MEZOPOTAMIA KURDISTAN DAILY INDEPENDENT NEWSSERVICE
Mezopotamian Development Society (Registered) GERMANY
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MESOP TODAYS QUOTATION : THE DARLING OF THE BRITISH LEFT : KEN L.
Labour’s Nazi Meltdown Caught on Camera
BY Nico Hines – Daily Beast – The Labour Party’s gobsmacking anti-Semitism crisis spiraled even further out of control after a senior member tried to claim Hitler wasn’t so bad. Read all http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2016/04/28/u-k-labour-party-s-crazy-nazi-meltdown-caught-on-camera.html?via=newsletter&source=DDAfternoon
MESOP TODAYS OPION (I) : On Kurds, Kornets & criticisms – By Michael Rubin | American Enterprise Institute
Yesterday, I published a blog post highlighting comments by Kurdish official Hiwa Afandi suggesting that it was not in the Kurdish interest to defeat the Islamic State (ISIS, ISIL, Daesh) because Shi‘ite volunteers were a greater danger. That is a very dangerous sentiment, and highlights the fact that the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) often operates upon interests that do not coincide with those of the United States and the West as much as those lobbying for Iraqi Kurdistan or its constituent parties suggest.
Was it fair to focus on one official? Yes. Neither the KRG nor the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) nor, for that matter, the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan, embrace an internal culture of democracy. They do not tolerate dissent in their ranks. Mr. Afandi may not have been as diplomatic as he might have been, but he was no outlier. If he was, he probably would not still be in his government post today. Read all http://www.mesop.de/?p=73566
MESOP TODAYS OPINION ((II) : BY DAVID IGNATIUS – In Iraq, the Mosul offensive is off to a slow and shaky start
By David Ignatius Opinion writer April 29 – THE WASHINGTON POST
From a sandbagged hilltop outpost here, you can see the front line of the Islamic State in the muddy brown houses of Al-Nasr, a village on the next ridgeline, about a mile-and-a-half west. The Iraqi army was supposed to have captured this target a month ago. But the offensive was repelled.The battle for Mosul, about 35 miles north, must begin with the seizure of such Islamic State positions along the Tigris River. But the Iraqi army isn’t ready yet to take a small, well-fortified village such as Al-Nasr. So it’s hard to imagine that Mosul itself could be cleared by the end of the year, as the Obama administration has hoped. Read all http://www.mesop.de/?p=73584
MESOP TODAYS : Arguments and Analysis – “What Explains the Flow of Foreign Fighters to ISIS?” (Efraim Benmelech, Esteban F. Klor, National Bureau of Economic Research)
“We find that poor economic conditions do not drive participation in ISIS. In contrast, the number of ISIS foreign fighters is positively correlated with a country’s GDP per capita and Human Development Index (HDI). In fact, many foreign fighters originate from countries with high levels of economic development, low income inequality, and highly developed political institutions. Other factors that explain the number of ISIS foreign fighters are the size of a country’s Muslim population and its ethnic homogeneity. Although we cannot directly determine why people join ISIS, our results suggest that the flow of foreign fighters to ISIS is driven not by economic or political conditions but rather by ideology and the difficulty of assimilation into homogeneous Western countries.” Read all http://www.mesop.de/?p=73592
WEST KURDISTAN (SYRIA)
MESOP : A RUSSIAN/OBAMA BACKED SHELTER FOR ASSAD
Russia and the United States have agreed to enforce a “regime of silence” in Latakia and Damascus, according to Russian media reports. The agreement, which will enter force at midnight, will preserve some aspects of the collapsing partial ceasefire in Syria and continue to allow the provision of humanitarian aid in certain areas. The agreement does not seem to cover Aleppo, though, which has seen a particularly bloody week. At least 200 civilians have died in the city over the last week as rebels have shelled government-held neighborhoods and Syrian jets have bombarded rebel districts. That includes a strike this morning that struck a medical clinic in the neighborhood of al-Marjah that had provided dental work and treatment for chronic illnesses. Another strike earlier this week destroyed a clinic operated by Médecins Sans Frontières in Aleppo’s Sukkari neighborhood, killing 30 people. www.mesop.de
MESOP : GREAT SHAME ON PKK / PYD (YPG) / SIGNS OF A STALINIST REGIME
Conflict News@Conflicts – VIDEO: #YPG in Afrin parades dead bodies of FSA fighters killed near Azaz #Syria – @JPY_Kurdish
Watch pic & Video : https://twitter.com/Conflicts/status/725693918537457664
MESOP : CEMIL BAYIKS FAVOR TO PUTIN ! COURTESY !
