British Watchdog Freezes George Galloway's Hamas-Supporting Charity

by IPT News

Britain's Charity Commission announced Thursday that it froze bank accounts for Viva Palestina, an aid group which has delivered cash and supplies to Hamas officials in Gaza. In addition, the Commission, responsible for regulating charities in England and Wales, also replaced the group's trustees with an interim manager.

Viva Palestina was founded by British Member of Parliament George Galloway in January 2009 and has led several humanitarian convoys into Gaza in support of the Hamas-led government. But it has never filed required financial disclosures, the Charity Commission statement said.

It is the second time the commission investigated Viva Palestina, with a 2010 inquiry finding the group was poorly managed and publicly exaggerated it's the amount of money it raised.

The government intervention also is rooted in compliance with standard accounting regulations. But Viva Palestina's overt embrace of Hamas remains a concern. During the convoys, Hamas officials greeted Viva Palestina at stops in Turkey, Syria, Jordan and Gaza.

In March 2009, Galloway made a point of defiantly holding up a bag of cash before handing it to a Hamas minister despite the UK's designation of Hamas as a terrorist group. Prominent Viva Palestina leaders have openly advocated for the destruction of Israel.

Viva Palestina has several international affiliates, including in the U.S., Canada, Indonesia, Turkey, Italy, Arabia, and the Gulf. The U.S. affiliate has been inactive since late 2010. When it was active, American activists for the group repeatedly acknowledged their work was "not about charity ... but in every way that we cut it, it is political."

The U.S. branch of Viva Palestina never incorporated or registered as a charity. When it was active, it used a non-profit charity called "Interreligious Foundation for Community Organizations (IFCO)/Pastors for Peace" as a pass-through, an IPT investigation found. An Internal Revenue Service audit last year recommended stripping the group of its tax exempt status, but it remains listed as a public charity.

http://www.investigativeproject.org/4604/british-watchdog-freezes-galloway-hamas#.VDmERFN07Ws.twitter

Israeli Store Jericho forced out of Braehead Shopping Centre in Glasgow by a Anti-Jewish Group

Personally, and on behalf of Scottish Friends of Israel, I sincerely apologise for maybe not doing enough to help the Mr Nissan, the owner of Jericho Store in Braehead Shopping Centre in Glasgow to counter the Nazi-style racism and anti-Semitism that has forced his store out of the Braehead Centre. We, along with the Scottish, Jewish & non-Jewish, Community, have sat on our hands for too long and have done little other than talk the talk that has so dismally failed.

 

Others can apologise for their own failings.

 

Mr Nissan has indicated that he wish now to concentrate on his business branch in Aberdeen but I also fear the worst for that location. 

The SPSC  are in Jubilant mood;

	Scottish PSC (@scottishpsc)
09/10/2014 19:09 Jericho Dead Sea now kicked out of Braehead in Glasgow following sustained SPSC protests + 2 arrests. Back in St Enoch for last stand #BDS

They are calling for concentrated efforts against the Jewish Store Kedem who I believe may be back at the St Enoch Shopping Centre, Glasgow in force – but for how long! And Aberdeen will not be immune.

	Scottish PSC (@scottishpsc)
09/10/2014 19:14 Israeli Dead Sea thieves back in St Enoch Glasgow for 'last stand' Protests every Thu 5-7, Sat 12-6 & Sun 2-6  #BDS

 

Without the support of decent society, who in turn need active support of the political establishment and the police, Jews in Scotland face a bleak future. The Church of Scotland and their partners in the various anti-Jewish organisations will be emboldened by this little success at Braehead. Little for them maybe but devastating for Mr Nissan.

 

I do not speak or represent the Jewish community in Scotland who may not agree with my views on ways of defeating the SPSC and other Extremist groups by being actively involved on the ground and in numbers to counter their demonstrations. We in Scotland and elsewhere are getting a message and we ignore it at our peril!

"Stand up to what matters 

Stand up and fight for what is true 

For within your journey 

Justice will see you through

Stand up to what matters 

Find a way to make it through 

Never give up fighting 

for the belief that is within you

One person can make a difference 

One heart can heal the next 

One song can fill the emotions 

One prayer can be heard at last"

Fight for rights, Mystery Rose.

