Friday, July 22, 2016

"Only a multi-agency approach that not only shares information between local and national authorities but also enhances capacities of mental health and social service providers will be able to adequately prevent and respond to lone actor threats of this kind." - Orlando and Nice attacks: Domestic violence links to radicalisation - BBC | M.N.: The War on Police is The War on US, NYT is wrong | Trump's business interests in Russia - Google Search | » More people were killed last year than in 2014, and no one’s sure why 22/07/16 11:46 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks

"Only a multi-agency approach that not only shares information between local and national authorities but also enhances capacities of mental health and social service providers will be able to adequately prevent and respond to lone actor threats of this kind." -

Orlando and Nice attacks: Domestic violence links to radicalisation - BBC

Attacker in Nice plotted for months with 'accomplices,' prosecutor says

"On 21 July, Molins announced that investigations showed the attack was planned for months and the driver had accomplices. Four men and one woman, aged between 22 and 42, faced preliminary terrorism-related charges for their alleged roles in helping Lahouaiej-Bouhlel. Those facing charges were two French-Tunisians,—one of them born in Nice in 1994—a Tunisian, an Albanian and his wife, with dual French and Albanian nationality. The Albanian couple are alleged to have supplied a gun. The Tunisian suspect was said to have filmed the scene of the attack on the Promenade des Anglais on 15 July, when it was filled with police and journalists, before taking a selfie.^[120]^[121]^[122] He and Lahouaiej-Bouhlel were said to have contacted each other 1,278 times between July 2015 and July 2016." -

2016 Nice attack - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

M.N.: Note the Albanian - Balkan connection.

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Mom: Gunman would 'pretty much lose it' on police shootings:

"Woodley said during the interview taped in Los Angeles that she believes Long, an Iraq war veteran, suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder and he once said he thought the CIA was following him."

M.N.: It is very unlikely that the CIA had any particular interest in him. It is much more likely that GEL was a target of some mysterious group or network masking as the CIA.

"She brought a letter she said he received from the Department of Veterans Affairs denying her son's request for treatment of PTSD in 2013 on grounds that the disorder wasn't related to his military service. The letter was shown to an Associated Press reporter but could not be independently verified." ...

"Veterans Health Administration records show a number of contacts with Long from 2008 to 2013, with the last known encounter with the VA in August 2013, according to a statement from the VA this week."

M.N.: It is also possible that VA records are completely open to the hostile groups due to the previous hacks and serve as the information source to identify the "suitable recruits" without their knowledge of this recruitment efforts or under the false flags of the US government agencies.

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Donald Trump’s Remarks Rattle NATO Allies and Stoke Debate on Cost Sharing:

"In Russia, Mr. Trump’s comments met with approval. Alexei Pushkov, head of the foreign relations committee of the State Duma, the lower house of the Russian Parliament, contrasted Mr. Trump with Hillary Clinton, the presumptive Democratic nominee. “Clinton’s creed: strengthen the U.S.’s anti-Russian alliances. Trump’s creed: respond only to real threats,” Mr. Pushkov wrote. “Aggressive banality versus common sense.”

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"The broad movement against police abuse that has grown over the past two years has drawn a diverse kaleidoscope of activists who are employing an array of tactics. Among those who are praying, blocking roadways, crying out on social media and negotiating with elected officials are a small but fervent few who are channeling the history of militant resistance in America. They are protesting not just with slogans and signs, but also with rifles slung over their shoulders and a rebellious spirit emanating from their throats." -

Amid Broad Movement Against Police Abuse, Some Act on the Fringe - The New York Times

"One law enforcement veteran said he's never seen an environment this dangerous and polarized for police in the United States." -

State police colonel: Criminals, terrorists declared war on police | Local News

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"Russia’s military in Syria

has had only limited success in reclaiming territory lost to ISIS. More importantly, the costly campaign still has not led to the West’s desire to cooperate with Moscow in either the Middle East or Ukraine."

Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu visits Hmeymim air base in Syria, June 18, 2016. Photo: Reuters

"This is not to mention the losses suffered by Russian private military companies (PMCs). According to some sources, they have lost tens or even hundreds of men. Officially, however, these contract soldiers simply do not exist in a country where “mercenaries” are illegal. Recent unfortunate episodes involving these paramilitary formations are still fresh in the minds of many, and there is obviously little desire to open up fresh wounds that date back to the Ukraine crisis."...
"The SAA is advancing in one place and retreating in another. Cities that are painstakingly liberated are later surrendered. The front is unstable at best and success is fleeting. In the coming months, if Damascus does not achieve strategic successes in Aleppo, Palmyra and Al-Raqqah, the Kremlin’s attitude to providing support to Assad may change, even to the point of shutting off support entirely. However, how and when this assistance will end, depends on just one person."

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M.N.: Russia, practically universally acknowledged by the US military leaders as the greatest threat to the US security (and the Russian clandestine undeclared intelligence or "hybrid" war against the West with its possible exploitation of international terrorism as the instrument of foreign and economic policies of the "mafia state"), was not even mentioned in Trump's speech.

Given Trump's extensive business interests in developing the Russian glitzy real estate projects for their rich and powerful, the past, but much more the forward looking interests, isn't it reasonable to ask a question: is D. Trump as a hypothetically potential President a threat to the US and the Western Security?

However, this is only a part of the complex picture. Trump's simple, direct and common sense proposals on strengthening the borders and enhancing domestic security, his attempts to reach out to the broad masses and their emotions, definitely have a powerful appeal.
The public would do well to try to sort out these contradictions for and by itself. The Democratic party, it seems to me, would do well to analyse the roots of this popular appeal and to make some adjustments in their electoral platform, which will consolidate it and will move it more to the center, increasing the chances for the electoral success. The consideration of the senior and experienced military leader, Gen. Stavridis as VP, opens the way for strengthening the Democratic ticket and enhancing its NS credentials, which might be a decisive factor in our times.

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More people were killed last year than in 2014, and no one’s sure why
Friday July 22nd, 2016 at 11:46 AM

The number of homicides in the country's 50 largest cities rose nearly 17 percent last year, the greatest increase in lethal violence in a quarter century.

Percent change in homicide rate from 2014 to 2015

Cities with major police clashes

13 cities had fewer homicides in 2015 than in 2014

36 cities had more homicides in 2015 than in 2014

Baltimore

Cleveland

New York

Chicago

13 cities had fewer homicides in 2015 than in 2014

36 cities had more homicides in 2015 than in 2014

Note: 2015 rate is calculated based on 2014 population, the latest available data.

A Wonkblog analysis of preliminary crime data found that about 770 more people were killed in major cities last year than the year before, the worst annual change since 1990.

The killings increased as some law enforcement officials and conservative commentators were warning that violent crime was on the rise amid a climate of hostility toward police. They said protests and intense scrutiny of officers who used lethal force had caused officers to become disengaged from their jobs, making streets more dangerous. Some have called it the "Ferguson effect," after the St. Louis suburb in which Michael Brown Jr. was shot and killed by a police officer in 2014.

A closer look at the figures, however, suggests no single explanation for the increases and reveals no clear pattern among those cities that experienced the most horrific violence.

[We've had a massive decline in gun violence in the United States. Here’s why.]

Several cities that recorded the largest increases in homicides -- Nashville and Washington, D.C., for instance -- had no widely publicized, racially charged killings by police. Many other big cities recorded modest increases or even declines in the number of homicides, with no deviation from the pattern of recent years.

Number of homicides per 100,000 people in large U.S. cities since 1985

Cities with major police clashes

Baltimore

Cleveland

New York

Chicago

Large cities avg.

U.S. average

Note: Largest cities are the 50 most populous cities are as calculated by 2014 population, the latest available data. 2015 rate is calculated based on 2014 population. Data for some cities was unavailable for some years.

Also, undermining the theory that police have become generally disengaged, a preliminary FBI report released last week showed that the overall number of violent offenses increased just 1.7 percent nationally during the first half of the year while the number of property crimes declined 4.2 percent.

(The FBI's official count for the full year will be published in the fall. Because a crime's classification may change as authorities gather more information, the official figures on homicide might differ from Wonkblog's current tally.)

[It's official: There never was a 'war on cops']

Public safety has been improving for two decades, and lethal violence in large cities is still rare by historical standards. Twice as many people were killed in those 50 cities in 1991 as in 2015. "You certainly wouldn't want to say the sky is falling," said Darrel Stephens, executive director of the Major Cities Chiefs Association.

Yearly percent change in homicides per 100,000 people in the 50 largest U.S. cities

Note: 50 largest cities are as calculated by 2014 population, the latest available data. The 2015 homicide rate is calculated using the 2014 population figure. Year-to-year percent change is calculated based on available data from the FBI.

Nonetheless, last year's interruption in the decline in homicides has experts concerned. They say it's too early to know what caused the change, or whether it will endure. It's not clear if there is a Ferguson effect, or if the homicides are a result of the heroin epidemic, reduced police department budgets, a decline in the number of convicts behind bars or other factors entirely.

"There's no national pattern," said Franklin Zimring, a criminologist at the University of California at Berkeley.

The Ferguson effect

When law enforcement officials from around the country met in Washington in October to discuss the increase in murders, many suggested that deteriorating relations between police and civilians could be the cause.

With civilians recording their every move with cellphone cameras, police may be hesitating to engage with criminals, several officials said. Perhaps criticism from civic leaders has damaged officers' morale, or maybe monitoring protests and marches draws crucial manpower away from solving cases.

"Has policing changed in the YouTube era?" asked FBI Director James B. Comey. "Cities with nothing in common are seeing – in the same degree and in the same time – dramatic increases in violence, especially homicides."

[How Flint, Ferguson and Baltimore are all connected]

The data does not provide clear evidence for this theory on a national level, but in some cities, intensified mistrust of the police appears related to spates of violence last year.

In Baltimore, where riots followed the death of Freddie Gray in police custody in April, the number of homicides increased 59 percent last year, from 217 to 344. That is more homicides than have been committed in the city in any year since 1993, when the city's population was 715,000, according to the census. Only 623,000 people live there today.

60 homicides per 100,000 people

Several officers have been charged in connection with Gray's death. The case against one of them, William G. Porter, ended with a hung jury and a mistrial last month. Prosecutors said Porter was culpable in Gray's death because he failed to properly buckle him into the back of a police van, in which Gray suffered a fatal injury to his neck, and because Porter should have sought medical help before it was too late.

Peter Moskos, a former Baltimore police officer who teaches at the John Jay College of Criminal Justice in New York, disagrees. "These cops are on trial, arguably, for doing nothing wrong," he said, adding that such cases could discourage police from making arrests.

"That idea, that 'if I do my job, I could get in trouble' -- that has a chilling effect," Moskos said.

60 homicides per 100,000 people

In Cleveland, anguish and protests followed the shooting death of 12-year-old Tamir Rice at the hands of a police officer in November 2014. The number of homicides nearly doubled in that city the next year, from 63 in 2014 to 120. Last month, a grand jury declined to charge the officer who shot Rice.

No correlation

At the same time, some of the most drastic increases in homicides occurred in cities where there have not been major controversies over law enforcement practices.

The number of homicides increased 83 percent in Nashville last year, to 75. The figure increased 62 percent in Oklahoma City, to 73. There were 162 homicides in Washington, D.C., last year, an increase of 54 percent.

[Washington Post database: Tracking homicides in the D.C. region]

These are all substantial changes, even though relations between police and civilians in these cities don't appear to have worsened last year.

"There doesn’t seem to be, to me at least, a correlation between where there were protests against the police, and where murder seems to be increasing," said Inimai Chettiar, director of the justice program at New York University's Brennan Center for Justice.

While protesters have marched against police violence in nearly every U.S. city, the acrimony has been greater in some cities than in others. Indeed, in Nashville, officers offered protesters hot chocolate and coffee.

"I personally don't really believe that police officers across America have pulled back from doing their job," said Stephens of the Major Cities Chiefs Association, who also served as police chief in Charlotte for nine years.

In other cities, homicides didn't escalate significantly last year, despite intensifying conflicts with civilian leaders.

UC Berkeley's Zimring points to New York, where relations between police and the city as a whole have largely collapsed.

60 homicides per 100,000 people

Mayor Bill de Blasio won election on a promise to overhaul the police department after a federal judge ruled the widely controversial practice known as "stop and frisk" unconstitutional. Then, a grand jury didn't indict an officer for the death of Eric Garner, who died during an arrest in 2014. And at a funeral for a slain officer later that year, ranks of police turned their backs when the mayor began to speak. Officers effectively stopped working for two weeks that winter, and arrest rates plummeted.

Despite the tension, the number of homicides in New York City increased just 5 percent last year, well below the average change across the 50 largest cities in the country. The cumulative result of all the controversy over the past several years has been a 35 percent decrease in the number of homicides since 2010.

Then there's Chicago, a city where Mayor Rahm Emanuel has blamed crime rates on closer scrutiny of the police.

"We have allowed our police department to get fetal, and it is having a direct consequence," the mayor said at the meeting in October. "They don't want to be a news story themselves. They don't want their career ended early, and it's having an impact."

