Wednesday, 9 December 2015

The Fool(s) On the Hill

What Are Your Plans If A War Breaks Out Between NATO And Russian Forces In Syria?

(Sheep Being Led By Donkeys)

You hadn't thought about it or its consequences for you and your family? Well you'd better. We may be closer to this than you imagine – and all by deliberate intent.

There is hardly a world leader who has had military experience – or even served in a war zone in any meaningful capacity – yet all such greenhorn career business politicians are now making decisions which could bring us all closer to a world war than you might ever have imagined.

Let's Bomb Syria! (and Reclaim 'Mojo')

Premier Cameron is just the latest in a long line of such politicians who believe that they can undermine the only existing legitimate Syrian government (of President Bashar al-Assad, in case this information was lost in translation) under the aegis of a U.N. mandate, without the approval of the Syrian government – and all the mainstream media in Western Europe and in the United States, are going along for the ride.

There are indeed security dangers to the vital interests of the United States – but they are not the ones your mainstream media are flagging up.

Oh! What A Lovely War

(As Long As Someone Else Does the Fighting and the Dying)

This is a war where your media has been asked not to ask too many awkward questions about – just let the politicians 'have their war' and accept 'feed briefings' from the Department of Defense media relations Officers.

Many senior Congressional legislators are not even taking (nor seeking) the advice offered by experienced senior military commanders, analysts and advisors (yes, some retired) who are privately (and some publicly) warning of the very real dangers of escalation to a conventional war between the superpowers – all to no avail - as the politicians are determined to have their regime changes in the Arab world, come what may, at whatever cost, and only listen to those views which support their myopic war strategy. Most have little to no knowledge of Islam, the Arab world, its history, culture, peoples and even fewer have ever traveled in Muslim lands other than to stay in an 'armed fortress', hotel or palace of a ruling dignitary or for a conference.

They Actually Fired Back (!)

When British Tornado jets, Eurofighter Typhoon and F-22s or indeed even, for the first publicly declared time in a conflict zone, F-26s [Stavatti Tactical Air Warfare Systems] are being shot at (or shot down) over Syria (or indeed, is targeted destroyed or shot down over the 'neutral' territory it 'accidentally' 'locked in' Syrian government armed forces then despatched its payload) there will be a public outcry and Russia will be issued with an 'ultimatum' to withdraw its combat and technical support forces and equipment (effectively leaving the Assad government defenseless against Daesh) with promises to 'protect' the civilians (with a coalition of Jordanian, Egyptian and Turkish and Gulf -including Saudi – 'peacekeeping' forces) and that all Syrian personnel who 'surrender' to the West-backed 'moderate' forces (Daesh/Al-Qaeda/Al Nusra and other extremist Islamists) will be spared; what are your plans when Russia calls the bluff and refuses to 'surrender' to a NATO 'ultimatum' against 'Russian aggression' in Syria?

Reality Check

You had not thought that it might ever affect your life in your home village in Europe, that it would never affect your children, that the cities and towns you live in Western Europe would never become the target for cruise missiles should a crisis, which politicians, failing to listen to military and experienced advisors, have dug themselves into and one which then escalates through a so-called 'miscalculation'?

If you have never given any real thought to Syria and see it as some distant land which will never affect you personally in your city, town or village in Western Europe, then think again.

This is what happens when sheep are led by wolves – or by donkeys.

In a normal world I would be considered delusional.

Everyone around me is (or appears) oblivious to the machinations being created on a chessboard called Syria.

The Daily Mirage

Mainstream media has created the impression that you are assured, with conviction, that Russia will back down over Syria – besides Russia is the 'aggressor' in Syria (even though it the only foreign country in Syria to fight Daesh/ISIL/Al Qaeda by express invitation of the Syrian government – all other countries are operating there against the wishes of the Syrian government – with the ultimate goal of overthrowing the Syrian government.)

Who invited the British, The French and the Germans to undertake bombing missions in Syria? It certainly was not the only (yes only) legitimate Syrian government engaged in a war against global terrorists on its own territory with such terrorists (Al Qaeda/Daesh) aided and assisted by a NATO member (Turkey) and other Sunni countries in proximity.

Is Syria That 'Bridge Too Far'?

