EU sanctions Russian mercenary Wagner group, now also very active in Africa

The European Union on Saturday announced additional sanctions against Russia's Wagner Group mercenary and economic organization for "human rights abuses" committed in the Central African Republic, Mali, Sudan and Ukraine. 

In total the bloc targeted 11 individuals and seven entities it said was linked to the once-secretive private military and economic arm of Russian foreign policy controlled by a historically close ally of Vladimir Putin, Yevgeny Prigozhin. They would face asset freezes and a travel ban. 

Read more at:https://www.dw.com

Ukraine war: Time to shift strategies: We must do more to aid Ukraine - "give terrorist Putin an ultimatum to declare cease-fire or else"

War is dynamic, a contest of wills between warring parties, each of which is fighting to achieve its political objectives and thwart its enemy. War reveals vulnerabilities not apparent when it begins, and opportunities absent at the start. Momentum shifts. Strategies should shift accordingly. This is where we are with the war in Ukraine today.

When Russian President Vladimir Putin started his illegal war to conquer and subjugate Ukraine, in his mind, Russia would quickly defeat the Ukrainian military and, thereby, the nation’s will to fight. That didn’t happen. Ukraine resisted, showing weaknesses in the Russian military machine. And global sanctions reduced Russia’s ability to fund the war. The result: stalemate. Russia has lost tactical momentum. Now Ukraine must seize it.

Two opportunities emerged. The stalemate allowed Ukraine to go on the offensive — local counterattacks and maybe a more general counter-offensive. And it provided an opportunity for the Allies to shift strategy.

Read more at: https://thehill.com/opinion/national-security/598908-time-to-shift-strategies-we-must-do-more-to-aid-ukraine

Afghanistan: Dozens of civilians, 12 U.S. troops killed in Kabul airport attack

Islamic State struck the crowded gates of Kabul airport in a suicide bomb attack on Thursday, killing scores of civilians and 12 U.S. troops, and throwing into mayhem the airlift of tens of thousands of Afghans desperate to flee.

Kabul health officials were quoted as saying 60 civilians were killed. Video shot by Afghan journalists showed dozens of bodies strewn around a canal on the edge of the airport. At least two blasts roc

Read more at: Dozens of civilians, 12 U.S. troops killed in Kabul airport attack | Reuters

The Netherlands: The US Center for Disease control gives travel 3 warning for visitors to the Netherlands related to Covid-19 and potential terrorist strikes

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)  has issued a Level 3 Travel Health Notice for the Netherlands due to COVID-19. and potential terrorist strikes .

Improved conditions have been reported within the Netherlands.Visit the Embassy's COVID-19 page for more information on COVID-19 in the Netherlands.

Terrorism: Terrorists continue plotting possible attacks in the Netherlands. Terrorists may attack with little or no warning, targeting tourist locations, transportation hubs, markets/shopping malls, local government facilities, hotels, clubs, restaurants, places of worship, parks, major sporting and cultural events, educational institutions, airports, and other public areas.

EU-Digest

USA: Hundreds of Thousands Sign Petitions Urging the U.S. Government to Declare KKK a Terrorist Group

Hundreds and thousand people are declaring that the Ku Klux Klan be listed as a terrorist organization, with several online petitions rapidly gaining support.

A number of change.org petitions have gone viral this week demanding the white supremacist hate group be classified as terrorists, prompting them to be included among the top trends on Twitter.

One such petition calling for the KKK to be declared a terrorist organization reached 100,000 signatures before it closed.

The white supremacist hate group are currently only listed as a domestic extremists, who are prosecuted differently to terrorists.

Read more at: 
Hundreds of Thousands Sign Petitions Urging the U.S. Government to Declare KKK a Terrorist Group:

Middle East - Iran: US is ‘leader of world terrorism’, says Iran President Rowhani after Donald Trump calls Republican Guard ‘terrorists’ | South China Morning Post

Iranian President Hassan Rowhani on Tuesday accused the United States of being the real “leader of world terrorism”, hitting back after Washington blacklisted Iran’s Revolutionary Guards as terrorist organisation

.

Tehran was quick to retaliate on Monday by declaring US troops “terrorists” following Washington’s move, which was welcomed by Iran’s regional arch-rivals Israel and Saudi Arabia.

It was the first time Washington labelled part of a foreign government a terrorist group, meaning anyone who deals with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard could face prison in the US.

“Who are you to label revolutionary institutions as terrorists?” an angry Rowhani demanded in a speech broadcast live on television.

Rowhani hailed the Guards for fighting terrorism since their creation in 1979 and accused US forces of having always been involved with terrorist groups or acts of terrorism.

