COP21: 100 people held in Paris amid climate protest violence

About 100 people have been detained after a major protest in Paris seeking a global climate deal turned violent, Paris’s police chief said…

…The state of emergency was declared after the recent extremist attacks that resulted in the deaths of 130 people in the French capital.

Mr Cadot said on Sunday about 100 people found to have projectiles or other suspicious objects were detained.

Police fired numerous rounds of tear gas on protesters near the Place de la Republique to disperse them.

The protesters were gathering ahead of critical global warming talks outside Paris.

Earlier about two hundred protesters, some wearing masks, fought with police on a street leading to the Place de la Republique square – a gathering place for Parisians since the terror attacks in the capital on November 13th…

…Demonstrators carried banners calling for the defence of the world’s climate, and democracy.
A march planned for Sunday in the city ahead of the UN climate change summit taking place at Le Bourget outside the capital was banned by police under the state of emergency imposed after the November 13th attacks.

Using the state of emergency rules, police had previously put 24 green activists under house arrest, saying they were suspected of planning violent protests against the summit.

READ FULL

Obama administration bans some military-style assault gear from local police departments

CAMDEN, N.J. — The Obama administration announced Monday it will ban federal transfers of certain types of military-style gear to local police departments, as the president seeks to respond to a spate of incidents that has frayed trust in communities across the country….

…”We’ve seen how militarized gear sometimes gives people a feeling like they are an occupying force as opposed to a part of the community there to protect them,” Obama said during remarks in Camden, N.J. “Some equipment made for the battlefield is not appropriate for local police departments.”

The nation’s largest police union denounced the president’s move, saying he has overstated the problem….

…The ban on items will take effect immediately, White House officials said, while the restrictions on other gear will be phased in so that local law enforcement agencies can be briefed about the new requirements…

Full Article

The Paris attacks have exposed divisions in the U.S

From Mia Davis…
I know Obama came into office claiming to be a Christian but he has officially blown his cover with his most recent hostile remarks toward Christians. He claims to have compassion and concern but it’s clearly limited to the well being of the Syrian refugees and Muslims. He is showing no compassion for the people who are concerned about the security of our country and no compassion for the Christian faith. Americans just want to know the president’s priority is to protect our country and show compassion for the people of our country as well as for others. The director of the FBI (James Comey) warned that they can not effectively vet the refugees to screen out terrorists and ISIS already announced they plan to infiltrate America through the refugees immigrating here. Yet when these concerns are raised people are accused of lacking compassion? We are not serving the people of this country or the refugees by giving ISIS an open door. I pray for Obama and all the leaders to have wisdom and discernment in these crazy times. At this point Obama appears to be anti-Christian. But don’t take my word for it, read this Time magazine article to see his remarks.

…Barack Obama began the first Wednesday after the attacks in the same way he began the first Monday, with a verbal assault on Republicans at a press conference on foreign soil. “We are not well served when in response to a terrorist attack we descend into fear and panic,” he said at a press conference in the Philippines. “We don’t make good decisions if it’s based on hysteria or an exaggeration of risks. The refugee debate is an example of us not being well served by some of the commentary taking place by officials back home and in the media.”

Then his comments became even more pointed. He accused Republicans of aiding in Islamic State recruitment by suggesting that there be a religious test for refugees that would give preference to Christians. “I cannot think of a more potent recruitment tool for ISIL than some of the rhetoric coming out of here in the course of this debate,” he said, using an acronym for the Islamic State. “It’s counterproductive and it needs to stop.”

READ ENTIRE

Senior Obama officials have warned of challenges in screening refugees from Syria


The Obama administration is fighting a growing national backlash against accepting Syrian refugees, saying the government’s exhaustive screening process and security checks for new arrivals mean they can be safely brought to American soil.

Several high-level administration officials have warned in recent months just how challenging this can be. While they say U.S. security measures are much better than in the past, vetting Syrian refugees poses a quandary: How do you screen people from a war-torn country that has few criminal and terrorist databases to check?