60 homicides per 100,000 people

Mistrust of Chicago's police has been elevated since an officer fatally shot Laquan McDonald 16 times in October 2014. A grand jury indicted the officer, Jason Van Dyke, on charges including murder in the first degree in November, more than a year after the shooting. Emanuel dismissed his superintendent of police, and protesters paraded along the city's ritziest avenues, calling on the mayor to resign.

The number of homicides increased by 15 percent last year in Chicago. That change is less than the average change across the country's 50 largest cities. The tally last year, 468, was nothing out of the ordinary for Chicago, where no fewer than 500 homicides were committed in 2012.

Heroin

Another theory that Comey cited for the increase in homicides is the expanding popularity of heroin. Possibly, as more people become addicted to the drug, dealers are moving their operations into new territory, leading to disputes and violence.

Richard Rosenfeld, a criminologist at the University of Missouri at St. Louis, points out a problem with this explanation.

Data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows that more people are dying from using too much heroin, an indicator of Americans' newfound taste for the drug. Yet that increase began in 2010, when the number of homicides was declining in many major cities.

Heroin might account for the greater number of homicides in a city such as Indianapolis, where the count increased by 33 percent between 2011 and 2012 and has worsened since then. Police therehave said a dispute over drugs was the motivation in many of those cases.

It isn't clear whether heroin is part of the explanation for the increase in homicides this past year in other cities.

"You'd have to account for at least three years, maybe even a longer gap," Rosenfeld said.

Stephens, of the Major Cities Chiefs Association, ticked off a list of other theories for the increase in violence. Perhaps relaxed gun laws in some states are making firearms more widely available, and more arguments are being settled with lethal weapons as a result.

Stephens also noted that authorities are locking up fewer people in prison, and perhaps more dangerous criminals were on the street last year.

Federal data, however, suggest that the reduction in the incarcerated population over the past several years is mainly a consequence of decreasing admissions, rather than a change in the number of prisoners released annually, which has also declined. In 2014, just 582,000 prisonerswere let go from state and federal prisons, compared with 683,000 in 2008.

Percent change in homicide rate in cities in California and Texas, 2014 to 2015

Percent change in

homicide rate in cities in

Additionally, both those explanations are complicated by the absence of any regional pattern in the data. There were more killings in Nashville, but the total in Memphis declined by 1 percent. The number of homicides increased 25 percent in Houston, but decreased 9 percent in San Antonio. There were seven fewer homicides last year than in 2014 in Fresno, Calif., a decline of 15 percent. Meanwhile, up Highway 99 in Sacramento, there were 43 killings last year, an increase of 54 percent.

"Everything is basically anecdotal," Stephens said. "There's not a clear national picture that I've been able to discern of what might be contributing to the changes that we’ve seen in so many cities."

‘Data points’

Wonkblog collected the 2015 homicide data from individual police departments or from news sources that cited those departments. Homicide data for earlier years came from the FBI.

The FBI excludes certain homicides in which authorities determine that the killer did not break the law. Those rare "justifiable homicides" might include acts of self-defense or some killings by police officers. While some police departments do include those incidents in their homicide counts, Wonkblog excluded them from the figures presented in this article.

Justifiable homicides couldn't be removed from the data for seven cities: Colorado Springs; Columbus; Ohio; Los Angeles; Miami; Minneapolis; Seattle; and Wichita. As a result, the counts for those cities might be biased upward relative to previous years.

On the other hand, it sometimes requires coroners and detectives several weeks to determine whether a death is a homicide. Homicides committed near the end of last year might not be included in these totals if investigators haven't yet identified them as suspicious.

While the FBI's official crime data for 2015 won't be reported for several months, the agency recently released preliminary counts for the first half of the year. That data revealed a divergence between large cities and smaller towns. In jurisdictions with at least 1 million people, the number of homicides increased 10.8 percent during the first six months of 2015, and by 12.4 percent in cities with between 500,000 and 1 million residents. Nationally, though, the figure was only 6.2 percent.

Data on other crimes can provide a more complete picture of public safety. In a preliminary analysisbased on figures from 19 cities, Chettiar's colleagues at New York University projected that the overall rate of crime declined 5.5 percent last year.

The fact that there has been little change in the number of violent crimes other than homicide suggests that the officers haven't stopped doing their jobs.

At the same time, if heroin addicts are committing more crimes to pay for their drugs, criminologists would expect an increase in property crime, not continuing declines.

The data on homicides does not conclusively rule out a Ferguson effect or heroin consumption as factors in the overall increase in the number of homicides. Both may have contributed to the violence, along with other factors that researchers haven't yet identified.

Experts on crime understand little about what causes fluctuations in violence and lawbreaking over time. That this past year's increase remains mostly a mystery shouldn't be a surprise, since as Wonkblog has previously reported, the much larger decline since 1991 is still largely unexplained.

"We need to figure out what’s happening and deal with it now. I refuse to wait," Comey, the FBI director, said in October. "These aren’t data points. These are lives."

Read the whole story

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State police colonel: Criminals, terrorists declared war on police | Local News
Friday July 22nd, 2016 at 10:40 AM

BOSTON —Police departments across Massachusetts are taking precautions to make sure officers stay safe.

Watch report

One law enforcement veteran said he's never seen an environment this dangerous and polarized for police in the United States.

Boston police had gone back to normal procedures after the after the killing of five officers in Dallas. But now they are reinstating two-officer patrols to reinforce safety on the streets.

Cambridge police are also urging officers to be vigilant in light of the killings in Louisiana, saying they are reinforcing all safety protocols.

State police will talk to troopers about safety this week reminding everyone to maintain a high level of awareness.

State Police Col. Richard McKeon said he knows most Americans support police officers, but "radicalized criminals and terrorists have declared war on the guardians of democracy -- the police."

Boston Police Commissioner William Evans released a statement calling violence against law enforcement officers both alarming and disheartening.

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How to STOP the “War on Police.” | Stephanie L. Mann | LinkedIn
Friday July 22nd, 2016 at 10:17 AM

How to STOP the “War on Police.”

115 views
11 Likes
7 Comments

As a crime prevention specialist, I’ve worked with citizens and police for 39 years. Today, I’m getting questions about my experiences with police.

I was teaching residents how to protect themselves and their neighbors from crime. After one meeting, an officer shoved me into a wall. He was angry and made it clear, I had “invaded” his territory. The next morning, I was in the police chief’s office and the problem was quickly resolved. That was the only unfortunate experience I had in thirty-nine years working with police.

The “war on police” is a dangerous trend and must stop! Men and women join local police departments to “protect and serve.” The vast majority of individuals are dismissed if they don’t have a positive mental attitude, like to work with citizens and have a good education.

Criminals don’t care about the community. They spread lies in an effort to turn the community against police. They often pay neighbor’s bills and bring gifts to build their network of protection as a shield from police. Their only interest is to continue selling drugs, pimping young women, robbing and stealing. Gangs don’t want police to disrupt their “business.” They control neighborhoods through fear and keep citizens locked into crime, drugs and violence so they can feel rich and powerful.

So… who is the biggest threat to community safety?

It is destructive and costly when politicians and city leaders blame police. If something isn’t working in our cities, it is up to city leaders to address issues immediately. To blame the police is scapegoating. The role of the police is to react to crime! The role of city leaders is to assume responsibility to help prevent community problems.

I suggest you look at what city leaders can do to keep cities safe. Community participation must to be top priority if we are going to keep America safe.

Click here to read about the, “Safe Neighborhoods Program for City Leaders.”

Every American must speak up and ask local politicians what they are doing to stop the war on police and how they plan to help bring the community together. And, don’t forget to tell an officer how much you appreciate their service!

Read the whole story

· · ·

War on Police Now a Reality
Friday July 22nd, 2016 at 10:13 AM

In the past two weeks, the "war on police" has gone from a metaphor to a reality, with eight officers killed in targeted attacks in Dallas and Baton Rouge.

The country hasn't seen anything like it since the early 1970s, when a lunatic fringe of the left undertook a violent campaign against law enforcement.

Today's spate of anti-police violence isn't remotely as organizationally or ideologically coherent, but it is more lethal. The Black Liberation Army, a homicidal splinter group of the Black Panthers, never killed more than two cops in one operation, and its body count over the course of about two years was only slightly higher than what we've seen just this month.

Vanity Fair writer Bryan Burrough recounts the history in his exceptional book "Days of Rage." He dismisses as a myth the popular idea that the left's violent underground was motivated primarily by opposition to the Vietnam War. "Every single underground group of the 1970s," Burrough writes (excepting the Puerto Rican FALN), "was concerned first and foremost with the struggle of blacks against police brutality, racism, and government repression."

Black militancy had the most allure, or as a radical lawyer told Burrough, "Everything started with the Black Panthers. The whole thrill of being with them."

Stokely Carmichael of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee gave black militancy a jump-start with his famous speech in Mississippi in 1966 declaring, "The only way we gonna stop them white men from whuppin' us is to take over. We been saying freedom for six years and we ain't got nothin'. What we gonna start sayin' now is Black Power!"

Carmichael's activities in Mississippi spawned various Black Panther groups, the most important in Oakland, California, led by Huey Newton and Bobby Seale. They became a sensation with their gun-toting antics and bristling confrontations with police, although they would be outflanked by their "information minister," Eldridge Cleaver, a convicted rapist, who called for "A black liberation army! An army of angry n****s!"

Killing cops quickly moved from a rhetorical pose — the Black Panther newspaper gave us the phrase "Off the Pig" — to an actual imperative. The Weather Underground targeted police in a series of — thankfully — relatively ineffectual bombings.

It was the Black Liberation Army, an underground force spawned in the poisonous split between Newton and Cleaver, that took up the mission with a deadly seriousness.

From 1971 to 1973, the BLA attacked police in San Francisco, North Carolina, Atlanta and New York. In the space of a couple of days in May 1971, it shot four cops in New York, killing two.

It carried out a particularly gruesome murder in the East Village in January 1972, ambushing two officers from behind and shooting them to bits when they fell to the ground. All told, the group killed roughly 10 police officers before it was hunted down and broken up.

Obviously, nothing like the BLA exists today. There isn't an anti-police underground with safe houses, mandatory readings in Mao and a funding apparatus built on armed robbery.

The cop killers in Dallas and Baton Rouge were, to borrow a phrase from international terrorism, "lone wolves." But the logic of the Baton Rouge shooter as he explained it on YouTube — the police are a predatory, occupying force that must be resisted violently — is exactly the same as the BLA's.

The United States has experienced an extraordinary period of social peace dating from the Rodney King riot in 1992 — more than 50 dead and $1 billion in damages — to today.

The recent unrest in Ferguson and Baltimore can't be compared with that five-day conflagration, or the urban riots of the 1960s. But order is always a fragile thing, dependent on the sense of the legitimacy of our institutions.

With the police under a withering moral and intellectual assault, politicized assassinations of cops, which a few weeks ago would have seemed a relic of the 1970s, are back.

Rich Lowry is editor of the National Review and author of the best-seller "Lincoln Unbound: How an Ambitious Young Railsplitter Saved the American Dream — and How We Can Do It Again. He has written for The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and a variety of other publications. Read more reports from Rich Lowry — Click Here Now.

Read the whole story

· · ·

Just how effective has the Russian military campaign in Syria really been?
Friday July 22nd, 2016 at 9:51 AM

Russia Direct

Russia’s military in Syria has had only limited success in reclaiming territory lost to ISIS. More importantly, the costly campaign still has not led to the West’s desire to cooperate with Moscow in either the Middle East or Ukraine.

Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu visits Hmeymim air base in Syria, June 18, 2016. Photo: Reuters

Russia continues to tout its military success in Syria, even as clear signs of this become harder to find. On July 15, Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu said that the operations of Russian Air and Space Forces (ASF) in Syria have “turned the tide in favor of the legitimate government of Syria.”

“As a result of Russian air activity, the supplies coming to the terrorists have been interrupted, and in some places completely blocked,” said Shoigu. The minister also said that during operations in Syria, the Russian ASF eliminated more than 2,000 émigré-terrorists from Russia, including 17 field commanders. Moreover, with the support of the Air and Space Forces, more than 12,000 square kilometers (4,633 square miles) and 150 cities have been liberated in Syria.

Despite the fact that the withdrawal of Russian troops from Syria officially began four months ago, Moscow continues to incur losses in the region. Thus, on July 8 the Islamic State of Iraq and the Greater Syria (ISIS) shot down a helicopter near Palmyra, killing two Russian pilots. Thirteen Russian soldiers dead is now the official price of the Kremlin’s Syrian adventure.

Spectacular bombings and a “contactless” war have not achieved the desired goals. Syrian President Bashar Assad’s regime has moved from a near-death condition to a “serious but stable” condition. It now even tries going on the offensive, sometimes achieving tactical successes, but a radical breakthrough seems far away.

