a handful of interpretations – and, therefore often linked to actual events after the said events have occurred – astrologer Reda Wigle saw a few particularly interesting verses in the batch which appear to speak of next year’s economy. She drew attention to them in an article for the New York Post.

Inflation, food shortage, cannibalism

In one passage for next year, Nostradamus wrote: “So high the price of wheat/That man is stirred/His fellow man to eat in his despair.”

Wigle says that he is possibly warning of high food prices that will affect the cost of living. That’s happening already all around, with inflation surging to decades-high rates in the UK, the US, Germany and nearly all other major economies, not to speak of the lesser ones. Wigle even goes as far as to claim that the prophecy predicts cannibalism. Perhaps, though, Nostradamus merely speaks of the better-off ones profiting from the suffering of others, which can be considered cannibalism of a sort, according to Wigle.

It's interesting that in Revelations 6:6, the third Horseman of the Apocalypse is described as having a set of scales and a voice calls out, "A quart of wheat for a denarius, and three quarts of barley for a denarius; but do not damage the oil and the wine."

Crypto rise & fiat money demise

As he wrote, “The copies of gold and silver inflated/Which after the theft were thrown into the lake/At the discovery that all is exhausted and dissipated by the debt/All scripts and bonds will be wiped out.”

Wigle claims Nostradamus “nods to the rise of cryptocurrency in the year ahead.” “The copies of gold and silver” can, indeed, be taken for crypto tokens that copy the precious metals’ status as a reserve asset. And crypto is indeed spreading at the speed of a Formula-1 race-car, with new tokens emergence, NFTs and investors flocking to the Metaverse. The “all is exhausted” bit may speak of the demise of the fiat money, “exhausted and dissipated by the debt.” It all adds up, it appears.

Musk & Artificial Intelligence

Nostradamus wrote, “The Moon in the full of night over the high mountain /The new sage with a lone brain sees it /By his disciples invited to be immortal/Eyes to the south. Hands in bosoms, bodies in the fire.”

Wigle sees the verse as a prediction of the rise of artificial intelligence and a reference to Tesla and SpaceX owner Elon Musk, who recently moved his headquarters from California down south – to Austin, Texas. In August, Musk announced Tesla’s new branch to work on a humanoid “Tesla bot.” Well, as per the astrologer’s prediction, the robot will be a blast.

Doom & gloom

Apparently, to cement his title of a Prophet of Doom, he also wrote “For forty years the rainbow will not be seen/For 40 years it will be seen every day/The dry earth will grow more parched/And there will be great floods when it is seen.”

So, something terrifyingly nuclear could be coming Earth’s way next year, as well as droughts and floods of “biblically punishing proportions,” as Wigle put it.

Which might explain the very high prices of wheat and barley. A denarius was a day's wage.

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European Politics > Energy Crisis; German Weapons Trade Policy Under Review; NATO Grooming Finland and Sweden; Gorbachev Blames America; American Lies About NATO

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Europe faces full-blown energy crisis

Amid a shortage of natural gas, lowered wind power output, outages at nuclear energy facilities and cold weather with winter just starting, power prices in Europe soared this week – and the worst may yet to come.

European prices for natural gas exceeded $2,150 per 1,000 cubic meters on Tuesday for the first time in history, according to Intercontinental Exchange’s London clearing house. The price at the Dutch TTF hub in the Netherlands, the benchmark gas price for Europe, soared some 27% in one day to nearly $210 per megawatt-hour in household terms.

The surge slightly subsided when markets opened on Wednesday, with January futures trading at around $1,970 per 1,000 cubic meters as of 08:00 GMT.

Tuesday’s jump in prices came about after gas deliveries to Germany via the Yamal-Europe gas pipeline from Russia were halted. Flows were diverted eastward to Poland, and Russia’s Gazprom hasn’t booked additional pumping volumes for Wednesday, data from the Russian gas transmission operator Gascade shows.

Some critics say Gazprom has been reducing gas flows to Europe amid the delay in the certification of its new European pipeline, Nord Stream 2. However, it has repeatedly stressed that it supplies gas to Europe according to consumer demand and in accordance with existing contracts.

