Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein was born April 28, 1937 and died December 30, 2006. He was the fifth President of Iraq, holding that position from July 16, 1979 until 9 April 2003. He was one of the leading members of the revolutionary Arab Socialist Ba’ath Party, and afterward, the Baghdad-based Ba’ath Party and its regional organization Ba’ath Party, Iraq Region, which advocated ba’athism, an ideological marriage of Arab nationalism with Arab socialism. (Patricia Ramos, july 2013)

"The national security of America and the security of the world could be attained if the American leaders [..] become rational, if America disengages itself from its evil alliance with Zionism, which has been scheming to exploit the world and plunge it in blood and darkness, by using America and some Western countries.
What the American peoples need mostly is someone who tells them the truth, courageously and honestly as it is.
They don’t need fanfares and cheerleaders, if they want to take a lesson from the (sept. 11) event so as to reach a real awakening, in spite of the enormity of the event that hit America.
But the world, including the rulers of America, should say all this to the American peoples, so as to have the courage to tell the truth and act according to what is right and not what to is wrong and unjust, to undertake their responsibilities in fairness and justice, and by recourse to reason..."

Saddam Hussein, INA 15-9-2002

"The despot thinks he is just as God... What a nadir and mean fate!
The despot, as represented in this age, in our day, imagines he can enslave the people..
But they were born free. They were freed by God’s will through prophets and messengers, to be slaves only to Him and not to anyone of the people." Saddam Hussein, Iraq Daily 4-3-2003

A person with a God Complex may refuse to admit the possibility of their error or failure, even in the face of irrefutable evidence, intractable problems or difficult or impossible tasks.
The person is also highly dogmatic in their views, meaning the person speaks of their personal opinions as though they are unquestionably correct.
Someone with a god complex may exhibit no regard for the conventions and demands of society, and may request special consideration or privileges.

"...To be a human being among human beings, and remain one forever, no matter what misfortunes befall, not to become depressed, and not to falter - this is what life is, herein lies its task." Fyodor Dostoevsky (to his brother Mikhail, Dec. 22, 1849)

“All mankind is from Adam and Eve. An Arab has no superiority over a non-Arab nor a non-Arab has any superiority over an Arab; also a white has no superiority over black nor a black has any superiority over white except by piety and good action.
Learn that every Muslim is a brother to every Muslim and that the Muslims constitute one brotherhood. Nothing shall be legitimate to a Muslim which belongs to a fellow Muslim unless it was given freely and willingly.
“Do not therefore do injustice to yourselves. Remember one day you will meet Allah and answer your deeds. So beware, do not astray from the path of righteousness after I am gone." Prophet Muhammad, Last Sermon

“Human beings are members of a whole, In creation of one essence and soul. If one member is afflicted with pain, Other members uneasy will remain. If you have no sympathy for human pain, The name of human you can not retain.” Saadi Shirazi (Persian poet & humanist, born in Shiraz, Iran, c. 1210)

"Holism is the most fundamental discovery of 20th century science. It is a discovery of every science from astrophysics to quantum physics to environmental science to psychology to anthropology.
It is the discovery that the entire universe is an integral whole, and that the basic organizational principle of the universe is the field principle: the universe consists of fields within fields, levels of wholeness and integration that mirror in fundamental ways, and integrate with, the ultimate, cosmic whole...."
"For many thinkers and religious teachers throughout this history, holism was the dominant thought, and the harmony that it implies has most often been understood to encompass cosmic, civilizational, and personal dimensions. Jesus, Mohammed, Buddha, Lord Krishna, Lao Tzu, and Confucius all give us visions of transformative harmony, a transformative harmony that derives from a deep relation to the holism of the cosmos."

About political holism

Political holism is based on the recognition that "we" are all members of a single whole. There's no "they," even though "we" are not all alike. Because "we" are all part of the whole, and therefore interdependent, we benefit from cooperating with each other. Political holism is a way of thinking about human cultures and nations as interdependent.
Political holists search for solutions other than war to settle international disagreements. Their model of the world is one in which cooperation and negotiation, even with the enemy, even with the weak, promotes political stability more than warfare.
In an overpopulated world with planet-wide environmental problems, the development of weapons of mass destruction has rendered war obsolete as an effective means to resolve disputes.

Political dualists consider political holists unpatriotic for questioning the necessity to defeat "them." In times of impending war, political dualists tend to measure patriotism by the intensity of one's hostility to the country's immediate enemy.
Naturally, they would view as disloyalty any suggestion that the enemy is not evil, any call for cooperation with the enemy, any criticism of one's own country.
To political dualists, cooperation with the enemy means capitulation, relinquishment of the nation's position of dominance.

At its extreme, political dualism is essentially tribalism. (Betty Craige, 16-8-1997)

"The West creates enemies; in the past it was the communism then it became Islam, and then it became Saddam Hussein for a different reason. Now, they want to create a new enemy represented by Bashar. That's why they say that the problem is the president so he has to leave. That is why we have to focus of the real problem, not to waste our time listening to what they say." (Bashar al-Assad, 9-11-2012)

The policy should be to help peace in the region, to fight terrorism, to promote secularism, to support this area economically, to help upgrade the mind and society like you did in your country. That is the supposed mission of the United States, not to launch wars. Launching war doesn’t make you a great power." (Bashar Al-Assad, 26-1-2015)

9-11-2016: Donald Trump won the US presidential election
triumphing over his Democratic challenger Hillary Clinton.

Addressing his supporters on Wednesday, US President-Elect Donald Trump pledged that "every single American will have an opportunity to realize his or her potential."
He promised to rebuild US infrastructure, put millions of people to work and "renew the American dream."

He promised to always put US interest first and to "get along well" with all nations willing to get along with the US.
He added that Washington would seek "common ground, not hostility” and “partnership, not conflict."
(Sputnik News, 9-11-2016)

Michael Jackson, born 29-8-1958. Astrological signs: Sun in Virgo, Moon in Pisces

Sun in Virgo, Moon in Pisces: "The combination of your Sun sign and your Moon sign produces insight, an understanding mind, a profound personality. You are both intellectual and intuitive, can reason things out by cold logic, learn facts, and absorb figures, while your hunches are actively at work.
The combination blends the intelligence, analytical insight and discrimination of Virgo with the emotional sensitivity and intuitive understanding of Pisces. Thought and feeling, logic and intuition, observation and impression, all are balanced well in this configuration. (Michael McClain)

A Virgo-Pisces personality is the natural enemy of fascism

- Fascism = Anti-intellectualism: Intellectuals are seen as a threat. "Intellectualism is a sort of infertile intelligence, an intelligence without virtility. Intellectualism is a disease of the intelligence .... it is a femininity that will never be material." (Itally 1929)
- Fascism = Anti-feminism: Fascists believe that females are inferior to men. A prevalence of feminine elements in a person is seen as a regression of the human being on the evolutionary scale. Exercising and modern sports activities are suggested as a measure to increase masculinity and combat any signs of femininity in one's lifestyle.

Rex Tillerson, Trump's secretary of state
Reuters|YNet News 11.12.2016

US President-elect Donald Trump is expected to name Rex Tillerson, the chief executive of Exxon Mobil Corp, as the country's top diplomat, a source familiar with the situation said on Saturday, an appointment that would put in place an official with close ties to the Russian government. The source, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said Tillerson was the expected pick but cautioned no formal offer had yet been made.
The choice of Tillerson further stocks Trump's Cabinet and inner circle with people who favor a soft line toward Moscow.
Tillerson, 64, has driven Exxon's expansion in Russia for decades and opposed US sanctions imposed on Russia for its seizure of Crimea.
Russian President Vladimir Putin awarded Tillerson Russia's Order of Friendship, one of the country's highest civilian honors.
In 2011, Exxon signed a deal with Rosneft, Russia's largest state-owned oil company, for joint oil exploration and production. Since then, the companies have formed 10 joint ventures for projects in Russia.
In July, Tillerson was one of the highest-profile US representatives at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum, one of Putin's main investment forums, even as Washington had been taking a harder line than Europe on maintaining sanctions.

