veteranstoday--2020-02-12--BATTLE FOR ITALIAN MONASTERY: Sovereign Christian gladiators of Bannon against LGBT globalist CathoK

BATTLE FOR ITALIAN MONASTERY: Sovereign Christian gladiators of Bannon against LGBT globalist CathoKomunists

On the one hand there are the Judeo-Christian sovereigns who refer to Stephen Bannon , on the other the Catholic-communist globalists led by a woman bank manager of the civic list of the governor of Lazio Nicola Zingaretti , italian PD secretary .
She politically grown under the branches of SEL the Left Ecology and Freedom movement founded by the homosexual Nichi Vendola ( considered a vassal of the magnate George Soros ) , before retiring from political life to devote himself to the adopted child , thanks to the practice of the uterus for rent prohibited in Italy .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ monastery of Trisulti , disputed between the gladiators of Christian fundamentalism on one side and the progressives of the LGBT lobby and indiscriminate immigration on the other .
Only with a careful and in-depth political reading of the parties involved can the legal dispute that broke out between the managers of the medieval monastery , the Dignitatis Humanae Institute directed by Benjamin Harnwell , the Mibact ( Ministry for Cultural Heritage and Activities and Tourism ) and Solidarity Communities , an association that pretends to be a spontaneous committee of the province of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , as we will see , is the expression of characters radically linked to the ultra- left .
« Immersed in one of the most evocative naturalistic panoramas of the Ernici Mountains stands the solitary and imposing Certosa di Trisulti , a majestic monastic complex dating back to AD 1204 and located at 863m high at the foot of Monte Rotonaria , in the municipality of Collepardo ( FR ) , Orange Flag of the Italian Touring Club » reads on the DHI website promotes the monastery also in English and in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a foundation “ defending the judaeo-christian foundations of Western Civilization through the recognition that Man is Made in the Image ans Likeness of God ” .
« We are in the natural paradise of herbalists , who know they can find more than 2,500 species of herbs on these mountains that grow spontaneously here and which were already used by the Carthusian monks who , since the Middle Ages , prepared spirits and precious medicines , including Sambuca .
Confirming this tradition , the Charterhouse offers tourists the view of one of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ completely frescoed between the 18th and 19th centuries .
In the eighteenth century the Carthusians embellished , with classicist decorations , the Church , the Cloister with the cells , the Refectory , the Cemetery of the Monks .
From 1947 the Carthusians were replaced by a new Order , that of the Cistercians of the Casamari Abbey who lived here until 2017 .
From Ash Wednesday 2018 the monastic complex is privately managed by the Dignitatis Humanae Institute .
Although the clash is all in the murky waters of politics , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
In a very brief summary , in 2016 the then Minister of Mibact Dario Franceschini ( Democratic Party ) decided to launch a call for the management of some Italian monuments that risk being abandoned .
Among these is the Certosa di Trisulti , where only an elderly monk remains , which is taken over in 2018 by Harnwell ’ s DHI , Bannon ’ s trusted man who establishes a political training center for right-wing conservatives there .
The blessing of the Catholic Church is given by the name of Cardinal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Board .
With his well-known exuberance , the political propaganda guru who won Donald Trump ’ s elections in the US in 2016 calls the “ gladiator school ” activity a school for new gladiators of Judeo-Christian culture .
This is obviously not prohibited in a democratic country like Italy .
Here , then , that the dispute winds up on the bureaucratic aspects of management .
Dignitatis Humanae has undertaken to promote the Certosa di Trisulti as a cultural monument by paying an annual rental fee of 100 thousand euros , partly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The visits are encouraged also thanks to the Cicerone Tourist Guide Center , just back from the promotion of the monastery to the Italian Tourism Exchange .
But in the meantime , the Solidarity Community begins protest demonstrations for the forge of right-wing thought and forwards a complaint to the Ministry .
The Mibact thus begins to carefully comb through the management contract and discovers the alleged anomalies .
DHI would not have had the necessary requirements to obtain the management contract , due to deficiencies in the Foundation ’ s financial guarantees @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , due to the lack of experience in managing similar monuments in the previous 5 years as required by the announcement and due to non-compliance with the rents .
So on May 31 , 2019 Minister Franeschini , returned to lead the Mibact after the new Conte Bis government supported by the Democratic Party and 5 Stars , communicates the revocation of the concession against which Dignitatis Humanae opposes the Lazio Regional Administrative Court which fixes the hearing for January 16 , 2020 .
In the meantime , however , the ministry , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ communicates the executive eviction in mid-December .
A maneuver that is not unprepared for DHI lawyers who obtain the suspension of execution as the case is pending before the TAR , which postpones the case to 11 March 2020 for the discussion on the effectiveness of the revocation .
Community Solidarity is constituted before the Regional Administrative Court through its lawyers , but the Municipality of Collepardo , at the moment , has not yet been established perhaps because , according to the media , fearful of the costs of legal costs in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is the politics of Daniela Bianchi , the link between the Catholic world of Frosinone and the progressive LGBT area of the SEL party , Sinistra Ecologia e Libertà , founded and then dissolved by Nichi Vendola , former governor of Puglia , gone retired at only 52 years thanks to his long political and parliamentary militancy , and companion of Eddy Testa , freelance graphic designer and creative consultant , with whom he adopted a son thanks to the practice of the uterus rented abroad , being in Italy prohibited .
« @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the citizens and will never become a political school for sovereigns .
Today we collect a fundamental result towards this goal .
The doubts expressed by the Ministry of Cultural Heritage and the start of the suspension procedure of the concession of the Charterhouse to the organization Dignitatis Humanae which refers to Steve Bannon , confirm what we have been shouting for months : the Charterhouse is too precious and important an asset to become an instrument of political propaganda » .
This was stated by Daniela Bianchi , spokesman for the Solidarity @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and committees as reported by IL Faro di Roma .
Commendable words if they had been uttered by a Christian free from conditioning .
Words that become suspicious if you go to read Bianchi ’ s catto-communist perfect globalist curriculum , which became politically famous thanks to the Democratic Party and Sel , known for their ties to the dem magnate George Soros .
« She was among the first to be fascinated by the Pd dream by Matteo Renzi , ” so much so that it was said of me that I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you have to do things » .
But then that dream was betrayed and eight months after his passage from “ For Lazio ” , the list of President Zingaretti , to the Democratic Party , complete with the subscription of the party card , the regional councilor Daniela Bianchi changes .
And he enters Sel .
What was I missing in the Democratic Party that I found here ?
The field of the proposal .
The feeling of having a perspective and a vision » .
She explained in the press conference @ @ @ @ @ @ @ presence of the party ’ s organization manager and vice-president of the region , Massimiliano Smeriglio , of the regional coordinator of Sel , Giancarlo Torricelli ” .
These phrases come from the official SEL website when , on October 5 , 2015 , she was greeted with enthusiasm : « It is with joy and desire to do together that we welcome Councilor Daniela Bianchi , in our regional group » To declare this are Gino De Paolis and Marta Bonafoni , Group Leader and Councilor Sel to the Lazio Region , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ held in Via Arenula 29 in Rome , headquarters of the National Sel .
« We are perfecting a collaboration that in fact already exists , on the themes and perspectives : with Daniela we shared ideas and proposals in the Regional Council from the beginning , because our sensibilities and our idea of the Region are close .
We are happy that this happened , therefore , as a natural process , within a path that strongly supports the transformation work that President Zingaretti has started for two and a half years @ @ @ @ @ @ @ today , thanks to the entry of Daniela Bianchi , with her history and her political career , but in general the Left of Lazio and the country , who looks at the challenge of the government by taking on the task of making proposals and innovative perspectives , both locally and nationally .
There is a need for center-left and Lazio is proving it : Sel ’ s work goes all in this direction , making herself available to a bigger dream , a process that we want to be participatory , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the cause of the most important Italian party near the LGBT lobby , the champion of the Charterhouse had made a brilliant career throughout the Bank and the Church … « Since 2006 I have been dealing with Institutional Relations in a large Banking Group ( where I followed the Policies of Welfare and Female Entrepreneurship , also dealing with Digital Agenda and Culture ) .
I started my professional activity in 1991 in Cariplo .
Head of the Studies and Technical Secretariat Office – Rome office – of Cariplo Esatri .
I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ( Federation of Italian Public Relations Experts ) .
National Councilor until 2011 .
In the Lazio regional delegation since 2011 with responsibility for Social Communication » Daniela Bianchi writes in her online presentation .
You have to go look elsewhere , however , to know that he worked from 2006 to 2013 in the Intesa Sanpaolo Group Institutional Relations Office , within the Participation and Business Department .
From 2009 to 2014 she was President of the Alessandro Kambo Foundation , an institution linked to the Diocese of Frosinone-Veroli-Ferentino whose main activity @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by ethical and moral values .
You have to go look elsewhere , however , to know that he worked from 2006 to 2013 in the Intesa Sanpaolo Group Institutional Relations Office , within the Participation and Business Department .
From 2009 to 2014 she was President of the Alessandro Kambo Foundation , an institution linked to the Diocese of Frosinone-Veroli-Ferentino whose main activity concerns school education through teaching methods inspired by ethical and moral values .
Obviously , this assignment ceased when Bianchi made the choice to approach SEL , who was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the foundations of the NO-Gender culture in schools .
But in the Catholic sphere , Bianchi can truly boast an exceptional curriculum .
« I was responsible , in the year 2000 , for the organization of the World Youth Day in Rome .
In 2001 , as Secretary General , I took care of organizing the visit of His Holiness John Paul II to the Diocese of Frosinone .
From October 2007 and until December 2012 , first as President and then as Councilor I was part of the Board of Directors @ @ @ @ @ @ @ body of the charitable services of the diocesan Caritas » .
From there the leap forward in social and political thanks to the authoritative blessing of the President of the Republic Giorgio Napolitano , a former member of the Communist Party and then of the Democratic Party , who named her Knight of the Republic in June 2012 .
Today she is Regional Councilor of the Lazio in the civic group “ Together for Lazio ” , the civic list that supported the governor Nicola Zingaretti , national secretary of the Democratic Party @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Gino De Paolis , already at the helm of SEL in the first Zingaretti government .
« If the management of the Certosa alla Dignitatis Humanae is truly taken away , this will only be a starting point for our battle .
Certainly not the end – Daniela Bianchi declared during a protest march – What we are asking is to transform the Charterhouse into a place of cultural and economic growth in the country , a place that could perhaps host a real training school on management , protection and enhancement cultural @ @ @ @ @ @ @ medicinal medicines or a place for the reception of pilgrims » .
Maybe even a reception place for migrants since the Ionian Sea , a ship of the Mediterranean NGO already seized twice for violating the provisions of the Coast Guard , was purchased thanks to a funding of 460 thousand euros from Banca Etica granted by virtue of the guarantees provided by Nichi Vendola and other left wing parliamentarians .
« Whatever the project , we are ready to do our part to unleash the extraordinary potential of the Charterhouse which in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the whole world .
From Japan to the United States , from Germany to France , the most important newspapers they are following the vicissitudes of the Charterhouse , and we can not afford the luxury of failing » says Bianchi .
The judicial war is now in full swing with the clash before the TAR on March 11 , 2020 .
It will obviously only be the first stage of a possible subsequent appeal to the Council of State by one of the two contenders .
The Charterhouse for now continues its @ @ @ @ @ @ @ visits as confirmed by a spokeswoman for the Cicerone Tourist Guide Center .
The political battle continues with the risk that instead of the right-wing gladiators of Bannon the left-wing activists of the rainbow will come to take LGBT lessons … Between right-wing sovereignists Christian fundamentalists and left-wing NWO globalists , everyone chooses whoever they want most !

