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U.S. Navy Sends Carrier Strike Group to South China Sea

March 5, 2016

U.S. Navy Sends Carrier Strike Group to South China Sea

BY:
March 4, 2016 10:29 am

Source: U.S. Navy Sends Carrier Strike Group to South China Sea – Washington Free Beacon

The U.S. Navy sent a small fleet of ships to the South China Sea in recent days as tensions continue to escalate over China’ territorial claims.

The Navy Times reported that the Pentagon has sent the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS John C. Stennis, two destroyers, two cruisers, and the 7th Fleet flagship to the South China Sea, according to military officials. The report came on the heels of Defense Secretary Ash Carter’s warning to China that the country refrain from “aggressive” actions in the South China Sea.

“China must not pursue militarization in the South China Sea,” Carter said during a speech in San Francisco Tuesday. “Specific actions will have specific consequences.”

When asked about those consequences, Carter mentioned that the U.S. had increased its deployments to the Asia-Pacific region and that it would spend $425 million on exercises and training with countries in the region over the next few years who feel threatened by China.

The cruisers Antietam and Mobile Bay are currently present in the South China Sea, the former conducting a “routine patrol” independent of the Stennis, officials said. The destroyers Chung-Hoon and Stockade are also in the region along with the USS Blue Ridge, the command ship for the 7th Fleet, which is en route to the Philippines.

Tensions have escalated in the disputed waters since reports last month that China deployed a surface-to-air-missile system to Woody Island, one of the Paracel Islands, which is claimed by China, Taiwan, and Vietnam.

The move led Adm. Harry Harris, the commander of the U.S. Pacific Command, to tell lawmakers in February that China is “militarizing” the South China Sea.

U.S. warships have sailed near disputed islands in the region in recent months, asserting their freedom to navigate through international waters, actions that have sparked criticism from China.

In a statement reported Friday, a spokesperson for China’s legislature rejected claims that it was militarizing the South China Sea and instead accused the U.S. of doing so.

“The accusation [that China is militarizing the region] can lead to a miscalculation of the situation,” Fu Ying, the spokesperson, said at a press briefing, according to the South China Morning Post. “If you take a look at the matter closely, it’s the U.S. sending the most advanced aircraft and military vessels to the South China Sea.”

“The U.S. has made it clear that it will deploy 70 per cent of its navy to the Asia-Pacific region under its strategy of pivoting to Asia. The U.S. has stepped up military moves with its alliances and its military presence in the Asia -Pacific region. Isn’t this militarization?” she continued.

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Turkish police raid Zaman HQs, fire tear gas on readers after gov’t takeover

March 5, 2016

Turkish police raid Zaman HQs, fire tear gas on readers after gov’t takeover

March 04, 2016, Friday/ 15:16:31/ TODAYSZAMAN.COM | ISTANBUL

Source: Turkish police raid Zaman HQs, fire tear gas on readers after gov’t takeover

Turkish police raid Zaman HQs, fire tear gas on readers after gov’t takeover

The entrance of Zaman headquarters. (Photo: Today’s Zaman, Selahattin Sevi)

Turkish police fired tear gas and used water cannon on a crowd to forcibly enter the country’s top-selling newspaper on Friday after a court ordered its confiscation. 

An İstanbul court appointed trustees to take over the management of the Feza Media Group, which includes Turkey’s biggest-selling newspaper, the Zaman daily, as well as the Today’s Zaman daily and the Cihan news agency, dealing a fresh blow to the already battered media freedom in Turkey.

Police in riot gear pushed back Zaman supporters who stood in the rain outside its İstanbul office where they waved Turkish flags and carried placards reading “Hands off my newspaper” before they were overcome by clouds of tear gas.

Officers then forcibly broke down a gate and rushed into the building. The footage showed them scuffling with Zaman staff inside the offices.

Zaman employees waiting near the entrance said police immediately tear-gassed hundreds of readers who had gathered outside Zaman newspaper to protest the ruling without even delivering the court decision.

Police use bolt cutter to break the steel gate in front of the Zaman building.

Employees shouted ‘free press cannot be silenced,” as hundreds of police officers entered the building. Zaman daily Editor-in-Chief Abdülhamit Bilici, who had hard time in speaking due to tear gas that covered inside the building, said the scene will be noted in the Turkish history as a black stain.

Police then went to the management floor in the building. Police initially prevented Bilici from entering his office but they later let him in. Bilici was heard saying he does not recognize the court decision.

Live footage also showed Today’s Zaman Editor-in-Chief Sevgi Akarçeşme being pushed by police. She said a police officer held her arm and tried to take her out of the building. “Police did not let us inside our offices in our own newspaper building! This is pure despotism! They physically blocked me, both men&women,” she tweeted.

A group of opposition deputies who were also present at the building to show support for the daily were also affected by pepper gas.

Police then broke cameras in the building to cut live footage from the building, an employee said. “Throw him off the staircase”, one police shouted at 2nd floor as one editor was pushed down from the stairs, another Zaman employee tweeted.