YPG Swaps Several IS Leaders for a Russian Officer’s Body / The Russian military officer had been killed by IS militants in Syria
HOMS — BasNews – 28 April 2016 – Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) reported today on April 28 that People’s Protection Units (YPG) has exchanged several Islamic State (IS) captives for a corpse of a Russian military officer. – The London-based SOHR stated that the YPG, the armed wing of Syrian Kurdish Democratic Union Party (PYD), was keen to receive back the corpse of a Russian military officer who was killed few weeks ago by IS in Tadmur. Read all http://www.mesop.de/?p=73568
MESOP FLASH : Kurdish Militias Clash with U.S.-backed Rebels
Clashes in the town of Tal Rifaat between Syrian Kurdish militias and other Syrian rebel groups resulted in the deaths of 53 rebel troops and 11 members of the Syrian Democratic Forces, a coalition of Kurdish and Arab groups. Kurdish militia then loaded the bodies of the dead on a flatbed trailer and paraded them through the streets of the nearby city of Afrin. Tensions between Kurdish and Arab rebels have been strained by the renewed fighting in Aleppo, where Kurdish forces accuse rebels of killing civilians in Kurdish neighborhoods. Several prominent Kurds spoke out against the display of rebel bodies. www.mesop.de
MESOP ALEPPO WARNING UPDATE TODAY : CLICK BOTTOM LINK FOR MAP
By Christopher Kozak (ISW)
Key Takeaway: Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and his allies in Moscow and Tehran have set the stage for an imminent offensive to complete the encirclement of Aleppo City following the near-total breakdown of Geneva peace talks and an associated ceasefire on April 19. Regime warplanes have resumed a campaign of aerial bombardment against opposition-held districts of Aleppo City. Meanwhile, pro-regime forces and their local partners have intensified their efforts to secure favorable terrain in advance of future operations in Aleppo Province. The current confluence of strategic intent, political opportunity, and tactical maneuvers indicate that pro-regime forces will act within the coming weeks to besiege Aleppo City as previously forecast by ISW. Aleppo City – Syria’s largest urban center and commercial capital – constitutes the primary nexus of opposition strength in northern Syria. If successful, pro-regime forces could deliver a decisive blow to the powerful armed groups in Aleppo City that drives the opposition towards radicalization and a merger with Syrian Al-Qaeda affiliate Jabhat al-Nusra. Watch Map : http://www.mesop.de/?p=73570
MESOP : PKK/PYD NOW FINALLY JOINT WITH THEIR CLOSE COMRADES IN ARMS OF THE US IMPERIALISM / APO’S MURRAY BOOKCHIN BRIGADE !
KurdistanKurds refuse to comment on US deployment to Syria – Kurdistan24 – Erbil
A UK-based Arabic-language newspaper, Rai al-Youm, wrote on Wednesday that 150 US soldiers and officers arrived at Ramilan airport that is under the control of the Kurdish forces (YPG). Despite a wave of similar reports, no official in the Kurdish administration in northeastern Syria has confirmed the deployment of US troops to Syria’s northeastern Kurdish areas (Rojava).However, a former official in the Kurdish administration told Kurdistan24 that reports are true, “because when US officials declare something, they have already done it.” WATCH PICS http://www.mesop.de/?p=73572
MESOP INSIGHT UPDATE : Deaths on Both Sides of “Catastrophic” Aleppo / PUTIN’S WAR CRIMES
April 29 – 2016 – By Scott Lucas – eaworldview – Killing continued on both sides of Syria’s divided city of Aleppo on Thursday. Russian and regime warplanes carrying out more airstrikes on opposition territory, while State media claimed the deaths of civilians from rebel shelling of regime areas. The Russian and Syrian air forces struck for an eighth straight day on neighborhoods including Bustan al-Qasr, Kallasa, and Sakhour. The Local Coordination Committees documented 73 deaths in and near Aleppo on Thursday.
The LCC recorded 131 deaths across Syria, with another 22 in Homs Province and 15 in Hama Province. State news agency SANA claimed 22 people were killed and at least 88 wounded on Thursday by rebel shelling of regime districts such as Midan and Ashrafiyeh.State media has said that shelling escalated from Monday, killing more than 60 people. Read all http://www.mesop.de/?p=73578
SOUTH KURDISTAN (IRAQ)
MESOP REPORT : US Vice President Biden on surprise visit to Iraq – President Joe Biden arrived in Baghdad for an unannounced visit to Iraq
BAGHDAD (AFP) – 29 Apr 2016 – US Vice President Joe Biden arrived in Baghdad Thursday for an unannounced visit to Iraq, whose leadership is bogged down in a protracted political crisis even as its forces battle jihadists.”The vice president has arrived in Iraq for meetings with (the) Iraqi leadership focused on encouraging Iraqi national unity and continued momentum in the fight against ISIL,” a statement from Biden’s office said, using an acronym for the Islamic State jihadist group.”The vice president will also be discussing steps the international community can take to promote Iraq’s economic stability and further regional cooperation,” the statement said.