by Fabio Giuseppe Carlo Carisio for VT Italy
On the one hand, there are the Judeo-Christian sovereigns who refer to Stephen Bannon, on the other the Catholic-communist globalists led by a woman bank manager of the civic list of the governor of Lazio Nicola Zingaretti, Italian PD secretary. She politically grows under the branches of SEL the Left Ecology and Freedom movement founded by the homosexual Nichi Vendola (considered a vassal of the magnate George Soros), before retiring from political life to devote himself to the adopted child, thanks to the practice of the uterus for rent prohibited in Italy.
In the middle is the centuries-old Carthusian monastery of Trisulti, disputed between the self-called “gladiators” of Christian fundamentalism on one side and the progressives of the LGBT lobby and indiscriminate immigration on the other.
Only with a careful and in-depth political reading of the parties involved can the legal dispute that broke out between the managers of the medieval monastery, the Dignitatis Humanae Institute directed by Benjamin Harnwell, the Mibact (Ministry for Cultural Heritage and Activities and Tourism) and Solidarity Communities, an association that pretends to be a spontaneous committee of the province of Frosinone and Lazio but which in reality, as we will see, is the expression of characters radically linked to the ultra-left.
Immersed in one of the most evocative naturalistic panoramas of the Ernici Mountains stands the solitary and imposing Certosa di Trisulti, a majestic monastic complex dating back to AD 1204 and located at 863m high at the foot of Monte Rotonaria, in the municipality of Collepardo (FR), Orange Flag of the Italian Touring Club »reads on the DHI website promotes the monastery also in English and in the USA.
Dignitatis Humane Institute looks like a foundation “defending the Judeo-Christian foundations of Western Civilization through the recognition that Man is Made in the Image and Likeness of God”.
We are in the natural paradise of herbalists, who know they can find more than 2,500 species of herbs on these mountains that grow spontaneously here and which were already used by the Carthusian monks who, since the Middle Ages, prepared spirits and precious medicines, including Sambuca.
Confirming this tradition, the Charterhouse offers tourists the view of one of the most beautiful monastic Pharmacies in Europe, completely frescoed between the 18th and 19th centuries. In the eighteenth century, the Carthusians embellished, with classicist decorations, the Church, the Cloister with the cells, the Refectory, the Cemetery of the Monks.
From 1947 the Carthusians were replaced by a new Order, that of the Cistercians of the Casamari Abbey who lived here until 2017. From Ash Wednesday 2018 the monastic complex is privately managed by the Dignitatis Humanae Institute. Although the clash is all in the murky waters of politics, the legal issue is now officially only administrative.
In a very brief summary, in 2016 the then Minister of Mibact Dario Franceschini (Democratic Party) decided to launch a call for the management of some Italian monuments that risk being abandoned.
Among these is the Certosa di Trisulti, where only an elderly monk remains, which is taken over in 2018 by Harnwell’s DHI, Bannon’s trusted man who establishes a political training center for right-wing conservatives there.
The blessing of the Catholic Church is given by the name of Cardinal Raymond Leo Burke on the DHI Advisors Board.
With his well-known exuberance, the political propaganda guru who won Donald Trump’s elections in the US in 2016 calls the “gladiator school” activity a school for new gladiators of Judeo-Christian culture. This is obviously not prohibited in a democratic country like Italy. Here, then, that the dispute winds up on the bureaucratic aspects of management.
If he had meditated a little longer on his project, Bannon would certainly not have used the word “gladiators”, known to be the first exterminators of Christians during Nero’s empire in Rome, but he would have chosen “Militis Christiani” as a denomination, drawing on it from the “Enchiridion” by Erasmus of Rotterdam …
Dignitatis Humanae has undertaken to promote the Certosa di Trisulti as a cultural monument by paying an annual rental fee of 100 thousand euros, partly in money and partly in renovations. The visits are encouraged also thanks to the Cicerone Tourist Guide Center, just back from the promotion of the monastery to the Italian Tourism Exchange.
But in the meantime, the Solidarity Community begins protest demonstrations for the forge of right-wing thought and forwards a complaint to the Ministry. The Mibact thus begins to carefully comb through the management contract and discovers the alleged anomalies.
DHI would not have had the necessary requirements to obtain the management contract, due to deficiencies in the Foundation’s financial guarantees (filed in a foreign country), due to the lack of experience in managing similar monuments in the previous 5 years as required by the announcement and due to non-compliance with the rents.
So on May 31, 2019, Minister Franeschini, returned to lead the Mibact after the new Conte Bis government supported by the Democratic Party and 5 Stars, communicates the revocation of the concession against which
Dignitatis Humanae opposes the Lazio Regional Administrative Court which fixes the hearing for January 16, 2020. In the meantime, however, the ministry, urged by the Solidarity Community protests, communicates the executive eviction in mid-December.
A maneuver that is not unprepared for DHI lawyers who obtain the suspension of execution as the case is pending before the TAR, which postpones the case to 11 March 2020 for the discussion on the effectiveness of the revocation. Community Solidarity is constituted before the Regional Administrative Court through its lawyers, but the Municipality of Collepardo, at the moment, has not yet been established perhaps because, according to the media, fearful of the costs of legal costs in case of defeat.
At the forefront is the politics of Daniela Bianchi, the link between the Catholic world of Frosinone and the progressive LGBT area of the SEL party, Sinistra Ecologia e Libertà, founded and then dissolved by Nichi Vendola, former governor of Puglia, gone retired at only 52 years thanks to his long political and parliamentary militancy, and companion of Eddy Testa, freelance graphic designer, and creative consultant, with whom he adopted a son thanks to the practice of the uterus rented abroad, being in Italy prohibited.
The Certosa di Trisulti will return to the citizens and will never become a political school for sovereigns. Today we collect a fundamental result towards this goal. The doubts expressed by the Ministry of Cultural Heritage and the start of the suspension procedure of the concession of the Charterhouse to the organization Dignitatis Humanae which refers to Steve Bannon, confirm what we have been shouting for months: the Charterhouse is too precious and important an asset to become an instrument of political propaganda.
This was stated by Daniela Bianchi, spokesman for the Solidarity Communities, the network of local associations and committees as reported by IL Faro di Roma. Commendable words if they had been uttered by a Christian free from conditioning. Words that become suspicious if you go to read Bianchi’s catto-communist perfect globalist curriculum, which became politically famous thanks to the Democratic Party and Sel, known for their ties to the dem magnate George Soros.
She was among the first to be fascinated by the Pd dream by Matteo Renzi,” so much so that it was said of me that I was very Renzian in methods because you have to do things». But then that dream was betrayed and eight months after his passage from “For Lazio”, the list of President Zingaretti, to the Democratic Party, complete with the subscription of the party card, the regional councilor Daniela Bianchi changes. And he enters Sel. What was I missing in the Democratic Party that I found here? The field of the proposal. The feeling of having a perspective and a vision.
She explained in the press conference that made his move official in the presence of the party’s organization manager and vice-president of the region, Massimiliano Smeriglio, of the regional coordinator of Sel, Giancarlo Torricelli”. These phrases come from the official SEL website when, on October 5, 2015, she was greeted with enthusiasm:
It is with joy and desire to do together that we welcome Councilor Daniela Bianchi, in our regional group» To declare this are Gino De Paolis and Marta Bonafoni, Group Leader and Councilor Sel to the Lazio Region, on the sidelines of the press conference held in Via Arenula 29 in Rome, headquarters of the National Sel.
We are perfecting a collaboration that in fact already exists, on the themes and perspectives: with Daniela, we shared ideas and proposals in the Regional Council from the beginning because our sensibilities and our idea of the Region are close. We are happy that this happened, therefore, as a natural process, within a path that strongly supports the transformation work that President Zingaretti has started for two and a half years now.
We get a little stronger today, thanks to the entry of Daniela Bianchi, with her history and her political career, but in general the Left of Lazio and the country, who looks at the challenge of the government by taking on the task of making proposals and innovative perspectives, both locally and nationally. There is a need for center-left and Lazio is proving it: Sel’s work goes all in this direction, making herself available to a bigger dream, a process that we want to be participatory, democratic and inclusive.
Before embracing the cause of the most important Italian party near the LGBT lobby, the champion of the Charterhouse had made a brilliant career throughout the Bank and the Church …
Since 2006 I have been dealing with Institutional Relations in a large Banking Group (where I followed the Policies of Welfare and Female Entrepreneurship, also dealing with Digital Agenda and Culture). I started my professional activity in 1991 in Cariplo. Head of the Studies and Technical Secretariat Office – Rome office – of Cariplo Esatri. I am an accredited professional member of FERPI (Federation of Italian Public Relations Experts). National Councilor until 2011. In the Lazio regional delegation since 2011 with responsibility for Social Communication
Daniela Bianchi writes in her online presence. You have to go look elsewhere, however, to know that he worked from 2006 to 2013 in the Intesa Sanpaolo Group Institutional Relations Office, within the Participation and Business Department. From 2009 to 2014 she was President of the Alessandro Kambo Foundation, an institution linked to the Diocese of Frosinone-Veroli-Ferentino whose main activity concerns school education through teaching methods inspired by ethical and moral values.
You have to go look elsewhere, however, to know that he worked from 2006 to 2013 in the Intesa Sanpaolo Group Institutional Relations Office, within the Participation and Business Department. From 2009 to 2014 she was President of the Alessandro Kambo Foundation, an institution linked to the Diocese of Frosinone-Veroli-Ferentino whose main activity concerns school education through teaching methods inspired by ethical and moral values.
Obviously, this assignment ceased when Bianchi made the choice to approach SEL, who was among the first political parties to bear the foundations of the NO-Gender culture in schools. But in the Catholic sphere, Bianchi can truly boast an exceptional curriculum.
I was responsible, in the year 2000, for the organization of the World Youth Day in Rome. In 2001, as Secretary-General, I took care of organizing the visit of His Holiness John Paul II to the Diocese of Frosinone. From October 2007 and until December 2012, first as President and then as Councilor I was part of the Board of Directors of the Diaconia Cooperative, the managing body of the charitable services of the diocesan Caritas.
From there the leap forward in social and political thanks to the authoritative blessing of the President of the Republic Giorgio Napolitano, a former member of the Communist Party and then of the Democratic Party, who named her Knight of the Republic in June 2012. Today she is Regional Councilor of the Lazio in the civic group “Together for Lazio”, the civic list that supported the governor Nicola Zingaretti, national secretary of the Democratic Party, and has as its group leader Gino De Paolis, already at the helm of SEL in the first Zingaretti government.
If the management of the Certosa alla Dignitatis Humanae is truly taken away, this will only be a starting point for our battle. Certainly not the end – Daniela Bianchi declared during a protest march – What we are asking is to transform the Charterhouse into a place of cultural and economic growth in the country, a place that could perhaps host a real training school on management, protection, and enhancement cultural heritage or become a research center on medicinal medicines or a place for the reception of pilgrims.
Maybe even a reception place for migrants since the Ionian Sea, a ship of the Mediterranean NGO already seized twice for violating the provisions of the Coast Guard, was purchased thanks to the funding of 460 thousand euros from Banca Etica granted by virtue of the guarantees provided by Nichi Vendola and other left-wing parliamentarians.
Whatever the project, we are ready to do our part to unleash the extraordinary potential of the Charterhouse which in recent months has captured the attention of the whole world. From Japan to the United States, from Germany to France, the most important newspapers they are following the vicissitudes of the Charterhouse, and we cannot afford the luxury of failing says, Bianchi. The judicial war is now in full swing with the clash before the TAR on March 11, 2020. It will obviously only be the first stage of a possible subsequent appeal to the Council of State by one of the two contenders.
The Charterhouse for now continues its regular opening activity to the public with visits as confirmed by a spokeswoman for the Cicerone Tourist Guide Center. The political battle continues with the risk that instead of the right-wing gladiators of Bannon the left-wing activists of the rainbow will come to take LGBT lessons …
Between right-wing sovereignists Christian fundamentalists and left-wing NWO globalists, everyone chooses whoever they want most!
© 2020 – Fabio Giuseppe Carlo Carisio – no reproduction without authorization – VERSIONE ITALIANA ORIGINALE
SOURCES


