Is It “Really OK to Take a Suitcase of Ballots Out and Run Them Through a Machine a Dozen Times?” – Arizona Rep Mark Finchem

Arizona Representative Mark Finchem who’s running for Arizona’s Secretary of State joined the Joe Hoft Show on Real Talk 93.3. Representative Finchem had many observations which show his in-depth thinking and why he’ll be Arizona’s next Secretary of State.

Finchem shared the following tidbits:

We are fighting, the only way I can describe it, is demonic forces… They want to see to it that America goes down because that’s the only way that communism can actually survive. You can’t have an alternative where people are free, in an environment where the powers want to control everything and every aspect of your life.

[When discussing the incident in Georgia related to suit against the Gatewaypundit] To be truthful about this. If there’s a judge who allows that to come into his courtroom he should admonish the attorney that carries that and sanction him. There’s video evidence that this was done. You reported fact. What exactly is the problem here, your honor?

That’s pretty typical. You’ve got the left that names something that it’s purported to be [i.e. Protect Democracy] and it’s a lie. The left wants to talk about that ‘Big Lie’ thing. They’re masters at it.

I think we are sitting on the biggest racketeering case in the history of the country and I hope that there are some judges that are not bought into the American Bar Association leftist attitude about justice. These people need to be sanctioned. They need to have their law licenses revoked for the things that they’re doing. They’re not advocating for democracy… This is an insurgency.

These are domestic enemies of the people and they’re going out of their way to try and gaslight people into believing, ‘well it’s really ok to take a suitcase of ballots out and run them through a machine a dozen times’. Ok, what’s the output of that. The output is a fraudulent election.

I hope there’s justice for Raffensperger. That guy. I’m beside myself with him. Here I’m running for Secretary of State in Arizona. He exemplifies everything I will not do.

https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2021/12/really-ok-take-suitcase-ballots-run-machine-dozen-times-arizona-rep-mark-finchem/

Putin says Russian government was swarming with CIA officers

In the 1990s and the early 2000s, the Russian government was swarming with CIA workers, and they eventually had to be “cleaned out” and sent back to the US, Russian President Vladimir Putin claimed on Thursday.

Speaking to a meeting of the Council for Civil Society and Human Rights, Putin used the example of Americans within the Russian government to show how foreign countries attempt to interfere in the country’s internal affairs.

“In the early 2000s, I had already cleaned everyone out, but in the mid-1990s, we had, as it later turned out, cadres of the US Central Intelligence Agency sitting as advisers and even official employees of the Russian government,” Putin explained.

“They were later prosecuted in the United States for violating US law and taking part in privatization while they were CIA employees working for us,” the president claimed.

According to Putin, some American specialists were stationed at Russian nuclear weapons facilities and even sat at a desk with a US flag.

“They lived and worked there. They didn’t need such subtle instruments of interference in our political life because they controlled everything anyway,” he continued.

This isn’t the first time that Putin has accused America of interfering with Russia’s internal affairs, especially in the immediate aftermath following the fall of the Soviet Union and the privatization of government-owned assets. In 2013, the president claimed that CIA officers worked in the entourage of Anatoly Chubais, the deputy prime minister who oversaw the privatization process. He later went on to become Kremlin chief of staff.

Earlier this year, Ruslan Khasbulatov, the former chairman of Russia’s parliament, claimed that the first Russian president, Boris Yeltsin, was surrounded by “hundreds” of CIA agents who told him what to do throughout his tenure as leader. Khasbulatov even claimed that Yeltsin would send security officials and heads of departments to the US so the Americans could “examine them” and “give conclusions.”

https://www.rt.com/russia/542786-kremlin-officials-warming-relations-cia/

Stunning: Facebook Court Filing Admits 'Fact Checks' Are Just A Matter Of 'Protected' Opinion

Surprisingly little attention is being paid to a bombshell admission made by the attorneys representing the corporation formerly known as Facebook, Inc., which has now transitioned into Meta Platforms, Inc.

In a court filing responding to a lawsuit filed by John Stossel claiming that he was defamed by a “fact check” Facebook used to label a video by him as “misleading,” Meta’s attorneys assert that the “fact check” was an “opinion,” not an actual check of facts and declaration of facts. Under libel law, opinions are protected from liability for libel.

Anthony Watts of Wattsupwiththat explains:

Opinions are not subject to defamation claims, while false assertions of fact can be subject to defamation. The quote in Facebook’s complaint is,

https://www.zerohedge.com/political/stunning-facebook-court-filing-admits-fact-checks-are-just-matter-opinion

https://www.zerohedge.com/political/stunning-facebook-court-filing-admits-fact-checks-are-just-matter-opinion

‘F**k him’: Trump rips former ally Netanyahu for disloyalty

Former US President Donald Trump tore into his ousted Israeli counterpart, Benjamin Netanyahu in a series of interviews, using an expletive and accusing the former prime minister of betraying him.

Journalist Barak Ravid conducted several interviews with Trump for his book ‘Trump’s Peace: The Abraham Accords and the Reshaping of the Middle East’, during which the 45th president had very strong words for his ex-ally. Trump’s comments were revealed by Ravid in Axios on Thursday.

“I liked Bibi. I still like Bibi. But I also like loyalty. The first person to congratulate Biden was Bibi. And not only did he congratulate him, he did it on tape,” Trump said, noting that Netanyahu was earlier than other world leaders to congratulate Biden’s 2020 presidential victory while the election was still being contested.

He was very early – like, earlier than most. I haven’t spoken to him since. F**k him

Trump complained that not only did Netanyahu congratulate Biden “before the ink was even dry,” he also claimed on tape to have a “great friendship” with Biden – a claim Trump disputes.

“They didn’t have a friendship, because if they did, [the Obama administration] wouldn’t have done the Iran deal,” he said, comparing Netanyahu’s congratulatory speech to a person “begging for love.”

“That hurt him badly with the people of Israel. As you know, I’m very popular in Israel. I think it hurt him very badly.”

Netanyahu was ousted as prime minister just a few months after Trump’s defeat to Biden, and was replaced by Naftali Bennett. Netanyahu now serves as Israel’s leader of the opposition.

As president, Trump gave many victories to Israel and Netanyahu, which included moving the US embassy to disputed Jerusalem, pulling the US out of the Iran nuclear deal, and formally recognizing Syria’s Golan Heights territory as a part of Israel.

https://www.rt.com/usa/542761-trump-accuses-netanyahu-disloyalty/

Ex-Tory MP found guilty of raping sleeping wife

Former Conservative minister Andrew Griffiths has been found guilty of raping his sleeping wife and subjecting her to coercive control, a UK judge ruled on Friday.

