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Tuesday 28 April 2015

SOLAR UPDATE: CME Alert, Earthquake Alert, Volcano Alert

Heads up my friends!


We have a massive Filament just slightly towards the eastern limb of the sun- almost directly earth facing, AND we have a series of large Coronal Holes, running from the very north pole of the sun to the equatorial region.  We have no active flare zones at the moment, but I do expect that this Filament will rip off very soon- possibly throwing a huge CME that would be directly geoeffective towards earth.   Add to that the solar particle streams from the coronal hole and it could be a major combo.  We already have active solar X-rays streaming in.





We have seen a ridiculously HUGE amount of Earth quakes in the past 72 hours of magnitude 5 and UP and volcanoes erupting in 36 different locations globally.  IF this filament rips off with a CME launched, we could have yet another round of very powerful earthquakes.   The pacific circle is SERIOUSLY messed up right now!!!!









NEWS FLASH..... literally


Just less than an hour ago a smaller filament separated from the sun, and has produced an incoming CME (Coronal Mass Ejection)- I do not have the details yet of just how geoeffective the CME will be with Earth, but as soon as I have the information I will update this article.   The large Filament is still hanging on.... by a thread and I highly doubt it will last another day before it too separates from the Sun.   We also experienced a huge proton spike at around 2pm UTC ....Again, I will keep everyone updated as soon as I have new information.





This was just updated on Solarham:

A large filament located in the northeast quadrant is now in the process of lifting off of from the sun. Sometimes following such events, intense brightening within the chromosphere near the location of the eruption, also known as a hyder flare can take place. On the other hand, plasma may be reabsorbed by the sun with little to no coronal mass ejection (CME) produced. What will happen? Stay tuned to find out.


Here is the LASCO Image of the CME

http://sohowww.nascom.nasa.gov/data/realtime/c2/1024/latest.jpg

Before we move on from the Solar topic I want to share with you what we just saw 3 hours ago :




Not only did we have a full halo around the sun for HOURS today, when we took photos, we captured two different things.  First if you look at around 11o'clock on the sun disc you can see teh shadow of the HUGE filament that I have been discussing.  Also, there is a strange light streak in the sky just above the sun and beside the filament.  This is NOT a mar on the camera lens, not a reflection on the lens. This ...... light streak is in EVERY picture we took, no matter what angle  we snapped it from over the one hour period that we were taking pictures.   What is it?  Know idea.   We also have several pictures with white and pink.... dots/orbs....whatever, lol.   Interesting stuff!   I will also add that though you can't really see it in this picture the inner area between the rainbow aura and the sun itself was at least 5 shades darker than the sky that was outside of the Solar Aura.


As I mentioned in the Transpicuous News Weekend report,  Japan has just experienced some pretty amazing things. Such as a section of Hokkaido Island rising over 300 meters.... IN A DAY.  Dutchsinse' report below gives an excellent overview.  





http://dutchsinse.com/4252015-land-rising-out-of-the-sea-in-hokkaido-japan-rose-300-meters-near-1000-feet-overnight/

http://rt.com/news/253229-landslide-rise-eastern-hokkaido/



Here are a couple of spectacular photos of the Volcano erupting in Chile a few days ago:





This was just forwarded to me by a friend:


....Almost 7,000 miles away in Mexico, the Colima volcano blew its top after a period of relative calm. A steam and ash cloud rose two miles into the sky and the grumbling of the mountain could be heard in towns a few miles away.

In Guatemala the ‘Fire Mountain’ belched out lava and sent up a moderate ash cloud causing an ash fall over nearby towns. The explosions and shock waves occurring in the volcano can be felt by residents over 6 miles away. Doors and windows are reported to be rattling, but there has been no damage so far.

In Vanuatu the Yasur volcano is giving some cause for concern. Although the explosions are quite weak the continuous ash that is coming from the mountain is starting to build up on farming land.

Over to Italy, Mount Etna is putting on quite a display. The current eruption started a few days ago and has been getting stronger as time moves on. A massive eruption lit up the sky and disturbed residents yesterday. The ash cloud was high enough to see flights canceled. The lava flow was the biggest in years, and the town of Zafferana which lay in its path saw some damage. Lava diverters were put into place, and most of the town escaped unscathed.

In Indonesia a four mile high ash cloud is making life hard for residents. Mount Sinabung came back to life in 2010 after dormancy of hundreds of years. Occasionally coming to life after its 2010 awakening, the rumbling of the volcano prompted the evacuation of over 6000 people as scientists feared a major eruption. There has been no lava flows so far but the ash cloud is growing.

Mount Sinabung ash cloud

Still in Indonesia but on the island of Java this time, Mount Merapi exploded yesterday. Hundreds of people were killed when it last erupted in 2010. There is no news of casualties at this point.

So, we have eruptions big enough to prompt evacuations. Flights are canceled, and a new island pops up off the coast of Japan. I would have called that newsworthy myself but obviously I’m wrong. If I was right it would have been common knowledge right? Reports may have been on the news right?

So many volcanoes throwing so much gas, ash and particulates into the air can have an effect on climate, this is a scientific fact. I’m not saying that these volcanoes herald the start of a new ice age but the planet certainly seems to be getting a bit more active of late.


Continued large eruptions put a huge amount of particulate matter into the atmosphere, and these particles reflect sunlight away from earth and when there is enough of them the temperatures can drop.

The Mount Pinatubo eruption lowered temperatures by around 0.5°C across the Northern Hemisphere.

Considering that we are in a cooling period anyway, having so many volcanoes going off at the same time is not good. Aside from the devastating effects the lava and ash can have on the lives of those living near to them, the global impacts can be enormous.

Lost crops due to ash fall and lower temperatures can lead to hunger and famine, as happened after the Tambora eruption in 1815.

Economic losses due to lost crops and canceled flights runs into millions of dollars a day, as with the Icelandic eruption of Eyjafjallojkull (pronounced: aya fiat la u cud la) in 2010.

The spasms of the earth come without warning, but at the same time those spasms should be a wake up call to all of us that change can happen in the blink of an eye.

Better be prepared for it.

Sources:

www.activistpost.com
www.newscientist.com
www.voiceofrussia.com
www.volcanodiscovery.com
www.volcanodiscovery.com
www.volcano.si.edu


.... and Then there is CERN

Apparently, CERN ran into some "issues" this afternoon.    They had to dump both beams this afternoon after a problem with their Cryo in two areas.



And here are the Cryogenics stats and reports- seems that there was a sudden .... upspike that started at just after 2pm...... pretty much within the same time frame that the smaller Filament separated from the Sun and threw off the CME towards Earth




.... and I find it very interesting that timing.... the emergency dumping of the beams almost exactly when the filament ripped off and we had a huge proton spike..... yes..... very interesting.

One People Roundtable Discussion: Bradley Loves and Mel Ve




Tonight on the One People's Roundtable Discussion Lisa, Brian and I will be welcoming back Bradley Loves, and Mel Ve.

To start the show off, we will be picking up where we left off two weeks ago when we had an amazing discussion with Brad on a wide range of topics.  Brad and I have been trying to get together to chat about our latest rabbit hole trips and dot connecting expeditions, but haven't been able to connect, so I suspect that tonight will feature a whole lot of new data and information.

To check out Brad's latest articles, please visit his site: 

https://bradleyloves.wordpress.com/

Later in the Show, we will be welcoming Mel Ve to join us  to discuss the Mass Media Madness and the insanity of the lies and rhetoric of the talking heads.

.... I can guarantee it will definitely be a fast flying show tonight!

So please join us on the One People Roundtable Discussion on CCN, tonight at 11pm England/Morocco time- 6pm EDT

http://www.consciousconsumernetwork.tv/ccn-live/

If you are on dialup or have limited bandwidth, you can watch the show on the CCN viewers either on:  http://www.lisamharrison.com/watch-live/   or right here on RTS.






XXXXX

Monday 27 April 2015

CIA arrested on Mexican border with 1300lbs of Cocaine!!

