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Sunday, July 31, 2022

Was There an Attempted Presidential Assassination in Guatemala?

 Hat tip Vlad Tepes and Gates of Vienna


On Saturday, Guatemalan president Alejandro Giammattei was attending the opening of a highway in a village near the Mexican border. While Guatemalan soldiers were providing perimeter security in the area, a vehicle approached them at a high speed, reportedly about 2 kilometers from where the president was located, and opened fire on the soldiers. In returning fire, soldiers wounded one suspect, but the others managed to flee into Mexico where four suspects were apprehended by Mexican forces.

There are a lot of questions surrounding this incident, specifically, was the Guatemalan president the target of the attack? It may be a coincidence, but this incident coincides with the arrest of a Guatemalan journalist who had been reporting on the alleged corruption of the Giammattei government.

The below Guatemala news video from Noticiero el Vigilante (Guatemala) is translated by Fousesquawk.  


Mexico: Caro Quintero's Hiding Place (Cont)

 Yesterday, we posted a translation of an article in the Mexican newspaper, Excelsior, showing the house where fugitive drug kingpin, Rafael Caro Quintero, was hiding when arrested by Mexican Marines.

Caro Quintero is the subject of a US extradition request for the 1985 kidnapping, torture and murder of DEA agent Enrique Camarena and his Mexican pilot, Alfredo Zavala. Hopefully, justice will finally be done as far as Caro Quintero is concerned.

 Below is the accompanying video to that article, for which we have added English subtitles.

Hat tip to Vlad Tepes and Gates of Vienna for sub-titling. Translation by Fousesquawk.

Saturday, July 30, 2022

Mexico: Rafael Caro Quintero's Hiding Place


The below article from the Mexican newspaper, Excelsior, shows the small house in Choix, Sinaloa, Mexico where drug kingpin Rafael Caro Quintero was found and arrested by Mexican armed forces two weeks ago. The original source for the photos and video is Riodoce (newspaper). Translation is by Fousesquawk.

 https://www.excelsior.com.mx/comunidad/asi-es-la-casa-donde-se-escondia-rafael-caro-quintero/1530048

This is the house where Rafael Caro Quintero was hiding

The photographs released by Riodoce newspaper show  the hideout where the narco-trafficker was arrested in the municipality of Choix, Sinaloa

With information from Image Television -Maritza Contreras-07:58

Caption below photo: A simple house was the hideout of narco-trafficker Rafael Caro Quintero

After his arrest two weeks ago, images of the house where the narco-trafficker Rafael Caro Quintero, leader of the Caborca Cartel, was hiding were released.

In the news broadcast of Ciro Gomez Leyva for Image Television, it was reported that the cartel boss, who was the primary target for the governments of Mexico and the United States, was inhabiting a simple house when he was captured by armed forces in the municipality of Choix, Sinaloa. 

In the images released by the newspaper, Riodoce, the beige-colored property with three rooms and a sheet metal roof can be seen.

Photograph: Riodoce

In the interior, the principal bedroom is shown with a bed and the kitchen, in which there was a refrigerator, and a dining room with 4 chairs. There was no telephone or lighting, but there was a solar panel and a small living room.

Presumably, Caro Quintero was living in this house which was guarded by two guards.


Friday, July 29, 2022

The Muslim Brotherhood in France (4)








This is another in our series of translations from European articles regarding the Muslim Brotherhood in Europe and the 4th specifically concerning France. A Muslim Brotherhood-linked imam who is the subject of many complaints of anti-Semitic speech, is being expelled from France (to his native Morocco). His name is Hasssan Iquioussen. This expulsion is being greeted by the head imam in Drancy, apparently, a more moderate imam.

The below MSN article in French is translated by Fousesquawk.


France: Expulsion of Hassan Iquioussen greeted by imam of Drancy Hassen  Chaghoumi
Emma Labescat-17 hours ago

On Thursday, the Imam of Drancy, Hassen Chaghoumi, greeted the announcement by the French Minister of Interior, Gerard Darmanin, of the expulsion of the preacher Hassan Iquioussen, reputedly close to the Muslim Brotherhood, accused of making calls for hate and violence against the Jewish community.