The ruling, released on Friday, outlined the allegations made by his then-wife Kate Griffiths during their five-year marriage. At the conclusion of the case, the judge accepted the claims that he had pressured her into sex, as well as physically and verbally abusing her.

Among the charges, Kate, who replaced her ex-husband as Conservative MP for Burton, claimed he raped her when she was asleep and exerted coercive control over her. Andrew “adamantly denied” the charge of rape, as well as rejecting the other allegations made.

Andrew was forced to resign from his position as a government minister in 2018 when it was reported that he sent around 2,000 sexually explicit messages to female constituents. He stood down as MP at the next election in 2019.

The allegations of abuse were made during a hearing at the Royal Courts of Justice in London, where Andrew was seeking to get more time to spend with a child at the center of the case. Media outlets had initially been prohibited from naming either Andrew or Kate Griffiths but, following an application by two journalists, Kate backed removing their anonymity.

Since the case was heard in a civil court, Judge Elizabeth Williscroft’s ruling was made based on a lower standard of proof than would be required for criminal prosecution.

https://www.rt.com/uk/542849-conservative-mp-guilty-rape-wife/

Million-strong rave planned after govt Covid lockdown Christmas party scandal

A massive rave at Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s residence with over a million potential attendees is being organised on Facebook in protest over an alleged Downing Street Christmas party last year as the country was locked down.

Johnson has been at the center of political controversy this month after it was alleged by multiple sources that a Christmas party with dozens of attendees was held at Downing Street last year, while millions of Brits were told by the government to stay at home and away from their families to prevent the spread of Covid-19.

In protest of the allegations, DJ Jon Mancini has organised a festive rave at the prime minister’s residence set for Christmas Eve, with over one million people already RSVPing to the event.

“MASSIVE RAVE AT 10 DOWNING STREET. LINE UP,” the event page on Facebook declares, advising that “no social distancing” is required.

Though a disclaimer at the bottom of the page states that the event “is not real” and is merely intended to poke “fun at the powers that be,” over 442,000 Facebook users have said that they will attend the party, while a further 602,000 have marked themselves as interested.

“You know some police chief in London has already held a meeting about ramping security up on xmas eve due to this event,” one Facebook user said, while another joked: “I’m assuming that although we're all going, we're not going to actually tell anyone it took place right?”

Several sources have told the media that a Christmas party took place last year and a leaked video of former Downing Street Press Secretary Allegra Stratton joking about a party went viral this month.

In the footage from a press conference rehearsal, Stratton was asked about a “Downing Street Christmas Party on Friday night,” to which she responded, “Is cheese and wine alright? It was a business meeting.”

Warning the colleague who asked the question that the mock press conference was being “recorded,” Stratton added, “This fictional party was a business meeting and it was not socially distanced” while laughing.

One unnamed source told the BBC that the “fictional party” did in fact take place and that “party games were played, food and drink were served, and the party went on past midnight.”

Despite the unserious nature of the planned Christmas rave, it is currently unknown whether any Brits will turn up at the prime minister’s address on Christmas Eve in protest.

https://www.rt.com/uk/542749-christmas-rave-downing-street/

UK Court Rules Julian Assange Can Be Extradited to US — The Same Country Who Plotted to Assassinate Him

More than 2.5 years have passed since Wikileaks’ founder Julian Assange was dragged from the Ecuadorian embassy in London after 7 years in hiding from British authorities, during which time Assange has struggled through a lengthy court battle, all while remaining imprisoned. And yet it seems Assange’s real nightmare is only just beginning as Britain’s high court ruled Friday that he could be extradited to the US to face charges that could see him imprisoned for the rest of his life.

Judges at the Royal Courts of Justice in London overruled a lower court judge who had decided nearly a year ago that Assange shouldn’t be extradited to the US due to the threat of him facing unjust physical harm (not to mention the very real possibility that Assange might kill himself, as the judge acknowledged). They ruled that Assange can face extradition to the US, practically guaranteeing that he will stand trial in an American courtroom.

Assange can appeal the ruling, but it’s clear at this point that the chips are stacked against him. The US government has been quietly pursuing charges against the Wikileaks founder under the Espionage Act for years. According to what’s been publicly revealed, Assange is facing an 18 count indictment in the US with most of the charges focused on violating the Espionage Act. Should he be found guilty, Assange could be imprisoned for up to 175 years.

In response to the ruling, Wikileaks slammed the US for trying to avoid accountability by covering up the “collateral murder” incident where two Reuters journalists were killed in Iraq, along with innocent civilians, by the US military. The infamous footage from that incident, which was first published by Assange after being leaked by Chelsea Manning (back when she was an army intelligence analyst named Bradley Manning).

As Axios reminds us, Assange’s case has serious implications for journalists in the US, and around the world.

The case has raised significant questions about First Amendment protections for publishers of classified information, as Assange argues he was acting as a journalist when he published leaked US government documents on Iraq and Afghanistan.

In a statement, WikiLeaks Editor-in-Chief Kristinn Hrafnsson said “Julian’s life is once more under grave threat, and so is the right of journalists to publish material that governments and corporations find inconvenient.”

https://thefreethoughtproject.com/uk-court-rules-julian-assange-can-be-extradited-to-us-the-same-country-who-plotted-to-assassinate-him/

Biden plans to fund international 'independent media' using tax dollars

President Joe Biden announced Thursday that the U.S. would provide funding for media outlets around the world in an effort to globally support free speech.

Biden announced his plan to fund journalism as part of the Presidential Initiative for Democratic Renewal while addressing world leaders at the International Summit for Democracy.

"A free and independent media — it’s the bedrock of democracy. It’s how publics stay informed and how governments are held accountable," Biden told world leaders in his opening remarks.

The White House released a fact sheet with an overview of Biden's initiative. The administration's goals include supporting free and independent media, fighting corruption, bolstering democratic reformers, advancing technology for democracy, and defending free and fair elections and political processes.

Biden's initiative would direct USAID to give up to $30 million to the International Fund for Public Interest Media, a new multi-donor fund that seeks to "enhance the independence, development, and sustainability of independent media, especially in resource-poor and fragile settings." USAID will also provide an additional $9 million to support a global defamation defense fund that will provide liability coverage to journalists and the companies that employ them. The defamation defense fund would "guard the essential work of journalism from spurious legal claims aiming to silence legitimate work," according to the White House.

https://www.theblaze.com/news/biden-plans-to-fund-international-independent-media-using-tax-dollars

“Experts” Claim Vax Refusers Need to be Deradicalized or Reeducated Like Cult Members & Terrorists

In 2016, after the horrifying attacks by extremists in Paris on Charlie Hebdo, the satirical magazine, on a Jewish supermarket, and on the Bataclan concert hall — which left 107 people dead — France made the decision to open reeducation camps. In these camps, alleged radicalized Islamists would “be taught their patriotic duties and forced to undergo psychological treatment in an attempt to counter jihadist indoctrination.”

