42.6 F
New York
Friday, March 29, 2024
Home Blog Page 2127

NBA Game Played in China Amid Backlash Over Hong Kong Tweet

0
Kenneth Lu / Flicker

Edited by: JV Staff

Chinese basketball fans filled an arena Thursday in Shanghai for a National Basketball Association exhibition game despite the ongoing public backlash over a tweet from the Houston Rockets general manager in support of Hong Kong pro-democracy protesters.

Video posted on social media by a Los Angeles Times reporter show Chinese fans, many wearing NBA jerseys, cheering and taking pictures as the Los Angeles Lakers and Brooklyn Nets made their way onto the court.  

But after the game, there was no press availability involving players or coaches. The game was also not broadcast on television in China.

The controversy started when Houston Rockets General Manager Daryl Morey tweeted an image that read “Fight for Freedom. Stand with Hong Kong.” Morey has since deleted the tweet but the response from Chinese companies and the public was swift, with many suspending ties with the Rockets, one of the most popular teams in China because of its former star center, Yao Ming. The NBA issued regret over the tweet but many U.S. politicians urged the league to respect freedom of expression by its employees.

China said its state television would not show many NBA games being played in the country this week. Chinese tech giant Tencent followed suit. Tencent platforms streamed NBA games to 490 million fans in China, according to a press release by the NBA in July 2019.

According to the Associated Press, Houston Rockets merchandise has been blacklisted from Taobao, a popular Chinese e-commerce website.

The Rockets this week have been in Japan, where on Thursday they played against the Toronto Raptors. Afterward, a CNN reporter tried to ask star Rockets players James Harden and Russell Westbrook about the controversy, but she was interrupted and told by a Rockets team official she could only ask “basketball” questions.

In the United States, a group of people at a Washington Wizards basketball game against the Chinese Basketball Association’s Guangzhou Loong Lions on Wednesday night held up signs saying, “Google Uyghurs” and wore shirts that said, “Free Hong Kong.” Security guards removed the demonstrators from their seats. The arena in Washington has a policy against holding up political signs.

China has faced international criticism over its treatment of the Uighurs. More than 1 million Uighurs, members of a Turkic-speaking Muslim minority in China, are currently held in Xinjiang internment camps, referred to as “concentration camps” by human rights organizations and former detainees. Chinese officials describe these camps as “vocational education centers” for job training.

On Tuesday, two people were removed from a Philadelphia 76ers game because they carried small signs that read, “Free Hong Kong” and “Free HK.”

U.S. professional sports leagues are no strangers to political controversy. In 2016, the NFL drew attention when several African American players began sitting during the national anthem, participating in “Black Lives Matter” protests over the treatment of black people in the United States.

Since then, the leagues, owners and players have negotiated over when and where political statements are appropriate. The NBA has been seen as the most permissive American professional sports league for allowing the airing of political views.

An NBA statement issued earlier this week appeared to indicate that policy may shift when it comes to Chinese political views.

“We recognize that the views expressed by Houston Rockets General Manager Daryl Morey deeply offended many of our friends and fans in China, which is regrettable,” a spokesman said.

“While Daryl has made it clear that his tweet does not represent the Rockets or the NBA, the values of the league support individuals’ educating themselves and sharing their views on matters important to them.”

Politicians criticized that position.

Missouri Senator Josh Hawley wrote a letter to the NBA commissioner, Adam Silver, and the 30 NBA team owners criticizing their decision to “help the most brutal of regimes silence dissent in pursuit of profit.”

Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, a socialist-leaning Democrat, and Republican Senator Ted Cruz were among those signing a letter saying, “It is outrageous that the Chinese Communist Party is using its economic power to suppress the speech of Americans inside the United States. “

China has been facing international pressure over its support of crackdowns against protesters in Hong Kong. The protests started in opposition to a law that would have allowed mainland China to extradite citizens from Hong Kong. The territory’s chief executive, Carrie Lam, later announced her government planned to officially withdraw the bill. The demonstrations, however, have continued over what protesters see as China’s efforts to restrict Hong Kong’s autonomy. (VOA)

 

Liberal Dark Money Group Launches $1 Million Impeachment Ad Campaign

0
Referencing the strong economy in the US, Trump encouraged students to enter the workforce as 160 million people are currently employed with wages 10% higher along with the strongest stock market and greatest regulation cuts: whereas he stated a Hillary win would have resulted in a recession or depression. Photo courtesy: Jonathan Williams, www.politicalshoots.com

By: Cameron Cawthorne

A D.C.-based progressive nonprofit group is launching a $1 million ad campaign in five swing states calling for the impeachment of President Donald Trump.

ACRONYM, a 501(c)(4) dark-money group, will test its message in Arizona, Michigan, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin, but will consider expanding its ad buys into a national campaign if results are positive, according to Politico.

“Trump’s spending online [is] largely focused on keeping his base fired up and on fundraising. He’s not spending as much time talking to that broader swath of American people who may have questions about this process and may have not made up their minds,” Shannon Kowalczyk, the chief marketing officer of ACRONYM, told Politico. “That’s really what we’re focused on, is breaking things down and making sure people understand the process.”

The group’s strategy is to promote news content that features Republicans who are critical of Trump’s interactions with Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky and to create ads that explain the basics of Trump’s actions. For example, the group shared an ad with Politico titled, “How Trump triggered an impeachment inquiry.” The ad includes three slides: “1. Freezing $391 million in aid for our ally Ukraine,” “2. Asking Ukraine to smear a political rival,” and “3. Trying to cover up the records of the phone call.”

ACRONYM was co-founded in 2017 by Tara McGowan, a 33-year-old Democratic strategist and former digital director for the Priorities USA super PAC, and Mike Dubin, the former CEO of Dollar Shave Club. In 2017, McGowan coordinated all of the digital advertising for Gov. Ralph Northam’s (D., Va.) successful gubernatorial race, according to Axios.

In addition to donating $150,000 to the Democratic Party of Virginia last month, ACRONYM was also behind a $3 million ad campaign in 36 states to register new voters before the midterm elections in 2018, the Washington Free Beacon previously reported.

The campaign, which was dubbed “Knock the Vote,” shows a silhouette of President Donald Trump’s face being punched on its website. ACRONYM was also involved in a coordinated $10 million digital effort with the Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee and the National Democratic Redistricting Committee.

McGowan, who was Obama for America’s digital producer during Obama’s reelection campaign, has been the CEO of ACRONYM since the group launched and has been instrumental in raising more than $18 million, registering 60,000 voters, and producing more than 10,000 Facebook ads, according to the group’s 2018 overview. As a nonprofit, a majority of ACRONYM’s funds must be used to promote “social welfare.” However, the group has a web of for-profit companies beneath it including “a campaign consulting firm (Lockwood Strategy), a political tech company with a peer-to-peer texting product (Shadow) and a media company investing in local left-leaning outlets (FWIW Media).” (Washington Free Beacon)

 

German Suspect Planned Yom Kippur ‘Massacre’ at Synagogue; Had Explosives in Car

0

Germany’s domestic intelligence agency says the number of anti-Semitic acts of violence rose to 48 last year from 21 the previous year.

