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Luis Miguel Goitizolo

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RE: ARE WE NOW IN THE END TIMES?
8/21/2016 11:32:19 AM

'IS bomber' kills at least 50 at Turkey wedding

Ilyas Akengin with Raziye Akkoc in AnkaraAugust 21, 2016

Relatives grieve at hospital in Gaziantep, southeast Turkey on August 20, 2016 following a late night militant attack on a wedding party (AFP Photo/Ahmed Deeb)

(Note: This is an update)

Gaziantep (Turkey) (AFP) - At least 50 people were killed in a southeastern Turkish city close to Syria when a suspected suicide bomber linked to Islamic State jihadists attacked a wedding thronged with guests, officials said Sunday.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said the IS extremist group was the "likely perpetrator" of the bomb attack, the deadliest in 2016, in Gaziantep late Saturday that targeted a celebration attended by many Kurds.

The remains of a suicide vest were found at the scene, the chief prosecutor's office said in a statement on Sunday, broadcaster CNN-Turk reported.

The explosion was the latest attack to rock the key NATO member in a horrific year that has seen strikes blamed on Kurdish and Islamist militants as well as a bloody July 15 botched coup.

Gaziantep governor Ali Yerlikaya said in a statement that 50 people had been killed, raising a previous toll of 30. He had previously said 94 were wounded in what he described as an "abhorrent terror bomb attack on a wedding".

Erdogan said in a statement there was "no difference" between the group of US-based preacher Fethullah Gulen whom he blames for the failed coup bid, the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) "and Daesh (IS), the likely perpetrator of the attack in Gaziantep".

"Our country and our nation have again only one message to those who attack us -- you will not succeed!" he said.

World leaders quickly condemned the attack including French President Francois Hollande who denounced the "vile" incident.

"France stands with all who fight against the scourge of terrorism," the presidency said in a statement.

The US ambassador to Turkey John Bass condemned the "barbaric attack on innocent civilians", adding that Washington would "continue to work closely together to defeat the common threat of terrorism" in a statement shared on the official US embassy in Turkey Twitter account.

- Kurds targeted -

Reports said the wedding had a strong Kurdish presence. The Dogan news agency said the bride and groom were from the mainly Kurdish region of Siirt further to the east and had themselves been uprooted due to the flare-up in violence with Kurdish militants.

The pro-Kurdish Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) said its members had been present at the wedding which was also attended by many women and children.

The Hurriyet daily said the bride and groom -- Besna and Nurettin Akdogan -- were in hospital but their lives were not in danger.

Erdogan said the aim of such attacks was to sow division between different groups in Turkey including Arabs, Kurds and Turkmen and to "spread incitement along ethnic and religious lines".

Many jihadists see Kurds as one of their main enemies, with Kurdish militias playing a significant role in the fight against IS on the ground in Syria.

Prime Minister Binali Yildirim said Gaziantep would show the same spirit it had shown in 1921, when it defeated French forces in Turkey's Independence War which led to the word Gazi (war hero) being added to its original name of Antep.

"Our grief is great, but be sure our unity and togetherness will defeat all these diabolic attacks," he said.

- 'Happiest day poisoned' -

Mehmet Erdogan, a ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) lawmaker for Gaziantep said there was a "high possibility" it was a suicide attack, comments echoed by Deputy Prime Minister Mehmet Simsek.

Dogan news agency said the suicide bomber had mixed in with the guests before detonating the charge. Security forces are now searching for two individuals who entered the celebration with the suspected bomber and then fled, it added.

Gulser Ates, who was wounded in the attack, told Hurriyet the attack took place as the party was breaking up.

"We were sitting on chairs, having a chat with one of our neighbours.

"During the explosion, the neighbour died on top of me. I remember being underneath. If my neighbour hadn't fallen on top of me, I would have died," she said.

"The bride and groom's happiest day was poisoned."

Another resident in Gaziantep told Dogan that when he arrived, he saw many dead bodies and body parts including a "head, arm, hand scattered on the ground".

Meanwhile, images on broadcaster CNN-Turk showed rows of coffins covered in white sheets for the funerals of some of those killed.

