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I have been asked if we could accept donations for earthquake-devastated Turkey and Syria. We are not really setup to handle donations of this type and forward them on. However, Franklin Graham’s Samaritan’s Purse is on the ground in Turkey and an organization I would endorse. You can make a donation online, by mail, or by phone:

Samaritan’s Purse International Crisis Response

Samaritan’s Purse
PO Box 3000
Boone, NC 28607

1-828-262-1980

NEWS YOU CAN USE

Beginning with this issue, I will be refocusing the content shared in coming issues. This will be a trial process to see if or how it works. Forthcoming issues will be singular in overall content, with topics like: TERRORISM, SHARI’A, THE ACCORDS, etc., one topic per issue, one issue each week, with delivery hopefully, between Friday through Monday. The Perspectives e-letter will remain unchanged at this time.

Things may seem a bit awkward at first, pieced together, etc. I will eventually get the kinks worked out, though. No guarantees …… just like life. 🙃

With the already backlog of content, it may take several issues to fully take effect. I don’t think it will delay how often you get the news on various subjects, but should that happen, that may be a benchmark saying we should return to the current mode of delivery, or seek something else.

News of radical Islam has definitely become a growth industry and I continue to add new sources on a monthly basis. But, groups and gangs are spreading as well, and what is really trending is the so-called, “lone wolf” who may attack two or more people at a time. It’s this latter group, the “lone wolf” which seems to be growing the fastest. While it may appear they have no affiliation to the larger groups such a ISIS or Boko Haram, this may be a misnomer.

For years, now, ISIS and Al Qaida have been encouraging individuals to do this. The jihadists eventually makes a move, single-handedly attacks someone on a street corner or perhaps slits the throats of three commuters in an elevator, yelling “Allahu Akbar,” and all of a sudden, ISIS or some other group lays claim to the incident, and there-by increases its fear-factor.

A NEW ERA

Ambassador L. Paul Bremer III on Iraq: Twenty Years After the Fall of Saddam Hussein … Here’s The Story …

SOURCE: https://www.meforum.org/64205/ambassador-l-paul-bremer-iii-on-iraq-twenty-years?utm_source=Middle+East+Forum&utm_campaign=7d951fae0d-MEFW_bremer_2023_03_02_09_01&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_086cfd423c-7d951fae0d-%5BLIST_EMAIL_ID%5D&goal=0_086cfd423c-7d951fae0d-34169953&mc_cid=7d951fae0d&mc_eid=40d252031d

ISI/DI: It was Friday, the 23rd of April, 2004 …… just four months following the capture of Saddam Hussein, on December 12, 2003 …… when I landed in Amman, Jordan. As a logistics officer, I was part of the advance team to re-establish the United States Embassy to Iraq. So, why was I in Jordan?

Both, Amman, Jordan and Kuwait City, Kuwait were pinpointed as the points of egress and ingress for Iraq at this time. Due to the still-war-like conditions that existed in Iraq … the IEDs (improvised explosive devices), gunfire, rocket fire … even the occasional rock-thrower, especially from the overhead bridges …… when outside, we all wore flak-jackets and helmets, even when the heat was 140 degrees; transport outside the Green Zone was in a RINO — an armor-plated small bus.

Our first, and main task, was to develop the above two areas that all of the US civilian personnel and some military personnel would use going in and coming out of Iraq. In Kuwait, a not-so-old motel was used for staging — offices and housing. It lay on the outskirts of town and on the way to/from the airport; in Jordan, we were allowed to use a portion of the military airport near Amman. Since there was no housing at the airport in Amman like there was in Kuwait — we were made to suffer — at our choice of the Four Seasons or the Intercontinental hotels. Can’t tell you where I stayed …… it’s classified.

After several weeks of negotiations — working on the logistics of the staging areas, etc., things finally were coming to a head. The appointed ambassador, Paul Bremer, who was in charge of the Coalition Provisional Authority (CPA), was preparing to step down, as the new U.S. Embassy was standing up. This would all take place near the end of June, and the beginning of July, 2004 to coincide with the July 4th celebrations.

There would be festivities, speeches, etc., that morning and an official “changing-of-the-guard,” so-to-speak. However, there were still some cogs in the wheel that needed to be worked out. For example, when the CPA was there, they had very clear lines of authority while the U.S. military had its lines of authority. Now, though, with the Embassy coming to town, the lines shifted a bit. For example, during the time of the CPA, the military was in charge of housing, meals, and a host of other things. Now, when ever people have power, they do not like to have that power challenged, and certainly do not like to lose it. That, though, is another story, for another time.

During my last six or so months, I was tasked with making sure that every America civilian who would step foot in to Iraq had a reason for being there — What was their job? Did housing exist for them? Was there money in the budget to feed them? Etc., etc. Initially, this probably does not sound like too big of a job. Consider this, though …… we’re talking about housing over 5,000 people — that would take over two of the Orlando World Center Marriotts and filling up every room they had …… it meant 15,000 meals a day — enough people for a small town, or more than enough personnel to outfit the Big “E,” the USS Enterprise aircraft carrier; and then there’s the various forms of support that went along with that — laundry, barbers, postal services, ablutions, medical and dental services, etc. At the end of the day, if their paperwork did not have my initials/signature on it, they were not allowed entrance into Iraq. And, should they find a way in, as some always did, they had to be denied any and all forms of support. Why?