15-12-2016: East-Aleppo liberated
Darvish: "We’re entering the difficult period of rebuilding the city"

Syria Aleppo Evacuation Rebels, 15-12-2016

Syrian Parliament lawmaker from Aleppo Mohammed Jalal Darvish told Sputnik Arabic that now with the city freed of terrorists a lot of work needs to be done to restore Aleppo.
"The liberation of Aleppo did not take much time, but now we have problems of another kind. The main problem now is to restore building and infrastructure and to establish supplies of necessary materials. Our resources are limited and we’ll need public support," the lawmaker said.
Darvish said that since the beginning of the Syrian Army’s operation in Aleppo, the local authorities have recruited maximum efforts to keep the situation under control, especially concerning the issue of refugees.
"Aleppo now needs all kinds of help. We’re entering the difficult period of rebuilding the city. We hope that the government, people, businessmen and Syrians living abroad will come to help.
We also expect to receive assistance from our allies, first of all Russia and Iran," he said. Commenting on the security situation in Aleppo, Darvish said that the eastern part of the city is now safe, except for a small area where the army is fighting the rest of the militants. (Sputnik News, 15-12-2016)

aleppo 16-12-2016

A Real Political Process
Erdogan says Ankara is ready to help refugees from Aleppo
TASS Russian News Agency, 15-12-2016

Syria Poll 2015, showing Assad's support in Syria the table also shows that supporting FSA is supporting NUSRA (Al-Qaeda in Syria)

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said in his telephone conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin that Ankara is ready to take any measures to help refugees from Aleppo, TRT TV channel reported on Thursday citing sources in the Turkish Presidential Administration. According to the channel, the two leaders confirmed readiness to make joint efforts to start evacuating civilians from Aleppo. Erdogan said that Turkey is ready to provide shelter and humanitarian aid to residents leaving Aleppo. The Kremlin press service said earlier that Putin and Erdogan held a telephone conversation. They "continued exchanging opinion on the Syrian issue" and discussed the recent developments in Aleppo. The two leaders made an emphasis on the importance of "expanding joint efforts with the aim of improving the humanitarian situation, facilitating the launch of a real political process in Syria." They also confirmed readiness "for further active cooperation on neutralizing the terrorist threat" in the Middle East, the press service noted.

Turkey, Russia and Iran will hold a meeting in Moscow on December 27 to try to find a solution to the five-year conflict in Syria, Ankara said on Wednesday.
“We are striving to secure a ceasefire throughout the country and for negotiations for a political solution to start,” Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu told TGRT Haber broadcaster, vowing Ankara would continue its efforts in the near future.
“For this reason, at the end of the month, on December 27 in Moscow, we will hold a tripartite meeting with Turkey, Russia and Iran.” (AFP|Al-Arabiya, 15 December 2016)

Trump picks David Friedman, as ambassador to Israel
By Karen DeYoung, Chicago Tribune, 15-12-2016

President-elect Donald Trump announced Thursday that he will nominate David Friedman as his ambassador to Israel, saying in a statement issued by his transition office that Friedman's "strong relationships in Israel will form the foundation of his diplomatic mission."
Friedman said in the statement that he would work "tirelessly to strengthen the unbreakable bond between our two countries . . . and look forward to doing this from the U.S. embassy in Israel's eternal capital, Jerusalem."
Trump has indicated that he would overturn more than two decades of presidential waivers overriding the 1995 law mandating the U.S. embassy be moved from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, a move weighted with heavy religious and political significance. Jerusalem's status is contested by Palestinians and most of the world's nations, which recognize lines drawn after the 1967 war.

Friedman has been outspoken in describing as "legal" Jewish settlements in the West Bank, which every U.S. administration since 1967 has considered illegitimate.
In an interview last summer with Haaretz, the Israeli newspaper, he said Trump would support Israeli annexation of parts of the West Bank. He has called liberal Jews supporting a two-state solution with the Palestinians "worse than kapos," a reference to Jews in World War II concentration camps who were assigned by Nazi guards to supervise forced labor and camp administration.
Involved in a number of philanthropic activities in Israel, Friedman is president of the American Friends of the Beit El, a settlement located east of the Palestinian city of Ramallah. The settlement has also received charitable contributions from the foundation headed by Trump's son-in-law, Jared Kushner.

International Law Is Futile
"The commandment to settle in the land is far greater than all the other commandments."
Isaac Jacob Reines

Beit El is an Israeli settlement and local council located in the Binyamin Region of the West Bank. The Orthodox Jewish town is located in the hills north of Jerusalem, east of the Palestinian city of al-Bireh, adjacent to Ramallah. In 2015 its population was 6,046. Its current population is 6,500 residents.
Most inhabitants are affiliated with the Religious Zionist Movement. The rabbis of the town are Rabbi Shlomo Aviner and Rabbi Zalman Baruch Melamed who is also the rosh yeshiva of the local Beit El Yeshiva. (Wikipedia info)

Religious Zionism is an ideology based on the synthesis of a Jewish religious and national outlook.. The movement is inspired by the slogans of Mizrachi... Mizrachi was founded by Rabbi Isaac Jacob Reines in 1902.
The Mizrachi party envisioned itself as 'the spiritual center of the Zionist organization' and desired to make Eretz Israel the spiritual center of Judaism. (Read more here)

“This nomination is reckless,” said Jeremy Ban-Ami, the president of J Street, a moderate right-wing Zionist organization. “Friedman should be beyond the pale for senators considering who should represent the United States in Israel.”
(J Street's political vision: "The party and the viewpoint that we're closest to in Israeli politics is actually Kadima" = moderate Likudniks)
The conservative Jewish-American Zionist Organization for America welcomed news of Friedman’s nomination. The group said Friedman has “the potential to be the greatest U.S. ambassador to Israel ever.”

Read also: Moral Crisis at Heart of Obama’s “Peace”

Trump has made a very bad choice
By Daniel Larison, American Conservative, 16-12-2016

Trump has made a very bad choice here, but unfortunately it is entirely in line with what we thought we knew about his positions on Israel and Palestine. He has made no secret of his pro-settler views, and he has adopted virtually every conventional hawkish “pro-Israel” position from his support for settlements to hostility to the nuclear deal with Iran.
Choosing Friedman is consistent with the generally hard-line, pro-settler positions Trump has already taken, and so it may be the least surprising thing he’s done during the transition.

This is just the latest development in the ongoing transformation of the GOP into a radically hard-line “pro-Israel” party that goes beyond what it was during the Bush years.
The Republican Party platform this year was changed to remove any reference to a two-state solution. The platform plank also rejected the accurate description of Israel as an occupier, affirmed the destructive idea that there should be “no daylight” between the U.S. and Israel, and weirdly defined support for Israel as an “expression of Americanism.”
Like many other Republicans, Trump has talked about moving the embassy to Jerusalem, but unlike most Trump seems to be intent on going through with it...
It shouldn’t have to be said, but none of this serves U.S. interests and certainly has nothing to do with putting American interests first. Moving the embassy will only inflame the situation in the region...

Israel defence minister Lieberman says Assad is 'butcher'
Syrian President should be thrown out of his country
Middle East Online, 16-12-2016

TEL AVIV - Israeli Defence Minister Avigdor Lieberman says Syrian President Bashar al-Assad is a 'butcher' who should be thrown out of the country along with his Iranian allies.
"In my personal opinion, Assad is a butcher who massacred and murdered people," Lieberman told a conference of Jews from the former Soviet Union, on Thursday night.
"I think that in the end it is in our interest that he and the Iranians be thrown out of Syria," he said in an audio clip of the conference in the Red Sea resort of Eilat released by his office.
Speaking to EU ambassadors on Wednesday, Lieberman spoke of his country's defence policy.
"We are working first and foremost to ensure the security of our citizens and defend our sovereignty and we are trying to prevent the smuggling of advanced weapons, military equipment and weapons of mass destruction from Syria to Hezbollah," he said, according to a statement from his office.
Israel seized 1,200 square kilometres (460 square miles) of the Golan from Syria in the Six-Day War of 1967 and later annexed it in a move never recognised by the international community.

Syrian arrested in Saudi Arabia over pro-Assad photo
Middle East Monitor, 17-12-2016

Western Aleppo, Still Alive, 2016

Saudi police arrested a Syrian resident in Riyadh after he posted a photo of himself on Facebook praising the recapture of his home city of Aleppo by government forces, according to a report in Al-Riyadh newspaper yesterday.
A photo published with the report showed a man with his hand raised and his fingers pointed in a victory sign. His facial features were blurred to conceal his identity. The newspaper said the resident, identified as being in his 40s, was accused of publishing statements related to the war in Syria.
Saudi Arabia is a major regional backer of the opposition brigades fighting to oust Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad. The opposition were dealt a crippling blow this week when Syrian government forces recaptured Eastern Aleppo.