Renaud Sarda 

Scottish Friends of Israel 

ISIS on verge of seizing “complete control” in Anbar: tribal official

Anbar Tribal Council says Iraqi military has become “source of assistance” for ISIS 

A man looks at a vehicle belonging to the Iraqi security forces in the Anbar province town of Hit, Iraq, on October 6, 2014. (Reuters)

Baghdad, Asharq Al-Awsat—Iraq’s restive western province of Anbar is on the verge of completely falling into the hands of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) unless urgent action is taken to address military failures, the Anbar Tribal Council warned on Wednesday. 

The Anbar Tribal Council, the senior-most Sunni tribal organization in the province, is backing central government attempts to combat ISIS but has complained to Baghdad about the appointment of Lt. Gen. Rashid Fleih as head of the Anbar Military Command, calling for him to be replaced. In comments to Asharq Al-Awsat, Anbar Tribal Council member Faris Ibrahim said “[Fleidh] is unable to do anything.” 

“The security situation in Anbar Province is going from bad to worse due to a lack of support, as well as the almost complete absence of security and military leadership. The military leadership is unable to devise new plans to address ISIS advances on the ground,” Ibrahim added. 

“ISIS has strongly advanced in a number of areas in the province following the formation of the international alliance, as part of attempts to impose their position on the ground as a fait accompli.”

The Anbar Tribal Council member alleged that ISIS is also setting up sleeper cells in the province with the objective of entrenching its position and securing even more territory. 

More than 500,000 residents of Anbar province have been displaced by fighting between Iraqi forces and ISIS since the conflict began in December 2013. Despite Iraqi military efforts and the formation of an international alliance to combat the terrorist group, ISIS has continued to advance in Iraq. ISIS forces most recently took over the town of Hit last week, leading to attempts by Shi’ite volunteer fighters backed by Iraqi military forces to recapture the western town.

“It is strange that while ISIS is developing its presence and capabilities on the ground in Anbar, military and security leadership are not doing anything new to address this. As a result of this, most parts of Anbar province are now completely in ISIS’s hands, including Ramadi city center,” Ibrahim told Asharq Al-Awsat. 

It was Anbar’s police force that was protecting citizens from ISIS, he said, adding that military forces were actively hindering efforts to combat the extremist group. “Unfortunately, the military has become a source of assistance for ISIS because for the most part ISIS is able to attack and defeat the military, taking control of their arms and equipment,” said Ibrahim.

International efforts to combat ISIS in Iraq have focused on central and northern parts of the country, where ISIS is actively advancing. The terrorist group had initially advanced into Iraq from Syria through the western province, which had been the center of a Sunni-led protest movement against former Prime Minister Nuri Al-Maliki’s government over its perceived sectarian bias. 

The government put together by the new premier, Haider Al-Abadi, has received a cautious welcome from Iraq’s Sunnis. However, the Anbar Tribal Council has called for Baghdad and the anti-ISIS international alliance to do more for Anbar. 

Faris Ibrahim called on Baghdad to do more to tackle ISIS in Anbar, saying it was a critical front in the overall struggle, yet remained overlooked.

He said: “These operations have not reached the required level. It is strange that Anbar province has been completely forgotten over the past three months with the focus being on Mosul and the northern provinces. However, everybody knows that Anbar is the main incubator of ISIS and it is expanding to Iraq’s other regions from here . . . Therefore ignoring Anbar has led to disaster, as we are seeing today.” 

Hamza Mustafa

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Now Liberal Democrat MP Menzies Campbell blames rise of Islamic State on Israel.

Posted by Richard Millett (H/T Mel and Ambrosine)

I didn’t name Menzies Campbell MP in my last post as one of those Liberal Democrat politicians who has made comments likely to help fuel anti-Semitism in the UK, but then right on cue he goes and makes such a statement.

In a recent interview on the BBC with Andrew Neil, who is also a bit overly-obsessed with matters Jewish, Campbell said (see clip below):

“What are the causes of the rise of ISIS and Al Qaida? One of the principal causes is the fact of the continuing dispute between Israel and the Palestinians…If you’re trying to persuade 15-year old young women in Britain to go and offer themselves as brides to jihadists in Syria or Iraq one of the ways in which it’s done is to point to the oppression of the Arab people, in particular the oppression of the Palestinians…” 

So while British Prime Minister David Cameron is doing his best, quite rightly, to shield British Muslims from a negative backlash in the UK by referring to Islamic State as not being MuslimsCampbell is connecting British Jews, via their support for Israel, directly with Islamic State.