Read more at: US is ‘leader of world terrorism’, says Iran President Rowhani after Donald Trump calls Republican Guard ‘terrorists’ | South China Morning Post

Turkey: People from over 10 countries among Istanbul nightclub attack victims by terrorist pig

Terrorism Inc sick minds

Fifteen or 16 non-Turkish citizens were killed in a gun attack on an Istanbul night club on Sunday, Turkish officials announced.

The attack during the New Year celebrations claimed the lives of at least 39 people and injured nearly 70. According to Turkey’s interior minister, Suleyman Soylu, “15 or 16” of those killed were foreigners. Just over 20 bodies have been identified so far, the minister said, adding that 69 people have been hospitalized, of whom at least four are in critical condition. Read People from over 10 countries among Istanbul nightclub attack victims.

Jordan has confirmed the death of at least three of its citizens, Petra news agency reported, citing its foreign ministry in Amman, adding that four other Jordanians were wounded, some of whom are in critical condition. Two Tunisian citizens were among those killed, according to the country’s foreign ministry. An American citizen has been injured as result of the attack, State Department spokesman Michael Tran confirmed, without giving any details on the identity of the person or their condition, CNN reports.

 On Sunday, the Russian Consulate General in Istanbul confirmed the death of a Russian woman in the attack. A consulate official told RIA Novosti that the woman was initially thought to be an Azeri citizen, but documents confirmed her Russian citizenship.

"There were no other Russian citizens among those killed or wounded in the terrorist attack," the consulate official said, adding that the identification procedure for the deceased woman has been scheduled for Tuesday. France has confirmed that one of its citizens, a woman with dual French-Tunisian citizenship, was killed in the attack at the night club. “Her husband, who was a Tunisian citizen, also died,” France’s Foreign Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault said. Three French citizens were wounded.

The Belgian Foreign Ministry reported on Twitter that it feared one of the deceased may be from Belgium. Two Lebanese nationals have been confirmed dead. Lebanese authorities said five of the country’s citizens were injured in the attack, including the daughter of an MP. Israel confirmed that one of its citizens, a 19-year-old girl, was among the dead.

Three Moroccans were injured, the Moroccan foreign ministry said. Kuwait has lost one of its citizens in the attack, Deputy Foreign Minister Khaled Suleiman al-Jarallah told the Kuwait News Agency on Sunday. Four Kuwaiti citizens are being treated for injuries suffered in the attack, while another one has been released from the hospital.

Indian External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj confirmed that two Indian nationals, including the son of a former MP, have died in the shooting. “I have bad news from Turkey. We have lost 2 Indian nationals in the Istanbul attack,” she wrote in a Twitter post, adding that the Indian ambassador in Turkey is heading to Istanbul to assist the families of the deceased Indians who are to fly there from India.

 Up to 600 people are believed to have been inside the club at the time of the attack. Located in the Ortakoy neighborhood on the shores of Istanbul’s Bosphorus waterway, the venue is a popular spot with many nightclubs, art galleries, and restaurants that attract foreigners. Turkey’s Anadolu state news agency has reported that at least 27 foreigners were among the victims of the nightclub attack, citing anonymous sources in the Justice Ministry. "I have been living in Ortakoy for the past [few] months and this particular area has a [high] expat population.

So, one of the main reasons behind this attack could be because [its organizers] wanted to scare the expat community. This is also a very famous tourist area, and the club that was attacked is very famous not only among expats, but also among local celebrities," a woman in Istanbul told RT. Those behind the attack "are targeting a certain kind of people, a certain way of life," another man said, while a third local man told RT he thought the attackers "wanted to scare the international people who come here for fun."

Read More3 at RT News

The Netherkands: Geert Wilders tweets image of Angela Merkel with blood on her hands but does not point at the real culprits of EU Refugee crises

EU Populists: Geert Wilders and Marie Le Pen

Far-right leaders across Europe have accused German Chancellor Angela Merkel of having blood on her hands following Monday's Berlin terror attack.

Not one European politician, however, from the right or left, so far has dared to point their finger at the US Government Middle East Policies as the direct cause of this refugee and terorism disaster in Europe, or demanded that George Bush, Dick Cheney, Donald Rumsfeld and Tony Blair be tried as war criminals.   

Instead obsessed out of control Dutch Freedom Party leader Geert Wilders  tweeted a provocative photo of Angela Merkel with blood on her hands as he blamed Europe's 'cowardly leaders' for a 'tsunami' of Islamic terrorist attacks. 