The employees were later asked to leave the building. “We are evacuating the building. This is probably my last message from my office,” Akarçeşme tweeted after midnight.

The decision was issued by the İstanbul 6th Criminal Court of Peace at the request of the İstanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office, which claimed that the media group acted upon orders from what it called the “Fethullahist Terrorist Organization/Parallel State Structure (FETÖ/PDY),” praising the group and helping it achieve its goals in its publications.

The prosecutor also claimed that the alleged terrorist group is cooperating with the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) terrorist organization to topple the Turkish government and that high-level officials of the two groups have had meetings abroad.

The court decision means that the entire management and the editorial board of Feza Media Group companies will be replaced by the three-member board named by the court.

(Photo: DHA)

A crowd of Zaman and Today’s Zaman journalists, readers and supporters gathered outside Zaman’s headquarters as court-appointed trustees were expected to arrive at any moment.

Zaman Editor-in-Chief Abdülhamit Bilici addressed his colleagues on the grounds of the newspaper, calling the court decision a “black day for democracy” in Turkey as journalists and other newspaper workers held up signs that read: “Don’t touch my newspaper” and chanted “free press cannot be silenced!”

Today, we are experiencing a shameful day for media freedom in Turkey. Our media institutions are being seized,” Today’s Zaman Editor-in-Chief Sevgi Akarçeşme said as she addressed the crowd.

“As of today, the Constitution has been suspended,” she said, referencing to the fact that the Turkish Constitution forbids seizure of printing houses and press equipment.

(Photo: DHA)

Şahin Alpay, a veteran political expert and a columnist for both Zaman and Today’s Zaman, lamented the situation, saying Turkey is having a “dark day” when one of the most prominent media outlets in the country is being confiscated at the order of a political leader.

“It is utterly saddening, particularly for people of my generation, that Turkey is turning into a third-world dictatorship,” Alpay said.

The takeover of Zaman comes as President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and the government of the Justice and Development Party (AK Party) that he founded intensified pressure on the Turkish media. Zaman, which is affiliated with the Gülen movement, is one of the few opposition media outlets in the country, which is dominated by pro-government television stations and newspapers.

Turkey’ satellite provider Türksat halted the broadcast of the independent İMC TV station last week on terrorism charges. Two newspapers and two television stations owned by Koza İpek Holding were placed under the management of a trustee board on charges of financing terrorism in October 2015. Those media outlets were closed down by the trustee board due to financial losses last week.

“This is not a matter of a fight between the government and the [Gülen] movement. This is a matter of existence for Turkey,” columnist Levent Gültekin said as he joined the crowd outside Zaman in a show of solidarity. “Just a few days ago, they pulled the plug on İMC TV for ‘supporting terrorism,’ which is a massive lie.”

TURKEY-POLITICS/GULEN

An employee of Zaman newspaper holds a chain during a protest at the courtyard of the newspaper in İstanbul, March 4, 2016. (Photo: Reuters)

Erdoğan declared the Gülen movement, inspired by Turkish Islamic scholar Fethullah Gülen, his number one enemy after a corruption investigation in December 2013 that implicated people in his inner circle. He accused alleged sympathizers of the movement within the judiciary and the police of staging a coup against his rule. The corruption charges were dropped after prosecutors of the case were replaced.

According to the court’s decision three trustees were appointed to the Feza Media Group. One of the trustees is Sezai Şengönül, who serves as an editor at a news website. The two others are lawyers are Tahsin Kaplan and Metin İlhan.

İlhan’s social media accounts showed that he is an open supporter of the AK Party and Erdoğan. His personal Twitter account’s background photo shows Erdoğan and Davutoğlu while some of his tweets even included insults at main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP).

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Palestinians: The Right Time to Take Big Steps?

March 4, 2016

Palestinians: The Right Time to Take Big Steps? Gatestone Institute, Bassam Tawil, March 4, 2016

♦ Despite the “official” surveys taken among Palestinians, which show support for Hamas, the residents of the West Bank are terrified that Hamas will gain control and destroy our lives and property, the way they did in the Gaza Strip.

♦ The BDS organizations are trying to boycott products made in the West Bank, which only throws masses of Palestinians out of good jobs in an effort to force Israel into a hasty withdrawal that has no chance of taking place. The Israelis and everyone else remember all too well that the last Israeli withdrawals — from southern Lebanon and the Gaza Strip — led to the terrorist takeover of the vacuums created.

♦ Ikrima Sabri, the former Mufti of Jerusalem, often said that Palestinians were better off with the Jews in charge of Al-Aqsa mosque and Jerusalem, because in the future they could be removed and killed off, but if the Crusaders returned to Jerusalem — such as an international commission headed by the French — it would be harder to get rid of them.

During a visit to Berlin, German Chancellor Angela Merkel told Israel’s Prime Minister Benyamin Netanyahu that now is not time to move forward with the “two-state solution” and the establishment of a Palestinian state.

Merkel, evidently seeing Israel as a dam protecting Europe from Islamist extremists, told Netanyahu that while the Germans recognized the terrorist threat faced by Israel, and that a peace process had to be advanced based on two states for two peoples, now was not the right time to take big steps.

