Europe’s First Islamic Constitution?

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islam-727776_960_720By Thomas Seibert. Calls by a top member of the ruling party of Turkey for an Islamic constitution to replace the secular basic law in place in the country, a NATO member and crucial U.S. ally, have been rejected by politicians from all stripes, including President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, himself a pious Muslim. But as Erdogan is trying to avoid a debate that could harm him politically, the question remains: How should the relationship between state and religion be defined in a country with a 99 percent Muslim population?

Turkey’s current constitution, which enshrines the principle of secularism in Article 2, was drawn up under military rule in 1982. All parties in Ankara agree that a completely new text should be written to give Turkey a more modern and more democratic outlook.

Erdogan is trying to convince Turks to also change the form of government from the current parliamentary to a U.S.-style presidential one, with himself at the helm. The opposition says his real aim is absolute power without the sort of checks and balances that limit executive excesses elsewhere, amid speculation in the media that a referendum on a new constitution could be called this year. Erdogan cannot be sure that a majority of Turks would accept a presidential system in such a vote, with some polls saying support for his plan is as low as 35 percent. (Read more from “Europe’s First Islamic Constitution?” HERE)

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Labor Candidate Favorite for London Mayor After Racially Charged Campaign

By William James. Sadiq Khan of opposition Labour Party is the strong favourite to win London’s mayoral election on Thursday after a contest marked by religious tensions and accusations of racism.

Polls show Khan, the son of a bus driver, is as much as 20 percentage points ahead of rival Conservative Zac Goldsmith in the race to run one of the world’s top financial centres. If he wins, he will succeed current Conservative mayor Boris Johnson to become the first Muslim to head a major Western capital.

London’s population of 8.6 million is among the most diverse in the world and it is rare for identity politics to enter British campaigning.

But Goldsmith, with the support of Prime Minister David Cameron, has for weeks focused on Khan’s faith and past appearances alongside radical Muslim speakers, accusing him of giving “platform, oxygen and cover” to extremists.

Former human rights lawyer Khan says he has fought extremism all his life and regrets sharing a stage with speakers who held “abhorrent” views. (Read more from “Labor Candidate Favorite for London Mayor After Racially Charged Campaign” HERE)

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After Islamic State Attacks From Brussels to Paris, U.S. Sends Delta Force and Navy SEALs to Hunt Terrorists

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hqdefaultAfter Islamic State terrorists carried out deadly terrorist attacks in Brussels, Paris, Egypt and other parts of Africa, the U.S. reportedly sent U.S. special operations forces after those believed to be responsible for planning the acts of terror.

And they were up for the challenge.

So far, Members of Delta Force and Navy SEALs have hunted down and killed 40 “external operations leaders, planners, and facilitators” behind several of the Islamic State attacks, The Daily Beast reported, citing “defense officials.”

The special ops forces’ success has significantly affected the terrorist group’s ability to recruit foreign fighters, according to the report. (Read more from “After Islamic State Attacks From Brussels to Paris, U.S. Sends Delta Force and Navy SEALs to Hunt Terrorists” HERE)

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Major Iranian Missile Test to Coincide With U.S. Presidential Inauguration

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hqdefaultIran is preparing to conduct a major ballistic missile test in February 2017, following the inauguration of the next U.S. president into the Oval Office, according to a timetable issued by the Islamic Republic.

Iran is continuing work on advanced ballistic missile technology and has been engaged in various tests to perfect this work.

Iran conducted a test launch earlier this month of its Simorgh space vehicle, which has emerged as a key piece of the Islamic Republic’s goal to perfect intercontinental ballistic missiles that would be capable of striking the United States with a nuclear warhead.

The most critical test of this system will take place in February 2017, when Iran is scheduled to perform a “full launch” of the system, according to research performed by the Foundation for Defense of Democracies.

The test is being viewed by experts as just the latest in a string of provocative military moves by Iran aimed at testing the United States’ resolve and commitment to international provisions barring these types of missile tests. (Read more from “Major Iranian Missile Test to Coincide With U.S. Presidential Inauguration” HERE)

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How Russia Is Lying to Us About Syria

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I2ExDlublYfgAT4J3FSotqA5HEjPJr5YWhat seemed like an encouraging headline a few weeks ago was really all smoke and mirrors—far from pulling out of Syria, Russia has been rolling in even more troops and equipment. Russian President Vladimir Putin has once again proven that he cannot be trusted.

On March 14, Putin began ordering troops to return home from Syria. It is true that some troops did leave the country, but we now know that this announcement was more about distracting the world and portraying Russia as part of the solution in Syria rather than being part of the problem.