Who are the Western-backed Aleppo-rebels?

OGN's Bilal Abdul Kareem Interviews Al Farooq, Ahrar Sham commander, Aleppo, februar 2016

One of the most important groups is Ahrar al Sham (or, “the Free Men of Syria”), an anti-Iranian Salafist movement that emerged in January 2012 and has since become an important political and military force in Syria’s civil war. Its goal is to overthrow the regime of President Bashar al Assad and replace it with an Islamic State.
Ahrar al Sham has been at the forefront of major rebel campaigns against government forces in the northern provinces of Idlib and Aleppo and in the eastern province of Raqqa. It is particularly associated with two symbolic victories.
In March 2013, Ahrar al Sham led an offensive--with Jabhat Fateh al Sham (formerly the Nusra Front) and two other Islamist groups--that resulted in the seizure of the provincial capital of RAQQA from government troops.
In March 2015, Ahrar al Sham captured IDLIB and several other cities in the province, in an operation with the Nusra Front and other Islamist groups.

Ahrar al Sham has strong relationships with Turkey and Qatar. It has reportedly received weapons and political support from Turkey throughout the conflict. Turkey has also allowed the group access to the county for meetings of its political bureau, giving Turkey considerable influence over the group.
Qatar has also supported it financially and politically, in line with its broader support of Islamists. Throughout the conflict, al Jazeera news network provided Ahrar al Sham and its leaders special media coverage, raising the group’s public profile.
Russia and the Syrian regime have demanded that Ahrar al Sham be designated in the list of terrorist groups to be excluded from international peace negotiations.
The United States has not listed the group as a terrorist organization. (See more at: Wilson Center)

Buses heading towards Shiite towns attacked by jihadists in Idlib
Al-Masdar News, 18-12-2016

Not long after the first transportation convoy reached Al-Fou'aa and Kafraya, a group of jihadist rebels opened fire on the second batch of buses attempting to reach these besieged Shi'i towns in the Idlib Governorate.
According to activists in besieged Al-Fou'aa and Kafraya, the second batch of buses was targeted by jihadist rebels as they were driving down the road to the towns. The fate of the bus drivers is still unknown.
As a result of this attack by jihadist rebels, the buses in Al-Fou'aa and Kafraya were told to remain in the towns until further notice due to security concerns posed by the militant groups in the Idlib Governorate.
The random attack by jihadists in the Idlib Governorate today will likely delay the transport of civilians and militants in the eastern pocket of Aleppo.

"Our flag is one. We are all the same as equal citizens."
PKK terror protested in Kurdish-majority border town in Hakkari
Daily Sabah (Turkey), 18-12-2016

Over three thousand citizens protested the PKK terror in Yüksekova district of eastern Hakkari, one of the town which experienced terrorist attacks heavily and more often than anywhere else in Turkey.
Chanting slogans such as "Down with the PKK," The homeland shall prevail as one," "Turks and Kurds are brothers" the protesters marched to the city center.
Quran verses were recited in downtown Ihsaniye Mosque and the demonstrators prayed for the victims of PKK terror.
Addressing the crowd, Yüksekova governor Mahmut Kaşıkçı asserted that the people of Hakkari stands strong against PKK terror. As our President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan says, we will be happily and peacefully live in these lands from now on under our flag," he said.
Adding that the locals want PKK out of their homeland, he said "We want terror to come to an end in our lands. We opened our hearts to Syrian and Iraqi refugees, and we want Turks, Kurds and people from different backgrounds to live in coexistence."
A villagehead also said that people are fed up with the ongoing terror problem. "Turkey is our country, our flag is one. We are all the same as equal citizens. We all hope that we won't lose any more people to PKK terror," Tahir Öztepe said.
The PKK, despite claiming to be a "supporter of Kurdish rights," is decried by the majority of Turkey's Kurdish citizens.

western aleppo 2016 - peace message - 'our flag is one'

Turkish Cop Assassinates Russian Ambassador ‘For Aleppo’
by Jason Ditz, antiwar.com, 19-12-2016

Russian Ambassador to Turkey Andrey Karlov was assassinated today in the Turkish capital city of Ankara while attending an event at the Ankara Center for Contemporary Art. The killer was identified as Mevlut Mert Altintas (born 24-6-1994), an active member of the Ankara Police Department. Three bystanders were also wounded.
The gunman apparently used his police ID to bypass security, but was shot and killed by other police after the assassination. The attacker shouted after the shooting that it was “revenge for Syria and Aleppo.”
Turkish officials are also trying to downplay the whole “policeman” part of the assassination, with state media reporters claiming he used an al-Qaeda slogan, a subtle distinction since al-Qaeda’s Nusra Front is backed by Turkey, particularly in Aleppo.
Ankara’s mayor also claimed there was evidence the assassin was in league with the Gulenist movement, though as usual he offered no evidence to this claim, and given the scope of Turkey’s purge of anyone with even suspected Gulenist ties in all aspects of society over the past six months, it’s hard to believe a policeman slipped through the cracks.

Libya 2014: No to Religious Anarchy. Yes to the Secular Rule of Law

Gaddafi has been proven tragically right. As Libya descended into civil war and failed-state chaos, jihadi groups connected to Al Qaeda conquered much of the country. Libya underwent the same American “liberation” that had already befallen Afghanistan, Iraq, and Somalia — and would soon be visited on Syria and Yemen. "After Me, The Jihad...," Gaddafi tried to warn the West, but nobody listened. (Zerohedge 2016)

Tourists pose for a selfie in Aleppo
FARS News Agency, 20-12-2016

Russia's top diplomat says war on terror must be uncompromising
TASS Rusian News Agency, 20-12-2012

Tragic Irony: Zionist propaganda in New York. But in Syria right-wing Israel (trying to make 'devils' out of civilized men) is supporting the Jihadists...

The war on terrorism must be uncompromising and merciless, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said at a meeting with his Iranian counterpart Mohammad Javad Zarif on Tuesday.
"We are grateful for the manifestations of solidarity over the terrorist attack that claimed the life of Russian ambassador Andrey Karlov. We have been hearing condolences from all countries around the world," he said. "We feel that this barbaric crime is a fresh reminder the war on terrorism must be uncompromising and merciless," Lavrov said.

The attempts to connect terrorist attacks to Russia’s support for Damascus in its war on terror are unacceptable, Lavrov said. According to Lavrov, these attempts are aimed at shielding the militants.
"This is a provocative, perverse and unacceptable logic, these people are trying to protect terrorists and stop the fight against them," Lavrov added.
The masterminds of the murder of the Russian ambassador in Turkey will fail to thwart the struggle against terrorism, according to Lavrov.
"If the organizers of this terrorist attack intended to thwart the fight against terrorism and our meeting (the trilateral meeting of the Russian, Iranian and Turkish foreign ministers), in particular, they have failed to do this and will fail," Lavrov said.

The recently liberated city of Aleppo, Syria's second largest city, has erupted into euphoria on the cusp of Christmas Day. Christians and Muslims celebrate as a Christmas Tree is lit up. It symbolises the defeat of radical Islamist forces in the city. (Al-Masdar 21-12-2016)

The Magi, also referred to as the (Three) Wise Men or (Three) Kings, were, in the Gospel of Matthew and Christian tradition, a group of distinguished foreigners who visited Jesus after his birth, bearing gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. They are regular figures in traditional accounts of the nativity celebrations of Christmas and are an important part of Christian tradition.
According to Matthew, the only one of the four Canonical gospels to mention the Magi, they came "from the east" to worship the "king of the Jews". Although the account does not mention the number of Magi, the three gifts has led to the widespread assumption that there were three men. In Eastern Christianity, especially the Syriac churches, the Magi often number twelve. Their identification as kings in later Christian writings is probably linked to Psalms 72:11, "May all kings fall down before him".