Meanwhile, no new gas flows to Europe mean utilities are forced to drain their gas storages, which are already at seasonal lows. Some of them, including
France’s EDF, have had to restart fossil-fuel-burning generators to avoid grid disruption. France is usually considered an exporter of power on the European continent, but it has been short on energy since its major power utility, Electricité de France SA, halted four nuclear reactors, constituting 10% of the country’s nuclear capacity, straining power grids. According to ZeroHedge, 30% of its nuclear capacity will go offline in the coming weeks, while Germany is also set to lose nearly half of its own capacity next year.

To add fuel to the proverbial fire, Germany’s power output from wind turbines has dropped to five-week lows amid the cold weather. This put the power grid under strain, hiking power prices by 30% to a record $487 per megawatt-hour.

It appears the energy crisis in Europe is only gaining speed, with experts warning that the worst is yet to come in late January-early February, when the temperature tends to be at its lowest. Meanwhile, renewable sources such as solar and wind power will be at a standstill due to meteorological conditions, with windless days and the sun unable to push through the clouds.

Germany’s new foreign minister questions chancellor’s

past decisions on weapons trade

Shortly after assuming the post, Germany’s foreign minister has called into question

Berlin’s arms sales outside the EU and NATO, calling for a rethink of military contracts.

Heckler & Koch weapons are pictured at a show room at the headquarters in Oberndorf,

80 kilometers southwest of Stuttgart, Germany. © REUTERS / Ralph Orlowski

Annalena Baerbock told Germany’s dpa news agency that the traffic light coalition, which is currently at the helm, has “made it clear that it will reexamine the arms export policies of recent years.” She added that the new government was “working on an arms export law that would clarify the criteria according to which arms exports are approved.” Germany’s top diplomat stressed that the sale of weapons was not merely a question of economy and profit, but rather one of “foreign policy, human rights and international relations.”

Obviously, Deep State hasn't gotten around to this girl yet. It won't be long!

Foreign Minister Baerbock also told the German media that she would like to see a joint arms export control mechanism on a European level, admitting, though, that such an initiative was bound to be met with opposition from the likes of France.

France being a major weapons exporter!

It has transpired that during the last nine days of its rule, Angela Merkel’s outgoing government approved arms sales to the tune of nearly five billion dollars, bringing the total amount of arms export licenses to a record nine billion euros.

It is worth mentioning that the Social Democrats, who are part of the current ruling coalition, were also in the previous government that gave the controversial defense deals the green light. Olaf Scholz, Germany’s incumbent chancellor, was none other than vice-chancellor at the time. Baerbock, in turn, is the leader of Germany’s green party and is known for promises to deliver a “moral” foreign policy.

The number one recipient nation was Egypt, whose government has been criticized by some over alleged human rights violations and involvement in conflicts in Yemen and Libya. That notwithstanding, Berlin went ahead with the sale of three navy vessels and 16 air defense systems.

The Greens and the Left party have long been demanding a thorough review of Germany’s defense contracts, while the conservatives dismissed those criticisms as “crocodile tears” and insisted that all the existing contracts were in line with German law. Roderich Kiesewetter from the CDU party told the German media earlier that it was “in Germany’s best interest when countries in the Middle East continue to buy EU-made weapons.” He also warned the new government that if “these nations go on to procure weapons in China or Russia,” then Germany “will no longer have any political influence in the region.”

Does Germany have any real political influence if middle-eastern countries can easily switch to buying from Russia or China?

Finland & Sweden in NATO would trigger response – Russia

The possible inclusion of Sweden and Finland in NATO will have “serious” 

military and political consequences that won’t be left unanswered by Moscow, 

Russia’s Foreign Ministry has warned.

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg meets with Swedish Prime Minister Stefan Lofven in Stockholm.

© Reuters / Claudio Bresciani

The persistent attempts by NATO to “draw those countries into the orbit of its interests and opportunistic policies” haven’t gone unnoticed by Russia, Maria Zakharova, the ministry’s spokeswoman, said.

“It’s quite obvious that Finland and Sweden joining NATO … would have serious military and political consequences that would require an adequate response from the Russian side,” she pointed out.

The policy of not being part of any alliances, traditionally pursued by Stockholm and Helsinki, is viewed by Moscow as “an important factor in ensuring stability in northern Europe,” Zakharova added.

NATO has been expressing its satisfaction over what it called deepening cooperation with Finland and Sweden, which “share” the block’s values and contribute to its operations.

At a summit in June, the US-led military alliance vowed to further bolster those ties “in support of our common security, including by crisis management preparation, exercises, and exchanging information and analysis.”

