View allAll Photos Tagged Daesh
Mehrere hundert Syrer protestieren in Berlin anlässlich des fünften Jahrestages der syrischen Revolution in Berlin gegen das Regime von Baschar al-Assad und seinen engsten Verbündeten, den russischen Präsidenten Wladimir Putin.
Nach einer Kundgebung am Brandenburger Tor ziehen die Demonstranten in die Nähe der russischen Botschaft und wieder zurück. In Reden bekennen sich die Teilnehmer zu Demokratie und Freiheit und fordern ein Ende des syrischen Regimes als Voraussetzung für eine positive Zukunft Syriens.
Der Aufstand der Syrer gegen Diktator Baschar al-Assad begann vor fünf Jahren am 15. März 2011, als Jugendliche "Das Volk will den Sturz des Regimes" an eine Wand in Daraa sprühten, verhaftet und gefoltert wurden. Die anschließenden, friedlichen Demonstrationen im Zuge des "Arabischen Frühlings", wurden vom Regime blutig beantwortet.
In den letzten fünf Jahren haben nach Schätzungen rund 280.000 Menschen ihr Leben verloren, Millionen sind auf der Flucht, viele Städte zerstört, Zehntausende nach wie vor in den Foltergefängnissen des Regimes und Teile des Landes in der Hand der Terrororganisation Daesh.
via John Currin (JC - Ex RNZN) - Google+ Public Posts ift.tt/1JfZH77
Royal Australian Air Force originally shared:
OP OKRA Hornet refuel from US KC-10
F/A-18A Hornets refuel from a USAF KC-10 Extender during missions over Iraq. This air-to-air refuelling is essential to ensuring the F/A-18Aís can remain on station conducting close air support and precision strike operations in support of the Iraqi Security Forces.
At the request of the Iraqi Government, Operation OKRA's Air Task Group (ATG) is operating within a US-led international coalition assembled to disrupt and degrade Daesh operations. The ATG comprises six RAAF F/A-18 Hornets, an E-7A Wedgetail Airborne Early Warning and Control aircraft and a KC-30A Multi-Role Tanker Transport aircraft.
There are around 400 personnel deployed at any one time to the Middle East region as part of or in direct support of the ATG.
2015-09-18
(5 images)
Rund 150 Menschen protestieren in Berlin mit einem Demonstrationszug vom Alexanderplatz zum Brandenburger Tor gegen das seit 1993 bestehende Verbot der Kurdischen Arbeiterpartei (PKK) in Deutschland.
In Reden wird darauf hingewiesen, dass insbesondere die Schwesterorganisationen der PKK, die YPG und YPJ in der nordsyrischen Provinz Rojava einen unschätzbaren Dienst im Kamp gegen Daesh leistet. Dies sogar im Zusammenspiel mit den USA.
Zudem sei Deutschland neben der Türkei das einzige Land, in dem die PKK verboten sei.
U.S. Air Force members unload a heavy operations vehicle from a C-17 Globemaster III in support of Operation Inherent Resolve in Kuwait, Aug. 14, 2015. OIR is the military intervention against Daesh. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Sandra Welch)
Armed Forces Day National Event Held in Cleethorpes - Sat 25 Jun 2016
Image shows: The Band of Her Majesty's Royal Marines lead the parade followed by 125 personnel from the Royal Navy.
Celebrations took place to mark the eighth annual Armed Forces Day, honouring the work and dedication of our brave Servicemen and women deployed around the world. More than 250 events including parades, military displays and community fetes are took place right across the country to say thank you to the Armed Forces community, including Regulars, Reserves, their families and veterans past and present. From fighting Daesh in the Middle East to training troops in Nigeria and supporting NATO exercises, the UK’s Armed Forces are on duty 24/7. Armed Forces Day is a chance for Britain to acknowledge their hard work and sacrifice. The National Event was held in the seaside town Cleethorpes, Lincolnshire, attended by His Royal Highness the Duke of Kent representing the Queen and the Royal Family. Other guests included the Defence Secretary Michael Fallon, Minister of State for the Ministry of Defence and Deputy Leader of the House of Lords, The Rt Hon Earl Howe, the Commander of Joint Forces Command, General Sir Chris Deverell KCB MBE ADC and the Worshipful Mayor of North East Lincolnshire Christina McGilligan-Fell. The National Event began with a spectacular display from the Red Arrows, an amphibious display on the beach from the Royal Marines and a parachute drop from the RAF Falcons. A parade of Service personnel, veterans and cadets then marched down Cleethorpes seafront, from the North Promenade to the Boating Lake, followed by a motorcade of motorcyclists from the Armed Forces Bikers and the Royal British Legion bikers. The Duke of Kent took the salute from the parade on behalf of The Queen and Royal Family. Afternoon celebrations in Cleethorpes continued across the seafront with a variety of military displays including the White Helmets Motorcycle Display Team. Overhead the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight, a Chinook and the Royal Navy Black Cats Helicopters entertained the crowds.
-------------------------------------------------------
© Crown Copyright 2014
Photographer: Sgt Ross Tilly RAF
Image 45159891.jpg from www.defenceimages.mod.uk
Use of this image is subject to the terms and conditions of the MoD News Licence at www.defenceimagery.mod.uk/fotoweb/20121001_Crown_copyrigh...
For latest news visit www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ministry-of-defence
Follow us:
Some peshmergas take me to the front lines of the war against ISIS. I find myself in the Taza area, just south of Kirkuk, on the road to Baghdad.
According to them, very few journalists come here. Some even said that I was the only was they saw. Nonetheless, it is a key strategic location. It is very dangerous there since Kirkuk is divided: Kurds in the north, ISIS in the south. All along the front lines you can see different units roaming about little traditional houses. Some are kept by old Kurdish vets from the 1980s wars.
Many vets have returned to war, despite being well past middle-aged and having children and grandchildren. Some even behind comfortable lives in Europe to come back, like a Swiss colonel I met. For them, it is their duty to fight for their region. Despite being autonomous and having a large secessionist movement, Kurdistan is not recognized as a state distinct from Iraq. “Some terrorists come along and now the whole world calls them the ‘Islamic State’,” complains one peshmerga, “For decades we have been trying to make the state of Kurdistan and we’ve gotten nothing!”
They have very few weapons, most of them are pre-Cold War AK47s. Some even date back to 1960. They still work, but the Kurdish forces ask for more efficient guns since ISIS has the latest weapons taken (or given) from the Iraqi army who in turn was supplied by coalition forces.
Many vets have only one working eye. The other was lost in previous wars. Once night falls, it becomes very difficult to monitor the 1000km long border. They don’t even have night vision equipment.
Last week it rained for 5 days, and it was impossible to see or hear anything. Some ISIS guys tried to gain territory, but the Kurds successfully fought them off. Their 4 wheel drives were stuck in the mud while ISIS’s brand new hummers were able to move about without issue. From the front line you can see ISIS flags. Since they told me to pack light, I didn’t bring a zoom lens. Sorry! You can see the smoke from their kitchen and even see men running from house to house.
ISIS is only 500 meters from the Kurdish position but nobody seems afraid. Peshmerga know that death is part of their fate, and even if they look like an army from another century, they will defend themselves and their country to the very end. For them, it is the highest honor to die for Kurdistan.
They protect the Baghdad road, but a few weeks ago lost it. After heavy fighting, they regained it, killing 3 Chechen ISIS fighters in the process.
Since peshmerga don’t have armored cars, it is very dangerous for them to go around safely.
The car I took to go on the front lines was very slow and made in the 80s. If we were chased by ISIS cars, we wouldn’t have stood a chance. In one day, all the materiel I saw included AK47s, a tank, an RPG, and a few gun old machines. Even if the pehsmergas say that this equipment works well, they are disappointed not to receive new ones, as Europe and USA promised.