1494Agreed: It’s not a good time to establish a Palestinian state. Pictured: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and German Chancellor Angela Merkel address a press conference in Berlin, Germany, on February 16, 2016. (Image source: Israel Government Press Office)

The Palestinians living in the Gaza Strip are well aware that they are hostages of the terrorist organizations, in particular Hamas. Jibril Rajoub, a senior official in the Palestinian Authority (PA), told Al-Jazeera TV the same thing just last week.

The Palestinians in the West Bank, regardless of public declarations, also secretly support security collaboration with Israel, which protects us from radical Islamist terrorism. Therefore, despite the “official” surveys taken among Palestinians, which show support for Hamas, the residents of the West Bank are terrified that Hamas will gain control and destroy our lives and property the way they did in the Gaza Strip. We do want a Palestinian state, but one that will preserve the lifestyle and accomplishments we have built over the years — not a state that will have them fall to the horrors of Hamas and ISIS.

In light of the quiet, passive public support for the regime of Mahmoud Abbas, Hamas is inciting Palestinians against it. Hamas, in an attempt to overthrow the Palestinian Authority, is portraying Abbas’s security forces as traitors who transmit information to Israel.

Like Germany — and unlike Sweden and France — Britain has recently instituted a more balanced policy. The UK has begun to fight the anti-Israel BDS (Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions) organizations. Matthew Hancock, Britain’s Minister for the Cabinet Office, who coordinates activities between various government ministries, is advancing protocols to prevent the ongoing boycotts by the British establishment.

These BDS organizations are trying to boycott products made in the West Bank, but the boycott only throws masses of Palestinians out of good jobs and great benefits in an effort to force Israel into a hasty withdrawal that has no chance of taking place. The Israelis and everyone else remember all too well that the last Israeli withdrawals — from southern Lebanon and the Gaza Strip — were nothing more than case-studies for the terrorist takeover of the vacuums created, exactly the same way as the U.S. withdrawal from Iraq made room for the Islamic State (ISIS).

As Palestinians we know that the BDS may or may not harm Israel, but it does untold damage to the Palestinians who support their families by working in the settlement factories and would otherwise be unemployed and then, as a scarcity of jobs will have been created, hired by various terrorists. When the SodaStream factory moved out of the West Bank, 500 Palestinians lost their well-paid jobs.

In view of the current U.S. helplessness in dealing with the Russians, Iranians and Syrians, the Obama administration has now chosen to bare its fangs at Israel. Despite what are apparently his predictable personal objections, U.S. President Barack Obama is expected to sign into law the Trade Facilitation and Trade Enforcement Act, which includes anti-BDS provisions. It introduces new policy language by including all “Israeli-controlled territories” as part of Israel. Meanwhile, the American customs authority is still continuing to enforce a 20-year-old law, marking products made in the West Bank and hurting Palestinians. Labeling products hurts the Palestinians, who then are driven look for work in the eager arms of the terrorist organizations radicalizing the region.

The French, as usual, slither and shift. A number of months ago, they tried to build up steam for an international commission of inquiry into the Al-Aqsa mosque. Both the Israelis and the Palestinians objected.

Ikrima Sabri, the former Mufti of Jerusalem, often said that Palestinians were better off with the Jews in charge of Al-Aqsa mosque and Jerusalem, because in the future they could be removed and killed off, but if the Crusaders returned to Jerusalem through the back door — such as an international commission headed by the French — it would be harder to get rid of them.

The French, fearing for their lives at the hands of their own local Islamist enclaves, are in dire straits and doggedly try one maneuver after another to appease them. In desperation, they have proposed peace negotiations for the Palestinians and Israel “with international mediation.” They even brazenly suggested that if the negotiations failed, they would recognize the Palestinian state. The outcome is written on the wall: the Palestinians, who will have no reason to negotiate, will fall over themselves rushing to the conference, then automatically veto every proposal or possible compromise, and then receive the promised recognition of Palestine.

The French are masters of diplomatic flimflam: on the one hand, they will do anything to appease their own Islamists at the expense of Israel, and on the other, they know full well neither Israel nor any other Western country will accept their self-serving suggestion. The French keep revealing their duplicity again and again. They refuse to designate Iranian-backed Hezbollah as a terrorist organization; they instead call it a “political party,” despite its full participation in slaughtering Sunni Muslims in Syria. Hezbollah is also one of the main actors pushing the countless asylum-seekers (and occasional ISIS operative) flooding Europe, Turkey and Jordan.

The atrocities committed today in the Middle East are the direct result of the refusal of Europe (including France) and the United States to intervene, and the stunning silence of the Arab states. Unwilling to fight ISIS, they are more than willing to condemn, slander and criticize Israel, while the Middle East slips into anarchy.

The result for us Palestinians will be bloodletting, either in the Hamas-Fatah rivalry, or as collateral damage in the Israelis’ war against Islamist terrorism, or, when the Palestinian Authority falls, at the hands of ISIS and Al-Qaeda and the Al-Nusra Front as they sweep through the Jordan Valley on their way to attack Israel.