From it's Caspian Sea fleet Russia has demonstrated that it will use its cruise missiles in this conflict arena. If we had really intelligent politicians they should not have failed to miss the significance of this – and the dangers such pose for all sides if this conflict escalates – which it already has.

Is History About To Justify Itself?

Will that colorful 45-minute warning Premier Blair provided as reason for the Iraq campaign this time be turned into a physical reality - should Western politicians 'push their luck' too far against Russia in Syria?

The harsh reality will sink in when the first U.K./NATO/Turkish fighter plane is brought down within Syrian territorial airspace by Syrian-Russian air defenses – and a howl of political and media protests call for Russia to withdraw support for the secular government of President Assad – to be followed first with economic sanctions against Russia (and the BRICS Block – should they move to support Russia) followed by a further military build up in the Eastern Mediterranean.

Nobody will ask the pertinent questions:

Why did we commit air power into a boiling molten cauldron we could not have failed to notice could only explode?

Whence The Threat To Peace?

The irony of it all is that, other than being an implaccable enemy of Israel, Syria is not vital to U.S. interests.

It was not even a threat to Israeli interests and, until Daesh/ISIL fighters showed up for treatment in Israeli hospitals across the Golan heights, the area was not a threat to global peace nor international terrorism.

Only in recent months has the U.S.-Israel lobby started speaking out, quite reluctantly, against ISIL-Daesh.

The reason for this is a misperception that Daesh was doing Israel's work - in destroying Syria, Iraq, Libya and other enemies.

The further strategy is to unhinge Syria from it's 'axis' with Hezbollah and Iran – but this will destabilize Lebanon – and effectively plunge it into a bloodbath as the Maronite Christians plot (or are encouraged with promises of Turkish support) to take on Hezbollah. Iran, seeing the dangers, would then no doubt encourage even more volunteers than already present to conjoin the Holy War against the Sunnis, the Salafists and Wahhabists all operating under different banners and guises, in Iraq, Syria and Lebanon before it too finds itself isolated in the region.

'The Great Game'

The question of whether all this chaos and bloodshed is really necessary to fulfill economic and strategic objectives of the United States in the region and globally (fragmentation -divide and rule- of the BRICS block) is one best left for future historians.

Certainly what we can say at present is that there are absolutely no morals nor ethics and that the United Nations is, in effect, a paper tiger, no longer relevant in today's world.

There are many nations which will laud its demise.

Only when the laws of the jungle are applied, with vengeance, by adversaries, against their own populations, will they rue the day the United Nations became a redundant, powerless or spent entity.

Bringing Democracy To Iraq and Syria - With Global Extremist Jihadi Battalions

Before Syria was plunged into its present chaos, it was no doubt a tyranny – but so too are most of the Arab States in the region. Islam and democracy do not sit well in the quasi- tribal-religious and mediaeval environments of the Middle East and North Africa.

Is such chaos, regime change in favor of religious extremists (as opposed to the pre-existing secular dictatorships) absolutely essential to guarantee control of strategic resources and economic regional power?

Is the installation of religious tyrannies absolutely essential to guarantee a new Sykes Picot reconfiguration to ensure the 'Arab masses' remain disenfranchised and ruled by tyrants, religious extremists supported by Saudi Arabia and Turkey or benevolent despots, on our behalf, for yet another hundred years?

My answer to both questions would be that they are unnecessary. But the politicians, eminent Western academics, specialists, experts and your mainstream media are all, in unison, telling you otherwise.

Indeed in the British House of Commons by voting to bomb a country which has never blitzed the U.K., sent terrorists to bomb its people nor carried out any hostile acts on its territories, the phrase Britain has regained it's 'mojo' in the world, was the exhilarated drumbeat echoed by one old Etonian schoolboy, oblivious to the true horrors of war, first hand. The phrase, when fully interpreted in the syntax of a sentence reads as 'Oh goodie!; we're going to war!'

(I leave out the military from having an opinion in this debate since in our Western secular democracies, as opposed to the dictatorships and religious extremist fanatics we are attempting to impose on others, the armed forces simply do as they are told and carry out orders by or on behalf of, the politicians. (And Western politicians will only tell their military commanders, after the fact, that they should never have carried out political orders or they should have questioned anything they knew or thought they knew were or was illegal or unlawful before committing, what they are now told (after the facts) is or are 'war crimes'.)