veteranstoday--2020-02-11--Genetic Diversity of African Populations May Lead To More Effective Treatments for Schizophrenia

• Researchers found damaging genetic variants linked to schizophrenia in the Xhosa population of South Africa .
• The findings suggest that though the mutations involved in the disorder are different for each individual , genes with the same functions are involved in all populations .
Schizophrenia is a chronic and severe mental disorder .
It affects how a person thinks , feels , and behaves .
People with schizophrenia can experience hallucinations , delusions , and disordered thinking .
Symptoms can be very disabling .
No single gene causes this disorder .
Rather , many different genes are involved @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more severe mutations .
Most genetic studies of schizophrenia to date have been carried out in people of European and Asian descent .
However , African populations harbor the most genetic diversity because most of human evolution occurred in Africa .
A relatively small number of people emigrated 50,000 to 100,000 years ago to establish other populations .
To identify and characterize genes related to schizophrenia in an ancestral African population , an international team of researchers sequenced and compared the genomes of more than 1,800 people who identified themselves as Xhosa .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ are the largest population of the Eastern Cape region .
About half the participants had been diagnosed with schizophrenia and half were not .
The research team was led by Drs .
Mary-Claire King and Jon M. McClellan at the University of Washington , Dan Stein at the University of Cape Town , South Africa , and Ezra Susser at Columbia University .
Their work was funded in part by NIH ’ s National Institute of Mental Health ( NIMH ) and National Human Genome Research Institute ( NHGRI ) .
Results were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , in Science .
The researchers found that genetic variation in general was greater in the Xhosa population compared with the largely non-African genomes that have been studied in the past .
The team then looked for changes in sequence , or mutations , in the exome—the set of genes that code for proteins .
They found that people with schizophrenia were more likely to have unique , damaging mutations in their genes .
Those with the disorder were also more likely to have these mutations specifically in genes involved in brain development @ @ @ @ @ @ @ which carry out communication between brain cells .
The team compared these genetic changes in the Xhosa population with those from genetic studies of people with schizophrenia from Sweden .
Both studies found mutations in genes related to synaptic function .
However , the results from the Xhosa study showed larger effect sizes .
The authors suggest that the greater genetic diversity in the African population increases the power of genetic studies to identify genes related to behavioral disorders .
“ The presence of only a few DNA variations damaging to synaptic function @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” Susser says .
“ While these variants differ from person to person , we believe they may disrupt neural pathways that elevate risk for schizophrenia.
” “ The genes and pathways identified by this research inform the understanding of schizophrenia for all human populations , ” King adds , “ and suggest potential mechanisms for the design of more effective treatments .
”

The findings suggest that though the mutations involved in the disorder are different for each individual, genes with the same functions are involved in all populations.
Schizophrenia is a chronic and severe mental disorder. It affects how a person thinks, feels, and behaves. People with schizophrenia can experience hallucinations, delusions, and disordered thinking. Symptoms can be very disabling.
No single gene causes this disorder. Rather, many different genes are involved, with each patient carrying one or more severe mutations. Most genetic studies of schizophrenia to date have been carried out in people of European and Asian descent. However, African populations harbor the most genetic diversity because most of human evolution occurred in Africa. A relatively small number of people emigrated 50,000 to 100,000 years ago to establish other populations.
To identify and characterize genes related to schizophrenia in an ancestral African population, an international team of researchers sequenced and compared the genomes of more than 1,800 people who identified themselves as Xhosa. Xhosa people live throughout South Africa and are the largest population of the Eastern Cape region. About half the participants had been diagnosed with schizophrenia and half were not.
The research team was led by Drs. Mary-Claire King and Jon M. McClellan at the University of Washington, Dan Stein at the University of Cape Town, South Africa, and Ezra Susser at Columbia University. Their work was funded in part by NIH’s National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) and National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI). Results were published online on January 31, 2020, in Science.
The researchers found that genetic variation, in general, was greater in the Xhosa population compared with the largely non-African genomes that have been studied in the past.
The team then looked for changes in sequence, or mutations, in the exome—the set of genes that code for proteins. They found that people with schizophrenia were more likely to have unique, damaging mutations in their genes.
Those with the disorder were also more likely to have these mutations specifically in genes involved in brain development and in the functioning of synapses, which carry out communication between brain cells.
The team compared these genetic changes in the Xhosa population with those from genetic studies of people with schizophrenia from Sweden. Both studies found mutations in genes related to synaptic function. However, the results from the Xhosa study showed larger effect sizes. The authors suggest that the greater genetic diversity in the African population increases the power of genetic studies to identify genes related to behavioral disorders.
“The presence of only a few DNA variations damaging to synaptic function could have an outsized effect on schizophrenia,” Susser says. “While these variants differ from person to person, we believe they may disrupt neural pathways that elevate the risk for schizophrenia.”
“The genes and pathways identified by this research inform the understanding of schizophrenia for all human populations,” King adds, “and suggest potential mechanisms for the design of more effective treatments.”
Source: NIH.gov


veteranstoday--2020-02-11--Breaking: ‘Diplomat’s Wife’ Charged with Vehicular Homicide in UK Really CIA officer