Here's a Giggle for your Monday Morning!!

love d

Two CIA Agents Arrested by Minutemen while Crossing Mexican Border with 1300 Pounds of Cocaine

April 23rd, 2015 | by Barbara Johnson
Two CIA Agents Arrested by Minutemen while Crossing Mexican Border with 1300 Pounds of Cocaine
Controversy
35

El Paso| A group of minutemen watching the Mexican Border for illegal migrants and drug traffickers, have proceeded to the citizen arrest of two men in an SUV, carrying 1300 pounds of cocaine. The volunteers were completely astonished when the two arrestees pulled out CIA ID cards and explained they were actually carrying the drug as part of their duties and that the cargo belonged to the Central Intelligence Agency.

The incident took place last night, in the Chihuahuan desert, near the Texan city of El Paso. A group of seven minutemen saw a large black SUV drive rapidly across the border. They chased the vehicle in their own trucks and achieved to immobilize it after a chase of more than 15 miles.
The vigilantes arrested the two men on board and called the border patrol, who proceeded to search the vehicle. They discovered dozens of packages of cocaine, totalling an incredible 618.4 kilograms (1363 pounds).
minutemen2
The search of the vehicle revealed 36 packages of cocaine, all marked with the symbol of the Sinaloa Cartel, representing a black scorpion.
The two men claim to be CIA operatives based in Mexico and explained that the drug was actually part of an operation of the agency. They presented identity cards that seem to validate their claim, but the CIA spokesperson, Dean Boyd, has officially denied any link between the organization and the two men.

“The CIA doesn’t take part in drug smuggling operations at the US-Mexican border” said M. Boyd. “I do not know, for now, if the men are actually affiliated to the agency in any way, but I can tell you the cocaine doesn’t belong to the CIA.”

Both the border patrol officers and minutemen seem unconvinced, however, and many of them seem to believe that the secret service agency is hiding something. The U.S. custom services have even announced a thorough investigation to try and verify the two men’s story.

“Both of them had valid accreditations and a receipt for their cargo” says Shawn Francis Miller, spokesman of the U.S. Customs and Border Protection for the El Paso sector. “What drug dealer in his right mind, demands a receipt for 1300 pounds of cocaine? There is really something strange about these guys, and we believe the CIA possibly knows more than what it is ready to admit.” 

minutemen3
The custom services have confirmed that the two men, who can’t be identified due to the Intelligence Identities and Protection Act of 1982, did carry valid CIA identifications and that the vehicle was indeed registered as a service vehicle of the organization.
The two men remain under the custody of the custom services at the moment, and are still being interrogated in a facility near El Paso. They are facing charges of possessing, trafficking and importing illegal drugs, and could face other criminal charges once the investigation is over.
Both the FBI and the DEA have announced that they would collaborate with the U.S. Customs and Border Protection on this case, which as already attracted a lot of attention in Southern Texas.
http://worldnewsdailyreport.com/two-cia-agents-arrested-by-minutemen-while-crossing-mexican-border-with-1300-pounds-of-cocaine/


Friday 24 April 2015

Face to Face w' Sacha Stone, D and Thomas Brown: The CERN Question

Here is the Video Archive of Wednesday nights show "Face to Face with Sacha Stone".   On Wednesday night Sacha asked me to join him and Scientist Thomas Brown to dig deep into the CERN questions:  What IS CERN?  What are they really using it for?  and Are the Scientists within CERN actually aware of the ramifications of the "experiments" that are going on?

I spent a good portion of the show sitting in the dark as we had a power black out here on a large portion of the north coast of Morocco, lol. 

This was a really interesting show to be a part of.   While we opened the door to many questions and theories, it was very apparent that this discussion was just the first of many to come, as the subject matter is VAST and 2 hours is barely enough to scratch the surface of the question of CERN.


d


Roundtable Discussion with Duncan O'Finioan- Video Archive



For everyone who has been waiting (impatiently, lol) for it, here is the Archive video of Tuesday night's One People Roundtable Discussion.

On Tuesday evening, Lisa Harrison, Brian Kelly and I sat down with Duncan O'Finioan, from the CCN show "Shoot from the Hip".   We dug deep into several pretty hard core topics- from reviewing my trek of the Yemen rabbit hole, to the Ark of the Covenant- what it is, what it does and why they may be trying to grab it- to the bigger question of CERN.  

Duncan brought a very interesting perspective to the table, based on his own personal experiences which are Vast and jaw dropping in and of themselves!

Transpicuous News Midweek report- April 22: Video archive

Good morning everyone.

Here is the Video archive from this weeks Transpicuous News Midweek Report from April22, 2015.  As usual, all the Links to go with the show are below.

d




This weeks News Links:


Permission Denied: Journalist barred from "Friendly Fire" Investigation- Canadians take note! 

http://removingtheshackles.blogspot.ca/2015/04/permission-denied-journalist-barred.html


Chomsky: 'International law cannot be enforced against great powers’ FULL INTERVIEW
http://rt.com/usa/250729-complete-chomsky-rt-interview/

6 men arrested in Minnesota worked for almost year to join ISIS - US attorney
http://rt.com/usa/251281-isis-supportess-minnesota-arrested/

‘We're not interested in a fair fight’ – US army commander urges NATO to confront Russia
http://rt.com/news/250981-russian-threat-nato-hodges/

​Merkel says free trade zone with Russia possible
http://rt.com/business/250909-merkel-russia-trade-zone/

Dying CIA Agent Claims He Assassinated Marilyn Monroe
Read more at http://www.inquisitr.com/2016545/dying-cia-agent-claims-he-assassinated-marilyn-monroe/#KvWefH5YIvtRAM0X.99


​Co-op unable to commit to Fairtrade goods, blames economy
http://rt.com/uk/251241-co-op-fair-trade/

​Japan plans moon mission in three years
http://rt.com/news/251305-japan-moon-mission-future/

CEO Slashes $1 Million Salary To Give Lowest-Paid Workers A Raise
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/04/14/gravity-payments-raise_n_7061676.html

Two held over Med migrant deaths
http://www.independent.ie/world-news/two-held-over-med-migrant-deaths-31158280.html


Family speaks about ferry fire terror
http://www.echo-news.co.uk/news/12899570.Family_speaks_about_ferry_fire_terror/

Fire breaks out at British embassy in The Hague, police detain man on suspicion of involvement
http://www.dailynews724.com/world/fire-breaks-out-at-british-embassy-in-the-hague-police-detain-man-on-suspicion-of-involvement-h457034.html

Greece requires public sector entities to transfer cash balances to central bank
http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/04/20/eurozone-greece-cash-idUSA8N0WT00J20150420


Japan maglev train breaks world speed record again
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-32391020

Yemen conflict: Saudi Arabia ends air campaign
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-32402688

Saudi Air Strikes against Yemen Continue
http://english.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13940202000699

Afghanistan's Taliban, ISIL Declare Jihad against Each Other
http://english.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13940201001234

 French police say imminent terror attack in Paris foiled
http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/apr/22/paris-student-planned-attack-church-france

 Uber driver, licensed to carry gun, shoots gunman in Logan Square
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/breaking/ct-uber-driver-shoots-gunman-met-0420-20150419-story.html

 The Mystery of China’s Gold Stash May Soon Be Solved
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-04-20/mystery-of-china-s-gold-stash-may-soon-be-solved-as-imf-beckons


Rage Against the Machine: Colorado man empties gun into his computer in alley
http://rt.com/usa/251873-man-shoots-computer-colorado/

Nessie view: Google takes up search for Loch Ness Monster
http://rt.com/news/251745-google-loch-ness-monster/

​First Chinese state-owned company announces bond default
http://rt.com/business/251665-china-state-company-default/

British man held over £500bn Wall Street 'flash crash'
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/financial-crime/11553433/British-trader-Nav-Sarao-charged-with-triggering-global-markets-flash-crash-in-2010.html

170 reported dead in two weeks of fighting in Marib
http://www.yementimes.com/en/1875/news/5056/170-reported-dead-in-two-weeks-of-fighting-in-Marib.htm

'Tiny hearts': What the UK has been told about Australia's asylum seeker policy
http://www.smh.com.au/federal-politics/political-news/tiny-hearts-what-the-uk-has-been-told-about-australias-asylum-seeker-policy-20150420-1momxh.html

FBI can’t cut Internet and pose as cable guy to search property, judge says
http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2015/04/fbi-cant-cut-internet-and-pose-as-cable-guy-to-search-property-judge-says/

Bachmann: Obama's Policies on Gays and Iran to Bring on Rapture
http://www.edgeboston.com/news/news/175733/bachmann:_obama%27s_policies_on_gays_and_iran_to_bring_on_rapture









Wednesday 22 April 2015

Awesomest Dean Clifford Rant EVER!!!