Formal Declaration Of War

The Presidential Office in the United States compared to The Role Of The British Premier's Office

In Britain unlike in the United States, the Premier is not the Commander-In-Chief of the British Armed Forces but a political legislator. In the United States a formal resolution - Authorization For The Use of Military Force – AUMF – is drafted for Congressional approval by the Commander-In-Chief, the President of The United States.

Under Executive Authority however, the President, as Commander-In-Chief, can, himself or herself, declare war, but without congressional constitutional authority, such a declaration lacks legitimate sanction by the whole country.

It should be recalled that this AUMF against Daesh/ISIL/ISIS, drafted by President Obama and debated in March/April 2014, was not approved by the U.S. Congress. )

Epilog

Has your mainstream media and the political class told you that the building of Churches in 'moderate' Saudi Arabia is illegal and most Saudi Imams approve the death penalty for convicted offenders? (as apostates.) The public preaching of Christianity and conversion from Islam to Christianity are illegal in both Turkey and Saudi Arabia. In Saudi Arabia, the death penalty is recommended for such 'witches' or 'apostates'.

Such are the 'moderate' countries our Christian U.S. and Western politicians support in their bid to re-shape the Middle East and North Africa.

This is why I come back to where I started:

Either I am a delusional and a misguided idiot - or the whole world is going mad – sheep being led by donkeys – or by wolves - the fools on the hill.

©Patrick Emek, December 2015

https://www.whitehouse.gov/sites/default/files/docs/aumf_02112015.pdf

https://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/natsec/R43983.pdf

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commander-in-chief_of_the_British_Armed_Forces

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sykes-Picot_Agreement

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Great_Game

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Bridge_Too_Far_%28book%29

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oh!_What_a_Lovely_War

The Fool(s) On the Hill

What Are Your Plans If A War Breaks Out Between NATO And Russian Forces In Syria?

(Sheep Being Led By Donkeys)

You hadn't thought about it or its consequences for you and your family? Well you'd better. We may be closer to this than you imagine – and all by deliberate intent.

Let's Bomb Syria! (and Reclaim 'Mojo')

There are indeed security dangers to the vital interests of the United States – but they are not the ones your mainstream media are flagging up.

Oh! What A Lovely War

(As Long As Someone Else Does the Fighting and the Dying)

They Actually Fired Back (!)

Reality Check

If you have never given any real thought to Syria and see it as some distant land which will never affect you personally in your city, town or village in Western Europe, then think again.

This is what happens when sheep are led by wolves – or by donkeys.

In a normal world I would be considered delusional.

Everyone around me is (or appears) oblivious to the machinations being created on a chessboard called Syria.

The Daily Mirage

Is Syria That 'Bridge Too Far'?

Is History About To Justify Itself?

Nobody will ask the pertinent questions:

Why did we commit air power into a boiling molten cauldron we could not have failed to notice could only explode?

Whence The Threat To Peace?

The irony of it all is that, other than being an implaccable enemy of Israel, Syria is not vital to U.S. interests.

Only in recent months has the U.S.-Israel lobby started speaking out, quite reluctantly, against ISIL-Daesh.

The reason for this is a misperception that Daesh was doing Israel's work - in destroying Syria, Iraq, Libya and other enemies.

'The Great Game'

Certainly what we can say at present is that there are absolutely no morals nor ethics and that the United Nations is, in effect, a paper tiger, no longer relevant in today's world.

There are many nations which will laud its demise.

Bringing Democracy To Iraq and Syria - With Global Extremist Jihadi Battalions

Formal Declaration Of War

The Presidential Office in the United States compared to The Role Of The British Premier's Office

It should be recalled that this AUMF against Daesh/ISIL/ISIS, drafted by President Obama and debated in March/April 2014, was not approved by the U.S. Congress. )

Epilog

Such are the 'moderate' countries our Christian U.S. and Western politicians support in their bid to re-shape the Middle East and North Africa.

This is why I come back to where I started:

Either I am a delusional and a misguided idiot - or the whole world is going mad – sheep being led by donkeys – or by wolves - the fools on the hill.