Al-Jazeera TV is also trying to serve its master, Qatar, radicalize the Palestinians by saying that the Palestinian Authority’s security coordination with Israel, which benefits everyone here by keeping out Islamic terrorists, is betraying the Palestinian cause. In addition, Israeli intelligence, by saying that a seaport for Hamas should be built is, for some mysterious reason, trying to kill off the Palestinian Authority by strengthening Hamas. Both the Egyptians and we Palestinians — and even the Israelis — do not need Hamas strengthened at our expense. Hamas and the many other extremist organizations that have infiltrated the Gaza Strip, including ISIS, are what enable Israelis to justify their security concerns as well as those regarding peace negotiations with the Palestinians, and that prevent a withdrawal from the West Bank. Given the current situation in the Middle East, Angela Merkel was correct. It is not the right time now to take big steps.

Categories: Abbas, Europe, Foreign policy, Gaza, Israel, Merkel, Middle East, Palestinian Authority, Palestinian heroes, Palestinians, Two state solution, West Bank
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Saudis ready to give Syrian rebels missiles against Russian warplanes and tanks

March 4, 2016

Saudis ready to give Syrian rebels missiles against Russian warplanes and tanks, DEBKAfile, March 4, 2016

Saudi def minSaudi Defense Minister Prince Mohammed bin Salman

For the first time in the five-year Syrian conflict, Saudi Arabia is preparing to supply Syrian rebel groups with anti-air and anti-tank missiles in an attempt to stall Russia’s military efforts to extend Bashar Assad’s days in power. Deputy Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the defense minister, is choreographing this escalated Saudi intervention in the Syrian war. He plans to arm Syrian rebels militias with missiles capable of striking the new Russian T-90 tanks, which DEBKAfile’s intelligence sources disclose were shipped directly to the Syrian army’s armed divisions in the last two weeks from the Russian Black Sea base of Novorossiysk.

The big Russian landing craft Novocherkassk, which unloaded a further supply of tanks at Tartus port on Thursday, Thursday, March 3, also delivered a consignment of MLRS rocket launchers.

A second Russian vessel is heading for Syria with more hardware.

This is in line with Moscow’s decision to upgrade the Syrian army’s armaments and rebuild the units severely ravaged by five years of combat. For Riyadh, this is tantamount to the indefinite and unacceptable prolongation of Assad’s days in power.

Most Western and Middle East observers think the Saudis may be bluffing about their plan to arm Syrian rebels with missiles, as a ploy to get Washington and Moscow to treat them seriously as a player on the Syrian stage and take their interests into account. Ideally, Riyadh would hope to break up American cooperation with Iran in Iraq and Russian cooperation with Iran in Syria.

The Saudis have so far pitched into this endlessly complex scenario with two tangible steps:

1. The deployment last week of four Saudi Air Force F-15 bomber fighters at the Turkish base of Incirlik near the Syrian border, to be followed by a contingent of ground troops for operations in Syria.

2. A direct challenge to Iran’s fighting arm in Syria, the Lebanese Hizballah and its leader Hassan Nasrallah,  by cancelling the $4 billion defense package Riyadh had pledged for the rehabilitation of Lebanon’s armed forces. The Lebanese high command is collaborating increasingly with Hizballah and a large slice of Saudi assistance funds would most certainly have reached its hands.

According to a high-ranking Saudi source, the decision to arm Syrian rebels with missiles is final. He said, “The Syrian opposition might soon acquire surface-to-air missiles, which will raise the wrath of Russia and Iran.” He added:: “No Saudi official will own up to these consignments but, just as 30 years ago, Saudi Arabia was not deterred from intervening in Afghanistan against the Russian army – and we came out the winners” – we will not hesitate to take on the Russian army in Syria too.

DEBKAfile’s military sources point out that in the Afghan war, the Saudis acted with the full support of the United States, whereas in Syria, the Americans are solidly opposed to any Saudi intervention. That is a huge difference between the two cases.

The introduction of Saudi missiles in support of the anti-Assad opposition would create a new situation in the Syrian conflict, whereby Riyadh also has a say – not just Washington, Moscow and Tehran. And that is exactly what Defense Minister Mohammed was after. Saudi willingness to give the rebels missiles takes the oil kingdom’s intervention in the Syrian conflict a lot farther than Israel, the Gulf emirates, Jordan or Turkey have been ready to go until now.

Categories: Hezbollah, Iranian proxies, Russia - Syrian war, Saudi Arabia, Syria war, Syrian rebels
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DEAR RNC: An Everyday American Writes A Letter To Explain The Trump Phenomenon To The Washington Elite

March 4, 2016

DEAR RNC: An Everyday American Writes A Letter To Explain The Trump Phenomenon To The Washington Elite

By 100% FED Up – Mar 2, 2016

Source: DEAR RNC: An Everyday American Writes A Letter To Explain The Trump Phenomenon To The Washington Elite » 100percentfedUp.com

This letter was sent to 100% FED Up! by an anonymous author:

It doesn’t matter who you support for President in 2016. This letter will make you want to stand up and cheer for the 80 year old American who expresses what most of us are feeling right now. Enjoy…

RNC
P.O. Box 96994
Washington DC 20090-6994

Dear Representative,

From the time I was able to vote I voted Republican. I am 80 years old, and have a great deal of respect and influence with hundreds of senior ball players who also network with thousands of others around the country.