The Imam of Drancy also described (Iquioussen) in his statements to the press, as,"a man who embodies conflict and separatism," in calling (Chaghoumi) to "liberate Islam from Islamism". He stated that Hassan Iquioussen is, "one of the most influential men in the Muslim Brotherhood of France. He embodies separatism, political Islam, confrontation, and the importation of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Unfortunately, this issue of political Islam is embodied in the person of Hassan Iquioussen," he added. "There are dozens of Hassan Iquioussens in France, trained by IESH, the Institute of Training of the Muslim Brotherhood," he added.

Soon to be expelled, according to the French Minister of Interior, the preacher Hassan Iquioussen is very active on social media. In addition, his YouTube channel is followed by 169,000 people, and his Facebook page counts 42,000 subscribers. At the age of 57, Hassan Iquioussen was accused of anti-Semitic remarks by the Crif ( Representative Council of Jewish Institutions in France) in 2004. 

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Fousesquawk comment: This is good news, and there are many more of these hateful imams who should be sent packing. And kudos to the imam of Drancy.






Sweden: A Gay Muslim Speaks Out

The Swedish daily, Expressen, has an interesting op-ed today written by a gay Muslim in that country. This comes as a response to a previous article by a prominent Swedish gay writer about homosexuality and Islam.

Akbar Abdul Rasul is a gay political scientist in Sweden as well as a practicing Muslim and reformist. Here in this article, he discusses the problems gay Muslims have within their religion, which is why he himself immigrated to the West.

I am neither agreeing with or attacking his points. Suffice to say that I sympathize with gay Muslims and their plight. I also support Muslim reformists. I am, however, skeptical as to their ability to actually achieve reforms or changes within Islam. 

The below article is translated by Fousesquawk.

https://www.expressen.se/kultur/ide/som-hbtqi-muslim-har--jag-omtolkat-skrifterna/

As an LGBTQ Muslim, I have reinterpreted the Scriptures

Posted 28 July 2022 16:00

After Jonas Gardell raised the issue in a debate article, Islam's relationship with LGBTQ people has been discussed.

Akbar Abdul Rasul wants to forsake the intolerance found in religious writings.

Reply. I agree with Jonas Gardell* that religious communities must reconsider how they treat LGBTQ people (7-16-22). If religion is about God, love, and rights to a dignified life, (religion) must also fill that function in society.

Since it can be considered that the LGBTQ movement and orthodox Islam community are completely different (entities) since 2016 I have written in Swedish newspapers about the need to reform Islam and have conversations about progressive interpretations of the Holy Scriptures.

The terror attack on a gay club in Orlando in 2016-just like that in Oslo in June-was an attack against LGBTQ people, and its purpose was to spread fear among them all over the world. For me as a homosexual Muslim, who fled to the West because of my sexual orientation, the attack caused me to reinterpret Islam's holy texts. I concluded that we must talk about reform and forsake the intolerance that can be found in the holy Scriptures, which do not fit in our time, and use common sense as we read them from now on.

Homophobia is the norm in most Muslim circles based on my experience

After the attack in Orlando, the outside world began to speculate more and more about what Islam thinks about homosexuality. It is somewhat hard to know since Islam is made up of 1.7 billion people around the world who all practice their religion in different ways. One cannot generalize and say that all Muslims are homophobic since we are not a homogenous group. In most Muslim countries, homosexuality is illegal, in some, one risks death, and in some, it is not illegal.

But I know that homosexuality is forbidden in the most accepted interpretations of Islam and that militant groups of Muslims throw homosexuals off of rooftops. Homophobia is the norm in most Muslim circles according to my experience.

The basis for this homophobia is partly due to the stories about Sodom and Gomorrah, which are described in both the Koran and the Bible. The difference is that within Christendom today, it is interpreted in a different way than when it was written. It has a new meaning. Islam doesn't have that.

Another background for homophobia within Islam is the Hadiths, the stories coming from the life of Mohammed. Many of the stories call for violence against homosexuals or argue that they insult Islam and should be excluded from the religion.