©Patrick Emek, December 2015

https://www.whitehouse.gov/sites/default/files/docs/aumf_02112015.pdf

https://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/natsec/R43983.pdf

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commander-in-chief_of_the_British_Armed_Forces

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sykes-Picot_Agreement

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Great_Game

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Bridge_Too_Far_%28book%29

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oh!_What_a_Lovely_War

Monday, 7 December 2015

Leishmaniasis FAQs

Skip directly to search Skip directly to A to Z list Skip directly to navigation Skip directly to site content Skip directly to page options

CDC Home

Parasites - Leishmaniasis

Leishmaniasis FAQs

What is leishmaniasis?

Leishmaniasis is a parasitic disease that is found in parts of the tropics, subtropics, and southern Europe. Leishmaniasis is caused by infection with Leishmania parasites, which are spread by the bite of infected sand flies. There are several different forms of leishmaniasis in people. The most common forms are cutaneous leishmaniasis, which causes skin sores, and visceral leishmaniasis, which affects several internal organs (usually spleen, liver, and bone marrow).

What are the symptoms and signs of cutaneous leishmaniasis?

Some people have a silent infection, without any symptoms or signs. People who develop clinical evidence of infection have one or more sores on their skin. The sores can change in size and appearance over time. The sores may start out as papules (bumps) or nodules (lumps) and may end up as ulcers (like a volcano, with a raised edge and central crater); skin ulcers may be covered by scab or crust. The sores usually are painless but can be painful. Some people have swollen glands near the sores (for example, under the arm, if the sores are on the arm or hand).

What are the symptoms and signs of visceral leishmaniasis?

Some people have a silent infection, without any symptoms or signs. People who develop clinical evidence of infection usually have fever, weight loss, enlargement (swelling) of the spleen and liver, and abnormal blood tests. People may have low blood counts, including a low red blood cell count (anemia), a low white blood cell count (leukopenia), and a low platelet count (thrombocytopenia).

How common is leishmaniasis in the world?

The number of new cases per year is not known with certainty. For cutaneous leishmaniasis, estimates of the number of cases range from approximately 0.7 million (700,000) to 1.2 million (1,200,000). For visceral leishmaniasis, estimates of the number of cases range from approximately 0.2 million (200,000) to 0.4 million (400,000).

In what parts of the world is leishmaniasis found?

In the Old World (the Eastern Hemisphere), leishmaniasis is found in some parts of Asia, the Middle East, Africa (particularly in the tropical region and North Africa, with some cases elsewhere), and southern Europe. It is not found in Australia or the Pacific Islands.
In the New World (the Western Hemisphere), leishmaniasis is found in some parts of Mexico, Central America, and South America. It is not found in Chile or Uruguay.
Overall, leishmaniasis is found in parts of more than 90 countries. The cases of leishmaniasis evaluated in the United States reflect travel and immigration patterns. For example, many of the cases of cutaneous leishmaniasis in U.S. civilian travelers have been acquired in common tourist destinations in Latin America, such as in Costa Rica. U.S. military personnel have become infected in various countries, such as Iraq and Afghanistan

Is leishmaniasis found in the United States?

Not usually. Almost all of the cases of leishmaniasis diagnosed in the United States are in people who became infected while traveling or living in other countries.
Occasional cases of cutaneous leishmaniasis have been acquired in Texas and Oklahoma. No cases of visceral leishmaniasis are known to have been acquired in the United States.

How do people get infected with Leishmania parasites?

The main way is through the bite of infected female phlebotomine sand flies. Sand flies become infected by sucking blood from an infected animal or person. People might not realize that sand flies are present because:

They do not make any noise;
They are small: they are only about one third the size of typical mosquitoes or even smaller;
Their bites might not be noticed (the bites can be painless or painful).

Sand flies usually are most active in twilight, evening, and night-time hours (from dusk to dawn). Although sand flies are less active during the hottest time of the day, they may bite if they are disturbed (for example, if a person brushes up against the trunk of a tree or other site where sand flies are resting).

Some types (species) of Leishmania parasites also may be spread via contaminated needles (needle sharing) or blood transfusions. Congenital transmission (spread from a pregnant woman to her baby) has been reported.

Who is at risk for Leishmania infection?

People of all ages are at risk for infection if they live or travel where leishmaniasis is found. Leishmaniasis usually is more common in rural than in urban areas, but it is found in the outskirts of some cities. The transmission risk is highest from dusk to dawn because this is when sand flies generally are the most active. Examples of people who may have an increased risk for infection (especially with the cutaneous form) include adventure travelers, ecotourists, Peace Corps volunteers, missionaries, soldiers, ornithologists (people who study birds), and other people who do research (or are active) outdoors at night/twilight.

If I were bitten by an infected sand fly, when would leishmaniasis develop?

Some people have a silent infection, without any symptoms or signs.
The skin sores of cutaneous leishmaniasis usually develop within a few weeks or months of the sand fly bite.
People with visceral leishmaniasis usually become sick within months (sometimes as long as years) of when they were bitten.

What should I do if I think I might have leishmaniasis?

See your health care provider. Be sure to say where you have traveled and to mention the possibility of leishmaniasis.

How is leishmaniasis diagnosed?

The first steps are to check if you have been in a part of the world where leishmaniasis is found and if you have any symptoms or signs that might be from leishmaniasis.
CDC staff can advise your health care provider and can help with the laboratory testing for leishmaniasis. Tissue specimens—for example, from skin sores (for cutaneous leishmaniasis) or from bone marrow (for visceral leishmaniasis)—can be examined for the parasite under a microscope, in special cultures, and in other ways.
Blood tests that detect antibody (an immune response) to the parasite can be helpful for cases of visceral leishmaniasis; tests to look for the parasite itself usually also are done.

Does leishmaniasis have to be treated?

Your health care provider can talk with CDC staff about whether your case of leishmaniasis should be treated and, if so, with what type of therapy.
The skin sores of cutaneous leishmaniasis usually heal on their own, even without treatment. But this can take months or even years, and the sores can leave ugly scars. Another potential concern applies to some (not all) types of the parasite found in parts of Latin America: certain types might spread from the skin and cause sores in the mucous membranes of the nose, mouth, or throat (mucosal leishmaniasis). Mucosal leishmaniasis might not be noticed until years after the original sores healed. The best way to prevent mucosal leishmaniasis is to ensure adequate treatment of the cutaneous infection.
If not treated, severe (advanced) cases of visceral leishmaniasis typically are fatal.

I plan to travel to an area of the world where leishmaniasis is found. What can I do to prevent infection?

No vaccines or drugs to prevent infection are available. The best way for travelers to prevent infection is to protect themselves from sand fly bites. To decrease the risk of being bitten, follow these preventive measures:

Avoid outdoor activities, especially from dusk to dawn, when sand flies generally are the most active.

When outdoors (or in unprotected quarters):

Minimize the amount of exposed (uncovered) skin. To the extent that is tolerable in the climate, wear long-sleeved shirts, long pants, and socks; and tuck your shirt into your pants. (See below about wearing insecticide-treated clothing.)
Apply insect repellent to exposed skin and under the ends of sleeves and pant legs. Follow the instructions on the label of the repellent. The most effective repellents generally are those that contain the chemical DEET (N,N-diethylmetatoluamide).

When indoors:

Stay in well-screened or air-conditioned areas.
Keep in mind that sand flies are much smaller than mosquitoes and therefore can get through smaller holes.
Spray living/sleeping areas with an insecticide to kill insects.
If you are not sleeping in a well-screened or air-conditioned area, use a bed net and tuck it under your mattress. If possible, use a bed net that has been soaked in or sprayed with a pyrethroid-containing insecticide. The same treatment can be applied to screens, curtains, sheets, and clothing (clothing should be retreated after five washings).

More on: Protection against Mosquitoes, Ticks, Fleas and Other Insects and Arthropods

NOTE:

Bed nets, repellents, and insecticides should be purchased before traveling and can be found in hardware, camping, and military surplus stores. Bed nets and clothing that already have been treated with a pyrethroid-containing insecticide also are commercially available.

If I have already had leishmaniasis, could I get it again?

Yes. Some people have had cutaneous leishmaniasis more than once. Therefore, you should follow the preventive measures listed above whenever you are in an area where leishmaniasis is found.

This information is not meant to be used for self-diagnosis or as a substitute for consultation with a health care provider. If you have any questions about the parasites described above or think that you may have a parasitic infection, consult a health care provider.