Even though Russia might have removed some troops, it left behind advanced anti-aircraft systems, plenty of fighter planes and bombers, and hundreds of troops and special forces. Don’t forget that Russia entered Syria last year with only a naval base located at Tartus and is now leaving Syria with an additional air base at Hmeimim.

Less than a month later, evidence was released of more troops filtering back into the war-torn country. The cover story was that they were supposedly there to clear out a number of mines, but no one really knew their true intentions.

Russia is still conducting airstrikes, even after their cessation of hostilities agreement with the United States. Russian special forces and air force helping Assad’s army were involved in fighting for the ancient city of Palmyra. There is talk that a Russian-supported offensive against Aleppo is in the works.

Currently, Russia is transporting artillery units into northern Syria and the White House is definitely concerned. According to Ben Rhodes, a deputy national security adviser for the U.S., President Barack Obama told Putin that “Russia should focus its efforts on the diplomatic process.” However, it doesn’t seem like Moscow will heed this instruction.

As shown, Russia doesn’t exactly have the best track record for keeping its word. Moscow routinely violates its cease-fire arrangement with Ukraine and continues to supply weapons to Ukrainian separatists.

So why is Russia even in Syria to begin with? One explanation could be its desired military presence around the world to show that it is a global power. Another explanation is to use its influence in Syria to secure a stronger negotiating position on other issues like Ukraine.

Clever propaganda run directly from the Kremlin has largely affected the world’s perception of the country. The Kremlin wants the world to think of Russia as part of the solution to many of the world’s problems when the opposite is true. The Russian people have done poorly in a declining economy while Putin and his cronies become richer and richer each year.

Whether it is in Georgia, Ukraine, or Syria, Putin will do anything to make it seem that Russia is a global power on equal footing with the United States. As long as the West lets him get away with it, Putin will keep on lying. It is time for the world to wake up. (For more from the author of “How Russia Is Lying to Us About Syria” please click HERE)

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Venezuela Economic Crisis Means Fewer Meals

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Turkish_foodVenezuela’s soaring prices and chronic shortages have left 65-year-old homemaker Alida Gonzalez struggling to put meals on the table.

She and her four family members in the Caracas slum of Petare now routinely skip one meal per day and increasingly rely on starches to make up for proteins that are too expensive or simply unavailable.

“With the money we used to spend on breakfast, lunch and dinner, we can now buy only breakfast, and not a very good one,” said Gonzalez in her home, which on a recent day contained just half a kilo of chicken (about a pound), four plantains, some cooking oil, a small packet of rice, and a mango . . .

Recession and a dysfunctional state-run economy are forcing many in the South American OPEC country of 30 million to reduce consumption and eat less-balanced meals.

In a recent survey by researchers from three major universities often critical of the government, 87 percent of the respondents said their income was insufficient to purchase food. (Read more from “Venezuela Economic Crisis Means Fewer Meals” HERE)

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Norway Is Offering to Pay Refugees to Leave the Country

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maxresdefaultNorwegian authorities are offering a “bonus” 10,000 kroner (£1,000) to asylum seekers willing to leave the country voluntarily.

The Norwegian Directorate of Immigration (UDI) says the measure is less expensive than keeping refugees in immigration centres in the country.

Launched on Monday, the scheme will run for six weeks, state broadcaster NRK reported UDI saying.

The money will be paid to the first 500 asylum seekers to apply on a first-come, first-served basis.

“We need to entice more [people] to voluntarily travel back by giving them a bit more money on their way out. This will save us a lot of money because it is expensive to have people in the asylum centres,” Sylvi Listhaug, integration minister, said. (Read more from “Norway Is Offering to Pay Refugees to Leave the Country” HERE)

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Obama on Why the U.S. Won’t ‘Destroy North Korea’

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hqdefaultPresident Obama is back at the White House after a week in the Middle East and Europe. During his trip, “CBS This Morning” co-host Charlie Rose spoke with the president in Germany for a wide-ranging interview. Mr. Obama had just announced 250 additional American troops will go to Syria to help in the fight against ISIS . . .

In regards to North Korea, Mr. Obama described the regime as “a massive challenge.”

“Our first priority is to protect the American people and our allies, the Republic of Korea, Japan, that are vulnerable to the provocative actions that North Korea is engaging in,” Mr. Obama said.

He said North Korea is “erratic enough” and the country’s leader, Kim Jong Un, is “irresponsible enough that we don’t want them getting close.”