Back to Eisenhower and Kennedy
By Robert Parry, Consortium News, December 21, 2016

Barack Obama’s chance for a transformative presidency ended when he bowed to Official Washington’s foreign-policy establishment of neocons and liberal interventionists and bought into the elitist notion that the American people should be guided by propaganda, not informed by facts.
Although he began his presidency by promising transparency, Obama instead undertook an unprecedented crackdown on national security whistleblowers, prosecuting more than all other presidents combined.
Meanwhile, he authorized partial and misleading releases of information about key events. Instead of an informed public, his administration sought maximum propaganda advantage, such as with the Aug. 21, 2013 sarin gas attack outside Damascus, Syria, and with the July 17, 2014 shoot-down of Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 over eastern Ukraine.
But Obama’s anti-democratic approach to information, i.e., treating Americans like mushrooms in a darkened cellar, creates an opportunity for President-elect Donald Trump to do the opposite, reinvigorate U.S. democracy by arming citizens with facts. By doing so, he also can counter his reputation as someone hostile to reality.

Kennedy: A Virgo-Pisces-Personality John F. Kennedy, born 29-5-1917, 3:00 PM Sun: Gemini, Moon: Virgo (intellectualism). Neptune (Pisces - "all you need is love") and Saturn (Capricorn = realism, pragmatism) on top of his horoscope.

In early 2014, as the New Cold War was starting to heat up, I advocated for President Obama to find within himself the courage that Dwight Eisenhower and John Kennedy displayed when they explained real dangers that Americans faced from, respectively, the Military Industrial Complex and the demonizing of Moscow’s leaders in the pursuit of the original Cold War.
In a farewell address on Jan. 17, 1961, Eisenhower ominously warned that “In the councils of government, we must guard against the acquisition of unwarranted influence, whether sought or unsought, by the military-industrial complex. We must never let the weight of this combination endanger our liberties or democratic processes.”

On June 10, 1963, at American University in Washington, D.C., Kennedy outlined the need to collaborate with Soviet leaders to avert dangerous confrontations, like the Cuban Missile Crisis of 1962:
“What kind of peace do I mean and what kind of a peace do we seek? Not a Pax Americana enforced on the world by American weapons of war. Not the peace of the grave or the security of the slave. I am talking about genuine peace, the kind of peace that makes life on earth worth living, and the kind that enables men and nations to grow, and to hope, and build a better life for their children, not merely peace for Americans but peace for all men and women, not merely peace in our time but peace in all time....”
“For in the final analysis, our most basic common link is that we all inhabit this small planet. We all breathe the same air. We all cherish our children’s futures. And we are all mortal.”

Kurdish tribes condemn PKK terrorism
"They denigrate the reputation of the republic"
Daily Sabah (Turkey), 22-12-2016

Representatives of Kurdish tribes from eastern and southeastern Turkey have condemned the recent wave of PKK terror attacks during a meeting of Tribes Federation in the province of Van.
The condemnation messages from Kurdish tribe representatives came after the recent suicide bombings that took 44 lives in Istanbul on Dec. 10, and 14 lives in Kayseri on Dec. 17.
The attacks were claimed by TAK, PKK's suicide team known to take responsibility for terrorist attacks perpetrated in urban centers.
Jirki tribe's representative Cemil Öter said the tribes in eastern and southeastern Turkey will work for unity and solidarity, while also adding that they strongly curse the terror attacks. Öter also stressed that the terror attacks are not carried out on behalf of Kurds, noting that these attacks are just provocations aimed to denigrate the reputation of the republic of Turkey.
Ezdinan tribe representative Salih Özbek highlighted that Kurdish clans have always sided with the state, condemning all sorts of terrorism hitting Turkey, and reiterating that they will continue to act in unity and solidarity with the nation and the state.
Meki Arvas, from the Arvasi tribe, also condemned all acts of terrorism, calling for unity, solidarity and peace.
''Love the human for the sake of God, and make the human live for the sake of God,'' Arvas also said, reminding that God forbids all forms of racism.
Pinyanışi tribe representative Hamdi Alter condemned terrorism... Alter also reminded that terrorism prevents the development of eastern and southeastern parts of Turkey.
''The state helped prepare the ground for investment in the region, and investors came and set up facilities, however, vandals later started to set their equipment, material on fire,'' added Alter.

Saddam Hussein’s daughter praises Trump’s ‘political sensibility’
Daily Sabah (Turkey), 22-12-2016

The eldest daughter of late Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein said on Thursday that Donald Trump has a high level of political sensibility and is different than the former presidents of the United States.
Speaking in a CNN interview, 48-year-old Raghad Hussein said: "He exposed the mistakes of others, specifically in terms of Iraq, which means he is very aware of the mistakes made in Iraq and what happened to my father."
During one of his presidential campaign events in July, Trump praised Hussein for killing terrorists in his country. "He was a bad guy... But you know what he did well? He killed terrorists..."
The United States "shouldn't have destabilized" Iraq, now a hotbed for the Daesh group 13 years after the U.S.-led invasion, said Trump, who showed lukewarm support for the war before it took place and later opposed it.
Raghad also blamed the U.S. for the chaos that unraveled in Iraq, saying Daesh and other groups would not have been able to enter had her father still been alive.
"People (who consider him a dictator) are free to use whatever labels they want but for me he is a hero, courageous, nationalistic, a symbol to millions of people," Raghad said.
She said most of the media coverage about the Hussein family is made up.
"Yes, there was brutality, sometimes a lot of it and I can't support brutality. But Iraq is a country that is difficult to rule and it's only now that people are realizing it," she said.

Operation in Aleppo is over, conditions created for talks on ceasefire in Syria
Moscow, December 23, 2016, TASS

The operation to remove militants from Aleppo has been completed and conditions created for the beginning of talks on the full ceasefire in Syria, Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu said at a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
"The operation was conducted on your instructions in tight cooperation with Turkish and Iranian counterparts. Now the next stage is due to follow. To my mind, we have come close to achieving an agreement on the full ceasefire in Syria," Shoigu said.
Iran and Turkey have helped in making conditions for the evacuation from Aleppo of almost 34,000 people, including about 8,500 children, during the second stage of recapturing that city, he went on.
"From December 15, military action was stopped to allow the biggest humanitarian operation, to evacuate radical elements and their families," he said. "On that stage, we managed to make jointly with the Turkish and Iranian counterparts, and, of course, with the Syrian authorities, conditions for the evacuation on those days of almost 34,000 people - almost 14,000 of them are men and about 8,500 children, and about the same number - women," the defense minister said.
"Seven humanitarian corridors were set up, with nearly 110,000 people leaving the city via them, while 9,000 militants laid down arms. Some of them, the bulk, have been granted amnesty in accordance with a decision by President (Bashar) al-Assad," the minister said.

As of Friday, "all the opportunities are in place" to allow humanitarian aid convoys into Aleppo that "we have been discussing so much." "More to the point, we can see the opportunity but cannot see any willingness," the minister added.
The minister went on to say that a military police battalion has been deployed to the liberated quarters of Syria’s Aleppo to maintain order.
"In order to maintain order in the liberated territories (in Aleppo) a battalion of military police was sent here from Thursday’s evening," Shoigu said.

Aleppo revolution 2013, fighting for an 'Islamic' state

UN Security Council passes motion end to Israeli settlements
Middle East Info, 23-12-2016

The UN Security Council has passed a resolution, which the US refused to veto, abstaining instead. The motion was passed with 14 votes in favour and one abstention. It is the first resolution the Security Council has adopted on Israel and Palestine in nearly eight years.
​The draft requires Israel to immediately and completely cease all settlement activities in the occupied Palestinian territory, including East Jerusalem.
The Egyptian-drafted resolution had been withdrawn after Israel asked Donald Trump to intervene, but it was proposed again by Malaysia, New Zealand, Senegal and Venezuela.
Four of the five permanent members of the UN Security Council, and all 10 of the current non-permanent members voted in favour of the motion: China, France, Russia, UK, Angola, Egypt, Japan, Malaysia, New Zealand, Senegal, Spain, Ukraine, Uruguay and Venezuela.

The passage of the resolution changes nothing on the ground between Israel and the Palestinians and likely will be all but ignored by the incoming Trump administration.
But it was more than merely symbolic. The resolution formally enshrined the international community’s disapproval of Israeli settlement building and could spur further Palestinian moves against Israel in international forums.
The US has traditionally sheltered Israel from condemnatory resolutions. The US abstention was seen as a parting shot by US President Barack Obama, who has had an acrimonious relationship with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and who has made settlements a major target of peace efforts that have proven ultimately futile.
US President-elect Donald Trump, who called for a veto along with Netanyahu, is likely to be a more staunch supporter of Netanyahu’s right-wing policies. He named a hardline pro-Israel ambassador and vowed to move the US Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.
Trump on Friday vowed that the country's policies at the United Nations will change after he takes office: "As to the U.N., things will be different after Jan. 20th," he said on Twitter, referring to the date of his inauguration.