The move was highly controversial and drew criticisms from human rights experts, including survivors of China’s reeducation camps for Uighurs. Though the criticisms were well-founded, the crimes of those they were trying to stop were well documented, and left a blood trail that shook the country to its core.

Fast-forward to 2021 and “experts” in the United Kingdom want to begin similar reeducation or “deradicalization” operations. This time, however, they aren’t trying to convert violent extremists responsible for the murder of over 100 people. This time, they are targeting those who refuse the vaccine.

The Independent interviewed one of these so-called experts who is advocating for “deradicalizing” folks who refuse the jab and his comments are certainly shocking.

Professor Stephan Lewandowsky, chair in cognitive psychology at the University of Bristol, thinks that those who refuse to take the jab are akin to batsh*t crazy tinfoil hat-wearing loons, who think Hilary Clinton is a lizard. Seriously.

“They’ll refuse anything – ‘I’m not going to wear a mask’, ‘I’m not going to get vaccinated’, ‘I don’t think climate change is happening’, ‘Covid is a hoax’, and, you know, ‘Hillary Clinton is actually a reptilian shapeshifter’,” he told the Independent, adding, “You’re getting to people who hold a cluster of very exotic beliefs – now, they’re very difficult to reach.”

Lewandowsky called this faction of folks who choose not to take the jab, “hardcore refuseniks” who cannot be reached through conventional means — so, they need to be treated like cult members or terrorists.

“In the ideal world, time and money permitting, you can engage even those people in a very slow, long-term process where you affirm their right to have those beliefs… rather than telling them something about themselves they don’t want to hear, let’s put it that way,” he said.

“So you tell them something positive, and then engage in what is effectively the same as a deradicalization process for former terrorists, or cult members.”

By this logic, Joe Rogan and others — who have had covid-19 and choose not to take the jab because they trust their natural immunity — are akin to terrorists or cult members.

“Because we’re really talking, when we get down to that small number of committed refusers, we’re talking about the psychology of cults and extremism, and it’s a very similar psychology.”

But is it really cult-like to not want to take a vaccine that was approved in record time for a disease that 99% of people survive? Let’s ask the prominent members of the Democratic Party what they thought last year?

https://thefreethoughtproject.com/experts-claim-vax-refusers-need-to-be-reeducated-like-cult-members-or-terrorists/

COVID Investigator Funded By Chinese Communist Party Removed From WHO Team Following National Pulse Exposé.

Marion Koopmans – who served on the World Health Organization’s first COVID-19 origins investigation team – appears to have been removed from the body’s new “effort” to trace the source of the virus following the National Pulse revealing her long-standing ties to the Chinese Communist Party.

Koopmans appears to have suffered a similar fate to fellow World Health Organization (WHO) Peter Daszak – an American researcher whose Wuhan Institute of Virology collaborations were funded by Anthony Fauci.

In the initial October announcement of the WHO’s newfound Scientific Advisory Group for the Origins of Novel Pathogens (SAGO), Koopmans was listed as one of 28 members. SAGO’s updated member list, however, fails to include Koopmans as a contributor to the effort to allegedly uncover the origins of COVID-19.

Dr. Hume Field, a Science & Policy Advisor to Daszak’s EcoHealth Alliance, lamented what appears to be Koopmans’s removal from the committee on Twitter.

https://thenationalpulse.com/news/scalp-koopmans-removed-from-who-team/

https://thenationalpulse.com/news/scalp-koopmans-removed-from-who-team/

Former DEA Agent Sentenced to Over 12 Years for Conspiring With Colombian Cartel

A former Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) agent was sentenced on Thursday to 145 months, or more than 12 years in federal prison, for conspiring to launder money with a Colombian drug-trafficking organization.

Jose Irizarry, 46, broke down in tears as he addressed the court at the sentencing. He said the biggest punishment was not being able to explain two his two young daughters why he would be going away for so long. He said when he became a federal law enforcement agent two decades ago he did so with a sense of great pride.

“Unfortunately, there came a time when I made a decision that went against the person who I was, that damaged my wife and embarrassed my country,” he said. “I should’ve known better and I didn’t. I failed.”

Irizarry and his wife, Nathalia Gomez-Irizarry, 36, had pleaded guilty in September 2020 to participating in a seven-year scheme, using Irizarry’s position as a special agent to divert over $9 million from undercover DEA money laundering investigations to himself and to his co-conspirators.

The couple pleaded guilty to all counts in a 19-count indictment unsealed against them in February 2020—this included Irizarry pleading guilty to conspiracy to commit money laundering, honest services wire fraud, bank fraud, conspiracy to commit bank fraud, conspiracy to commit identity theft, and aggravated identity theft. Gomez-Irizarry pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit money laundering.

According to the indictment and Irizarry’s plea agreement, the scheme began shortly after he filed for personal bankruptcy protection in 2010. Irizarry and his co-conspirators used a stolen identity to open a bank account under false pretenses. The account was used to receive diverted drug proceeds from active DEA investigations.

https://www.ntd.com/former-dea-agent-sentenced-to-over-12-years-for-conspiring-with-colombian-cartel_712625.html

Durham Admits That At least One Man Lied About Trump

John Durham pushed back on Michael Sussmann’s allegations that former FBI General Counsel, James Baker, sabotaged the special counsel’s wrong statements against the Democratic lawyer. He argued evidence from five government employees.

The indictment against Sussmann focuses on a meeting between him and Baker on September 19, 2016. Sussmann disproved 'secret backchannel claims' between Russia’s Alfa Bank and the Trump Organization.

Durham insists that while Sussmann told Baker he was not working for any special client, Sussmann was secretly working for Hillary Clinton’s campaign. He also alleged that Sussman billed his services to her.

Sussmann rejects misleading the FBI and pleaded not guilty.