By: WIN Staff

The suspect in an attack on a German synagogue on Judaism’s holiest day had around four kilograms (nearly nine pounds) of explosives in his car and wanted to carry out a massacre, Germany’s top prosecutor said.

Many questions remained about how the man was able to get hold of the weapons he used in the assault, in which two people outside the building were killed.

As officials sought to reassure an unsettled Jewish community and address concern about rising right-wing extremism, Germany’s president visited the scene of the attack in Halle and urged his nation to stand up for its Jewish compatriots.

The assailant — a German citizen identified by prosecutors as Stephan B. — tried but failed to force his way into the synagogue as around 80 people were inside. He then shot and killed a woman in the street outside and a man at a nearby kebab shop. He is now in custody.

“What we experienced yesterday was terror,” said Peter Frank, the chief federal prosecutor. “The suspect, Stephan B., aimed to carry out a massacre in the synagogue in Halle.”

Frank said his weapons were “apparently homemade” and the explosives in the car were built into “numerous devices.” The suspect, who live-streamed the attack on a popular gaming site while ranting in English about Jews and posted a “manifesto” online before embarking on it, “wanted to create a worldwide effect” and encourage others to imitate him, the prosecutor added.

The gunman is suspected of two counts of murder, nine of attempted murder and other offenses, Frank said. His apartment was searched and investigators were sifting evidence, but “we face a lot of questions,” he added.

Those include how the suspect was radicalized, how he decided to carry out the attack, how he got hold of the material to build weapons and explosives, whether he had supporters, or whether anyone else encouraged him or knew about his plan, he said. Prosecutors will have to sift through his communications and his activities on the darknet, a part of the internet hidden from public view.

Officials didn’t give details of the victims, who were killed outside the synagogue and in a nearby kebab shop.

The head of Germany’s Jewish community, Josef Schuster, called the absence of police guards outside the synagogue on Yom Kippur “scandalous” as members of the congregation described waiting behind locked doors for the police to arrive, which took more than 10 minutes. 

The head of the city’s Jewish community, Max Privorozki, was among those inside who watched on monitors linked to a surveillance camera as the man was trying to break in.

“We saw everything, also how he shot and how he killed someone,” the Jewish community leader said, standing outside the damaged door. “I thought this door wouldn’t hold.”

Privorozki said it took a little while for worshippers to understand what was going on.

“That was a shock for us. It was Yom Kippur, all phones were switched off. We had to understand what was going on first — then switch on my phone and then call the police,” he said. “It was really panic. But I have to say after that, when the police came, we continued with the worship service, that lasted another three hours.”

The worshippers were brought out on buses several hours later. A video posted by a reporter for Israeli public broadcaster Kan showed people on a bus dancing, embracing, and singing.

German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier met with community representatives at the synagogue Thursday.

“It is not enough to condemn such a cowardly attack,” he said.

“It must be clear that the state takes responsibility for the safety of Jewish life in Germany,” he added, saying that society as a whole must show “a clear, determined position of solidarity” with Jews.

“History reminds us, the present demands of us” that Germans must stand by their Jewish compatriots, he said. “Those who so far have been silent must speak out.”

Synagogues are often protected by police in Germany and have been for many years amid concerns over far-right and Islamic extremism. There has been rising concern lately about both anti-Semitism and right-wing extremism in the country.

Germany’s domestic intelligence agency says the number of anti-Semitic acts of violence rose to 48 last year from 21 the previous year. It also said the number of far-right extremists rose by 100 to 24,100 people last year, with more than half of them considered potentially violent.

Joachim Herrmann, Bavaria’s state interior minister, accused members of the nationalist, anti-migrant Alternative for Germany party of helping stir up anti-Semitism, an accusation the party has rejected. Some figures in the party, which entered the national parliament in 2017, have made comments appearing to downplay the Nazi past.

Israel’s Ambassador to the United Nations Danny Danon called on the president of the Security Council and the entire U.N. “to condemn the terrorist attack in Germany and take action against anti-Semitic terrorism.”

According to Ambassador Danon, in a statement released by his office: “The scourge of anti-Semitism is spreading in Europe, but threatens the entire world. The international community must declare war on anti-Semitism and act firmly to end hatred of the Jewish people around the world. Jews should not have to look over their shoulders in fear for their lives during prayer.” (World Israel News)

Read more at: worldisraelnews.com

 

 

 

Farrow’s Book Claims Matt Lauer Raped Former NBC Staffer in Hotel Room

0
wikimedia

By Pat Savage

Did Matt Lauer rape Brooke Nevils?

That’s the claim being made by the former NBC News employee in a just-published book.

The alleged rape is said to have taken place in a hotel room in 2014.

Ronan Farrow’s “Catch and Kill” the one-time “Today” show host allegedly anally raping Nevils during NBC’s coverage of the Sochi Olympics.

“Nevils said she was in Sochi to work with “Today” co-anchor Meredith Vieira when the attack occurred, according to Variety.”

“She allegedly ran into Lauer during a boozy night at their hotel bar and went back to his hotel room after he invited her,” noted the New York Post. “Once in the room, Lauer pushed her onto the bed and asked if she liked anal sex, according to the report. “She said that she declined several times,” Farrow wrote in the book, according to the report. Lauer then “just did it,” Farrow wrote. Nevils told Farrow the pain was excruciating and she spent the entire ordeal crying into a pillow. “It was nonconsensual in the sense that I was too drunk to consent,” she told Farrow. “It was nonconsensual in that I said, multiple times, that I didn’t want to have anal sex.”

According to axios.com, the book “suggests that after Nevils filed a complaint against Lauer, Noah Oppenheim, president of NBC News, and Andrew Lack, chairman of NBC News and MSNBC, previously said the incident was neither criminal nor an assault. “Catch and Kill” also dives into Lack’s history of workplace affairs as executive producer of CBS newsmagazine West 57th.”

Farrow asserts that Weinstein “was aware of Lauer’s behavior and used it as leverage against NBC executives to kill the reporter’s expose, according to the Hollywood Reporter. The network denies this claim,” axios.com continued. “Weinstein also attempted to use his longtime relationship with Hillary Clinton to pressure Farrow, according to the Hollywood Reporter. Farrow writes that he received a call from Clinton’s publicist, who told Weinstein the story was a “concern for us.”

The book presents the kind of salacious material that Farrow readers have come to expect. As Amazon describes it, “In a dramatic account of violence and espionage, Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative reporter Ronan Farrow exposes serial abusers and a cabal of powerful interests hell-bent on covering up the truth, at any cost. In 2017, a routine network television investigation led Ronan Farrow to a story only whispered about: one of Hollywood’s most powerful producers was a predator, protected by fear, wealth, and a conspiracy of silence. As Farrow drew closer to the truth, shadowy operatives, from high-priced lawyers to elite war-hardened spies, mounted a secret campaign of intimidation, threatening his career, following his every move, and weaponizing an account of abuse in his own family.”