The same statements were repeated during the visit of NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg to Stockholm and Helsinki in late October.

Earlier this month, Moscow issued two documents – one addressed to NATO and the other to Washington – demanding guarantees that would assure security for all sides. The proposals included limiting NATO’s buildup near the Russian borders and ruling out the enlargement of the bloc.

Speaking about Moscow’s proposals, Zakharova reiterated that “ruling out the expansion of NATO and the deployment of weapon systems that threaten our security near the Russian borders are going to be the main, key issues at the upcoming talks with the US and NATO.”

Everyone who hasn’t yet grasped the essence of the Russian stance must clearly understand this.

Swedish authorities previously decried the Kremlin’s initiative, saying that “rejecting any future expansion of NATO will reduce the opportunities to make independent political choices.” The Finnish government also insisted that it needed to have “national room to maneuver,” including applying for NATO membership.

This sounds like Deep State influence at work.

Gorbachev hits out at American 'arrogance'

The fall of the USSR inspired the US to turn NATO into its own empire,

former Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev has said.

Mikhail Gorbachev © Sputnik / Evgeny Odinokov

After the Americans declared victory in the Cold War, they became overly self-confident and have now decided to build a brand new empire through the guise of NATO, former Soviet president Mikhail Gorbachev said on Friday.

Speaking to RIA Novosti, Gorbachev accused Washington of becoming too big-headed after the fall of the USSR in 1991, suggesting that Washington got carried away with the “triumphalist sentiment in the West.”

“[The US] became too arrogant, self-confident, and big-headed,” he said. “They declared victory in the Cold War. We were pulling the world together out of a confrontation, out of a nuclear race. But, instead, the ‘winners’ decided to build a new empire.”

According to Gorbachev, America’s imperial ambitions are the reason Washington has supported the idea of expanding NATO eastward since 1991. As well as taking aim at the White House, Gorbachev also condemned the Russian leadership for abandoning other attempts to create collective security in Europe.

However, the former leader welcomed upcoming security talks between Moscow and Washington, and expressed confidence that Russian President Vladimir Putin and his American counterpart Joe Biden can come to an agreement.

“I support it. I hope there will be a result. One that will make all European countries feel safe,” he said.

Last week, Moscow published two draft documents with a list of security guarantees it wants to obtain from the US and NATO. The proposed treaties include restrictions on NATO expansion, as well as the stationing of troops, military equipment, and weapons in the vicinity of the Russian border.

The first round of negotiations on the documents is expected to begin in January.

Gorbachev led the USSR from 1985 until its collapse in 1991 and is seen as one of the most important figures of 20th century history. However, while he enjoys a positive reputation outside of the country, he is viewed differently inside Russia. Many people blame him for the post-Soviet economic crisis that led to a dramatic decline in living standards, as well as a diminution of Moscow’s status on the world stage.

Earlier this month, a study conducted by the state-owned Russian Public Opinion Research Center (WCIOM) revealed that Gorbachev is Russia’s most-hated man from the Soviet era.

Even more than Joe Stalin? My, what short memories Russians have.

Declassified documents show how US lied to Russia about NATO in 1990s

Promises that the bloc wouldn’t expand appear to have been ignored in

Washington’s quest for influence in Europe.

FILE PHOTO: Russian President Boris Yeltsin (L) and US President Bill Clinton shake hands before leaving a final news conference in the Kremlin in this September 2, 1998. © REUTERS

In April 2014, President Vladimir Putin addressed Russia's Federal Assembly in the wake of Moscow’s reabsorption of Crimea. Over the course of his speech, he laid the blame for an increase in tensions on the West, which he insisted had “lied to us many times, made decisions behind our backs, placed us before an accomplished fact.” At the heart of this apparent duplicity was NATO’s expansion to the East, “as well as deployment of military infrastructure at our borders,” contrary, he said, to its promises.

Ever since, disproving the idea that Western leaders had assured Moscow the bloc wouldn’t encroach on its borders has become an obsession for think tanks and lobby groups. For example, UK policy institute Chatham House brands the suggestion that any pledge was made not to enlarge the controversial military bloc one of the key “myths and misconceptions in the debate on Russia,” while NATO’s own website likewise claims it is wholly manufactured.

Significant evidence to the contrary has long-been easily accessible, but now the National Security Archive has published a tranche of never-before-seen, highly revealing documents detailing how then-Russian President Boris Yeltsin was consistently manipulated by his US counterpart Bill Clinton on the question during the mid-1990s, while bold, false promises of a “strategic partnership” of the countries faded into nothingness.