As part of its effort to push for an early May 2022 trial date instead of the July 2022 trial date preferred by prosecutors, Sussmann’s team claimed on Monday Durham’s team handed over reports with Baker’s statements about the 2016 meeting. The reports, “directly contradict the Special Counsel’s allegation that Mr. Sussmann affirmatively told Mr. Baker that he was not meeting with him on behalf of any clients.” The team pointed to sections of interviews Baker gave to DOJ inspector general Michael Horowitz’s investigators in 2019 and to Durham’s team in 2020.

https://www.blabber.buzz/blab/pop/1033027-durham-admits-thatat-least-one-man-lied-about-trump

Better.com CEO says he is 'taking time off effective immediately' after firing 900 employees on Zoom after he accused shirking staff of 'stealing from the company': Internal memo refers to 'very regrettable events over the last week'

The CEO of Better.com, who fired 900 employees on Zoom and accused them of stealing last week, is now 'taking time off effective immediately,' an internal memo has revealed.

In the email, first obtained by Vice, the mortgage lender company's board of directors told employees Friday morning that Vishal Garg would be taking time off and that the company had hired an outside firm to 'do a leadership and cultural assessment.'

'Vishal and the Board wanted to provide Better employees an update given the very regrettable events over the last week,' the memo reads.

'Vishal will be taking time off effective immediately… The Board has engaged an independent 3rd party firm to do a leadership and cultural assessment.

'The recommendations of this assessment will be taken into account to build a long-term sustainable and positive culture at Better,' it added.

The decision comes after Vishal, 43, sparked controversy for laying off 900 of his employees he dubbed 'thieves' through Zoom on December 1, where he told them: 'If you're on this call, you are part of the unlucky group that is being laid off.'

http://www.stationgossip.com/2021/12/bettercom-ceo-says-he-is-taking-time.html

http://www.stationgossip.com/2021/12/bettercom-ceo-says-he-is-taking-time.html

==University Shielding Biden's Records Must Provide More Information Justifying Decision: Court

The Delaware Supreme Court has ruled partly in favor of conservative groups seeking access to documents related to President Joe Biden’s time in the Senate.

Biden donated his Senatorial papers to the University of Delaware (UD) in 2012. This consisted of 1,850 boxes of archived records and 415 gigabytes of electronic records from Biden’s 36-year career in the Senate.

The donation was made as a gift, with an agreement that places certain restrictions on the university’s ability to make the documents publicly available.

Tara Reade, the woman who accused Biden of sexually assaulting her in 1993 at a Capitol Hill building while she was working as a staff assistant to the then-senator, has said that she believes a workplace discrimination and harassment complaint she filed against Biden at the time may be in the records housed at UD.

Biden has emphatically denied Reade’s sexual assault allegations saying “it never happened.”

In April 2020, Judicial Watch, Inc. and The Daily Caller News Foundation submitted requests under the Delaware Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) to access the UD documents. The university denied both requests, saying the papers are not subject to FOIA because they are not considered “public records.”

The Delaware Supreme Court reversed a lower court decision on Dec. 6, deciding that the university must provide more information justifying its decision to keep Biden’s U.S. Senate records secret.

“We conclude that the University failed to carry its burden of justifying its denial of the Appellants’ FOIA requests,” the court documents read.

The case returns to the Delaware Superior Court, which initially affirmed that the documents were not subject to FOIA.

“The Superior Court is granted leave to accept additional evidence or submissions as it deems necessary and appropriate,” the ruling reads.

The Epoch Times reached out to the University of Delaware for comment but did not receive a response in time for the publication of this article.

In March of 2020, MSNBC “Morning Joe” host Mika Brzezinski repeatedly questioned Biden about whether he would release the documents in response to Tara Reid’s accusations.

“The material in the University of Delaware has no personnel files,” responded then-presidential candidate Biden. “But it does have a lot of confidential conversations that I had with the president about a particular issue, that I had with the heads of state of other places. That that would not be something that would be revealed while I was in public office or while I was seeking public office.”

https://www.zerohedge.com/political/university-shielding-bidens-records-must-provide-more-information-justifying-decision

War in Ukraine not working, same as Iran so lets try Taiwan

Chinese state media threatens to ‘heavily attack’ US troops defending Taiwan

Chinese state media threatened on Thursday that China will attack U.S. troops who attempt to defend Taiwan if China starts war with the island nation. The U.S. has said that China is readying for an attack on Taiwan.

China’s Global Times wrote, “It is credible that the PLA will heavily attack US troops who come to Taiwan’s rescue. Such credibility is increasingly overwhelming the deterrence that US troops may have.”

China conducts near-daily warplane flights around Taiwan, who governs itself as an independent nation, but which China claims as its own territory. China also conducted live bombing drills on islands in the South China Sea last week as another measure to intimidate and pressure Taiwan. The U.S. has continued its freedom of navigation flights and warship transits in the region to ensure free passage for all nations in the disputed territory.

“If Washington supports the Taiwan authority’s path of seeking secession and encourages the Taiwan authority to rely on it, then reunification by force will definitely happen. The more the U.S. and the island of Taiwan collude, the sooner reunification by force will come,” the Global Times added.

National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said the U.S. is prepared to defend Taiwan from a Chinese invasion and takeover, saying the Biden administration hopes that scenario “never happens.”

China has made more vague threats of action toward the U.S. but it is rare to issue such a bold and direct threat against U.S. troops, specifically.

On Tuesday, a top China official threatened to make the U.S. “pay” for President Joe Biden’s diplomatic boycott of the 2022 Olympics in Beijing.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian issued the threatening response during a press conference on Tuesday: “The US will pay a price for its erroneous actions. You may wait and see.”

Zhao accused the Biden administration of “fabricating the biggest lie of the century” about what he characterized as the “so-called ‘genocide’ in Xinjiang,” which he said has been “debunked.”

White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki announced the U.S. diplomatic boycott on Monday, saying the decision was due to China’s “ongoing genocide and crimes against humanity in Xinjiang, and other human rights abuses.”

Ely Ratner, assistant defense secretary for Indo-Pacific security affairs, told the Senate Foreign Relations Committee this week that there’s no known timeline for China’s attack on Taiwan, but called China’s military threats to Taiwan “real and dangerous” and did not anticipate it ending.

“The China challenge is a today problem, a tomorrow problem, a 2027 problem, a 2030 problem, a 2040 problem and beyond. I don’t think there is a date we ought to pick on the calendar,” he added.

During a major Chinese military airshow in September, a senior Chinese military leader issued a veiled challenge that if the U.S is not scared of China’s advanced weapons “let us meet in the sky.”

https://americanmilitarynews.com/2021/12/chinese-state-media-threatens-to-heavily-attack-us-troops-defending-taiwan/

>>15171212

Savaged by Trump, Netanyahu says he had to congratulate Biden on election victory

Branded disloyal by last president, ex-PM explains vital Israel-US alliance required him to praise Democratic winner; hails Trump’s ‘great contribution’ to Israel and its security

Opposition Leader Benjamin Netanyahu on Friday said he “really appreciates” former United States president Donald Trump’s backing for Israel, after the former American leader raged at him in an expletive-led assault for congratulating US President Joe Biden on his election win last year. Netanyahu explained that he had to congratulate the Democratic presidential victor for the sake of the vital US-Israel relationship.