Crowds of mourners gathered to pray, and chants of Allahu Akbar ("God is greatest") could be heard.

- Hub for Syrians -

A major city lying just 60 kilometres (37 miles) north of the Syrian border, Gaziantep has become a hub for Syrians fleeing the civil war in their country.

But as well as refugees and opposition activists, there have long been fears it was home to a significant jihadist presence.

Images from the scene showed bodies covered in white sheets while distraught relatives of the victims were comforted in the street.

As has been the case in previous attacks, Turkey's broadcasting regulator RTUK banned broadcast of footage from the scene of the attack.

IS suicide bombers have carried out attacks in Istanbul several times this year, while Kurdish militants have hit targets in both Ankara and Istanbul.

On Thursday, 12 people were killed in three bombings blamed on the PKK, who Erdogan said had killed 70 members of the security forces in the last month alone.

The blast in Gaziantep came just hours after Yildirim said Ankara would in the next six months play a "more active" role in efforts to solve the Syrian civil war.

Turkey was long accused of turning a blind eye to or even abetting the rise of IS in Syria, claims it vehemently denies. But Ankara has taken a tougher line since the start of jihadist attacks on its soil.


(Yahoo News)


"Choose a job you love and you will not have to work a day in your life" (Confucius)

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Luis Miguel Goitizolo

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RE: ARE WE NOW IN THE END TIMES?
8/21/2016 5:23:15 PM

HAITI'S CHOLERA VICTIMS: SHOULD THE U.N. COMPENSATE THEM?

The U.N. has accepted partial responsibility in Haiti's 2010 cholera crisis.

BY , NICOLAS LEMAY-HÉBERT ON 8/19/16 AT 11:55 AM


This article was originally published in The Conversation. Read the original article.

The United Nations has, at long last, accepted some responsibility that it played a part in a cholera epidemic that broke out in Haiti in 2010 and has since killed at least 9,200 people and infected nearly a million people.

This is the first time that the U.N. has acknowledged that it bears a duty towards the victims. It is a significant step forward in the quest for accountability and justice.

Haiti is one of the poorest countries in the world. It is frequently devastated by disasters—both natural and man-made. Yet cholera was not one of its problems before 2010. Then a group of U.N. peacekeepers was sent to help after an earthquake.

The U.N. did not screen its peacekeepers for cholera, nor did it build adequate toilet facilities in its peacekeeping camps. As a result, wastewater carrying cholera flowed directly into a tributary that feeds Haiti’s main river. Given that vast numbers of the population rely on the Artibonite river for washing, cooking, cleaning and drinking, cholera quickly spread around many parts of the country. The disease is now endemic within the country. People continue to die at an alarming rate by this preventable and treatable disease.

The U.N. has also refused to provide a mechanism through which victims can seek remedies. Peacekeeping missions are legally bound to set up claims boards for victims of civil wrongs, but this has not occurred in Haiti. A class action suit has been brought to New York district and appellate courts, but the U.N. has refused to appear before those courts and has hidden behind the shield of immunity from the jurisdiction of national courts. Advocacy groups have lobbied the U.N. and member states to provide political resolution, but none has been forthcoming.

Accepting guilt

Now, with Ban Ki-Moon’s tenure nearly finished, and with the Haiti situation remaining a stain on the U.N.’s reputation, it seems as though the five-year impasse may be coming to an end.

The New York Times has reported that a spokesperson for the U.N. secretary general, Ban Ki-Moon, whose tenure is nearly finished, wrote in a leaked email: “Over the past year, the U.N. has become convinced that it needs to do much more regarding its own involvement in the initial outbreak and the suffering of those affected by cholera.” He added that a “new response” would be made public in the coming months after it had been “agreed with the Haitian authorities”.

There have been many efforts to encourage resolution, including from U.N. independent experts on human rights, former U.N. officials and from some member states. Many of the candidates to become the next U.N. secretary-general have pledged to address the issue if appointed to that job.

There have been public calls for Ban Ki-Moon to move away from his position. There needs to be a concerted effort to ensure that any resolution package, should one be agreed, meets the needs of the cholera victims—given the political instability in Haiti.