Jordan praises 'historic' UN Israel settlement vote
Ahram online|AFP , Saturday 24 Dec 2016

Jordan on Saturday welcomed the "historic" UN Security Council resolution demanding a halt to Israeli settlements, saying the momentous vote paved a way for a two-state solution.
The 15-member council passed the resolution Friday after the United States abstained and despite an effort led by Israel and backed by US President-elect Donald Trump to block the text.
"This historic decision expresses the consensus of the international community on the illegality of Israeli settlements and reaffirms the Palestinian people's historic right (to live) in Jerusalem and its historic lands," Jordan's information minister Mohammad al-Momani said Saturday.

Israel rejects UN settler vote, lashes out at Obama
Ahram online, Saturday 24 Dec 2016

Israel lashed out at US President Barack Obama over a UN Security Council resolution passed Friday demanding it halt settlements in Palestinian territory, while vowing it would not abide by it.
"Israel rejects this shameful anti-Israel resolution at the UN and will not abide by its terms," a statement from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said. "The Obama administration not only failed to protect Israel against this gang-up at the UN, it colluded with it behind the scenes," it said.
"Israel looks forward to working with President-elect (Donald) Trump and with all our friends in Congress, Republicans and Democrats alike, to negate the harmful effects of this absurd resolution."

Cartoonists & Trump's American Dream


Washington Post Trump Cartoons: Darrin Bell - Signe Wilkinson - Steve Sack

Is fighting for equal rights 'anti-semitism'?
Ramzy Baroud, 22-12-2016 "Information Clearing House"

The British government officially adopted on December 12 a new definition of anti-Semitism that includes legitimate criticism of Israel and its Zionist ideology.
Writing in Israeli newspaper Haaretz last week, Peter Beinart suggested that efforts “to classify anti-Zionism as anti-Semitism, punishable by law” are a direct response to the growing number of “progressives” who “question Zionism”.

Outlawing the use of the term Zionism is ludicrous and impractical, if not altogether impossible. For Israelis who embrace the term, Zionism is many things, while for Palestinians, who learned to loathe it, it is, ultimately a single ideology.
For a Palestinian whose land was illegally confiscated, home demolished and life endangered by these very "Zionist" forces, the term "Zionist" is essentially pejorative, and is anyone who advocates, participates in or justifies Israeli aggressive actions based on his/her support and sympathy for political Zionism.
In his article, "Zionism from the Standpoint of its Victims", the late Palestinian Professor Edward Said elaborates: “It is not unreasonable to find that the entire Palestinian-Arab experience seems unanimous about the view that Zionism visited upon the Arabs a singular injustice,” and that even before the British handed Palestine over to Zionist settlers upon which to establish a state formally in 1948, Palestinians universally opposed and variously tried to resist Zionist colonialism.”

Many countries share the Palestinian perception of Zionism as a form of colonialism, and that prevailing perception is a historical fact, not a product of collective anti-Semitic illusion.
The reason why the question and debate of Zionism must not waver to any intimidation is that the essence of Zionism never matured, evolved or changed from its early, colonial version.
Israeli historian Ilan Pappe agrees. "The Zionist ideology and strategy has not changed from its very beginning," he wrote. "The idea was ‘We want to create a Jewish state in Palestine but also a Jewish democracy". So the Zionists needed to have a Jewish majority all the time .. Therefore, ethnic cleansing was the only real solution from the Zionist perspective.." This remains the main driving force behind Israeli policy towards Palestinians.
Israel refuses to break away from a 19th century colonial enterprise... To do so, would be to sacrifice the core of its Zionist ideology, constructed on an amalgam of ethno-religious identities, and to embrace a universal form of democracy in a world where Jews and Arabs are treated as equals.

Why didn't Obama vote in favor of the UN settler resolution?
Juan Cole, 24-12-2016

Israeli’s crimes against the Palestinians are not comparable to crimes committed by any other contemporary government against people it occupies, and are unique in their horror. It is true that Morocco annexed the Western Sahara after Spain relinquished the latter as a colonial project. But Morocco bestowed citizenship on the Western Saharans, at least, and has not left them stateless.
That is how the Israeli project differs from other contemporary occupations. It has kept the Palestinians stateless and without the rights that derive from having citizenship in an autonomous state.
Millions of Palestinians are stateless because of Israeli policy.
Stateless people do not have stable property since it can be stolen from them at any time without repercussions. Stateless people can also be mistreated with impunity, so that countries (like Israel) can conclude a treaty with them (like Oslo in the 1990s) and then completely renege.
The US did not veto the resolution, as it usually does to protect Israeli governments from any consequence for their crimes. This time Barack Obama ordered UN Ambassador Samantha Power to abstain. But he should have asked her to vote in favor of the resolution.

An Islamic understanding of the joy of Christmas
Habib Ali Al Jifri, The National (UAE), 24-12-2016

Maintaining a connectedness to religious occasions that are intimately tied to sacred symbols is common in Islam and deeply connected to faith.
The Quran tell us: "And remind them of the days of God; indeed, in them are signs for those who are forbearing and grateful."
On the occasion of Jesus Christ’s birth, we feel that we are confronted with a day from among the "days of God". This day was distinguished by an immense miracle related to his birth. This birth was connected to meanings of peace that we are in dire need of today.
Yes, God made Jesus Christ a symbol of peace for this world.
I offer my greetings to the Prophet Mohammed on the birth of Jesus Christ, who affectionately described the son of Mary as his brother and said of him: "I have the best right to Jesus son of Mary in this world and the next."
And I say to Jesus Christ: "My master, the spirit of God and His word, peace be upon you the day you were born, the day you shall die and the day you will be raised to life again."

Habib Ali Al Jifri is founder and chairman of Tabah Foundation

Is a Christmas tree a symbol, part of a world full of dreams and imagination?
Or is it an idol, a profane thing that we worship?

"They are all senseless and foolish; they are taught by worthless wooden idols. Hammered silver is brought from Tarshish and gold from Uphaz. What the craftsman and goldsmith have made is then dressed in blue and purple - all made by skilled workers." (Jeremiah 10)

In Israel (a theocratic state, build around a 'Jewish' - i.e. idolized - God) christmas trees are forbidden objects.

"In Jeremiah 10 God [the Jewish God] addressed the house of Israel and explained the foolishness of idols. Israel was not supposed to learn the ways of idolatry practiced by the nations around her, nor was she to be terrified by signs in the sky [astrology].
These ”signs“ were most likely unusual occurrences such as eclipses or comets which were thought to be signs of coming events given by the gods. Such idolatrous practices were worthless because the ”gods“ being honored were created by their worshipers.
A person would chop down a tree, give the wood to a craftsman who fashioned it to the desired shape. This ”god“ was then covered with silver and gold and fastened to a base so that it would not totter.
Once the god was made by man it had to be carried to its destination. It was as lifeless as a scarecrow in a melon patch. Certainly such a ”god“ could not speak to impart knowledge to its followers.
So God exhorted His people not to fear those false idols. The idols had no power to harm those who disregarded them or power to do any good for those who followed them." (Bible knowledge commentary, Walvoord, Zuck & Dallas )

the secret language of symbols

The God of the dreamers is a much wiser God.
He uses symbols to signify ideas and qualities by giving them symbolic meanings that are different from their literal sense.
"I don't give you idols. I will give you symbols"
Symbolism can take different forms. Generally, it is an object representing another to give it an entirely different meaning that is much deeper and more significant.
In our daily life, we can easily identify objects, which can be taken as examples of symbol such as the following: The dove is a symbol of peace. A red rose or red color stands for love or romance. Black is a symbol that represents evil or death. A ladder may stand as a symbol for a connection between the heaven and the earth. A broken mirror may symbolize separation. Etc...