“Former prime minister Netanyahu really appreciates the great contribution that president Trump made to the State of Israel and its security,” a statement from Netanyahu’s office said.

“He also really appreciates the importance of the strong alliance between Israel and the US, and it was therefore important for him to congratulate the incoming president,” the statement added, referring to Biden.

The comments came hours after the release of comments in which Trump said Netanyahu’s congratulatory message to Biden came too quickly after the election results were announced, results he continues to contest to this day.

“He was very early. Like earlier than most. I haven’t spoken to him since. Fuck him,” Trump said in an interview with journalist Barak Ravid.

Netanyahu was actually quite late in congratulating Biden in November of last year, conspicuously doing so long hours after many other world leaders.

https://www.timesofisrael.com/following-broadside-netanyahu-says-really-appreciates-trumps-backing-for-israel/

Inside Chabad’s Vision for American Judaism

Chabad impacts every aspect of the Jewish ecosystem. How is it driving the future of Judaism in America?

Chabad impacts every aspect of the Jewish ecosystem. It actively competes in the marketplace of Jewish ideas and identities, and pushes Judaism into the American public square and onto local street corners; it is a force on college campuses; and is leading Jewish conversations on social media.

How is Chabad driving the future of Judaism in America? Mordechai Lightstone (Chabad.org) joins Yehuda Kurtzer for a look into the Chabad mindset in this moment.

https://www.timesofisrael.com/spotlight/inside-chabads-vision-for-american-judaism/

Biden Megadonor Scores $500 Million Federal Loan for Solar Company

Politically connected First Solar also secured $3 billion in loan guarantees from Obama administration

A solar energy company owned by a Biden megadonor received a $500 million government loan to build a manufacturing facility in India, the Biden administration announced this week, raising questions about whether the company's political clout played any role in the financing decision.

The U.S. International Development Finance Corporation granted the loan to First Solar, which is owned by billionaire Walmart heir Lukas Walton, to build a solar module plant in India. Walton contributed over $300,000 to President Joe Biden's campaign last year, and over $100,000 to the Democratic National Committee, according to campaign finance records.

The loan to First Solar is the "largest single debt financing transaction" issued by the DFC, the agency announced this week. The DFC said the investment in the India project will "promote DFC's commitment to diversifying supply chains," following demands from lawmakers that the agency avoid funding any solar projects connected to forced labor in China.

Ethics watchdogs said the loan raises questions about whether First Solar's political connections played a role in the DFC's decision. The federal financing agency, which was formerly known as the Overseas Private Investment Corporation, has faced criticism in the past for funding projects linked to political donors. The loan also comes nine years after the Obama administration came under fire for approving $3 billion in loan guarantees to the same company—funding that Republican lawmakers alleged the company wasn't qualified to receive.

"The United States International Development Finance Corporation, formerly known as OPIC, has a history of deals gone bad when mixing taxpayer dollars with politically connected entities like First Solar," said Tom Anderson, director of the Government Integrity Project at the National Legal and Policy Center. "This agency has a history of favoring entities backed by huge political contributors, like First Solar, by giving them less scrutiny while prioritizing politically connected projects above entities and individuals who are not politically active."

A DFC spokesperson, asking to speak on background, said the deal was carefully assessed and unrelated to politics but declined to say if the White House had any input in the decision.

https://freebeacon.com/biden-administration/biden-megadonor-scores-500-million-federal-loan-for-solar-company/

New Research Finds That Covid Vaccine-Resistant Mutations Strongly Correlate with Vaccination Rates

A study published on Tuesday demonstrated that vaccine-breakthrough or antibody-resistant mutations provide a new mechanism of viral evolution. The study was conducted by three researchers from the Department of Mathematics, Michigan State University: Rui Wang, Jiahui Chen and Professor Dr. Guo-Wei Wei.

“By tracking the evolutionary trajectories of vaD-resistant mutations in more than 2.2 million SARS-CoV-2 genomes, we reveal that the occurrence and frequency of vax-resistant mutations correlate strongly with the vaccination rates in Europe and America,” the study’s authors wrote.

“We anticipate … vaccine-breakthrough or antibody-resistant mutations, like those in Omicron, will become a dominating mechanism of SARS-CoV-2 evolution when most of the world’s population is either vaccinated or infected.”

The study makes specific reference to a vaccine-resistant mutation in the spike protein receptor-binding domain. It found that the mutations reduced infectivity but can disrupt existing antibodies that neutralise the virus.

Link to study: Mechanisms of SARS-CoV-2 Evolution Revealing Vaccine-Resistant Mutations in Europe and America, Rui Wang, Jiahui Chen, and Guo-Wei Wei, 7 December 2021

The New Study Confirms Previous Research About the Delta Variant

In September, Natural News reported: “New research out of Japan suggests that the dreaded “Delta variant” may soon become completely “resistant” to Wuhan coronavirus (Covid-19) “vaccines.”

“Experts found that the SARS-CoV-2 Delta variant is already “poised to acquire complete resistance” to all existing jabs for the Chinese Virus. Truth be told, the jabs are responsible for spreading the Delta variant in the first place.

“A number of experts have raised concerns that Covid-19 jabs and the mass vaccination program could worsen the pandemic by triggering the development of new variants, via a concept known as antigenic, or immune, escape.

“Another study found that the injections are, in fact, driving the continued spread of Chinese Germs, keeping the plandemic alive and well when it otherwise would have been long over by now.

“Antibody-dependent enhancement (“ADE”) is taking place inside the bodies of the ‘fully vaccinated,’ causing them to become walking mutators and spike protein factories that put everyone around them at risk of infection.”

Dr. Richard Fleming explains this phenomenon further on his website: “If [] your immunity is dependent upon being vaccinated to a specific version (variant) of the spike protein, then the T-cell and B-cell (antibody) response will recognize that version (variant) of SARS-CoV-2. That version (variant) of the virus will undoubtedly be successfully attacked, while the other versions (e.g., the Delta variant), most likely will not. These other variants will survive to infect you and others as you share the infection.”

Another, Smaller Study, Measuring T-Cell Memory

One of our readers posted, as a comment, highlights of a study they had recently read. We have taken the liberty to share our reader’s comment below.

Start of reader’s comment.