Print page

Contact Us:

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
1600 Clifton Rd.
Atlanta, GA 30333
1-800-CDC-INFO
(1-800-232-4636)
TTY: 1-888-232-6348
Hours of Operation
8am-8pm EST/ Monday-Friday
Closed Holidays
Contact CDC-INFO

Leishmaniasis

Updates

Page last reviewed: January 10, 2013
Page last updated: January 10, 2013

Content source: Global Health - Division of Parasitic Diseases and Malaria
Notice: Linking to a non-federal site does not constitute an endorsement by HHS, CDC or any of its employees of the sponsors or the information and products presented on the site.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 1600 Clifton Rd. Atlanta, GA 30329-4027, USA
800-CDC-INFO (800-232-4636) TTY: (888) 232-6348 - Contact CDC-INFO

A-Z Index

Wednesday, 2 December 2015

http://www.amazon.co.uk/s/?ie=UTF8&keywords=the+man+in+a+high+castle&tag=googhydr-21&index=stripbooks&hvadid=28636859580&hvpos=1t1&hvexid=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=9652758159284932285&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=b&hvdev=c&ref=pd_sl_5a6lvr8u86_b

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Man_in_the_High_Castle_%28TV_series%29

https://studios.amazon.com/projects/60098

Review and Opinion: Patrick Emek, December 2015

Friday, 6 November 2015

Blessed and Seasons Greetings To All Of Goodwill Worldwide

At a time of the year when Forbes, Time Magazine, CNN, Fox and all the mainstream media are publishing their 'Persons Of The Year' I didn't want you to be left out with my 'take' on this event (at least, not for this year!)

Rather than add another horror from a year of turbulence, please find below a reprint of my chosen external article of the year.

[This is the only one I could find which reflects the true spirit of the Christian Season and of this year so for this reason alone I encourage you to visit the website (and its related links and named individuals) over the Festive Season.]

Patrick Emek

(November 2015)

(Below is a reprint.

Please visit the website and related links over the Festive Season)

Православие.Ru Поместные Церкви 6
ноя Православный Календарь English Српска

Архив RSS Карта сайта

Orthodox Christianity

English Edition / News

Coptic Church Canonizes The 21 Christians Murdered By Isis In Libya

The Coptic Orthodox Church has announced that the 21 Egyptian Christians murdered by the Islamic State in Libya will be commemorated in its Church calendar as martyrs and saints.
Coptic Orthodox Pope Tawadros II said that the names of the 21 martyrs beheaded by ISIS on February 14 will be inserted into the Coptic Synaxarium, the Oriental Church’s official list of Martyrs, a procedure similar to canonization in the Latin Church.
An icon of the 21 martyrs, drawn by Tony Rezk, will be the official image to commemorate their supreme witness (accompanying photo).
The Islamic State terror group released a video on February 15 showing the brutal beheading of 21 Egyptian Christians who had previously been kidnapped in Libya. The Egyptian Christians were lined up along a beach and abruptly beheaded in the graphic five-minute video. The Islamic State’s Al Hayat Media produced the Libya video titled, “A Message Signed with Blood to the Nation of the Cross.”
Pope Francis denounced the murders and called the Christians “martyrs” who were “killed simply because they were Christians.” The Pope also remarked that their last words were: “Jesus, help me!”
“The blood of our Christian brothers and sisters is a witness that cries out to be heard,” the Pope said.
“It makes no difference whether they be Catholics, Orthodox, Copts or Protestants,” the Pope continued. “They are Christians! Their blood is one and the same. Their blood confesses Christ.”
The recent murders in Libya have driven home to Europeans the proximity of the Islamic State to Europe, moving them to high alert and the mobilization of security forces. At the same time, the heroic witness of those who died has also strengthened the faith of many.
Beshir Kamel, brother of two of the Coptic martyrs, said that he was proud of his brothers Bishoy and Samuel, and said that their martyrdom was “a badge of honor to Christianity.”
Kamel went so far as to thank the Islamic State for including their Christian witness in the videos before beheading them.
“ISIS gave us more than we asked when they didn’t edit out the part where they declared their faith and called upon Jesus Christ. ISIS helped us strengthen our faith,” he said.
Kamel said these words in an interview with SAT 7-ARABIC. The interview went viral, receiving over 100,000 views within hours of its release.
The interviewer asked Kamel what his reaction would be if he were to encounter an Islamic State militant, to which Kamel recalled his mother’s response: “My mother, an uneducated woman in her sixties, said she would ask [him] to enter her house and ask God to open his eyes because he was the reason her son entered the kingdom of heaven,” Kamel said.