The “contactless war” had ceased to be so, less than one month after it started. The first victim became a Russian aircraft mechanic who allegedly committed suicide last October at the Khmeimim Airbase. Since then, the list of those killed has grown, almost monthly, to include officers, pilots, security guards and contract soldiers.

All this points to the fact that the Russian military is quite active both in the air and on the ground. As the list of losses keeps growing, so does the death toll.

The Russian military presence in Syria is a fact. It is the sole source of strength keeping the Syrian Arab Army (SAA) from disintegration, and the regime of Syrian President Bashar Assad from falling. As Stanislav Byshok, a political analyst at the international monitoring organization CIS-EMO argues, back in September, “The central government in Syria had, according to different estimates, around two weeks left to exist.” By summer 2016 Damascus had shifted from agony to a “serious but stable” condition. However, “there are still no chances for Assad to survive without foreign help,” states military expert Aleksandr Khomchikhin.

Yet, the SAA in 2016 and in 2010 are two completely different entities. In six years, a relatively well-armed and centralized 250,000-strong army has been cut in half, to just 125,000, as a result of losses and defections of Sunnis. Moreover, 30 percent of its armor has been destroyed. Just a few elite units are actually able to advance today – the Tigers, the Desert Falcons, a marine brigade and some of the old mechanized brigades. They act as fire brigades and shock troops.

Damascus has a limited mobile reserve, including marines from the Latakia Mountains, who were transferred from hundreds of kilometers away in June to attack Palmyra, and then to Al-Raqqah, together with the Falcons. In the spring, the Tigers from Aleppo were sent to the breach near Palmyra, as well as to Al-Raqqah. The Hezbollah are fighting really well (some of which were withdrawn after the limited ceasefire was announced), as are the Iraqi and Iranian units in the alliance. The militias and the less-motivated SAA units that remain are assigned to hold the front and protect cities.

This amalgamation of military units is hard to manage, and they often enter into conflict with each other and the center. The Russian military units active in Syria have been trying to organize this mess since October 2015, and not always successfully. According to some reports, the weak combat capability of the SAA often leads to conflicts between the Russian “facilitators” and the Iranians and officers of the SAA.

The Russians not only work in the headquarters and train the Syrians to carry out air strikes, but also work with them on the ground to service conventional and rocket artillery, and even armored vehicles. Meanwhile, new weapon systems and military vehicles – including howitzers and tanks - continue to be spotted. In a segment that aired on Russia Today featuring Vladimir Putin's meeting with the Ministry of Defense leadership in November 2015, the military map of the city of Mahin included the 5th Howitzer Battery of the 120th Guards Artillery Brigade.

Entire units, rather than individual “advisers,” are being sent to Syria. Starting in the winter of 2015-2016, reports came out about Russian T-90 tanks near Aleppo. On the Internet, it’s possible to find photos of Russian military equipment, including armored trucks, jeeps, and new weapons systems. Across the social networks, there are careless postings of photos of Russian soldiers and officers against the background of Syrian troops, equipment and scenery, making it easier to geo-locate them.

The successes of the SAA and its allies in September were tactical only; geographically, they are insignificant. Any gains are fleeting at best, according to Yakov Freedman, an Israeli expert on the Middle East. Sergey Balmasov, expert of the Middle East Institute at the Russian International Affairs Council, echoes his view: “For now, we are seeing only local successes.” In Aleppo, the unblocking of the Kweiris Airbase and the joining (with the help of Hezbollah and Russian tank commanders) of the Shiite enclaves of Nabbul and Zahra and the Kurdish canton of Afrin, closed the most convenient supply line of the rebels coming from Turkey to the province of Idlib.

In Latakia, troops almost reached the Turkish border, but their progress was stalled. After that, since an uneasy ceasefire in March was announced, the SAA has focused on fighting against ISIS. In April, Palmyra was liberated, as was the Christian city of Al-Qaryatayn, standing in the middle of the Damascus-Palmyra road.

The urgent task for Damascus is the offensive from Palmyra towards the city of Deir ez-Zor, which has been struggling to defend itself for more than a year after being surrounded by ISIS. On the way to this city are the rich natural gas fields that were seized from the government by Islamists in the spring and summer of 2015. By June 13, loyalists, with the support of Russian planes, helicopters and advisors, reached the Arak Field and the T-3 Airbase, 30 kilometers (18.6 miles) from Palmyra, but then were pushed back.

At the same time, on May 5, ISIS seized one of the last government-controlled gas fields to the northwest of Palmyra – Shaer. On July 12 Tu-22M3 bombers were heavily bombing the T-3 Airbase and Arak and this means that an offensive is about to begin towards the east. This is also a sign that Russia is for now ready to support Assad from its own territory if necessary. At the moment, sides are clashing in counterstrikes – both are trying to carry out offensives. The fact that it was there that the Russian pilots were killed, speaks about the intensity of the fighting there. The SAA also needs to take into account the unfortunate experience of their counterparts to the north, which did not succeed on the path to Al-Raqqah, even with Russian air support.

The offensive against the Al-Tabqa Airbase, which is 20 kilometers (12.4 miles) from the “capital” of the caliphate, ended in an ignominious defeat. By June 19, the loyalists were 7 kilometers (4.3 miles) from the target, and seemed to be quickly seizing the initiative from the pro-American Arab-Kurdish coalition in possession of Al-Raqqah.

However, the offensive, although accompanied by the support of Russian military advisers, Mi-28 and Ka-52 attack helicopters and air strikes, carelessly moved along the highway, leaving its flanks exposed. When loyalists advanced far enough, they were cut off from the “mainland” and were destroyed by combined attacks of suicide bombers and mobile groups with armored vehicles and pickups armed with guns. The Desert Falcons fled from their positions, the chief of staff of the 10th Mechanized Division was killed, and ISIS published photos allegedly showing Russian troops killed in the battle and the remains of an artillery tractor. By June 22, after losing as many as 100 people, the SAA had retreated to a position held six months before – the town of Atreya. The initially dashing offensive that turned out to be a defeat was witnessed by Russian military journalist Roman Saponkov, who himself nearly found himself in the encirclement of forces. A new offensive against Al-Raqqah is excluded in the near future. On the contrary, as military expert Vladimir Prokhatilov thinks, there is a re-emergence of the threat on the only road to Aleppo.

The latest ongoing offensive of the SAA is an attempt to cut the only supply path of opponents of Assad in Damascus – the Al-Castello Road. Thanks to the transfer of the Tigers, Russian aircraft and armored vehicles, they succeeded – the road had finally been cut.

However, there were some negative developments. In April, in the area of Al-Mallah (the “bottleneck”), the militants of the Harakat Nour al-Din al-Zenki, an independent insurgent group friendly to Al-Nusra, during the first, unsuccessful attempt, captured the latest Russian T-90A tank, which was abandoned by its crew. In May it was sold to Al-Nusra for $500,000. The Russian ASF has been currently unsuccessfully trying to find and destroy it.

A second attempt to cut the route is taking place right now – the block station on the road was captured, passing under the control of the SAA

A second attempt to cut the route is taking place right now – the block station on the road was captured, passing under the control of the SAA. The eastern areas are in fact already in a blockade and the possibility of a humanitarian crisis emerging is growing, says Rami Abdul Rahman, head of the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. However, loyalists cannot yet celebrate their victory: the wedge that cut the rebels from the supply route can itself turn into a trap. The SAA is trying to take a further step into the city and in the direction of Anadan Valley, where all the neighboring cities are located. If they are taken, the rebels’ days in the former economic capital of Syria will be over. For now, the success near the Al-Castello Road is operational, rather than tactical.

However, the optimistic reports of recent offensives should not mislead anyone. Spectacular bombings are reminiscent of the old “shock and awe” tactics of Western military interventions in the Middle East. However, these bombings cost a lot of money, and at least two soldier deaths per month outside of Russia. According to Denis Volkov of the Levada Moscow Center, notwithstanding the media’s glorification of those who lost their lives in Syria, members of the public in Russia “do not prefer such kind of heroism.” This is not to mention the losses suffered by Russian private military companies (PMCs). According to some sources, they have lost tens or even hundreds of men. Officially, however, these contract soldiers simply do not exist in a country where “mercenaries” are illegal. Recent unfortunate episodes involving these paramilitary formations are still fresh in the minds of many, and there is obviously little desire to open up fresh wounds that date back to the Ukraine crisis.

The costly Syrian adventure has not yet achieved any of its stated goals, despite assurances from Kremlin’s experts and propagandists. Russians still have not understood the motives behind it. The military campaign has not helped Moscow when it comes to reconciliation and cooperation with the West. There is no cooperation, and if it is offered, it will be in exchange for Assad’s departure. Thus, when U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry recently arrived in Moscow with a proposal to coordinate fighting against ISIS and Al-Nusra, it most likely included a provision for Assad to depart the scene.

The SAA is advancing in one place and retreating in another. Cities that are painstakingly liberated are later surrendered. The front is unstable at best and success is fleeting. In the coming months, if Damascus does not achieve strategic successes in Aleppo, Palmyra and Al-Raqqah, the Kremlin’s attitude to providing support to Assad may change, even to the point of shutting off support entirely. However, how and when this assistance will end, depends on just one person.

The opinion of the author may not necessarily reflect the position of Russia Direct or its staff.

Ilya Lakstygal is a graduate of Lomonosov Moscow State University (MGU) and the Kommersant Academy of Journalism. His research interests include international relations in Europe, the Middle East, the Mediterranean, the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), Russian foreign and domestic policy as well as socio-political processes in Russia and the post-Soviet space.

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Amid Broad Movement Against Police Abuse, Some Act on the Fringe - The New York Times
Friday July 22nd, 2016 at 9:19 AM

The broad movement against police abuse that has grown over the past two years has drawn a diverse kaleidoscope of activists who are employing an array of tactics. Among those who are praying, blocking roadways, crying out on social media and negotiating with elected officials are a small but fervent few who are channeling the history of militant resistance in America. They are protesting not just with slogans and signs, but also with rifles slung over their shoulders and a rebellious spirit emanating from their throats.

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Donald Trump’s Remarks Rattle NATO Allies and Stoke Debate on Cost Sharing
Friday July 22nd, 2016 at 9:06 AM

“They have an obligation to make payments,” Mr. Trump said in the interview. “Many NATO nations are not making payments, are not making what they’re supposed to make.”

Asked whether the United States would come to the aid of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania — three Baltic states that were invaded by the Soviet Union in 1940, and joined NATO in 2004 — in the event of a Russian invasion, Mr. Trump replied, “I don’t want to tell you what I’d do because I don’t want Putin to know what I’d do,” referring to Russia’s president, Vladimir V. Putin, for whom Mr. Trump hasexpressed admiration.

Reminded that NATO members are obligated by treaty to come to one another’s defense, Mr. Trump responded: “Have they fulfilled their obligations to us? If they fulfill their obligations to us, the answer is yes.”

Asked on Thursday about Mr. Trump’s comments, Defense Secretary Michael Fallon of Britain snapped: “Article 5 is an absolute commitment. It doesn’t come with conditions or caveats.”

Less than two weeks ago, at a NATO summit meeting in Warsaw, Mr. Obama reassured America’s allies that “in good times and in bad, Europe can count on the United States — always.”

Toomas Hendrik Ilves, the president of Estonia, took to Twitter to emphasize that his country was one of only five NATO members to meet the target that it spend 2 percent of gross domestic product — a broad measure of economic activity — on military spending. (The others are the United States, Britain, Poland and Greece.)

Mr. Ilves also noted that Estonia contributed troops to the fight in Afghanistan in keeping with Article 5.

Artis Pabriks, a former foreign and defense minister of Latvia, which borders Russia and has stepped up military spending, wrote on Twitter: “If Trump doubts NATO solidarity in the case of Article 5, then his election is dangerous for Baltic security.”

Lithuania’s president, Dalia Grybauskaite, tried to calm her citizens. “Regardless of who becomes the next president of the U.S., we trust America,” she told reporters. “It has always defended nations under attack, and will do so in the future.”

Ms. Grybauskaite added: “Lithuania — as well as other Baltic states — is doing everything it can. We are modernizing our armed forces, we have reinstituted conscription and our defense spending will reach 2 percent of G.D.P. in 2018. I do not think interpretations of candidate Trump’s remarks are necessary. We know that the U.S. will remain our most important partner.”

In Russia, Mr. Trump’s comments met with approval. Alexei Pushkov, head of the foreign relations committee of the State Duma, the lower house of the Russian Parliament, contrasted Mr. Trump with Hillary Clinton, the presumptive Democratic nominee. “Clinton’s creed: strengthen the U.S.’s anti-Russian alliances. Trump’s creed: respond only to real threats,” Mr. Pushkov wrote. “Aggressive banality versus common sense.”

NATO’s 28 members pledged at summit meetings in Wales in 2014 and in Warsaw this month to do more to meet the 2 percent of GDP spending target, and Mr. Stoltenberg has made reaching that goal a priority.

