Free Republic

Palestinian Authority (PA) Chairman Mahmoud Abbas' office claimed that White House Adviser Jared Kushner's reported efforts to limit UNRWA activities are "a continuation of the subversive plots to eliminate the Palestinian problem." A statement from Abbas' office emphasized the need to "oppose" and "foil" the US plan. It is believed that US President Donald Trump's proposed peace plan will remove the question of PA "refugees" from the negotiating table. The peace plan, the contents of which have not yet been revealed, was by the PA as "aiming to eliminate the Palestinian problem and negate all of the Palestinian nation's legitimate...

Of the more than 1,000 refugees admitted into the United Kingdom from war-torn Syria during the first quarter of 2018 none were Christians. Home Secretary Sajid Javid explained that “for us to admit Christians would merely exacerbate the already existing religious imbalance between the two countries. We already have a surplus of Christians in the UK and a comparative shortage of Muslims. The opposite is the case in Syria.” Javid acknowledged that “the discrimination, oppression, and murder of Christians in Muslim-run countries is unfortunate. However, we feel we must take a longer range perspective. That perspective is founded on the...

Russia has used a closely guarded communications channel with America's top general to propose the two former Cold War foes cooperate to rebuild Syria and repatriate refugees to the war-torn country, according to a U.S. government memo. The proposal was sent in a July 19 letter by Valery Gerasimov, the chief of the Russian military's General Staff, to U.S. Marine General Joseph Dunford, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. The Russian plan, which has not been previously reported, has received an icy reception in Washington. The memo said the U.S. policy was only to support such efforts if there...

The White House is considering a second sharp reduction in the number of refugees who can be resettled in the United States, picking up where President Trump left off in 2017 in scaling back a program intended to offer protection to the world’s most vulnerable people, according to two former government officials and another person familiar with the talks. This time, the effort is meeting with less resistance from inside the Trump administration because of the success that Stephen Miller, the president’s senior policy adviser and an architect of his anti-immigration agenda, has had in installing allies in key positions...

A “Snapchat queen” who had her boyfriend killed and uploaded footage of him bleeding to death onto the social media app is facing years behind bars. Fatima Khan posted the video of dying 18-year-old Khalid Safi with the caption “That’s what happens when you #### with me.” The 21-year-old office worker, nicknamed “The Snapchat Queen” by her own lawyer, was addicted to the app and loved showing off to her friends online. Before Safi’s death, Fatima posted stories bragging about her luxury vacation in Qatar while ignoring his messages. She also branded him a “lowlife” before recruiting 19-year-old Raza Khan,...

At least 60 people have died in wildfires in the Attica region around Athens, in Greece's worst fire disaster in more than a decade. Flames fanned by strong winds devastated the seaside village of Mati, devouring homes and cars. Rescuers found the bodies of 26 adults and children who had apparently hugged each other as they died, trapped by the inferno just metres from the sea. Many calls have been made to the rescue services looking for missing persons.

The San Francisco Chronicle reports that Amer Sinan Alhaggagi plotted with ISIS to kill 10,000 people in the San Francisco Bay Area with bombs and cocaine laced with rat poison. With supporters from California’s Yemeni community looking on, the West Oakland resident pleaded guilty last week to supporting a foreign terrorist organization, possession of device-making equipment and fraud.   The Berkeley High School graduate, 23, had applied to join the Oakland Police Department so he could acquire weapons for his attacks. In meetings with undercover agents he pointed out targets including Tilden Regional Park in Berkeley and the UC...

In 2016, Poland issued 586,000 first residence permits to nationals of non–European Union countries. Poland issued more such permits that year than did any other EU member-state except Britain—and more than Germany (505,000), which has more than double Poland’s population. The vast majority of these non-EU migrants have come from the former Soviet Union, especially from Ukraine, a nation plagued by war, poverty, and corruption. In late 2017, 1.45 million Ukrainians were working legally in Poland. In a country of 38 million, that amounts to nearly 4 percent of the population, and between 4 and 6 percent of the workforce....

A top National Security Council (NSC) official was forced to leave the group on Thursday, the most recent departure since national security adviser John Bolton joined the administration earlier this ear, Politico reported Friday. Jennifer Arangio, a senior director in NSC who worked with global groups, was escorted off White House premises and told that she was no longer needed at the administration, according to Politico. A NSC spokesman told Politico that the group doesn’t comment on personnel issues, and Arangio and didn’t return the publication’s request for comment. A former White House official told Politico that Arangio is “fiercely...