I received your questionnaire and request for money and strongly agree with every question, as I have since Obama was elected. Unfortunately the one question that was missing is “What have the Republicans done for the American people?” We gave you a majority in the House and Senate, yet you never listened to us. Now you want our money.

You should be more concerned about our votes, not our money. You are the establishment, which means all you want is to save your jobs and line your pockets… Well guess what? “It’s not going to happen” You shake in your boots when I tell you we’re giving our support to TRUMP and he hasn’t asked for a dime.

You might think we are fools because you feel Trump is on a self destruction course, but you need to look beyond Washington and listen to the masses. Nobody has achieved what he has, especially in the liberal state of New York.

You clearly don’t understand why the Trump movement is so strong, so I’d like to share with you an analogy to help explain the Trump phenomenon. By the way, it’s not just the Republicans who feel ignored and disrespected, there are plenty of Democrats and Independents who also feel let down by the Washington elite. You seem to have  forgotten about “We The People” and who hired you to represent us.

So here it is, the best analogy I could come up with. Here is the reason so many Americans have boarded the Trump Train, and why you’re pleas to come back to the party who deserted us, is falling on deaf ears:

You’ve been on vacation for two weeks, you come home, and your basement is infested with raccoons. Hundreds of rabid, messy, mean raccoons have overtaken your basement. You want them gone immediately…You call the city and four different exterminators, but nobody could handle the job. There is this one guy however, who guarantees you he will get rid of them, so you hire him. You don’t care if the guy smells, you don’t care if the guy swears, you don’t care how many times he’s been married, you don’t care if he was friends with liberals, you don’t care if he has plumber’s crack…you simply want those raccoons gone! You want your problem fixed! He’s the guy. He’s the best. Period. Here’s why we want Trump: Yes he’s a bit of an ass, yes he’s an egomaniac, but we don’t care. The country is a mess because politicians have become too self-serving. The Republican Party is two-faced & gutless. Illegal aliens have been allowed to invade our nation. We want it all fixed! We don’t care that Trump is crude, we don’t care that he insults people, we don’t care that he had been friendly with Hillary, we don’t care that he has changed positions, we don’t care that he’s been married three times, we don’t care that he fights with Megan Kelly and Rosie O’Donnell, we don’t care that he doesn’t know the name of some Muslim terrorist. This country is weak, bankrupt, our enemies are making fun of us, we are being invaded by illegal aliens and bringing tens of thousands of Muslim refugees to America, while leaving Christians behind to be persecuted. We are becoming a nation of victims where every Tom, Ricardo and Hasid is part of a special group with special rights, to the point where we don’t even recognize the country we were born and raised in; “AND WE JUST WANT IT FIXED” and Trump is the only guy who seems to understand what the people want.

We’re sick of politicians. We’re sick of the Democratic Party and the Republican Party. We just want this thing fixed. Trump may not be a saint, but he isn’t beholden to lobbyist money and he doesn’t have political correctness restraining him. All we know is that he has been very successful, he’s an excellent negotiator, he has built a lot of things, and he’s also not a politician. He’s definitely not a cowardly politician. When he says he’ll fix it, we believe him because he is too much of an egotist to be proven wrong or looked at and called a liar.

Oh yeah…I forgot…we don’t care if the guy has bad hair either. 

We just want those raccoons gone.

Out of your house.

NOW!

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EXCLUSIVE: Turkey ‘protects & supplies’ Al-Nusra camps at its border – Syria’s YPG to RT

March 4, 2016

EXCLUSIVE: Turkey ‘protects & supplies’ Al-Nusra camps at its border – Syria’s YPG to RT

Published time: 4 Mar, 2016 05:04 Edited time: 4 Mar, 2016 09:51

Source: EXCLUSIVE: Turkey ‘protects & supplies’ Al-Nusra camps at its border – Syria’s YPG to RT — RT News

And now a statement from the State Department ?

Read also : https://warsclerotic.wordpress.com/2016/03/04/state-department-issues-new-warning-about-terrorist-threat-to-u-s-citizens/#comment-84060

Jabhat Al-Nusra terrorists have pitched their camps right next to the border and receive regular supplies from the Turkish side, Syrian Kurdish forces told RT’s Lizzie Phelan, who traveled with YPG to investigate suspicious activity there.

An RT crew has filmed a number of vehicles coming through the Bab al-Salam crossing on the Turkish-Syrian border, on the outskirts of the northern town of Azaz, which is partially controlled by Al-Nusra, according to reports.

“We can actually see here the important border town of Azaz, that Turkey is determined to prevent YPG from taking. Just a little beyond that you can see the Bab al-Salam border crossing and a heavy flow of vehicles coming from Turkey into Azaz,” the RT correspondent said, reporting from the Turkey-Syria border, an area that TV crews rarely gain access to.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BCc9siFSq4o/

“When we zoom in we can see Turkish military vehicles, probably around a kilometer away, maybe less. And just in front here’s another small village that YPG say Al-Nusra uses for training,” Phelan said.

