Pope Benedict Says ‘Gay Lobby’ Tried to Influence the Vatican

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Newly released information written by Pope Emeritus Benedict has details of an alleged “gay lobby” he says tried to influence decisions at the Vatican.

Benedict is set to release a book titled “The Last Conversations,” in Italian on September 9. An Italian newspaper was able to access certain excerpts from the book and ran an article about some of the contents. “The Last Conversations” will be the first time a pope has ever judged his own pontificate after the fact.

Benedict’s papacy ended with his resignation — the first pope in six centuries to do so –and he has claimed he did so freely, without coercion. However, in the book, he speaks of a “powerful” gay lobby at the Vatican, and how he worked to dismantle it. According to The Guardian, these men “had their sexuality in common but worked together for their own ends rather than pushing the cause of gay believers.”

During his time as pope, Benedict denounced gay marriage, calling it a “manipulation of nature,” as well as threat to the foundation of society, the family. Official Church teaching maintains that homosexual acts are “intrinsically disordered,” and argues for the compassionate treatment of gay individuals.

After he resigned in 2013, Benedict vowed to remain “hidden to the world.” He acknowledged that his body and mind were no longer strong enough to hold a position of power and took up residence in a former convent inside the Vatican. Since then, he’s dedicated his time to reading and writing. He also kept a journal during his papacy, but said he plans on destroying it.

The current pope, Pope Francis, recently made news concerning comments he made apologizing to gays on behalf of the Catholic Church. “After many hours of prayer and various consultations, I’ve realized that mere apologies do not constitute appropriate repentance for the Catholic Church’s many sins … I think that the Church not only should apologize … to a gay person whom it offended, but it must also apologize to the poor as well…,” he said. (For more from the author of “Pope Benedict Says ‘Gay Lobby’ Tried to Influence the Vatican” please click HERE)

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Islamist Militants Kill 20 Hostages in Bangladesh Restaurant Attack, 13 More Rescued by Commando Raid

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At least seven Islamic terrorists attacked an upscale restaurant in the diplomatic quarter of Bangladesh’s capital Friday night, killing 20 people and taking more than a dozen others hostage before confronting authorities in a 10-hour long standoff.

Early Saturday, a Bangladeshi commando raid supported by armored vehicles resulted in the deaths of at least six attackers and the capture of a seventh. Thirteen hostages were rescued. Two police officers were killed in an earlier gun battle with the militants.

The Islamic State (ISIS) group claimed responsibility for the attack on the Holey Artisan Bakery in Dhaka’s Gulshan area, according to the SITE Intelligence Group, which monitors jihadist activity online. The ISIS-affiliated Amaq news agency posted photos purportedly showing the bodies of hostages, though their authenticity could not be immediately confirmed.

Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina condemned the attack in a nationally televised speech, vowing to fight militant attacks in the country and urging people to come forward with information . . .

At a news conference, Army Brigadier General Naim Asraf Chowdhury said most of the victims had been killed with sharp weapons on Friday night. (Read more from “Islamist Militants Kill 20 Hostages in Bangladesh Restaurant Attack, 13 More Rescued by Commando Raid” HERE)

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Law Enforcement Sources: Gun Used in Paris Terrorist Attacks Came From Phoenix

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One of the guns used in the November 13, 2015 Paris terrorist attacks came from Phoenix, Arizona where the Obama administration allowed criminals to buy thousands of weapons illegally in a deadly and futile “gun-walking” operation known as “Fast and Furious.”

A Report of Investigation (ROI) filed by a case agent in the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco Firearms and Explosives (ATF) tracked the gun used in the Paris attacks to a Phoenix gun owner who sold it illegally, “off book,” Judicial Watch’s law enforcement sources confirm. Federal agents tracing the firearm also found the Phoenix gun owner to be in possession of an unregistered fully automatic weapon, according to law enforcement officials with firsthand knowledge of the investigation.

The investigative follow up of the Paris weapon consisted of tracking a paper trail using a 4473 form, which documents a gun’s ownership history by, among other things, using serial numbers. The Phoenix gun owner that the weapon was traced back to was found to have at least two federal firearms violations—for selling one weapon illegally and possessing an unregistered automatic—but no enforcement or prosecutorial action was taken against the individual. Instead, ATF leaders went out of their way to keep the information under the radar and ensure that the gun owner’s identity was “kept quiet,” according to law enforcement sources involved with the case. “Agents were told, in the process of taking the fully auto, not to anger the seller to prevent him from going public,” a veteran law enforcement official told Judicial Watch.