The American woman at the centre of the tragic death of Northamptonshire teenager , Harry Dunn , has been exposed as a Central Intelligence Agency ( CIA ) officer .
The revelation was made by Sky News earlier today , essentially confirming that Anne Sacoolas has a “ background ” in the CIA .
Sacoolas killed Harry , 19 , after her car crashed head-on with his motorcycle .
Sacoolas was driving on the wrong side of the road when the accident happened on August 27 last year .
Despite facing investigation by local police , Sacoolas claimed diplomatic immunity @ @ @ @ @ @ @ helped by Britain ’ s Foreign and Commonwealth Office ( FCO ) .
Last October it was revealed that Sacoolas has a previous driving-related conviction in the US .
Previously Sacoolas had been identified as a wife of an American intelligence officer stationed at RAF Croughton ( which houses a US spy base ) where the fatal accident occurred .
The confirmation that Sacoolas herself is a member of the CIA is likely to aggravate the situation and intensify calls for her return to Britain to face justice .
The offence which Sacoolas @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dangerous driving – can attract a custodial sentence of up to 14 years .
From the UK Guardian : “ Adam Wagner , one of the lawyers acting for the Dunn family , said the FCO needed “ to answer whether it knew Sacoolas was CIA at the time of Harry ’ s death , and whether the US used her status as a family member to take advantage of the ‘ anomaly ’ whereby family members are said to have more immunity than diplomats at the base ” .
The Dunn lawyers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Wagner added : “ The Foreign Office have refused so far to disclose any information or documents about the discussions with the USA and the police after Harry died .
The family are pushing hard for disclosures and have made an application for information and documents.
” The FCO said it was examining a freedom of information request by the family lawyers .
The family believe the documents may reveal the government did not insist Sacoolas remained in the country , partly because of her past status as a CIA officer .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ us ?
” Charles said .
“ We are determined to make sure that this never happens to another family again .
I do not know what the government think they are doing or why they are treating us the way they are .
We will not rest until Anne Sacoolas is back and we have secured the safety of the nation in so far as so-called diplomats committing crimes here in the UK is concerned.
” Asked about the reports of Sacoolas ’ s CIA work , the housing minister , Robert @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Ridge on Sunday show : “ I don ’ t know the reasons why the US have turned down our requests so far to extradite her .
She needs to return to the UK .
“ She should face justice , and I think it ’ s a terrible situation – I think we all agree on that – for the family .
Not only have they lost their child but they ’ re not seeing somebody brought to justice for that.
” Speaking earlier on the same show , Jeremy Hunt castigated @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Sacoolas to the UK , and said a CIA link could be relevant .
The former foreign secretary said : “ It may have a bearing on it , and I don ’ t know the truth of these things because I ’ m not foreign secretary any more , but I still think it is totally and utterly unacceptable that she is not facing justice in the UK .
“ And if anyone is questioning that , I think we just need to ask what would have happened if the boot had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a British diplomat had been involved in a road accident in the United States where someone had died and had fled on a private plane back to the UK and was evading justice – I don ’ t think President Trump would stand for that for one second , and I don ’ t think Britain would have behaved in that way.
” The long-suffering family of young Harry – whose concerted efforts to seek justice for their son has been consistently thwarted by the British government – have demanded to know whether @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s background in the CIA .
Harry ’ s mother , Charlotte Charles , told the Guardian the family is “ furious ” after learning the truth about Sacoolas .
“ How could [ the British government ] do this to us ?
We have thrown ourselves into building relationships with the government despite the terrible way they were treating us … We believe in giving people a second chance … But I am livid today and my family are full of anger ” , Harry ’ s mother said .
More @ @ @ @ @ @ @ young Harry has exposed the power imbalance in the UK-US relationship which is often wishfully described as a “ special relationship ” by British political , diplomatic , military and security leaders .
The UK government initially dragged its heel on the issue , trying to hide the fact the FCO had aided in Sacoolas ’ s evasion of British justice .
At any rate , the US government has resolutely underlined the power imbalance by flat out refusing to extradite Sacoolas to the UK .
From the outset , Press TV has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ view to reporting the truth , but also to support Harry ’ s family ’ s quest for justice in the face of cynical inaction and indifference by the British government .

CIA officer Anne Sacoolas has inadvertently shone a spotlight on US disdain for the UK
The American woman at the center of the tragic death of Northamptonshire teenager, Harry Dunn, has been exposed as a Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) officer.
The revelation was made by Sky News earlier today, essentially confirming that Anne Sacoolas has a “background” in the CIA.
Sacoolas killed Harry, 19 after her car crashed head-on with his motorcycle. Sacoolas was driving on the wrong side of the road when the accident happened on August 27 last year.
Despite facing an investigation by local police, Sacoolas claimed diplomatic immunity and promptly fled the UK, reportedly helped by Britain’s Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO).
Previous driving offense
Last October it was revealed that Sacoolas has a previous driving-related conviction in the US.
Previously Sacoolas had been identified as a wife of an American intelligence officer stationed at RAF Croughton (which houses a US spy base) where the fatal accident occurred.
The confirmation that Sacoolas herself is a member of the CIA is likely to aggravate the situation and intensify calls for her return to Britain to face justice.
The offense which Sacoolas is accused of – causing death by dangerous driving – can attract a custodial sentence of up to 14 years. From the UK Guardian:
“Adam Wagner, one of the lawyers acting for the Dunn family, said the FCO needed “to answer whether it knew Sacoolas was CIA at the time of Harry’s death and whether the US used her status as a family member to take advantage of the ‘anomaly’ whereby family members are said to have more immunity than diplomats at the base”. The Dunn lawyers dispute the existence of this claimed anomaly.
Wagner added: “The Foreign Office has refused so far to disclose any information or documents about the discussions with the USA and the police after Harry died. The family is pushing hard for disclosures and has made an application for information and documents.”
The FCO said it was examining freedom of information request by the family lawyers. The family believes the documents may reveal the government did not insist Sacoolas remained in the country, partly because of her past status as a CIA officer.
“How could they keep this from us?” Charles said. “We are determined to make sure that this never happens to another family again. I do not know what the government thinks they are doing or why they are treating us the way they are. We will not rest until Anne Sacoolas is back and we have secured the safety of the nation in so far as so-called diplomats committing crimes here in the UK is concerned.”
Asked about the reports of Sacoolas’s CIA work, the housing minister, Robert Jenrick, told Sky’s Sophy Ridge on Sunday show: “I don’t know the reasons why the US have turned down our requests so far to extradite her. She needs to return to the UK.
“She should face justice, and I think it’s a terrible situation – I think we all agree on that – for the family. Not only have they lost their child but they’re not seeing somebody brought to justice for that.”
Speaking earlier on the same show, Jeremy Hunt castigated the US for its refusal to send Sacoolas to the UK and said a CIA link could be relevant.
The former foreign secretary said: “It may have a bearing on it, and I don’t know the truth of these things because I’m not foreign secretary anymore, but I still think it is totally and utterly unacceptable that she is not facing justice in the UK.
“And if anyone is questioning that, I think we just need to ask what would have happened if the boot had been on the other foot if a British diplomat had been involved in a road accident in the United States where someone had died and had fled on a private plane back to the UK and was evading justice – I don’t think President Trump would stand for that for one second, and I don’t think Britain would have behaved in that way.”
Harry’s grieving family
The long-suffering family of young Harry – whose concerted efforts to seek justice for their son has been consistently thwarted by the British government – have demanded to know whether the British government was aware of Sacoolas’s background in the CIA.
Harry’s mother, Charlotte Charles, told the Guardian the family is “furious” after learning the truth about Sacoolas.
“How could [the British government] do this to us? We have thrown ourselves into building relationships with the government despite the terrible way they were treating us … We believe in giving people a second chance … But I am livid today and my family is full of anger”, Harry’s mother said.
The ‘special relationship’ myth
More than anything, the tragic story of young Harry has exposed the power imbalance in the UK-US relationship which is often wishfully described as a “special relationship” by British political, diplomatic, military and security leaders.
The UK government initially dragged its heel on the issue, trying to hide the fact the FCO had aided in Sacoolas’s evasion of British justice.
At any rate, the US government has resolutely underlined the power imbalance by flat out refusing to extradite Sacoolas to the UK.
From the outset, Press TV has reported extensively on this issue with a view to reporting the truth, but also to support Harry’s family’s quest for justice in the face of cynical inaction and indifference by the British government.


SAA Music Video

Nahed is VT Damascus Bureau Chief .
She is a member of the American Institute for Middle East Strategic Studies @ @ @ @ @ as Assistant Director of Arab-American and Muslim Congress ( Detroit , USA ) .
She @ @ @ @ @ Literature from Damascus University ( 1987 ) .
She ’ s also been a reporter @ @ @ @ @ Special Coordinator for Arab-Armenian International Law Assembly , Correspondent for Qatari News Agency , Al @ @ @ @ @ , Al Liwaa in Lebanon , Correspondent for Petra News Agency in Jordan , correspondent @ @ @ @ @ USA , and worked as a freelance journalist for CBS , ABS and CNN in @ @ @ @ @ in both English and Arabic .

Lyrics: “Brother”
Ramblers in the wilderness we can’t find what we need
Get a little restless from the searching
Get a little worn down in between
Like a bull chasing the matador is the man left to his own schemes
Everybody needs someone beside em’ shining like a lighthouse from the sea
Brother let me be your shelter
I’ll never leave you all alone
I can be the one you call
When you’re low
Brother let me be your fortress
When the night winds are driving on
Be the one to light the way
Bring you home
Face down in the desert now there’s a cage locked around my heart
I found a way to drop the keys where my failures were
Now my hands can’t reach that far
I ain’t made for a rivalry I could never take the world alone
I know that in my weakness I am strong, but
It’s your love that brings me home
Brother let me be your shelter
I’ll never leave you all alone
I can be the one you call
When you’re low
Brother let me be your fortress
When the night winds are driving on
Be the one to light the way
Bring you home
And when you call and need me near
Sayin’ where’d you go?
Brother I’m right here
And on those days when the sky begins to fall
You’re the blood of my blood
We can get through it all
Brother let me be your shelter
I’ll never leave you all alone
I can be the one you call
When you’re feelin’ low
Brother let me be your fortress
When the night winds are driving on
Be the one to light the way
Bring you home
Brother let me be your shelter
I’ll never leave you all alone
I can be the one you call
When you’re low
Brother let me be your fortress
When the night winds are driving on
Be the one to light the way
Bring you home
Be the one to light the way
Bring you home