Take for instance the transcript of a cordial July 5 1994 telephone conversation between the pair, at which time the US president was preparing to depart for Poland – which had been pushing for rapid absorption by NATO – and the Baltic states, before meeting with Yeltsin at the G7 summit in Italy.

Yeltsin urged Clinton to raise the plight of Russophones in Estonia and Latvia, because “a public statement from you that the US will not support any infringement on the rights of the Russian-speaking people” would mean these countries “will act differently.” He noted Lithuania’s quick granting of citizenship to its Russian minority had prompted Moscow to withdraw its troops from Vilnius, and the same could happen by August in Tallinn and Riga if assurances were made. Yeltsin also wished to discuss NATO expansion.

In response, Clinton swore he’d “raise the issue of the Russian minorities,” and reassured Yeltsin that while NATO might “eventually expand,” he’d set out “no timetable and no requirements.” Instead, he indicated that he’d “like us to concentrate” on Partnership for Peace, a US-led initiative seeking to “achieve a united Europe where people respect each other's borders and work together.” Yeltsin could be entirely forgiven for thinking the Partnership was Washington’s primary focus, and the military alliance an afterthought, by the conclusion of the chat.

The Russian president’s optimism about “a mutually beneficial partnership with the US on the basis of equality” is writ large in a letter he sent to Clinton in November that year. He speaks of this prospective coalition as “the central factor in world politics,” pledges to cooperate constructively with the US on issues related to Bosnia, Iraq, North Korea, and Ukraine, and eagerly awaits their meeting at the December 5 Conference on Security and Cooperation in Budapest, where “we have much to talk about … first of all, transforming European stability.”

As it was, the Hungary summit was a disaster, with Clinton’s speech at the event focusing on NATO as “the bedrock of security in Europe,” and declaring “no country outside will be allowed to veto expansion” – a clear reference to Russia. In response, Yeltsin fulminated, “it is a dangerous delusion to suppose the destinies of continents and the world … can somehow be managed from one single capital,” and adding that “[moving] the responsibilities of NATO up to Russia's borders” would be a grave error.

An internal US diplomatic cable from the next day shows lessons were quickly learned from this episode. Namely, the urgent need to keep quiet publicly about US plans for extending the military alliance, while offering bogus private assurances to Moscow any enlargement would only occur after consultation between the two countries, and that Russia was still in the running for bloc membership.

Fast-forward to May 1995, Clinton visits Moscow to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Allied victory in World War II, and these lies are enthusiastically maintained in a one-on-one meeting with Yeltsin. The pair’s rapport is clearly chummy, referring to each other as friends, although serious matters are very much on the table too.

“How do you think it looks to us if one bloc continues to exist while the Warsaw Pact has been abolished? It's a new form of encirclement if the one surviving Cold War bloc expands,” the Russian president pleaded. “Many Russians have a sense of fear. What do you want to achieve with this if Russia is your partner? We need a new structure for Pan-European security, not old ones! Perhaps the solution is to postpone NATO expansion until the year 2000 so that later we can come up with some new ideas.”

Ever suave and calculating, Clinton sought to allay his fears, somewhat amazingly suggesting Moscow should view his approach to NATO “in the context of greater integration of Russia into other international institutions,” dangling the prospect of various sweeteners, including membership of the G7, if Yeltsin quietened his anti-NATO rhetoric, and kept his opinions on the bloc’s expansion to himself. Clinton knew well that such compliance was easily bought – as his Russian “friend” himself acknowledged, his position heading into the 1996 presidential runoff was “not exactly brilliant.”

Indeed, his polling stood in the single digits, and Communist candidate Gennady Zyuganov was widely forecast to win via landslide. Yeltsin spoke of needing “positive reports” in the press, and to “head off even the smallest wrong moves,” proposing any discussion of NATO enlargement be kept theoretical until the year 2000, and urging the White House resident not to do anything to “rile the situation up before the elections.”

“I’ve made it clear I’ll do nothing to accelerate NATO [expansion]. I’m trying to give you now, in this conversation, the reassurance you need. But we need to be careful that neither of us appears to capitulate,” Clinton slickly pledged. “For you, that means you’re not going to embrace expansion. For me, it means no talk about slowing the process down or putting it on hold or anything like that.”