Because this was literally, yours’ and my tax dollars at work. And, for once in my life, I had the opportunity and the responsibility of knowing how it was spent. You may not have liked how it was spent, but at least it was accounted for.

ERDOGAN

Earthquake could shake up Turkish election … Here’s The Story …

SOURCE: https://www.al-monitor.com/originals/2023/02/earthquake-could-shake-turkish-election?utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=week%20in%20review%2021023%20February%2010%202023%20645&utm_content=week%20in%20review%2021023%20February%2010%202023%20645+CID_0b51e929a5002290b85b53b6c65456f2&utm_source=campmgr&utm_term=Earthquake%20could%20shake%20up%20Turkish%20election

ISI/DI: You may have heard by this time, that Erdogan has decided not to defer or cancel the upcoming elections. Only time will tell now as to whether this has been a good idea or not; he is also facing some fairly tough competition from the opposition.

In Turkey, fears grow of Erdogan postponing elections as earthquake toll passes 30,000 … Here’s The Story …

SOURCE: https://www.al-monitor.com/originals/2023/02/turkey-fears-grow-erdogan-postponing-elections-earthquake-toll-passes-30000?utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=briefly%20turkey%2021323%20February%2013%202023%20327&utm_content=briefly%20turkey%2021323%20February%2013%202023%20327+CID_c4f585b0177796a8f3a52d5b14ba6c62&utm_source=campmgr&utm_term=In%20Turkey%20fears%20grow%20of%20Erdogan%20postponing%20elections%20as%20earthquake%20toll%20passes%2030000

HATAY, TURKEY – FEBRUARY 13: Workers stand on top of a building as a machine is digging the debris at the site of a collapsed building on February 13, 2023 in Hatay, Turkey. A 7.8-magnitude earthquake hit near Gaziantep, Turkey, in the early hours of Monday, followed by another 7.5-magnitude tremor just after midday. The quakes caused widespread destruction in southern Turkey and northern Syria and have killed more than 30,000 people. (Photo by Burak Kara/Getty Images)

ISI/DI: Now that I’ve already told you he is not deferring the elections, you may not want to read this article. It does though, give some good background information.

RADICAL ISLAM’S SICKNESS

UK’s counterterror program Prevent accused of treating terrorism as a mental illness rather than a threat … Here’s The Story. …

SOURCE: https://www.jihadwatch.org/2023/02/uks-counterterror-program-prevent-accused-of-treating-terrorism-as-a-mental-illness-rather-than-a-threat

ISI/DI: Let’s be clear … not all of Islam is “sick.” This is not to say that Islam itself, is okay. Far from it. But, there is an element of Islam … even an element within what has become known as “radical Islam,” that has a sickness to it, and this “sickness” is being preyed upon by individuals like Osama Bin Laden, Abu-Bakr al-Baghdadi, and a host of lieutenants who are followers. It is these individuals and their lieutenants who prey on the masses, convincing them that their god wants them to kill everyone who is not a Muslim.

You may have already seen indications of what I call this “sickness.” I will continue to point this out in future postings, and you can decide for yourself as to whether you feel there is a “sickness” that sticks to this religion.

Germany: Muslim migrant beats woman to death, is judged insane and sent to psych ward … Here’s The Story …

SOURCE: https://www.jihadwatch.org/2023/03/germany-muslim-migrant-beats-woman-to-death-is-judged-insane-and-sent-to-psych-ward

ISI/DI: This is another sickness that sticks to Islam. Can you see it yet? It’s not just claiming to be insane … it’s the real thing. A sickness that people do not really know they have, but they know something is wrong.

TERRORISM

Afghan Taliban Officials Threaten Suicide Bombings In Europe To Avenge Quran Desecrations … Here’s The Story …

SOURCE:https://www.memri.org/jttm/afghan-taliban-officials-threaten-suicide-bombings-europe-avenge-quran-desecrations-we-are

ISI/DI: At issue is the burning of the Qur’an in Sweden, which Turkey will use as a bargaining chip over Sweden’s bid to join NATO.

Nigeria: Muslims wearing military uniforms murder 16 people in new jihad attack on Enugu community … Here’s The Story …

SOURCE: https://www.jihadwatch.org/2022/12/nigeria-muslims-wearing-military-uniforms-murder-16-people-in-new-jihad-attack-on-enugu-community

ISI/DI: We’ve known for quite sometime that Nigeria’s military is under the control of the jihadist group, Boko Haram. And with its president and vice president, also Muslims, Nigeria will continue its leftward tilt in becoming an Islamic state.

Two Police Officers, Gendarme Killed in Western Mali Attack: Sources … Here’s The Story …

SOURCE: https://www.thedefensepost.com/2023/02/08/police-officers-gendarme-killed-western-mali/

Malian soldiers drive through the streets of Bamako, Mali on August 19, 2020, the day after rebel troops seized Malian President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita and Prime Minister Boubou Cisse in a dramatic escalation of a months-long crisis. – Mali awoke on August 19, 2020, to a new chapter in its troubled history after rebel military leaders forced Malian President Boubacar Keita from office, prompting its West African neighbours to threaten border closures and sanctions against the coup leaders. Keita, embattled by months of protests over economic stagnation, corruption and a brutal Islamist insurgency, said he had resigned to avoid bloodshed. (Photo by ANNIE RISEMBERG / AFP)

ISI/DI: It may exist, but I cannot think of one country on the African continent that in some way or other is not struggling with Islam. These countries in North-northwestern Africa represent more land-acquisition than human consumption.

THE FUTURE