veteranstoday--2020-02-11--What Ails Pakistan’s Economy-Way Forward

Pakistan economy has most of the time been at the brink of collapse and was repeatedly bailed out by world financial institutions .
Whenever the economy showed signs of progress and climbed up to reach the stage of take-off , it crashed mysteriously .
Our economic managers had to make a fresh start from a scratch .
They have been playing snake and ladder game and never bothered to carry out an appraisal as to who pulls the ladder from beneath their feet .
One of the major reason why Pakistan economy didn ’ t progress in accordance with available @ @ @ @ @ @ @ posed by India which didn ’ t reconcile to the existence of Pakistan .
Afghanistan making false claims on Pashtun inhabited Pak territories was another irritant .
Both were tilted towards the Soviet bloc .
Consequently Pakistan abandoned its nonaligned policy and fell into the lap of USA .
Thereon , it accorded higher priority to defence over economic development .
Field Marshal Ayub Khan focused on boosting agriculture , industry defence capacity and achieved pleasing results .
However , the 1965 war followed by politics of agitation pursued by ZA Bhutto and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to his second 5-year development program .
Bhutto ’ s nationalization policy washed away the gains of Ayub Khan .
Gen Ziaul Haq once again lifted the GDP to 7 % , but the economy nosedived in the 1990s due to the US sanctions , after effects of Afghan war which gave birth to drug and Kalashnikov cultures , extremism and sectarianism .
The third democratic era made Pakistan dependent upon IMF and World Bank and it started piling up heavy external debt .
This period also saw extreme political polarization , weak @ @ @ @ @ @ @ moral degradation .
Black money which had surfaced during Junejo regime ( 1985 to mid-1988 ) gained strength and became a parallel economy .
Mafias influenced the socio-economic life of Pakistan .
Gen Musharraf revived the economy but his achievements were reversed by the lawyers ’ movement and his failure to build Kalabagh dam .
The economy being consumer driven crashed when Zardari led PPP regime took over power in 2008 .
Thereon it was a downhill journey .
Apart from worst energy crisis , Pakistan ’ s economy touched the lowest ebb @ @ @ @ @ @ @ regime in the form of stabilization of macro-economic indicators , overcoming energy crisis and defeating rural and urban terrorism .
However the cultures of corruption , nepotism and borrowings continued .
By the time the reins of power came into the hands of PTI , the debt burden had crossed $ 94 billion and the overall economic situation was bleak .
Pakistan ’ s economic situation at present is worrying .
Almost all financial indicators are on the down slide .
GDP is at 2.3 % , which is lowest in last ten @ @ @ @ @ @ @ which is also reaching 10-year high .
Investment rate is lowest in the world .
It invests only 15 % of its output which has led to diminished productivity .
Pakistan has become a nation of consumers with limited capacity to produce and innovate .
Food inflation has reached record breaking 25 % , and there is price hike .
External debt has climbed to $ 110 billion , which eats up 30 % of the budget each year .
Loans are taken to repay past borrowings and for debt servicing .
Monster @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Public sector entities are in dismal state .
There are plans to privatize six of them .
The incumbent regime including the military is running on borrowed money .
The economic position has become so dismal and debt burden is so heavy that the incumbent government has so far been unable to fulfil any of its promises .
The economy is in the tight grip of IMF and the sword of FATF hangs over the head of Pakistan .
Whatever little improvements made in the macro-economic have brought no relief to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ difficult for the poor due to ever rising prices of daily commodities .
Governance is as weak as before if not worse , corruption is rampant , feudalism and dishonest practices by the elites are going on as heretofore , rulers are involved in nepotism and favoritism , gap between rich and poor is as wide as before , rather more people have fallen below poverty line , unemployment has increased , homeless are still without a shelter .
Expectations of making Pakistan corruption-free and an Islamic welfare state have faded and given @ @ @ @ @ @ @ seen the performance for over 17 months patiently , the people are finding no change in the so-called Naya Pakistan .
PTI ’ s heavy dependence upon shady allies has spoilt the pudding .
Not only the finance team is weak , so far no viable road map has been made to take the crumbling economy out of the woods .
Focus is on returning international loans , on debt servicing and in saving the country from getting blacklisted by FATF .
So far , it is a sorry tale of broken promises @ @ @ @ @ @ @ spiral and weak governance .
With every passing day , the burden of debt , fiscal deficit , circular debt and inflation are increasing .
Hopes of better 2020 are dampening due to obtaining tense geo-strategic environment surrounding Pakistan .
In the East , India after integrating Indian Occupied Kashmir is now threatening to annex Azad Kashmir within 10 days and has kept the Line of Control explosive .
Introduction of highly controversial Citizenship law by Modi regime has made the lives of Indian Muslims insecure .
The western front is hostile due @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The southern backyard has also become stressed due to military standoff between USA and Iran .
Above all , coronavirus in China is likely to impact Pakistan ’ s manufacturing industry since China ’ s raw material import prices surged overnight .
Import/export with China , and CPEC in which thousands of Chinese are working and private companies are engaged would also get affected .
The government spends more than it earns through exports , revenues and remittances .
Consequently , fiscal deficit keep increasing .
Saving rate is only 25 % @ @ @ @ @ @ @ countries .
We import more and export less .
This imbalance intensified after 2008 .
In 2019 , Pakistan imported over two times as much as it exported .
Our moneyed class is infatuated with foreign goods and have distaste for local products .
Instead of investing in real business , they buy urban land and sit on it .
After 1990 , we became dependent upon IMF , World Bank and State Bank which increased inflation and tax burden on the poor .
Debt servicing consume 7-8 % of GDP and about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ majority of well-heeled are tax evaders .
Only 1 % pay taxes and our tax to GDP ratio is among lowest in the world .
Tax burden fall upon the poor , one third of which live below poverty line .
Pakistan has a very small share in global trade since it has few markets .
We are now exploring Africa .
We have a narrow export base , supposed to be the pillar of growth .
Illiteracy and lack of technical skills have a lot to do with depressed social indicators and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from water shortages since we ignored developing our hydro power and introduced expensive thermal power to meet the shortfalls in electric power .
After Tarbela dam in 1974 , no major dam was built .
Water scarcity has become the biggest threat to agriculture which accounts for 19.5 % of GDP .
After the untimely demise of Quaid-e-Azam , we suffer from leadership crisis , weak governance and weak implementation .
Our Anglo Saxon laws and Westminster democracy are pro rich and not in sync with the aspirations of the people .
These @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of law , political polarization , divisions in society , hydra-headed Mafias and parallel black economy are a drag on economy .
The parasites enrich themselves but make the national kitty impoverished .
Lack of continuity and security , uncertainty and unpredictability have given rise to sense of insecurity , which in turn discourages trade , business and investments .
Population which has grown from 30 million in 1947 to over 22 crore is another factor which comes in the way of provision of social services .
Irrespective of 1971 debacle and nationalization @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Pak economy was ahead of other economies in the region .
In 1960s , South Korea emulated Pakistan in its 5-year planning .
Till mid-1990s , India was way behind Pakistan .
In 1969 , Pakistan exports of manufactured goods were higher than combined exports of Indonesia , Malaysia , Philippines and Thailand .
Pak economy plunged in the 1990s and after a brief recovery once again dunked .
Meddlesome roles of India , Afghanistan and USA in internal affairs of Pakistan have kept the country politically destabilized and economically weak .
To @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to have secured frontiers , political stability , stable law & order and security of life & properties .
Pakistan military defended the borders and provided security against foreign backed terrorism at a very heavy cost .
However , successive governments failed to doctor multiple social diseases through good governance and financial management .
There are no short cuts .
First , each one in Pakistan have to change their mindset from negative to positive .
We should holistically see what Pakistan has achieved in last 72 years .
Creation of Pakistan was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ odds is another miracle .
We should adopt positive mentality by saying “ we can do irrespective of adversities ” .
Instead of focusing only on tangibles , we should not neglect our human capital .
‘ It is the man behind the gun who matters and not the gun itself ’ .
To enhance our national output , we should boost our agriculture , technical skills and use technology to reduce poverty .
Japan , Europe and USA are beset with aging population .
We are fortunate to have over 60 % @ @ @ @ @ @ @ higher education and specialized skills , and utilized properly , can turn around our economy .
Three tiered education system to be replaced with single unified system to provide equal social growth opportunities to all , and thus achieve national integration .
Tax culture should be built to broaden tax base and to improve revenue generation .
Critical reforms in education , politics , bureaucracy , judiciary , police , NAB and FBR to be undertaken without which no headway can be made .
To rid the society of social diseases , there @ @ @ @ @ @ @ All out efforts must be made to reinvigorate agriculture , and the CPEC , which is economic lifeline of Pakistan .
Until and unless we free ourselves from magic spell of USA , which will never let Pakistan become economically strong , replace alien systems with systems matching our Islamic heritage , and charter independent foreign and economic policies , hope for revival of economy and making Pakistan self-reliant will remain a pipedream .
In the 1980s , Pakistan was richer than India , China , and Bangladesh in per capita income by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ % respectively .
Indian economy lagged behind Pakistan till mid-1990s .
Today we lag bend all the three .
Pakistan economy crashed 13 times and each time it was bailed out by the IMF .
There seem to be something drastically wrong in our systems , in our attitudes , ethics and morals .
We need to ponder why all the South Asian and Far Eastern countries that were economically much behind Pakistan in the past and viewed Pakistan as a role model of economic growth have surged forward and achieved economic prosperity @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and a load on our economy when it was part of Pakistan .
Today , all its economic indicators are in positive .
It has excelled in garment production and their exports are higher than India and Pakistan .
This feat has been achieved despite being non-cotton growing country .
It has also made a quantum jump in green production , population explosion has been controlled , and judiciary reformed .
These big changes have come about during the rule of Hasina Wajid who is in power since 2010 .
Two factors have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ continuity of rule thereby ensuring completion of projects in hand , and dealing with opposition parties and religious extremism with an iron hand .
Our problem is , we make high sounding plans but are very weak in implementation of plans and give in to political expediencies .
The writer is retired Brig Gen , war veteran , defence & security analyst , columnist , author of five books , Chairman Thinkers Forum Pakistan , Director Measakh Research Center , Member CWC & Think Tank PESS .
[ email protected ] com

