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In jolly old England, Robin Hood stole from the rich to give to the poor."Civil forfeiture laws represent one of the most serious assaults on private property rights in the nation today. Under civil forfeiture, police and prosecutors can seize your car or other property, sell it and use the proceeds to fund agency budgets—all without so much as charging you with a crime. Unlike criminal forfeiture, where property is taken after its owner has been found guilty in a court of law, with civil forfeiture, owners need not be charged with or convicted of a crime to lose homes, cars, cash or other property. Americans are supposed to be innocent until proven guilty, but civil forfeiture turns that principle on its head. With civil forfeiture, your property is guilty until you prove it innocent."—" Policing for Profit: The Abuse of Civil Asset Forfeiture," Institute for Justice
According to the interlocutor of the Agency, de Mistura appealed to Republic's leadership asking about the possibility of a visit to Syria on the eve of the Geneva meetings, which have been scheduled for the upcoming week. At the request of the official Damascus refused without explanation, stated the source.One wonders if there is a connection between this turn of events and the devastating string of terror attacks in Damascus. As de Mistura himself said, the attacks were 'plainly designed to spoil attempts to sustain political talks'.
He said that de Mistura "has become persona non grata in Damascus — both today and for the future".
Israel's raid appears to have been intended to disrupt the ongoing offensive against ISIS but has provoked a powerful response.
The Russians have now formally confirmed earlier media reports that following the Israeli air raid on Syria on Friday the Israeli ambassador in Moscow was called in to the Russian Foreign Ministry to be handed a stern lecture and a stiff protest.
Moscow's confirmation of the Russian protest to Israel, and the fact that the Israeli ambassador was summoned to the Russian Foreign Ministry within hours of the raid taking place, shows how seriously the Russians are treating this incident.
Comment: Russia has already put Israel in its place over Syria. It remains to be seen how Turkey and Saudi Arabia can be brought into line. Russia has much economic leverage over Turkey. Saudi Arabia may be trickier. Here is where China may help.