Netanyahu calls UN resolution 'an affront to justice, to truth'
Arutz Sheva Staff, 24/12/2016

During a Hanukkah candle-lighting ceremony on Saturday night, Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu said the UN Security Council's Resolution 2334 was distorted and shameful.
Citizens of Israel," he said, "I want to calm you down. The decision reached yesterday in the UN is distorted and shameful, but we shall overcome it.
"This is a failed attempt to force the conditions of a final agreement on Israel. Their last attempt to accomplish this was led by President Carter, who was totally hostile to Israel..". "Carter passed anti-Israel resolutions in the UN, similar to these resolutions, but he did not succeed. We opposed his resolutions and nothing happened.
"All the American presidents after Carter have stood by the US promise not to allow the UN to force Israel to do anything. Yesterday, US President Barack Obama violated this promise..." "It is an affront to justice, to truth...."
"My friends, on this first night of Hanukkah, I want to tell you that it will do them no good. We will completely oppose this resolution, as we did when the UN decided that 'Zionism is Racism.'
Friday's decision is a call to arms for all of Israel's friends in the US, and all those who are sick of the anti-Israel bias in the UN. Those who come to curse us, will end up blessing us instead," Netanyahu concluded, referring to the biblical story of Balaam.
Netanyahu also announced he had instructed officials to cut off 30 million NIS ($7.8 million) worth of funding for five UN bodies which are particularly hostile to Israel. More such action will follow, he promised.

UN Resolution 2334 states that all building in Judea, Samaria, and eastern Jerusalem is completely illegal, violates international law, and harms potential for a two-state solution. The resolution requires Israel to immediately cease all building in all areas outside of the pre-1967 borders, and states that the UN will not recognize anything outside the pre-1967 borders unless it has been formally agreed upon by both Israel and the Palestinian Authority.

Michael Oren: Obama abstention is 'betrayal' and 'abandonment'
Nitsan Keidar, Arutz Sheva, 24/12/2016

"Our right-wing partners don't want to limit settlement construction; they want annexation.
Every time that the possibility to freeze construction comes up,
Bayit Yehudi (Jewish Home) threatens to leave the coalition." Michael Oren, YnetNews, 6-4-2016

This is abandonment and betrayal. Betrayal of us - but not only of us. It's a betrayal of all of Israel's allies.
Every country which considers itself an ally of the US must ask itself if they can continue to rely on the US....
"The US has violated its bipartisan policy of fifty years. The unambiguous policy is that there is no substitute for direct negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians [..] and the US should not dictate a solution to Israel."

"I feel great sadness when I think about the UN Security Council's decision. I also see it as a severe and grave decision. This is a decision which defines half a million Israeli citizens as international criminals and the Western Wall as occupied territory. It opens the door to sanctions against Israel..."
"Condemning settlements and blaming Israel for violating international law is no longer in the hands of the US - it's in the hands of the UN. The UN can now use these accusations to sue Israel in the Hague International Court, and to sanction and boycott Israel.

Michael Oren (Kulanu) is the Deputy Public Diplomacy Minister. He served as Israel's ambassador to the US between the years 2009-2013.

Tzipi Hotovely : "Time to apply Israeli law to Judea and Samaria."
Benny Toker, Arutz Sheva , 27/12/2016

Tzipi Hotovely practises Orthodox Judaism and is a self-described "religious rightwinger".
She is described as the "ideological voice" of the Likud Party.

Deputy Foreign Minister Tzipi Hotovely (Likud) told Arutz Sheva that she believes the recently-passed anti-Israel UN resolution will be dissolved by the incoming Trump administration.
“This resolution is an international attempt to impose on Israel a solution to a conflict which, at the moment, is unsolvable. Because this solution does not correspond to reality, in the end it will be cancelled by the Trump administration, with the help of Israel,” Hotovely said.
According to Hotovely, Israel is preparing for additional anti-Israel steps in the coming month. “In mid-January a very large summit is expected to take place in Paris, an initiative that the French are advancing. The PM expressed clearly that he will not take part in any international activity that seeks to impose a solution on Israel while the other side is completely uninterested in negotiations.”
Hotovely says that, specifically now, the time has come to apply Israeli law to Judea and Samaria. “My position was always that we need to apply Israeli law to Judea and Samaria. I think 50 years is enough to wait to determine this.”

Hotovely said that the UN security council resolution simply needs to be rejected.
“How, exactly, are you supposed to honor a resolution which says that the Jewish majority is residing on occupied land? How is it possible to honor a resolution which completely ignores Jewish - and world - history? It is a despicable resolution...
I say that as far as we, as a State, are concerned, it is very important that we be clear about the fact that we are not anybody's protectorate. We will do what is good for us, for the Jewish Nation. This is the idea of a sovereign nation - for this the Maccabees struggled.

"Israel is facing a struggle over its existence and independence, just like the Maccabees did in the story of Hanukkah", Binyamin Netanyahu, 7-12-2015

Although celebrated as heroes who saved Jewish practice and Torah law from suppression and abrogation by the Syrian Greeks, the Maccabees are portrayed in the First Book of Maccabees as religious zealots, murdering coreligionists who had chosen the path of Hellenism (an ideology whose universalistic outlook was based on Greek ideas and athletic prowess).
Because it was viewed as the wave of the future, the pressure to acculturate to Hellenism was quite intense in Judea. Therefore, the people of Judea had to decide whether the universalistic focus of Hellenism constituted a danger to their ancestral religion and its God or whether it simply represented a more modern and "progressive" way of life that could be merged with Jewish practice. (See more: Saddam's Death, page 48)

More info: Back to the Future, Simon Maccabeus, Father of Jewish Theocracy

Israeli culture minister: ‘Obama is history, we have Trump’
By Stuart Winer, Times of Israel, December 27, 2016

Speaking to Channel 2 television, Miri Regev (Likud) backed Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s furious diplomatic response to Friday’s United Nations Security Council resolution condemning Israeli settlements in the West Bank, and the failure of the US to veto the vote. Obama, she said, has never supported Israel. “Who is Obama ” Regev asked rhetorically. “Obama is history. We have Trump.”
Regev and other Israeli leaders have made clear since the UN passed the resolution that they are looking forward to the incoming administration of President-elect Donald Trump, who has indicated he will take an approach to Israel more in line with the policies of Netanyahu’s right-wing coalition government.
“No organization in the world can point to a failing in the connection between the land and the Jewish people,” Regev said.
She denounced the UN as having always been anti-Israel and pro-Palestinian.

Earlier Regev attended the unveiling of a plaque on the “Pilgrims Way,” an ancient street outside the southern walls of the Old City in Jerusalem. During the ceremony, Regev directed comments at Obama and the four countries that brought forward the UN resolution.
“No resolution in any international forum is as strong as the steadfast stones on this street. No other people in the world has such a connection and link to its land, neither in Senegal, New Zealand, Ukraine nor Malaysia,” she said.
The minister also attacked two UNESCO resolutions passed in October at the UN cultural body’s headquarters in Paris that condemned Israel’s control of East Jerusalem and that used only Islamic names for holy sites while failing to mention any Jewish connection to the city: "Jews built Jerusalem and will continue to build Jerusalem."

John Kerry Issues Dire Warning On Israeli Settlements
Ahead Of Pro-Settlement Donald Trump Entering Office
Jessica Schulberg, Huffington Post, 28-12-2016

In the harshest criticism from a member of the U.S. government against its Israeli ally, John Kerry spent more than an hour venting his frustration with continued Israeli settlement construction and laying out parameters for eventual peace.
The settlements and the nearly 50-year-old occupation, he said, are creating a reality on the ground that precludes the possibility of a two-state solution. He stopped short of using the word “apartheid,” but warned that the one-state reality that is emerging will create a “separate and unequal” situation...
“The settler agenda is defining the future in Israel,” Kerry said. “Their stated purpose is clear: They believe in one state, greater Israel,” he continued, referring to aspirations by extreme conservatives to eventually annex occupied Palestinian territory.
Kerry’s premise shouldn’t be controversial. It has been U.S. policy for more than four decades that Israeli settlements pose an obstacle to peace with the Palestinians. But what is peculiar about his remarks is their timing. With just three weeks left in office, Kerry won’t accomplish anything concrete with his speech.
Next month, the Obama administration hands over policymaking authority to a man who has encouraged Israel to build more settlements.
The Obama administration and Kerry had plenty of opportunities to make this kind of speech before today, and with time to see through the results of the tough talk.
When peace talks between the Israelis and Palestinians collapsed in 2014, there was no airing of “hard truths” on this level. And as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu cobbled together a coalition that openly rejects Palestinian statehood, the Obama administration limited itself to occasional restrained criticism of the government.
The only “punishment” imposed by the Obama administration for Israeli construction in the West Bank was last week’s decision to abstain from voting on a non-binding U.N. resolution that criticized the settlements.