It is the highest-ranking visit by a US official to Iraq since Biden went there in 2011.
With the US election campaign in full swing and President Barack Obama due to step down after two terms, Biden’s visit is also likely to be his last to Iraq as vice president.”The vice president has been the point person on Iraq for the administration since the beginning,” a US official told reporters on Biden’s plane.”He’s been itching to get back for a while — looking for an opportunity. This seemed like a good moment to do it,” the official said. – www.mesop.de
MESOP FLASH : RUSSIA’S RT STEALS, THEN FAKES VIDEO FOR “REBELS SHELL REGIME-HELD ALEPPO”
Russia’s State outlet RT, ignoring any deaths of civilians in opposition areas, has faked video for its claims that rebels are shelling regime districts and causing casualties: The original footage was shot by prominent pro-opposition journalist Hadi al-Abdullah, who has covered frontline conflict and attacks on civilian areas for years. The opening seconds of the footage clearly show a rescuer with the arm badge of the White Helmets, the civil defense organization that operates in opposition areas. Click for pics: http://www.mesop.de/?p=73576
MESOP SPECIAL
MESOP : CLINTON’S SPECIAL SARIN DELIVERY – ERIC ZUESSE | 28.04.2016 | WORLD
Seymour Hersh Says Hillary Approved Sending Libya’s Sarin to Syrian Rebels
In an interview with Alternet.org, the independent investigative reporter Seymour Hersh was asked about Hillary Clinton’s role in the Benghazi Libya consulate’s operation to collect sarin from Libyan stockpiles and send it through Turkey into Syria for a set-up sarin-gas attack, to be blamed on Assad in order to ‘justify’ the US invading Syria, as it had invaded Libya.
He said: «That ambassador who was killed, he was known as a guy, from what I understand, as somebody, who would not get in the way of the CIA. As I wrote, on the day of the mission he was meeting with the CIA base chief and the shipping company. He was certainly involved, aware and witting of everything that was going on. And there’s no way somebody in that sensitive of a position is not talking to the boss, by some channel». Read all http://www.mesop.de/?p=73586
THE GERMAN KURDISH CHAPTER
MESOP : DIE MIGRATIONSLOBBYISTEN WOLLEN BEWUSST KEINE ARGUMENTE – SONDERN GERADE DEN FOLGENDEN CLASH & SHOW DOWN – AUS „HÖHEREN“ IDEOLOGISCHEN GRÜNDEN
Migrationsforscher im Gespräch „Die meisten Menschen wollen unbequeme Fakten nicht hören“
Der Soziologe Ruud Koopmans kritisiert, dass sich muslimische Migranten zu wenig anpassen würden. Multikulti hält er für fatal, Merkels Türkei-Politik ebenso. In Deutschland wird er bislang kaum gehört – und er ahnt, warum.
29.04.2016, von Sven Astheimer – FAZ – Herr Koopmans, Sie forschen seit rund 20 Jahren zu den Themen Migration und Integration. Sie müssten derzeit ein gefragter Mann sein. Wie oft hat das Kanzleramt schon bei Ihnen angerufen?
Die Kanzlerin hat noch nicht angerufen. Aber ich komme gerade aus dem Innenministerium, wo wir über die Gründe von Migration gesprochen haben. Wir haben auch sehr kontrovers über den jüngsten Deal mit der Türkei diskutiert.
Dennoch tauchen Sie in der öffentlichen Debatte recht wenig auf. Was glauben Sie, woran das liegt?
Es ist schon so, dass die meisten Politiker und Journalisten nur die Bestätigung ihrer eigenen Meinung hören wollen. Und da ist vielleicht die Position, die ich vertrete, in Deutschland zurzeit nicht so populär. Insgesamt ziehen meine Forschungsergebnisse schon Aufmerksamkeit auf sich. Anfang 2015 habe ich eine Studie veröffentlicht über islamischen Fundamentalismus und Feindbilder von Muslimen in Europa. Diese Ergebnisse wurden in vielen Ländern auf der ganzen Welt von Pakistan über Israel bis in die Vereinigten Staaten heftig diskutiert, auch in Europa – aber eben nicht in Deutschland. Die F.A.Z. hat als einziges Leitmedium darüber berichtet, wenn auch sehr kritisch. Aber immerhin hat sie berichtet. In den anderen Medien war komplette Funkstille. Volltext http://www.mesop.de/?p=73582