This is the most awesomest Dean Clifford Rant EVER!!!  ...... Not for the faint of heart, lol!

You can watch Dean Clifford, LIVE Stream on CCN every Monday night

For more information on Dean Clifford, please check out http://deanclifford.info/

http://www.consciousconsumernetwork.tv/dean-clifford/

d

logo dean

Since November 24, 2013, the flesh and blood living man commonly known as Dean Christopher Clifford, had been unlawfully kidnapped and forcibly confined against his will and tortured by Agents and/or Officers and/or Employees of a foreign entity and usurper of our land called HER MAJESTY THE QUEEN IN RIGHT OF CANADA in a certain contrivance.
Their accomplices and co-conspirators include directors, officers and agents and employees of: CANADA INC et all, HER MAJESTY THE QUEEN IN RIGHT OF THE PROVINCE OF MANITOBA, the RCMP, certain members of THE PARLIAMENT OF CANADA, THE PROVINCE OF MANITOBA and the LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY, THE GOVERNOR GENERAL’S OFFICE et all, certain members of the BAR, THE PRIVY COUNCIL et all, and many other ‘actors’ both foreign and domestic.
Their acts are steeped in depravity, and will be recorded in history as such. All simply for Dean daring to teach the men and women of this land their natural rights, and for the audacity to have a mind to restore real law, order and justice to this land we love and call our home.
Your Birth Right has been usurped. With God’s will, you may learn who you are and how to claim what was given to you…. Since Dean’s release, he has gone on to share some amazing insight, and has claimed his place on the newly launched Alternative Media Livestreaming Channel, Conscious Consumer Network. Join Dean every Monday evening from 11pm London /5pm Manitoba, and join us for this amazing journey into the discovery of self, rights and justice, from the very beginning, on Dean’s show, THE BEGINNING IS HERE.






Transpicuous News: Sunday's Video and What's on Deck for Tonight!


Good morning everyone!

Here is the Video archive of Sunday nights Transpicuous News Weekend report on April 19, 2015, and of course, all the links to go along with Sunday nights Show.

Tonight is the Transpicuous News Midweek Report, LIVE stream at 11pm London/Morocco time, 6pm EDT, on CCN- You can watch the report live HERE:

http://www.consciousconsumernetwork.tv/ccn-live/

If you have slow internet or limited bandwidth, you can watch the live stream here on RTS on the right side CCN screen.

I am going to be a busy bee tonight as right before Transpicuous News, I will be on Face to Face with Sacha Stone at 9pm London/Morocco Time, to discuss CERN: 

"CERN Ushering in Astral Pandemonium?"


I will be joining Sacha, along with Physicist Thomas J Brown, to dig into the CERN question of what the hell are they doing?!

After last nights Incredible show on the Roundtable Discussion with Duncan O'Finioan, tonight will be yet another VERY interesting conversation that will no doubt dig very deeply into the esoteric and "astral" questions of what the Cause and Effect of CERN is, and the physical and energetic ramifications of these actions.

Full Steam ahead my friends!!!  This is the moment of bringing everything into the open, and shining a flood light into the dark corners of what "they" try to keep hidden from humanity.

d













News Links for Weekend Report: April 19


Are You Scared Now? Congress Declares US Is Losing Media War With Russia

Read more: http://sputniknews.com/us/20150415/1020940966.html#ixzz3XaxhlRjZ

U.S. Treasury's Lew says will press trading partners on exchange rates
http://mobile.reuters.com/article/idUSL2N0XD15720150416?irpc=932

The U.N. Envoy to Yemen Has Quit
http://time.com/3824556/yemen-united-nations-envoy-jamal-benomar-resigns/

India Won’t Suppress Tewari’s Free Energy Generator
http://geopolitics.co/2015/04/16/india-wont-suppress-tewaris-free-energy-generator/

Soap power: Handwash chemical linked to cancer
http://rt.com/news/206563-soap-chemical-cancer-triclosan/

Italian Paper Breaks Silence Over Assassinations in Kiev

Read more: http://sputniknews.com/analysis/20150417/1021014062.html#ixzz3Xbecu27Q

Bloomberg screens go dark worldwide
http://money.cnn.com/2015/04/17/investing/markets-bloomberg-terminal-outage/

US should write laws of global economy, not China - Obama
http://rt.com/business/250497-obama-economy-china-trade/

BRICS Development Bank won’t rival China-led AIIB, but complement – CBR head
http://rt.com/business/250689-brics-aiib-imf-rival/

Crash and burn: Mercury probe to end mission with planetary collision
http://rt.com/usa/250425-nasa-mercury-probe-crashing/

US lawmakers agree to fast-track secretive international trade deals
http://rt.com/usa/250405-congress-tpp-fast-track/

Leaked TPP investment chapter: Corporations can sue states in private courts
http://rt.com/usa/245093-tpp-corporations-suing-states/

Everybody’s been stung!’ Millions of bees released after Seattle highway crash (PHOTOS, VIDEO)
http://rt.com/usa/250661-bees-seattle-crash-stung/

​Most dangerous Islamic State leaders come from Scandinavia - Syrian President Assad
http://rt.com/news/250561-assad-scandinavia-dangerous-isis/

Hundreds feared dead as migrants’ boat capsizes off Libya
http://rt.com/news/250989-boat-capsizes-hundreds-migrants/

North Pole-2015: Russia launches drifting Arctic station
http://rt.com/news/250969-russian-arctic-station-research/

Contraceptive pills ‘shrink’ part of brain influencing emotions - study
http://rt.com/news/250825-contraceptive-pills-affect-brain/

​EU poised to let in new GM products, introduce non-health opt-outs
http://rt.com/news/250493-eu-gmo-rules-products/


Mystery disease which kills within 24 hours leaves 18 dead in Nigeria
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/africa/mystery-disease-which-kills-within-24-hours-leaves-18-dead-in-nigeria-10187511.html

Saudi Fighters Hit Friendly Target in Military Drills near Yemen's Border, Scores Injured
http://english.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13940130001102
Source: Yemen Under Saudi Chemical Attacks
http://english.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13940130000374

Wave Of Protests Against TTIP, CETA, TISA
http://www.ip-watch.org/2015/04/19/wave-of-protest-against-ttip-ceta-tisa-rising/
http://www.euronews.com/2015/04/19/stop-ttip-protests-in-europe-and-beyond-against-us-eu-trade-pact/

The Greek "White Knight" Emerges: Putin To Give Athens €5 Billion For Advance Gas Pipeline Fees
http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2015-04-18/greek-white-knight-emerges-putin-give-athens-%E2%82%AC5-billion-advance-gas-pipeline-fees

HEAD of the FBI’s Anthrax Investigation Says the Whole Thing Was a SHAM
http://www.washingtonsblog.com/2015/04/head-fbis-anthrax-investigation-calls-b-s.html

Fly In A ‘Star Wars’ Plane: Airplane Painted To Look Like R2-D2 Commissioned By All Nippon Airways
Read more at http://www.inquisitr.com/2018422/star-wars-plane-r2-d2-all-nippon-airways/#V4vVJfRP0SUDb8Ae.99

