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Problem-reaction-solution: France to form National Guard in wake of terrorist attacks


RT
Thu, 28 Jul 2016 20:59 UTC
assault rifle
© Pascal Rossignol / Reuters
French President Francois Hollande has announced that a National Guard will be set up to ensure additional protection after a series of terrorist attacks in the country.

Hollande said in an official statement that initial parliamentary talks on the formation of the force would take place in September, "so that this force can be created as fast as possible to protect the French."

"Training methods and the breakdown of the forces of protection across the territory" will be defined after the parliamentary consultations.

The French public and a number of politicians have expressed outrage at what they regard as a lack of necessary security measures to ensure people's safety, after a recent spate of terrorist attacks.

In Nice, heavily armed national police officers were absent at the entrance to a promenade, from where an attacker drove a truck and slammed through the crowd at Bastille Day celebrations on July 14, leaving 84 people dead.
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Eye 2

UN calls out Australia for "torture and degrading treatment" of juvenile detainees at Darwin detention center


RT
Thu, 28 Jul 2016 20:52 UTC
darwin detention center torture
© ABC News (Australia) / YouTube
Abuse of juvenile detainees, teargassed and forcibly strapped to chairs at a Darwin detention center, in Australia's far north, could amount to "torture or cruel inhuman and degrading treatment," UN Special Rapporteur on Torture Juan Mendez says.

Acts shown in the disturbing video aired by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) earlier this week from the Don Dale Youth Detention Centre immediately earned comparisons to outrageous abuses at the Abu Ghraib and Guantanamo Bay prisons. Claims of abuse of juvenile detainees at the facility have been either ignored or dismissed over years, ABC reported.

Graphic CCTV footage showed children at Don Dale being teargassed and forcibly strapped to chairs, among other things. One particular image - that of a 17-year-old boy Dylan Voller, hooded and shackled to a mechanical restraint chair, shirtless, helpless and motionless, has become synonymous with cruelty.

On the day in question, the teen was handcuffed, hooded and strapped down for two hours after he threatened to hurt himself while in the adult prison, according to the ABC. Voller, who is thought to have suffered several incidents of alleged abuse over a five-year period from October 2010, is one of six teens held in isolation cells at Don Dale.

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Info

British special forces poised to rescue UK citizens if Turkey suffers another coup attempt


RT
Mon, 25 Jul 2016 15:55 UTC
British special forces
© Jason Reed / Reuters
British special forces are ready to rescue UK citizens in Turkey in the event of a second coup attempt. The news comes as Amnesty International reports credible evidence of the rape and abuse of detained coup soldiers as part of the government crackdown.

The SAS, as well as the Special Forces Support Group (SFSG), are reportedly ready to deploy from RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus should the need arise.

The Daily Express reported Monday that the missions would focus on areas popular with tourists and that troops would be cleared to use lethal force if the rescue operations were interfered with.
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Dominoes

Aleppo residents begin safe retreat via humanitarian corridor created with Russia's help


RT
Thu, 28 Jul 2016 20:44 UTC
syrian children
© REUTERS
The first group of residents trapped in eastern neighborhoods of Aleppo, Syria's largest city before the civil war, have begun their escape through a humanitarian corridor created with Russia's help, Al Mayadeen TV has reported.

Leaflets with directions to the four safe passages out of the areas under siege have been distributed around the neighborhoods.

"To avoid unintended casualties among peaceful citizens, the Syrian government is asking you to leave the blocked areas. The Aleppo governor gives you an opportunity to exit through the routes specified in the scheme. Save your life and the lives of your loved ones," reads a leaflet obtained by RT.

Those fleeing Aleppo are advised to raise their hands with the leaflet while approaching checkpoints, to move slowly and to follow the commands of the Syrian military. Once near checkpoints, they will be required to turn around to demonstrate they do not have explosives on them.

Aleppo governor Mohammad Marwan Olabi said makeshift centers equipped with medical services are ready to take the refugees, SANA reported.
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Heart

Russia and Syria launching large-scale humanitarian aid operation for residents of Aleppo


RT
Thu, 28 Jul 2016 20:40 UTC
aleppo aid
© Muzaffar Salman / Reuters
Residents queue to receive new and second-hand clothes as part of humanitarian aid at a school in Aleppo. File photo
Russia and Syria are launching a large-scale humanitarian operation for Aleppo residents, Russia's Defense Ministry said. Corridors for civilians and militants ready to lay down arms will be created to exit the city, which was Syria's largest before the war.

"We have repeatedly called on the warring parties to reconcile, but the militants violated the silence mode each time, shelled villages, attacked the positions of government troops. As a result, a tough humanitarian situation has developed in the city of Aleppo and its suburbs," Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu said on Thursday.

"To assist civilians taken hostage by terrorists, as well as militants who chose to lay down their weapons, the Russian center for reconciliation of the warring parties, together with Syrian authorities, will open three humanitarian corridors there," Shoigu added.

"I want to emphasize that we are taking this step, first and foremost, to ensure the safety of Aleppo residents," the minister said. He has also urged international organizations to take part in the humanitarian operation in Aleppo.

According to the minister, the fourth corridor for the passage of fighters in Aleppo is being set up only because the US has not provided Russia with data on the al-Nusra Front terrorist group, which has recently been attempting to merge with other armed opposition groups in Syria.

Comment: Russia and Syria launch mass humanitarian operation in Aleppo

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Info

Aleppo would be free by now if not for U.S. meddling


Sputnik
Thu, 28 Jul 2016 15:14 UTC
aleppo
© AFP 2016/ GEORGE OURFALIAN
As the military commanders of the Syrian Arab Army (SAA) issue an ultimatum to the jihadist groups located in Syria's largest city of Aleppo to lay down arms and leave the city, Russian media points out that the operation on the liberation of the settlement would have been long over if not for the US.

Russia and the Syrian government have launched a joint large-scale humanitarian relief operation in Aleppo, establishing three corridors for civilians and one for militants wishing to lay down arms, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said on Thursday.

Meanwhile Russian online newspaper Vzglyad notes that the operation on the liberation of Syria's largest city would have been long over if not for one problem - namely the US.

On Tuesday, an unnamed source told Sputnik that the Syrian Arab Army (SAA) destroyed an al-Nusra Front command center located in the al-Zahraa neighborhood of Aleppo as Damascus-led forces were trying to take full control of the city.

Comment: More on the current situation in Aleppo:

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Windsock

Trump: Will look into recognizing Crimea, lifting sanctions


Fort Russ
Wed, 27 Jul 2016 00:00 UTC
trump
© russia-insider.com
Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump. Voters expect CNN and others to tilt American elections. What’s new is that social media and even video games are getting in on the act.
The Republican candidate for US President, Donald Trump, stated that if he is elected, he will "look into" the question of recognizing Crimea as part of Russia and lifting the sanctions on Moscow.

At a press conference in Florida broadcasted on American television, Trump was asked if he was ready to recognize Crimea as Russian territory and begin to consider lifting the sanctions imposed on Russia.

"We'll be looking at that. Yeah, we'll be looking," Trump said without going into detail. Meanwhile, the official program of the Republican Party includes the preservation and possible strengthening of sanctions against Russia and not recognizing Crimea as Russian territory.

The Republican nominee also stated that he would prefer to be friends with Russia so that "we can go and knock out ISIS together with other people and with other countries."

Western media have gone into hysterics over Trump's words on NATO and Russia. The Russian parliament has already reacted to the words of this American politician and called for appraisals not to be rushed into. "Donald Trump is still a dark horse for us. He is popular now, 'riding the wave.' It is hard to say just how much we can trust his words, but time will tell," the first deputy head of the International Committee of the Federation Council, Vladimir Dzhabarov, said to RIA Novosti. In Dzhabarov's opinion, if Trumps claims victory in the election, then "it will be interesting to work with him."

Comment: It must be interesting to be in Russia watching the US 'dog and pony election' reality show.

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Bullseye

Bloomberg, regarding Trump: "I'm a New Yorker, and I know a con when I see one"


RT
Thu, 28 Jul 2016 03:35 UTC
Bloomberg
© www.yahoo.com
Bloomberg trumping Trump.
Former New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg does not mince his words when it comes to Donald Trump. Dissing him from the DNC stage, Bloomberg nearly had the crowd rolling in the aisles after calling his fellow New Yorker, Trump, "a con."