The difference between the Koran and the Hadith is that the Koran, like the Bible, is a timeless writing that can be interpreted according to the time one reads it. It wants to be interpreted. But the Hadiths reflect only a time and place, that is the 600s (AD) in the Arabian desert. It doesn't fit into our time. In addition, most Hadiths were written almost 2 centuries after the death of the Prophet Mohammed . For these reasons, there is cause to question them and abandoned them when necessary.  

As an LGBTQ Muslim, I also see the religious writings as inspired by God but authored by Man. To recognize this is to take back legitimacy from the most conservative voices within Islam that interpret these writings in a radical and oppressive way. 

Because even if the most conservative interpretations of religion can call for the oppression of homosexual groups. so can they also contribute to support and constructive ways away from discrimination. Therefore, it is important to consider religions as dynamic and as worlds of ideas and practices  that are constantly being changed.

"Society has a responsibility to protect minorities who are vulnerable for marginalization"

Researcher Scott Kugle often made an important point on this, for example, in the book, "Homosexuality in Islam". He writes that the Ottoman Empire, which ruled over many Muslim lands, had an open-minded relationship to LGBTQ (homosexual) rights, which was later destroyed by the patriarchal reforms by Islam in more modern times. 

Others who have attempted to free LGBTQ researchers from the oppression they are subjected to is researcher Irshad Manji, who write the book, "The Trouble with Islam Today", or imams like the South African Muhsin Hendricks, and the Canadian El-Farouk Khaki, who both opened LGBTQ-friendly mosques in their home countries.

Society has a responsibility to protect minorities who are vulnerable for marginalization, to recognize differences, and give people the possibilities to identify themselves exactly as they wish. This must also happen within Islam. 

It becomes sensitive when it comes to questioning religious norms and values. Therefore, it is important to support voices whose purpose is to change them.

It has gone quite fast, less than 50 years to change the view of homosexuality in the legislation of Christian countries. And even if many churches in these countries have maintained their negative posture toward LGBTQ people, they are at least, mostly accepted. That shows that this change can happen within Islam too if the discussion can only take place.

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Akbar Abdul Rasul is a political scientist, reformist, and believing Muslim.


* Jonas Gardell, Gay Swedish author, comedian, playwright.





Thursday, July 28, 2022

Spain: Same Old Story, a Tale of Robbery and Sexual Assault

 


Speaking of Casablanca, it's the same old story coming out of Spain. Police in Valencia have arrested  four Moroccans and One Algerian (all males between 22-28), who were caught in the act of robbing four minors, three of whom were girls. In addition to being robbed, the three girls were assaulted sexually by having their intimate parts groped by the young men. In addition, four of the five suspects have previous police records and all of them are in the country illegally.

Hopefully, a whole lot of time will go by (no pun intended) before these mopes see the light of day again.

The below article from El Mundo is translated by Fousesquawk.

 fhttps://www.elmundo.es/comunidad-valenciana/2022/07/28/62e2656cfdddff8c4c8b45bc.html

Valencia

5 young men arrested for sexually attacking three minors in a pack

The arrestees, who are between 22 and 28 years of age, attempted to rob the young people, who were surrounded against a wall and were victims of torching of their intimate parts.

Caption: Agents of National Police in ValenciaAgentes de la Policía Nacional en Valencia.BIEL ALIÑO

Agents of the National Police have arrested 5 young men accused of sexually attacking three girls in a pack on a Valencia street, as confirmed by sources at the police headquarters.

The incident, reported by "Las Provincias" took place last Saturday around 5 o'clock in Valencia. The police were dispatched by 091 to proceed to a street in which a robbery was being committed.

Once there, the agents observed five young men who were surrounding three girls and a minor boy against a wall in an intimidating manner. The minors were asking for help.

The agents separated the suspects from the minors and ascertained that they had followed the victims asking for money, and at a certain moment surrounded them and touched the girls in their intimate parts.

In addition, one of the young men placed nail clippers on the neck of the male minor while asking him for money, and the rest of the arrestees searched the pockets of the minors.

Likewise, during the police action, a man arrived at the scene who told the agents that they had robbed him of his keys, money, and two cell phones, and that one of the cell phones had been geo-located at that location.