READ FULL

Governors rush to slam door on Syrian refugees


Governors across the country are scrambling to close off their states to resettled Syrian refugees in the wake of the deadly terror attacks in Paris that are linked to Islamic State extremists.

The list of states climbed quickly to 23 by Monday evening, after President Obama said that the U.S. would continue to accept refugees and denounced efforts to stop those fleeing violence from coming to the United States as “shameful.”

Governors of Illinois, Ohio, Florida, North Carolina, South Carolina, Maine, Iowa, Oklahoma, Wisconsin, New Jersey, New Hampshire, Arizona, Indiana, Massachusetts, Idaho, Louisiana, Michigan, Alabama, Texas, Kansas, Georgia, Mississippi, and Arkansas — a majority of them Republican — have said that they are seeking to stop the relocation of new Syrian refugees to their states out of fear that violent extremists posing as refugees might gain entry to the country.

READ FULL

TSA Investigation Finds 73 Workers on U.S.’s Terrorist Watchlist

A recent U.S. Transportation Security Administration (TSA) report found that 73 aviation workers, employed by airlines and vendors, had alleged links to terrorism. The report, published by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Office of Inspector General on June 4, blamed bureaucratic mistakes. Though the TSA says it frequently cross-checks applications and employee lists with the DHS’s “Consolidated Terrorist Watchlist,” both are incomplete. The TSA’s employee lists, which consist of thousands of records, “contained potentially incomplete or inaccurate data, such as an initial for a first name and missing social security numbers,” the report found. The DHS Consolidated Terrorist Watchlist was also incomplete because “[TSA] is not authorized to receive all terrorism-related categories under current interagency watchlisting policy.” It is unclear what, if anything, will happen as a result of this discovery. But last week, the top TSA official was reassigned after an internal investigation showed undercover agents were able to smuggle fake explosives and weapons through security checkpoints in 95 percent of trials at dozens of America’s busiest airports. 

Source: TSA Investigation Finds 73 Workers on U.S.’s Terrorist Watchlist

ISIS threatens NYC in new propaganda video 

A new ISIS propaganda video makes threats against New York City — and shows Manhattan streetscapes that include Times Square and Herald Square, The Post has learned. The slick production includes storefront shots of TGI Fridays in Times Square and the Gap in Herald Square — along with footage of yellow taxicabs driving past. The images of New York City are spliced between disturbing clips of suicide bombers preparing for attacks. A fighter also holds a grenade, pulling the pin as the camera cuts to black. French President François Hollande then appears on screen, giving an address just after the Paris attacks. At the end of his speech, he says, “it’s horrible.” Then words flash on the screen, saying, “And what’s coming next will be far worse and more bitter.” The video also includes statements from several jihadis, praising “soldiers of the caliphate in France” for their “blessed operation.” “We are aware of the newly released ISIS video that mentions Times Square,” NYPD spokesman J. Peter Donald said in a statement. “While some of the video footage is not new, the video reaffirms the message that New York City remains a top terrorist target. While there is no current or specific threat to the City at this time, we will remain at a heightened state of vigilance and will continue to work with the FBI, the Joint Terrorism Task Force and the entire intelligence community to keep the City of New York safe.”

Source: ISIS threatens NYC in new propaganda video | New York Post

Man gives his life to save many

Last week, the world was shaken by brutal acts of terrorism in Paris. Over the weekend, many of us gathered in support of those victims, sending prayers and love from across the globe. But sadly, that heartwarming outpouring of kindness has had one significant drawback: we have neglected to notice those who are also suffering in Beirut and Baghdad.

Both areas were targets of suicide bombing attacks just hours before the attacks in Paris occurred, but they’ve received little to no coverage in the press. Facebook isn’t offering to let us temporarily filter our profile pictures with their flags’ colors, even though their citizens have felt as much loss and pain as the people of France.

In Beirut, a marketplace erupted as two bombers made their way through the crowd. The blasts took 43 lives and wounded at least 239 others. But those numbers might have been even higher if it weren’t for the brave, split-second decision of one heroic man.

Source