Lawsuit Being Readied Against Ex-LI Pediatrician for Years of Abuse

0
Peter Singh (Photo courtesy of Nassau County District Attorney's Office)

By: Lucy Alcindor

Newsday is reporting that “dozens of former patients are preparing a lawsuit against an ex-Long Island pediatrician who was stripped of his medical license in 2000 following numerous complaints of sexual abuse.”

It was almost 20 years ago, the Long Island newspaper noted, that is reported on Stuart Copperman, a Merrick doctor who had reportedly had his medical license revoked after half a dozen women reported to a state hearing panel that he had molested them when they were children between 1978 and 1989.

“At the time, the women were barred by statute of limitations laws from filing lawsuits. But a new state law has changed that,” Newsday reported. “An attorney representing the women said Wednesday they are seeking to file the complaint using a special look-back period provided by New York’s Child Victims Act, which was enacted recently.”
The new law opens a one-year window for abuse survivors to file suit against their abusers if they were barred from doing so previously by the statute of limitations.

The state Office of Professional Medical Conduct “received a steady stream of sexual abuse complaints about Mr. Copperman for nearly two decades, but did not strip him of his medical license until December 2000,” according to The New York Times. “By then, he was 65 years old and ready to retire. No criminal charges were ever filed. Mr. Copperman, 84, declined to comment for this story but in the past has denied any wrongdoing. His exams were thorough, he has said, and performed in accordance with standard medical practice.”

According to The Times, the women will be represented by attorney Kristen Gibbons Feden, who prosecuted Bill Cosby for sexual assault. “But even if they win in court, they are unlikely to reap significant compensation. Their dilemma highlights a major weakness in the new state law. Though Mr. Copperman is by all indications wealthy, he was a solo practitioner who ran his practice out of his basement. He lacks the assets of an institution like the Boy Scouts or a large hospital.”

Despite the stream of allegations, Copperman’s medical license was not revoked by the state’s medical board until 2000, reported The Daily Mail. “He has never faced any criminal charges and has long denied the allegations. The women say they view the pending lawsuits as their only chance for justice.”

The details are as gruesome as one would expect. “Some patients recalled Copperman forcing them to lie on their backs in the exam room because he told them they were ‘dirty’ and needed a ‘genital clean,’” the Daily Mail reported. “Many claim that he was so revered by parents as an upstanding man that they never questioned him when he said he wanted to examine their children alone without them being present.”

Turkey Massacres Kurdish Fighters; Humanitarian Concerns Rise

0
"Turkey, Europe, Syria, Iran, Iraq, Russia and the Kurds will now have to figure the situation out, and what they want to do with the captured ISIS fighters in their “neighborhood.” They all hate ISIS, have been enemies for years. We are 7000 miles away and will crush ISIS again if they come anywhere near us!" he said. Trump on Monday tweeted it was too costly to keep supporting U.S. allied Kurdish-led forces. Photo Credit: Shutterstock

By: Dale Gavlak & Margaret Besheer

Humanitarian concerns are growing as Turkey’s military incursion into northeastern Syria widens and desperate civilians flee on tractors, trucks and motorcycles, becoming the region’s newest refugees. International and local aid agencies fear that hundreds of thousands of people could be at risk, as Turkey launches airstrikes and pursues a ground offensive to clear once-U.S.-backed Kurdish forces from the border area.
Chaotic scenes are being repeated of frightened Kurdish, Syriac Christian and Yazidi civilians escaping on foot, carrying plastic bags with their worldly goods, while others are herded onto trucks or motorcycles, enveloped in plumes of dust from the latest Turkish bombardment of their land. Roads are gridlocked with hundreds of fleeing families saying they don’t know where to go for safety.

The International Rescue Committee says that “as the Turkish offensive in Syria begins, the IRC is deeply concerned about the lives and livelihoods of the two million civilians in northeast Syria who have already survived ISIS brutality and multiple displacements,” in a statement issued Thursday, using an alternate reference for Islamic State.
Catholic priest Father Emanuel Youkhana, who runs the Christian Aid Program northern Iraq to help displaced Iraqis resulting from Islamic State attacks, told VOA from the Dohuk region that he expects a “wave of refugees” from nearby northeastern Syria to flood into Iraq.

“The most stable, peaceful region of all Syria for years has been this area of northeast area. Unfortunately, and painfully to say, we are expecting the worst,” said Youkhana. “Definitely, the borders will be opened from the Iraqi side to innocent civilians. We do expect mass waves of refugees. ”

Youkhana and other humanitarian responders say they are suspicious and critical of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s call for a so-called safe zone along the Turkish-Syrian border, where he plans to displace Kurds, Christians and Yazidis and move in two million Sunni Muslims from other parts of Syria.

“Erdogan this time is targeting all the people, except the terrorists,” said Youkhana. “Actually, it is a demographic change policy.”

Meanwhile, Iraq’s Kurdistan Regional Government in Irbil says it does not have the capacity to accommodate all the people who are expected to be displaced as a result of the Turkish offensive.
The Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces that had been backed by the U.S. until this week, has called on the international community for assistance, saying the border areas of northeastern Syria “are on the edge of a possible humanitarian catastrophe.”
The U.N. Security Council met Thursday to discuss the military operation in northeastern Syria that Turkey says is a “measured and responsible” anti-terror operation, while the mainly Kurdish fighters in the region appealed for help to “save our people from genocide.”
Council diplomats were united in their concern that the Turkish incursion could exacerbate an already difficult humanitarian situation, and some members called directly on Turkey to end its operation.

“We call upon Turkey to cease the unilateral military action as we do not believe it will address Turkey’s underlying security concerns,” Germany’s Deputy U.N. Ambassador Jürgen Schulz said on behalf of the Security Council’s five European members plus Estonia, which will join the council in January 2020.
“Renewed armed hostilities in the northeast will further undermine the stability of the whole region, exacerbate civilian suffering and provoke further displacements, which will further increase the number of refugees and IDPs [internally displaced persons] in Syria and in the region,” he told reporters while flanked by his colleagues.
Turkey launched its long-planned operation on Wednesday with airstrikes and followed up with ground troops. Its defense ministry said in a statement Thursday the operation continues successfully.

In a letter to the United Nations, Turkey said its response would be “proportionate, measured and responsible.”
Ankara is targeting Kurdish fighters it views as terrorists, but which most of the West consider to be key partners in the fight against militants from the so-called Islamic State terror group. The military operation began days after an unexpected and widely criticized White House announcement that U.S. forces would withdraw from the region.
The U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, Kelly Craft, told reporters after the one-hour closed-door council meeting that Turkey bears full responsibility for protecting civilians and ensuring that no humanitarian crisis takes place.

“In addition, Turkey is now responsible for ensuring that all ISIS fighters in detention, in prison, remain in prison, and that ISIS does not reconstitute itself in any way, shape, or form,” she said, echoing tweets and statement from President Trump and using an acronym for the Islamic State terror group. “Failure to play by the rules, to protect vulnerable populations, failure to guarantee that ISIS cannot exploit these actions to reconstitute, will have consequences.”
Kurdish forces in the area run detention centers with thousands of captured IS foreign fighters.
While saying “all sides should exercise maximum restraint” during the operation, Russia’s U.N. envoy appeared to signal that Moscow would block the possibility of a unified statement from the 15-member council.

“If there is a product of the Security Council, it should take into account other aspects of the Syrian crisis, not just the Turkish operation,” Russian ambassador Vassily Nebenzia told reporters. “It should speak about the illegal military presence in that country — and they need to terminate it immediately — and there are many other issues that are in the Syrian file that should be mentioned if there is any product from the Security Council.”
Russia objects to the presence of the U.S.-led coalition against IS in parts of Syria. (VOA)

Businessmen Linked to Giuliani’s Ukraine Investigations Arrested for Campaign Finance Violations

0
Former NYC Mayor Rudy Giuliani joined the voices of ridicule following Mayor Bill de Blasio’s announcement to run for Presidency in 2020. Photo Credit: Shutterstock

By: Mike Mustiglione

A pair of businessmen reportedly linked to former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani’s Ukraine investigations has been charged with campaign finance violations.

The Florida businessmen are said to have helped Giuliani in his work to spark a Ukraine investigation into Joe and Hunter Biden. They were arrested on charges of violating campaign finance laws, court papers explained.

Lev Parnas and Igor Fruman were both charged in Manhattan federal court with conspiracy, making false statements to the Federal Election Commission and falsification of records, according to unsealed indictment.

The two “conspired to circumvent the federal laws against foreign influence by engaging in a scheme to defraud and funnel foreign money to candidates for federal and State office so that the defendants could buy potential influence with candidates, campaigns, and the candidates’ governments,” according to court papers.

Fox News said that Parnas and Fruman served as informal representatives in Ukraine for Giuliani.

“According to the indictment, the duo began holding political fundraising events starting in March 2018 and making “substantial” contributions to candidates and PACs,” according to the New York Post. “The duo made both a $325,000 contribution and a $15,000 contribution to two unnamed independent expenditure committees in May 2018, and falsely reported the contributions came from their LLC Global Energy Producers, a purported liquefied natural gas import-export business incorporated around the same time they made the donations.”

According to the court papers, “Parnas and Fruman, who had no significant prior history of political donations, sought to advance their personal financial interests and the political interests of at least one Ukrainian governmental official with whom they were working.”

Parnas and Fruman “have said they helped guide Giuliani’s attempts to connect with Ukrainian officials while the former New York mayor pressed to have Trump’s 2020 Democratic rival Joe Biden investigated,” vice.com reported. “House Democrats have sought testimony and documents from both men as part of the impeachment inquiry into Trump’s ties to Ukraine. The two men are expected to appear in federal court in Virginia later on Thursday, The Wall Street Journal reported, while saying the exact nature of the charges remains unclear.”

The AP reported last week that Parnas and Fruman helped arrange a January meeting in New York between Ukraine’s former top prosecutor, Yuri Lutsenko, and Giuliani, as well as other meetings with top government officials.

“Giuliani’s efforts to launch a Ukrainian corruption investigation were echoed by Trump in his July 25 call with Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelenskiy. That conversation is now at the heart of the impeachment inquiry,” noted Yahoo News.

Likud Votes to Retain Netanyahu as Nominee for Prime Minister

0
Shutterstock

While the Likud Party’s Gideon Sa’ar had threatened to challenge Benjamin Netanyahu in a potential primary, an “open vote” held on Thursday confirmed the incumbent’s position as party leader.

By: WIN Staff

On Thursday, the Likud Party voted to officially reaffirm its support for Benjamin Netanyahu as its leader and candidate to serve as prime minister.

The Likud Central Committee vote drew a relatively small percentage of the party’s approximately 3,800 registered members, reported Times of Israel, with Netanyahu absent from the proceedings.

The caucus represented a shift away from a proposed leadership primary, which Netanyahu suggested last week, but shelved after rival Gideon Sa’ar communicated his intention to challenge the incumbent head on.

In lieu of a full-scale primary, the committee officially signed off on a declaration that Netanyahu is Likud’s only candidate for prime minister, and that the party will only sanction a government that he leads, either on his own or as part of a rotation agreement with another party head.

“The proposal was approved in an open vote with a decisive majority of votes,” Likud announced in a statement quoted by the Times.

Last week Sa’ar commented on Twitter, “No one is denying the prime minister’s role as chairman of the Likud. When there is a race for leadership of the party — as the prime minister himself initiated a few days ago — I will run.”

Previously, Saar served as Cabinet secretary during Netanyahu’s first term in office.

Saar then established himself as a staunch nationalist who opposed Israel’s 2005 withdrawal from the Gaza Strip and resisted the prospect of a Palestinian state. He quickly rose in the Likud ranks, twice finishing first in internal elections for its parliamentary list and enjoying successful stints as education minister and interior minister after Netanyahu returned to power in 2009.

Saar abruptly quit politics in 2014 to spend more time with his new wife, Israeli TV anchor Geula Even, and their young children.

He made his comeback this year, chosen by Likud members for a senior position on the party’s list of candidates in parliamentary elections. While campaigning hard for Likud, Saar has been its only top official to occasionally defy Netanyahu — resisting calls to legislate immunity for the prime minister and attending a media conference Netanyahu had called to boycott. (World Israel News)

Read more at: worldisraelnews.com

 

Parshas Ha’Azinu  – For What Should We Repent?

0
Immersing ourselves in heartfelt prayer and acts of kindness during the 10 days of repentance between Rosh HaShana and Yom Kippur can tip the balance of the scales in our favor

By: Rabbi Binyamin Ze’ev Kahane. ztk’l

In these days when Jewish blood is spilled like water, there exists a most confounding attitude nurtured perhaps by our growing sense of frustration and helplessness. In reaction to our worsening security situation, many say that the only solution is for us to do teshuva. What do they mean by this? That we must be more stringent in the laws of modesty, lashon hara, and the like.

To what can we liken the situation? To a group of people who go on a journey of several days in the desert. A few hours go by, and people begin to faint. Why? There is no water. They simply didn’t bring water. Problem.

So they sit themselves down and ponder: Why are we suffering so? Why are we fainting? And they arrive at a conclusion: Our deeds are tarnished. And, indeed, they are right. Along the way they had spoken lashon hara, were not completely stringent in all the rigors of modesty, and slackened in intensity during prayer. So, they decide to do teshuva for these sins.

How would we characterize their response? Is it logical? Of course not. First of all, they should have realized that the source of their problem was their failure to bring water. That was their real sin. Next, they should have obtained water as soon as possible for they were in the desert and members of the group were liable to start dying. Only those not searching for water should have started thinking about repentance, asking G-d to forgive the group for the sin of putting themselves in danger by criminally neglecting to bring water, along with any other sin they may have committed. They should have taken upon themselves to mend their ways in the hope that G-d would answer their prayers, accept their penitence, and quickly assist those who were busy obtaining water for the group to survive.

But all this only after the group starts searching for water! If no one searches for water, the rest is meaningless!

And now for the moral of the story: When Arabs kill Jews, we must understand that the source of the problem and root of the sin is the fact that when there was enough time to deal with the Arab time bomb, we sat by indifferently, talked about coexistence, and gave them guns. This is not only a sin according to logic, it is a sin according to the Torah which clearly states, “And you shall drive out the inhabitants of the land from before you…But if you do not drive out the inhabitants, then those whom you allow to remain will…torment you in the land in which you dwell” (Numbers 33:52-55).

All those who arrive at this understanding must then begin to act at this late stage– after years of Jews being murdered– and explain that he who refuses to carry out the above commandment out of fear of the nations has the blood of innocent Jews on his hands. Only after does it become possible and necessary to immerse in soul-searching regarding Shabbat observance, modesty, and lashon hara.

In truth, the parable does not perfectly match our situation in Israel. For in the parable, the sin was limited to not bringing water and thereby placing lives in peril. Our sin of not expelling the Arabs, however, not only places Jewish lives in peril but stems from lack of faith in G-d and fear of the nations.

We are speaking of a sin far more serious than the desecration of Shabbat. We are speaking of the most fundamental of sins. G-d gave us the land through great miracles, demonstrating His wondrous power on our behalf, and yet after all His help we basically turned to Him and said, “Excuse us, but we’ll do just fine without Your miracles because we are of the opinion that the nations are stronger than You are. Goodbye, drop by another time.”

Can there be a greater slap in the divine face than this???!!!

 

Two Dead in Yom Kippur Attack on Synagogue in Germany; 2200 People Watched it Being Livestreamed

0

Edited by: Fern Sidman

At least two people were shot dead outside a synagogue in the German city of Halle on Wednesday afternoon during the holy day of Yom Kippur. Inside the synagogue were approximately 80 Jewish worshippers.

According to an AFP report, one suspect was captured and a manhunt was ongoing for other perpetrators. Security has been tightened in synagogues in other eastern German cities while Halle itself was in lockdown.

“Early indications show that two people were killed in Halle. Several shots were fired,” police said on Twitter, urging residents in the area to stay indoors.

Police said the “perpetrators fled in a car”, adding later that one suspect had been caught.

Max Privorozki, the head of the Jewish community in Halle, told Spiegel Online that the perpetrators had apparently sought to enter a synagogue in the Paulus district but security measures in place helped to “withstand the attack”.

The AFP report indicated that he added that between 70 and 80 people were in the synagogue on a day when Jews around the world were marking the holiest day in the Jewish calendar.

The shooter allegedly said in English that “the Jews are the source of all our problems.”

Two people also suffered serious bullet wounds in the attack and were being operated on, a spokesman for the city’s hospital said.

AFP reported that anti-terrorist prosecutors confirmed that they were taking over the probe given “the particular importance of the case” which he said involved “violent acts that affect the domestic security of the Federal Republic of Germany”.

Bild daily reported that the shooting took place in front of the synagogue, and a hand grenade was also flung into a Jewish cemetery.

Witness Conrad Roessler told news channel NTV he was in a Turkish restaurant about 600 meters (yards) away from the synagogue when “a man wearing a helmet and military uniform” tossed a hand grenade, as was reported by AFP.

“The grenade hit the door and exploded,” he said.

“The attacker shot at least once in the shop, the man behind me must be dead. I hid in the toilet and locked the door.”

Police would not confirm the details, saying only that there were also kebab restaurants and churches in the area where the shooting took place, according to the AFP report.

An unauthenticated video circulating in German media showed a man wearing a helmet getting out of a vehicle before firing several shots in the air.

“It is terrible news from Halle and I hope very much that the police will manage to catch the perpetrator or perpetrators as quickly as possible so that no other person will be in danger,” Chancellor Angela Merkel’s spokesman Steffen Seibert told a news conference.

Wednesday’s shooting was livestreamed on Amazon’s Twitch service, the company confirmed to CNBC. The video was 35 minutes long. 

“We are shocked and saddened by the tragedy that took place in Germany today, and our deepest condolences go out to all those affected,” a Twitch spokesperson said. “Twitch has a zero-tolerance policy against hateful conduct, and any act of violence is taken extremely seriously. We are working with urgency to remove this content and permanently suspend any accounts found to be posting or reposting content of this abhorrent act.”

Twitch posted a series of tweets on the matter later Wednesday, claiming that “approximately five people” watched the stream while it was live. Twitch said a recording of the stream was then viewed by about 2,200 people “in the 30 minutes before the video was flagged and removed from Twitch.”

The company also said the account was created two months prior to streaming the shooting.

“This video was not surfaced in any recommendations or directories; instead, our investigation suggests that people were coordinating and sharing the video via other online messaging services,” the company said. “Once the video was removed, we shared the hash with an industry consortium to help prevent the proliferation of this content. We take this extremely seriously and are committed to working with industry peers, law enforcement, and any relevant parties to protect our community.”

The Chief Rabbi of Berlin, Rabbi Yehudah Teichtal, on Wednesday night, following the conclusion of Yom Kippur, commented on the attack in Halle, according to an INN report.

“We stand alongside the community that has been harmed and weep over those murdered. The cruel method of the attacker is indescribable, and especially the fact that it happened on Yom Kippur, the holiest day for the Jewish people,” Rabbi Teichtal said.

“We learned about the attack during Yom Kippur prayers, when a senior security official approached me in the middle of the Musaf prayer and informed me of the attack. Immediately the security of our synagogue was increased, alongside other synagogues,” the rabbi added.

“We talked about the attack with our synagogue worshipers. We emphasized the great miracle the community had because their door was locked, thus avoiding a much more serious incident, and of course strengthened their spirit, with a prayer for a year of good news,” continued Rabbi Teichtal.

At the same time, he expressed concern about the security of the Jewish communities in the country. “We call on the German government to increase security and secure all the synagogues in Germany.”

Trump Under Fire for Abandoning the Kurds in Syria Troop Withdrawal

0
President Trump is defending his decision to pull US forces from northern Syria, amid criticism that the move would place the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces in harm's way, (as they are a US ally) and would negatively impact the fight against the Islamic State terror group. He is seen here with Turkish President Erdogan in Belgium in 2018. Photo Credit: Shutterstock

Edited by: JV Staff

Lawmakers of both political parties on Wednesday continued to savage President Trump’s decision to withdraw troops from northeastern Syria, where U.S.-allied Kurds are under attack from Turkey, according to a VOA report.

“Pray for our Kurdish allies who have been shamelessly abandoned by the Trump administration,” Republican Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina tweeted. “This move ensures the reemergence of ISIS,” an acronym for the Islamic State.

VOA reported that he also tweeted he would “lead effort in Congress to make (Turkish President) Erdogan pay a heavy price” for launching a military offensive against the Kurds.

“I urge President Trump to change course while there is still time,” added Graham, who is usually one of the president’s most loyal defenders.

VOA reported that In a statement, Delaware Democratic Senator Chris Coons accused the Trump administration of “abandoning our Syrian Kurdish allies,” adding that the offensive “is a direct result of President Trump’s failure to stand up for our partners and interests in the region — a move that calls into question the credibility and reliability of the United States.”

For his part, Trump sought to distance himself from Turkey’s action.

“The United States does not endorse this attack and has made it clear to Turkey that this operation is a bad idea,” the president said in a statement.