$45 Billion in Tax Dollars Goes Missing in Afghanistan
http://www.thefiscaltimes.com/2015/04/01/45-Billion-Tax-Dollars-Goes-Missing-Afghanistan

Eric Holder’s list of citizens banned from gun ownership mostly hurts veterans
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2015/apr/15/holders-gun-ban-list-mental-defectives-mostly-vete/

 Brain-Damaged Victims of Swine Flu Vaccine Win $63 Million Lawsuit

Read more: http://naturalsociety.com/brain-damaged-victims-of-swine-flu-vaccine-win-63-million-lawsuit/#ixzz3Xm6DoAw4
Follow us: @naturalsociety on Twitter | NaturalSociety on Facebook

Canadian Wheat Board to be sold to Saudi-owned Global Grain Group
http://globalnews.ca/news/1939906/canadian-wheat-board-sold-to-saudi-owned-global-grain-group/

4/18/2015 — Texas Legislators want to PROHIBIT citizens from being able to ban fracking ! Banning BANS!
http://dutchsinse.com/4182015-texas-legislators-want-to-prohibit-citizens-from-being-able-to-ban-fracking-banning-bans/

http://www.flashearth.com/?lat=15.40429&lon=45.355695&z=15.3&r=0&src=msa


Tuesday 21 April 2015

Permission Denied: Journalist barred from "Friendly Fire" Investigation- Canadians take note!

I began to screen shot this article for tomorrow night's Transpicuous News, but as I read through it in it's entirety I realized that this is a major piece of transparency that needs to be seen IN it's entirety.

It is obvious that this Canadian Globe & Mail Journalist (a leading main stream Canadian News paper/outlet), is seriously pissed about his experience and frustrations in trying to investigate the "friendly fire" death of a Canadian soldier in Iraq.  So much so, that under the cover of a slightly hidden narative, the messages that appear in between the lines of what he doesn't say, scream louder than words.  This is a VERY strong message to Canadians- to ask the questions that are deliberately and pointedly NOT answered in this article.   The question remains:  Will Canadians actually READ between the lines, or will they turn the page to see who won the latest Leaf game?

I have highlighted various sections of this awesome piece of transparency..... to shine even more light on the unanswered questions.  Or perhaps to ask the questions that are deliberately NOT asked?

I would also say that this story bears vast importance in light of the fact that Canada is sending troops to Ukraine (some are already there, and have been there since December 2014), to work in the same capacity as the Canadian troops in Iraq, ie: as Military "Advisers" and "Trainers".  Next question: are these Canadian military "advisers" working under the same constraints as their Iraqi placed counter-parts?
d


Access denied: The Globe barred from investigating friendly fire death



PERMISSION
DENIED
By Mark MacKinnon
A peshmerga watch out on the Bashiq Mountains at the front near to Mosul where Canadian soldier Sgt. Andrew Doiron was killed March 6. (Hawre Khalid / Metrography)
 
To get to Bashiq Mountain – and the front line between the Kurdish peshmerga army and forces of the so-called Islamic State – you drive a long bumpy highway through just-planted fields of rice and corn, passing a white-tent settlement for refugees from nearby IS-controlled Mosul, and a succession of tin-roofed Kurdish checkpoints. Somewhere nearby lies the spot where Sergeant Andrew Doiron died in a “friendly fire” incident last month.

The Backstory

Trish McAlaster / The Globe and Mail
The Globe and Mail sent Senior International Correspondent Mark MacKinnon to northern Iraq to investigate the death of a Canadian soldier there in a “friendly fire” incident in March. Canadian special forces are working with the Iraqi Kurdish peshmerga near an active front line in the battle with the so-called Islamic State, but little concrete information about the mission has been disclosed to the public. Mr. MacKinnon, after obtaining permission from the Kurdish presidency and military high command, travelled at great personal risk to Bashiq mountain. That is where the Kurdish unit whose soldiers or soldier – even now, the circumstances of the shooting remain unclear – opened fire on the Canadians with whom they were training. Twice Mr. MacKinnon was blocked by a Kurdish employee of the Canadian military who prevented him, under full view of two Canadian officers, from speaking to soldiers from either side.

Mark MacKinnon, now based in London, has reported from conflict zones across the world and won multiple awards for his journalism. He has been the Globe’s correspondent in the Middle East, Russia and China. Fluent in Russian, he has most recently reported extensively on the Ukraine crisis and is the author of The New Cold War: Revolutions, Rigged Elections and Pipeline Politics, published in 2007 by Random House.

Barring the way is the ambiguous figure of Farhang Afandi, with two flags on his military uniform, a one-man representative of the Byzantine politics and murky chains of command in this breakaway region of northern Iraq.
“I can’t let you go,” Mr. Afandi says, overruling both the office of Kurdish president Masoud Barzani and the Ministry of Peshmerga Affairs, both of which made calls last week to facilitate The Globe and Mail’s second effort to reach Bashiq Mountain, after Mr. Afandi denied The Globe permission to travel two days earlier.
He declared that the decisions of the local commander take precedence over those made in the Kurdish capital of Erbil, though the reason Mr. Afandi gives for the refusal shifts over the course of the two conversations. First it’s safety, then it’s a blanket ban on journalists and civilians travelling to the area. Several times “the media” is asked to stop digging into Sgt. Doiron’s death, and to focus on “positive stories” about Canada’s military involvement in northern Iraq.
But although the Peshmerga Ministry says the efforts of Canada’s soldiers in northern Iraq (the Canadian government says there are 69 advisers deployed in Iraqi Kurdistan) are concentrated on the Bashiq Mountain front – and the troops are regularly at the front line, unlike other Western military trainers deployed here – we’re told we can’t see or speak to them.
Mr. Afandi doesn’t actually give his name, and raises his voice when asked what his rank is. “You don’t have the right to ask for my position!” he shouts.
But everyone in the area knows who Mr. Afandi is. He’s the son of Hamid Afandi, a former Minister of Peshmerga Affairs and the current commander of 10,000 men defending district 7.2 of the Kurdish front line, which includes both the green-covered rise of Bashiq Mountain, and the soldiers of the Halgurd Unit that opened fire on Sgt. Doiron, a 31-year-old Moncton native, and three other Canadian soldiers at a checkpoint near here on the night of March 6 in an apparent case of mistaken identity.
The younger Mr. Afandi’s loyalties are complicated. He speaks flawless English and is referred to locally as “our Canadian.” During an unguarded moment, he reveals that he grew up in Ontario, and that he’s actually on contract to the Canadian special forces stationed in northern Iraq, not his father’s peshmerga unit.
He wears a pale green army uniform – lighter in colour than the dark green uniforms most peshmerga wear – with a black “Kurdistan Army” patch on his right shoulder, and a khaki maple leaf on the left. Before he denied The Globe permission to travel on our first effort to reach Bashiq Mountain, Mr. Afandi consulted with two Canadian special forces soldiers who walked into the peshmerga base at Dubardan, at the northern foot of Bashiq Mountain. The two Canadians quickly donned sunglasses and retreated to a back room when told there was a reporter present.
Farhang Afandi, left, speaks flawless English and is referred to by other peshmerga fighters as “our Canadian.” What role he plays in Canada's mission in Iraq and why he prevented a reporter from investigatin the shooting death of Sgt. Andrew Doiron is unknown.
Canada’s Department on National Defence says Mr. Afandi is a contracted interpreter working for the Canadian military on an “as required basis” in northern Iraq. “He does not hold a military rank or special status but is afforded the professional respect and privileges of a military contractor by Canadian military personnel while he is working for the Canadian Armed Forces in Iraq,” Daniel Le Bouthillier, a spokesman for the department, said in response to e-mailed inquiries from The Globe.
Mr. Le Bouthillier said Mr. Afandi was not a Canadian citizen and cited the Privacy Act when asked whether he had permanent resident status. Mr. Le Bouthillier said Mr. Afandi had purchased his own uniform and that it was “common practice for forces working together to show solidarity by displaying their partner’s cultural symbols or national flags.” 
So who is preventing journalists from visiting the front line at Bashiq Mountain, when the rest of the 1,000-kilometre-long peshmerga frontline is very receptive to media visits?
“We recommend that you contact the Ministry of the Peshmerga,” was Mr. Le Bouthillier’s reply when asked to explain Mr. Afandi’s actions.
But Lieutenant-General Jabar Yawar, a member of the Peshmerga General Command who approved The Globe’s trip to the front, clearly feels he’s reached the extent of his authority when it comes to who can visit Bashiq Mountain. After he gave his permission for a visit to the peshmerga soldiers of the Halgurd unit who were on duty the night Sgt. Doiron was shot, Mr. Afandi blocked us for a second time. I called Lt.-Gen. Yawar. He asked to speak directly to Mr. Afandi – who moved out of earshot to have the conversation – and then apologized after Mr. Afandi handed the mobile phone back. “I’m sorry,” the general said, “this is all I can do.”
Peshmerga fighters check the names of IS fighters in their base in Isqof village at the frontline of Bashiq near Mosul. (Hawre Khalid/ Metrography)
“You can say it’s the local command [that made the decision],” Mr. Afandi said afterwards. “We don’t need civilians wandering around here. The investigation [into Sgt. Doiron’s death] is over.
Mr. Le Bouthillier said he could not say whom Mr. Afandi reported to in either instance, including the first encounter when he was seen consulting with two Canadian special forces officers. “We are not in a position to confirm the contents of every single discussion between CAF members and its partners,” the DND spokesman said, “nor can we confirm if the gentleman was “on the clock” with the CAF or, as previously stated, if he was working for the peshmerga sector commander at the time of the interaction.”