After the speech, Kerry told MSNBC’s Andrea Mitchell that [..] the impetus for Wednesday’s speech was a moral imperative.
The U.S. cannot defend settlements and also be “true to our own values ― or even the stated democratic values of Israel,” Kerry said. “Friends need to tell each other the hard truths, and friendships require mutual respect.”

Dealing with shameless people
Philip Giraldi, UNZ Review, 28-12-2016

The problem with Israel and its friends is that they are never satisfied and never leave the rest of us Americans alone, pushing constantly at what is essentially an open door.
They have treated the United States like a doormat, spying on us more than any ostensibly friendly nation while pocketing our $38 billion donation to their expanding state without so much as a thank you. They are shameless.
Israel’s ambassador to the U.S. Ron Dermer has been all over American television sputtering his rage over the United Nations settlements vote. On CNN he revealed that Israel has “clear evidence” that President Obama was “behind” the resolution and he announced his intention to share the information with Donald Trump.
Every American should be outraged by Israel’s contempt for us and our institutions. One has to wonder if the mainstream media will take a rest from their pillorying of Russia to cover the story.

For many years now, Israel has sought to make the American people complicit in its own crimes while also encouraging our country’s feckless and corrupt leadership to provide their government with political cover and even go to war on its behalf. This has got to stop and, for a moment, it looked like Trump might be the man to end it when he promised to be even-handed in negotiating between the Arabs and Israelis. That was before he promised to be the best friend Israel would ever have.
Israel’s quarrels don’t stay in Israel and they are not limited to the foreign policy realm. I have already discussed the pending Anti-Semitism Awareness Act, a bipartisan effort by Congress to penalize and even potentially criminalize any criticism of Israel by equating it to anti-Semitism.
Whether Israel itself wants to consider itself a democracy is up to Netanyahu and Israeli voters but the denial of basic free speech rights to Americans in deference to Israeli perceptions should be considered to be completely outrageous.
And there’s more. Israel’s government funded lawfare organization Shurat HaDin has long been using American courts to punish Palestinians and Iranians... Now Shurat HaDin is using our courts to go after American companies that do business with countries like Iran.
An agency of the Israeli government is taking steps to stop an American company from doing something that is perfectly legal under U.S. law even though it will cost thousands of jobs here at home. It is a prime example of how much Israel truly cares about the United States and its people...

The America of 1956 was a more self-respecting nation
By Patrick J. Buchanan, 29-12-2016

“President-elect Trump, thank you for your warm friendship and your clear-cut support of Israel,” gushed Bibi Netanyahu, after he berated John Kerry in a fashion that would once have resulted in a rupture of diplomatic relations....
Some of us can recall how Eisenhower ordered David Ben-Gurion to get his army out of Sinai in 1957, or face sanctions. Ben-Gurion did as told.
Had he and his ambassador castigated Secretary of State John Foster Dulles, as the Israelis dissed John Kerry, Ike would have called the U.S. ambassador home.
Indeed, Ike’s threat of sanctions against Prime Minister Anthony Eden’s government, which had also invaded Egypt, brought Eden down.
But then Dwight Eisenhower was not Barack Obama, and the America of 1956 was a more self-respecting nation.
The two-state solution is almost surely dead... How will all this impact the new Trump administration?
Bibi’s Israel First policy must one day collide with America First.

Unity? Or Right Wing Dictatorship?
A political battle is raging over what a post-ISIL Iraq could look like.
Omar Al Saleh, Al-Jazeera, 29-12-2016

Iraqi Sunni and Shia political leaders are in the midst of negotiations in an attempt to reach common ground for a post-ISIL reconciliation plan.
Representatives from the biggest Sunni bloc in Iraq's parliament, the National Forces Alliance, recently met Amar al-Hakim, who heads the ruling Iraqi National Alliance, an umbrella group of [right wing] Shia parties.
The meeting came after the National Forces Alliance rejected a reconciliation plan prepared by Hakim and instead proposed its own vision for governing a post-ISIL Iraq, aiming to remedy the chronic political and sectarian fighting that has plagued the country since the 2003 US-led invasion.
Details of the competing plans were still being worked out, and have not been made public. As the battle for Mosul drags on, Sunni and Shia leaders have not ironed out a timeframe for reaching an agreement.

Aflaq's tomb, symbol of the Progressive Awakening Movement in Iraq (Baathism), part of a US army base.

According to Mohammed al-Karbouli, a member of the National Forces Alliance who has been involved in the discussions, his bloc had agreed to "write and propose a paper with a vision on how to govern the Iraqi state, especially in crucial areas such as the de-Baathification law [which bans members of the [left-wing] Baath-party from serving in government], the amnesty law and the federal regions".
Karbouli was referring to a long-standing Sunni demand for the release of Sunnis held under the country's notorious "anti-terrorism" law, which they believe targets them unfairly, and for an equitable power-sharing agreement...
"It all depends on the concessions made by the ruling [Iraqi] National Alliance to accept others."

Reconciliation efforts took a hit last month when the Iraqi parliament approved a law legalising the Popular Mobilisation Forces (PMF), a group of powerful Shia militias. Hakim remained adamant that the new law would not hinder reconciliation efforts.
"The National Settlement [reconciliation plan] is a strategic necessity to maintain the unity of Iraq, and it is a reassuring comprehensive project for all Iraqis … It is backed by the United Nations, which will promote the project inside and outside Iraq," he added.
Although details of the Shia proposal have not been officially announced, leaks widely circulated in the Iraqi media suggest that it includes a call for armed groups to take part in negotiations, provided that they formally recognise the political process and the Iraqi constitution.
Both ISIL [right wing extremists] and the Baath Party [socialists-Arab nationalists] would be excluded from the process.

Some analysts say the proposal is not feasible and would face many challenges.
"There are too many 'noes' in this initiative. Those who wrote it have the mentality of someone who is the victor and controls the reins of power, without regard for the others," said Mouayad al-Windawi, an analyst at the Amman-based Iraqi Centre for Strategic Studies.
"The National Alliance wants the weakest Sunni groups to sit and talk, while it excludes the others. Where are the forces who are opposed to the political process, or the armed groups, or the liberals or the Baathists?" he asked.
"The political process needs to be reconsidered. There have to be concessions made by the relevant parties to build a state and unite the society. But such men do not exist in Iraq."

Erdogan: "We need intellectuals who do not look down on and despise people,
but intellectuals who have independent minds and embrace their own history and nation."
Daily Sabah (Turkey), 29-12-2016

Leading Turkish artists who have greatly contributed to Turkey's culture and arts scene in Turkey were presented awards at the Presidential Palace in Ankara Wednesday. The winners received their awards from President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.
The Annual Presidency Art and Culture Grand Awards were presented during a ceremony held at the Presidential Palace in Ankara yesterday. The awards were announced to the public on Republic Day, Oct. 29. The awards are given to Turkish and foreign individuals or institutions that contribute to the Turkish culture and arts scene...
This year, author Mustafa Kutlu for his literary works, Professor Kemal Haşim Karpat for his contributions to social sciences, Professor Erol Parlak for his contributions to Turkish music, Şener Şen for his contributions to cinema and Feridun Özgören for his contributions to traditional arts received Presidency Art and Culture Grand Awards.... The award ceremony kicked off with a speech by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.

In his speech, President Erdoğan urged Turkish people to embrace and protect cultural values.
"It is impossible for a country to be and continue to be fully independent without showing any development in the fields of culture and arts. As a nation, we inherited an incredible history, culture and civilization.
We know for a fact that if a country has no stable economy, military or political power, it has a hard time producing, developing and spreading its culture and arts. Culture and arts are two concepts that feed off of each other.
We have to admit that as a country, we have failed to comprehend the importance of arts and culture enough. We have a long way ahead of us not only in terms of training new cultural and artistic values but also enabling their global recognition by large masses," Erdoğan said, adding that he wishes these awards pave the way to the recognition of Turkey's cultural values first among the people of Turkey then people around the world.
President Erdoğan further stressed that culture, arts and science have to save themselves from the crisis that they are experiencing and continued: "I believe that the times that Turkey will headline with its culture, arts and science around the world and the times that we will impress the world with our advancements in these fields are very close.
We can only produce permanent works by blending culture and arts with knowledge and wisdom. However, to achieve this dream we need intellectuals who do not look down on and despise people, but intellectuals who have independent minds and embrace their own history and nation. Like all other crises that our nation has gone through, culture, arts and science in Turkey can only topple this crisis in this way."