Xenia Wickett, the head of the United States and Americas program at Chatham House, a foreign policy think tank based in London, said Mr. Trump was echoing — albeit in far less diplomatic terms — concerns raised by a succession of American secretaries of defense, including the three who have served Mr. Obama: Robert M. Gates, Leon E. Panetta and Ashton B. Carter.

“The U.S. is no longer willing to cover the approximately 75 percent of the NATO budget that it currently does,” Ms. Wickett wrote in an email. “Trump takes it to the extreme, which is new, but the direction is not new. Trump wants to see a more ‘fair’ division of labor.” She added, “Unfortunately, his way of expressing it is likely to aid our adversaries rather than assist the alliance.”

Alexandra de Hoop Scheffer, the head of the Paris office of the German Marshall Fund of the United States, a research organization, said too much was being made of Mr. Trump’s remarks. She said the imbalance in NATO spending “is just not sustainable,” adding, “Trump is taking the burden-sharing debate to extreme levels, by directly calling into question U.S. responsibility as a NATO member state to fulfill its obligations under Article 5, in case a NATO member state got attacked by Russia.”

She added that European leaders needed to persuade their citizens “of the importance of investing in defense to face current and future security challenges.”

But Carl Bildt, a former prime minister and foreign minister of Sweden, said he feared that Mr. Trump’s remarks would embolden autocratic and aggressive powers. “There is certainly a risk that he will encourage states like Russia and China to take the risk that U.S. will not stand up for its allies and its commitments, and that could be extremely dangerous for global stability,” he said. “He’s downplaying not only the defense of common interests, but also the defense of common values. Democracy seems nearly to be a derogatory term for him.”

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Mom: Gunman would 'pretty much lose it' on police shootings
Friday July 22nd, 2016 at 8:35 AM

Robert Jablon, Associated Press

Updated 3:26 am, Friday, July 22, 2016

Photo: Damian Dovarganes, AP

Corine Woodley, left, the mother of Gavin Long, the Iraq war veteran who shot and killed three law enforcement officers in Baton Rouge, La., tells PBS talk show host Tavis Smiley, right, her son suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder, during an interview in Los Angeles on Thursday, July 21, 2016. Woodley brought a letter she said he received from the Department of Veterans Affairs denying her son’s request for treatment of PTSD in 2013 on grounds that the disorder wasn’t related to his military service.

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Photo: Damian Dovarganes, AP

The mother of Gavin Long, the Iraq war veteran who shot and killed three law enforcement officers in Baton Rouge, Corine Woodley, left, tells her son suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder during an interview with PBS talk show host Tavis Smiley in Los Angeles Thursday, July 21, 2016. Woodley brought a letter from the Department of Veterans Affairs denying her son's request for treatment of PTSD in 2013 on grounds that the disorder wasn't related to his military service. Long spent five years in the Marine Corps. Long served one tour in Iraq before being honorably discharged.

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Photo: Damian Dovarganes, AP

The mother of Gavin Long, the Iraq war veteran who shot and killed three law enforcement officers in Baton Rouge, Corine Woodley, left, tells her son suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder during an interview with PBS talk show host Tavis Smiley in Los Angeles Thursday, July 21, 2016. Woodley brought her son diaries and a letter from the Department of Veterans Affairs denying her son's request for treatment of PTSD in 2013 on grounds that the disorder wasn't related to his military service. Long spent five years in the Marine Corps. Long served one tour in Iraq before being honorably discharged.

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Photo: Damian Dovarganes, AP

Corine Woodley, the mother of Gavin Long, the Iraq war veteran who shot and killed three law enforcement officers in Baton Rouge, La., tells PBS talk show host Tavis Smiley that her son suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder, during an interview in Los Angeles on Thursday, July 21, 2016. Woodley brought a letter she said he received from the Department of Veterans Affairs denying her son’s request for treatment of PTSD in 2013 on grounds that the disorder wasn’t related to his military service.

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Corine Woodley, the mother of Gavin Long, the Iraq war veteran who shot and killed three law enforcement officers in Baton Rouge, La., tells PBS talk show host Tavis Smiley that her son suffered from

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Photo: Damian Dovarganes, AP

A portion of the diaries of Gavin Long, provided by his mother, Corine Woodley, are seen during an interview with PBS talk show host Tavis Smiley in Los Angeles, Thursday, July 21, 2016. Woodley brought two diaries that she said her troubled son wrote, one in 2014 and one in 2015, about the African-American history of slavery and oppression. Police gunned down Long, a 29-year-old from Kansas City, Mo., after he shot and killed three officers and wounded several others during a shootout Sunday.

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Photo: Damian Dovarganes, AP

This frame grab made from a video posted on YouTube on July 10, 2016, shows Gavin Eugene Long speaking as his online persona Cosmo Setepenra. Long killed law enforcement officers in Baton Rouge, La., on Sunday, July 17, 2016. (YouTube via AP)

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Photo: Gavin Long, AP

This Sunday, July 17, 2016, frame from security video provided by the Louisiana State Police shows Gavin Eugene Long carrying a weapon in Baton Rouge, La. Authorities said Long ambushed law enforcement officers fatally shooting multiple officers and injuring several others before he was killed. (Louisiana State Police via AP)

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Photo: AP

East Baton Rouge Sheriff's deputies release balloons at a noon vigil organized by municipal court workers in downtown Baton Rouge, La., Wednesday, July 20, 2106, in honor of recent slain and injured sheriff deputies and police. Several police officers and sheriff deputies were killed and wounded Sunday morning in a shooting near a gas station in Baton Rouge, less than two weeks after a black man was shot and killed by police here, sparking nightly protests across the city.

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Photo: Gerald Herbert, AP

This undated photo made available by the East Baton Rouge Sheriff's Office shows deputy Brad Garafola. Garafola and at least two other Baton Rouge law enforcement officers investigating a report of a man with an assault rifle were killed Sunday, July 17, 2016, less than two weeks after a black man was fatally shot by police here in a confrontation that sparked nightly protests that reverberated nationwide. (East Baton Rouge Sheriff's Office via AP)

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East Baton Rouge Sheriff's deputies Natasha Stingley, right, and Minnie Ducksworth, left, bow their heads in prayer before releasing balloons at a noon vigil organized by municipal court workers in downtown Baton Rouge, La., Wednesday, July 20, 2016, in honor of recent slain and injured sheriff deputies and police. Several police officers and sheriff deputies were killed and wounded Sunday morning in a shooting near a gas station in Baton Rouge, less than two weeks after a black man was shot and killed by police here, sparking nightly protests across the city.

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Photo: Gerald Herbert, AP

Former NFL running back Warrick Dunn speaks at a noon vigil organized by municipal court workers in downtown Baton Rouge, La., Wednesday, July 20, 2016, in honor of recent slain and injured sheriff deputies and police His mother, Baton Rouge police officer Betty Smothers, was killed during a robbery attempt in 1993, when he was 18. Multiple police officers and sheriff deputies were killed and wounded Sunday morning in a shooting near a gas station in Baton Rouge, less than two weeks after a black man was shot and killed by police here, sparking nightly protests across the city.

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Photo: Gerald Herbert, AP

Brian Armoney of Baton Rouge holds a flag following a "Law Enforcement Support" ride in front of the Baton Rouge Police headquarters in Baton Rouge, La. Tuesday, July 19, 2016 . A convoy of about 300 motorcycle riders attended the event.

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Photo: Max Becherer, AP

East Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff's Sgt. Bruce Simmons shakes hands with a a well-wisher as he leaves Baton Rouge General Hospital Thursday afternoon July 21, 2016, in Baton Rouge, La., after recovering from wounds received during an attack on officers last Sunday. (Bill Feig/The Advocate via AP)

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Mom: Gunman would 'pretty much lose it' on police shootings

The mother of the man who shot and killed three law-enforcement officers in Baton Rouge said her son would "pretty much lose it" when he heard about a black man being shot by police in what he considered an unlawful manner.

In an interview with PBS talk show host Tavis Smiley on Thursday, Corine Woodley said son Gavin Long rented a car several times and drove to locations where black men had been shot by police and would tell her: "Somebody has to do something."

Police gunned down Long, a 29-year-old black man from Kansas City, Missouri, after he shot and killed three officers and wounded three others during a shootout Sunday.

Woodley said during the interview taped in Los Angeles that she believes Long, an Iraq war veteran, suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder and he once said he thought the CIA was following him.

She brought a letter she said he received from the Department of Veterans Affairs denying her son's request for treatment of PTSD in 2013 on grounds that the disorder wasn't related to his military service. The letter was shown to an Associated Press reporter but could not be independently verified.

Long spent five years in the Marine Corps. He served one tour in Iraq before being honorably discharged. His occupational expertise was listed as a "data network specialist." Although he never saw combat, there was "shooting all around" where he was stationed, his mother said.

Veterans Health Administration records show a number of contacts with Long from 2008 to 2013, with the last known encounter with the VA in August 2013, according to a statement from the VA this week. The statement said the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act prohibits the VA from disclosing any additional information.

Long was armed with two rifles and a pistol and wearing a ski mask when he ambushed the officers near a gas station and convenience store.

Two Baton Rouge police officers — 32-year-old Montrell Jackson and 41-year-old Matthew Gerald — and 45-year-old East Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff's Office Deputy Brad Garafola were killed in the shooting.

"My heart bleeds for the families (of the officers), more so than Gavin," his mother said. "I know Gavin; I know he did it. He didn't see any way out (from) the vicious killings from the police officers. He actually felt that was the only thing he could do to help the situation."

She also brought two diaries she said her troubled son wrote — one in 2014 and one in 2015 — that include rambling thoughts on philosophy, religion and politics.

At one point, he wrote: "If you are not going to let me live, then you are going to have to kill me."

The diaries are in addition to a self-described, handwritten manifesto that an Ohio man says was emailed to him by Long less than an hour before the shootings.

In the letter, Long said he expected people who knew him wouldn't believe he would commit "such horrendous acts of violence." He wrote that he viewed his actions as necessary to "create substantial change within America's police force."

Photographs of the three-page letter show it was signed by "Cosmo," the first name of an alias used by Long, and the pictures were attached to an email sent from a Google address that Long used.

The Associated Press obtained the photographs of the letter Wednesday from Yarima Karama, a Columbus, Ohio, musician who said he didn't know Long personally but received several emails from him after Long began commenting on Karama's YouTube videos in March.

The AP was not able to conclusively verify Long sent the photos himself from his Google account. Metadata reviewed from the three photos indicates they were snapped shortly before 8 a.m. on the day of the shooting using a Motorola Android cellphone, but both photos and time stamps can be modified.

Karama said he provided a copy of the letter to FBI agents who interviewed him at his home Wednesday. Louisiana State Police Maj. Doug Cain said authorities were trying to verify that Long wrote the letter.

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Associated Press writer Michael Kunzelman in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, contributed to this report.

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2016 Nice attack - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Friday July 22nd, 2016 at 8:24 AM

On 21 July, Molins announced that investigations showed the attack was planned for months and the driver had accomplices. Four men and one woman, aged between 22 and 42, faced preliminary terrorism-related charges for their alleged roles in helping Lahouaiej-Bouhlel. Those facing charges were two French-Tunisians,—one of them born in Nice in 1994—a Tunisian, an Albanian and his wife, with dual French and Albanian nationality. The Albanian couple are alleged to have supplied a gun. The Tunisian suspect was said to have filmed the scene of the attack on the Promenade des Anglais on 15 July, when it was filled with police and journalists, before taking a selfie.[120][121][122]He and Lahouaiej-Bouhlel were said to have contacted each other 1,278 times between July 2015 and July 2016. He is reported to have sent a text message to Lahouaiej-Bouhlel in January 2015 after the attacks on Charlie Hebdo stating: "I am not Charlie .... I am happy, they have brought soldiers of Allah to finish the job." The older of the French-Tunisians allegedly sent Lahouaiej-Bouhlel a Facebook message in April reading: "Load the truck with 2,000 ton ...release the brakes my friend and I will watch". According to Molins, fingerprints on the passenger door and selfies placed the Tunisian and French-Tunisian in the truck in the days before the attack; and CCTV footage showed the Tunisian suspect seated next to Lahouaiej-Bouhlel as he drove the truck along the Promenade des Anglais on the evening of 12 July. Although the youngest suspect had a police record for petty crime, none of the suspects were known to intelligence services.[16][17][123][120][121][122] All five suspects were held in custody: the Tunisian and two French-Tunisians were charged as accomplices to "murder by a group with terror links"; and the Albanian couple were charged with "breaking the law on weapons in relation to a terrorist group".[18]

Orlando and Nice attacks: Domestic violence links to radicalisation
Friday July 22nd, 2016 at 7:57 AM

BBC News - Home

In the aftermath of the recent mass killings by lone attackers in Orlando and Nice, more details have come to light about the attackers' histories and identities.

Both attackers had track records of domestic violence, records of depression and questions around their sexual identities.

As the Islamic State group (IS) continues to stake claim on exported attacks on the West, it has also disseminated a range of identity politics and gender norms.

The message is less about empowering individuals through religion, and more about attracting insecure and threatened individuals with a psychological need for control and simple answers.