Here’s a very small study from St. Judes that measures the CD8 T-cell (not just antibodies, but the longer-term T-cell memory) immunity for Spike, RBD, and Nucleocapsid.

https://dailyexpose.uk/2021/12/09/just-in-new-research-finds-that-covid-vaccine-resistant-mutations-strongly-correlate-with-vaccination-rates/

Mechanisms of SARS-CoV-2 Evolution Revealing Vaccine-Resistant Mutations in Europe and America

https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acs.jpclett.1c03380

Biden’s Education Dept. to stop collecting data on sexual assault allegations by teachers

Instead of collecting the data, the Department of Education will only ask school districts to report documented cases of rape and sexual assault, but not allegations that resulted in the resignation or retirement of an accused teacher or school staff member.

In an apparent move to appease teachers’ unions, the Biden administration’s Department of Education intends to repeal a Trump-era effort to collect data on sex crimes committed by teachers against their students.

The Department of Education said on Thursday that the Office for Civil Rights will not ask school districts any questions about teacher-on-student sexual assault allegations as part of its 2021-2022 Civil Rights Data Collection.

The change is supposedly designed to “reduce burden and duplication of data,” according to a department spokesman who spoke to the Washington Free Beacon.

“This is the ultimate act of bowing to the teachers' unions,” said Kimberly Richey, the former acting assistant secretary in the Office for Civil Rights under the Trump administration. “Through this proposal, the Biden administration is actively helping schools cover up these incidents, which we were intentionally shining a light on.”

Instead of collecting the data, the Department of Education will only ask school districts to report documented cases of rape and sexual assault, but not allegations that resulted in the resignation or retirement of an accused teacher or school staff member.

In addition to halting data collection, the Department of Education will not ask districts to report pending cases or cases in which a school staffer was reassigned elsewhere prior to the conclusion of an investigation.

That fact alone should disturb parents concerned about the well-being of their sons and daughters under the care of public school teachers.

The move to hold teachers and school districts accountable for their actions was added by former Secretary of Education, Betsy DeVos, who added the optional questions to the 2020-2022 data collection.

https://www.rebelnews.com/bidens_education_dept_to_stop_collecting_data_on_sexual_assault_allegations_by_teachers

Americas: 216 arrests in INTERPOL-led operation against migrant smuggling and human trafficking

Operation Turquesa III

LYON, France – An operation led by INTERPOL targeting migrant smuggling and human trafficking across the Americas has sparked 216 arrests and the identification of more than 10,000 irregular migrants from 61 different countries.

Operation Turquesa III (29 November – 3 December) saw authorities in 34 countries carry out targeted, coordinated enforcement actions against criminal networks believed to be moving vulnerable men, women and children across borders for profit.

While many of the migrants reported paying exorbitant fees to take often-dangerous journeys, other victims faced continued exploitation. In total, authorities rescued 127 human trafficking victims from forced labour and sexual exploitation during the operation.

A dedicated operational coordination unit in Mexico City and a support unit at the Caribbean Community Implementation Agency for Crime and Security’s (CARICOM IMPACS) Joint Regional Communications Centre (JRCC) supported participating countries throughout the weeklong operation. Some 65,000 checks were carried out against INTERPOL’s databases at air, land and sea borders as well as 98 strategic checkpoints across four continents.

Turquesa III operational highlights

Authorities in El Salvador arrested 14 suspected migrant smugglers believed to have charged their victims between USD 8,000 and 12,000 to reach the United States.

In Ecuador, authorities arrested 16 Ecuadorian and Venezuelan nationals suspected of belonging to the ‘Tren de Aragua’ gang and working with an armed group in Colombia to smuggle Haitian migrants.

In Chile, authorities discovered the body of a Venezuelan national near the border with Bolivia, leading them to identify a smuggling corridor for Venezuelan migrants, facilitated by a Bolivian citizen.

Brazil’s Federal Police arrested five members of an organized crime group suspected of facilitating the irregular migration of Haitian nationals from Brazil to Bolivia.

The CARICOM IMPACS JRCC unit received crucial information linking a known smuggler in Brazil to a Pakistani national, enabling them to warn authorities in Guyana about the pending arrival of six other Pakistani nationals looking to make their way to the US.

Mexican authorities seized 19,370 blank passports which were then added to INTERPOL’s travel and identity documents database. One of those passports was subsequently detected at Mexico City’s International Airport, when a Cuban citizen from Panama was caught trying to enter the country.

Migrants continued to undertake difficult journeys by sea, with authorities in Turks and Caicos, Curacao and the United States detecting dangerously full vessels.

Several countries in the Caribbean detected the use of fraudulent Spanish and Portuguese identity and travel documents.

The reinforced border controls also led to some notable arrests outside the operation’s target crime areas:

El Salvador officials arrested a Costa Rican attempting to smuggle USD 83,000 worth of illicit medicines into the country.

Portuguese officers arrested two individuals subject to INTERPOL Red Notices, wanted for fraud and manslaughter respectively.

Panamanian authorities detected the subject of a Red Notice requested by Venezuela for fraud and money laundering.

Trafficking in children

A notable difference between this year’s results and previous iterations of Operation Turquesa was the number of children taken across borders for the purpose of exploitation, often sexual. All of the identified victims were taken into protective care and received assistance.

Colombian authorities dismantled a criminal organization known as the ‘Casa Inglesa’ involved in human trafficking for sexual exploitation of children in Bogota. An INTERPOL Purple Notice was also published at Colombia’s request, detailing a modus operandi whereby children were being recruited in Venezuela and smuggled via Colombia to Ecuador for sexual exploitation.

27 people in El Salvador were arrested on child sexual abuse and child labour offences.

In Belize, authorities identified 11 possible victims of trafficking, including a Honduran mother and her three children.

Paraguayan and Argentinian authorities worked together to rescue a child being trafficked for sexual exploitation.

Mexico requested the publication of four INTERPOL Red Notices against individuals suspected of human trafficking for sexual exploitation and storing and publishing child sexual abuse images.

https://www.interpol.int/News-and-Events/News/2021/Americas-216-arrests-in-INTERPOL-led-operation-against-migrant-smuggling-and-human-trafficking

Authorities Arrest Bosnian Drug Company Director for Money Laundering

The head of Bosnia and Herzegovina’s biggest drug company appeared before the Court of BiH for laundering more than US$4.6 million, Sarajevo daily newspaper Oslobođenje reported on Thursday.

Nedim Uzunović, the director of Bosnalijek, was indicted Dec. 8 on charges of money laundering and abuse of office.

Enisa Adrović, acting prosecutor in the Bosnalijek case, told the court that Uzunović organized two criminal groups to launder more than US$4.6 million and commit other financial crimes. She said the lengthy investigation involved 30 other suspects as well.