So it was that Yeltsin agreed to maintain an omerta on the military bloc, and enlist in the Partnership for Peace. Despite plans for NATO expansion already being well-laid by that point, and very much in motion, the Kremlin remained silent about developments – the president’s acquiescence was further ensured by extensive covert and overt US assistance in his election campaign, which was fundamental to transforming an initial 6% standing in the polls to an extremely comfortable victory.

Less than three years later, NATO’s engulfing of the former Soviet sphere finally began, with the incorporation of the Czech Republic, Hungary, and Poland. This push was opposed stateside by, among others, George Kennan – formerly a committed ‘cold warrior’, and key figure in the creation of the alliance.

“I think it is the beginning of a new Cold War … The Russians will gradually react quite adversely and it will affect their policies. I think it is a tragic mistake. There was no reason for this whatsoever. No one was threatening anybody else,” he said in May 1998, after the US Senate ratified enlargement. “Of course, there is going to be a bad reaction from Russia, and then [the NATO expanders] will say that we always told you that is how the Russians are – but this is just wrong.”

With tensions between Kiev and Moscow at an all-time high, with the question of Ukraine’s NATO membership at the heart of the dangerous dispute, Kennan’s words give every appearance today of a prophet’s warning coming terrifyingly true.

By Kit Klarenberg, an investigative journalist exploring the role of intelligence services in shaping politics and perceptions. Follow him on Twitter @KitKlarenberg

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Islam - Current Day > Christmas Day Massacre in DRC; Salah's Christmas Card Triggers Thousands of Muslims; Houthi Rebels Threaten Saudi Arabia; Taliban Bans Car Music and Women Without Hijabs; BBC Anti-Semitic

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Suicide bomber kills 6, over a dozen others suffer injuries

in Christmas Day attack in DRC

By Anugrah Kumar, 

Christian Post Contributor| 

Sunday, December 26, 2021

Three Congolese ride a motorbike and carry a cross for a grave along the road linking Mangina to Beni

on August 23, 2018, in Mangina, in the North Kivu province. | JOHN WESSELS/AFP via Getty Images

A suspected Islamist suicide bomber from a rebel group aligned with Islamic State killed at least six people, including children, and injured more than a dozen others when he used an explosive device to kill himself at the entrance of a busy restaurant where Christmas was being celebrated in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

After the Christmas Day attack on a restaurant called In Box in the city of Beni in the eastern province of Ituri, green chairs could be seen scattered across the road, some melted or smoldering, and four bodies, including that of a small girl, as per images shared on social media, according to Reuters, which said six people died and 14 were injured, including two local officials.

“I was sitting there. There was a motorbike parked there. Suddenly the motorbike took off, then there was a deafening noise,” local radio presenter Nicolas Ekila told AFP.

“The suicide bomber, prevented by security guards from entering a crowded bar, activated the bomb at the entrance of the bar,” the regional governor’s spokesman, Général Ekenge Sylvain, was quoted as saying in a statement.

A Congolese partner agency of the U.S.-based persecution watchdog International Christian Concern called the blast “an action of terror,” saying the Islamist rebel group Allied Democratic Forces could be behind it.

The deadly rebel group has been attacking Christians and clashing with the army in Nord Kivu and Ituri provinces which have been under a “state of siege” since May. The military, which has taken effective control in the two provinces, has still not been able to stop the armed militia’s attacks.

The Anglican Bishop of Beni Diocese described the Christmas Day attack as a “cowardice activity carried out by weak rebels who want to make followers of their faith by force,” ICC said.

“Recently, the attacks have only been … in the villages where there is not enough security watch … but now it seems like the terrorists are trying to make a statement that they are still present even in cities,” the bishop was quoted as saying. “They targeted the hotel because they knew that many people would gather in the evening to continue celebrating Christmas. Today, churches met as usual to begin the Christmas holiday … but now things have taken a new turn. However, we shall not let fear diminish the joy of Christ in this season, and we shall stand in prayer with the families of those killed today.” 

ICC’s local partner also called the attack “unexpected because we are used to hearing incidences of Christians being killed in the villages.”

“The last time we had such terror attacks in this town of Beni was in May and June, where the attackers also planted bombs in churches, but that was stopped by the government forces,” the source recalled. “In June, one woman was killed and others injured when a bomb planted inside a church’s compound exploded. Another bomb had been trapped at a bar that killed several revelers.”