'Intimate terrorism'

FBI data on mass shootings between 2009 and 2015 revealed that 57% of attacks involved former spouses or family members among the victims.

Sixteen per cent of mass attackers had faced charges of domestic violence.

Domestic violence is sometimes referred to as "intimate terrorism", defined as "the use of physical abuse plus a broad range of tactics designed to get and keep control over the other person in the relationship".

Both the Orlando and Nice perpetrators, as well as the Boston Marathon bomber and a number of other high-profile lone attackers, had known records of "intimate terrorism" long before their larger-scale attacks.

Omar Mateen, the Orlando attacker who killed 49 and wounded 53 at the gay nightclub Pulse, had a history of abuse.

As early as the third grade (age eight), teachers had commented on his verbal and physical abuse towards other students, both violent and sometimes sexual in nature.

These abusive propensities carried over into his marriage. His first wife, Sitora Yusufiy, openly talked of his violent and psychological abuse, which included repeated beatings, control over her finances and isolation from friends and family.

Mohamed Lahouaiej-Bouhlel, the Nice attacker who killed 84 and injured over 300 people on 14 July, also had a history of domestic abuse.

He was known to authorities for assault and abuse of his wife. In the aftermath of the attack, neighbours described him as depressed, unstable and increasingly aggressive after his wife had left him two years previously.

His family also reported that he had seen psychologists in Tunisia before leaving for France in 2005. The family had experienced outbreaks of anger where Bouhlel would shout and break things.

It is not the case that those carrying out domestic violence should be profiled as likely terrorist suspects.

However, it is unsurprising - looking at the profile of domestic abusers - that those able to justify violence against those closest to them can be capable of normalising other violent tendencies.

Gender identity and sexuality

There are also indications that both Omar Mateen and Mohamed Lahouaiej-Bouhlel had bisexual or homosexual affinities.

Although the FBI has stated there is no concrete evidence of Mateen's homosexuality, many witnesses reported that he had been attending gay night clubs for a long time - beyond what might be considered "scoping". He reportedly used the gay dating app Jack'd and had asked out a gay friend of his at one point.

In comparison, Bouhlel's mobile phone records suggest a much more open and engaged bisexual identity, using dating sites to pick up both male and female lovers and saving a range of images and videos of men and women he had recently slept with.

Both men's histories of depression, domestic violence and hidden sexual identities seem to conflict with the rigid machismo and anti-LGBT ideology of IS. However, it is exactly this worldview that alienated and disempowered individuals are attracted to.

Violent extremist and terrorist organisations, from neo-Nazi groups to Islamic extremist networks, provide an ideological justification for the subjugation and mistreatment of women.

They also provide an infrastructure for the systematic abuse of not only women, but of all those not fitting their rigid interpretation of gender norms.

Pathway to gender roles

In this confined and fundamentalist interpretation of the world, all of the confusion and nuance of identity, sexuality and belonging is simplified into a structure of good and evil, right and wrong.

This narrative allows those feeling frustrated, depressed, confused and disempowered to feel in control and gives them a seemingly higher purpose.

For those questioning their identity or feeling at odds with their own sexual inclinations, IS seems to show a clear pathway of how to adhere to gender roles.

IS propaganda exports a hyper-masculine and dominant male identity while glorifying the subservient female role.

For individuals already holding discriminatory worldviews and violent propensities, these extremist organisations offer acceptance and even praise for these violent inclinations.

They encourage a further expansion of these tendencies towards mass attacks against those they deem "evil".

However, in the case of lone wolf attackers, this praise and encouragement is often from a distance, with little to no direct central contact.

IS benefits from taking credit for the enhanced inclinations of disturbed individuals, playing into the group's asymmetrical warfare tactics abroad as it loses combatants and territory in Syria and Iraq.

French President Francois Hollande calls for increased attacks on IS abroad, but this will be of little help to the European threat.

Only a multi-agency approach that not only shares information between local and national authorities but also enhances capacities of mental health and social service providers will be able to adequately prevent and respond to lone actor threats of this kind.

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Attacker in Nice plotted for months with 'accomplices,' prosecutor says
Friday July 22nd, 2016 at 7:46 AM

Molins said authorities are investigating five suspects who are in custody on terror charges related to the attack that

Mohamed Lahouaiej Bouhlel

carried out on Bastille Day, France's main national holiday.

One suspect allegedly sent Bouhlel a Facebook message saying, "Load the truck with tons of iron and cut the brakes. I'll look brother."

Bouhlel, 31, drove a 20-ton truck through hundreds who had gathered to watch the Bastille Day fireworks on the Mediterranean city's waterfront.

An analysis of cell phone and computer content -- including a photo of last year's Bastille Day fireworks event focused on the crowd -- showed Bouhlel had been planning the assault since at least 2015, Moins said.

The cell phone content also included information on the drug Captagon, an amphetamine pill that can cause a surge of energy and a euphoric high. Jihadist fighters sometimes use this drug.

"The investigation underway since the night of July 14 has progressed and not only confirmed the murderous premeditated nature of Mohamed Lahouaiej Bouhlel's act but also established that he benefited from support and accomplices," Molins said at a news conference.

An Albanian couple was arrested Sunday, according to the Paris prosecutor's office. Agnes Thibault Lecuivre, a spokeswoman for the anti-terrorism prosecutor, did not provide details on their alleged connection.

Bouhlel's estranged wife was arrested at her apartment July 15 and later released without charges, her attorney, Jean-Yves Garino, told CNN.

Garino said the woman, who is the mother of Bouhlel's three children, had not been in contact with the attacker since they were in the middle of divorce proceedings.

What happened that night

Police shot Bouhlel to death after he barreled down the crowded Promenade des Anglais for almost a mile, crushing and hitting people who had gathered to watch fireworks. More than 200 people were injured.

Authorities identified him by fingerprints after his identification card was found in the truck.

Mohamed Lahouaiej Bouhlel hadn't shown up on any anti-terrorist intelligence radar, officials say.

ISIS' media group, Amaq Agency, said last weekend that a "soldier" of the terror organization carried out the attack.

"The person ... carried out the operation in response to calls to target nationals of the coalition which is fighting the Islamic State," according to the statement.

Molins said Thursday there was no evidence so far that Bouhlel or his alleged accomplices had direct contact with ISIS.

Bouhlel, a resident of Nice, was born in Tunisia but had a permit to live and work in France.

He was known to police because of allegations of threats, violence and thefts over the past six years, and he was given a suspended six-month prison sentence this year after being convicted of violence with a weapon, authorities said.

Despite his criminal record, Bouhlel hadn't shown up on any anti-terrorist intelligence radar, French Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve has said. He had no record of making militant statements and was not known to the intelligence services.

CNN's Vasco Cotovio and Armelle De Oliveira contributed to this report.

Read the whole story

· · · ·

Top Turkey Official Touts ‘Win-Win' Approach to Ties With USby webdesk@voanews.com (Dorian Jones)
Thursday July 21st, 2016 at 5:48 PM

Voice Of America

Turkish-U.S. relations will not be significantly affected by last week's failed coup and Turkey will take a "mutual benefit approach" to diplomacy between the two countries, according to Turkey's chief of international relations, Ayse Sozen Usluer. In an interview Thursday with VOA, Usluer discussed Turkey's strategy following the July 15 failed coup by members of Turkey's military. U.S.-Turkish relations remain strained after Friday's coup, with...

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» FBI 2013 probe of Orlando shooter: 'We don't believe he will go postal' - Atlanta Journal Constitution
21/07/16 06:31 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from fbi - Google News. Atlanta Journal Constitution FBI 2013 probe of Orlando shooter: 'We don't believe he will go postal' Atlanta Journal Constitution After interviewing Orlando shooter Omar Mateen twice in ...

» Skinhead Executed His Best Friend After FBI Probe - Daily Beast
21/07/16 06:29 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from fbi - Google News. Daily Beast Skinhead Executed His Best Friend After FBI Probe Daily Beast Brent Luyster allegedly executed three friends and nearly blew the face off a fourth on Friday night after becom...

» The FBI is using outdated IT to foil FOIA requests, lawsuit alleges - CSO Online
21/07/16 06:29 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from fbi - Google News. CSO Online The FBI is using outdated IT to foil FOIA requests, lawsuit alleges CSO Online The FBI is using antiquated computer systems to deliberately foil requests made under the U.S. F...

» Prolific FOIA Requester Celebrates 50th Anniversary Of FOIA Law By Suing FBI Over Its Document Search Methods - Techdirt
21/07/16 06:29 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from fbi - Google News. PCWorld InfoWorld Prolific FOIA Requester Celebrates 50th Anniversary Of FOIA Law By Suing FBI Over Its Document Search Methods Techdirt Foia requests to the FBI are processed by searchi...

» FBI agent did not think Orlando gunman Omar Mateen would 'go postal' in 2013 - UPI.com
21/07/16 06:29 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from fbi - Google News. UPI.com FBI agent did not think Orlando gunman Omar Mateen would 'go postal' in 2013 UPI.com Omar Mateen, who killed 49 people in a massacre carried out in Orlando's Pulse nightclub, was...

» The FBI is using outdated IT to foil FOIA requests, lawsuit alleges - InfoWorld
21/07/16 06:28 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from fbi - Google News. InfoWorld The FBI is using outdated IT to foil FOIA requests, lawsuit alleges InfoWorld The FBI is using antiquated computer systems to deliberately foil requests made under the U.S. Fre...

» Feds: Pulse 911 calls controlled by FBI due to terrorism investigation - Orlando Sentinel
21/07/16 06:28 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from fbi - Google News. Orlando Sentinel Feds: Pulse 911 calls controlled by FBI due to terrorism investigation Orlando Sentinel The City of Orlando is blaming the FBI for a delay in aid provided to some victim...

» FBI 2013 probe of Orlando shooter: 'We don't believe he will go postal' - KRMG
21/07/16 06:27 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from fbi - Google News. KRMG FBI 2013 probe of Orlando shooter: 'We don't believe he will go postal' KRMG After interviewing Orlando shooter Omar Mateen twice in 2013, FBI investigators concluded Mateen was not...

» FBI agent: Arizona terror suspect was under 24/7 surveillance before arrest - azcentral.com
21/07/16 06:27 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from fbi - Google News. azcentral.com FBI agent: Arizona terror suspect was under 24/7 surveillance before arrest azcentral.com Over the span of months, Trentlage said Khan unknowingly communicated with FBI age...

» Pulse Nightclub Shooter Told FBI He Had Falsely Claimed Ties To Killers - NPR
21/07/16 06:26 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from fbi - Google News. NPR Pulse Nightclub Shooter Told FBI He Had Falsely Claimed Ties To Killers NPR The documents quote from interviews first with the FBI and later with his supervisors at G4S Solutions, in...

» Pulse Nightclub Shooter Told FBI He Had Falsely Claimed Ties To Killers - WBUR
21/07/16 06:23 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from fbi - Google News. WBUR Pulse Nightclub Shooter Told FBI He Had Falsely Claimed Ties To Killers WBUR That abuse, he said, led him to claim ties to mass killers and terrorist groups, connections he later to...

» FBI will help investigate Sheremet's murder - Ukraine's National Police chief - Ukraine Today
21/07/16 06:22 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from fbi - Google News. Ukraine Today FBI will help investigate Sheremet's murder - Ukraine's National Police chief Ukraine Today A special task force featuring representatives of the US Federal Bureau of Inves...

» After RNC 2016 speech, Christie blasts Hillary, and his friend FBI Director Comey - NJ.com
21/07/16 06:20 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from fbi - Google News. NJ.com After RNC 2016 speech, Christie blasts Hillary, and his friend FBI Director Comey NJ.com CLEVELAND — Gov. Chris Christie said that presumptive Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton &...

» US Seeks to Recover $1 Billion in Largest Kleptocracy Case to Date - Federal Bureau of Investigation (press release) (blog)
21/07/16 06:19 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from fbi - Google News. Variety US Seeks to Recover $1 Billion in Largest Kleptocracy Case to Date Federal Bureau of Investigation (press release) (blog) “This fraud went on around the world,” said Special Agen...

» FBI Releases File on Australia's Pinko Prime Minister, Gough Whitlam - Gizmodo
21/07/16 06:18 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from fbi - Google News. Gizmodo FBI Releases File on Australia's Pinko Prime Minister, Gough Whitlam Gizmodo My wife's Australian, and she knows I've been obsessed with figuring out what the FBI and CIA knew ab...

» FBI informant was threatened long before his murder, lawyer says - Chicago Sun-Times
21/07/16 06:17 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from fbi - Google News. Chicago Sun-Times FBI informant was threatened long before his murder, lawyer says Chicago Sun-Times Although an FBI agent's affidavit didn't name Daniels as an informant in the case, it...

» LCS Missile Shoot is ‘Successful’ – But a Miss
21/07/16 05:48 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from Defense News - Home. A US Navy LCS has for the first time fired a Harpoon anti-ship missile

» Erdogan locks US airmen, nuclear arms in Incirlik
21/07/16 05:48 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from DEBKAFile. July 20, 2016, 11:29 AM (IDT) Some 1,500 US airmen and their families have been locked in the southern Turkish air base of Incirlik together with a stock if tactical nuclear bombs since Presiden...