The day after my visit, France made lot of bombings in the area, as ISIS was too close. Peshmergas take a lot of pictures, not only for souvenirs, but also to fight ISIS on the new front: social media.
They fear the roads they do not know well as ISIS pays the local farmers to put mines. Even in times of war, peshmergas are among the most welcoming people in the world. They regularly offer food and drinks.
When it was time for me to go back to the safety of Erbil, circumstances changed. The north road was closed because of an ISIS attack. The only way out was to send me through the south road that crossed Kirkuk. Let’s just say that safety there was not ideal. I had to hide my camera, and we crossed Kirkuk with an escort of armed peshmergas and a civilian car.
The soldiers were all nervous since Kirkuk is very dangerous, especially at the check points. As soon as a car was driving next to ours for too long, they were shouting at the driver to go away.
If a man was crossing the road too slowly, they threatened to hit him. These methods, employed by ISIS suicide bombers, have claimed the lives of hundred in Kirkuk. Once on the Kurdish side, they found a Kurdish taxi driver to bring me safely back to Erbil.
© Eric Lafforgue
'Terrorism has been found in almost every religion once that religion has been deprived of the spiritual touch.' - His Holiness Younus AlGohar
A U.S. soldier uses binoculars to look toward the demarcation line near a village outside Manbij, Syria, June 26, 2018. These patrols are done in coordination with Turkish military forces, who patrol on the opposite side of the line, to maintain the safety and security in the region since it was liberated from ISIS. (U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Timothy R. Koster)
Carved relief from the ancient Assyrian royal palace of Nineveh (Mosul in modern Iraq) detail of one of the many relief panels that once lined the walls now in the British Museum.
Many of these scenes depict the hunting of animals and are as cruel as they are beautifully rendered; this often makes me question my enjoyment of these stunning artworks when beautiful animals like lions and horses are seen to be suffering in them.
The site of Nineveh has been attacked by Daesh barbarians over the last two years of jihadi occupation, demolishing most of the few remaining structures and destroying 3000 years of history. It is located in the centre of Mosul which is currently a battleground as Iraqi forces attempt to reclaim their city. Whether any of the last vestiges of ancient Nineveh survive the liberation of the city remains to be seen, fortunately most of its more important sculpture is safe in museums like this.
Armed Forces Day National Event Held in Cleethorpes - Sat 25 Jun 2016
Image shows: The Royal Air Force College Cranwell Band followed by members of The Queen's Colour Squadron (63 Sqn RAF Regiment)
Celebrations took place to mark the eighth annual Armed Forces Day, honouring the work and dedication of our brave Servicemen and women deployed around the world. More than 250 events including parades, military displays and community fetes are took place right across the country to say thank you to the Armed Forces community, including Regulars, Reserves, their families and veterans past and present. From fighting Daesh in the Middle East to training troops in Nigeria and supporting NATO exercises, the UK’s Armed Forces are on duty 24/7. Armed Forces Day is a chance for Britain to acknowledge their hard work and sacrifice. The National Event was held in the seaside town Cleethorpes, Lincolnshire, attended by His Royal Highness the Duke of Kent representing the Queen and the Royal Family. Other guests included the Defence Secretary Michael Fallon, Minister of State for the Ministry of Defence and Deputy Leader of the House of Lords, The Rt Hon Earl Howe, the Commander of Joint Forces Command, General Sir Chris Deverell KCB MBE ADC and the Worshipful Mayor of North East Lincolnshire Christina McGilligan-Fell. The National Event began with a spectacular display from the Red Arrows, an amphibious display on the beach from the Royal Marines and a parachute drop from the RAF Falcons. A parade of Service personnel, veterans and cadets then marched down Cleethorpes seafront, from the North Promenade to the Boating Lake, followed by a motorcade of motorcyclists from the Armed Forces Bikers and the Royal British Legion bikers. The Duke of Kent took the salute from the parade on behalf of The Queen and Royal Family. Afternoon celebrations in Cleethorpes continued across the seafront with a variety of military displays including the White Helmets Motorcycle Display Team. Overhead the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight, a Chinook and the Royal Navy Black Cats Helicopters entertained the crowds.
-------------------------------------------------------
© Crown Copyright 2014
Photographer: Sgt Ross Tilly RAF
Image 45159889.jpg from www.defenceimages.mod.uk
Use of this image is subject to the terms and conditions of the MoD News Licence at www.defenceimagery.mod.uk/fotoweb/20121001_Crown_copyrigh...
For latest news visit www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ministry-of-defence
Follow us:
This month the International Organisation for Migration has carried out relief operations in areas newly retaken from Daesh around Mosul in Iraq, targeting newly displaced people who have fled to more stable areas. Last week, 110 full winter non-food relief item (NFI) kits were distributed, including blankets, heaters and carpets, to families in the town of Haj Ali. The kits were funded by the UK’s Department for International Development.
The UK is providing £14 million in humanitarian aid to help support up to 66,000 people in and around Mosul via IOM.
Picture: IOM
Some peshmergas take me to the front lines of the war against ISIS. I find myself in the Taza area, just south of Kirkuk, on the road to Baghdad.
According to them, very few journalists come here. Some even said that I was the only was they saw. Nonetheless, it is a key strategic location. It is very dangerous there since Kirkuk is divided: Kurds in the north, ISIS in the south. All along the front lines you can see different units roaming about little traditional houses. Some are kept by old Kurdish vets from the 1980s wars.
Many vets have returned to war, despite being well past middle-aged and having children and grandchildren. Some even behind comfortable lives in Europe to come back, like a Swiss colonel I met. For them, it is their duty to fight for their region. Despite being autonomous and having a large secessionist movement, Kurdistan is not recognized as a state distinct from Iraq. “Some terrorists come along and now the whole world calls them the ‘Islamic State’,” complains one peshmerga, “For decades we have been trying to make the state of Kurdistan and we’ve gotten nothing!”
They have very few weapons, most of them are pre-Cold War AK47s. Some even date back to 1960. They still work, but the Kurdish forces ask for more efficient guns since ISIS has the latest weapons taken (or given) from the Iraqi army who in turn was supplied by coalition forces.
Many vets have only one working eye. The other was lost in previous wars. Once night falls, it becomes very difficult to monitor the 1000km long border. They don’t even have night vision equipment.
Last week it rained for 5 days, and it was impossible to see or hear anything. Some ISIS guys tried to gain territory, but the Kurds successfully fought them off. Their 4 wheel drives were stuck in the mud while ISIS’s brand new hummers were able to move about without issue. From the front line you can see ISIS flags. Since they told me to pack light, I didn’t bring a zoom lens. Sorry! You can see the smoke from their kitchen and even see men running from house to house.
ISIS is only 500 meters from the Kurdish position but nobody seems afraid. Peshmerga know that death is part of their fate, and even if they look like an army from another century, they will defend themselves and their country to the very end. For them, it is the highest honor to die for Kurdistan.
They protect the Baghdad road, but a few weeks ago lost it. After heavy fighting, they regained it, killing 3 Chechen ISIS fighters in the process.
Since peshmerga don’t have armored cars, it is very dangerous for them to go around safely.
The car I took to go on the front lines was very slow and made in the 80s. If we were chased by ISIS cars, we wouldn’t have stood a chance. In one day, all the materiel I saw included AK47s, a tank, an RPG, and a few gun old machines. Even if the pehsmergas say that this equipment works well, they are disappointed not to receive new ones, as Europe and USA promised.
The day after my visit, France made lot of bombings in the area, as ISIS was too close. Peshmergas take a lot of pictures, not only for souvenirs, but also to fight ISIS on the new front: social media.
They fear the roads they do not know well as ISIS pays the local farmers to put mines. Even in times of war, peshmergas are among the most welcoming people in the world. They regularly offer food and drinks.