It’s not clear if the agency, which is responsible for cracking down on the illegal use and trafficking of firearms, did this because the individual was involved in the Fast and Furious gun-running scheme. (Read more from “Law Enforcement Sources: Gun Used in Paris Terrorist Attacks Came From Phoenix” HERE)

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Why Americans Should Care About Attacks on Religious Liberty in Russia

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There are troubling new developments in Russia. Russia’s parliament, the Federal Assembly, has just approved so-called anti-terrorism legislation that criminalizes free speech and that attacks religious liberty.

If President Vladimir Putin signs this into law in the coming weeks, it will be illegal for Christians to share their faith outside of a church building, as if faith is constrained by the four walls of a structure and belief to a single day of the week.

In some ways, this isn’t a surprise.

There’s a lot wrong with Russia. We are witnessing a rising authoritarianism in a declining state. Moscow routinely tramples the rights of press, assembly, speech, dissent, and national sovereignty.

Ask the families of murdered journalists. Ask student groups who face intimidation. Ask the political dissidents who fear imprisonment. Ask the Ukrainian people who fear being fully overrun.

Why is this happening?

Because Putin and his government cronies think they can make Russia great again by hoarding wealth, by abusing power, and by crushing any and all opposition. They strike a strongman pose but this is not real strength.

True strength is rooting in virtue: selflessness and sacrifice on behalf of the weak.

Putin is driven by cheap imitation and intimidation, more akin to bullying. Vice masked as virtue. We know that Russia’s offenses are many and egregious.

At the same time, Americans well understand that it is not our national calling—nor is it within our power—to attempt to right every wrong in a broken world.

But we should be clear about what is happening—as well as the fact that there is not an easy fix here. It is naive to hope that Russia can be reformed with reset buttons or with promises of future “flexibility.”

Instead we need to begin telling the truth about an increasingly aggressive actor in global affairs.

Again let me be explicit: The U.S. does not have a solemn obligation to make the world free, but we absolutely do have an obligation to speak on behalf of those who are made speechless in the dark corners of the globe.

This Russian law would be an affront to free people everywhere—at home and abroad—who believe that rights of conscience—the rights to free speech and to freedom of religion—are pre-political.

These freedoms do not ebb and flow with history. They do not rise and fall with the political fortunes of a despot.

Governments do not give us these rights and governments cannot take them away. These rights of speech and religion and assembly belong to every man, woman, and child because all of us are image-bearers of our creator.

I’m speaking tonight because this new Russian legislation is emblematic of a destructive growing nationalism and of a thirst for power that cannot be ignored.

Putin has a desire to squeeze down on civil society, on other venues for discussion and debate, and on other institutions outside of politics where human dignity can and should be expressed.

He has this desire because he is weak, not because he is strong. We here in this body, without regard to political party, and representing all 50 states, must be sober and clear-eyed about Russia.

We must become more sober and clearer-eyed about its hostilities and its dangerous trajectory. We have a duty here to be telling the truth early about where this might be headed. (For more from the author of “Why Americans Should Care About Attacks on Religious Liberty in Russia” please click HERE)

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U.N. Denies Knowledge of Military Trucks Labeled ‘U.N.’

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The identity of the owner of the military-style trucks painted with the United Nations’ initials seen being transported through Virginia this week was narrowed on Wednesday. A little.

They most probably are owned by Afghanistan. Or Albania, Algeria, Andorra or Angola … or any of the rest of the 193 member states of the international organization. All the way through Zambia and Zimbabwe.

“These are not our vehicles. … We don’t have vehicles,” U.N. spokeswoman Ismini Palla told WND.

But she said it’s possible that a member state placed an order with an American manufacturer, and they simply were being transported to their new owner.

“I assume, and that’s a big assumption, that possibly there has been an agreement for the U.S. to manufacture, to produce these vehicles,” she said. (Read more from “U.N. Denies Knowledge of Military Trucks Labeled ‘U.N.'” HERE)

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After Obama Speaks in Canada, Chant Erupts That Many Will Find Chilling

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Wrapping up his final months in office, President Obama made a trip to Canada’s Parliament Wednesday where he delivered a warm speech and praised the close relations between the U.S. and Canada.