» Formal coup charges brought against 99 Turkish generals
21/07/16 05:40 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from DEBKAFile. July 20, 2016, 1:16 PM (IDT) The Turkish authorities have formally charged 99 generals for alleged role in the failed coup last Friday. They are among more than 6,000 military personnel iarreste...

» Turkish president slams Egypt's El-Sisi, calling him 'coup plotter'
21/07/16 05:32 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from DEBKAFile. July 21, 2016, 10:16 AM (IDT) The president of Turkey, Tayyip Erdogan, denounced his Egyptian counterpart Abdel Fatteh El-Sisi on Wednesday night, saying "Sisi is a coup plotter....This beh...

» Fox News 'Intelligence Expert' Lied About Working for the CIA - snopes.com
20/07/16 20:19 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from cia - Google News. snopes.com Fox News 'Intelligence Expert' Lied About Working for the CIA snopes.com Wayne Simmons, who appeared as a guest on Fox News claiming to be an ex- CIA employee, has been senten...

» EXCLUSIVE: News 5 Interviews CIA Director John Brennan on Terrorism and Turmoil in Turkey - WKRG
20/07/16 20:19 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from cia - Google News. WKRG EXCLUSIVE: News 5 Interviews CIA Director John Brennan on Terrorism and Turmoil in Turkey WKRG Coming up tonight on News 5, we will have more from our exclusive interview with the C...

» Former CIA director on "worst-case scenario" in Syrian civil war - CBS News
20/07/16 20:19 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from cia - Google News. CBS News Former CIA director on "worst-case scenario" in Syrian civil war CBS News "Day One" is a multi-part series in which CBS News' Margaret Brennan speaks with fo...

» Former CIA operative talks true life espionage - taosnews
20/07/16 20:18 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from cia - Google News. taosnews Former CIA operative talks true life espionage taosnews Her 2007 memoir, New York Times best-seller “Fair Game: My Life as a Spy, My Betrayal by the White House,” details her 20...

» Risen Cleared on Labeling CIA Contractor a 'Con Artist' - Courthouse News Service
20/07/16 20:17 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from cia - Google News. Risen Cleared on Labeling CIA Contractor a 'Con Artist' Courthouse News Service (CN) — A CIA contractor whom James Risen depicted as a "con artist" behind one of the most dange...

» News 5 Sits Down With CIA Director John Brennan, Part 1: ISIS - WKRG
20/07/16 20:17 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from cia - Google News. WKRG News 5 Sits Down With CIA Director John Brennan, Part 1: ISIS WKRG News Mobile Al News for Mobile Alabama News Mobile Weather News Alabama Mobile WKRG News 5 is the CBS affiliate fo...

» Behind the 28 Pages: Questions About an Alleged Saudi Spy and the CIA - ABC News
20/07/16 20:16 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from cia - Google News. Behind the 28 Pages: Questions About an Alleged Saudi Spy and the CIA ABC News Members of the New York Police Department, Fire Department of New York and Port Authority of New York and N...

» News 5 Sits Down With CIA Director John Brennan, Part 2: Russia, China and North Korea - WKRG
20/07/16 20:15 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from cia - Google News. WKRG News 5 Sits Down With CIA Director John Brennan, Part 2: Russia, China and North Korea WKRG Over the weekend, I sat down with the Director of the CIA , John Brennan. We had a length...

» CIA Chief Hedges When Asked if US Saw Turkey Coup Coming - Wall Street Journal
20/07/16 20:15 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from cia - Google News. Wall Street Journal CIA Chief Hedges When Asked if US Saw Turkey Coup Coming Wall Street Journal He continued by saying that the CIA knew “there will be stresses and strains on the [Turk...

» How the CIA Fuels America's Drug Problem to Fund Covert Operations - Top Secret Writers
20/07/16 20:14 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from cia - Google News. Top Secret Writers How the CIA Fuels America's Drug Problem to Fund Covert Operations Top Secret Writers According to a June 2016 article on Veterans Today (VT) website, the CIA not only...

» Veil: The Secret Wars of the CIA - ValueWalk
20/07/16 20:13 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from cia - Google News. ValueWalk Veil: The Secret Wars of the CIA ValueWalk I just finished Veil: The Secret Wars of the CIA , 1981-1987 by Bob Woodward. I respect Bob Woodward. I think he's one of the best in...

» Turkey’s Weekend of the Long Knives
20/07/16 19:47 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from The XX Committee. President Erdoğan survived another geopolitical game of chicken — though not without cost. As last weekend began, Turkey was plunged temporarily into violent chaos as troops attempt...

» A Doping Scandal Appears Unlikely to Tarnish Russia’s President
20/07/16 19:47 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from NYT > World. Mr. Putin is managing the crisis with his standard dual track: a message of cooperation for the international community, while telling Russians that the West is constantly plotting against ...

» Pakistani militant leader pledges support to Kashmir rebels
20/07/16 18:29 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from World. The founder of the Pakistani militant group Lashkar-e-Taiba, Hafiz Saeed, has pledged support to armed rebels in Indian-ruled Kashmir.

» Thousands of judges purged in Turkey after failed coup attempt
20/07/16 18:28 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from World. The gutting of the country's judiciary has eroded the rule of law, rights advocates say.

» How Turkey’s military coup failed
20/07/16 18:28 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from World. Turkish officials say an attempted coup by a segment of the military over the weekend was put down in about 10-12 hours. At least 260 people were killed, and 1,400 wounded in violence that rattled t...

» Almost one-third of Turkey's top military officers charged in coup plot
20/07/16 18:28 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from World. 99 out of 356 generals and admirals are alleged to be part of the conspiracy.

» Argentine church investigates role of nuns in money scandal
20/07/16 18:27 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from World. Argentina’s Catholic Church is launching an investigation into whether a group of nuns helped a former government official who allegedly tried to hide $9 million in cash at their convent.

» Cuban ambassador: US wants to convert Cuba into one of its appendices - Miami Herald
20/07/16 18:26 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from Top Stories - Google News. Channel NewsAsia Cuban ambassador: US wants to convert Cuba into one of its appendices Miami Herald Top Cuban diplomat accuses Obama administration of failing to do more to end U...

» Glitch takes down Southwest website, delays flights - USA TODAY
20/07/16 18:26 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from Top Stories - Google News. USA TODAY Glitch takes down Southwest website, delays flights USA TODAY Southwest Airlines flights were disrupted nationwide being disrupted and the company's website was down We...

» Nuclear-powered Royal Navy submarine collides with a merchant vessel in Gibraltar
20/07/16 18:25 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from News. None

» Argentine nuns 'helped hide cash and jewels hoard'
20/07/16 18:25 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from BBC News - World. The Roman Catholic Church in Argentina launches an investigation into whether four nuns helped to hide a hoard of cash and jewels.

» How Turkey's military coup failed
20/07/16 18:21 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from AP Top News at 5:51 p.m. EDT. ISTANBUL (AP) -- Turkish officials say an attempted coup by a segment of the military over the weekend was put down in about 10-12 hours. At least 260 people were killed, and ...

» U.N. rights boss 'troubled' by conviction of farmers in Paraguay land killings case
20/07/16 18:21 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from Reuters: World News. LONDON (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - The top United Nations human rights official said on Wednesday the conviction in Paraguay of 11 landless farmers accused of being involved in dead...

» France says three soldiers died in accident on Libya intelligence mission
20/07/16 18:20 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from Reuters: World News. PARIS/BENGHAZI, Libya (Reuters) - Three French soldiers were killed in a helicopter accident during an intelligence-gathering mission in Libya, President Francois Hollande said on Wedn...

» U.S. defense chief says coalition to probe report of civilian deaths in Syria
20/07/16 18:20 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from Reuters: World News. WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S.-led coalition to defeat Islamic State in Iraq and Syria will investigate reports of civilian casualties in an air strike near Manbij, in northern Syria,...

» Nusra Front executes captive pro-Syrian government soldiers: video
20/07/16 18:20 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from Reuters: World News. BEIRUT (Reuters) - Al Qaeda's Syrian offshoot, the Nusra Front, said it had executed around a dozen pro-Syrian government captives on Wednesday in retaliation for a government advance ...

» U.S. blacklists three al Qaeda members living in Iran
20/07/16 18:19 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from Reuters: World News. WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States on Wednesday blacklisted three members of al Qaeda living in Iran, saying they had helped the Islamist militant group on the battlefield, with ...

» Op-Ed Columnist: Is Trump Obsessed With Putin and Russia?
20/07/16 18:18 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from NYT > World. Paul Manafort, Donald Trump’s campaign chairman, has previously worked for dictators.

» AP EXPLAINS Trump's push for border wall is not a new idea.
20/07/16 18:17 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from AP Top News at 5:51 p.m. EDT. ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) -- Donald Trump's push for a border wall is not a new idea. The U.S.-Mexico border is already lined with intermittent miles of barriers. In som...

» Counter-Islamic State Coalition Assembles Near DC - Voice of America
20/07/16 14:23 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from World - Google News. Voice of America Counter-Islamic State Coalition Assembles Near DC Voice of America July 20, 2016 12:34 PM. PENTAGON—. Defense ministers from more than 30 countries are joining Defense...

» Donald Trump's speechwriter Meredith McIver admits accidentally 'cribbing' from Michelle Obama for Melania speech
20/07/16 14:22 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from News. None

» Trump Aide 'Mistakenly Used Michelle Obama's Phrases' in Melania's Speech
20/07/16 14:22 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from Voice of America. An aide to Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump says she made a mistake in writing his wife Melania's tribute to him this week by including identical phrases from a speech Michell...

» U.S. appeals court voids forfeiture of Iran-linked NY office tower
20/07/16 14:21 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from Reuters: World News. NEW YORK (Reuters) - A federal appeals court said on Wednesday the U.S. government cannot seize a midtown Manhattan office tower originally built by the Shah of Iran, whose owners it c...

» Britain, U.S. Underline Commitment to 'Special Relationship'
20/07/16 14:20 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from WSJ.com: World News. U. K. Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson and U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry underlined their commitment to the so-called special relationship between their two countries.

» Turkey Purges Thousands, Reaching Into President's Inner Circle
20/07/16 14:20 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from WSJ.com: World News. Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s top air force adviser was detained Tuesday as a new round of purges following last week’s attempted coup targeted the Turkish president’s inner circle.

» European Terrorism Arrests Rise
20/07/16 14:19 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from WSJ.com: World News. European arrests in terrorism cases were up sharply last year, as law enforcement moved to address a shift by jihadist groups to carry out mass casualty attacks on the continent, accor...

» Ax Attacker on German Train Likely Acted Alone
20/07/16 14:19 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from WSJ.com: World News. The 17-year-old asylum-seeker who attacked people with an ax on a German train probably acted alone, riled by Islamic State propaganda, Germany’s Interior Minister Thomas de Maizière s...

» Turkey's increasingly complicated relationship with NATO
20/07/16 14:19 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from World. The second largest active military in NATO has a problem.

» Asylum hearing for 8 Turkish military who fled to Greece
20/07/16 14:18 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from World. Eight Turkish military personnel who flew to Greece aboard a helicopter during an attempted coup in Turkey are appearing before immigration authorities for interviews on their applications for asylum.

» Reports: Turkish president’s senior military aide detained in southern Turkey
20/07/16 14:18 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from World. Reports: Turkish president’s senior military aide detained in southern Turkey.

» State media: Turkey dismisses 1,577 university deans over alleged coup involvement
20/07/16 14:17 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from World. State media: Turkey dismisses 1,577 university deans over alleged coup involvement.

» Prominent journalist killed in car bombing in Ukraine
20/07/16 14:16 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from World. A prominent journalist has been killed in a car bombing in Ukraine’s capital, Kiev.

» The murky role of mental illness in extremism, terror
20/07/16 14:15 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from World. After family members of the driver who slammed a truck into a holiday crowd in the French city of Nice said he suffered from depression, questions have been raised again about the links between ment...

» ‘Massive tragedy’ in the making in the opposition-held areas of Aleppo
20/07/16 14:14 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from World. Pro-government forces block key road in what aid workers fear could be a prolonged siege.

» Real-life dramas echo in Ralph Fiennes’ ‘Richard III’
20/07/16 14:14 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from World. Now is the summer of our discontent.

» At Least 10 Injured After Axe Attack on German Train
20/07/16 14:09 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from World – TIME. A man wielding an axe and a knife attacked passengers passengers on a train near Würzburg, Germany on Monday, police said. Three passengers sustained serious injuries, and The man injured bet...

» Germany axe attack: police describe assault on train passengers – video
20/07/16 14:07 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from World news + Video | The Guardian. Three people have been seriously injured after train passengers were attacked with a knife and an axe , a German police spokesman at the scene says. The attacker fled the...