Finally, the agents located the stolen phones in a (trash) container nearby the suspects, and his property was returned.

The agents detained the five young men as alleged perpetrators of a robbery with violence, sexual assault, and theft. The detainees are between 22-28 years of age and are of Moroccan and Algerian origin.

Four of the young men have prior police records and all of them are illegally in Spain. They were placed in judicial custody while the victims were delivered to their legal guardians.

The agents seized the nail clippers, a backpack matching the description of one reported stolen, and 200 euros in cash.




Wednesday, July 27, 2022

France: Afghan Stabs Two Passersby on Street in Le Mans


Le Mans


If I were to ask you what happened today in Le Mans, France-and that it wasn't a race, your answer would likely be that some Afghan migrant randomly stabbed some people on the street for no apparent reason, right?

And you would be correct.

Today, a man identified only as a 32-year-old Afghan stabbed two people on the street. He was quickly subdued by passersby and arrested by the police. The two victims have been taken to the hospital and they are expected to recover.

Our Afghan friend was also taken to the hospital for- a mental evaluation because in Europe, these guys are always considered crazy and nobody can figure out what their motive was.

The below article from Ouest France is translated by Fousesquawk.

 https://www.ouest-france.fr/pays-de-la-loire/le-mans-72000/le-mans-une-intervention-de-la-police-en-bord-de-sarthe-l-acces-au-pont-du-greffier-ferme-61233b8e-0db0-11ed-be87-294c12aa52e6

Le Mans-Two men wounded by knife (attack)-One person arrested

Early this afternoon, Wednesday, July 27 at Le Mans (Sarthe), emergency personnel and police intervened at the Greffier Bridge. According to our information, two people were injured with knife wounds. The alleged attacker, a 32-year-old man, was arrested. 

Caption below photo: Access to Greffier Bridge in Le Mans (Sarthe) is currently blocked by police -Ouest France

We know more about the police arrest near the Greffier Bridge, in Le Mans on Wednesday, July 27, 2022.

According to our information, a 32-year-old man was arrested by police at about 2:30 pm, thanks, particularly, to the help of passersby. He is suspected of having injured two men with a knife whom he did not know before. Their prognosis is not critical. The two victims were transported to the central hospital operating room in Le Mans.

Alleged attacker hospitalized

The alleged attacker, originally from Afghanistan, was also taken to the hospital due to his psychiatric condition. His motivation remains to be determined. The investigators are being cautious, notably due to the mental condition of the subject.

The two ends of the bridge facing the Palace of Congress and Culture, were still blocked at 5:30 pm, as was part of the Amiral-Lalande dock. Some police officers from the local territorial Judiciary Police  (DTPJ) of Angers are at the scene, as are the technical and scientific police from the Le Mans police headquarters. Numbered (markers) have been placed at two places on the bridge: Under the Statue of Flight, and near the intersection of Demorieux Boulevard and  Paul-Courboulay Street.





Germany: More on German Child Rape Case

 A few days ago, we reported on the case of the rape of an 11-year-old girl in Germany by an Afghan migrant, who claims to be 16 years old. (His age remains uncertain.) The incident happened in the northern German town of Neustrelitz early this year.  The court has sentenced the rapist to 2 years probation.

Below is a German news report of the case from the Welt news outlet. Hat tip to Gates of Vienna, Vlad Tepes, and RAIR Foundation USA for the sub-titling. The translation is by Fousesquawk and Hellequin GP.

USC: Dept. of Education Office for Civil Rights to Investigate Anti-Semitism at Campus




We have been following the ongoing story of Rose Ritch, a Jewish student at the University of Southern California who has been the target of the pro-Palestinian mob on campus because she supports the right of Israel to exist as a Jewish state. Therefore, she is considered a Zionist, which to the pro-Palestinian mob is a dirty word. Ritch was driven from her position in student government due to the attacks against her, many of which were flat-out anti-Semitic. 

When USC President Carol Folt issued a statement expressing sympathy for Ritch over her ordeal and condemning anti-Semitism in general, the Middle East Studies Association jumped in to criticize Folt. You can read the background of the Ritch story here.