By Asif Haroon Raja
Pakistan’s economy has most of the time been at the brink of collapse and was repeatedly bailed out by world financial institutions. Whenever the economy showed signs of progress and climbed up to reach the stage of take-off, it crashed mysteriously. Our economic managers had to make a fresh start from scratch. They have been playing snake and ladder game and never bothered to carry out an appraisal as to who pulls the ladder from beneath their feet.
One of the major reasons why Pakistan’s economy didn’t progress in accordance with available resources and potential was the security threats posed by India which didn’t reconcile to the existence of Pakistan. Afghanistan making false claims on Pashtun inhabited Pak territories was another irritant. Both were tilted towards the Soviet bloc. Consequently, Pakistan abandoned its nonaligned policy and fell into the lap of the USA. Thereon, it accorded higher priority to defense over economic development.
Field Marshal Ayub Khan focused on boosting agriculture, industry defense capacity and achieved pleasing results. However, the 1965 war followed by the politics of agitation pursued by ZA Bhutto and Sheikh Mujibur Rehman caused a set back to his second 5-year development program. Bhutto’s nationalization policy washed away the gains of Ayub Khan.
Gen Ziaul Haq once again lifted the GDP to 7%, but the economy nosedived in the 1990s due to the US sanctions, after-effects of the Afghan war which gave birth to drugs and Kalashnikov cultures, extremism and sectarianism. The third democratic era made Pakistan dependent upon IMF and World Bank and it started piling up heavy external debt. This period also saw extreme political polarization, weak governance, a rise in corrupt practices and moral degradation. Black money which had surfaced during the Junejo regime (1985 to mid-1988) gained strength and became a parallel economy. Mafias influenced the socio-economic life of Pakistan.
Gen Musharraf revived the economy but his achievements were reversed by the lawyers’ movement and his failure to build Kalabagh dam. The economy being consumer-driven crashed when Zardari led PPP regime took over power in 2008. Thereon it was a downhill journey.
Apart from the worst energy crisis, Pakistan’s economy touched the lowest ebb. Some positives took place during the PML-N regime in the form of stabilization of macro-economic indicators, overcoming the energy crisis and defeating rural and urban terrorism. However, the cultures of corruption, nepotism, and borrowings continued. By the time the reins of power came into the hands of PTI, the debt burden had crossed $ 94 billion and the overall economic situation was bleak.
Current Situation
Pakistan’s economic situation at present is worrying. Almost all financial indicators are on the downslide. GDP is at 2.3%, which is the lowest in the last ten years. Inflation is above 13% which is also reaching a 10-year high. The investment rate is the lowest in the world. It invests only 15% of its output which has led to diminished productivity. Pakistan has become a nation of consumers with limited capacity to produce and innovate. Food inflation has reached record-breaking 25%, and there is a price hike.
External debt has climbed to $110 billion, which eats up 30% of the budget each year. Loans are taken to repay past borrowings and for debt servicing. Monster of circular debt haunts the policymakers. Public sector entities are in a dismal state. There are plans to privatize six of them. The incumbent regime including the military is running on borrowed money.
The economic position has become so dismal and debt burden is so heavy that the incumbent government has so far been unable to fulfill any of its promises. The economy is in the tight grip of IMF and the sword of FATF hangs over the head of Pakistan. Whatever little improvements made in the macro-economic have brought no relief to the people.
Life has been made more difficult for the poor due to the ever-rising prices of daily commodities. Governance is as weak as before if not worse, corruption is rampant, feudalism and dishonest practices by the elites are going on as heretofore, rulers are involved in nepotism and favoritism, gap between rich and poor is as wide as before, rather more people have fallen below poverty line, unemployment has increased, homeless are still without a shelter.
Expectations of making Pakistan corruption-free and an Islamic welfare state have faded and given way to hopelessness and despair. Having seen the performance for over 17 months patiently, the people are finding no change in the so-called Naya Pakistan.
PTI’s heavy dependence upon shady allies has spoilt the pudding. Not only the finance team is weak, so far no viable road map has been made to take the crumbling economy out of the woods. Focus is on returning international loans, on debt servicing and in saving the country from getting blacklisted by FATF.
So far, it is a sorry tale of broken promises, U-turns, soaring inflation, price spiral, and weak governance. With every passing day, the burden of debt, fiscal deficit, circular debt, and inflation are increasing.
Geo-strategic Environment
Hopes of better 2020 are dampening due to obtaining tense geo-strategic environment surrounding Pakistan. In the East, India after integrating Indian Occupied Kashmir is now threatening to annex Azad Kashmir within 10 days and has kept the Line of Control explosive. The introduction of highly controversial Citizenship law by the Modi regime has made the lives of Indian Muslims insecure.
The western front is hostile due to cross border terrorism sponsored by RAW-NDS. The southern backyard has also become stressed due to military standoff between the USA and Iran. Above all, coronavirus in China is likely to impact Pakistan’s manufacturing industry since China’s raw material import prices surged overnight. Import/export with China, and CPEC in which thousands of Chinese are working and private companies are engaged would also get affected.
Challenges of Pakistan’s Economy
The government spends more than it earns through exports, revenues, and remittances. Consequently, fiscal deficit keeps increasing.
Despite the economic crunch, wastefulness continues unabated.
The saving rate is only 25%, which is less than most regional countries.
We import more and export less. This imbalance intensified after 2008. In 2019, Pakistan imported over two times as much as it exported.
Our moneyed class is infatuated with foreign goods and have a distaste for local products. Instead of investing in real business, they buy urban land and sit on it.
After 1990, we became dependent upon the IMF, World Bank, and State Bank which increased inflation and tax burden on the poor.
Debt servicing consumes 7-8% of GDP and about 40% of government expenditure.
The great majority of well-heeled are tax evaders. Only 1% pay taxes and our tax to GDP ratio is among the lowest in the world. Tax burden falls upon the poor, one-third of which live below the poverty line.
Pakistan has a very small share in global trade since it has few markets. We are now exploring Africa.
We have a narrow export base, supposed to be the pillar of growth.
Illiteracy and lack of technical skills have a lot to do with depressing social indicators and deprivations of smaller provinces.
Pakistan suffers from water shortages since we ignored developing our hydropower and introduced expensive thermal power to meet the shortfalls in electric power. After the Tarbela dam in 1974, no major dam was built.
Water scarcity has become the biggest threat to agriculture which accounts for 19.5% of GDP.
After the untimely demise of Quaid-e-Azam, we suffer from a leadership crisis, weak governance and weak implementation.
Our Anglo Saxon laws and Westminster democracy are pro-rich and not in sync with the aspirations of the people.
Nepotism, corruption, money laundering, smuggling, and hoarding are rampant.
These together with lack of justice, rule of law, political polarization, divisions in society, hydra-headed Mafias and parallel black economy are a drag on the economy.
The parasites enrich themselves but make the national kitty impoverished.
Lack of continuity and security, uncertainty and unpredictability have given rise to a sense of insecurity, which in turn discourages trade, business, and investments.
Population which has grown from 30 million in 1947 to over 22 crores is another factor that comes in the way of provision of social services.
Irrespective of the 1971 debacle and nationalization policy which devastated the industrial growth, Pak’s economy was ahead of other economies in the region.
In the 1960s, South Korea emulated Pakistan in its 5-year planning. Till the mid-1990s, India was way behind Pakistan. In 1969, Pakistan exports of manufactured goods were higher than the combined exports of Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, and Thailand. Pak’s economy plunged in the 1990s and after a brief recovery once again dunked.
The meddlesome roles of India, Afghanistan, and the USA in the internal affairs of Pakistan have kept the country politically destabilized and economically weak.
Essential Parameters of Healthy Economy
To maintain a robust economy, a country needs to have secured frontiers, political stability, stable law & order and security of life & properties.
Pakistan military defended the borders and provided security against foreign-backed terrorism at a very heavy cost. However, successive governments failed to doctor multiple social diseases through good governance and financial management.
How to Improve Economy
There are no short cuts. First, each one in Pakistan has to change their mindset from negative to positive. We should holistically see what Pakistan has achieved in the last 72 years.
Creation of Pakistan was a miracle and its existence despite heavy odds is another miracle. We should adopt a positive mentality by saying “we can do irrespective of adversities”.
Instead of focusing only on tangibles, we should not neglect our human capital. ‘It is the man behind the gun who matters and not the gun itself’.
To enhance our national output, we should boost our agriculture, technical skills and use technology to reduce poverty.
Japan, Europe, and the USA are beset with an aging population. We are fortunate to have over 60% of the population young, which if imparted higher education and specialized skills, and utilized properly, can turn around our economy.
Three-tiered education systems to be replaced with a single unified system to provide equal social growth opportunities to all, and thus achieve national integration.
Tax culture should be built to broaden the tax base and to improve revenue generation.
Merit-based system must be evolved.
Simplicity and austerity should replace pomposity.
Sick state-owned enterprises to be made profitable.
Critical reforms in education, politics, bureaucracy, judiciary, police, NAB and FBR to be undertaken without which no headway can be made.
To rid the society of social diseases, there is a need for moral re-armament.
All-out efforts must be made to reinvigorate agriculture, and the CPEC, which is the economic lifeline of Pakistan.
Until and unless we free ourselves from the magic spell of the USA, which will never let Pakistan become economically strong, replace alien systems with systems matching our Islamic heritage, and charter independent foreign and economic policies, hope for a revival of economy and making Pakistan self-reliant will remain a pipedream.
Point to Ponder
In the 1980s, Pakistan was richer than India, China, and Bangladesh in per capita income by 15%, 38%, and 46% respectively. Indian economy lagged behind Pakistan till the mid-1990s. Today we lag bend all the three. Pakistan’s economy crashed 13 times and each time it was bailed out by the IMF. There seem to be something drastically wrong in our systems, in our attitudes, ethics, and morals.
We need to ponder why all the South Asian and Far Eastern countries that were economically much behind Pakistan in the past and viewed Pakistan as a role model of economic growth have surged forward and achieved economic prosperity.
Bangladesh was regarded as a liability and a load on our economy when it was part of Pakistan. Today, all its economic indicators are positive. It has excelled in garment production and its exports are higher than in India and Pakistan. This feat has been achieved despite being a non-cotton growing country. It has also made a quantum jump in green production, population explosion has been controlled, and judiciary reformed. These big changes have come about during the rule of Hasina Wajid who is in power since 2010. Two factors have helped her in achieving tangle results; continuity of rule thereby ensuring completion of projects in hand and dealing with opposition parties and religious extremism with an iron hand.
Our problem is, we make high sounding plans but are very weak in the implementation of plans and give in to political expediencies.