When it was time for me to go back to the safety of Erbil, circumstances changed. The north road was closed because of an ISIS attack. The only way out was to send me through the south road that crossed Kirkuk. Let’s just say that safety there was not ideal. I had to hide my camera, and we crossed Kirkuk with an escort of armed peshmergas and a civilian car.
The soldiers were all nervous since Kirkuk is very dangerous, especially at the check points. As soon as a car was driving next to ours for too long, they were shouting at the driver to go away.
If a man was crossing the road too slowly, they threatened to hit him. These methods, employed by ISIS suicide bombers, have claimed the lives of hundred in Kirkuk. Once on the Kurdish side, they found a Kurdish taxi driver to bring me safely back to Erbil.
© Eric Lafforgue
International Organisation for Migration staff training in IDP camp management, Jadah camp, Qarrayah, Iraq, 9 Nov 2016.
This month the International Organisation for Migration has carried out relief operations in areas newly retaken from Daesh around Mosul in Iraq, targeting newly displaced people who have fled to more stable areas. Last week, 110 full winter non-food relief item (NFI) kits were distributed, including blankets, heaters and carpets, to families in the town of Haj Ali. The kits were funded by the UK’s Department for International Development.
The UK is providing £14 million in humanitarian aid to help support up to 66,000 people in and around Mosul via IOM.
Picture: IOM
Rund 150 Menschen protestieren in Berlin mit einem Demonstrationszug vom Alexanderplatz zum Brandenburger Tor gegen das seit 1993 bestehende Verbot der Kurdischen Arbeiterpartei (PKK) in Deutschland.
In Reden wird darauf hingewiesen, dass insbesondere die Schwesterorganisationen der PKK, die YPG und YPJ in der nordsyrischen Provinz Rojava einen unschätzbaren Dienst im Kamp gegen Daesh leistet. Dies sogar im Zusammenspiel mit den USA.
Zudem sei Deutschland neben der Türkei das einzige Land, in dem die PKK verboten sei.
Staff Sgt. Alfred Akeroyd, of the Delaware National Guard, currently deployed with the 770th Air Expeditionary Advisory Squadron, assists an Iraqi Air Force firefighter with his gear during an exercise, Dec. 4, 2019 at Martyr Muhammad Alaa Air Base, Iraq. Akeroyd, who joined the team in October, quickly began to assess his counterparts’ basic firefighting competencies. During his most recent visit, Akeroyd trained the Iraqi firefighters on donning their turnout gear (personal protective equipment) not only quickly, but properly. By the end of the training course, the Iraqi Air Force firefighters’ reaction times were cut in half from their previous attempts. Task Force-Air utilizes a network of advisors to connect and synchronize multiple domains in order to create self-sustaining and Iraqi-customized best practices. (U.S. Air Force photos by Tech. Sgt. AJ Hyatt)
Some peshmergas take me to the front lines of the war against ISIS. I find myself in the Taza area, just south of Kirkuk, on the road to Baghdad.
According to them, very few journalists come here. Some even said that I was the only was they saw. Nonetheless, it is a key strategic location. It is very dangerous there since Kirkuk is divided: Kurds in the north, ISIS in the south. All along the front lines you can see different units roaming about little traditional houses. Some are kept by old Kurdish vets from the 1980s wars.
Many vets have returned to war, despite being well past middle-aged and having children and grandchildren. Some even behind comfortable lives in Europe to come back, like a Swiss colonel I met. For them, it is their duty to fight for their region. Despite being autonomous and having a large secessionist movement, Kurdistan is not recognized as a state distinct from Iraq. “Some terrorists come along and now the whole world calls them the ‘Islamic State’,” complains one peshmerga, “For decades we have been trying to make the state of Kurdistan and we’ve gotten nothing!”
They have very few weapons, most of them are pre-Cold War AK47s. Some even date back to 1960. They still work, but the Kurdish forces ask for more efficient guns since ISIS has the latest weapons taken (or given) from the Iraqi army who in turn was supplied by coalition forces.
Many vets have only one working eye. The other was lost in previous wars. Once night falls, it becomes very difficult to monitor the 1000km long border. They don’t even have night vision equipment.
Last week it rained for 5 days, and it was impossible to see or hear anything. Some ISIS guys tried to gain territory, but the Kurds successfully fought them off. Their 4 wheel drives were stuck in the mud while ISIS’s brand new hummers were able to move about without issue. From the front line you can see ISIS flags. Since they told me to pack light, I didn’t bring a zoom lens. Sorry! You can see the smoke from their kitchen and even see men running from house to house.
ISIS is only 500 meters from the Kurdish position but nobody seems afraid. Peshmerga know that death is part of their fate, and even if they look like an army from another century, they will defend themselves and their country to the very end. For them, it is the highest honor to die for Kurdistan.
They protect the Baghdad road, but a few weeks ago lost it. After heavy fighting, they regained it, killing 3 Chechen ISIS fighters in the process.
Since peshmerga don’t have armored cars, it is very dangerous for them to go around safely.
The car I took to go on the front lines was very slow and made in the 80s. If we were chased by ISIS cars, we wouldn’t have stood a chance. In one day, all the materiel I saw included AK47s, a tank, an RPG, and a few gun old machines. Even if the pehsmergas say that this equipment works well, they are disappointed not to receive new ones, as Europe and USA promised.
The day after my visit, France made lot of bombings in the area, as ISIS was too close. Peshmergas take a lot of pictures, not only for souvenirs, but also to fight ISIS on the new front: social media.
They fear the roads they do not know well as ISIS pays the local farmers to put mines. Even in times of war, peshmergas are among the most welcoming people in the world. They regularly offer food and drinks.
When it was time for me to go back to the safety of Erbil, circumstances changed. The north road was closed because of an ISIS attack. The only way out was to send me through the south road that crossed Kirkuk. Let’s just say that safety there was not ideal. I had to hide my camera, and we crossed Kirkuk with an escort of armed peshmergas and a civilian car.
The soldiers were all nervous since Kirkuk is very dangerous, especially at the check points. As soon as a car was driving next to ours for too long, they were shouting at the driver to go away.
If a man was crossing the road too slowly, they threatened to hit him. These methods, employed by ISIS suicide bombers, have claimed the lives of hundred in Kirkuk. Once on the Kurdish side, they found a Kurdish taxi driver to bring me safely back to Erbil.
© Eric Lafforgue
A safety officer from 2 PARA provides range covers his ears as French paratroopers fire a AT4 (Anti-tank 4) on Salisbury Plain training area for Ex Wessex Storm.
The French unit trained alongside the 2 PARA Battlegroup so that British and French airborne forces are ready to deploy together on short notice missions.
The CJEF was established as part of the defence and security, and on nuclear cooperation treaties signed at Lancaster House by the UK and France in 2010.
The UK and France are deployed around the world together in places such as the Middle East to combat Daesh and Estonia as part of NATO’s Enhanced Forward Presence. In Mali 3 RAF Chinooks and 100 UK personnel are deployed in a non-combat role in support of French counter-extremist operations.
The UK will continue to cooperate with our European partners in the future following the UK’s departure from the EU. We will continue to be a key player in Euro-Atlantic security and defence through our leadership in NATO, which will always be central to the UK’s security, our values and our place in the world.
3 August 2014 will remain the day the life of the yazedis has changed. Up to 200,000 yazedis people have been displaced from their homes in Sinjar City and the surrounding towns and villages when ISIS arrived by surprise .