The rebel group, against which Congo and Uganda launched a joint operation on Nov. 30, has killed hundreds of Christians and left thousands homeless and displaced this year.

This is the religion of Peace at work!

Muslim star Salah draws backlash with Christmas message

Liverpool and Egypt forward Mohamed Salah has triggered an angry reaction

from some sections of social media after the Muslim star shared

a Christmas Day message from his family.

Liverpool star Mohamed Salah posted a Christmas message from his family. © Twitter @MoSalah

Salah, who is one of the biggest Muslim sports personalities on the planet, posted a festive image to his millions of followers on Instagram and Twitter showing himself and his family sitting in front of a Christmas tree and dressed in matching outfits.

“Merry Christmas” read the message from the 29-year-old footballer.

Salah’s post racked up well over 2 million ‘likes’ within hours of being posted on Instagram and garnered more than 200,000 on Twitter.

But amidst the love for Salah and his family there were some who took issue with the forward supposedly celebrating Christmas.

Salah was bombarded with responses in Arabic, including many which saw the message as contradictory to the star’s Muslim principles and an affront to their religion.

“You prostrate to the one on Sunday if you score a goal and celebrate the one on Sunday that has a son,” read one reply, referencing the differences between Islamic and Christian beliefs and noting Salah’s celebration when he performs the ‘sujud’ act of prayer on the pitch after scoring.   

Salah typically performs a Muslim prayer gesture after scoring. © Reuters

“You are a great player, a good human being, and God has blessed you with money, fame, and the love of people, but know that he who has provided you with all of this is capable of taking it from you in the blink of an eye,” began another response in Arabic which earned around 7,000 ‘likes’.

“Know that you celebrate a day in which they claim that God gives birth to the likes of us… do not be the seat and imprint of their actions, respect the one who provided you with sustenance and gave you your dreams and purified him from the accusations of the people.”

Hmmm. I think that is just what he did!

The backlash could have been predicted after a similar situation played out following a Christmas message from Salah last year.

Some fans couldn’t understand why Salah was being targeted with hate.

“I absolutely love this. Mo Salah is a great example of someone who creates bridges while not caring about the noise. The world needs more Mo Salahs,” read one popular reply in support of the forward.

The row seems unlikely to distract Salah on the pitch, where he has been in sensational form this season.

'The Egyptian King' has found the net 22 times in 24 appearances across all competitions for Liverpool as well as providing nine assists.

Yemeni rebels threaten Saudi Arabia with more attacks

Yemeni Houthi rebels fired rockets into Saudi Arabia on Friday, killing two people.

The rebels threatened more cross-border attacks if Riyadh continues

to drop bombs on the civil war-torn country.

FILE PHOTO: Houthi rebels in Sanaa, Yemen, 2015. © Reuters/Mohamed al-Sayaghi

Lieutenant Colonel Mohammed Al-Hammad, the spokesperson for the Saudi General Directorate of Civil Defense, said that a projectile launched from Yemeni territory hit a shop in the southern Jizan Province, killing two people and wounding seven others with shrapnel. 

A spokesperson for the Yemeni Houthi rebels, Brigadier General Yehia Sarie, said on Saturday that three missiles were fired at “vital and sensitive” sites in Jizan, as quoted by Associated Press.

Houthi officials previously promised to retaliate against a Saudi airstrike in Yemen’s Al-Mahwit Province on Thursday.

The Saudi-led coalition, which intervened in the Yemeni civil war in 2015 on behalf of ousted President Abdrabbuh Mansur Hadi, said that it destroyed several drone and missile depots inside a rebel camp.

Houthis and allied media claimed that the airstrike occurred in a highly populated neighborhood, damaging homes, a children’s hospital, and a prison housing coalition fighters. Al Masirah TV reported that 10 civilians, including women and children, were killed or injured in the airstrike.

“The Saudi regime will be hit with painful operations as long as it persists and continues in its aggression and crimes,” Sarie said, as quoted by Al Masirah.

Taliban bans playing music in cars

and women without hijabs

The streets of Afghanistan are going to become much quieter. 

The Taliban has banned the playing of music in cars, in yet another

prohibition introduced by the group since it took power in the country in August.

FILE PHOTO: Men look at the sound system in the boot of a car. © AFP / Sia Kambou

Afghan drivers were given written recommendations not to play music in their cars and only take women as passengers if they’re wearing a hijab.