'THE INVESTIGATION, I THINK, IS FINISHED

The assertion that the investigation into Sgt. Doiron’s death has been completed is a surprise. There has been no public announcement about the outcome of any of the two Canadian inquiries into Sgt. Doiron’s death. The U.S.-led coalition against IS is also investigating, as did the Kurdish government. Fuad Hussein, chief of staff to Mr. Barzani, also refers to the investigation in the past tense.
“The investigation, I think, is finished. It was an unfortunate incident,” Mr. Hussein said in an interview in his Erbil office. “We are shocked always when we lose a peshmerga. …. And then, to lose a soldier who came here to help us, to support us, to give training to us, it was deeper. We are very sorry about that. But this happens, unfortunately, sometimes, in a war.”
Formally or informally, there appears to be a decision on both the Canadian and Kurdish sides to stop talking about – and blaming each other for – the night Sgt. Doiron died. “They told us not to say anything to you,” said a commander in the Halgurd unit who spoke briefly by phone with The Globe from his position on Bashiq Mountain.
In Erbil, Kurdish officials are clearly anxious to repair any damage that was done to the relationship with Canada. They no longer suggest that Sgt. Doiron and the other Canadian troops may have been somewhere they shouldn’t have been on March 6. “Whatever was said in the past, until now, was personal opinion, not formal,” said Lieutenant-General Jabar Yawar, a member of the Peshmerga General Command. “What happened was a great sadness for us.”
A peshmerga fighter stands near a Hummer, which they captured from IS forces near Bashiq, near to Mosul, Iraq. (Hawre Khalid/ Metrography)
But the story blaming the Canadians for what happened is still the one that fighters of the Halgurd unit tell when their commanders aren’t listening.
The front line, they say, is a nebulous thing around Bashiq Mountain. Roughly, the Kurds control the jagged, green-covered mountain, 20-some kilometres north of Mosul. Islamic State – which is also known as ISIS, ISIL and Da’esh – controls the town of Bashiq itself, at the southern foot of the mountain. The Halgurd unit controls the space between the eastern edge of the mountain, up to the bumpy north-south highway that leads to Commander Afandi (the elder)’s headquarters in a converted hospital a short drive north at Dubardan.
Firefights in the area aren’t uncommon – the peshmerga say their positions on the mountain come under small-arms fire about once a week – but nerves tingle the most at night, when any approaching stranger could be an ambush party, or a suicide bomber, sent by IS.
The Halgurd unit was particularly jumpy the night of March 6 because of a clash the day before that had left an Islamic State fighter dead. The militant’s body was still lying where he had been shot – within sight of the Halgurd positions – and the peshmerga were anticipating a move by IS to try to reclaim the corpse.
From there, the stories diverge.
In the Kurdish version, the four Canadians had gone on foot towards the town of Bashiq – Kurdish officials initially said they were helping identify targets for coalition air strikes – without checking in at the Dubardan peshmerga base for that night’s password. When they emerged out of the dark at around 11 p.m. that night, the peshmerga demanded the password. The reply allegedly came in Arabic and one or more Kurds opened fire, shooting that only stopped when the Canadians’ driver, who had been left with his vehicle behind the Kurdish position when the four Canadians proceeded on foot, alerted the peshmerga that they were shooting at their allies.
“We were very sad. I wish it was one of us who had been killed instead, because the Canadians have come here to support us,” said a 32-year-old member of the Halgurd unit who spoke on the condition of anonymity. He said he was not stationed at the checkpoint the shots had been fired from, but the details of the incident were well known to all in the unit. “If you don’t have the password, you can’t even go to the toilet. There are no peshmerga who would speak in Arabic, so we thought they were our enemies.”
Peshmerga weapons and ammunition line an observation post at the Bashiq front line near Mosul, Iraq. (Hawre Khalid/ Metrography)
In the Canadian version, Sgt. Doiron and his comrades had prearranged their movements that night, and had passed two other checkpoints without incident before the third post opened fire on them. Defense Minister Jason Kenney has said the troops weren’t at the front, and weren’t involved in calling in air strikes, but were fired upon as they approached an “observation post” 200 metres behind the line.
It wasn’t the first time Canadian troops have come under fire in northern Iraq. The Department of National Defence has reported three occasions when Canadian troops have exchanged fire with IS fighters since the start of 2015. That’s led to heightened political debate about the mission, with Prime Minister Stephen Harper initially telling the House of Commons last fall that the Canadians were being sent to northern Iraq “to advise and to assist … not to accompany” the Kurdish forces.
That doesn’t match the role the peshmerga describe the Canadians as playing here. “We’ve gotten many benefits from the Canadian side, because they are with us on the front line, advising us. They are on the front line, helping us there,” Lt.-Gen. Yawar said. He positively contrasted the role of the Canadian advisers with those of other coalition countries that insist their trainers must be nowhere near the fighting.
Speaking in January, General Michael Rouleau, commander of the Canadian Special Operations Forces Command, told journalists in Ottawa that “80 per cent” of what Canadian forces did in Iraq happened “kilometres behind the front lines.” He said “the other 20 per cent or so happens in forward positions, mostly close to the front lines but sometimes right at the front lines if that is the only place from where we can accomplish it.”
A peshmerga fighter cover a Doshka machine gun on the frontlines in the Bashiq Mountain near to Mosul, Iraq. (Hawre Khalid/ Metrography)
While Lt.-Gen. Yawar said there is a Canadian military adviser seconded to the Peshmerga General Command in Erbil, there is no Canadian military spokesperson in Iraq. The British, German, Dutch and Italian trainers work under a joint Kurdistan Training Coordination Center that gives regular briefings. The U.S. has a large diplomatic presence here. Yet the only Canadian diplomatic representative in Iraq is a charge d’affaires in Baghdad, housed in the British embassy. That led to brief confusion last year when a Canadian citizen was discovered among the refugees escaping IS, and no one among the Western diplomats stationed in Erbil knew who to contact.
Canada is deeply involved in the war for this country – there are also six CF-18 fighter jets based in Kuwait that carry out bombing runs against IS targets in Iraq and Syria – but diplomatic coverage and consular services for Iraq and Iraqi Kurdistan are provided out of the Canadian embassy in Amman, Jordan.
That’s nearly 900 kilometres from where Canadian troops have been placed, if not on the front line, certainly in the line of fire.