Now the Office for Civil Rights within the US Department of Education has decided to investigate the matter as to possible violation of Title 6 of the Civil Rights Act. I am cross-posting an announcement by the Louis D. Brandeis Center for Human Rights Under Law, which filed a complaint to the DOE/OCR.

This is a positive step although I have been critical of DOE/OCR's resolution of the UC Irvine investigation several years ago as to complaints of anti-Semitism at that university. Hopefully, the investigators will realize that this goes far beyond the free speech right to criticize Israel. All too often, criticism of Israel, which is legitimate in itself, has crossed the line into insults directed at Jewish students and Jewish people in general on US university campuses. I know that from my own personal observations. I have seen it and heard it.


Tuesday, July 26, 2022

Germany: Murderer of Three Women Held Not Criminally Culpable by German Court


Wurzburg


In June of 2021, we reported the story of a 24-year-old Somali migrant who went on a stabbing spree in the northern Bavarian town of Wurzburg, Germany. When it was over, three women were dead and several others injured. The attacker, now identified as Abdirahman Jibril A., shouted, "Allahu Akhbar" during the attack.  

Now the German courts have spoken. The man has been determined to "not be criminally culpable" due to his mental problems. He has been sent to a psychiatric hospital.

https://jungefreiheit.de/politik/deutschland/2022/wuerzburg-schuldunfaehig/

Sentence in the Abdirahman Jibril A. Case

Knife attack in Wurzburg: Somali is not criminally culpable (Translator: Not guilty by reason of insanity)

Germany July 26, 2022

Estenfeld: The district court of  Wurzburg has found the Somali who, in June 2021, stabbed three women in the Bavarian city, not criminally culpable and referred him to psychiatric care. "He who acts without individual guilt can not be punished," according to the news agency DPA upon the announcement of the verdict. "He was not in the condition to see the wrong of his actions."

The migrant, Abdirahman Jibril A., was diagnosed by two independent reports as schizophrenic. He has psychoses, hallucinates, and hears voices that presumably ordered him on the day of the knife attack. The court ruled this as three counts of murder, five counts of attempted murder, and five counts of attempted manslaughter.

The immigrant, who came to Germany in May 2015 without papers and was reportedly 18 years old, attacked passersby with a kitchen knife in the Wurzburg inner city at the end of June of last year. He killed three women and seriously wounded nine others. 

Wurzburg attacker was known to police

Shortly after the crime, there was much speculation over the motive. During the act, according to eye witness reports, the Somali shouted, "Allahu akhbar" ("God is great") After his arrest, he stated that he carried out his jihad according to an internal (command).

The Wurzburg attacker was already mentally disturbed for years. According to investigation by (Der Spiegel), after his move from Chemnitz to Wurzburg in September 2019, A. met with a religious migration counselor. This person reportedly told the Somali that he was being followed by the Secret Service(s).

Two weeks before the attack, the migrant positioned himself in the middle of street traffic, forced a driver to stop, and jumped into the car. The Wurzburg city support office used the occasion to have the eventual murderer undergo and psychiatric examination. Two days later, the Somali committed the violent crime in the inner city.

Knife killer found the east "too dangerous"

The eventual attacker was in conflict with the law shortly after his arrival in Germany. According to TAG24-Information, there was a violent fight in a Chemnitz asylum center between him and other residents over a refrigerator. 

In the context of the alleged Chemnitz chase incident in the beginning of September 2018, Jibril A.  claimed that he himself was a victim. Four masked people allegedly chased him and his roommate through the street. It later turned out that there was no chase. "I ran very fast, so they didn't do anything to me," the immigrant said at the time to a reporter from the Berliner Morgenpost. He also stated that he would only go out accompanied. "I often have to think: Do I go to work or stay home?" In the east it was too dangerous for him, " he said at the time.