The president also had kind words for Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, saying his fellow liberal has brought “new energy and hope” to relationships between the two nations.

“My time in office may be nearing an end, but I know that Canada and the world will benefit from your leadership in the years to come,” he said of Trudeau.

Trudeau had earlier introduced Obama by claiming the two had an ongoing “bromance,” remarking, “This House gets to see a bromance up close.”

Obama touched on some more serious matters as well, calling on Canada to carry its own weight internationally and especially in regards to NATO.

“As your NATO ally and your friend, let me say, we’ll be more secure when every NATO member, including Canada, contributes its full share to our common security,” Obama told Parliament. “Because the Canadian Armed Forces are really good. And if I can borrow a phrase, the world needs more Canada. NATO needs more Canada. We need you.”

According to Obama, the world order has become “increasingly strained” due to instability and inequality. He said he expects that “people will push back out of anger; out of fear,” but Obama expressed optimism for the future of market-based liberal economies.

At the conclusion of his speech, Obama was met with thunderous applause and chants of “four more years.”

His visit to Canada marks the first time since 1995 a sitting U.S. leader has visited the government body. Liberal and Conservative lawmakers returned from their summer break to witness Obama’s speech. (For more from the author of “After Obama Speaks in Canada, Chant Erupts That Many Will Find Chilling” please click HERE)

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WON’T YOU PLEASE HELP? We Must All Join Together to Find a Cure for Sudden Islamic Combustion Syndrome (SICS)

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Political scientists at The New York Times and Vox are baffled by the thousands of recent incidents of a disease termed Sudden Islamic Combustion Syndrome (or “SICS”).

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Voxsplainer and political commentator Ezra M. Klein III recently lobbied Congress to fund a worldwide effort, led by the United Nations, to find the root cause of SICS.

“We have yet to find a root cause or some underlying pattern that would explain why certain individuals suddenly detonate, killing individuals around them, often with oddly shaped pieces of metal that resemble nails and shrapnel,” said Klein.

“It’s imperative that we find a root cause, because there’s no discernible pattern to SICS. There’s no particular ideology, faith, or military cult packaged as a religion that we can tie back to the disease.”

In the mean time, The New York Times and Vox have teamed up to create a charitable foundation and slush fund that a spokesman said will devote a “significant percentage” of its revenue to finding a cure for SICS.

Contacted at her home in Chappaqua, Democrat presidential candidate Hillary Clinton supported the effort to research SICS and also stated that “gun control may be the answer.” (For more from the author of “WON’T YOU PLEASE HELP? We Must All Join Together to Find a Cure for Sudden Islamic Combustion Syndrome (SICS)” please click HERE)

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New ISIS Video Threatens Attacks on Two Western American Cities

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San Francisco and Las Vegas are the latest American cities threatened by ISIS in a video released by the terrorist group.

The video, which praises Orlando terrorist Omar Mateen and includes footage of the police response to the June 12 massacre at the Pulse nightclub, shows footage of the Golden Gate Bridge and several other San Francisco landmarks as well as the neon-drenched Las Vegas Strip at night.

The video also includes images of President Barack Obama with blood spattered on the screen, as well as images of Obama with French President Francois Hollande as flames close in on them.

It also includes footage taken by Larossi Abballa during a June 13 attack he made on a French police official. Abballa said he was obeying the directive of ISIS leaders to kill infidels in their homes.

According to The Inquisitr, the voice over with the video is “encouraging more attacks in San Francisco in the same vein as the Pulse incident in Orlando …”

The video also shows footage of the Council on American Islamic Relations, which it accuses of cooperating with the unbelievers.

Last week, in the wake of the Brexit vote, ISIS called for attacks on Brussels and Berlin to further destabilize Europe. Also last week, New York, Washington and Orlando were cited as possible ISIS targets.

The endless threats have many wanting swift retaliation.

“The time for political correctness is over,” wrote Leo Dunson on Conservative Daily Post. “We have to more vigilant during our travels and more observing of our environments. The Obama administration continues to ignore its top level advisers at the FBI and the Department of Homeland Security. ISIS is a serious threat that needs to be met by the full force of the United States Military and our Intelligence Agencies.” (For more from the author of “New ISIS Video Threaten Attacks on Two Western American Cities” please click HERE)

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Gunfire, Massive Explosions Rock Major Airport, Numerous Deaths Reported

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Istanbul Ataturk Airport, the largest air transport hub in Turkey, was hit by two explosions Tuesday evening. State-run TRT television said the blasts took place in the international arrival terminal. More than 10 people were reported killed and up to 100 hurt.