And then the biggest irony is that Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg has penned a statement for this week’s Jewish News in which he condemns the rise of anti-Semitism in the UK as a result of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

This is the rise that his Liberal Democrat party continues to help fuel!

Clip (apologies for sound quality):

The SPSC haters are back with a vengeance and ramping up their call to boycott Jewish Stores in Glasgow

Scotland is a great nation, with a proud history and an exciting future to look forward to.

But there are still some aspects of our national life that hold us back, not least the anti-Semitic, anti-Jewish feeling which has been a shamefully on the increase since the Gaza conflict. 

The SNP the government has made significant progress towards realising the last First Minister's Alex Salmond's ambitions of tacking racism and discrimination. He has made significant progress by tackling sectarian hatred by bringing tougher legislations signalling the government's and the police determination to stamp out racism, and the bigoted behaviour and attitudes that characterise discrimination in Scotland.

"As a Scot I want My country to be a society where we respect cultural differences and celebrate our rich and diverse religious traditions. I want all Scots to be proud of the Scotland we live in today.

"We need to put anti-semitism in the dust-bin of history. Scotland must play a full part in Europe and the global economy, so we cannot allow ourselves to be dragged down by the deadweight bigotry, racism, and religious hatred. Modern Scotland must challenge bigoted attitudes and bigoted behaviour wherever they are found.."

  If Scottish society is to rid itself of this pernicious brown-shirt racism that is Yvonne Ridley & Mick Napier, now is the time to start because the SPSC haters are back with a vengeance and ramping up their attacks, and this what they have announced;

            

 

            Israel out of Glasgow / Stop Scottish Arms Sales to Israel  / Coming events

                                                   Boycott Israel out of Scotland
To all the thousands who marched so recently in Glasgow and Edinburgh against Israeli massacres: who will now answer the call from Palestine for BDS (Boycott, Divestment & Sanctions) against Israel and work with us to

• get rid of thieving settler companies from Glasgow shopping centres?
  
• help end Scottish arms sales to Israel?

Kick Israeli Dead Sea cosmetics operations out of  Glasgow
Following the departure of Dead Sea cosmetics companies from St Enoch and Silverburn Centres in Glasgow and Ocean Terminal in Edinburgh following protests by SPSC members and supporters, Kedem cosmetics are back in St Enoch Centre and Jericho Dead Sea cosmetics are still tading in Braehead. Will you join us in trying to stop them selling the products of crime?

 

 > Join us outside and inside St Enoch & Braehead Centres

 

• Thursday 5pm – 7pm
• Saturday 12noon -6pm
• Sunday  2pm – 6pm.

 To All Scottish Jews hoping to turn up in support of the Jewish stores both in Breahead and St Enoch in Glasgow please make the stalls look busy, ignore the demonstrators, do not engage with them in any way, but complain 

to the management and police of harassment if the mob gets too close to you or speaks to you.

Renaud Sarda

Scottish Friends of Israel 

           

            

Le terroriste Algerien Saïd Arif refait surface en Syrie

Le Point.fr - Publié le 04/10/14 à 11h50 

Condamné à dix ans de prison en 2007, ce terroriste algérien était parvenu à s'échapper de sa résidence surveillée en 2013. Il aurait été localisé en Syrie.

L'islamiste algérien Saïd Arif lorsqu'il était assigné à résidence à Brioude, en Haute-Loire, ici fin 2012.

De notre correspondante à Clermont-Ferrand, Geneviève Colonna d'Istria

Alors qu'un nouvel otage occidental vient d'être décapité par les djihadistes de l'État islamique, l'humanitaire Britannique Alan Henning, les organisations antiterroristes internationales auraient localisé avec certitude l'islamiste Saïd Arif, en première ligne en Syrie. Il s'était enfui en 2013 de sa surveillance surveillée en Auvergne.