Putin says ceasefire achieved in Syria
Al-Masdar News, 29/12/2016

Agreements have been achieved on a ceasefire in Syria and the readiness to start peace talks, according to Vladimir Putin.
"Reports have just arrived that several hours ago there was a development that we all have looked and worked for for so long. Three documents have been signed.
A ceasefire between the Syrian government and the armed opposition is the one. A package of measures to control the ceasefire is the other. There is also a declaration of readiness to enter peace talks on Syrian conflict settlement," Putin said at a meeting with Russian foreign and defense ministers.
Russia, Turkey, Iran undertake commitments to guarantee peaceful settlement in Syria. The deal is the result of Russia’s cooperation with partners in the region, Putin emphasized.

"No doubt, the agreements reached are fragile and demand special attention and assistance with the goal of preservation and development. But nevertheless, this is a notable result of our joint work, efforts of the Defense Ministry, the Foreign Ministry and our partners in the regions," Putin said at the meeting with the foreign and defense ministers.
Putin said the Foreign Ministry and Defense Ministry were constantly in a contact with partners in Damascus and other capitals.
"They did a very great job jointly with partners from Turkey. We know that most recently a trilateral meeting of foreign ministers of Russia, Turkey and Iran was held in Moscow where the three countries undertook commitments both on control and guarantees of peaceful settlement in the Syrian Republic."
"As we understand very well, all the agreements reached are very fragile, they demand special attention and patience, a professional approach to these issues and a constant contact with our partners," Putin stressed.

Islamic oppositiongroups which have joined the ceasefire: Feilak al-Sham (4,000 people), Ahrar al-Sham ( full name is Harakat Ahrar al-Sham al-Islamiyya, over 80 detachments, total strength: about 16,000), Jaysh al-Islam (12,000), Thuwar al-Sham (2,500), Jaysh al-Mujahideen (8,000), Jaysh Idlib (6,000), Jabhat al-Shamiyah (3,000 people).

Assad ready to abide by ceasefire agreements
TASS News Agency, 29-12-2016

Erdogan & Assad in happier times

MOSCOW, December 29: Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Syrian counterpart Bashar Assad have commended the Syrian ceasefire agreements brokered by Moscow and Ankara, the Kremlin press service said in a statement. "The Syrian leader expressed readiness to abide by these agreements," the statement reads.
"The parties agreed that Astana talks on a peaceful solution to the Syrian crisis would be an important step aimed at settling the conflict," the Kremlin press service added.
Putin also held a telephone conversation with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. The parties welcomed the agreements on a ceasefire across Syria and the move towards political process, signed by the Syrian government and the opposition, which have been brokered by Russia and Turkey...
Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu said that the militant groups joining the ceasefire agreement in Syria consisted of over 60,000 insurgents. "The most influential commanders of seven armed opposition groups have been taking part in the talks," he added.
Sergey Lavrov informed the Russia president that the three documents would be submitted to the UN Security Council.

President al-Assad: Syrians need Europe's support in our country.
Syrian Arab News Agency, 30 December 2016

Question: Many Syrian people have come in Europe because of war. After the liberation of Aleppo, it seems the war is going to finish. What would you like to say to people who have run away from their home?
President Assad: If you ask me what do they want, I would tell you as a Syrian, and they are my fellow citizens, that they want to go back to their country, because everyone wants to go back to his country, but they need two things: they need stability, security, and at the same time they need the basic needs of their livelihood that many of them lost because of the war.
So, in that case, I cannot say that I’m going to invite them to go back to Syria, because this is their country, they don’t need invitation to go back, but what I would like to say in that case is to the European officials who created this problem by supporting the terrorism directly or indirectly in our country, and they created this flood of Syrians going to Europe, at the same time they say “we are supporting them from a humanitarian point of view.”
They don’t need your support in your country; they need your support in our country. So: Stop supporting terrorists, lift the embargo that pushed many Syrians to go to Europe...

Syrian Ceasefire: Russia, Turkey, Iran 'Achieve What Washington Couldn't Do'
Sputnik News, 30-12-2016

A nationwide Syrian ceasefire brokered by Moscow, Ankara and Tehran has come into effect, with several key radical groups pledging to cut ties with al-Nusra Front and Daesh. This is something Washington promised to achieve, but failed to deliver, political analyst Elena Suponina wrote for RIA Novosti.
"According to information I received from the Syrian opposition, major groups like Ahrar al-Sham, Jaysh al-Islam and others have agreed to the deal, whose main condition is that they must sever all existing ties with terrorists from Daesh and al-Nusra Front," the analyst said. "This is what the Obama administration had promised to achieve, but Secretary of State John Kerry could not do. Russia, Turkey and Iran have done it in his stead." ...
"The process towards establishing lasting peace in war-torn Syria has been launched," she said.
"This process will be difficult and, potentially, bloody. Terrorists are not happy that [various forces in Syria] are finally uniting against them. This means that there will be agony, terrorist acts and pain. This is the time we are living in. We have to understand, accept and fight. But today good news came from Syria. No one doubts this."
Suponina reaffirmed that Russia, Turkey and Iran are not interested in dividing Syria unlike "some hotheads in the United States."
"It's rather simple. Turkey buried its Neo-Ottoman policy in the spring of 2016 and made a U-turn. Turkey no longer wants to meddle in the internal affairs of its neighbors. The country no longer has Neo-Ottoman ambitions..."

Back to 'the Middle Path': Turkish Presidency of Religious Affars

The freedom of religion and faith is under the guarantee of laws in our country. There are various official institutions to meet the public’s need for knowledge and enlightenment in this area. And there are also numerous NGOs that operate in this field in many aspects.
Institutions with a legal duty such as the Ministry of National Education and the Presidency of Religious Affairs must periodically carry out joint activities to pass on the “middle path”, which our nation and people have inherited from past to present, to current and future generations free of any extremism and perversion, and to develop new educational policies, create teaching methods, and improve technological facilities together with various civil entities operating in the field of religious education.
In this respect, state and civil entities must develop joint plans and projects at national and international conferences, workshops, and councils and put them into effect. (august 2016)

See also: Returning to the Middle Path, Terry A. Gordon, Psychology Today, 29-7-2014

US Sanctions: On Thursday, the US sanctioned six Russian individuals, including the head of Russia's Main Intelligence Directorate, as well as five entities. The US is also expelling 35 Russian diplomats, who now have 72 hours to leave the nation. (Sputnik 30-12-2016)

Statement by the President of Russia: No irresponsible ‘kitchen’ diplomacy
Kremlin website, December 30, 2016

We regard the recent unfriendly steps taken by the outgoing US administration as provocative and aimed at further weakening the Russia-US relationship. This runs contrary to the fundamental interests of both the Russian and American people. Considering the global security responsibilities of Russia and the United States, this is also damaging to international relations as a whole.
As it proceeds from international practice, Russia has reasons to respond in kind.
Although we have the right to retaliate, we will not resort to irresponsible ‘kitchen’ diplomacy but will plan our further steps to restore Russian-US relations based on the policies of the Trump Administration.
The diplomats who are returning to Russia will spend the New Year’s holidays with their families and friends. We will not create any problems for US diplomats.

New Year’s day and Christmas celebration at Kremlin Palace

We will not expel anyone. We will not prevent their families and children from using their traditional leisure sites during the New Year’s holidays. Moreover, I invite all children of US diplomats accredited in Russia to the New Year and Christmas children’s parties in the Kremlin.
It is regrettable that the Obama Administration is ending its term in this manner. Nevertheless, I offer my New Year greetings to President Obama and his family. My season’s greetings also to President-elect Donald Trump and the American people.
I wish all of you happiness and prosperity.

Chuck Todd: Can they laugh?
Politico, 30-12-2016

Chuck Todd has interviewed Donald Trump many times, and he’s noticed something somewhat disquieting about the unquiet president-elect. The man doesn’t laugh — not in a normal, spontaneous, regular-human kind of way.
“[It] drives me crazy. Do you know what? I’ve never seen him laugh,” the “Meet the Press” host told me during an interview for POLITICO’s “Off Message” podcast earlier this month.
“I challenge somebody to find him laughing, and that person has yet to find an example, in my opinion. He’ll smile, but he smiles appropriately. Watch him at the Al Smith dinner [the roast in New York City in October] ... He doesn’t really laugh...