“Beyond that we can see the Turkish flag flying, that’s on the Turkish side of the border, and through there the YPG says they monitor a regular supply of weapons coming from Turkey to that Al-Nusra camp.”

Lizzie Phelan ‎@LizziePhelan

2.&just a few km from Nusra controlled Azaz that is determined 2 prevent YPG from taking.

5:48 AM – 2 Mar 2016

According to the Kurds, after the terror group was excluded from the ceasefire, Al-Nusra have taken down most of their flags, which would give their location away and invite airstrikes. However, the RT crew still managed to film some flags flying above their positions.

YPG are unequivocal about Turkey’s sponsorship of terrorist groups in Syria.

Head of the YPG in Afrin, Abdu Khalil, says Turkey is definitely providing support for terrorist groups in the area.

“Turkey wanted to make a coalition against terrorism, but any country which would be in a coalition against terrorism should not open its border to Al-Nusra Front,” he said.

“When there is a Kurdish prisoner, when he is in Turkish hands, they deliver him to Al-Nusra Front, whereas a wounded man from Islamic State who is in a Turkish hospital: he gets immunity and guards. No one can even look at him. What more evidence do you want than that?”

Ankara says its direct strikes against the YPG are justified due to its links with the Turkish-based militant group the PKK, which Turkey has recently resumed its war against at home.

The rebel fighters on the ground say they are certain Turkey is providing assistance to IS, Al-Qaeda and Al Nusra.

“The reason Turkey is on the ground is to support groups like Al-Qaeda. Support for ISIS is coming from Turkey. They are shelling because it wants to occupy our land, not to help our people. Turkey dismissed many of the armed groups, and supported Al Nusra against us,” Abu Jouma Benawii, a general in the FSA and co-founder of Jaish al-Thuwar (Army of Revolutionaries), told RT.

“Our fronts against the regime have stopped, but our fronts against ISIS are going on and against Al Nusra as well. We are committed to the ceasefire, one million percent,” he added.

Asked if he would have changed his mind about joining the uprising, Abu Jouma Benawii said in hindsight: “Really I would have changed my mind, because everybody contributed to destroying Syria, at the beginning and the end it is only the people who lose.”

“Had we known that Syria’s friends would be like this, we wouldn’t have been with them. All our people were forced to flee,” he added.

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan recently said Turkey has the right to carry out military operations not only in Syria, but in any other country hosting terror groups that threaten the Turkish state. He alleged that Ankara’s stance has “absolutely nothing to do with the sovereignty rights of the states that can’t take control of their territorial integrity.”

“On the contrary, this has to do with the will Turkey shows to protect its sovereignty rights,” Erdogan added.

Turkish forces have been shelling YPG, which Ankara considers a terrorist organization, as well as government army positions in Syria, since mid-February. The bombings of YPG targets, the military wing of the Democratic Union Party (PYD), have been underway despite the US, Ankara’s ally, viewing the Kurdish fighters as a vital partner in fighting Islamic State (IS, formerly ISIS/ISIL).

There were reports of dozens of Turkish military vehicles crossing into Kurdish northern Syria, with servicemen digging trenches in the area. Turkey’s “provocative” military buildup on the border and shelling of the Syrian territory could thwart the fragile truce and disrupt the peace process in the Arab Republic, the head of the Russian ceasefire monitoring center Lt. Gen. Sergey Kuralenko said this week.

Read more

A general view shows the Kurdish city of Afrin, in Aleppo's countryside March 18, 2015. © Mahmoud Hebbo

Dozens of Turkish military vehicles cross Syria border, dig trenches – report

The ceasefire in Syria, which came into force on February 27, brokered by leading world powers, including the US and Russia, is designed to pave the way to reconciliation between the Syrian government and moderate rebel forces. They would together agree on a peaceful transition in the country. Some of the forces in Syria, including IS and Al-Nusra, are not subject to the ceasefire.

Experts have been criticizing moderate rebel forces, but even they think that the situation is shifting now.

Moderate rebels used to be “a fable, a pure lie,” Syrian political analyst Taleb Ibrahim told RT.

“Everyone remembers what happened to the rebels who had been trained in Turkish camps by the CIA, and when they returned to Syria, and turned to Al-Nusra Front”.

However, the situation is starting to change slowly, as more and more Syrian rebel fighters “discover that they are destroying their country and serving external plans to divide Syria.”

Russian aircraft continue to carry out airstrikes against Al-Nusra front militants to “stabilize the situation” in the regions north of the city of Aleppo, the Russian Defense Ministry said in a statement.

READ MORE: Russia presents proof of Turkey’s role in ISIS oil trade

There have been at least 31 violations of the Syrian ceasefire over the past three days, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on Wednesday, adding that during the same period the number of local ceasefire agreements between various factions had increased to 38.