Breitbart

27 / 02 / 2015

Friday, 30 October 2015

CNN Reports:

U.S. To Deploy Special Forces Into Syria

On Whose Authority?

Ignoring the legitimate government of Syria, ignoring the United Nations,

and under the cover of 'peace negotiations' in Vienna, America has embarked on a strategy of supporting 'terrorists' which could have profound implications for its perception and for the rule of international law for many decades to come.

In actual fact, we might as well tear up all international agreements with regard to the United Nations as it now has no legitimacy in international peacekeeping nor as a forum for the consent of nations as established in the post-Second World War era.

Humiliation

Apart from anything else, because such a force lacks all legitimacy – other than an agenda to overthrow the government of Syria - America is going down a very dangerous road it probably, out of hubris (see my earlier blogs) has not thought through the full extent of the ramifications.

Should such 'mercenaries' (Special Operations Personnel) be captured and, operating without the consent of the government in Damascus, despite the false presentation and (justification) by CNN as a 'legitimate' operation. God forbid such mercenaries are 'captured' then 'sold on' to another 'terrorist' group (a very common practice during warfare through the centuries in this part of the world) their status and fate will only be determined by the extent of ransom the U.S. government will be prepared to pay to 'release' each captured individual, alive.

[Qualification: The assumption here is that Special Forces Personnel would not be captured by ISIL/Daesh and 'bartered' between terrorist groups so that one would attempt to secure ransom rather than the U.S. government see one of its Personnel handed over to ISIL.
In summary placing 30 even 50 even 200 Special Forces into such a chaotic environment, having been advance publicly declared, without appropriate support, is akin to a suicide mission, in my opinion.]
(Qualification added on 1st November, 2015)

America is digging itself into a deeper and deeper hole in a region where already too much chaos, death, bloodshed and misery has touched the lives of both civilians and combatants.

Let me tell you exactly what these Special Operations Teams have (probably) already been told by their commanding officers: I paraphrase the (likely) scenario:

''In the event of your capture, beyond attempted rescue and extraction, the U.S. government will not negotiate for your release.''

So these highly trained specialists are, in effect, being used kamikaze-like as (expendable) assets, more akin to an unpatriotic act on behalf of the government they swore to serve than to the expected role of honor for a just and righteous cause.

'Only Following Orders'

Before You Blame The U.S. Military, Look To See Who Really Benefits From Their Deployment Into Syria

Being shamelessly used as 'political fodder' to satisfy (mainly Republican Party) extremists who regard, with contempt, anything and everything in the employ of the Federal government of the United States and it's armed forces, is a dishonor not just to the armed forces of the United States but also to its international allies, who may well also be ordered into mission-supportive roles.

We are reaching the point where someone has to call out these U.S. politicians and their supporters, from the ranks of the Republican Party and those from corporate America, who would put American military lives at risk without legitimate authority - and I would not call Republican Party overt nor covert support for such insurgents – clones of the very individuals who caused 9/11 - 'legitimate' authority - for what they really are, which, at the very least, would be called 'misguided'.

CNN and FOX Networks Both Now Openly Support The Perpetrators of 9/11 Under The Guise of Syrian 'Moderates'

CNN is a national disgrace – and anyone who has any common sense can see this.

It is now propping up support through its networks in the U.S. and worldwide for Islamic fanatics, under the guise of 'Syrian moderates' which, I told you two years ago here, did not exist.

Far worse, these 'moderate' Syrian opposition forces the U.S. now openly backs are the most evil groups to emerge from the hell which American decoherent foreign policy, having been hijacked by religious fanatics and extremists in the United States, has created over the past two decades.

The United States government is now openly in support of Islamic fanatics linked to Al Qaeda and ISIL. Even if they are not directly, almost without exception, they are individuals whose Salafist and Wahhabist agendas praise and glorify the perpetrators of 9/11 and Osama Bin Laden.