ONE WHO CONFRONTS DEATH

The peshmerga are legendary warriors. The name means “one who confronts death,” and they have been doing that for decades, having fought first Saddam Hussein’s army during the 1980s, then each other during a three-year civil war in the 1990s, then Saddam again following the 2003 U.S. invasion of Iraq, and now IS. But they are collectively still something closer to a people’s militia than a professional army.
While most fighters wear dark green military uniforms donated by the U.S., some still wander around bases and checkpoints in traditional Kurdish attire, their baggy pantaloons held up with cloth belts. Their weapons are primarily Kalashnikov rifles and grenade-launchers – most of them supplied by the U.S. – plus the occasional truck-mounted machine gun. There’s no Kurdish air force, and the peshmerga possess little in the way of tanks or artillery.

Q&A: Department of National Defence

After being blocked this month from visiting the area in northern Iraq close to where Canadian Sgt. Andrew Doiron was killed in a “friendly fire” incident in March, The Globe asked a series of pointed questions of Canada’s Department of National Defence about Farhang Afandi. Mr. Afandi twice denied The Globe permission to venture into the area despite assurances from Kurdish and Peshmerga officials.
The following is a transcript of three separate exchanges with STEVEN CHASE in Ottawa:
Pallbearers from the Canadian Special Operations Regiment carry the casket of Sgt. Andrew Joseph Doiron at Erbil International Airport, Iraq, in this March 8, 2015 handout photograph.

What is Mr. Afandi’s relationship with the Canadian Armed Forces. Is he on a paid contract with the Canadian military? What title or status does he have with the Canadian Armed Forces?
Mr. Farhang Afandi is a contracted interpreter working for the Canadian Armed Forces in Iraq. Mr. Afandi is contracted on an ‘as required basis’ at an hourly rate. He does not hold a military rank or special status but is afforded the professional respect and privileges of a military contractor by Canadian military personnel while he is working for the Canadian Armed Forces in Iraq.
Is he entitled to wear a Canadian-issued uniform? Why is he wearing one?
Mr. Farhang Afandi was not issued, nor is he entitled to be issued, a Canadian military uniform as part of his contracted duties. The military-style uniform he wears was obtained privately and is one of many patterns commonly available to anyone who wishes to purchase one on the open market. Although we can’t speak specifically as to why Mr. Afandi reportedly wears a military-style uniform, it is his personal choice as to what clothing he wishes to wear. It has been observed by Canadian personnel working in the area that there are several patterns and styles of military-type clothing currently being worn by the Peshmerga Forces.
Is he a Canadian citizen?
No, Mr. Farhang Afandi is not a Canadian citizen.
Does Mr. Afandi have any authority granted by Canada or local government to prevent civilians – like, say a Globe and Mail reporter – from travelling on a road in northern Iraq? He blocked our reporter from travelling to Bashiq mountain last week, overruling the office of Kurdish President Masoud Barzani and the Ministry of Peshmerga Affairs.
Mr. Afandi’s authority in the region is best answered by the Ministry of the Peshmerga. He often represents the Peshmerga sector commander when not acting as a part time, as needed [sic] interpreter. While Canadian soldiers work closely with our partners in the Kurdish Regional Government and the Ministry of the Peshmerga, Canadian troops do not control access to locations and the decision to grant access rests solely with the Kurdish Regional Government and the Ministry of the Peshmerga. As such we cannot speculate on why access was restricted as numerous factors including the reporter’s personal safety and ongoing operations may have impacted that decision.
Is Mr. Afandi a permanent resident of Canada?
Due to the Privacy Act, we do not have access to this information and would recommend contacting the Ministry of the Peshmerga, or Citizenship and Immigration Canada.
Does the military have any concern about the fact that Mr Afandi is wearing a khaki maple leaf on his uniform?
The Canadian Armed Forces deeply values the relationship with the Peshmerga and it is a common practice for forces working together to show solidarity by displaying their partner’s cultural symbols or national flags.

*side note by me: this is BULLSHIT!  As ex military, for a fact a person NOT from the Canadian military cannot represent themselves AS Canadian military by wearing the identifying marks of the Canadian Military!!*

Two Canadian special forces soldiers were observed beyond Mr. Afandi when he turned back The Globe and Mail reporter. They put on sunglasses and retreated when our reporter approached. Did they ask Mr. Afandi to bar The Globe and Mail reporter from travelling to Bashiq mountain? To put it another way: Was Mr. Afandi acting on a request/order from the Canadian military or government when he barred a Globe and Mail reporter from travelling to Bashiq mountain last week?

While Canadian soldiers work closely with our partners in the Kurdish Regional Government and the Ministry of the Peshmerga, Canadian troops do not control access to locations and the decision to grant access rests solely with the Kurdish Regional Government and the Ministry of the Peshmerga. As such we cannot speculate on why access was restricted as numerous factors including the reporter’s personal safety and ongoing operations may have impacted that decision. We recommend that you contact the Ministry of the Peshmerga if you have further questions regarding their operations in the region.
Farhang Afandi blocked our reporter from travelling to Bashiq mountain last week, over ruling permission granted by the office of Kurdish president Masoud Barzani and the Ministry of Peshmerga Affairs. You’re telling us that you had nothing to do with his decision to turn back Mark MacKinnon. Will the Canadian military/DND agree not to block Mr. MacKinnon from traveling to Bashiq Mountain if he returns?
The Globe and Mail is in the area of their own volition, as there is no media embedding program as part of our advise and assist mission in Iraq. It is the Globe and Mail’s responsibility to have all proper local approvals for access. Given access is granted by local authorities, it is not within the CAF’s purview to ‘block’ or restrict reporters, nor is it within our power to grant access. We are respectful of our partners’ authorities and responsibilities and cannot make promises on issues that aren’t within our scope.
You’ve told me that Mr. Afandi works for you as an interpreter and I understand from your statements that this is his only task for CAF.‎ And you’ve said he also works for the Peshmerga. Was he on the clock for Canada when he turned Mr. MacKinnon away or was he working for the Peshmerga at the time? We ask – and this is a very important fact – because our reporter saw Mr. Afandi consult with [two] Canadian special forces soldiers before turning away Mr. MacKinnon.
We are not in a position to confirm the contents of every single discussion between CAF members and its partners, nor can we confirm if the gentleman was ‘on the clock’ with the CAF or, as previously stated, if he was working for the Peshmerga sector commander at the time of the interaction.
It is important to note that the DND/CAF remain committed to being as open and transparent about this mission as possible, without compromising operational security. This is why we have, and will continue to provide media with significant information through technical briefings, imagery and video footage.
What is the status of the CANSOFCOM (special forces) and military police investigations into the Doiron death?
The investigations into the death of Sgt. Andrew Doiron are proceeding normally. A precise timeline cannot be provided for their completion, as our focus is on taking the time necessary to do the job properly.
Has a Board of Inquiry been convened into the Doiron death? If not, why?
A Board of Inquiry (BOI) has not been initiated into the death of Sgt. Doiron; a summary investigation (SI) has instead been ordered. SIs are full investigations that allow for the gathering of information, determination of facts, and generation of recommendations in a timely manner. It is also important to note that an SI does not preclude the convening of a BOI at a later date, should the chain of command determine that such a measure is necessary.


Asked what Kurdish fighters need most, the fighter from the Halgurd unit who spoke to The Globe immediately replied “money.” Front-line fighters are paid just $400 to $500 a month, he said, forcing many – even in the middle of the war against Islamic State – to request time away from their units to work second jobs to support their families.

Divisions and resentments from the 1990s civil war still linger, adding to the confusion around who gives the orders in a place like Bashiq Mountain. Lt.-Gen. Yawar, the man who authorized The Globe’s trip to the front, has three portraits of former Iraqi president Jalal Talabani in his office, indicating his loyalty to Mr. Talabani’s Patriotic Union of Kurdistan, one of the belligerents in the 1990s. Commander Afandi was peshmerga minister to Mr. Barzani’s rival Kurdistan Democratic Party, and the fighters of the Halgurd unit are drawn from KDP loyalists.
But, despite all the challenges – and with the aid of coalition trainers and warplanes – the Kurds are slowly advancing along most of their 1,000-kilometre front line, and Islamic State is on the retreat.