Trump added that no U.S. soldiers are participating in the attack area and that “Turkey has committed to protecting civilians, protecting religious minorities, including Christians, and ensuring no humanitarian crisis takes place — and we will hold them to this commitment.”

Applauding the withdrawal of U.S. forces from Syria was Republican Senator Rand Paul of Kentucky, who praised Trump for “stopping the endless wars” and predicted “we [the United States] will be stronger as a result.”

Paul’s praise stood in stark contrast to the condemnation of many other lawmakers.

The top Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Bob Menendez of New Jersey, tweeted Trump “completely ignored the calls from Congress, from human rights advocates, from the realities on the ground, and from the Kurds themselves.”

Menendez projected that “only chaos & havoc will follow” and that “this is the second chance ISIS has been waiting for.”

Virginia Democratic Senator Tim Kaine also took to Twitter, accusing Trump of leaving “our allies at risk of being slaughtered.”

By “putting our troops and diplomats in the region at risk,” Kaine said, Trump is “playing right into the hands of our adversaries.”

Democratic Senator Chris Van Hollen declared that “Turkey must pay a heavy price for attacking our Syrian Kurdish partners.”

Van Hollen predicted that Democratic or Republican senators “won’t support abandoning the one regional group most responsible for putting ISIS on its heels.”

House Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy warned on Twitter the attack “threatens to halt momentum against ISIS, directly assaults our SDF (Syrian Democratic Forces) partners, and could give the likes of al-Qaeda and Iran new footholds in the region.”

McCarthy also called on Turkey to “stop immediately and continue to work with the US to secure the region.”

The International Rescue Committee, a humanitarian relief organization, expressed deep concern “about the lives and livelihoods of the two million people in northeast Syria who have already survived ISIS brutality and multiple displacements.”

The IRC also cautioned the offensive “could displace 300,000 people and disrupt life-saving humanitarian services, including the IRC’s.”

American minister Franklin Graham, an evangelist who appeals to Trump’s most fervent supporters, also weighed in. He tweeted: “The Turks have a dismal record on human rights & they can’t be trusted. Pray for the Kurds, Christians, & other minorities in the region.” (VOA)

 

Whitehouse Predicts Impeachment Fight Will Go to Supreme Court

0
"I informed John Bolton last night that his services are no longer needed at the White House,” Trump said at noon on Tuesday on Twitter. “I disagreed strongly with many of his suggestions, as did others in the Administration, and therefore.....I asked John for his resignation, which was given to me this morning.” Photo Credit: Shutterstock

Edited by: JV Staff

President Trump predicts his impeachment battle with House Democrats will wind up before the U.S. Supreme Court, according to a VOA report.

The president spoke to reporters Wednesday, a day after the White House says it is refusing to participate in the Democratic-led inquiry into whether he should be impeached, according to the VOA report.

Trump did not say exactly what House leaders must do if they want his cooperation. But he said he would cooperate “if they give us our rights” and Republicans “get a fair shake.”

On Twitter, he called the impeachment probe a “Total Scam by the Do Nothing Democrats.”

VOA reported that among the gripes spelled out in the White House letter is a complaint that Democrats are denying Trump and his Republican supporters in the House the opportunity to question witnesses and see the evidence the Democrats have.

The White House calls the impeachment inquiry “unconstitutional” and demands the full House be allowed to vote on whether there should be an inquiry, as was reported by VOA. 

There is no rule preventing the House from looking into allegations of illegal activity by a president before deciding whether to bring actual articles of impeachment to a vote.

Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi called the White House letter “the latest attempt to cover up his (Trump’s) betrayal of our democracy and to insist that the president is above the law.”

She says Democrats would consider a refusal to cooperate more evidence of obstruction, as was reported by VOA. 

Earlier Tuesday, for the first  time in a public forum, former Vice President Joe Biden called for Trump’s impeachment.

“Donald Trump has violated his oath of office, betrayed this nation, and committed impeachable acts,” Biden said in New Hampshire.

VOA reported that Trump replied by saying Biden is “falling like a rock. I don’t think he’s going to make it,” the president said in apparent reference to Biden’s recent slippage in the polls.

Trump has accused Democratic presidential candidate Biden of corruption. The president alleged that during the time that he served as vice president, Biden threatened to withhold loan guarantees to Ukraine unless the government stops investigating a gas company for which Biden’s son, Hunter, held a seat.

A U.S. intelligence whistleblower expressed concern to the inspector general about a July 25 telephone call between Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy. During that call, the mainstream media reported that Trump allegedly urged Zeleinskiy to open an investigation into Biden in an effort to dig up dirt on a rival for the White House. Trump claims that his conversation with the Ukrainian president was a very good one in which there was no “quid pro quo.”

VOA reported that a second whistleblower and a series of texts by diplomats working to assist Ukraine in carrying out Trump’s wishes seem to corroborate the first whistleblower’s complaint.

Although soliciting foreign government interference in a U.S. election is a potentially impeachable offense, Democrats are focused on whether Trump withheld $400 million in badly needed aid to Ukraine in exchange for its cooperation in a Biden probe, as was reported by VOA.

The State Department Tuesday refused to allow Trump donor and U.S. Ambassador to the European Union Gordon Sondland to voluntarily speak to lawmakers about what he may know about a possible “quid pro quo” with Ukraine, forcing House leaders to subpoena him to testify.

Former U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine, Marie Yovanovitch, is scheduled to testify later this week. (VOA)

 

Farrow: Harvey Weinstein Leveraged Clinton Connections To Kill Sexual Harassment Story

0
Harvey Weinstein wanted his trial moved out of New York City due to coverage on the New York Post’s Page Six. But the answer is apparently no.

By: Alex Griswold

A new book from New Yorker reporter Ronan Farrow claims that disgraced Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein tried to use his close connection with 2016 Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton to kill a story about sexual assault allegations lodged by multiple women.

The Hollywood Reporter got a sneak peek at Farrow’s newest book, Catch and Kill: Lies, Spies and a Conspiracy to Protect Predators. In it, the former NBC reporter outlines the various tactics Weinstein used to get the network to spike reporting about the Hollywood producer’s sexual harassment and assault of dozens of women. At one point, Weinstein — a longtime Democratic megadonor and fundraiser — “attempted to leverage his long-term relationship with Hillary Clinton to pressure Farrow,” according to the Reporter.

In summer 2017, while Farrow was trying to lock down an interview with Clinton for his foreign policy book — while also still working on the Weinstein story — he received a call from Clinton’s publicist, Nick Merrill, who told him that the “big story” Farrow was working on was a “concern for us.” Then, in September 2017, according to an email cited in the book, Weinstein wrote to Deborah Turness, the ex-president of NBC News who now runs NBC News International, to propose a docuseries on Clinton. “Your Hillary doc series sounds absolutely stunning,” Turness responded.

Weinstein’s most successful line of attack was leveraging NBC’s Today anchor Matt Lauer’s own history of sexual misconduct, according to Farrow. “Weinstein made it known to the network that he was aware of Lauer’s behavior and capable of revealing it,” he writes. Farrow also reports for the first time that Lauer’s treatment of women at NBC necessitated seven-figure payments and nondisclosure agreements.