Making amends

Experts, academics, ambassadors to the U.N. and former U.N. officials have long discussed what a political resolution to this situation might look like. We believe there are three crucial aspects to any resolution package. There must be financial compensation, efforts to prevent the spread of the disease and a public apology.

In situations of mass harm, compensation is usually awarded through a lump sum payment or trust fund and a similar model could be used to compensate cholera victims in this case. Haiti does not have national laws and standards on compensation, but at the very least, financial compensation must be made available for the dependants of those who died from cholera and some form of remedies made available for those infected with the disease.

A strong cholera elimination plan is already in place in Haiti, focusing on water and sanitation, health, and preventing further infections. But it is woefully underfunded, which means that water treatment plants that have been built do not have sufficient electricity to run. Any resolution package must include support for this kind of work.

Finally, the cholera epidemic has significantly undermined the relationship between the U.N. and locals. An apology would be a starting point to rebuild the U.N.’s credibility in Haiti. Apologies after Rwanda, Srebrenica, and Sri Lanka played a significant role in the healing process for the people affected by U.N. mistakes.

The Haiti cholera epidemic remains a blight on the reputation of the U.N. and its peacekeeping missions. That will only change with a resolution package. Whatever form that package takes, it must be decided transparently. It must be victim-centred and ensure that justice is done and is seen to be done. The leaked U.N. email demonstrates that there is some momentum brewing. It is crucial that is capitalized upon in a transparent, fair and just manner.

Rosa Freedman is professor of Law, Conflict and Global Development at University of Reading and Nicolas Lemay-Hébert is senior lecturer, International Development Department at University of Birmingham.


(Newsweek)

"Choose a job you love and you will not have to work a day in your life" (Confucius)

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Luis Miguel Goitizolo

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RE: ARE WE NOW IN THE END TIMES?
8/21/2016 5:48:18 PM

Hillary Clinton Unveiled And Falling Apart At The Seams

"Choose a job you love and you will not have to work a day in your life" (Confucius)

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Luis Miguel Goitizolo

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RE: ARE WE NOW IN THE END TIMES?
8/21/2016 7:00:14 PM

Footage Of Boy In Aleppo Is Opportunistic, Vile Propaganda From Western Media

"Choose a job you love and you will not have to work a day in your life" (Confucius)

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Luis Miguel Goitizolo

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RE: ARE WE NOW IN THE END TIMES?
8/22/2016 12:45:31 AM
Reports: Iran forms 'Liberation Army' to deploy abroad

Fighters to be drawn from local population where Iran is involved in conflict, says a retired Iranian commander.



Iran is involved in multiple wars involving opposing Shia and Sunni Muslim forces [EPA]

Correction: 20/08/2016: A previous version of this story identified Mohammad Ali Al Falaki as the head of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). That was incorrect. Mohammad Ali Al Falaki is a retired IRGC commander.

Iran has reportedly formed what it calls the "Liberation Army" whose units will be deployed in Arab countries, according to a news website.

Currently, Iran is involved in multiple conflicts where Shia and Sunni Muslims are locked in a power struggle, notably Syria and Yemen.

Mohammad Ali Al Falaki, a retired commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, said in an interview published on Thursday by Mashregh News that Iran is fighting on three fronts: Iraq, Syria and Yemen.



Soleimani is the head of the Revolutionary Guard Corps' elite Quds Force.


It was not clear how large the so-called "Liberation Army" would be.

"The forces that belong to this army are not Iranians only. In any place where there is a fight, we organise and supply the army from the people of the area," said Falaki.

With regard to Syria, he said: "It is not wise for our Iranian forces to be directly thrown into war in Syria. Therefore our role should be limited to train, supply, and prepare the Syrians to fight in their areas."

In January, Al Jazeera reported that Iran was recruiting tens of thousands of Afghan Shia fighters to step up the country's efforts in the Syrian war, offering them salaries to join the war on the side of the government of President Bashar al-Assad.


Source: Al Jazeera and agencies

"Choose a job you love and you will not have to work a day in your life" (Confucius)

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