THE BATTLE FOR MOSUL

That, perhaps, is why the Canadians and Kurds stationed at Bashiq Mountain have decided to stop bickering about who was at fault the night Sgt. Doiron was killed. There is a war to win.
Looming large for the peshmerga and their allies is the city of Mosul, the heart of Islamic State operations in Iraq, and the city where IS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi declared himself last summer to be the “emir” of a new “caliphate stretching across much of western Iraq and eastern Syria.
Mosul, in Saddam-era guidebooks to Iraq is described as “a city for walking” that was undergoing “a great burst of modernity.” But Mosul has been in a state of near-continuous war since the U.S. invasion of 2003. The city emerged as a centre of Sunni Arab resistance first to the U.S. occupation, then to the Iranian-backed governments that emerged in Baghdad. Saddam’s sons, Uday and Qusay, made their final stand at a safe house in Mosul after the fall of Baghdad. Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, the founder of al-Qaeda in Iraq – the predecessor organization to Islamic State – frequently used Mosul as a base as he waged his holy war against the U.S. Army.
Although most religious and ethnic minorities immediately fled Mosul when IS entered the city last June, many Sunni Arab residents initially welcomed the jihadis as preferable to the Shiite-dominated Iraqi army. After 10 months of harsh Islamic law, power outages and water shortages, it’s not clear how much support remains for IS among the million-plus people believed to still be living in Mosul (the pre-war population was 1.8 million). But it’s also unclear that they would welcome “liberation” by either the Iraqi army or the peshmerga.
That’s exactly what’s being planned, however. After the Iraqi army, with the backing of Shia militias, drove Islamic State out of the central city of Tikrit last week, Iraqi Prime Minister Haidar al-Abadi flew to Erbil to discuss with Mr. Barzani the terms for Kurdish involvement in an assault on Mosul.
Both sides are wary. The Kurds fear being further drawn into an ethnic or sectarian conflict, while the Iraqi government worries the peshmerga won’t later withdraw from areas (such as the neighbourhoods of Mosul that lie east of the Tigris River) it considers part of historic Kurdistan. But while any push towards Mosul is likely months away, if not longer, preparations are already being made.
“The decision is that [the peshmerga] will take part in recapturing Mosul,” said Lt.-Gen. Yawar. “Our concern is what role we will play: Will we enter [the outskirts] of Mosul but not enter the city? Or enter the city and then come out again? We still need to discuss these things.”
Such a battle, he said, is where the Canadian advisers will be most helpful. Despite their long experience with war, the peshmerga have mostly fought defensive battles, usually on mountainous terrain. The Canadians, and other coalition advisers, are helping prepare the peshmerga for an offensive along a long front, over flat ground – and eventually for the kind of house-by-house, street-by-street urban warfare that would be required to oust IS from Mosul.
Mr. Hussein, the presidential chief-of-staff, said the training is very welcome, but added that he wishes Canada and the West would supplement it by providing the peshmerga with the modern tanks and heavy weapons he said could bring the war against IS to a quicker and less costly conclusion.
He said the Kurds have paid for every advance so far with “peshmerga lives,” with some 1,200 Kurdish fighters killed and more than 5,000 injured since the conflict against Islamic State began last summer. He said the peshmerga often find themselves in battle against the kind of M-1 Abrams tanks and howitzer artillery – supplied by the U.S. to the Iraqi army, then seized by IS last summer during its lightning advance – that the West refuses to provide to its Kurdish allies.
At the Dubardan base, two rusty armoured personnel carriers sit parked beside a small Russian-made tank that looks like it saw battle during the Iran-Iraq war of the 1980s. According to the Ministry of Peshmerga Affairs, Kurdish forces have just 150 such tanks – all of them supplied by the Soviet Union to Saddam Hussein’s army – scattered along its front line with Islamic State.
“If we had heavy weapons, we could reach the same victories that we are now, but with less victims. We are gaining these victories, most of the time, with the blood of our peshmerga,” Mr. Hussein said.
He said the Kurdish leadership has requested heavy weaponry many times, at various levels, in its communications with Western governments, but so far has received only a smattering of help: anti-tank missiles from Germany, truck-mounted heavy machine guns from France, and half a dozen anti-mine robots from Canada that have yet to be deployed. But no tanks.
The request, and the West’s slow response to it, are a reminder of the higher stakes swirling in the background of this war as the investigation into Sgt. Doiron’s death is quickly concluded away from prying eyes.
The Kurds are the West’s willing foot soldiers against IS, both because they fear the spread of extremism and because they are gathering ground ahead of an eventual, inevitable push for independence from an Iraq they see as broken beyond repair. The West is keen to aid the Kurds in the first effort, but nervous about offering any help that could later be repurposed towards the second ambition. (There’s a fear that tanks, for instance, could one day be used in a war of independence.)
Ten months ago – in the wake of Islamic State’s shocking capture of Mosul – Mr. Hussein told The Globe that it was time to “prepare the ground” for a referendum on Kurdish independence. Last week, sitting in the same office, he edged away from such talk, saying the more pressing priority is the war against IS, and that the timing of any future referendum will depend on “the political situation” in Iraq.
The way Iraqi Kurdistan sees its deal with the West is clear. The peshmerga are fighting IS on everyone’s behalf now, and even willing to help in an assault on Mosul, in hopes that the West will reciprocate eventually with support for the Kurdish goal of independence from Iraq. Dropping the Kurdish claim that it was the Canadian special forces troops who were at fault the night of March 6 aids the long-term Kurdish goal of shoring up the alliance between Ottawa and Erbil.
“We faced many tragedies in our history. Sometimes, we faced our tragedies alone. We were crying alone. People were not ready to listen to how we felt. This is part of this history also,” Mr. Hussein explained when asked how important the Canadian presence here is to Iraqi Kurds. “When Canada came and supported our peshmerga and gave them training and helped us, for us it was very important…. It gives us more hope, for the future also.”
Back at the base at the foot of Bashiq Mountain, the younger Mr. Afandi leaves no doubt what cause he sees himself serving as he keeps journalists away from the place where Sgt. Doiron was killed. “I hope to see you another time,” he says, smiling, friendly only as we depart. “I will welcome you happily on the day Kurdistan becomes independent.”
Steven Chase in Ottawa contributed to this story

Monday 20 April 2015

Big Brother Out of Control: Pure Truth Symposium

This was an exceptional program!!!  The 3 hour Symposium is well worth every minute to watch.  I lost my internet right in the middle of Gerald Celente's commentary, but I wanted to get this video of last nights live event out for everyone to watch. 

This is an amazing meeting of minds of some of the most well respected people of their fields.  To be able to listen to all of them on the same "stage" at the same time, was very very...... interesting.
Remember what I always say:  everyone has their own.... slant.  Their own personal bias that is generated by their backgrounds and where they are coming from.   Yes... a VERY interesting mosaic of personalities and perspectives.


d


spotlight

Big Brother Out Of Control

Meta Data & Dragnet Surveillance Exposed!



Sacha Stone and Paul Seils are the host of this symposium


Joined by Special Guests:


Paul Craig Roberts – Former US Assistant Secretary of the Treasury

Noam Chomsky – Political Commentator and Activist

Gerald Celente- trend forecaster,  and financial reporter of the lies and bullshit

Foster Gamble – The Thrive Movement

Max Igan – Author, Researcher, Film Maker

Pippa King – Privacy Advocate, Specialist In Biometrics Use Within The Educational Arena


Investigating

This three hour event covers the following themes:

  • What is Metadata and Dragnet Surveillance?

  • How are so-called Authorities thereby committing treason and fraud?

  • What personal liberties are being eroded and sacrificed in their wake?