Adrović said that the first criminal group concealed property acquired illegally by Uzunović and family members at a time when he was director of Bosnalijek's Moscow office.

The money was passed through several offshore companies before being routed to Uzunović’s private account, she said. The money was then transferred to his father, wife, sister and father-in-law to buy property and real estate, according to the indictment.

In order to conceal the origin of the money, Adrović said, Uzunović transferred the money through internet banking.

In addition, investigators say Uzunović owns a company in the Seychelles, which provided consulting services for Bosnalijek, although it wasn’t registered for that purpose.

The second criminal group worked on the illegal privatization of Bosnalijek through having directors of foreign companies buy its shares, the investigator says.

Members of Uzunović’s family were arrested and questioned during the investigation. The court ordered Uzunović himself to remain in custody, after prosecutors said they feared he might try to escape or hinder the investigation. They also asked that his multimillion-dollar assets suspected of being obtained through crime be frozen.

Bosnalijek officials say his incarceration is causing the company a loss of around $800,000 because he has refused to sign documents allowing deliveries to Russia.

https://www.occrp.org/en/daily/15656-authorities-arrest-bosnian-drug-company-director-for-money-laundering

Trader Indicted for Commodities Insider Trading Scheme==

https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/trader-indicted-commodities-insider-trading-scheme

U.S. Minerals, Inc. sentenced for Clean Air Act violation that exposed employees to arsenic at former Anaconda plant

https://www.justice.gov/usao-mt/pr/us-minerals-inc-sentenced-clean-air-act-violation-exposed-employees-arsenic-former

Miami Resident Charged with Committing $38 Million Health Care Fraud Scheme, Spending Proceeds on Beachfront Condos and Luxury Vehicles

https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdfl/pr/miami-resident-charged-committing-38-million-health-care-fraud-scheme-spending-proceeds

Netanyahu Says Wife, Children Still Need Security Detail Amid 'Enormous Threats'

In a video, the former PM accuses an anti-Netanyahu Facebook page of explicitly threatening him by publicizing the official expiration date of his security detail

Opposition leader Benjamin Netanyahu called on the government Friday not to remove security from his wife and children in light of the "many and enormous threats" against them as the official expiration date of their security details expires on Monday.

The committee dealing with the matter is supposed to meet Sunday to make a final decision.

https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/.premium-netanyahu-says-wife-children-still-need-security-detail-amid-enormous-threats-1.10456216

Ima victim

Wisconsin 2020 Election Investigation Finds More Illegal Votes Were Cast Than Biden's Margin of Victory

Election investigations currently taking place in Wisconsin have yielded some shocking results.

A conservative law firm based out of Milwaukee, the Wisconsin Institute for Law and Liberty, conducted the investigation.

According to their findings, precisely 54,259 ballots were “cast by individuals who have never shown a voter ID in any election.”

“While we cannot infer any malignant intent on the part of these voters, this means that many votes were cast without the requirement of photo identification. 54,259 ballots were cast by individuals who have never shown a voter ID in any election. 3,718 were cast from addresses that were on the 2019 Mover’s List. 7,747 failed their DMV check when they registered,” the law firm’s report reads.

The 54,259 number is especially shocking given that Joe Biden won the state of Wisconsin by a mere 20,000 votes, according to Politico.

The institute arrived at these findings after performing a statistical analysis of the vote totals of nearly 20,000 ballots and 29,000 absentee ballot envelopes.

Surveys, polling and tens of thousands of documents attained from various public records requests were also reviewed in the case.

Now, no matter what, there is no evidence that widespread, election-altering, coordinated efforts of voter fraud stole the 2020 election away from Donald Trump.

In fact, the Wisconsin Insitute for Law and Liberty even admitted as much in their review.

“This does not necessarily mean that Biden did not win a majority of eligible votes. We looked for evidence that failure to follow proper procedures was exploited to commit fraud … there was no evidence of widespread voter fraud,” the review’s conclusion reads.

“In all likelihood, more eligible voters cast ballots for Joe Biden than Donald Trump.”

That being said, in the wake of COVID, many election procedures were altered and many mistakes were made, including in the state of Wisconsin.

“It seems clear that voters abandoned the rules for voting indefinitely confined, drop boxes were used, at least one ballot harvesting event was conducted without statutory authorization, absentee balloting in nursing homes was conducted contrary to law, ballots were cured without authorization and voter rolls were not accurately maintained as required by state and federal law,” the review’s conclusion stated.

By implementing universal mail-in voting systems, many states across the country opened up their voting systems to the possibility of fraud.

https://www.westernjournal.com/wisconsin-2020-election-investigation-finds-illegal-votes-cast-bidens-margin-victory/

Whistleblower Video: Pennsylvania Election Workers Discuss Hiding ‘Derogatory’ Records

A new whistleblower video shows Pennsylvania election workers discussing ways to hide derogatory information about the management of the November 2020 election.

A new whistleblower video obtained by The Federalist shows Delaware County, Pennsylvania election workers discussing ways to hide from the public “derogatory” information about the management and administration of the November 2020 election. The video is further evidence of fraud undertaken to conceal the widespread violations of Pennsylvania election law that occurred during last year’s presidential election, according to a source familiar with the recording.

The video, surreptitiously recorded by whistleblower Regina Miller, is one of many Miller took while working as a contract employee for the county. Miller began secretly recording the behind-the-scenes conduct after witnessing concerning behavior by several election officials, a person with knowledge of a lawsuit filed last month against county election officials, based in part on the recordings, told The Federalist.

In that lawsuit, Delaware County residents Ruth Moton, Leah Hoopes, and Gregory Stenstrom, as well as the Friends of Ruth Moton campaign, alleged former Secretary of State Kathy Boockvar, Delaware County, the Delaware County Board of Elections, and more than a dozen individual election officials destroyed election records and conspired to do so, to hide violations of election law.

Among the election law violations, according to the lawsuit, was the failure of the defendants to reconcile the votes after the close of the polls, as required by Pennsylvania’s election code. However, unlike the other lawsuits that followed the November 2020 election and alleged claims under the U.S. Constitution or state election codes, the petition in Moton v. Boockvar focuses instead on the defendants’ alleged fraud to cover up those purported violations.

In fact, four of the five counts set forth in the court filing were premised on Pennsylvania’s civil law of fraud and misrepresentation. The fraud and misrepresentation, according to the petition, involved the defendants’ alleged destruction of evidence and their purported representation of compliance with a May 21, 2021 Right to Know Request filed with Delaware County.