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Fousesquawk comment: Obviously, I have no inside information on this case as to the mental status of this defendant. But it seems that Europe has a real problem bringing in so many immigrants who are crazy, or so it would seem. All too often, authorities are quick to proclaim the attacker as being mentally ill. Why is it that so many of these young men who find their way into Germany and other European countries are mentally ill to the point that they feel compelled to murder strangers on the street? To me, the biggest clue here is that phrase that keeps popping up over and over again when people attacked on European streets: "Allahu akhbar!".

So is this a case of schizophrenia or what many would call, Sudden Jihad Syndrome?







Saturday, July 23, 2022

Mexico: Extradition Hearing for Caro Quintero Set for August 26

 A Mexican judge in the State of Mexico has set August 26 as the date for a hearing on Rafael Caro Quintero's request for protection (amparo) against extradition to the US. The below article from today's Excelsior is translated by Fousesquawk.

https://www.excelsior.com.mx/nacional/amparo-rafael-caro-quintero-juez-admite-a-tramite-y-definira-si-lo-otorga/1528438

Judge accepts amparo proceeding for Caro Quintero against extradition to US

A State of Mexico judge will determine whether to grant protection for the founder of the Guadalajara Cartel on August 26.

A judge from the State of Mexico accepted an amparo proceeding submitted by the defense of narcotrafficker Rafael Caro Quintero to avoid being extradited to US authorities.

The Mexican justice official scheduled the hearing for 10 am on August 26, a constitutional hearing in which will be determined the amparo trial of the leader of the Caborca Cartel.

It is worth mentioning that the 7th District Court of Amparo in Penal Matters in the State of Jalisco, based in Puente Grande, granted Rafael Caro Quintero a stay prohibiting the Mexican government from deporting or expelling him from the country to be delivered to the neighboring country to the north (and) remitted the lawsuit to the above judge.

The situation of the narcotrafficker will be decided on 26 August, when the amparo is accepted or rejected during the constitutional hearing scheduled on this date.

The US Attorney General, Merrick Garland, called his Mexican counterpart, Alejandro Gertz, to talk about the extradition of Caro Quintero, the Department of Justice of that country said Thursday.

"The two leaders reaffirmed their shared commitment to continue working in unison for the extradition of Caro Quintero and pledged to continue building on a successful collaboration in criminal investigations and prosecutions of trans-border crimes," it added.

Caro Quintero was arrested on 15 July during a Marine operation in Sinaloa. A dog named Max found him in the bushes where he (Max) guided the federal forces who executed the arrest warrant.

DEA was offering a reward of 20 million dollars for information leading to the arrest of the founder of the Guadalajara Cartel since he was freed in August 2013.

 

German Justice: Rape of a Little Girl? 2 Years Probation


Neustrelitz


Here is another sickening example of just how lightly the crime of rape-child rape even- is taken in Europe. In the state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern in northern Germany, a 16-year-old Afghan refugee-at least he claims to be 16- has been sentenced to 2 years probation for the rape of an 11 -year-old girl. The rape occurred in the town of Neustrelitz in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern.

We are working on providing  English sub-titles for a German news report. We will post it as soon as it is available. Meanwhile, this brief summary from Die Welt is translated by Fousesquawk.

11-year-old raped- Young man sentenced to probation

July 20, 2022

At the beginning of 2022 in Neustrelitz in Mecklenburg-Vorpommeran, an 11-year-old girl was raped. Now the case has been legally closed. The perpetrator, a reported 16-year-old Afghan, is sentenced to probation. This causes outrage.



Friday, July 22, 2022

Sweden Sends Three Rioters to Prison

 This week, we reported that three men were sentenced to prison terms in Sweden for their participation in riots last April in connection with a Koran-burning demonstration by Danish activist, Rasmus Paludan.

Two of the men are identified as Moulman Abu Gamous (21) and Elvedin James Emini (26). The third was not identified due to his age (19).

Below is a TV report on the sentencing by the Swedish news agency, Expressen. The video is translated by Fousesquawk with subtitling assistance from Vlad Tepes and Gates of Vienna.