  • What are the financial implications to people of the world?

  • What does the future look like should these institutional crimes continue?

  • How do we prosecute so-called authorities and governments gone rogue?

  • How do we hold publicly elected ‘officials’ personally liable for their wet-ink-signature crimes?

     

    http://www.newearth.events/


The Roundtable Discussion, Tues April 21: With Duncan O'Finioan and Susan from "Shoot from the Hip"



The One People's Roundtable Discussion this week is going to be a doozy!!

Joining Lisa Harrison, Brian Kelly and myself, will be Duncan O'Finioan  and Susan- his new partner in crime, lol- from CCN's "Shoot from the Hip".

http://www.consciousconsumernetwork.tv/shoot-from-the-hip/

This week we will no doubt be continuing the various conversations we have been digging into deeply down the "rabbit hole".  I know that Duncan will have some very interesting things to talk about on the CERN question, among many other things.  I will be discussing the Yemen rabbit hole that I discussed on Transpicuous News last Wednesday:

http://removingtheshackles.blogspot.com/2015/04/transpicuous-news-midweek-report-video.html

I know that Lisa had an amazing interview with Andrew Basiago Last night on CCN that was VERY interesting, so I have no doubts that we'll be reviewing several very interesting ideas that Lisa has been running down the rabbit hole with as well.

... As I said, tomorrow nights Roundtable Discussion is definitely going to be fast and furious!!

Please tune in to watch the show Tuesday night, April 21, 2015, at 11pm London/Morocco time- 6pm EDT, LIVE Stream on CCN:

http://www.consciousconsumernetwork.tv/ccn-live/


If you have slower internet- dial up or limited bandwidth, you can watch the show at either of the links below:

http://www.lisamharrison.com/watch-live/

http://removingtheshackles.blogspot.com/





Empowered Health: Everything You Wanted to know about Aloe


Huge Call out to JJ for this excellent collection of articles and videos about the Health Benefits of Aloe.  I have also added a few of my own links to his extensive list.

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Everything you wanted to know about Aloe but were afraid to ask!



 Making aloe vera juice
As we saw yesterday, aloe vera has many cleansing and healing properties.  However, many commercial aloe drinks are loaded with sugar and preservatives.  Here's a simple way to make fresh aloe vera juice that requires no more than some aloe, oranges, and a blender. Aloe is easy to grow, and can eventhrive in cold climates if planted inpots that can be brought indoors.                    

  http://www.therealfoodchannel.com/page/20190.html


Tutorial - How To Make Your Own Aloe Vera Gel:
http://www.herbs-info.com/blog/how-to-make-your-own-aloe-vera-gel


How to Harvest Fresh Aloe Vera Gel
http://www.naturalnews.com/PhotoTour_Aloe_Vera_10.html


THE ALOE VERA MIRACLE: A natural medicine for cancer, cholesterol, diabetes, inflammation, IBS, and other health conditions
http://vaticproject.blogspot.com/2014/11/the-aloe-vera-miracle-natural-medicine.html


Aloe – Nature’s Cure All?
http://nfollc.com/aloe-natures-cure/


Amazing Health Benefits Of Aloe Vera:                                    
 http://www.herbs-info.com/blog/amazing-health-benefits-of-aloe-vera?c=d


Cancer-fighting abilities just one of many aloe vera health benefits
http://www.naturalnews.com/046133_aloe_vera_digestion_indoor_plants.html


Treat Diverticulitis with Aloe Vera and Other Natural Cures           
http://www.jbbardot.com/treat-diverticulitis-aloe-vera-natural-cures/


Aloe saponaria 2
http://www.cactus-art.biz/schede/ALOE/Aloe_saponaria/Aloe_saponaria/aloe_saponaria.htm
This type Aloe is not recommended for the skin nor to be taken internally


The Ultimate Guide to the Aloe Vera Plant
http://aloevera.com/the-ultimate-guide-to-the-aloe-vera-plant/


Aloe Vera 'The Plant Of Immortality' History Origin and Composition
http://www.riseearth.com/2014/06/aloe-vera-plant-of-immortality-history.html


Aloe Vera: Effective Preventative Medicine for Cancer
http://naturalsociety.com/aloe-vera-effective-preventative-medicine-cancer/


Making aloe vera juice‏
http://www.therealfoodchannel.com/page/20190.html


Research: A Tsp. of Aloe Daily Reverses Signs of Skin Aging (and many other good 'side effects' including many cancers, diabetes, etc..)
http://www.greenmedinfo.com/blog/research-tsp-aloe-daily-reverses-signs-skin-aging


Top 8 foods and herbs for healing cancer
Sea Vegetables, Algae, Cruciferous Vegetables, Medicinal Mushrooms, Aloe Vera, Hemp/Cannabis Oil, Garlic, Turmeric,
http://www.riseearth.com/2014/03/top-8-foods-and-herbs-for-healing-cancer.html


All About Our Aloe Vera                                                                       
http://www.aloeverafarms.com/aloe-info.html


Health Benefits of Aloe Vera – Grow Your Own Medicine
http://bodymindsoulspirit.com/health-benefits-of-aloe-vera-grow-your-own-medicine/


Treat Diverticulitis with Aloe Vera and Other Natural Cures
http://www.jbbardot.com/treat-diverticulitis-aloe-vera-natural-cures/


5 Reasons to Love Aloe Vera – The Medicinal Superfood
http://www.thealternativedaily.com/5-reasons-love-aloe-vera-medicinal-superfood/


30 great reasons to make home remedies from Aloe vera - the legendary healing plant of the Egyptians, Greeks and Native Americans
http://www.naturalnews.com/037371_home_remedies_aloe_vera_healing_plants.html#ixzz2ppQzpz26


Benefits of Colon Cleansing With Aloe
http://preventdisease.com/news/13/123013_Benefits-of-Colon-Cleansing-With-Aloe.shtml


Benefits of Aloe Vera
http://www.globalhealingcenter.com/natural-health/benefits-of-aloe-vera/


All About Our Aloe Vera
http://www.aloeverafarms.com/aloe-info.html


SPECIAL REPORT: End Digestion Nightmares for Good With Doctor Recommended AloeCure.
https://www.startaloecure.com/reflux/index.php?sid=naturalsociety.com&gclid=CMros-LW7rkCFZRj7AodZRoAcQ


Just One Daily Tablespoon of Aloe can Reverse Aging
http://naturalsociety.com/just-one-daily-tablespoon-of-aloe-can-reverse-aging/#ixzz2dSViD6dX


Aloe Vera – The Healing Elixer
http://wakeup-world.com/2013/01/25/aloe-vera-the-healing-elixer/


DIY Aloe Vera Gel
http://www.instructables.com/id/DIY-Aloe-Vera-Gel/


Aloe Vera Oil
http://oilhealthbenefits.com/aloe-vera-oil/


12 Best Benefits Of Aloe Vera Oil For Skin, Hair And Health
http://www.stylecraze.com/articles/benefits-of-aloe-vera-oil-for-skin-hair-and-health/



Make Your Own Aloe Vera Oil for Hair!
http://www.aloeplant.info/make-aloe-vera-oil-for-hair/



Sunday 19 April 2015

Rod Class, Dean Clifford & Rebecca Cope Face to face with Sacha Stone- VIDEO

For everyone interested in the "Legal" and "Lawful" questions of this current paradigm of global fraud and corruption, and how we move through this quagmire, you will want to watch this episode of Face to Face with Sacha Stone.

On Wednesday  April 15th, 2015, Sacha Stone talked to Rod Class, Dean  Clifford, and Rebecca Cope on many of these subjects.  I can guarantee that anyone involved in lawsuits, legal actions or interested in how we move forward in the realms of bureaucratic law fuckupidness, should definitely watch this archive Video from Wednesday nights show !

You can tune in to watch Face to Face with Sacha Stone every Wednesday night, on CCN:

http://www.consciousconsumernetwork.tv/category/new-earth-nation/