The islamist group asked the residents to convert or die...Hundreds of Yazidis were executed as they refused. Most of the people left the village on time, fleeing on foot in the mountains, without nothing and most of the time without water or food , under a 50 degrees temperature. They walked for 7 days, including the babies and the elders. Many were killed, wounded or captured on the way. Now thousands are in Duhok in Kurdistan, and towns like Zoar when they have found a shelter for the winter. Some still have contacts thanks to the mobile phones with the relatives captured or trapped in Sinjar, but many do not have any news of their relatives and fear the worst...Until now, the town od Sinjar is seized by ISIS, where hundreds of Yazidis remain stranded months after fleeing their homes.But Kurdish peshmergas have regained lot of the ground lost to ISIS with the help of the U.S. air strikes. Sinjar is a strategic place as it would put the peshmergas on three sides of Mosul, the largest city under ISIS rule in northern Iraq.
© Eric Lafforgue
A U.S. Soldier looks through a scope at the Turkish military forces while on a security patrol outside Manbij, Syria, June 28, 2018. The U.S. and Turkish militaries conduct independent, coordinated patrols on either side of the demarcation line. (U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Timothy R. Koster)
......and some do exactly the right thing, show these
bastards as the brainless animals they are .......(from "theguardian-
online").
Ville natale de Saddam Hussein qui y construisit pendant les années 1990 des palais, une grande mosquée...En 2003 il s'y était réfugié et la ville a été assiégée...avec de nombreuses destructions. En 2014-2015 la ville est tombée entre les mains de l'Etat Islamique (DAESH). Les destructions et massacres ont continué et la ville n'a été libérée qu'en Mars 2015.
Les 12 et 13 Juin 2014, lors de la Prise de Tikrit par l'Etat Islamique, au moins 1700 jeunes soldats de l'Académie Aérienne de Tikrit (appelée "Camp Speicher") ont été abattus, jetés dans le Tigre pieds et poings liés ou enterrés dans des fosses communes. Ils étaient tous de confession chiite....
La ville de Tikrit n'a été libérée qu'en Mars 2015...
Un habitant d'une ville voisine venu en pèlerinage sur le site du massacre.
Diyarbakir (Amed), Fête du Newroz 2015. Cette année, la fête de Newroz qui marque le nouvel an kurde, symbole de renaissance et de résistance pour ce peuple, se déroule dans un contexte particulièrement tendu. Depuis décembre 2015, l'était turc assiège et bombarde des quartiers entiers de villes kurdes, où populatins civiles comme militants sont indistinctement massacrés, et soumet l'ensemble de la population kurde à un violente répression. D'un autre côté, la peur d'un attentat suicide de daesh est dans toutes les têtes. Malgré tout, même si ils sont moins nombreux que les années passées, les Kurdes se rejoignent à Amed, capitale du Kurdistan, pour fêter Newroz et célébrer leur résistance.
3 August 2014 will remain the day the life of the yazedis has changed. Up to 200,000 yazedis people have been displaced from their homes in Sinjar City and the surrounding towns and villages when ISIS arrived by surprise .
The islamist group asked the residents to convert or die...Hundreds of Yazidis were executed as they refused. Most of the people left the village on time, fleeing on foot in the mountains, without nothing and most of the time without water or food , under a 50 degrees temperature. They walked for 7 days, including the babies and the elders. Many were killed, wounded or captured on the way. Now thousands are in Duhok in Kurdistan, and towns like Zoar when they have found a shelter for the winter. Some still have contacts thanks to the mobile phones with the relatives captured or trapped in Sinjar, but many do not have any news of their relatives and fear the worst...Until now, the town od Sinjar is seized by ISIS, where hundreds of Yazidis remain stranded months after fleeing their homes.But Kurdish peshmergas have regained lot of the ground lost to ISIS with the help of the U.S. air strikes. Sinjar is a strategic place as it would put the peshmergas on three sides of Mosul, the largest city under ISIS rule in northern Iraq.
© Eric Lafforgue
The Security Council unanimously adopts resolution 2199 (2015) condemning any trade, in particular of oil and oil products, with Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL, also known as Daesh), Al-Nusrah Front (ANF) and any other entities designated as associated with Al-Qaida. The resolution also urges Member States to take steps to ensure that financial institutions within their territory prevent the extremist groups from accessing the international financial system. In addition it condemns the destruction of cultural heritage in Iraq and Syria by ISIL and ANF and decides that all Member States shall take appropriate steps to prevent the trade in Iraqi and Syrian cultural property.
UN Photo/Loey Felipe
12 February 2015
United Nations, New York
Photo # 622402
A few kilometers outside of Dohuk, Iraq, what was supposed to be a five-star hotel has become a nightmarish makeshift refugee camp. After ISIS attacked Sinjar, massacring and enslaving the local Yazidi people, a few of those fortunate enough to escape have sought refuge at the massive “Hotel Kayar” (literally “place where one receives friends). With construction stalled in its early stages, the concrete structure is an inhospitable environment for the 63 Yazidi families who now call it home. Children play with no railing or walls to prevent them from falling. “We just want tents like the other refugees,” said one man, after a storm recently ravaged the little infrastructure they managed to set up in the two months they’ve been here. With a cold winter right around the corner and scarce food and water, the future looks dire.And the kids keep smiling...
© Eric Lafforgue
A few kilometers outside of Dohuk, Iraq, what was supposed to be a five-star hotel has become a nightmarish makeshift refugee camp. After ISIS attacked Sinjar, massacring and enslaving the local Yazidi people, a few of those fortunate enough to escape have sought refuge at the massive “Hotel Kayar” (literally “place where one receives friends). With construction stalled in its early stages, the concrete structure is an inhospitable environment for the 63 Yazidi families who now call it home. Children play with no railing or walls to prevent them from falling. “We just want tents like the other refugees,” said one man, after a storm recently ravaged the little infrastructure they managed to set up in the two months they’ve been here. With a cold winter right around the corner and scarce food and water, the future looks dire.And the kids keep smiling...
© Eric Lafforgue
3 August 2014 will remain the day the life of the yazedis has changed. Up to 200,000 yazedis people have been displaced from their homes in Sinjar City and the surrounding towns and villages when ISIS arrived by surprise .
The islamist group asked the residents to convert or die...Hundreds of Yazidis were executed as they refused. Most of the people left the village on time, fleeing on foot in the mountains, without nothing and most of the time without water or food , under a 50 degrees temperature. They walked for 7 days, including the babies and the elders. Many were killed, wounded or captured on the way. Now thousands are in Duhok in Kurdistan, and towns like Zoar when they have found a shelter for the winter. Some still have contacts thanks to the mobile phones with the relatives captured or trapped in Sinjar, but many do not have any news of their relatives and fear the worst...Until now, the town od Sinjar is seized by ISIS, where hundreds of Yazidis remain stranded months after fleeing their homes.But Kurdish peshmergas have regained lot of the ground lost to ISIS with the help of the U.S. air strikes. Sinjar is a strategic place as it would put the peshmergas on three sides of Mosul, the largest city under ISIS rule in northern Iraq.
© Eric Lafforgue
Who are the victims once bombs start raining down or when suicidal maniacs pray for death?
Everywhere in the world the #victims are the same, yet only when it happens in your own backyard you can put faces to the dead.
Worst part: This isn't going to stop anytime soon.
Made at #lagrandeparade / #degroteparade of #hartbovenhard / #toutautrechose in #Brussels
#bombings #war #peace #children #brusselsattacks #daesh #ISIS #jesuisbruxelles #jesuisanybombedcity #warchild #bomberplane #terrorism #nowarforoil #givepeaceachance #stopthewar #Syria #Iraq #morewillfollow #Belgium #Bruxelles #Brussel
3 August 2014 will remain the day the life of the yazedis has changed. Up to 200,000 yazedis people have been displaced from their homes in Sinjar City and the surrounding towns and villages when ISIS arrived by surprise .