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Hillary Emails – NATO Commander on Libya War Mission: ‘Inshallah, Soon’

March 4, 2016

Hillary Emails – NATO Commander on Libya War Mission: ‘Inshallah, Soon’

by Aaron Klein

3 Mar 2016

Source: Hillary Emails – NATO Commander on Libya War Mission: ‘Inshallah, Soon’ – Breitbart

TEL AVIV – James Stavridis, who led the 2011 intervention in Libya as NATO’s 16th Supreme Allied Commander, used unusual terminology to express his hope that the United Arab Emirates would step up its involvement in the Libya war.

In an email forwarded to Hillary Clinton’s private server, Stavridis discussed a mission change that would put U.S. bombs on UAE aircraft for strikes in Libya.

“As to how long … inshallah, soon,” wrote Stravridis, a retired U.S. Navy admiral.

The dispatch was contained in Monday’s batch of roughly 3,900 pages said to be the last of Clinton’s work-related emails. The messages were reviewed in full by this reporter.

Stravridis was replying to an email sent from one of Clinton’s top deputies, Jake Sullivan, to Ivo H. Daalder, the U.S. Permanent Representative on the NATO Council.

“Any way to get the UAE suggestion that they will contribute aircraft for strike missions firmed up and announced by the SYG?” Sullivan asked.

Daalder forwarded the query to Stravridis, asking, “Gather you and Clinton talked about this. When do you think they will be able to start?”

Here is Stavridis’s full reply:

What the UAE For Min said was they wanted US bombs so we’ll have to work that on DoD circuits (Centcom presumably) We’ll also go mil-to-mil via force gen, JFC Naples, and JTF and push them to use their own air to ground ordnance in the interim Suggest you guys work the political side up there

As to how long … inshallah, soon

Best, Jim Admiral, USN Supreme Allied Commander, Europe Commander, US European Command “Stronger Together”

Inshallah is Arabic for “Allah willing” or “if Allah wills it.”

Aaron Klein is Breitbart’s Jerusalem bureau chief and senior investigative reporter. He is a New York Times bestselling author and hosts the popular weekend talk radio program, “Aaron Klein Investigative Radio.” Follow him on Twitter @AaronKleinShow. Follow him on Facebook.

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Hillary Clinton Lands in Texas, Goes DIRECTLY to Muslim Fund-Raiser, Collects $500,000

March 4, 2016

Hillary Clinton Lands in Texas, Goes DIRECTLY to Muslim Fund-Raiser, Collects $500,000

Post by Newsroom – Mar 02, 2016

Source: Hillary Clinton Lands in Texas, Goes DIRECTLY to Muslim Fund-Raiser, Collects $500,000

On a recent trip to Texas, Hillary Clinton showed she is directly in the pocket of Pakistani Muslims!

Sources close to the private fundraiser held for Hillary Clinton in Beaumont, TX told 12News it raised hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Some estimates put the amount collected at half-a-million dollars, making it one of the top five private fundraisers Clinton has had in this country.

Pakistani businessman Tahir Javed hosted the reception for Clinton at this home in West Beaumont.

Former U.S. Representative Nick Lampson, who attended the event, says 250 people were there.

Lampson says Clinton spoke about education, healthcare and individual freedoms for people of all backgrounds and faiths.

Many of the Pakistanis at the event were pleased with Clinton’s vocal support of the Muslim religion.

Aisha Zahid said, “Talking about Muslims and favoring Muslims, so I really appreciate her whatever effort she is making against Islamaphobia, so I really think she needs to be the next President of the United States.”

Also in attendance, congress people from the Houston area, Sheila Jackson-Lee and Al Green.

But not everyone was a fan.  A handful of protesters demonstrated near the event, over Clinton’s response to the Benghazi attack and her email controversy.

With all the terrorism perpetrated against the United States and our people – from 9/11 right up to the 14 people machine-gunned to death in San Bernardino, CA, — why would Hillary do this?  Because Hillary Clinton is in the pocket of Muslims.

 Think we’re over-stating things a bit?  We respectfully remind you of this tweet:

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State Department Issues New Warning About Terrorist Threat to U.S. Citizens

March 4, 2016

State Department Issues New Warning About Terrorist Threat to U.S. Citizens

BY:
March 3, 2016 5:59 pm

Source: State Department Issues New Warning About Terrorist Threat to U.S. Citizens – Washington Free Beacon

Did the state department declare now Turkey as a criminal state ?

The State Department issued a new Worldwide Caution on Thursday that warned about the ongoing terrorist threat to U.S. citizens across the world from groups like ISIS and al Qaeda.

“Current information suggests that ISIL, al-Qa’ida, Boko Haram, al-Shabaab, and other terrorist groups continue to plan terrorist attacks in multiple regions,” the State Department said in a release updating the Worldwide Caution, using another name for ISIS.

“Recent terrorist attacks, whether by those affiliated with terrorist entities, copycats, or individual perpetrators, serve as a reminder that U.S. citizens need to maintain a high level of vigilance and take appropriate steps to increase their security awareness. ”

The new alert replaced a previous alert issued in July of last year, months before ISIS launched terror attacks in Paris that killed 130 people last November. Authorities believe that ISIS continue to plot attacks against U.S. and Western interests worldwide, especially in the Middle East, North Africa, Europe, and Asia, the new alert stated.