"Trump says he wants to run the nation like he's running his business? God help us. I'm a New Yorker, and I know a con when I see one," Bloomberg said in a speech endorsing Hillary Clinton.

Bloomberg really did not skimp on the criticism towards Clinton's Republican competitor this evening.


Bloomberg spoke of Trump as a "dangerous demagogue" and a bad businessman who would be the same as the president. "Truth be told, the richest thing about Donald Trump is his hypocrisy," Bloomberg said.

Comment: A 'con'...does it take one to know one? Or is there some pearl of wisdom here? What we do know: 'The Donald' is, so far, a whole lot of "show and tell."

Bloomberg also said Trump is a "risky, reckless and radical choice" (so is the Hill), "can't afford to make that choice" (same for the Hill), "need a problem solver not bomb thrower" (such as the Hill), "select a sane, competent person, a unifier who is mature to reach out for advice" (not the Hill), "make it harder for small business to compete" (as would the Hill), "erode our influence around the world" (bingo the Hill), "game the system" (as has the Hill, for decades).

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Take 2

Reddit heavily moderates Trump's AMA


RT
Thu, 28 Jul 2016 03:31 UTC
Trump
© www.pbs.org
A Reddit "Ask Me Anything" featuring an unfiltered Trump had all the hallmarks to make an endlessly entertaining read, but an increase in "security measures" and censorship turned the chat into anything but.

Even before it kicked off, a Reddit moderator warned users that the session would be a little different/boring in order to discourage "troublemakers," defeating the entire purpose of an AMA.


"For this AMA we have temporarily taken extra security measures to keep our community free from troublemakers. We built the wall 10 ft taller, you might say," well at least they haven't lost all sense of humor.


Participants were warned that comments would only be accepted from established users and any comments from accounts less than 30 days old would be automatically deleted.

Comment: Reddit was acquired by Condé Nast and has since become a direct subsidiary of the parent company, Advance Publications - a mega grouping of news outlets, magazines and websites, ranking 44th largest company in the US. When it says "moderate," the subsidiary says "yes sir."

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Clipboard

Russia issues wanted list of 260 suspected terrorists


The Saker
Thu, 28 Jul 2016 00:00 UTC
terrorism montage
© www.dailybeast.com
Director of the Federal Security Service Alexander Bortnikov stated that Russia had issued the wanted list of 260 people, suspected in "terrorist activities," during the 15th meeting of heads of special services, security agencies and law enforcement organisations in St. Petersburg, Wednesday.

SOT, Alexander Bortnikov, Director of the Federal Security Service of Russia (Russian): "Today we receive confirmed information about the plans of gang leaders currently in hiding in a number of Middle East countries, to continue their terrorist activities and try to incite North Caucasus militant organisations, whose activities we have managed to suppress, disunite and mainly neutralise the key players. Being forced to operate from abroad, functionaries of international terrorist organisations learned to effectively and remotely control their terrorist networks. They use all available communication tools from contact agents to satellite communication systems, including the internet."

SOT, Alexander Bortnikov, Director of the Federal Security Service of Russia (Russian): "The gang leaders do not only recruit the militants, but also actively use encryption programs and popular instant messengers such as Telegram, WhatsApp, and Viber. They send their supporters detailed instructions for terrorist activities, tactics, specify the purpose of carrying out the terrorist attacks and also provide information about forms and methods of the security services' work."

SOT, Alexander Bortnikov, Director of the Federal Security Service of Russia (Russian): "In our opinion, the most important thing is to put professional interests in the first place without politicisation of the issues of combating international terrorism. We appeal to our partners to focus their attention on the investigation, detention and the extradition of terrorists to their countries, not to third parties. In that regard, I want to draw your attention to the fact that Russian enforcement authorities issued an international wanted list of more than 260 people, whose continued intensive organisation and preparatory work for the transfer of its terrorist activity to Russia and a number of other states."

Comment: A constructive and effective approach, applicable to a unified international effort to cut off the multiple heads of the snake. Want to bet on which countries choose not to step up? Could they be the same ones who support, fund and slither? Just a wild guess.

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