veteranstoday--2020-02-11--IRGC: Trump Lied, US ‘Brain Injured’ Actually KIA

TEHRAN ( FNA ) - Spokesman of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps Brigadier General Ramezan Sharif said that the Pentagon is trying to fool the Americans by reporting the death of its soldiers in the IRGC ’ s retaliatory missile strikes on the US in Iraq ’ s Ein Al-Assad airbase last month as traumatic brain injuries .
“ The word dead in the US lexicon has been changed with traumatic brain injury and they conceal their damages and tolls of our attack against Ein al-Assad , ” General Sharif said in sarcastic remarks made during an address to participants @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Islamic Revolution ’ s victory in the Eastern city of Birjand on Tuesday .
He said assassination of IRGC Qods Force Commander Lieutenant General Qassem Soleimani has been a grave mistake by the US with dire repercussions , and added , “ Rest assured that assassination of General Soleimani will make the US and Israel leave the region.
” General Sharif said Iran is so powerful in defense , military and security fields that the biggest world powers will not be able to threaten the country ’ s national and geographical interests @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a more than 50 % jump in cases of traumatic brain injury stemming from Iran ’ s missile attack on Ein Al-Assad airbase in Iraq last month , with the number of service members diagnosed climbing to 109 .
The US president and the Pentagon initially claimed no service members were killed or wounded , and they signaled that Washington was not looking for additional armed conflict with Tehran .
Trump stated soon after the missile attack that “ no Americans were harmed ” , and the United States suffered “ no casualties @ @ @ @ @ @ @ our soldiers are safe , and only minimal damage was sustained at our military bases ” .
Later , it emerged that “ several ” were being treated for concussion symptoms .
Trump has consistently tried to minimize the injuries , stating that he had “ heard [ the injured soldiers ] had headaches ” but insisting “ it is not very serious…relative to other injuries I have seen ” .
The US administration also was criticized for playing down the severity of injuries .
The Veterans of Foreign Wars later stated in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ apology from the president to our service men and women for his misguided remarks ” .
Less than two weeks ago , the Pentagon said 64 American military personnel were diagnosed with traumatic brain injury in the wake of the Iranian missile strike on Ein Al-Assad .
Several Pentagon officials had told CNN that the number of diagnosed cases is likely to continue to change , as approximately 200 people who were in the blast zone at the time of the attack have been screened for symptoms .
The Defense Department initially said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ then reported 34 service members had been injured last week , before upping the number to 50 .
Meantime , a leading Kuwaiti newspaper had also disclosed that 16 US military men with fatal injuries sustained during Iran ’ s retaliatory operation have been taken to a hospital in camp Arifjan in Ahmed al-Jaber airbase in Kuwait .
The Arabic-language Al-Qabas paper quoted informed sources as saying that the 16 US militaries , included some whose bodies had been severely burnt and some others who had sustained shrapnel wounds , have been transferred @ @ @ @ @ @ @ under strict security measures .
It added that the wounded military men have gone under surgical operations and are still kept at the ICU section of the hospital .
The paper said several other US forces who had sustained mild injuries were under treatment in Iraq .
Iranian military commanders say the missile strikes have left a large number of US soldiers injured and dead but the American officials are trying to hide the true numbers .
Ein Al-Assad , which houses US troops , is one of the largest and oldest military @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Western Iraq .
It found itself under fire from volleys of ballistic missiles launched from Iran after a US drone strike near Baghdad on January 3 assassinated IRGC Qods Force Commander Lieutenant General Qassem Soleimani who played a major role in beating the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant ( ISIL , ISIS or Daesh ) terror group in both Syria and Iraq .
The terror group has intensified its attacks in Iraq and Syria following the United States ’ assassination of Iran ’ s top anti-terror commander , residents and monitors @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ) announced in an analysis that Daesh “ clearly gained at least temporary breathing room ” after tensions between Iran and the US escalated in the aftermath of the martyrdom of General Soleimani .
His assassination has inflamed tensions between Washington and Tehran , and drew a harsh rebuke from Baghdad , prompting the Iraqi Parliament to pass a resolution ordering American forces to leave the country .
The airstrike also martyred Deputy Commander of Iraq ’ s Popular Mobilization Forces ( PMF ) Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis .
The two were martyred in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on the road to the airport .
Five Iranian and five Iraqi militaries were martyred by missiles fired by the US drone at Baghdad International Airport .
On January 8 , the IRGC Aerospace Force started heavy ballistic missile attacks on US Ein Al-Assad airbase in Southwestern Iraq near the border with Syria and a US operated airbase in Erbil in retaliation for the US assassination of General Soleimani .
Ein Al-Assad is an airbase with a 4km runway at 188m altitude from sea levels , which is the main and the largest @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said the radar systems and missile defense shields in Ein Al-Assad failed to operate and intercept the Iranian missiles .
Unofficial reports said the US army ’ s central radar systems at Ein Al-Assad had been jammed by electronic warfare .
The second IRGC reprisal attack targeted a US military base near Erbil airport in Iraqi Kurdistan Region in the second leg of “ Martyr Soleimani ” reprisal operation .
Iraq said the attacks had not taken any toll from its army men stationed at these two bases .
The US army had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , including the Iraqi army .
It was the first direct attack on the US army ever since world war two .
The IRGC officials said none of the missiles had been intercepted .
Briefing media on operational objective of missile attacks on US bases , IRGC Aerospace Commander Brigadier General Ali Hajizadeh stated that Iran was not after killing anyone although “ tens of US troops have likely been killed and wounded and were transfered to Israel and Jordan on 9 sorties of C-130 flights ” .
He noted that had Iran @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it could have planned high casualty operations to kill 500 US military men in the first step and 4,000 to 5,000 others in the second and third phases within 48 hours .
Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei has called the military operation “ only a slap across the face ” of the United States , stating that “ military moves like this are not enough .
The Americans ’ corruption-stirring presence should come to an end ” .
Tehran reiterates that its strategic objective is expelling the US @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the true vengeance for the terror attack on its most popular commander .

TEHRAN (FNA)- Spokesman of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps Brigadier General Ramezan Sharif said that the Pentagon is trying to fool the Americans by reporting the death of its soldiers in the IRGC’s retaliatory missile strikes on the US in Iraq’s Ein Al-Assad airbase last month as traumatic brain injuries.
“The word dead in the US lexicon has been changed with traumatic brain injury and they conceal their damages and tolls of our attack against Ein al-Assad,” General Sharif said in sarcastic remarks made during an address to participants in the rallies marking the anniversary of the Islamic Revolution’s victory in the Eastern city of Birjand on Tuesday.
He said the assassination of IRGC Qods Force Commander Lieutenant General Qassem Soleimani has been a grave mistake by the US with dire repercussions, and added, “Rest assured that assassination of General Soleimani will make the US and Israel leave the region.”
General Sharif said Iran is so powerful in defense, military and security fields that the biggest world powers will not be able to threaten the country’s national and geographical interests.
The US military on Monday disclosed a more than 50% jump in cases of traumatic brain injury stemming from Iran’s missile attack on Ein Al-Assad airbase in Iraq last month, with the number of service members diagnosed climbing to 109.
The US president and the Pentagon initially claimed no service members were killed or wounded, and they signaled that Washington was not looking for additional armed conflict with Tehran. Trump stated soon after the missile attack that “no Americans were harmed”, and the United States suffered “no casualties”, noting that “all of our soldiers are safe, and only minimal damage was sustained at our military bases”.
Later, it emerged that “several” were being treated for concussion symptoms.
Trump has consistently tried to minimize the injuries, stating that he had “heard [the injured soldiers] had headaches” but insisting “it is not very serious…relative to other injuries I have seen”.
The US administration also was criticized for playing down the severity of injuries. The Veterans of Foreign Wars later stated in a statement that it “expects an apology from the president to our servicemen and women for his misguided remarks”.
Less than two weeks ago, the Pentagon said 64 American military personnel were diagnosed with traumatic brain injury in the wake of the Iranian missile strike on Ein Al-Assad.
Several Pentagon officials had told CNN that the number of diagnosed cases is likely to continue to change, as approximately 200 people who were in the blast zone at the time of the attack have been screened for symptoms.
The Defense Department initially said there had been no injuries, but then reported 34 service members had been injured last week, before upping the number to 50.
Meantime, a leading Kuwaiti newspaper had also disclosed that 16 US military men with fatal injuries sustained during Iran’s retaliatory operation have been taken to a hospital in camp Arifjan in Ahmed al-Jaber air base in Kuwait.
The Arabic-language Al-Qabas paper quoted informed sources as saying that the 16 US militaries, included some whose bodies had been severely burnt and some others who had sustained shrapnel wounds, have been transferred to a US military hospital in Kuwait under strict security measures.
It added that the wounded military men have gone under surgical operations and are still kept at the ICU section of the hospital.
Iranian military commanders say the missile strikes have left a large number of US soldiers injured and dead but the American officials are trying to hide the true numbers.
Ein Al-Assad, which houses US troops, is one of the largest and oldest military bases and located in Al-Anbar province in Western Iraq. It found itself under fire from volleys of ballistic missiles launched from Iran after a US drone strike near Baghdad on January 3 assassinated IRGC Qods Force Commander Lieutenant General Qassem Soleimani who played a major role in beating the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL, ISIS or Daesh) terror group in both Syria and Iraq.
The terror group has intensified its attacks in Iraq and Syria following the United States’ assassination of Iran’s top anti-terror commander, residents and monitors say. The Associated Press (AP) announced in an analysis that Daesh “clearly gained at least temporary breathing room” after tensions between Iran and the US escalated in the aftermath of the martyrdom of General Soleimani.
His assassination has inflamed tensions between Washington and Tehran, and drew a harsh rebuke from Baghdad, prompting the Iraqi Parliament to pass a resolution ordering American forces to leave the country.
The airstrike also martyred Deputy Commander of Iraq’s Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis. The two were martyred in an American airstrike that targeted their vehicle on the road to the airport.
Five Iranian and five Iraqi militaries were martyred by missiles fired by the US drone at Baghdad International Airport.
On January 8, the IRGC Aerospace Force started heavy ballistic missile attacks on US Ein Al-Assad airbase in Southwestern Iraq near the border with Syria and a US operated airbase in Erbil in retaliation for the US assassination of General Soleimani.
Ein Al-Assad is an airbase with a 4km runway at 188m altitude from sea levels, which is the main and the largest US airbase in Iraq. Early reports said the radar systems and missile defense shields in Ein Al-Assad failed to operate and intercept the Iranian missiles. Unofficial reports said the US army’s central radar systems at Ein Al-Assad had been jammed by electronic warfare.
The second IRGC reprisal attack targeted a US military base near Erbil airport in the Iraqi Kurdistan Region in the second leg of “Martyr Soleimani” reprisal operation.
Iraq said the attacks had not taken any toll from its army men stationed at these two bases. The US army had blocked entrance into Ein Al-Assad to everyone, including the Iraqi army.
It was the first direct attack on the US army ever since world war two.
The IRGC officials said none of the missiles had been intercepted.
Briefing media on the operational objective of missile attacks on US bases, IRGC Aerospace Commander Brigadier General Ali Hajizadeh stated that Iran was not after killing anyone although “tens of US troops have likely been killed and wounded and were transferred to Israel and Jordan on 9 sorties of C-130 flights”.
He noted that had Iran intended to kill the American forces, it could have planned high casualty operations to kill 500 US military men in the first step and 4,000 to 5,000 others in the second and third phases within 48 hours.
Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei has called the military operation “only a slap across the face” of the United States, stating that “military moves like this are not enough. The Americans’ corruption-stirring presence should come to an end”.
Tehran reiterates that its strategic objective is expelling the US troops from the region, naming it the true vengeance for the terror attack on its most popular commander.
Washington Covering Up Deaths of US Soldiers From Iran’s Attack on Iraq Bases – IRGC
TEHRAN (Sputnik) – Washington is intentionally hiding the fact that US troops died during Iran’s attack on its military in Iraq, Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) spokesman Ramezan Sharif said on Tuesday.
“The word dead in the US lexicon has been changed with traumatic brain injury and they conceal their damages and tolls of our attack against Ein al-Assad,” Sharif said at a rally in the eastern city of Birjand marking the anniversary of the Islamic Revolution’s victory, as quoted by the Fars news agency.
Earlier in the day, the Pentagon said that at least 109 US troops had received traumatic brain injuries during Iran’s missile attack on a military base hosting US troops in Iraq in early January.
© AFP 2019 / STRINGER
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards Claim US Troops’ ‘Brain Injuries’ Toll a ‘Metaphor’ for Deaths – Reports
On January 8, Iran launched 16 missiles at the Erbil and Al Asad air bases in Iraq in response to a US airstrike that killed top Iranian general Qasem Soleimani five days earlier.
Initially, the White House and Pentagon said that no one was hurt, but the latter was eventually forced to admit that there had been victims and proceeded to increase the count several times. The Pentagon explained that the symptoms of shell shock may not appear immediately and that initial assessment may differ from final diagnoses.