» Russia Raids Top Investigators Over Mob Ties, Bribe-Taking - Bloomberg
20/07/16 14:07 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from World - Google News. RT Russia Raids Top Investigators Over Mob Ties, Bribe-Taking Bloomberg Agents from Russia's top intelligence body staged raids that led to the arrest of a senior prosecutor and anothe...

» Gare Du Nord Trains Resume Service After Fire Scare - New York Times
20/07/16 14:06 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from World - Google News. Channel NewsAsia Gare Du Nord Trains Resume Service After Fire Scare New York Times PARIS — Rail services have resumed at Paris' Gare du Nord train station after a small fire caused by...

» The Latest: Turkey holds emergency security meeting - Washington Post
20/07/16 14:05 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from World - Google News. Washington Post The Latest: Turkey holds emergency security meeting Washington Post ANKARA, Turkey — The Latest on the situation in Turkey after the failed military coup last week (all...

» Rebels in Syria behead boy in 'mistake' - CNN
20/07/16 14:05 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from World - Google News. CNN Rebels in Syria behead boy in 'mistake' CNN (CNN) Gruesome video footage has emerged of Syrian rebels beheading a young boy, in what leaders of the group involved called an "i...

» Venezuela Recall Referendum Moves a Step Closer, Opposition Says - Bloomberg
20/07/16 14:04 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from World - Google News. Fox News Venezuela Recall Referendum Moves a Step Closer, Opposition Says Bloomberg A referendum to oust Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro moved a step closer after electoral author...

» Ukrainian News Website Journalist Killed in Car Explosion - Wall Street Journal
20/07/16 14:02 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from Top Stories - Google News. Wall Street Journal Ukrainian News Website Journalist Killed in Car Explosion Wall Street Journal MOSCOW— Pavlo Sheremet, a journalist at one of Ukraine's leading investigative n...

» Russia Acquits 'Primorsky Partisans' Of Murder In Retrial
20/07/16 13:45 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty. A court in Russia's Far East has cleared five imprisoned men who were originally convicted of a notorious 2009 quadruple murder.

» Journalist Pavel Shermet Killed By Car Bomb In Kyiv
20/07/16 13:45 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty. Award-winning Belarusian journalist Pavel Sheremet was killed when the car he was driving was destroyed by a bomb in the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv. Authorities described Sh...

» Trilobites: Old Teeth Tell New Stories About People Who Didn’t Get Enough Sun
20/07/16 13:44 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from NYT > World. A tooth from a man buried in Quebec during the 18th or 19th century who had had rickets. Scientists recently reported that teeth contain enduring records of vitamin D deficiency.

» Op-Ed Contributor: Jihad and the French Exception
20/07/16 13:43 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from NYT > World. France is no more Islamophobic than its neighbors. It’s just more frontal in the way it handles Islam in the public sphere.

» One Russian Security Agency Raids Another, in Rare Sign of Dysfunction
20/07/16 13:43 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from NYT > World. Three senior prosecutors were arrested as the main domestic intelligence service searched the Moscow offices of a powerful branch of the prosecutor’s office.

» Op-Ed Columnist: Trump and the Sultan
20/07/16 13:42 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from NYT > World. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan outside his residence in Istanbul, after the failed coup attempt.

» Editorial: Mr. Erdogan’s Reckless Revenge
20/07/16 13:42 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from NYT > World. After a purge that is stunning in its breadth and depth, it remains unclear whether Turkey’s fragile democracy can survive the challenges it faces.

» CDC, Florida probing possible Zika case from Miami mosquito
20/07/16 13:39 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from AP Top News at 1:35 p.m. EDT. MIAMI (AP) -- Health officials in Florida were investigating Wednesday what could be the first Zika infection from a mosquito bite in the continental United States....

» Kathleen Carroll, AP's executive editor, stepping down
20/07/16 13:38 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from AP Top News at 1:35 p.m. EDT. NEW YORK (AP) -- Kathleen Carroll, the executive editor of The Associated Press for the last 14 years, will leave her post at the end of the year....

» Leslie Jones Twitter row: Breitbart editor banned over abuse
20/07/16 13:35 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from BBC News - World. A senior editor with the conservative website Breitbart is banned from Twitter after abuse was directed at a star of the new Ghostbusters film.

» Kiev car bomb kills top Belarusian journalist Sheremet
20/07/16 13:31 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from BBC News - World. A car bomb attack in the Ukrainian capital has killed leading Belarusian journalist and Kremlin critic Pavel Sheremet.

» Record number of EU terror attacks recorded in 2015
20/07/16 13:17 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from BBC News - World. A record number of terrorist attacks were planned, foiled or carried out in European Union countries last year, with the UK reporting the highest number of attacks.

» Top HSBC manager 'arrested in New York'
20/07/16 13:16 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from BBC News - World. Senior HSBC manager arrested in New York amid probe into foreign-exchange rigging, reports say

» Trump dynasty
20/07/16 13:16 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from BBC News - World. Donald Trump's children are taking on an increasingly visible role in his campaign - but who are they?

» Trump children woo donors and, campaign hopes, voters
20/07/16 13:12 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from AP Top News at 12:27 p.m. EDT. CLEVELAND (AP) -- Sometimes the skeptical donors ask Andy Puzder what it is that he sees in Donald Trump, the controversial Republican presidential nominee for whom Puzder is...

» Turk defies tanks, and survives, in coup video footage
20/07/16 13:12 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from AP Top News at 12:27 p.m. EDT. ISTANBUL (AP) -- Video footage from Turkey's failed coup shows a pro-government protester ducking down between the tracks of a speeding tank that passes over him. Re...

» AP EXPLAINS: Why do Republicans say sky is falling? Is it?
20/07/16 13:10 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from AP Top News at 12:27 p.m. EDT. The United States depicted at the Republican National Convention is a scary place. It is wrenched by economic uncertainty, social upheaval, political dysfunction, runaway imm...

» Funding threatens future of giant telescope in Puerto Rico
20/07/16 13:10 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from AP Top News at 12:27 p.m. EDT. ARECIBO, Puerto Rico (AP) -- The world's largest single-dish radio telescope is nestled deep in the lush green hills of Puerto Rico, where it performs tasks like sea...

» Mosul assault in focus two years after Islamic State takeover
20/07/16 11:03 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from Reuters: World News. BAGHDAD (Reuters) - When Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi pledged in December that Iraq would retake Islamic State's de facto capital Mosul by the end of 2016, the target was greeted wit...

» Gunfire often connected to gangs hitting Chicago children
20/07/16 11:03 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from AP Top News at 10:10 a.m. EDT. CHICAGO (AP) -- The Chicago mother thought she knew when it was safe to take her children outside, that she could protect them by sizing up and avoiding the people whom troub...

» The Surprisingly Wild and Crazy Summers of Young Soviets in the 1960s
20/07/16 10:29 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from World – TIME. Readers who picked up the Nov. 10, 1967 issue of LIFE magazine, which commemorated the 50th anniversary of the Russian Revolution, might have expected to see black-and-white images of bleak c...

» France says 3 soldiers killed during anti-terror ‘mission’ in Libya
20/07/16 10:29 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from World. The statement was the first official word of French forces battling the Islamic State in North Africa.

» Fire breaks out in another Dubai skyscraper
20/07/16 10:28 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from Reuters: World News. DUBAI (Reuters) - Fire broke out at a 75-storey residential tower in Dubai on Wednesday, Reuters witnesses said, the fifth blaze in a skyscraper in the oil-rich United Arab Emirates in...

» Turkmenistan Closes Border With Kazakhstan
20/07/16 10:10 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty. Turkmen officials have closed the border with Kazakhstan for five days in line with increased security measures.

» Yemeni officials: Suicide bomber kills 4 soldiers the south
20/07/16 10:09 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from World. Yemeni security officials say a suicide bomber has blown himself up at a checkpoint in the country’s south, killing four soldiers and wounding six.

» India’s lower castes fight back against Hindu cow protection squads
20/07/16 10:08 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from World. Cow vigilante groups have become increasingly active in many parts of India.

» Residential skyscraper in Dubai catches fire in dense area
20/07/16 10:07 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from World. A residential skyscraper in Dubai has caught fire in the densely populated Marina district, sending plumes of smoke into the air.

» Fire breaks out at luxury 75-storey tower in Dubai - Daily Mail
20/07/16 10:06 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from World - Google News. Daily Mail Fire breaks out at luxury 75-storey tower in Dubai Daily Mail A residential 75-storey skyscraper in Dubai has caught fire in the densely populated Marina district, sending p...

» Letter from German train axe attacker says Muslims must defend themselves
20/07/16 10:05 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from News. None

» Gold Is not All That Glisters - Diamonds Act as Hedge for the Rich
20/07/16 10:05 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from Voice of America. In a packed Christie’s auction room in Geneva, one could hear a pin drop as two anonymous bidders slugged it out in their quest to own the world’s most exquisite blue diamond. The room in...

» Malaysia 1MDB investigation: US seeks to seize $1bn in assets
20/07/16 10:05 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from BBC News - World. The US Justice Department is looking to seize more than $1bn (£761m) in assets as part of its investigation into Malaysia's state fund 1MDB.

» Dubai skyscraper fire engulfs more than 10 Sulafa Tower floors
20/07/16 10:04 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from BBC News - World. A fire has engulfed more than 10 storeys of a residential skyscraper in Dubai, but there are no reports of any casualties.

» Kerry meets with Boris Johnson, and it’s a friendly but at times awkward affair
19/07/16 22:33 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from Europe. Both faced questions about Johnson’s past mocking of Obama, Hillary Clinton and others.

» Exhausted police in France stretched thin by constant security threats
19/07/16 22:33 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from Europe. Overlapping and often competing agencies have struggled to keep up.

» A look back at the history of politics and plagiarism
19/07/16 22:32 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from BBC News - World. Donald Trump's wife, Melania, has faced accusations that a portion of her speech plagiarised Michelle Obama.

» Trump campaign denies Melania plagiarism allegations
19/07/16 22:32 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from BBC News - World. Donald Trump's campaign denies allegations that his wife, Melania Trump, The Trump campaign has denied allegations that Melania Trump plagiarised her speech to on Monday at the Republican...

» Turkey coup: Crackdown toll passes 45,000
19/07/16 22:31 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from BBC News - World. At least 45,000 people have been rounded up, sacked or suspended from their jobs by Turkey's government amid a crackdown following last week's failed coup.

» Gunmen kill eight fishermen in popular Mexican surf resort
19/07/16 22:29 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from Reuters: World News. MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - Gunmen killed eight fishermen in the popular Mexican surf resort of Puerto Escondido late on Monday, prosecutors said, in a rare shooting for a part of the coun...

» Kansas City, Kansas, officer shot, in critical condition
19/07/16 22:16 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from AP Top News at 9:39 p.m. EDT. KANSAS CITY, Kan. (AP) -- An officer with Kansas City, Kansas, Police Department was in critical condition Tuesday afternoon after being shot in his car as he approached peopl...

» Reports: Man Shot Dad After Ax Attack on German Train
19/07/16 14:49 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from Voice of America. A man who attacked passengers with an ax on a train in the German state of Bavaria late on Monday was later shot dead, broadcasters BR and NTV reported. A police spokesman declined to con...

» US Officials Urge Americans to Stand United Against Violence
19/07/16 14:46 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from Voice of America. U.S. officials are calling on Americans to stand united against evil deeds intent on destroying the fabric of society. Police identified the masked gunmen who killed three officers Sunday...

» Trump, Wife Speak at Convention, Which Saw Chaos Inside and Out
19/07/16 14:45 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from Voice of America. Republicans opened their national convention in chaotic fashion Monday, with protests outside the convention hall and delegate upheaval inside, mostly directed at their nominee-in-waiting...

» Republicans Set to Nominate Donald Trump for President
19/07/16 14:27 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from Voice of America. The Republican National Convention moves Tuesday to the nomination of real estate mogul Donald Trump as the party's 2016 presidential candidate, along with a focus on the U.S. economy. Tw...

» Republicans Accuse Obama of Dividing Nation in Response to Police Shootings
19/07/16 14:26 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from Voice of America. Joice Heffron, a Republican delegate from Minnesota and mother of a police officer, wants to know why President Barack Obama won’t turn the White House "blue." Just hours after three poli...

» Platforms Spell Out What Political Parties Stand For
19/07/16 14:26 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from Voice of America. Most voters in the United States know that of the country’s two major political parties the Democrats are more liberal on social and economic issues, while the Republicans are more conser...

» Republican Platform: Build Border Wall, Outlaw Gay Marriage
19/07/16 14:25 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from Voice of America. The Republican Party has crafted a new platform that both shows the direct influence of its 2016 presidential candidate, Donald Trump, as well as the traditionally conservative values upo...

» A lost Alaskan mountain goat drew a crowd hungry for photos. Within an hour, it was dead. - Washington Post
19/07/16 14:24 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from Top Stories - Google News. Washington Post A lost Alaskan mountain goat drew a crowd hungry for photos. Within an hour, it was dead. Washington Post It was a sight that would give even seasoned Alaskans pa...