Initial reports said there was also gunfire from a car park at the airport. Other accounts said a suicide bomber sprayed the crowd with an automatic weapon before blowing himself up.

It was uncertain in the immediate aftermath of the attack exactly how many people were hurt. CBS News reported “dozens” were injured. A witness told CNN Turk that taxis were driving wounded people to local hospitals.

The Express reported 10 dead and 40 wounded and said that Turkish officials told the British publication that the attack was caused by two suicide bombers. On its website, the Express reported that video “allegedly from the scene shows passengers cowering on the floor while others shout: ‘Get down.’”

Other reports put the death toll higher.

Amerbin Zaman of the Wilson Center tweeted that the attack was “incredible” given tight security at the airport.

Turkey has been no stranger to explosions and violence. Earlier this month, 11 people were killed in a car bomb explosion in downtown Istanbul. In March, at least 37 people died in a car bomb in Ankara, the nation’s capital. Recent bomb attacks in Turkey have been linked to Kurdish separatists or the Islamic State group.

The State Department first put out a warning against travel to Turkey in March. It updated that warning Monday, urging Americans to “exercise heightened vigilance and caution when visiting public access areas, especially those heavily frequented by tourists.” (For more from the author of “Gunfire, Massive Explosions Rock Major Airport, Numerous Deaths Reported” please click HERE)

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A Global Response Is Needed to Defeat ISIS

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“A feckless delusion that is never going to happen.” That’s how the current head of the CIA, John Brennan, described the possibility of the existence of an Islamic caliphate five years ago.

In a cruel piece of irony, the Islamic State, also known as ISIS, proclaimed the existence of such a caliphate precisely three years to the day after Brennan’s comments.

This caliphate has proven its staying power, becoming truly entrenched in Iraq and Syria. Furthermore, ISIS’ brand and its barbaric ideology have been disseminated far and wide. ISIS continues to carry out or inspire regular attacks abroad and has established affiliates in Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Algeria, the Sinai Peninsula, and many other parts of the Middle East and Africa.

Breaking ISIS is highly desirable, but there is no silver bullet to do so. Staving off any air of inevitability that ISIS is on the way to becoming a permanent, dominant regional force is key; and defeating the group militarily is naturally vital to these efforts. ISIS has had fantastic success in attracting foreign recruits, so cutting off its supply of new fighters is also crucial.

Turkey stepping up its efforts to block the flow of fighters via its territory has certainly boosted the war effort on this front. In a Heritage Foundation backgrounder, entitled “Combatting the ISIS Foreign Fighter Pipeline: A Global Approach,” my colleagues and I have made further practical suggestions on how best to combat this foreign fighter problem.

Despite some progress being made against ISIS, there is more that needs to be done. For example, over the weekend, ISIS was in the process of being kicked out of Fallujah, Iraq.

Yet this is only a pyrrhic victory if it means Fallujah ends up being occupied by Iran-backed Shia Popular Mobilization Units, as Sunnis in the area will never accept this status quo. Throw in inevitable abuse of Sunnis by these same forces, and it merely sets the scene for an eventual ISIS comeback.

There also appears to be little coherent strategy for resolving the mess in Libya, where ISIS has begun to shift its resources.

Therefore, a Senate hearing this week on the “Global Efforts to Defeat ISIS” is well timed, as key questions about how to handle the group remain unaddressed. That is not just the case when it comes to Iraq and Syria, either, as this war is now truly transnational.

ISIS’ latest overseas affiliate was just created in the Philippines. A French terrorist who swore loyalty to Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi murdered a French policeman and his partner earlier this month. Omar Mateen did the same during his massacre in Orlando. A global, coherent response is needed.

This is a tricky balancing act because the U.S. must also not develop tunnel vision. ISIS, as with al-Qaeda, is a manifestation of a broader challenge posed by the ideology of Islamism. Coming up with a long-term strategy for defeating a religiously-infused ideology that cuts across borders and exists in countries that the U.S. has limited scope to influence is no easy task. In its absence, however, the threat posed to us all can only endure. (For more from the author of “A Global Response Is Needed to Defeat ISIS” please click HERE)

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