The Taliban’s Ministry for the Propagation of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice, which is in charge of implementing Islamic law in the country, confirmed the new restrictions to a local Kabul news outlet on Saturday.

The broadcaster also posted a photo of the notice given to drivers on Twitter.

The Taliban has introduced numerous curbs on daily life since it swept through the country in a matter of weeks and took Kabul five months ago, capitalizing on the withdrawal of US forces after their two-decade presence in Afghanistan.

In late November, the group announced that women shouldn’t star in TV dramas anymore, while also requiring female journalists and presenters to wear headscarves while on screen.

One move that stands out is a decree earlier this month that outlawed forced marriage in Afghanistan, saying that women shouldn’t be viewed as ‘property’ and can’t be taken as a wife without the woman’s consent.

Wow! How did that pass the Islamic scholar test?

However, the international community still has concerns about how women’s rights for work and education are going to be maintained under the Taliban.

BBC branded ‘anti-Semitic’ for ‘insidious’ reporting – media

An anti-Semitism watchdog has reportedly ranked the BBC in third place – behind Iran and Hamas – on its annual list of the world’s worst offenders after it allowed anti-Jewish bias to “creep into its reporting” over the past year.

Signage is seen at the entrance to BBC Broadcasting House offices and recording studios in London.

May 21, 2021. © Reuters / Toby Melville

The Los Angeles-based Simon Wiesenthal Center judged the British broadcaster to be “guilty of several incidences of anti-Semitism” when compiling its ‘Global Antisemitism Top Ten’ rankings for 2021, according to the Daily Mail. The list is due to be released on Tuesday.

The center’s founder and head, Rabbi Marvin Hier, told the paper that the decision to put the BBC on the list might be a “[surprise]” to some, but it “came after months of intense debate and discussion.”

“People might assume we would put neo-Nazi groups on our list but ... when a globally recognized organization allows anti-Semitism to creep into its reporting, it makes it all the more insidious and dangerous,” he said.

Referencing its reputation for “truthful reporting,” Hier pointed to several cases covered by the BBC, which raised questions. For example, Alaa Daraghme, a journalist producing video for the BBC, tweeted a clip with the caption: ‘An Israeli settler ramming a Palestinian man near the Lions’ Gate’.

“In fact, the car drove onto the pavement after an attempt by Palestinians to lynch the Jewish driver who lost control of the vehicle,” Hier said. Daraghme later published another video to clarify the context.

Noting that “anti-Semitism is abhorrent,” an unnamed BBC spokesman told the Daily Mail that the corporation “strives to serve the Jewish community, and all communities across our country, fairly with accurate and impartial reporting.”

The list, which features Iran and Palestinian militant group Hamas in the top two spots, also reportedly includes “social media giants” (for permitting hate speech) and the Unilever corporation, whose Ben & Jerry’s ice-cream brand courted controversy after a sales boycott of East Jerusalem and the West Bank.

Islam - Current Day > Mozambique Horror Story; Sunnis Use Teens in Suicide Attack; Al-Aqsa Preacher Teaching Madness

..

Mozambique: Islamic extremists behead pastor, force wife

to carry his severed remains

By Anugrah Kumar, 

Christian Post Contributor| 

Sunday, December 19, 2021

A volunteer claps as he sings with children during activities directed toward the healing for displaced children that witnessed atrocities in northern Mozambique, at a displacement settlement in Metuge on May 21, 2021. Conflict in the northern Mozambique province of Cabo Delgado that began in 2017 has now forced nearly some 700,000 people from their homes. Around 43 percent the 700,000 people displaced by the violence are children, according to the U.N. | JOHN WESSELS/AFP via Getty Images

Suspected ISIS-linked extremists beheaded a pastor, handed his severed head to his wife and forced her to carry the head to the police station in the southern African country of Mozambique, according to reports.

The jihadist militants decapitated the pastor, a resident of Nova Zambezia area in the northern province of Cabo Delgado, last Wednesday, the U.S.-based persecution watchdog International Christian Concern said.

The killing was also reported by the Daily Mail, but the pastor’s name has not been disclosed.

Zimbabwe Daily also reported on the murder, saying the pastor’s wife told police that “suspected Islamic State-linked insurgents intercepted the pastor in a field, decapitated him and then handed over his head to her and ordered her to inform the authorities.”