» Melania Trump speech closely resembled Michelle Obama's talk - Washington Post
19/07/16 14:23 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from Top Stories - Google News. Washington Post Melania Trump speech closely resembled Michelle Obama's talk Washington Post CLEVELAND — One delegate said everyone fell in love with her. Another compared her to...

» France fears Syria massacre, wants more pressure on Russia: Ayrault
19/07/16 14:21 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from Reuters: World News. LONDON (Reuters) - France is alarmed by the Syrian government's tightening siege of Aleppo and the risk it will carry out a bloodbath near Damascus, and will push this week for more pr...

» Azerbaijani TV Station Closed Over 'Interview' With U.S.-Based Turkish Cleric Accused By Ankara In Coup
19/07/16 14:20 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty. A private Azerbaijani television station has been taken off the air and accused of damaging Baku's "strategic" links with Turkey after announcing it would broadcast an in...

» Russian 'Gun-For-Hire' Lurks In Shadows Of Washington's Lobbying World
19/07/16 13:52 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty. Who’s behind a quiet campaign to revisit a 2012 U.S. law sanctioning Russians and undermine the man who lobbied for it?

» U.S. Republican Party Convention Kicks Off With An Uproar In Cleveland
19/07/16 13:51 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty. The four-day U.S. Republican National Convention begins on July 18 in Cleveland, Ohio.

» Turkey Suspends Thousands Of Officials Amid Calls For Proportionate Response
19/07/16 13:51 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty. Turkish authorities have suspended nearly 8,000 police officers in the wake of the failed military coup attempt, the state-run Anadolu news agency reported on July 18, ci...

» Britain's Johnson Calls On Russia To Help Force Syria's Assad Out
19/07/16 13:48 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty. British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson is calling on Russia to pressure Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to step down.

» Trump Enters Republican Convention; Wife's Speech Echos Obama
19/07/16 13:47 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty. Donald Trump, the presumptive Republican nominee for U.S. president, appeared on the first night of his party's nominating convention only to introduce his wife, Melania....

» Islamic State, Nice, And The European Jihadism That Is Here To Stay
19/07/16 13:47 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty. Brussels, Paris (twice), and now Nice: Four crippling jihadist attacks in just over 18 months. The extremist group Islamic State’s fastidious sadism has arrived in Europe...

» Pakistani Military Rescues Kidnapped Son Of Top Judge
19/07/16 13:46 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty. The Pakistani Army and paramilitary troops have rescued the kidnapped son on a top judge in a predawn raid in the country's restive northwest, the army said on July 19.

» Reports: Russia's FSB Detains Three Top Moscow Investigators
19/07/16 13:46 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty. Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) has detained three senior investigators at the Moscow branch of the country's top investigative body over allegations that they we...

» IS Releases Video Of Germany Train Attacker
19/07/16 13:41 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty. The militant group The Islamic State (IS) extremist group has released a video purportedly showing the 17-year-old Afghan asylum seeker accused of attacking passengers wi...

» Azerbaijani President Unveils Proposed Constitutional Amendments
19/07/16 13:41 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty. Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev has unveiled proposed amendments to the country's constitution that opposition politicians claim are intended to enhance and prolong hi...

» To preserve the Union, we might have to go our separate ways
19/07/16 13:40 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from News. None

» Israeli Parliament to Vote on Law Enabling Ouster of Lawmakers
19/07/16 13:39 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from NYT > World. The law would allow for the suspension of legislators accused of racial incitement or supporting armed struggle against Israel. Critics have called it discriminatory.

» Turkey Seeks to Rid Education of Erdogan Opponents After Coup Attempt
19/07/16 13:38 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from NYT > World. More than 15,000 workers in Turkey’s education ministry were suspended, 1,500 university deans were ordered to resign and 21,000 teachers lost their licenses.

» Erdogan's purge may give Nato no choice but to expel Turkey from the alliance
19/07/16 13:38 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from News. None

» NHS doctor groomed girl, 13, online for sex by telling her 'trust me, I'm a doctor', tribunal hears
19/07/16 13:36 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from News. None

» Bastille Day killer Mohamed Lahouaiej Bouhlel pictured gives world a finger in lorry he used to kill 84 people
19/07/16 13:36 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from News. None

» Was Melania Trump's plagiarised speech actually a cleverly executed media manoeuvre?
19/07/16 13:30 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from News. None

» Republican National Convention diary day 2: Trump campaign insists Melania's speech was not plagiarised from Michelle Obama
19/07/16 13:30 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from News. None

» Islamic State claims Afghan teen implicated in German train attack as its own
19/07/16 13:01 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from Europe. German officials say the teen arrived in the country more than a year ago.

» Man knifes mother and three daughters at French holiday park
19/07/16 12:59 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from BBC News - World. A woman and her three daughters have been attacked by a knife-wielding man at a holiday site in the south of France, French media report.

» Syrian rebels capture Islamic State headquarters in Manbij: U.S. military
19/07/16 12:56 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from Reuters: World News. WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S.-backed rebels fighting Islamic State militants in Syria captured a headquarters operation as they pushed into the western part of the town of Manbij over th...

» Kremlin says it 'regrets' about comments from Britain's PM on Russia threat
19/07/16 12:56 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from Reuters: World News. MOSCOW (Reuters) - Kremlin called on Tuesday "regrettable" comments from the Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May about a potential threat from countries such as Russia and North Korea.

» Trump campaign dismisses criticism of Melania Trump speech
19/07/16 12:54 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from AP Top News at 12:09 p.m. EDT. CLEVELAND (AP) -- The Trump campaign on Tuesday dismissed criticism that Melania Trump directly lifted two passages nearly word-for-word from the speech that first lady Miche...

» 2 Gunmen Stage Deadly Attack on Police Station in Kazakhstan
19/07/16 09:00 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from NYT > World. Three officers and a civilian were killed in Almaty, the country’s largest city, in an assault described as blending criminal and radical Islamist motivations.

» Attacker in Nice, France, Looked for Articles on Orlando and Dallas Attacks
19/07/16 09:00 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from NYT > World. France’s top counterterrorism prosecutor provided new details on Mohamed Lahouaiej Bouhlel, 31, who killed 84 people at a Bastille Day celebration on Thursday.

» Orlando shooting: Gunman complained of anti-Muslim taunts
19/07/16 08:50 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from BBC News - Home. A gunman who killed dozens of people in an Orlando gay club had complained of being taunted for being Muslim while working as a security guard at a court, newly released documents show. Om...

» Newt Gingrich: People are angry
19/07/16 08:48 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from BBC News - World. Newt Gingrich explains what Donald Trump needs to do at the Republican Convention

» Donald Trump says race relations are 'as bad as they've ever been,' which they aren't - Washington Post
19/07/16 08:18 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from Top Stories - Google News. Washington Post Donald Trump says race relations are 'as bad as they've ever been,' which they aren't Washington Post It seems pretty clear that the worst period for race relatio...

» Trump says 'there's something going on' with Obama's body language - WMUR Manchester
19/07/16 08:17 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from Top Stories - Google News. WMUR Manchester Trump says 'there's something going on' with Obama's body language WMUR Manchester Donald Trump said Monday "there's something going on" with Barack Oba...

» Gen. Flynn: 'Americans are fed up with the bulls--t' - Washington Examiner (blog)
19/07/16 08:17 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from Top Stories - Google News. Gen. Flynn: 'Americans are fed up with the bulls--t' Washington Examiner (blog) Retired Army Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn told a German newspaper that people are attracted to Donald Tr...

» trump and russia - Google Search
19/07/16 07:50 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story . Trump campaign guts GOP's anti- Russia stance on Ukraine Washington Post - 19 hours ago Throughout the campaign, Trump has been dismissive of calls for supporting the Ukraine government as it fights an ongoin...

» Is Donald Trump Working for Russia? -- NYMag
19/07/16 07:47 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from di. Donald Trump is not a Russian agent in the sense that Philip and Elizabeth from The Americans are Russian agents. There’s no hidden radio in his laundry room where he transmits secrets to the Kre...

» Michael Flynn: Everything You Need to Know - ABC News
19/07/16 07:45 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from Top Stories - Google News. Los Angeles Times Michael Flynn: Everything You Need to Know ABC News Party: He was registered as a Democrat in North Carolina, where he lived for a time, and served in the Obama...

News Reviews and Opinions - Blog by Michael Novakhov

Friday, July 22, 2016

Orlando and Nice attacks: Domestic violence links to radicalisation - BBC

Attacker in Nice plotted for months with 'accomplices,' prosecutor says

2016 Nice attack - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Mom: Gunman would 'pretty much lose it' on police shootings:

Donald Trump’s Remarks Rattle NATO Allies and Stoke Debate on Cost Sharing:

Amid Broad Movement Against Police Abuse, Some Act on the Fringe - The New York Times

"One law enforcement veteran said he's never seen an environment this dangerous and polarized for police in the United States." -

State police colonel: Criminals, terrorists declared war on police | Local News

7.22.16 F

Trump and Russia: Trump as a threat to national security

How to stop the war on police?

The War on Police is The War on US, NYT is wrong. - 7.20.16

Mentally Ill as The Weapons of Terror

Baton Rouge Police Officers Shooting - 7.17.16

Updates - Baton Rouge Police Officers Shooting - 7.17.16

Gavin Eugene Long, Aaron Alexis, "Gangstalking" and "Targeted Individuals"

Numerology: 9615 Airline hwy=966

Numerology: 29-th birthday: 2 9= "To Ninth - Circle of Hell"

Dallas Shooting - 7.7.16

More people were killed last year than in 2014, and no one’s sure why
Friday July 22nd, 2016 at 11:46 AM

State police colonel: Criminals, terrorists declared war on police | Local News
Friday July 22nd, 2016 at 10:40 AM

How to STOP the “War on Police.” | Stephanie L. Mann | LinkedIn
Friday July 22nd, 2016 at 10:17 AM

How to STOP the “War on Police.”

War on Police Now a Reality
Friday July 22nd, 2016 at 10:13 AM

Just how effective has the Russian military campaign in Syria really been?
Friday July 22nd, 2016 at 9:51 AM

Amid Broad Movement Against Police Abuse, Some Act on the Fringe - The New York Times
Friday July 22nd, 2016 at 9:19 AM

Donald Trump’s Remarks Rattle NATO Allies and Stoke Debate on Cost Sharing
Friday July 22nd, 2016 at 9:06 AM

Mom: Gunman would 'pretty much lose it' on police shootings
Friday July 22nd, 2016 at 8:35 AM

Updated 3:26 am, Friday, July 22, 2016

2016 Nice attack - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Friday July 22nd, 2016 at 8:24 AM

Orlando and Nice attacks: Domestic violence links to radicalisation
Friday July 22nd, 2016 at 7:57 AM

'Intimate terrorism'

Gender identity and sexuality

Pathway to gender roles

Attacker in Nice plotted for months with 'accomplices,' prosecutor says
Friday July 22nd, 2016 at 7:46 AM

What happened that night

Top Turkey Official Touts ‘Win-Win' Approach to Ties With USby webdesk@voanews.com (Dorian Jones)
Thursday July 21st, 2016 at 5:48 PM

Mike Nova's Shared NewsLinks Review

About Me

Friday, July 22, 2016

Orlando and Nice attacks: Domestic violence links to radicalisation - BBC

Mom: Gunman would 'pretty much lose it' on police shootings:

Donald Trump’s Remarks Rattle NATO Allies and Stoke Debate on Cost Sharing:

Amid Broad Movement Against Police Abuse, Some Act on the Fringe - The New York Times "One law enforcement veteran said he's never seen an environment this dangerous and polarized for police in the United States." -

7.22.16 F

Trump and Russia: Trump as a threat to national security

How to stop the war on police?

The War on Police is The War on US, NYT is wrong. - 7.20.16

Mentally Ill as The Weapons of Terror

Baton Rouge Police Officers Shooting - 7.17.16

Updates - Baton Rouge Police Officers Shooting - 7.17.16

Gavin Eugene Long, Aaron Alexis, "Gangstalking" and "Targeted Individuals"

Numerology: 9615 Airline hwy=966

Numerology: 29-th birthday: 2 9= "To Ninth - Circle of Hell"

Dallas Shooting - 7.7.16

How to STOP the “War on Police.”

Updated 3:26 am, Friday, July 22, 2016

'Intimate terrorism'

Gender identity and sexuality

Pathway to gender roles

What happened that night

Top Turkey Official Touts ‘Win-Win' Approach to Ties With USby webdesk@voanews.com (Dorian Jones) Thursday July 21st, 2016 at 5:48 PM

Amid Broad Movement Against Police Abuse, Some Act on the Fringe - The New York Times

"One law enforcement veteran said he's never seen an environment this dangerous and polarized for police in the United States." -

Top Turkey Official Touts ‘Win-Win' Approach to Ties With USby webdesk@voanews.com (Dorian Jones)
Thursday July 21st, 2016 at 5:48 PM