How Could American Foreign Policy Sink To Such Low Depths?; Future Historians May Well Ask

With regard to the non-existent 'moderate' rebels in Syria, the murder and rape of children, of babies, of women and men is now totally permissible by these Republicans in the American Congress and their supporters in civil and corporate American society - as long as it ultimately leads to the overthrowing of President Assad. Anyone, even the devil itself, is regarded as an ally, provided it is prepared to work with the United States for the overthrowing of the Syrian President.

I never was a fan of Assad and in my wildest dreams I could never have seen myself saying a good word in his defense. But if you ask me to choose between Gadhafi, Saddam Hussein and Bashar al-Assad – none of whom ever committed any act of terrorism on the mainland of the United States and all of whom opposed Al Qaeda and their heinous affiliates, had nothing to do with 9/11, I will evocate support of the legitimate Syrian government any day of the year rather than with an evil entity which was directly responsible for 9/11 but has been given a 'free pass' to wreak havoc and reshape the Middle East into its own tyrannical image and liking – all in the interests of Mammon.

Emerging New World Orders (BRICS)

I do not believe that the United States administration as yet realises the full international extent of the ramifications of its decision to deploy special forces with no legitimacy (other than that, perhaps, of the American Congress or Presidential executive action) outside the 'bubble world' of Western Christendom (including Australia and New Zealand) and NATO.

Let me give you just one example of a likely ramification of such rule of 'jungle' law in the case of Africa: America ceases to have any legitimate relevance to all but its 'client' countries in Africa – and will become increasing reliant on tyrannies, intellectual and primitive pygmies, as those countries which should have been its strongest allies on the continent – such as South Africa – gravitate even further into a new economic, political and military structure which denies access to America, at all levels, as an influential leader on the continent. This is an inevitable outcome as it (the United States) relies more and more on the 'law of the jungle' for legitimacy to determine foreign policy and in the conduct of military operations abroad.

Secondly, such extremists (again mainly from within Republican Party circles) have always held the United Nations in contempt and have now decided to use their influence to simply bypass it in favor of direct (unlawful by all international laws the world subscribes to) military action in a part of the world where the danger of global conflagration lurks around every political, religious and tribal imbalance created.

The message such U.S doctrine and policy sends to emerging nations yearning leadership and power is that might is right, to hell with international laws and diplomacy (where diplomacy is now simply a cover for illegal acts of war not sanctioned by any international authority.)

''Rome Was Not Built In A Day''

(Neither Did the Empire Collapse Overnight)

The Unthinkable May Also Be Much Nearer At Hand Than I Had Ever Imagined

When and where the United States fails to provide leadership and uphold the frameworks of international law and diplomacy, for sure, some other superpower will move in to fill the vacuum.

Let me explain to you what I mean.

Many decades ago I said, rather jokingly to the number 2 or number 3 at the Chinese Embassy that perhaps, one day, the United Nations and other international bodies, might 'decamp' from New York and Geneva to China – but I reckoned it would not be for about a thousand or more years – at a future time when China was more 'open' to the world such as is the United States today. (I was very careful and polite not to use the word 'democracy' in my predictive analysis.)

As America squanders its leadership and exceptional destiny in favor of ignorant, bigoted and short-sighted corporate agendas - all developed by individuals who appear oblivious to the fact that the rest of the world can see through their real motives as one can see through clear glass - another nation or superpower, for sure, will step up, and step in, to fill this void.

It will be a genuine tragedy for the world because no nation has been better endowed in the past two thousand years to provide global leadership, than has, through quirks of history, the United States.

Sadly, this is the direction in which events are being inexorably moved.

More and more, there are to be found remarkable parallels between the fall of the Roman Empire and American policy at home and abroad.

The greatest tragedy, in my opinion, is that the ordinary folk are oblivious to the 'Fall of Rome' and will only realise what is happening as the barbarians and 'contractors', with the aid of collaborators and traitors, ransack and pillage the 'Eternal City' - in favor of their own very narrow agendas.

addendum: 1st November, 2015

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mammon

Murder of U.S. Ambassador in Benghazi Libya on 9/11

Wednesday, 9 December 2015

Monday, 7 December 2015

Leishmaniasis FAQs

Parasites - Leishmaniasis