In a previous tweet, he wrote: 'They hate and kill us. And nobody protects us. Our leaders betray us. We need a political revolution. And defend our people. 

The leader of the Dutch far-right tweeted a provocative photo of Angela Merkel with blood on her hands as he blamed Europe's 'cowardly leaders' for a 'tsunami' of Islamic terrorist attacks.

Germany's far-right has also blamed Agela Merkel's immigration policy for the Berlin Christmas attacks as the chancellor insisted terrorists will not destroy 'freedom' in the country.

Mrs Merkel has laid white roses at the scene where 12 died after she said she was 'shocked and shaken' by the deadly attack in Berlin. She admitted it would be 'particularly sickening' if the terrorist was an asylum-seeker.

In Britain, the extremist Britain First organisation also claimed Mrs Merkel's immigration policy has put the entire continent at risk.

The party's 'acting leader' Jayda Fransen issued a two-and-a-half minute video for her organisation's followers claiming they had predicted such an attack would happen.

She said: 'After allowing millions of asylum seekers into Europe, Angela Merkel has put every single one of us at risk. There are now millions of people who are able to move freely throughout Europe who want us dead.'

The war in Iraq was the beginning of all this drama and disasters we are facing today. 

Europe has to change its Middle East Policies by stepping away from blindly following the US lead in this area and thereby providing deranged populists politicians like Geert Wilders and others of his kind with the amunition to spout their hate speeches and other nonsense.

EU-DIGEST 

Terrorism: Ex-Wife of Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi Says ISIS Leader Was 'Normal Family Man'

......

 Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi  certainly
 had a screw loose in the head

The ex-wife of the most-wanted man in the world, leader of the Islamic State militant group (ISIS) Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, has spoken about her former husband for the first time, calling him a “family man.”

Saja al-Dulaimi, giving her first interview since the Lebanese government released her from prison as part of a swap with an al-Qaeda affiliate in December 2015, told the Swedish daily newspaper Expressen on

Thursday how she was married off to the caliph responsible for the Paris and Brussels attacks and how, before his rise to the ISIS leadership, he was a “normal person who was a university lecturer.”

Dulaimi, 28, shares a daughter with Baghdadi and spoke of Baghdadi’s fatherly nature in the interview, conducted in a secret location near the Syrian and Lebanese borders.

Note EU-Digest: but somehow there was a screw loose in Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi head  to get into terrorism .

Read more: Ex-Wife of Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi Says ISIS Leader Was 'Normal Family Man'

Terrorists - ISIS - Criminals: Ransom payments are major income for extremist groups - by Paul Koring

In the murky and conflicted world of paying huge ransom to free hostages, there are no right answers and often precious little time to make life-and-death decisions.

The grisly beheading of James Foley, the American journalist killed this week by an Islamic State jihadi in retaliation for President Barack Obama sending U.S. warplanes back into action in Iraq has raised the stakes in the grim calculus of whether paying ransoms frees innocent hostages or only makes others more likely to be seized.

Holding hostages for ransom ranges from common criminal enterprise in some Latin American countries, to the economic mainstay of failed states like Somalia where piracy flourishes, to a major source of income for extremist groups such as Islamic State.

A host of middlemen operate in the shadows, delivering and laundering payments, so governments and corporations can claim they don’t deal (at least not directly) with hostage-takers.

As for the families, they are often left attempting to raise astronomical sums while coping with nightmarish stress and attempting to stay inside the law which – for instance in the United States – makes it a crime to send funds to designated terrorist groups.

Those holding Mr. Foley initially demanded €100-million Euro (roughly $132-million U.S.) or the release of Muslim prisoners held by the United States.

Read more: Ransom payments are major income for extremist groups - The Globe and Mail

Terrorism: Czech Republic man suspected of planning ‘Breivik-style’ attack

Authorities in the Czech Republic have arrested a man they believe was planning an attack similar to the one carried out by Anders Behring Breivik in Norway. The suspect, who has previous convictions, including one for detonating a homemade bomb, is from the northeastern town of Ostrava. Police have not released the man’s name and say the investigation is in its early stages.

The director of the regional headquarters of Czech police is Tomas Tuhy who said: “This twenty-nine year old man probably sympathises with known murderer Anders Behring Breivik from Norway. Of course, we are investigating any connection. Various parts of uniforms, including police and prisoner ones, were confiscated during a search of his residence.”

The Head of Ostrava Criminal Police, Radovan Vojta, said: “When entering the apartment, police were extremely cautious because we had information the place may have been dangerous. We were careful in case unauthorised entry triggered an explosive device.”

Read more: Czech Republic man suspected of planning ‘Breivik-style’ attack | euronews, world news