“But it’s not something that lends itself to an easy solution,” Mr. Obama said. “We could, obviously, destroy North Korea with our arsenals. But aside from the humanitarian costs of that, they are right next door to our vital ally, Republic of Korea.” (Read more from “Obama on Why the U.S. Won’t ‘Destroy North Korea'” HERE)

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Dog Dies From Exhaustion After Rescuing Seven People From Earthquake

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Photo Credit: Facebook

Photo Credit: Facebook

A four-year-old white Labrador called Dayko has been hailed as a hero after rescuing seven people from the aftermath of the Ecuador earthquake – before dying from exhaustion.

Dayko, a rescue dog for the Ibara fire service, died last Friday, having spent the previous days searching for survivors in the rubble left by the 7.8-magnitude earthquake which hit Ecuador last week.

According to a post on Ibara fire service’s Facebook page the cause of death was “massive coronary myocardial infarction and acute respiratory failure.” He had been working as a rescue dog for three and a half years.

“We regret to inform you that today the [fire service] is in mourning because [we] just lost Dayko who participated in the work of searching in Pedernales,” said the fire service.

“This four legged friend gave his life in the line of duty. Thank you Dayko for your heroic efforts in Pedernales and in various emergencies where you were present. (Read more from “Dog Dies From Exhaustion After Rescuing Seven People From Earthquake” HERE)

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Report: U.N. Pressing for ‘Alternative’ Ways to Admit More Syrian Refugees to U.S.

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21238173466_b97a203635_bUnited Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) is considering “alternative” ways to admit more Syrian refugees to the United States, beyond the current refugee resettlement program, according to the Center for Immigration Studies.

“The legitimacy and transparency of these new ‘alternative pathways,’ aimed at admitting increasing numbers of Syrian refugees into the United States without calling them ‘refugees,’ remain to be seen,” CIS senior researcher Nayla Rush wrote in a report Monday. “They might even amount to convenient admissions detours at a time when the U.S. refugee resettlement program is under tight scrutiny.”

According to Rush, facing a target to resettle 480,000 Syrian refugees over the next three years, U.N. representatives have already been laying the rhetorical groundwork for pursuing such alternatives to resettlement. During a panel discussion at the Brookings Institution in February, Rush detailed, Beth Harris, Research Professor at Georgetown University and adviser to the United Nations Secretary General on humanitarian refugee policy noted the possibility of alternative paths.

Refugees and government officials are expecting this crisis to last 10 or 15 years. It’s time that we no longer work as business as usual … UNHCR next month [March 2016] is convening a meeting to look at what are being called “alternative safe pathways” for Syrian refugees. Maybe it’s hard for the U.S. to go from 2,000 to 200,000 refugees resettled in a year, but maybe there are ways we can ask our universities to offer scholarships to Syrian students. Maybe we can tweak some of our immigration policies to enable Syrian-Americans who have lived here to bring not only their kids and spouses but their uncles and their grandmothers. There may be ways that we could encourage Syrians to come to the U.S. without going through this laborious, time-consuming process of refugee resettlement.” (Emphasis Rush’s).

At the UNHCR March “high level” meeting in Geneva, Rush detailed, UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi called for “alternative avenues” for countries to admit more Syrian refugees. (Read more from “Report: U.N. Pressing for ‘Alternative’ Ways to Admit More Syrian Refugees to U.S.” HERE)

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European Ministers Lay out Explicit Plan to Create United States of Europe

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pAAUsLlkMzcGe9MPu7eqJdWhmB71ky6eEuropean ministers have explicitly laid out their intentions to create a federal Unites States of Europe, directly contradicting the British Prime Minister, David Cameron’s claims that Britain will not be sucked into a European superstate should the people of Britain vote to remain within the European Union (EU).

Presenting his renegotiated deal on EU membership in February, Mr Cameron insisted: “Britain will be permanently out of ever closer union, never part of a European super-state.”

But the emergence of a declaration signed in Rome by European ministers five months previously to Mr Cameron’s announcement reveals that the intention on the continent is to press ahead with the creation of a federal Europe.

Not content with merely monetary union and free movement, the declaration, signed by the speakers of the national parliaments in Germany, France, Italy and Luxembourg states that they want to integrate a broad spectrum of policies. “It should include all matters pertaining to the European ideal — social and cultural affairs as well as foreign, security and defence policy,” the declaration states.

It adds: “We are convinced that new impetus must be given to European integration. We believe that more, not less, Europe is needed to respond to the challenges we face. (Read more from “European Ministers Lay out Explicit Plan to Create United States of Europe” HERE)

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