veteranstoday--2020-02-12--Breaking: US Troops Securing Oil Theft Route in Syria Murder 14 Year Old Kurdish Boy, Face Armed Cro

Breaking: US Troops Securing Oil Theft Route in Syria Murder 14 Year Old Kurdish Boy, Face Armed Crowd

VT ’ s Position : We don ’ t want American troops used to blatantly aid this kind of piracy and looting .
This is a shameful misuse of our military .
Senior Editor , Gordon Duff Today , American troops murdered a 10-year-old boy and one adult , who had been part of a group protesting American oil thefts in Iraq that were ordered by Trump on behalf of Exxon and Aramco .
Reports that two American vehicles were seized by Syrian civilians and American troops were disarmed and captured but saved by Russian military police who arrived on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ t exist , you don ’ t see these , none of this happened , don ’ t tell anyone .
The killing was near the town of Kherbet Ammo in the eastern part of Qamishli province .
One minor and an adult died when a coalition patrol opened fire on a crowd in Qamshli , according to a military source .
“ At 10 a.m. the US patrol including six armored Humvee vehicles deliberately entered the area controlled by the Syrian authorities ” , the Syrian military source said .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a result , 10-year-old Juma Suleiman Barre was killed ” .
The source added that during the clashes one US soldier was injured and four armored vehicles were damaged.
” The victim was a Kurd .
This is a totally Kurdish region , through which ISIS had smuggled oil for years until Russian Aerospace Forces intervened , destroying thousands of trucks imported from the US .
Today the oil smuggling continues , under US protection .
Russian peacekeepers were summoned to de-escalate the situation .
The “ SAA ” or Syrian Arab Army @ @ @ @ @ @ @ journalist who works for the government of Qatar , where the US has a massive airbase .
Other sources said that the incident happened when a group of Kurdish civilians tried to block a convoy of the US military in a move of protest to the ongoing US military occupation of northeastern Syria .
On February 12 , angry locals engaged U.S. forces in a firefight in Khirbat Amu in northern al-Hasakah after U.S. troops had allegedly killed a 14-year old teenager in the town .
The videos released by the Syrian media @ @ @ @ @ @ @ weapons .
In an official statement , the U.S.-led coalition confirmed that its forces engaged in clashes with “ unknown individuals ” in Khribat Amu .
The coalition said that no injuries were sustained .
However , it didn ’ t comment on the alleged killing of a local teenager .
“ The situation was de-escalated and is under investigation , the coalition ’ s patrol returned to base , ” Col. Myles B. Caggins III , a spokesman for the coalition , said in the statement .
The incident took place near @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ( SAA ) .
Locals reportedly attempted to block U.S. forces which responded with live fire , allegedly killing the teenager .
The army stood with the locals .
However , it didn ’ t take part in the clashes .
The Syrian Arab News Agency ( SANA ) said that U.S. forces had withdrawn from Khirbat Amu under the cover of US warplanes , which conducted three airstrikes .
However , local sources said that there were no airstrikes , saying that U.S. forces used flash and smoke grenades to cover their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Military Police was quickly dispatched to the incident area to de-escalate the situation .
The Syrian Democratic Forces ( SDF ) were also connected by the Russian side to assist in the issue .
Several incidents between the locals and U.S. forces took place in the last few months .
However , Khirbat Amu incident has been the most serious escalation so far .
If U.S. forces were indeed responsible for the death of the local , the situation could escalate even further .
Pro-US sources already describe the locals as the ‘ @ @ @ @

SouthFront with VT
Today, American troops murdered a 10-year-old boy and one adult, who had been part of a group protesting American oil thefts in Iraq that were ordered by Trump on behalf of Exxon and Aramco.
Reports that two American vehicles were seized by Syrian civilians and American troops were disarmed and captured but saved by Russian military police who arrived on the scene.
The photos that don’t exist, you don’t see these, none of this happened, don’t tell anyone.
The killing was near the town of Kherbet Ammo in the eastern part of Qamishli province.
На подконтрольной "Сирийским Демократическим силам" территории вспыхнул протест местного арабского населения. Протестующие сжигают флаги США и Франции, которые являются союзником "СДС", и призывают военных этих стран покинуть Сирию. https://t.co/cJmHEQiRJ7 pic.twitter.com/KF8BjerqCp — Россия vs Либерастия (@Rus_NV) February 8, 2019
From Sputnik News:
“Operation Inherent Resolve spokesman Myles Caggins previously stated that US-led coalition troops opened fire on civilians, claiming they had to do it in self-defense. Video of US forces retreating after killing, being buzzed by local traffic: US forces in retreat, with several of their vehicles apparently put out of service during the confrontation in Dirbat/Khirbat Amo. Three wounded individuals, including one in an SAA uniform, have arrived at a hospital in Qamishlo and are being treated. pic.twitter.com/AsQ41TnCqP — Rojava Information Center (@RojavaIC) February 12, 2020
One minor and an adult died when a coalition patrol opened fire on a crowd in Qamshli, according to a military source. “At 10 a.m. the US patrol including six armored Humvee vehicles deliberately entered the area controlled by the Syrian authorities”, the Syrian military source said. “The US troops opened fire, as a result, 10-year-old Juma Suleiman Barre was killed”. The source added that during the clashes one US soldier was injured and four armored vehicles were damaged.”
The victim was a Kurd. This is a totally Kurdish region, through which ISIS had smuggled oil for years until Russian Aerospace Forces intervened, destroying thousands of trucks imported from the US.
Today the oil smuggling continues, under US protection.
Russian peacekeepers were summoned to de-escalate the situation. The “SAA” or Syrian Arab Army were civilians. Kevork Almassian is a journalist who works for the government of Qatar, where the US has a massive airbase.
The SAA prevented today a US convoy from crossing Khirbet Amo, south Qamishli, and the villagers supported the SAA and threw stones on the US patrol which shot & killed 1 civilian.
In the video, a civilian tells the occupation: "You cannot pass even if there are 100 agreements." pic.twitter.com/I2ehR4k47N — Kevork Almassian (@KevorkAlmassian) February 12, 2020
Other sources said that the incident happened when a group of Kurdish civilians tried to block a convoy of the US military in a move of protest to the ongoing US military occupation of northeastern Syria.
On February 12, angry locals engaged U.S. forces in a firefight in Khirbat Amu in northern al-Hasakah after U.S. troops had allegedly killed a 14-year old teenager in the town. The videos released by the Syrian media allows seeing the intense usage of light weapons.
In an official statement, the U.S.-led coalition confirmed that its forces engaged in clashes with “unknown individuals” in Khribat Amu. The coalition said that no injuries were sustained. However, it didn’t comment on the alleged killing of a local teenager.
“The situation was de-escalated and is under investigation, the coalition’s patrol returned to base,” Col. Myles B. Caggins III, a spokesman for the coalition, said in the statement.
The incident took place near a checkpoint of the Syrian Arab Army (SAA). Locals reportedly attempted to block U.S. forces which responded with live fire, allegedly killing the teenager. The army stood with the locals. However, it didn’t take part in the clashes.
The clash that occurred between the #American forces and the #Syrian army today in the village of Khirbet Amo in #Qamishli pic.twitter.com/nnWXnECkeo — MOHAMMED HASSAN (@MHJournalist) February 12, 2020
The Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA) said that U.S. forces had withdrawn from Khirbat Amu under the cover of US warplanes, which conducted three airstrikes. However, local sources said that there were no airstrikes, saying that U.S. forces used flash and smoke grenades to cover their retreat.
A unit of the Russian Military Police was quickly dispatched to the incident area to de-escalate the situation. The Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) were also connected by the Russian side to assist in the issue.
Several incidents between the locals and U.S. forces took place in the last few months. However, Khirbat Amu incident has been the most serious escalation so far. If U.S. forces were indeed responsible for the death of the local, the situation could escalate even further.
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Pro-US sources already describe the locals as the ‘Syrian Army’: