Trump gets his space commander as Senate confirms Raymond

The Senate on Thursday confirmed President Trump’s pick to lead the Pentagon’s new Space Command, Gen. John Raymond.

The four-star general will serve as both commander of the U.S. Space Command, which is likely to develop into a Space Force in the coming years under the pending National Defense Authorization Act, as well as commander of the Air Force Space Command.

Gen. Raymond’s nomination was the first to go before Congress since the 1999 nomination of Air Force Gen. Ralph Eberhart to lead Space Command, which was decommissioned three years later in 2002.

The Trump White House reinstituted the command, putting it on par with organizations like U.S. Central Command and U.S. Cyber Command as part of Mr. Trump’s push to create the U.S. Space Force as a new military branch. Supporters of the new Space Force military branch argue Russian and Chinese efforts to militarize space are already chipping away at America’s dominance.

https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2019/jun/28/john-raymond-confirmed-senate-lead-space-command/

>>6881513

>>6881529

The Taliban in Afghanistan

The Taliban was formed in the early 1990s by an Afghan faction of mujahideen, Islamic fighters who had resisted the Soviet occupation of Afghanistan (1979–89) with the covert backing of the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency and its Pakistani counterpart, the Inter-Services Intelligence directorate (ISI). They were joined by younger Pashtun tribesmen who studied in Pakistani madrassas, or seminaries; taliban is Pashto for "students." Pashtuns comprise a plurality in Afghanistan and are the predominant ethnic group in much of the country’s south and east.

The movement attracted popular support in the initial post-Soviet era by promising to impose stability and rule of law after four years of conflict (1992–1996) among rival mujahideen groups. Talibs entered Kandahar in November 1994 to pacify the crime-ridden southern city, and by September 1996 seized the capital, Kabul, from President Burhanuddin Rabbani, an ethnic Tajik whom they viewed as anti-Pashtun and corrupt. The Taliban regime controlled some 90 percent of the country before its 2001 overthrow, analysts say.

Hopefully you know enough about the CFR to know they have been helping to run our foreign policy along with the CIA for years

https://www.cfr.org/backgrounder/taliban-afghanistan

STUNNING: Boeing’s 737 Max Software Outsourced to $9-an-Hour Engineers from Indian Software Developer

Boeing Company had its best-selling 737 Max grounded in March following two fatal crashes in less than five months in Indonesia and Ethiopia.

The company does not expect to submit a new software fix to the US Federal Aviation Administration for testing until September.

This weekend news broke that Boeing contracted software work out to cheap contract employees with Indian Software Developer HCL Technologies.

The coders were not as efficient as Boeing engineers.

https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2019/06/stunning-boeings-737-max-software-outsourced-to-9-an-hour-engineers-from-indian-software-developer-hcl-technologies-ltd/

World leaders warn Iran to stick to nuclear deal

World powers meeting in Vienna have warned Iran to stick to terms of a nuclear accord during talks that Tehran have called the “last chance” to save the crumbling pact a year after the United States abandoned it.

Envoys from Britain, Germany, China, Russia, and France, held a quarterly meeting with Iran in Vienna on June 28 to discuss sticking to the terms of a 2015 deal, which limits the enrichment and stockpiles of Iran’s uranium and reduces nuclear capabilities in return for relief from international sanctions.

The warning comes in the face of comments from Brian Hook, U.S. special representative on Iran, who said earlier in the day that Washington will maintain its hard-line stance toward Tehran and will “intensify” sanctions until the country becomes a “normal state.”

Tensions have risen sharply since May 2018, when the U.S. unilaterally abandoned the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) while imposing more than 1,000 sanctions on Iran and parties that might trade with it.

https://americanmilitarynews.com/2019/06/world-leaders-warn-iran-to-stick-to-nuclear-deal/

Large US banks pass Fed’s second round of stress tests

The US Federal Reserve has announced that the largest banks operating in the US have passed the second round of its annual stress tests.

It made a partial exception for Credit Suisse’s US subsidiary, which was told to address weaknesses in its capital planning by October 27.

The Comprehensive Capital Analysis and Review (CCAR) evaluated the capital planning processes and capital adequacy of 18 of the largest banking firms. This includes their plans for dividend payments and share buybacks.

https://www.centralbanking.com/central-banks/financial-stability/4286826/large-us-banks-pass-feds-second-round-of-stress-tests

US still outsider at G20 over fighting climate change

After copious disputes, the Group of 20 major economies Saturday agreed to disagree on climate change, with the USA dissenting from a commitment to carry out the 2015 Paris climate change agreement.

In a communique at the end of a two-day summit in Japan's western city of Osaka, the grouping said "signatories to the Paris Agreement" reaffirmed their commitment to its full implementation in fighting climate change, referring to the 19 members except the US.

The division reflects clashes over an agreement to combat global warming since President Donald Trump pulled the United States out of the landmark accord signed by 200 nations to limit the effects of climate change.

French ‘red line’ on climate change

Even before the summit started, the differences over the critical issue became apparent when President Emmanuel Macron said France would not accept a final text that omitted the Paris pact agreement.

Macron underscored before the meeting in Japan that strong climate change language would be a "red line" for Paris.

"We avoided going backwards… but we must go much further," Macron said in Japan after 19 of the group's members signed a statement endorsing the Paris climate change deal, without the USA.

A French source said Washington was trying to persuade some countries to reject the Paris deal and there are concerns that it now appears less isolated than before on environmental issues.

https://www.france24.com/en/20190629-g20-climate-change-action-usa-paris-climate-pact-france-trump-japan

>>6881706

50 Years Of Failed Apocalyptic Forecasts By Media & Scientists – Ehrlich & ‘academics have been forecasting doom’ for decades

https://www.climatedepot.com/2019/03/29/50-years-of-failed-apocalyptic-forecasts-by-media-scientists-ehrlich-academics-have-been-forecasting-doom-for-decades/

Over 90 Percent of Swedes think Islam is incompatible with human rights

The University of Gävle in Sweden every year releases a “Diverity barometer” where people in Sweden are asked about their attitudes towards diversity. In the latest barometer they conclude that Swedes’ attitudes towards giving immigrants their cultural rights have become more negative, at the same time more people have positive experiences of having an immigrant colleague at work.

In the question about which religions have negative values that clash with for instance human rights, 95% think Islam, 35% think Judaism, 31% think Hinduism, 26% think Buddhism and 26% think Christianity. Islam once again stands out in the yearly survey.

Moreover, 66 percent of the people in the survey also agree on the statement that Muslim women in Sweden are more opressed than other women in Sweden, 26 percent don’t know and 8 percent says no.

87 percent thinks that people with foreign background have a duty to adapt to Swedish culture, 7 percent don’t know and 6 percent says no.

Among the people who participated in the survey, 88 percent are born in Sweden, 8 percent in a nation in Europe, and 5 percent in a nation outside Europe.

https://voiceofeurope.com/2019/06/over-90-percent-of-swedes-think-islam-is-incompatible-with-human-rights/

>>6881773

What does an upside-down Stars and Stripes mean?

What does the US flag the wrong way round mean?

The Stars and Stripes being shown upside-down is a distress signal, as specified in the US Flag Code, which states:

The flag should never be displayed with the union down, except as a signal of dire distress in instances of extreme danger to life or property.

White House spokesman Sean Spicer inadvertently wore a US flag lapel badge upside down during a news conference on 10 March 2017. He was asked if it was an advert for the Netflix drama House of Cards, which has the inverted flag as its logo. "There's no promo," he said

https://upsum.news/questions/58c33471304ec700abfc31d7

Sen. Ted Cruz Calls on Federal Law Enforcement to Investigate, Bring Legal Action Against Portland Mayor – Who Ordered Police “To let Citizens Be Attacked”

On Saturday afternoon Quillette gay Asian journalist Andy Ngo was beaten and robbed by several Antifa attackers at a Portland protest march.

Ngo was later hospitalized Saturday night with a brain bleed following the brutal Antifa attack as he covered dueling left-right demonstrations in Portland, Oregon, Ngo’s attorney Harmeet K. Dhillon said.

Update to @MrAndyNgo supporters — he is being admitted to the hospital overnight as a result of a brain bleed. You sick “journalists” and other hacks gloating about this should be ashamed. As for the rest, please pray for @MrAndyNgo who we need back in health — brave man!🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼❤️ https://t.co/XYVy4EbIzv

— Harmeet K. Dhillon (@pnjaban) June 30, 2019

Following the attack Michelle Malkin set up a GoFund me account for Ngo, who was also robbed during the attack. So far $77,000 has been raised for Andy Ngo.

https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2019/06/sen-ted-cruz-calls-on-federal-law-enforcement-to-investigate-bring-legal-action-against-portland-mayor-who-ordered-police-to-let-citizens-be-attacked/

Christians in Africa: "You have three days to go or you will be killed!"

"Christianity originated in the Middle East. Thus, the displacement or evacuation of Christians from the Middle East is very dangerous for the safety of the region… also in the Mediterranean Sea region. Europe is affected by this." — Egyptian Coptic Pope Tawadros II, in Germany, where he was inaugurating a new Coptic church for his exiled community. Deutsche Welle, May 14, 2019.

Regrettably, the tragedy of these Christian massacres is directly proportional to the neglect with which they are reported in the West.

"'Islamophobia' looms large; talk of 'Christophobia' is almost nonexistent". — Ross Douthat, "Are Christians Privileged or Persecuted?", The New York Times, April 23, 2019.

Algeria – the country of origin of some of the Christian fathers such as Augustine of Hippo – has become a country… where officially there are "no native Christians". How many other countries will meet the same fate? And will the West ever come to the help of their Christian brethren?

Distressingly, these Christians have been finding themselves in the blind spot of the West: they are "too Christian" to get the Left's attention, but too far away for the Right. Africa's Christians are orphans. They have no "allies", John O'Sullivan writes.

Christian families recently fled the city of Diffa, in Niger, after Boko Haram delivered the message: "You have three days to go or you will be killed!". "There is no Christian anymore in this town", someone reported to the non-governmental organization, the Barnabas Fund. The town, Arbinda, is in Burkina Faso. Numbers are telling: 82 pastors, 1,145 Christians and 151 households have fled from violence in the Muslim-majority nation. Just in the last few weeks, several of the Christian faithful and clergy have been murdered. Jihadists killed six Christians in a Catholic church in the town of Dablo. A pastor was murdered in an attack in Silgadji, Catholic parades have been targeted.

https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/14430/christians-africa-persecution#.XRiAH5vJbH4.twitter

US Missiles Captured at Libyan Islamic Rebel Camp – Memories of Benghazi 9-11 Attack Resurface

The far left New York Times is reporting that US arms were found in Libya –

Libyan government fighters discovered a cache of powerful American missiles, usually sold only to close American allies, at a captured rebel base in the mountains south of Tripoli this week.

The four Javelin anti-tank missiles, which cost more than $170,000 each, had ended up bolstering the arsenal of Gen. Khalifa Hifter, whose forces are waging a military campaign to take over Libya and overthrow a government the United States supports.

Markings on the missiles’ shipping containers indicate that they were originally sold to the United Arab Emirates, an important American partner, in 2008.

https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2019/06/us-missiles-captured-at-libyan-islamist-rebel-camp-memories-of-benghazi-9-11-attack-resurface/

The Mullahs Wage War to Cover up Crisis of Being Overthrown: Maryam Rajavi

Albania, June 29, 2019 – An International conference was held in Ashraf 3 in the presence of Mrs. Maryam Rajavi, the president-elect of the Iranian Resistance. The conference, also featured a delegation from Europe and Australia, was titled “Mullahs’ regime, source of war and instability in the region; Iranian Resistance, the messenger of peace and freedom.”

The speakers at the conference, including parliamentarians and political dignitaries, jurists, and religious personalities, reiterated the need to adopt a firm policy to confront the Iranian regime’s warmongering and terrorism and holding the mullahs accountable for their violations of human rights and crimes against the people of Iran. They expressed solidarity with the Iranian people’s Resistance and uprisings and declared support for the democratic alternative, the National Council of Resistance of Iran, and Maryam Rajavi’s platfor

https://english.mojahedin.org/i/the-mullahs-wage-war-cover-crisis-being-overthrown-maryam-rajavi