Frustrated at the lack of progress at NBC, Farrow turned to the New Yorker to publish his Pulitzer Prize-winning exposé.

The book adds more details to the story Farrow told in an April 2018 interview with ABC News. “Hillary Clinton had scheduled an interview while I was at the height of the Weinstein reporting, and her folks got in touch and said, ‘we hear you’re working on a big story,’ sounded very concerned, and tried to cancel that interview,” he said. “Over the Weinstein stuff.”

After the New Yorker broke the story in 2017, Clinton was criticized for taking five days to release a statement saying she was “shocked and appalled by the revelations about Harvey Weinstein.” Actress and former Clinton surrogate Lena Dunham has stated publicly that she warned the Clinton campaign about Weinstein, only for her concerns to go unheeded. (Washington Free Beacon)

 

Poway Synagogue Killer Pleads Not Guilty to New Charge

0

If convicted of murder, John Earnest, 20, could face the death penalty, though prosecutors haven’t said what sentence they would seek.

Edited by: JV Staff

John Earnest, the now 20-year-old man charged with shooting and killing congregant Lori Gilbert-Kaye, 60, and wounding three people, including senior Rabbi Yisroel Goldstein, at the Chabad of Poway synagogue in Southern California during Passover services on April 27th again pleaded not guilty last week to the latest charges related to the attack and subsequent murder.

On Thursday, he responded to a new charging document from a preliminary hearing last month, though prosecutors made few changes from the initial charges.

If convicted of the murder charge, Earnest could face the death penalty, though prosecutors haven’t said what sentence they would seek.

Earnest is scheduled to be back in court on December 5th for a status hearing in which a trial date will likely be set.

In May, he was charged with 113 federal hate crime-related counts. If convicted, he could face the death penalty.

Earnest has also been charged for setting fire to a mosque in a nearby California town.

Earnest told a 911 operator in the moments after the deadly shooting that he committed the attack to save white people from Jews, according to a recording played at a preliminary hearing to determine if the case should proceed to trial a few weeks ago.

“I’m defending our nation against the Jewish people, who are trying to destroy all white people,” John T. Earnest is heard saying on the 911 call. He told the operator he believed he had killed people and gave detailed descriptions of the San Diego intersection where he was parked shortly before he was taken into custody, according to an AP report.

The recording was played at the hearing where witnesses also included a combat veteran who confronted the suspect and a medical examiner who described the wounds of the woman who was killed.

AP reported that Oscar Stewart, an Iraq combat veteran, testified that as the gunfire erupted he moved toward the suspect and screamed at him. The shooter dropped his rifle and fled.

“People were falling over each other. It was chaos,” said Stewart. “I screamed (to everyone) ‘Get down! Get out here,’” he said.

He said he saw Earnest in the lobby fire two rounds and then walked toward him.

“He was firing in front of me … I was paying attention to the rifle,” Stewart said.

 

 

Trump Threatens to “Obliterate” Turkish Economy; Draw Criticism for Policy Shift

0
President Trump is defending his decision to pull US forces from northern Syria, amid criticism that the move would place the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces in harm's way, (as they are a US ally) and would negatively impact the fight against the Islamic State terror group. He is seen here with Turkish President Erdogan in Belgium in 2018. Photo Credit: Shutterstock

Edited by: JV Staff

President Trump warned that he would “obliterate” the Turkish economy if Ankara took action he considers to be “off limits” in its military action in Syria.

“As I have stated strongly before, and just to reiterate, if Turkey does anything that I, in my great and unmatched wisdom, consider to be off limits, I will totally destroy and obliterate the Economy of Turkey (I’ve done before!),” Trump wrote on Twitter Monday.

“They must, with Europe and others, watch over the captured ISIS fighters and families. The U.S. has done far more than anyone could have ever expected, including the capture of 100% of the ISIS Caliphate. It is time now for others in the region, some of great wealth, to protect their own territory. THE USA IS GREAT!”

The White House announced late Sunday night that the US will pull back its forces from parts of northern Syria, opening the door for a major operation by the Turkish military in Syrian territory.

According to a statement by White House Press Secretary Stephanie Grisham, President Trump spoke with his Turkish counterpart, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, over the phone Sunday to discuss Turkey’s impending invasion of northern Syria.

“President Donald J. Trump spoke with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey by telephone. Turkey will soon be moving forward with its long-planned operation into Northern Syria.”

“The United States Armed Forces will not support or be involved in the operation, and United States forces, having defeated the ISIS territorial ‘Caliphate,’ will no longer be in the immediate area,” the White House said, citing the Sunday phone call between Trump and Erdogan, using an acronym for the group.

VOA reported that Trump is defending his decision to pull US forces from northern Syria, amid criticism that the move would place the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces in harm’s way, (as they are a US ally) and would negatively impact the fight against the Islamic State terror group.

“…It is time for us to get out of these ridiculous Endless Wars, many of them tribal, and bring our soldiers home. WE WILL FIGHT WHERE IT IS TO OUR BENEFIT, AND ONLY FIGHT TO WIN,” Trump tweeted early Monday.

“Turkey, Europe, Syria, Iran, Iraq, Russia and the Kurds will now have to figure the situation out, and what they want to do with the captured ISIS fighters in their “neighborhood.” They all hate ISIS, have been enemies for years. We are 7000 miles away and will crush ISIS again if they come anywhere near us!” he said. Trump on Monday tweeted it was too costly to keep supporting U.S. allied Kurdish-led forces. Photo Credit: Shutterstock

“Turkey, Europe, Syria, Iran, Iraq, Russia and the Kurds will now have to figure the situation out, and what they want to do with the captured ISIS fighters in their “neighborhood.” They all hate ISIS, have been enemies for years. We are 7000 miles away and will crush ISIS again if they come anywhere near us!” he said.

Trump on Monday tweeted it was too costly to keep supporting U.S. allied Kurdish-led forces.

“The Kurds fought with us but were paid massive amounts of money and equipment to do so. They have been fighting Turkey for decades,” he said.

The SDF said U.S. forces “have withdrawn from border areas with Turkey,” and they accused the United States of not fulfilling its responsibilities under a U.S.-Turkey agreement that involved the Kurdish fighters dismantling some of their defensive capabilities near the border to allay Turkish concerns, as was reported by VOA News.

“As the Syrian Democratic Forces, we are determined to defend our land at all costs,” the group said in a statement. “We call on our Kurdish, Arab, Assyrian, and Syriac people to strengthen their unity and stand by the SDF in defense of their land.”

Turkey views the People’s Protection Units (YPG), the main force within SDF, as an extension of the Turkey-based Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), which has been fighting for greater rights in Turkey’s Kurdish-majority southeast for decades, according to a VOA report.

But the U.S. makes a distinction between the PKK and YPG, backing the YPG-dominated SDF in the fight against the Islamic State terror group in Syria.

Turkey’s Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said Turkey has supported Syria’s territorial integrity since the beginning of the country’s conflict, “and will continue to do so.”