The islamist group asked the residents to convert or die...Hundreds of Yazidis were executed as they refused. Most of the people left the village on time, fleeing on foot in the mountains, without nothing and most of the time without water or food , under a 50 degrees temperature. They walked for 7 days, including the babies and the elders. Many were killed, wounded or captured on the way. Now thousands are in Duhok in Kurdistan, and towns like Zoar when they have found a shelter for the winter. Some still have contacts thanks to the mobile phones with the relatives captured or trapped in Sinjar, but many do not have any news of their relatives and fear the worst...Until now, the town od Sinjar is seized by ISIS, where hundreds of Yazidis remain stranded months after fleeing their homes.But Kurdish peshmergas have regained lot of the ground lost to ISIS with the help of the U.S. air strikes. Sinjar is a strategic place as it would put the peshmergas on three sides of Mosul, the largest city under ISIS rule in northern Iraq.
© Eric Lafforgue
Some peshmergas take me to the front lines of the war against ISIS. I find myself in the Taza area, just south of Kirkuk, on the road to Baghdad.
According to them, very few journalists come here. Some even said that I was the only was they saw. Nonetheless, it is a key strategic location. It is very dangerous there since Kirkuk is divided: Kurds in the north, ISIS in the south. All along the front lines you can see different units roaming about little traditional houses. Some are kept by old Kurdish vets from the 1980s wars.
Many vets have returned to war, despite being well past middle-aged and having children and grandchildren. Some even behind comfortable lives in Europe to come back, like a Swiss colonel I met. For them, it is their duty to fight for their region. Despite being autonomous and having a large secessionist movement, Kurdistan is not recognized as a state distinct from Iraq. “Some terrorists come along and now the whole world calls them the ‘Islamic State’,” complains one peshmerga, “For decades we have been trying to make the state of Kurdistan and we’ve gotten nothing!”
They have very few weapons, most of them are pre-Cold War AK47s. Some even date back to 1960. They still work, but the Kurdish forces ask for more efficient guns since ISIS has the latest weapons taken (or given) from the Iraqi army who in turn was supplied by coalition forces.
Many vets have only one working eye. The other was lost in previous wars. Once night falls, it becomes very difficult to monitor the 1000km long border. They don’t even have night vision equipment.
Last week it rained for 5 days, and it was impossible to see or hear anything. Some ISIS guys tried to gain territory, but the Kurds successfully fought them off. Their 4 wheel drives were stuck in the mud while ISIS’s brand new hummers were able to move about without issue. From the front line you can see ISIS flags. Since they told me to pack light, I didn’t bring a zoom lens. Sorry! You can see the smoke from their kitchen and even see men running from house to house.
ISIS is only 500 meters from the Kurdish position but nobody seems afraid. Peshmerga know that death is part of their fate, and even if they look like an army from another century, they will defend themselves and their country to the very end. For them, it is the highest honor to die for Kurdistan.
They protect the Baghdad road, but a few weeks ago lost it. After heavy fighting, they regained it, killing 3 Chechen ISIS fighters in the process.
Since peshmerga don’t have armored cars, it is very dangerous for them to go around safely.
The car I took to go on the front lines was very slow and made in the 80s. If we were chased by ISIS cars, we wouldn’t have stood a chance. In one day, all the materiel I saw included AK47s, a tank, an RPG, and a few gun old machines. Even if the pehsmergas say that this equipment works well, they are disappointed not to receive new ones, as Europe and USA promised.
The day after my visit, France made lot of bombings in the area, as ISIS was too close. Peshmergas take a lot of pictures, not only for souvenirs, but also to fight ISIS on the new front: social media.
They fear the roads they do not know well as ISIS pays the local farmers to put mines. Even in times of war, peshmergas are among the most welcoming people in the world. They regularly offer food and drinks.
When it was time for me to go back to the safety of Erbil, circumstances changed. The north road was closed because of an ISIS attack. The only way out was to send me through the south road that crossed Kirkuk. Let’s just say that safety there was not ideal. I had to hide my camera, and we crossed Kirkuk with an escort of armed peshmergas and a civilian car.
The soldiers were all nervous since Kirkuk is very dangerous, especially at the check points. As soon as a car was driving next to ours for too long, they were shouting at the driver to go away.
If a man was crossing the road too slowly, they threatened to hit him. These methods, employed by ISIS suicide bombers, have claimed the lives of hundred in Kirkuk. Once on the Kurdish side, they found a Kurdish taxi driver to bring me safely back to Erbil.
© Eric Lafforgue
Rückkehr der Recce Tornados von ihrem ersten Einsatzflug im Rahmen des Einsatzes Counter DAESH, auf der Air Base in Incirlik am 08.01.2016.
©Bundeswehr/Falk Bärwald
Hamilton's own "celebrity activists" made an appearance at the recent "protest that wasn't". Ken Stone (left) and Henry Evans-Tenbrinke on Stone's right, apparently unscathed after their stand-off against Canada Post's invasion of the community mailboxes. See:http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/hamilton/news/retiree-sits-at-super-mailbox-every-day-to-protest-canada-post-1.3083775
Stand developed in Blazinal as an experiment that I probably won't repeat, at least not with TRi-X. I didn't record aperture and exposure.
Le Monastère de Mar Matti a été fondé en 363 sur le Mont Alfaf dans un site exceptionnel. C'est le plus ancien monastère du Kurdistan. Il tire son nom d'un ermite syrien du IV ème siècle (Mathieu) qui avait fui les persécutions des empereurs romains.
Il appartient à l'Eglise syriaque orthodoxe. Il a été épargné des exactions de Daesh en 2014 et a même abrité les reliques de St Thomas qui étaient dans l'Eglise de Mosul.
La route en lacets que les pèlerins emruntaient pour monter depuis la plaine de Ninive.
This month the International Organisation for Migration has carried out relief operations in areas newly retaken from Daesh around Mosul in Iraq, targeting newly displaced people who have fled to more stable areas. Last week, 110 full winter non-food relief item (NFI) kits were distributed, including blankets, heaters and carpets, to families in the town of Haj Ali. The kits were funded by the UK’s Department for International Development.
The UK is providing £14 million in humanitarian aid to help support up to 66,000 people in and around Mosul via IOM.
Picture: IOM
This month the International Organisation for Migration has carried out relief operations in areas newly retaken from Daesh around Mosul in Iraq, targeting newly displaced people who have fled to more stable areas. Last week, 110 full winter non-food relief item (NFI) kits were distributed, including blankets, heaters and carpets, to families in the town of Haj Ali. The kits were funded by the UK’s Department for International Development.
The UK is providing £14 million in humanitarian aid to help support up to 66,000 people in and around Mosul via IOM.
Picture: IOM
Berge von Schwimmwesten liegen am 27.02.2016 in der Naehe von Molivos, Griechenland auf einer Muelldeponie. Ueber 120000 Fluechtlinge sind 2016 bereits mit Schlauchbooten in Griechenland angekommen. Die Schwimmwesten werden auf Mülldeponien auf der Insel abgeladen. Foto: Markus Heine / heineimaging
-----
Die Bilder sind in druckbarer Qualität vorhanden.
Alle Bilder urheberrechtlich geschützt!
Abfragen für Bildnutzung: box@heineimaging.de
Commander Hutchings, CO of HMS HMS St Albans, welcomed home by his family. Picture: LPhot Paul Hall
HMS St Albans returned to a rapturous welcome in Portsmouth today (August 5) following a nine-month deployment to the Middle East.
Hundreds of friends and families lined the Naval Base as the Type 23 frigate returned from the Gulf where she joined the US and French navies in the fight against Daesh.
‘The Saint’ sailed more than 38,000 miles on Operation Kipion working with carrier task groups, hosting key defence and diplomatic engagements and conducting operations to counter narcotics and weapon smuggling.
Days into her deployment she achieved her first success by seizing 320kg of cannabis with an estimated value of £1m which was destined for European markets.
In the Gulf St Albans and her 220 crew integrated into two separate French and United States aircraft carrier strike groups. She worked alongside the carrier FS Charles de Gaulle following the terrorist attacks in Paris and later the giant USS Harry S Truman. Both carriers were conducting air strikes into Syria and Iraq.