That request, according to sources with knowledge of the lawsuit, sought documentation from the county to confirm the November 2020 election results that were certified. According to the Moton lawsuit, the Right to Know request specifically requested the “final certified return sheets from the November 3, 2020 general election” for all Delaware County precints, along with the attached machine tapes from the voting machines. Significantly, as we will see, the request also asked for “any additional notes written on the back of the return sheet, as well as any attached notes that are related to each return sheet.”

https://thefederalist.com/2021/12/10/exclusive-whistleblower-video-pennsylvania-election-workers-discuss-hiding-derogatory-records/

Cops threatened after sex with schoolgirl they met on the street

Two police officers gave evidence in court that they had ‘embarrassed’ the force after an incident with a schoolgirl in a hotel room.

Two Sydney police officers facing misconduct charges after having sex with a teenage schoolgirl in a hotel room, after one of them picked her up while on the job, would trawl the areas they worked for sexual conquests, a court has been told.

Long-time friends Angelo Dellosa, 31, and James Delinicolis, 30, both gave evidence in front of the Downing Centre District Court on Friday after pleading guilty to one count of misconduct in public office.

The pair, linked to the NSW Police Transport Command at Bankstown in Sydney’s southwest, both acknowledged they had embarrassed the police force with their actions after having a consensual threesome with the 17-year-old schoolgirl referred to in proceedings as “Violet” and filming part of it.

Between May 2019 to May 2020, Dellosa and Delinicolis frequently spoke to women and handed out their phone numbers while on duty, attempting to score a sexual relationship, agreed facts stated.

They used what they called a “bat phone” to communicate with women while on duty.

https://www.news.com.au/national/courts-law/cops-threatened-after-sex-with-schoolgirl-they-met-on-the-street/news-story/c77e40d93142c1ec7e3594500224a882

Rupert's retirement ranch?: City slicker Murdoch, 90, and wife Jerry Hall, 65, buy 340,000 acre cattle ranch in Montana near Yellowstone from the Koch family for $280M

Rupert Murdoch purchased a huge working Montana ranch from the Koch family

The 340,000 acre cattle ranch near Yellowstone Park has elk, antelope and deer

At $280million the Beaverhead purchase is the largest deal in Montana history

Its first owners were inducted into the Montana Cowboy Hall of Fame in 2013

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-10295773/Rupert-Murdoch-buys-extraordinary-280million-139-000-hectare-American-ranch-Koch-family.html

Russian Jet Intercepts US Spy Plane Over Black Sea After Kremlin's Repeat 'Warnings'

For the third consecutive day there's been a Russia and NATO aircraft intercept incident over the Black Sea, coming at a moment the region is on edge over the alleged Russian troop build-up near Ukraine.

On Friday Russia scrambled a fighter jet to intercept and escort a US military spy over the Black Sea, Russia's Defense Ministry said, as reported in Reuters. There's been a series of recent encounters over the region, but also in the Sea of Azov as Moscow is now accusing Ukraine's Navy of "provocations" after a Thursday incident which saw an unannounced warship head toward the Kerch Strait before turning back.

According to early reports, an Su-30 fighter came near a US Navy P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol/ASW aircraft, which appeared in video quickly released by Russia's defense ministry.

A Russian military statement described the following:

To identify the air target and prevent it from breaching the Russian state border, a Su-30 fighter from the air defence forces of the Southern Military District was scrambled. The crew of the Russian fighter identified the air target as a US Navy reconnaissance aircraft P-8A and escorted it over the waters of the Black Sea," the National Defense Control Centre (NDCC) said.

Since last week the Kremlin has been angry over what it says is a pattern of unsafe US spy plane maneuvers over the Black Sea, which also threatens civilian aviation. An Aeroflot fight from Israel to Moscow reportedly had to drastically reduce altitude when an American spy plane came too close without warning or proper communications.

"Increased U.S. and NATO warplanes activity near Russian borders creates risks of dangerous incidents for civilian aviation," Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said in a written statement Sunday. "If this time a catastrophe over the Black sea was avoided, this doesn’t mean U.S. and NATO could risk people’s lives in the future without punishment," Zakharova added.

On Thursday a pair of NATO jets were shadowed by Russian fighters over the Black Sea, later identified as French Rafale and Mirage-2000 jets, which were being accompanied by a French Air Force C-135 refueling aircraft. The Kremlin said they were escorted away from Russian airspace.

https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/russian-jet-intercepts-us-spy-plane-over-black-sea-after-kremlins-repeat-warnings

Some orphanages established for sales, trafficking of children, NAPTIP alleges

THE National Agency for Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons has alleged that some orphanages in the country are established for the purpose of sales of children and child trafficking, vowing to begin a clampdown on such illegal homes across the nation.

The agency described the increasing cases of trafficking of women and children in Nigeria for sexual exploitation and hard labour as a shame to the country and that all effort must be put in place to contain the heinous crime.

Director-General of NAPTIP, Dr. Fatima Waziri–Azi, therefore, called on the media to focus more attention on human trafficking which she described as embarrassing to the country.

She spoke at the workshop organized by the European Union, EU sponsored Fight Against Human Trafficking (FIIAP), through the Action Against Trafficking In Persons and Smuggling of Migrants In Nigeria (A-TIPSOM) project, where she was represented by the Director, Training and Manpower Development, Mr Arinze Orakwe.

She charged the media to set an agenda on trafficking with a view to ending the negative act.

“The media occupy a principal position in NAPTIP’s work and the workshop is a result of the agency’s commitment to training journalists as well as a fulfilment of promises made.”Speaking further, she said trafficking in persons was an organized and clandestine crime hence the need for the fight against the crime to be organized and even more sophisticated.

“There is no better group for collaboration than the media. So long as criminals collaborate to commit crimes it behoves NAPTIP to seek collaboration. I urge the media to key into this partnership. We intend to expand the partnership.

“Trafficking in persons is a crime that shames us all just as it is the highest money-spinner, not that you should invest in it because NAPTIP will catch up with you.

“It is the highest money spinner because you sell the person over and over again.“As journalists, it behoves on us to be circumspect and tactical in terms of terminology for reportage. For instance, what we refer to as ritual in the media are not always rituals,” she said.

Also speaking, the Senior Project Officer/Technical Advisor on Prevention, A-TIPSON, Joseph Olusegun Sanwo, noted that the event became imperative given that it relates to the prevention of trafficking through sensitization especially at the grassroots where he noted, people were prone to deceit by traffickers.

https://tribuneonlineng.com/some-orphanages-established-for-sales-trafficking-of-children-naptip-alleges/

More than 500 trafficked kids rescued in over 2 years: Data

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/88194148.cms?utm_source=contentofinterest&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=cppst=