Les dernières nouvelles le concernant remontaient à février 2014. Les services du renseignement français soupçonnaient cet islamiste algérien d'avoir rejoint la Syrie, auprès de groupes terroristes. Désormais, le doute ne semble plus permis. Selon le journal L'Éveil, ce dangereux activiste serait en première ligne parmi des groupes de combattants affiliés au mouvement État Islamiste, devenu tristement célèbre depuis les décapitations de plusieurs Occidentaux, dont le Français Hervé Gourdel.

Il aurait rejoint la Syrie dès octobre 2013, soit seulement six mois après une évasion rocambolesque de sa résidence surveillée à Brioude (Haute-Loire), en Auvergne. Le samedi 11 mai 2013, sa fuite avait ridiculisé la Direction centrale du renseignement intérieur et mis en évidence les limites des méthodes de surveillance de ce dangereux terroriste. Saïd Arif, alors assigné dans un hôtel de la sous-préfecture auvergnate depuis octobre 2012, s'était tout simplement fait la belle à bord de la voiture de la fille du tenancier de l'établissement qui l'hébergeait. 

Une incroyable bévue lorsqu'on sait que quelques mois auparavant, alors qu'il se trouvait en résidence surveillée à Millau, dans l'Aveyron, il était déjà parvenu à s'enfuir, avant d'être rattrapé en Suède et ramené en France. 

Cynique et provocateur

Condamné à dix ans de prison en 2007 pour association de malfaiteurs en relation avec une entreprise terroriste, cet islamiste radical algérien, ex-membre du GIA, cynique et provocateur, avait même accordé avant son évasion une interview dans le journal local Le Renouveau. Il y déclarait froidement que "les attentats-suicides ayant une dimension économique étaient le meilleur moyen de lutte pour les islamistes", avant d'ajouter : "Avec une voiture piégée, vous tuez 150 à 200 personnes."

Avant sa condamnation de 2007, Saïd Arif avait déjà été mis en examen puis condamné en 2004 pour "appartenance à une association de malfaiteurs en relation avec une entreprise terroriste" par le juge antiterroriste Jean-Louis Bruguière dans le dossier des filières de recrutement de combattants en Tchétchénie. Il faisait partie de la nébuleuse islamiste qui projetait des attentats contre la tour Eiffel, un grand magasin du Forum des Halles, des commissariats ou des établissements abritant des intérêts israéliens. 

Formé dans les camps d'al-Qaida

À sa sortie de prison, l'homme, qui devait être extradé vers l'Algérie, avait été assigné à résidence en France, car la Cour européenne des droits de l'homme (CEDH) avait décidé de suspendre son extradition. Elle craignait des représailles contre lui, car Saïd Arif faisait l'objet de menaces dans son propre pays d'origine. La France s'était alors retrouvée dans l'obligation de le retenir sur son territoire... 

Formé dans les camps d'entraînement d'al-Qaida en Afghanistan, il y a notamment appris le maniement des armes, des explosifs mais aussi des armes chimiques et y a côtoyé Ben Laden et ses plus fidèles lieutenants. Pas étonnant de retrouver ce fanatique en haut de l'affiche dans le nord de la Syrie. Reste désormais à connaître son niveau d'implication dans les réseaux fondamentalistes comme le groupe État islamique (EI), qui a revendiqué vendredi la décapitation d'un quatrième otage occidental, et menace d'en tuer un cinquième, en représailles aux frappes aériennes contre l'EI en Irak et en Syrie. 

An Open Letter to Dumfries & Galloway Council

Dear Councillors,

Having spent and enjoyed many years as   a frequent tourist and a fisherman seeking the joy of chasing that elusive sea trout/salmon with some of my mates to Dumfries and the Solway Coast I hold a keen interest in the progress of the region.

 

I have just listened to the audio recording of the latest Dumfries & Galloway Council meeting (Sept 25) and, in particular, the section relating to the anti-Israel motion proposed by Councillor Geddes.

 

While, eleven councillors were moved to support the original motion, it is gratifying to recognise that the vast majority of Dumfries & Galloway Councillors, for whatever reasons, were sufficiently aware of their responsibilities to their electorate, agreed with your assessment and limited the Council’s response to the humanitarian issues involved.

 

Please convey my compliments to all relevant councillors for the sensible and professional manner in which the conducted their short debate.

 

Best wishes,

 

Renaud Sarda

Scottish Friends of Israel