The bodies of a drowned woman and a toddler have been found – along with a sole survivor – still clinging to a wrecked migrant ship today, after Libyan coastguards 'left them to die' in the Mediterranean on Monday. Distressing photos of the two corpses, slumped on the remains of a table from the boat, have been published on Twitter by Proactiva Open Arms, a non-governmental organisation based in Barcelona. Libyan coastguards had sent out a message to the Maritime Rescue Co-ordination saying they had 'rescued' 158 Europe-bound migrants on Monday. However, they did not say two woman and a...

BEIRUT (AP) — The Syrian government on Tuesday called on refugees to return, saying it has successfully cleared large areas of “terrorists.” The rare appeal reflects the government’s growing confidence after more than seven years of war. While officials usually appeal to Syrians abroad to return during television appearances and interviews, this is the first formal appeal broadcast on official media. Syrian government forces, with crucial support from Russia and Iran, recently retook large areas near the capital, Damascus, and are waging a new offensive in the south that U.N. officials say has displaced more than 270,000 people. The U.N....

There have been nightly riots in the banlieues of the French city of Nantes for the last few days after a “youth” was shot to death by police. The puir wee bairn had rammed a cop with his car, trying to run him over, so the police shot him. Oh, the humanity! Now the mischievous youngsters are engaged in the traditional culture-enriching pastimes of throwing Molotov cocktails at police while torching buildings and cars.

Migrant Beheads 1-Year-Old Girl In Germany; Merkel Bans Media Reporting German government fears this is the story that will bring them down.

European leaders need to bring immigration numbers down, and metadata on smartphones could be just what they need to start sending migrants back. Smartphones have helped tens of thousands of migrants travel to Europe. A phone means you can stay in touch with your family – or with people smugglers. On the road, you can check Facebook groups that warn of border closures, policy changes or scams to watch out for. Advice on how to avoid border police spreads via WhatsApp. Now, governments are using migrants' smartphones to deport them. Across the continent, migrants are being confronted by a booming...

Polish MP shocks British media: "Our country is safe because we didn’t accept illegal Muslim migrants - this is the reason why we had not even one terrorist attack" "We can be called Populists, Nationalists, Racists, I don't care...I care about my family and my country!" I stand with Poland

(snip) --- A horrific stabbing spree at a Boise, Idaho, apartment complex last night left nine people injured, including six children. Local media reports state that four of the victims have life-threatening injuries. The national media quickly seized on the fact that the apartment complex was known to house refugees and that some of the victims themselves were apparently refugees. Despite the fact that the 30-year-old male suspect was arrested last night at 8:50 p.m. and his arrest record and mugshot were posted on the Ada County Sheriff's website at 3:46 this morning, none of the articles identified the suspect....

Refugee families at a low-income apartment complex were attacked Saturday night by a man who stabbed nine people — more than any other attack in Boise's history, police said. Four of them suffered injuries that police called life-threatening. A 30-year-old man was quickly taken into custody at gunpoint, police said. All of the victims were taken to a hospital.

A NEW Syria is emerging from the rubble of war. In Homs, which Syrians once dubbed the “capital of the revolution” against President Bashar al-Assad, the Muslim quarter and commercial district still lie in ruins, but the Christian quarter is reviving. Churches have been lavishly restored; a large crucifix hangs over the main street. “Groom of Heaven”, proclaims a billboard featuring a photo of a Christian soldier killed in the seven-year conflict. In their sermons, Orthodox patriarchs praise Mr Assad for saving one of the world’s oldest Christian communities.

Jordan’s King Abdullah II Bin Al-Hussein shared an unusually flattering assessment of President Donald Trump on Monday, praising the president’s “humility” and “grace” during a visit to the White House. “If the rest of the world just took a little bit of your humility and your grace, we’d be in a lot better position,” Abdullah said. Trump thanked Abdullah for the compliment, pointing out to the press that he used the word “humility” to describe him. “I’m happy with that word,” Trump grinned. “It’s probably the nicest compliment I’ve been given in a long time.” Trump praised the king of...

McCain’s Subcommittee Staff Director Urged IRS to Target Conservative Groups JW Sues for Mueller Deputy Andrew Weissmann’s Text Messages Judicial Watch Seeks Obama-Era Records on Refugee Resettlement Sites The Strange Case of McAuliffe & McCabe — Another Clinton/FBI Scandal McCain’s Subcommittee Staff Director Urged IRS to Target Conservative Groups Little is as unnerving as trouble with the IRS, especially if you haven’t done anything wrong. That happened repeatedly during the Obama administration, as his IRS enthusiastically targeted conservative groups. We’re now understanding why the Congress didn’t do much of anything about it. We just released internal IRS documents revealing...