VOA reported that a spokesman for the SDF said ahead of the U.S. announcement that any Turkish incursion into Syria would throw the entire region into indefinite instability.

“We see these Turkish threats as extremely serious,” Mustafa Bali told VOA. “We fear that mass killings would be committed against our people if Turkish forces invaded this part of Syria.”

Former special presidential envoy for the anti-IS global coalition, Brett McGurk, said Trump’s decision “demonstrates a complete lack of understanding of anything happening on the ground.”

McGurk warned a Turkish attack on U.S.-backed Kurdish forces “will increase risks to our people, fracture the SDF, and enable ISIS’s resurgence.”

Republican Senator Lindsey Graham, a staunch Trump supporter, also sharply criticized the decision, telling Fox News it a big win for Iran, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, and the Islamic State. He also said Islamic State “is not defeated. This is the biggest lie being told by this administration.”

Former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley slammed President Trump’s decision to pull American troops out of northeastern Syria.

Haley took her disagreement with the president public Monday morning, tweeting, “We must always have the backs of our allies, if we expect them to have our back. The Kurds were instrumental in our successful fight against ISIS in Syria. Leaving them to die is a big mistake.”

The SDF is holding thousands of people in detention camps in northeastern Syria, including many suspected foreign fighters who traveled from Western nations to join Islamic State.

The White House said in its Sunday statement that France, Germany and other European nations have refused to take back their nationals, and that the United States will not be holding them.

“Turkey will now be responsible for all ISIS fighters in the area captured over the past two years,” it said.

U.S. officials had said that any Turkish offensive in Syria would hinder efforts to defeat IS militants.

“Any uncoordinated military operation by Turkey would be of grave concern as it would undermine our shared interest of a secure northeast Syria and the enduring defeat of ISIS,” Pentagon spokesperson Commander Sean Robertson told VOA in an email, using another acronym for IS.

Aykan Erdemir, a senior Turkey analyst at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD) in Washington, says Turkey has been trying to exploit the differences of opinion and commitment within the U.S. government concerning the ongoing U.S. military presence in Syria.

“Erdogan has pursued a consistent strategy vis-à-vis northeast Syria in attempting to extract of concessions from the U.S. through frequent threats of unilateral cross-border action,” he told VOA.

The United States currently has about 1,000 troops in Syria that have been instrumental in the fight against IS. Trump has ordered a gradual withdrawal of U.S. troops from Syria.

On Friday U.S.-led coalition and Turkey conducted their third joint patrol in northeastern Syria amid renewed concerns the plan designed to defuse tensions between Washington’s two allies — Ankara and the Syrian Kurds— may not be enough.

An AP report that appeared on Friday said that Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar reiterated Ankara’s stance that it won’t accept delays in the creation of what it calls a “safe zone.” Turkey could act alone to set it up, he said, reviving concerns about a possible Turkish military operation.

A senior Syrian Kurdish official said her group is taking the renewed Turkish threats seriously and called for measures to prevent an attack and the collapse of the agreement.

AP reported that Ankara and Washington agreed in August to carry out the joint patrols and remove Syrian Kurdish fighters from the borders. But they still disagree on the size of the area along the Syria-Turkey border and who is to monitor it.

The Americans and the Kurds call the measures a “security mechanism.”

The Friday patrol followed a telephone call late Thursday between Akar and Defense Secretary Mark Esper in which Akar said Turkey would end the joint patrols “if there are distractions, delays,” according to a statement from the Turkish Defense Ministry.

AP reported that Akar urged the US to end its support of Syrian Kurdish fighters, who were the coalition’s partners in the battle against Islamic State militants in Syria.

Turkey had carried out military incursions with allied Syrian groups in western Syria to drive out Kurdish fighters, as well as IS militants, and has stationed troops there, according to the AP report.

But a Turkish military operation in northeastern Syria would carry a larger risk, bringing troops into a zone where at least 1,000 U.S. soldiers are deployed.

AP reported that Turkey remains unhappy with the size of the area it calls a “safe zone,” calling for a 30-kilometer deep (19-mile) zone monitored by Turkish soldiers. Currently, the designated area is no deeper than 14 kilometers (9 miles). It also says it wants some of the 3.6 million Syrian refugees in Turkey to return there.

Erdogan told parliament that Turkey plans to settle 2 million refugees in the zone and will hold a donors’ conference to help build homes and infrastructure for them.

It was not clear how Turkey planned to move the largely Sunni Arab Syrians it is hosting from many parts of Syria into the Kurdish-dominated region, and whether the U.S. is on board.

“The Americans are trying to absorb [Erdogan’s] anger but it is likely he wants to impose realities on the ground through a partial attack,” said Ilham Ahmed, a senior Syrian Kurdish official.

  (VOA, AP)

AG Barr to Take On Facebook to Gain Access to WhatsApp Texts

0
Attorney General William Barr and his Justice Department are still battling to gain access to encrypted communications. Photo Credit: PBS.org

By: Susan Malkonovich

Attorney General William Barr and his Justice Department are still battling to gain access to encrypted communications.

They say it is a crucial weapon in the war against crime. At the same time, high-tech firms are arguing that such access generates a very real threat to personal privacy.

Barr took “aim at Facebook’s plan to make WhatsApp and its other messaging services more secure, pressing its chief executive, Mark Zuckerberg, to create a loophole to that goal of full encryption. The Justice Department said that investigators needed lawful access to encrypted communications to fight terrorism, organized crime and child pornography,” the New York Times reported.

“Companies should not deliberately design their systems to preclude any form of access to content even for preventing or investigating the most serious crimes,” Barr noted in a letter to Zuckerberg.

“Mr. Barr’s request was the latest salvo in a years long fight by law enforcement officials for access to popular communications platforms that have become increasingly secure. The conflict last came to a head in 2016, when a federal judge ordered Apple to help the F.B.I. unlock an iPhone recovered after the 2015 mass shooting in San Bernardino, Calif. The F.B.I. ultimately cracked it without Apple’s help, easing tensions for a time with the tech companies,” the Times added.

“Signed by Barr, UK Home Secretary Priti Patel, acting US Homeland Security Secretary Kevin McAleenan, and Australian Minister for Home Affairs Peter Dutton, the letter raises concerns that Facebook’s plan to build end-to-end encryption into its messaging apps will prevent law enforcement agencies from finding illegal activity conducted through Facebook, including child sexual exploitation, terrorism, and election meddling,” reported buzzfeednews.com.

“Security enhancements to the virtual world should not make us more vulnerable in the physical world,” the Barr letter pointed out. “Companies should not deliberately design their systems to preclude any form of access to content, even for preventing or investigating the most serious crimes.”

The letter, according to buzzfeednews.com, “calls on Facebook to prioritize public safety in designing its encryption by enabling law enforcement to gain access to illegal content in a manageable format and by consulting with governments ahead of time to ensure the changes will allow this access. While the letter acknowledges that Facebook — which owns Facebook Messenger, WhatsApp, and Instagram — captures 99% of child exploitation and terrorism-related content through its own systems, it also notes that “mere numbers cannot capture the significance of the harm to children.”