A few kilometers outside of Dohuk, Iraq, what was supposed to be a five-star hotel has become a nightmarish makeshift refugee camp. After ISIS attacked Sinjar, massacring and enslaving the local Yazidi people, a few of those fortunate enough to escape have sought refuge at the massive “Hotel Kayar” (literally “place where one receives friends). With construction stalled in its early stages, the concrete structure is an inhospitable environment for the 63 Yazidi families who now call it home. Children play with no railing or walls to prevent them from falling. “We just want tents like the other refugees,” said one man, after a storm recently ravaged the little infrastructure they managed to set up in the two months they’ve been here. With a cold winter right around the corner and scarce food and water, the future looks dire.And the kids keep smiling...
© Eric Lafforgue
Some peshmergas take me to the front lines of the war against ISIS. I find myself in the Taza area, just south of Kirkuk, on the road to Baghdad.
According to them, very few journalists come here. Some even said that I was the only was they saw. Nonetheless, it is a key strategic location. It is very dangerous there since Kirkuk is divided: Kurds in the north, ISIS in the south. All along the front lines you can see different units roaming about little traditional houses. Some are kept by old Kurdish vets from the 1980s wars.
Many vets have returned to war, despite being well past middle-aged and having children and grandchildren. Some even behind comfortable lives in Europe to come back, like a Swiss colonel I met. For them, it is their duty to fight for their region. Despite being autonomous and having a large secessionist movement, Kurdistan is not recognized as a state distinct from Iraq. “Some terrorists come along and now the whole world calls them the ‘Islamic State’,” complains one peshmerga, “For decades we have been trying to make the state of Kurdistan and we’ve gotten nothing!”
They have very few weapons, most of them are pre-Cold War AK47s. Some even date back to 1960. They still work, but the Kurdish forces ask for more efficient guns since ISIS has the latest weapons taken (or given) from the Iraqi army who in turn was supplied by coalition forces.
Many vets have only one working eye. The other was lost in previous wars. Once night falls, it becomes very difficult to monitor the 1000km long border. They don’t even have night vision equipment.
Last week it rained for 5 days, and it was impossible to see or hear anything. Some ISIS guys tried to gain territory, but the Kurds successfully fought them off. Their 4 wheel drives were stuck in the mud while ISIS’s brand new hummers were able to move about without issue. From the front line you can see ISIS flags. Since they told me to pack light, I didn’t bring a zoom lens. Sorry! You can see the smoke from their kitchen and even see men running from house to house.
ISIS is only 500 meters from the Kurdish position but nobody seems afraid. Peshmerga know that death is part of their fate, and even if they look like an army from another century, they will defend themselves and their country to the very end. For them, it is the highest honor to die for Kurdistan.
They protect the Baghdad road, but a few weeks ago lost it. After heavy fighting, they regained it, killing 3 Chechen ISIS fighters in the process.
Since peshmerga don’t have armored cars, it is very dangerous for them to go around safely.
The car I took to go on the front lines was very slow and made in the 80s. If we were chased by ISIS cars, we wouldn’t have stood a chance. In one day, all the materiel I saw included AK47s, a tank, an RPG, and a few gun old machines. Even if the pehsmergas say that this equipment works well, they are disappointed not to receive new ones, as Europe and USA promised.
The day after my visit, France made lot of bombings in the area, as ISIS was too close. Peshmergas take a lot of pictures, not only for souvenirs, but also to fight ISIS on the new front: social media.
They fear the roads they do not know well as ISIS pays the local farmers to put mines. Even in times of war, peshmergas are among the most welcoming people in the world. They regularly offer food and drinks.
When it was time for me to go back to the safety of Erbil, circumstances changed. The north road was closed because of an ISIS attack. The only way out was to send me through the south road that crossed Kirkuk. Let’s just say that safety there was not ideal. I had to hide my camera, and we crossed Kirkuk with an escort of armed peshmergas and a civilian car.
The soldiers were all nervous since Kirkuk is very dangerous, especially at the check points. As soon as a car was driving next to ours for too long, they were shouting at the driver to go away.
If a man was crossing the road too slowly, they threatened to hit him. These methods, employed by ISIS suicide bombers, have claimed the lives of hundred in Kirkuk. Once on the Kurdish side, they found a Kurdish taxi driver to bring me safely back to Erbil.
© Eric Lafforgue
from ift.tt/2apEChq
Sorry that I fell behind by a few days. I had some stuff come up in my family that took precedence. I have decided that splitting each list up into 21 items is a bit too anal of me. I’ll get as many done in a day as I can. That may mean huge lists some days and really small ones on other days. I have a feeling that if you’re looking for reasons to oppose Donald Trump, no list can be too big or too small.1
I’m also going to begin posting each reason on my Twitter account under #2016Reasons. I’ve already been posting each of these posts to that hashtag.
106. Trump said that you never see thin people drinking Diet Coke. Despite the fact that he drinks the soda, Trump enjoys fat-shaming people who drink the soda. I guess that it’s a case of do as I say, not as I do, also known as typical Donald Trump.
107. Donald Trump talks about women like they’re his property. You should know by now that I’m not joking when I say things like this, so yes, he really uses possessive language about women. Specifically, he said, “I think the only difference between me and the other candidates is that I’m more honest and my women are more beautiful.” And if you’re thinking, “well, at least it’s a compliment,” then I’m going to assume that you’re probably going to vote Republican anyway. People cannot be owned. Now, I know that Trump has a history of trying to get around that by “employing” people who are in forced servitude (slavery) to build things for him, but the statement stands.
108. He thinks he can brag about humility. When Lesley Stahl interviewed him for 60 Minutes after he announced that Pence would be his running mate, he said this about himself:
“I think I’m much more humble than you would understand.”
And it wasn’t the only time he felt the need to brag about how humble he is. He once even compared his humility to that of the Pope. Donald, Donald, Donald. Do you not understand how humility works? It’s not something that you can brag about. Well, obviously, you can brag about anything, but if you’re bragging about being humble, then you are not humble. Know why? It’s what the word means:
Humility: a modest or low view of one’s own importance; humbleness.
Bragging about humility is a bit like fat-shaming people for drinking Diet Coke while guzzling a tiny little bottle of Diet Coke on board a private plane.
Yeah, I said it.
109. “The point is, you can never be too greedy.” I shouldn’t be surprised that Donald subscribes to the Gordon Gekko philosophy of wealth acquisition. Maybe, like many, he doesn’t understand that Gekko wasn’t the hero of those movies. He was the villain. Perhaps, he was inspired by the Ferengi in the Star Trek universe; failing to recognize that they too were meant to be antagonists. Or maybe it’s due to growing up in a wealthy family; he never learned that life isn’t about being the wealthiest person in the room or becoming the wealthiest person in the room. He values his bank balance more than he values lives. Is that the kind of person that you want running the United States?
110. Political events are about ratings for him. Whether talking about the debates or the Republican National Convention, Donald Trump obsessed over how many people were watching. I hate to break it to him, but a lot of people who watched those things aren’t even voting for him. At a certain point, watching Trump speak became more about either laughing at him or trying to determine just how out there the man is. But even if people were watching to root him on in his fight against the establishment–aka himself–believing that ratings are the most important part of the events proves how out of touch he is with the importance of the job he’s campaigning to have. Debates and conventions are not just job interviews, they’re part of national conversations where we all start determining where exactly this country should stand on a variety of important issues. Since Trump doesn’t even bother to share his plans for working on those issues, it’s clear that he doesn’t even get the most basic part about it. When he only speaks in incoherent soundbites, it’s easy to see how shallow the man and the campaign really are.