The State Department warning cited major terrorist attacks that have been carried out in France, Belgium, Mali, Turkey, and other countries, and emphasized that U.S. citizens are at risk of kidnapping by operatives from ISIS, al Qaeda, and other groups. It noted that terrorists targeting U.S. citizens at home and abroad generally focus on places that attract crowds, including sporting events, hotels, restaurants, and public transportation systems.

“Extremists may use conventional or non-conventional weapons and target both official and private interests,” the State Department warning said. “Examples of such targets include high-profile sporting events, residential areas, business offices, hotels, clubs, restaurants, places of worship, schools, public areas, shopping malls, and other tourist destinations both in the United States and abroad where U.S. citizens gather in large numbers, including during holidays.”

The alert included information about threats in various regions, including Europe, the Middle East and North Africa, and parts of Asia. It noted that “credible information” indicated that all countries in Europe are “vulnerable” to attacks from terrorist organizations.

“Authorities believe there is a high likelihood terror attacks in Europe will continue as European members of ISIL return from Syria and Iraq. European governments are taking action to guard against terrorist attacks; however, all European countries remain potentially vulnerable,” the warning said.

The agency also reminded U.S. citizens that it is a crime to provide support to terrorist groups like ISIS.

“Private U.S. citizens are strongly discouraged from traveling to any country to join in armed conflict.  U.S. citizens are reminded that fighting on behalf of or providing other forms of support to designated terrorist organizations, including ISIL, can constitute the provision of material support for terrorism, which is a serious crime that can result in penalties including prison time and large fines,” the alert warned.

American citizens have been arrested for attempting to join or provide material support to ISIS. More than 200 Americans have tried to fight for ISIS, the head of the FBI said in 2015.

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Report: Hamas fully restocked its missile arsenal

March 4, 2016

Hamas said to have fully restocked its missile arsenal Israeli assessment says terror group back at rocket total from before Operation Protective Edge, just 1.5 years later.

By Ari Yashar

First Publish: 3/4/2016, 10:24 AM

Source: Report: Hamas fully restocked its missile arsenal – Defense/Security – News – Arutz Sheva

Hamas terrorists parade rockets (file)
Flash 90

Just over a year-and-a-half has passed since Israel’s government agreed to a ceasefire with the Hamas terrorist organization in August 2014, ending Operation Protective Edge, but new Israeli assessments indicate Hamas has already fully restocked its missile arsenal.

The appraisal, reported by Walla on Friday, notes that most of the missiles that bring Hamas back to the amount it had before it launched its third terror war on the Jewish state are of a shorter-range, and are domestically produced and therefore of a lower quality.

Back in June 2014 the terror group had around 12,000 rockets of various ranges, including long-range missiles. According to reports Hamas used around 4,600 of its rockets during the Operation, and another 4,000 or so were damaged in Israeli strikes, leaving the terrorists with a third of their arsenal by the end of the fighting.

But in the 18 months that have passed, Hamas has worked intensively to rebuild its military capabilities while largely ignoring the civilian population in Gaza that continues to suffer from poor conditions, to the point that the UN has estimated Gaza will be “unlivable” by 2020.

Hamas has been rebuilding its terror tunnel system breaching into Israel, and likewise has ramped up its domestic production of rockets given that the Israeli naval blockade and Egyptian construction of a buffer zone has largely cut off the influx of weapons to the terrorists. However, Hamas is unceasing in its efforts to illegally smuggle in materials for building weapons and digging tunnels.

In addition to the many short-range missiles held by Hamas it has added many mortar shells, which were proven to be lethally effective in the last round of fighting.

Israel estimates that the number of Hamas terrorists and members of the various Hamas mechanisms in Gaza including its civilian police force stands at roughly 40,000 people. Around half of that number are members of the terror group’s Al-Qassam Brigades, with around 1,000 of them working on the tunnel digging project.

Mohammed Deif remains the terror chief for Hamas, after having survived a sixth assassination attempt by Israel against him during Protective Edge, and is playing a key role in rebuilding the terror group’s capabilities. Deif is supported by Yahya Sanwar, who serves as a sort of “defense minister” for him – Sanwar sat in an Israeli jail for 22 years before being released in the 2011 Shalit deal.

Deif, who is missing his legs from previous assassination attempts, had his wife and son killed in the strike that missed him during the Operation.

According to a report as Protective Edge wound down, Israel delayed striking Deif three full days when it had concrete information on his whereabouts due to a ceasefire agreement, thereby missing the chance to take out the elusive terrorist – even though Hamas had breached numerous ceasefires during the war.

Amos Yadlin, formerly the head of Military Intelligence, revealed in August 2014 that in the last attempt on Deif’s life in 2006, “instead of a one ton bomb, we decided to shoot two quarter ton bombs in order to avoid hitting innocent civilians. One of them didn’t explode, and Deif survived.”

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