industryterm:social media websites

  • Je vois passer ceci. Quelques reprises (dont Jerusalem Post), mais qui toutes se contentent de cette unique source. Avec de grosses pincettes donc… Jordan’s King arrests brothers and cousin in suspected Saudi-led coup | Al Sura English
    http://al-sura.com/jordans-king-arrests-brothers-and-cousin-in-suspected-saudi-led-coup

    King Abdullah spared no time in arresting both his brothers and cousin; Prince Faisal bin Hussein, Prince Ali bin Hussein and Prince Talal bin Muhammad after Jordanian intelligence services alerted the King that there was communication between the brothers and cousin and Saudi and Emirati leaders; Mohammad bin Salman and Mohammed bin Zayed. The shock house arrest of the King’s siblings comes as the Middle East faces a renewed ‘revolutionary’ movement in several countries. Leadership among the MENA states has looked towards Saudi Arabia for explanations for it’s belligerency towards the governments despite showing good working relations otherwise. Long standing allegiances with Qatar were seemingly thrown aside in moments when Saudi Arabia launched an economic blockade against long time ally Qatar. Many blame Saudi Arabia’s young Mohammad bin Salman for these poor choices in relations.

    • King sends letters to princes Feisal, Ali, Talal after retirement from army | Jordan Times
      http://jordantimes.com/news/local/king-sends-letters-princes-feisal-ali-talal-after-retirement-army

      AMMAN — His Majesty King Abdullah on Tuesday voiced his gratitude for Their Royal Highnesses Prince Feisal, Prince Ali and Prince Talal for their distinguished military services in three letters after they were referred to retirement from the Jordan Armed Forces-Arab Army (JAF). 

      In his letters, the Monarch expressed his sincerest appreciation of the military services of the three princes, adding that the services at the JAF have been such a great honour for the Hashemite Royal family, a Royal Court statement said.

      The King also noted that modernising the armed forces and improving their capabilities to enable them to carry out their responsibilities has been among his key priorities, adding the JAF is currently undergoing a comprehensive restructuring and development process, aimed at enhancing the capabilities of operation units, cutting down expenses and re-organising the army’s command structure for the coming years, the statement said.

      Addressing the three princes, the King said: “As institutionalism is the basis of the JAF’s work and the main pillar upon which the modernisation, development and restructuring process is rested, it has been required that you are sent to retirement just like your high-ranking brothers in the army.”

      King Abdullah expressed his pride in the services of Prince Feisal while he was serving as commander of the Royal Jordanian Air Force and assistant for the chairman of the Joint Chiefs-of-Staff, granting him the honorary rank of lieutenant general at the JAF. 

      The King expressed his pride in Prince Ali’s services in the Special Forces and Royal Guards, and granted him the honorary rank of major general.

      His Majesty also expressed his pride in Prince Talal’s services as a military secretary to His Majesty the late King Hussein and an officer at the Special Forces, granting him the honorary rank of major general.

    • Communiqué de la cour ce samedi, pour démentir :

      Rumours and misleading claims have been circulated over the past few days by a number of online outlets and social media websites, spreading lies about Their Royal Highnesses Prince Feisal bin Al Hussein, Prince Ali bin Al Hussein, and Prince Talal bin Muhammed.

      The Royal Hashemite Court will pursue legal measures against those who spread lies and false claims against Their Royal Highnesses the Princes and members of the Royal Hashemite Family, as the fabricated news circulated recently is aimed at undermining Jordan and its institutions.

      Our loyal people do not fall for such lies, which can never damage Jordan’s national unity and the deep-rooted relationship between Jordanians and the Royal Hashemite Family.

      His Majesty King Abdullah, the Supreme Commander of the Jordan Armed Forces-Arab Army (JAF), had sent Their Royal Highnesses letters in appreciation of their service after they were referred to retirement from the JAF.

      Their Royal Highnesses had been exemplary officers of the Arab Army, loyal to Jordan and the Hashemite Throne

      https://rhc.jo/en/media/news/statement-royal-hashemite-court-2

  • How US-Backed War on Syria Helped ISIS – Daniel Lazare
    https://consortiumnews.com/2016/03/31/how-us-backed-war-on-syria-helped-isis

    Since the Times claims to have “several hundred” surreptitious contacts inside Syria, the charge that Assad’s troops fled without a fight may conceivably be correct. But it’s hard to square with reports that the Islamic State (also known as ISIS, ISIL and Daesh) had to battle for seven or eight days before entering the city and then had to deal with a counter-offensive on the city’s outskirts. But even if true, it’s only part of the story and a small one at that.

    The real story began two months earlier when Syrian rebels launched a major offensive in Syria’s northern Idlib province with heavy backing from Turkey and Saudi Arabia. Led by Al Nusra, the local Al Qaeda affiliate, but with the full participation of U.S.-backed rebel forces, the assault proved highly successful because of the large numbers of U.S.-made optically guided TOW missiles supplied by the Saudis. [See Consortiumnews.com’s “Climbing into Bed with Al-Qaeda.”]

    The missiles gave the rebels the edge they needed to destroy dozens of government tanks and other vehicles according to videos posted on social media websites. Indeed, one pro-U.S. commander told The Wall Street Journal that the TOWs completely “flipped the balance of power,” enabling the rebels to dislodge the Syrian army’s heavily dug-in forces and drive them out of town. Although the government soon counter-attacked, Al Nusra and its allies continued to advance to the point where they posed a direct threat to the Damascus regime’s stronghold in Latakia province 50 or 60 miles to the west.

    Official Washington was jubilant. “The trend lines for Assad are bad and getting worse,” a senior official crowed a month after the offensive began. The Times happily observed that “[t]he Syrian Army has suffered a string of defeats from re-energized insurgents … [which] raise newly urgent questions about the durability of President Bashar al-Assad’s rule.”

    Assad was on the ropes, or so everyone said. Indeed, ISIS thought so as well, according to the Associated Press, which is why it decided that the opportunity was ripe to launch an offensive of its own 200 miles or so to the southeast. Worn-out and depleted after four years of civil war, the Syrian Arab Army retreated before the onslaught.

    But considering the billions of dollars that the U.S. and Saudis were pouring into the rebel forces, blaming Damascus for not putting up a stiffer fight is a little like beating up a 12-year-old girl and then blaming her for not having a better right hook.

  • Libyan air force base joins renegade general in #Benghazi offensive
    http://english.al-akhbar.com/content/libyan-air-force-base-joins-renegade-general-benghazi-offensive

    A Libyan air force base in the eastern city of Tobruk has decided to join forces of a renegade general which have been fighting militant Islamists, according to a statement published on Monday. “The Torbuk air force base will join ... the army under the command of General Khalifa Qassim Haftar,” said the statement posted on social media websites. Staff at the air base confirmed its authenticity. read more

    #Khalifa_Haftar #Libya

  • Homeland Security Document: ’All Your Websites Are Belong to Us’ | Death and Taxes
    http://www.deathandtaxesmag.com/127746/homeland-security-document-all-your-websites-are-belong-to-us

    And if anyone was wondering if the initiative would be looking into the information of users of such websites, it’s there in detail:

    “The NOC will review information posted by individual account users on third-party social media websites of activities and events necessary to provide situational awareness and establish a common operating picture. The NOC will access these web-based platforms to identify contentposted by public users for the purpose of providing situational awareness and establishing a commonoperating picture.”

    Translation: Post an article or idea with one of the NOC search terms and it will be collected by the Department of Homeland Security for threat reports.

    #privacy #surveillance