111. He’s opposed to marriage equality. Donald likes to paint himself as a pro-LGBTQ candidate, but he believes in “traditional” marriage. (Apparently, traditional marriage means a union of one man, three women, and a lot of divorce attorneys.) Electing Donald Trump could jeopardize the rights that so many people have fought so hard to win and could prevent future wins in other ongoing fights for equality in America. He has vowed to overturn the decision in Obergefell v. Hodges.
112. Patronized a woman claiming to be a 9/11 survivor. Trump called Alicia Watkins “sweetie” before giving her a “job interview” and saying he’d hire her because he had a gut feeling about her. Watkins told him that she was a 9/11 survivor and a veteran of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Watkins has since been described as having falsified her record and having violated federal laws against Stolen Valor by wearing a purple heart that she didn’t earn. Not only did he patronize her, he proved that his gut kinda sucks.
113. Threatened to “spill the beans” on Heidi Cruz. During the end of the Republican primaries, things between Ted Cruz and Donald Trump got a bit heated. In a move that Cruz still won’t forgive Trump for, Trump threatened Heidi on Twitter. He followed it up by retweeting an unflattering picture of Heidi–a move he actually regrets.
114. Called 9/11 “7/11”. During a rally, Donald Trump confused a huge national tragedy with the real life inspiration for the Kwik-E-Mart. For any American, that would be a big flub, but for someone who loves to brag about his patriotism and his ties to New York City? That was a major fuck up. Even C. Montgomery Burns would judge him.
115. His wall will have a big fat door. Oh, wait. I’m sorry. His exact quote, from a debate in October 2015, was, “We’re going to do a wall; we’re going to have a big, fat beautiful door on the wall; we’re going to have people come in, but they’re going to come in legally.” I’m guessing that Trump thinks border walls are a lot like medieval castles.
116. Proposed a Starbucks boycott over their Christmas cups. If you needed another example of Donald Trump overreacting to ridiculous stuff, look no further. When Starbucks unveiled their 2015 cup design, Donald couldn’t take it quietly. Apparently, he didn’t understand that the colors red, white, and green are Christmas colors. Becoming a belligerent in the so-called War on Christmas was, as always, unnecessary.
117. Boycotted Oreos over Nabisco plant. But I think this example of him overreacting is even more grotesque. It’s practically un-American to boycott Oreos. They’re America’s favorite cookie for a reason, so boycotting them because Nabisco opened a plant in Mexico is just wrong. Besides, Trump doesn’t mind manufacturing his products in Mexico.
118. Calls himself the worst thing to ever happen to Daesh. Nothing triggers a hate boner for Donald Trump like radical Islamic terrorism. In fact, he’s a bit like the mythological Bloody Mary when it comes to that particular phrase, only he appears if you don’t say the phrase. And in an interview with Barbara Walters, he told her, “I’m the worst thing that’s ever happened to ISIS.” It seems he didn’t envision himself as being the perfect propaganda generator for Daesh.
119. “A well educated black.” If you’re cringing just seeing those words in quotation marks, then you may want to go ahead and sit down to see the rest of the quote. In 1989, Trump said:
A well-educated black has a tremendous advantage over a well-educated white in terms of the job market. I think sometimes a black may think they don’t have an advantage or this and that… I’ve said on one occasion, even about myself, if I were starting off today, I would love to be a well-educated black, because I believe they do have an actual advantage.
You knew it wasn’t going to be good before you read it, so don’t complain now. But, yeah, Trump thinks that black privilege is a thing. Are you starting to see his accidental racism as being a little less gaffe, a little more actual ignorance?
120. Bragged about “thousands of Hispanics” working for him. In one of his more humble moments, Trump announced proudly how pro-Latino he believes himself to be. His statement read, “I am friends with and employ thousands of people of Mexican and Hispanic descent. I do not feel that one’s heritage makes them incapable of being impartial, but based on the rulings that I have received in the Trump University civil case, I feel justified in questioning whether I am receiving a fair trial.” Poor baby.
121. Talked about “the Japs” in 1989. I feel dirty even quoting his racism. Apparently stuck in World War II era rhetoric, Donald Trump thought it was acceptable to call Japanese people “Japs” in polite conversation. In January 1989, he was quoted in Time magazine as saying, “Who the fuck knows? I mean, really, who knows how much the Japs will pay for Manhattan property these days?”
122. John Barron/John Baron. When Donald Trump didn’t get enough press coverage, he would use the alias John Barron to reach out to reporters. They knew it was really him, not an actual spokesperson. His alter ego was born in 1980 and Trump confirmed it as an alias under oath in 1991. When he denied it after a 2016 Washington Post article, but not after a 2015 Vice article, he was lying. Either that, or he publicly admitted to perjury.
123. John Miller. Yet another “spokesperson” The Donald used to talk to the most important people in his life: reporters. Miller was a total gossip and bragged about how Madonna wanted to pursue a romantic relationship with Trump, because that’s totally believable.
124. “You have to treat ’em like shit.” In an interview with New York magazine in 1992, those were the exact words Trump used to explain how he treats women. I guess all that misogyny he spewed at Megyn Kelly, Rosie O’Donnell, Carly Fiorina, Heidi Klum, Heidi Cruz, etc. wasn’t a new aspect of his personality. I’m just completely surprised by this.
125. Bette Midler. Donald has been insulting Midler since at least 2012. He’s convinced himself that it’s okay, though. But Midler still isn’t having it. She compared his antics & popularity to Catch-22 and pointed out that there is a double-standard when Twitter will ban Azealia Banks for abuse, but not ban Trump. I’m guessing they won’t be besties any time soon.
126. “When a man leaves a woman…” No, I’m not referring to the Percy Sledge classic “When A Man Loves A Woman”; I’m referring to a quote made in Vanity Fair in September 1990:
“When a man leaves a woman, especially when it was perceived that he has left for a piece of ass—a good one!— there are 50 percent of the population who will love the woman who was left.”
How is this man getting any support from Republicans? I know they’re not known for their love of women, but this is a new low for them.
127. Compared being gay to golf putters. Because what else would Trump compare sexual orientation to? Sandwiches? No, he had to demean LGBTQ people by comparing them to golf putters:
It’s like in golf. A lot of people — I don’t want this to sound trivial — but a lot of people are switching to these really long putters, very unattractive. It’s weird. You see these great players with these really long putters, because they can’t sink three-footers anymore. And, I hate it. I am a traditionalist. I have so many fabulous friends who happen to be gay, but I am a traditionalist.
128. “The problem that I have with Planned Parenthood is the abortion situation. It is like an abortion factory, frankly.” I know that Planned Parenthood is unpopular with the right, especially after the fake videos, but calling it an abortion factory is just…well, it actually makes total sense for Trump. I don’t know how an abortion factory would work, but in the grand scheme of things, it definitely sounds just like some ridiculous thing Trump would say.
129. Blamed 9/11 on Bush. Dammit. He took that from us. If you’re a devout Republican, you know that blaming Bush is basically heretical for you, so don’t vote for Trump. And if you’re not a Republican, then you shouldn’t be voting for him anyway because, well, ew.
130. Said Ben Carson’s temper couldn’t have been cured; compared to child molestation. While I think that Ben Carson’s violent youth was exaggerated, like many of Carson’s claims, I do realize that an individual can make a change in their behavior between youth and adulthood. But comparing childhood rage to child molestation was a bit of a what-the-fuck moment. Why would anyone go there? Seriously, no.
131. Says media is dishonest or out to get him. That’s called paranoia. If anyone has been dishonest or made it their mission to wrongfully attack or accuse other people, it’s been Donald. Sorry if the truth hurts, bub.
Photo credit: Gage Skidmore via Visual hunt / CC BY-SA
Unlike his hands. ↩
Related Posts:
Definitely More Stable Than Donald Trump January 25, 2016
Resting Bitch Face: Internet-Style March 12, 2016
2016 Reasons to Oppose Trump — Reasons #1-21 July 23, 2016
Natural Born April 7, 2011
Retribution: Win Or Lose March 24, 2016
Some peshmergas take me to the front lines of the war against ISIS. I find myself in the Taza area, just south of Kirkuk, on the road to Baghdad.