Earlier this month, the U.K.-based watchdog organization Human Rights Watch reported that an armed group in Cabo Delgado province called Al Sunnah wa Jama’ah, also known as Al-Shabab, had forced kidnapped women and girls to “marry” their fighters.

Other women and girls held captive had been sold to foreign fighters for between $600 and $1,800, according to the report. Some abducted foreign women and girls had been released after their families paid a ransom.

Last November, ISIS-linked militants beheaded over 50 people, including women and children, and abducted others in raids in the Miudumbe and Macomia districts of the Cabo Delgado province.

The day after the pastor's murder, Mozambique’s President Filipe Nyusi claimed that the number of jihadist attacks had decreased this year after Rwanda and neighboring countries helped tackle the radical Islamic jihadist insurgency.

The oil-rich Cabo Delgado province, a coastal region on the Indian Ocean, has suffered an emergence of a jihadi movement that has displaced thousands and killed hundreds since 2017. In 2018, the terror group pledged its allegiance to the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria. In 2019, the Islamic State confirmed the group as an affiliate and has claimed responsibility for some attacks.

The Al-Shabab group in the majority-Christian country of Mozambique is not believed to have any connection with the deadly Somalia-based terror group with the same name.

According to the Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project (ACLED), the Cabo Delgado province had suffered from at least 776 “organized violence events” since 2017, and as of January 2021, 2,578 “fatalities from organized violence” and 1,305 “fatalities from civilian targeting.” 

The United Nations estimates more than 745,000 people are internally displaced in Mozambique due to Islamic extremism since 2017.

Mozambique also ranks as the 45th worst country for Christian persecution on Open Doors USA’s 2021 World Watch List. This 2021 report is the first time the country has been listed on Open Doors’ annual list.

Extremist attacks have killed many Christians, and terrorists have burned churches and schools in the country.

Iraq: Sunni Muslims send two teenagers to carry out

jihad suicide attacks in area of Shi’ite shrines

DEC 18, 2021 12:00 PM

BY ROBERT SPENCER

“Indeed, Allah has bought from the believers their lives and their wealth, because the garden will be theirs, they will fight in the way of Allah and will kill and be killed.” (Qur’an 9:111)

Shafaq News/ A security source reported that ISIS had sent two teenagers to carry out a suicide attack in Al-Kadhimiyah, north of Baghdad.

The source told Shafaq News Agency that the responsible forces in Al-Kadhimiyah hung posters indicating that two suicide bombers were sent by ISIS to carry out a suicide attack in the area.

The source added that the two suicide bombers were delivered to Aden Square a few days ago, and their ages range between 16-17 years…

Al-Kadhimiyah includes the shrines of the two imams, Moussa al-Kadhim and Muhammad al-Jawad…

Al-Aqsa preacher blames Israeli gov’t, media and homosexuality

for spread of Omicron

December 24, 2021

Al-Aqsa preacher blames Israeli gov’t, media and homosexuality for spread of Omicron. 

The Al Aqsa Mosque, the third holiest site in Islam, in Jerusalem. (Shutterstock)

 

The prominent Islamic leader blamed the media and government that “allow and encourage homosexuality” for the spread of COVID-19. 

By World Israel News Staff

Islamic preacher Issam Amira has provided an unusual explanation to the spread of COVID-19 in Israel, Hebrew language Channel 12 reported.

In a sermon given at the al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem last week, Amira told his followers that the Indian and Omicron variants that were unknown before have spread in Israel and across the world due to the Israeli government and media that allow and promote homosexuality.

According to Amira, the “heretic” media and government that “allow and encourage homosexuality” are behind the spread of COVID. The Omicron variant “did not spread until the government and media announced it,” he argued.

The Right-wing NGO Im Tirzu called Amira’s statements dangerous, telling Channel 12 that “Sheikh Issam Amira is a dangerous person who should be behind bars. His incitement endangers the LGBTQ community and the Jewish people as a whole.”

Controversial statements from religious leaders blaming the LGBTQ community for the spread of COVID are nothing new. Last year, an Orthodox church leader in Ukraine blamed the COVID-19 pandemic on same-sex marriage, shortly before contracting the virus himself.

Amira himself was arrested and banned from the al-Aqsa Mosque for six months after praising the murder and beheading of a middle school history teacher in France by a Muslim fanatic.

Note, this is not just a lunatic Muslim, this is one of the highest ranking Muslims in the middle east. A teacher at the third holiest site in Islam. And, this is the madness they spread.