According to them, very few journalists come here. Some even said that I was the only was they saw. Nonetheless, it is a key strategic location. It is very dangerous there since Kirkuk is divided: Kurds in the north, ISIS in the south. All along the front lines you can see different units roaming about little traditional houses. Some are kept by old Kurdish vets from the 1980s wars.
Many vets have returned to war, despite being well past middle-aged and having children and grandchildren. Some even behind comfortable lives in Europe to come back, like a Swiss colonel I met. For them, it is their duty to fight for their region. Despite being autonomous and having a large secessionist movement, Kurdistan is not recognized as a state distinct from Iraq. “Some terrorists come along and now the whole world calls them the ‘Islamic State’,” complains one peshmerga, “For decades we have been trying to make the state of Kurdistan and we’ve gotten nothing!”
They have very few weapons, most of them are pre-Cold War AK47s. Some even date back to 1960. They still work, but the Kurdish forces ask for more efficient guns since ISIS has the latest weapons taken (or given) from the Iraqi army who in turn was supplied by coalition forces.
Many vets have only one working eye. The other was lost in previous wars. Once night falls, it becomes very difficult to monitor the 1000km long border. They don’t even have night vision equipment.
Last week it rained for 5 days, and it was impossible to see or hear anything. Some ISIS guys tried to gain territory, but the Kurds successfully fought them off. Their 4 wheel drives were stuck in the mud while ISIS’s brand new hummers were able to move about without issue. From the front line you can see ISIS flags. Since they told me to pack light, I didn’t bring a zoom lens. Sorry! You can see the smoke from their kitchen and even see men running from house to house.
ISIS is only 500 meters from the Kurdish position but nobody seems afraid. Peshmerga know that death is part of their fate, and even if they look like an army from another century, they will defend themselves and their country to the very end. For them, it is the highest honor to die for Kurdistan.
They protect the Baghdad road, but a few weeks ago lost it. After heavy fighting, they regained it, killing 3 Chechen ISIS fighters in the process.
Since peshmerga don’t have armored cars, it is very dangerous for them to go around safely.
The car I took to go on the front lines was very slow and made in the 80s. If we were chased by ISIS cars, we wouldn’t have stood a chance. In one day, all the materiel I saw included AK47s, a tank, an RPG, and a few gun old machines. Even if the pehsmergas say that this equipment works well, they are disappointed not to receive new ones, as Europe and USA promised.
The day after my visit, France made lot of bombings in the area, as ISIS was too close. Peshmergas take a lot of pictures, not only for souvenirs, but also to fight ISIS on the new front: social media.
They fear the roads they do not know well as ISIS pays the local farmers to put mines. Even in times of war, peshmergas are among the most welcoming people in the world. They regularly offer food and drinks.
When it was time for me to go back to the safety of Erbil, circumstances changed. The north road was closed because of an ISIS attack. The only way out was to send me through the south road that crossed Kirkuk. Let’s just say that safety there was not ideal. I had to hide my camera, and we crossed Kirkuk with an escort of armed peshmergas and a civilian car.
The soldiers were all nervous since Kirkuk is very dangerous, especially at the check points. As soon as a car was driving next to ours for too long, they were shouting at the driver to go away.
If a man was crossing the road too slowly, they threatened to hit him. These methods, employed by ISIS suicide bombers, have claimed the lives of hundred in Kirkuk. Once on the Kurdish side, they found a Kurdish taxi driver to bring me safely back to Erbil.
© Eric Lafforgue
Some peshmergas take me to the front lines of the war against ISIS. I find myself in the Taza area, just south of Kirkuk, on the road to Baghdad.
According to them, very few journalists come here. Some even said that I was the only was they saw. Nonetheless, it is a key strategic location. It is very dangerous there since Kirkuk is divided: Kurds in the north, ISIS in the south. All along the front lines you can see different units roaming about little traditional houses. Some are kept by old Kurdish vets from the 1980s wars.
Many vets have returned to war, despite being well past middle-aged and having children and grandchildren. Some even behind comfortable lives in Europe to come back, like a Swiss colonel I met. For them, it is their duty to fight for their region. Despite being autonomous and having a large secessionist movement, Kurdistan is not recognized as a state distinct from Iraq. “Some terrorists come along and now the whole world calls them the ‘Islamic State’,” complains one peshmerga, “For decades we have been trying to make the state of Kurdistan and we’ve gotten nothing!”
They have very few weapons, most of them are pre-Cold War AK47s. Some even date back to 1960. They still work, but the Kurdish forces ask for more efficient guns since ISIS has the latest weapons taken (or given) from the Iraqi army who in turn was supplied by coalition forces.
Many vets have only one working eye. The other was lost in previous wars. Once night falls, it becomes very difficult to monitor the 1000km long border. They don’t even have night vision equipment.
Last week it rained for 5 days, and it was impossible to see or hear anything. Some ISIS guys tried to gain territory, but the Kurds successfully fought them off. Their 4 wheel drives were stuck in the mud while ISIS’s brand new hummers were able to move about without issue. From the front line you can see ISIS flags. Since they told me to pack light, I didn’t bring a zoom lens. Sorry! You can see the smoke from their kitchen and even see men running from house to house.
ISIS is only 500 meters from the Kurdish position but nobody seems afraid. Peshmerga know that death is part of their fate, and even if they look like an army from another century, they will defend themselves and their country to the very end. For them, it is the highest honor to die for Kurdistan.
They protect the Baghdad road, but a few weeks ago lost it. After heavy fighting, they regained it, killing 3 Chechen ISIS fighters in the process.
Since peshmerga don’t have armored cars, it is very dangerous for them to go around safely.
The car I took to go on the front lines was very slow and made in the 80s. If we were chased by ISIS cars, we wouldn’t have stood a chance. In one day, all the materiel I saw included AK47s, a tank, an RPG, and a few gun old machines. Even if the pehsmergas say that this equipment works well, they are disappointed not to receive new ones, as Europe and USA promised.
The day after my visit, France made lot of bombings in the area, as ISIS was too close. Peshmergas take a lot of pictures, not only for souvenirs, but also to fight ISIS on the new front: social media.
They fear the roads they do not know well as ISIS pays the local farmers to put mines. Even in times of war, peshmergas are among the most welcoming people in the world. They regularly offer food and drinks.
When it was time for me to go back to the safety of Erbil, circumstances changed. The north road was closed because of an ISIS attack. The only way out was to send me through the south road that crossed Kirkuk. Let’s just say that safety there was not ideal. I had to hide my camera, and we crossed Kirkuk with an escort of armed peshmergas and a civilian car.
The soldiers were all nervous since Kirkuk is very dangerous, especially at the check points. As soon as a car was driving next to ours for too long, they were shouting at the driver to go away.
If a man was crossing the road too slowly, they threatened to hit him. These methods, employed by ISIS suicide bombers, have claimed the lives of hundred in Kirkuk. Once on the Kurdish side, they found a Kurdish taxi driver to bring me safely back to Erbil.
© Eric Lafforgue
U.S. Marine Staff Sgt. Eric Alabiso, right, a military information operations advisor with Task Force Al Asad, helps an Iraqi soldier with the 7th Iraqi Army Division set up a Radio in a Box (RIAB) at Al Asad Air Base, Iraq, Sept. 28, 2015. The RIAB was provided by Iraq’s Ministry of Defense through the Iraq Train and Equip Fund. The fund was established by Combined Joint Task Force – Operation Inherent Resolve (CJTF-OIR), a part of the multinational coalition force that helps improve the Iraqi military’s ability to fight against the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) by providing training and advice to its soldiers and officers. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Garrett White)