Barbara Ferrer's Hypocrisy and Conflict of Interest

Hat tip Red State

Dr Barbara Ferrer
(PhD in social welfare)
Director LA County Dept. of Public Health

Dr Barbara Ferrer is the director of Los Angeles County Department of Public Health. Ever since the Covid pandemic began, Ferrer has been a controversial figure in Los Angeles County, much like Dr Anthony Fauci is on a national scale. That is because Ferrer has pushed stringent regulations upon the county as to wearing masks and other Covid-related measures. This has been met with strong opposition. 

It should be mentioned at this point that Ferrer is not a physician or medical doctor. She has a PhD in social welfare. So, much like "Dr" Jill Biden, Ferrer has been mocked for allowing the public to assume that she is a physician. The truth is that Ferrer is a woman with an unrelated PhD who is making policy on health matters.

Now, with a spike in Covid being reported in the county, LA County is set to reinstate indoor mask regulations, the only California country to do so. Ironically, just this week, Ferrer was spotted and videotaped at the MLB All-Star game seated in the stands with her mask hanging from her arm.

In addition to all that, it has now been revealed by Red State.com that Ferrer's daughter, Kaitlin Barnes, (also not a physician) who works for the LA County Department of Education in health matters, has recently co-authored a study, specifically cited by the Center for Disease Control (CDC) that highlights the positive results of wearing masks and other Covid-related regulations. The report makes reference to Ferrer in the acknowledgments. Yet neither Ferrer nor her daughter made the "full disclosure" of their relationship. Below from Fox News LA is an interview with Red State's Jennifer Van Laar, who broke the story.

 https://www.foxla.com/news/barbara-ferrer-denies-conflict-of-interest-in-cdc-study-after-daughter-was-reportedly-listed-as-co-author

On Thursday, at her weekly press conference, when asked about the possible conflict of interest, Ferrer stated the following:

"I am not an author on that study. I had nothing to do with that study. I didn't review that study. I actually didn't see that study until recently, The people who complete conflict of interest forms are the people who worked on the study, who completed those conflict of interest forms."

And....

"I have no family relatives that work at the Department of Public Health. I don't supervise any family relatives who do any work that relates to work. The Department of Public Health. I have no interest or ability to control any of my family members work since they don't work for me or at this department at all. So there's no conflict of interest here at all."

Here from KABC (Los Angeles) is a more complete report on Ferrer's exchanges with Marla Tellez of KABC and Sandra Mitchell of KTLA:

“So you don’t believe that the public had the right to know to maintain your credibility with the public?” -Mitchell

No I don’t. I think the public knows what they need to know."

Lest you assume from Ferrer's comments that she and her daughter don't have a lot of contact with each other, today KABC's John Phillips reported on air that according to his information, they live together. Assume from that what you will.

Just as we can speculate as to whether there was any connection between Ferrer's obvious desire to reinstate indoor mask regulations in LA County and her daughter's involvement in co-authoring a study that just so happened to be cited by the CDC.

Thursday, July 21, 2022

Alexandria Ocasio Cortez's Latest Publicity Stunt

This article first appeared in New English Review. 


This week, several abortion rights protesters were arrested outside the Supreme Court in Washington DC. They included the group of madcap congresswomen who refer to themselves as the Squad (Ilhan Omar, Rashida Tlaib, and Alexandria Ocasio Cortez). While handcuffs were slapped on  Tlaib and Omar, no handcuffs were placed on Ms. Ocasio. Yet, she made a point of acting as if her hands were cuffed behind her back (taking a short break to wave to her supporters). When mocked about her fake handcuff pose, Ms. Ocasio replied that she was just making the event safer for all concerned by placing her hands behind her back.

I don't know where she got that lame excuse because any law enforcement officer (or retired like myself) will tell you that when they are confronting a suspect or someone they are about to arrest, the first thing they want to see is the person's hands. After all, why do you think we see all those videos with cops shouting, "Let me see your hands"?

That is because if a person is going to harm you, it's going to be using their hands (exceptions are kicking or driving a car at someone.) If the police can see your hands, they know if you are holding a weapon, as well as pretty much what you are capable of doing or are about to do. So if I were confronting a suspicious person whom I may or may not be placing in custody, having their hands behind their back is not good enough for me. I want them out front and in plain sight. If you are stopped by police for suspicion of committing a crime while driving, they want to see your hands on the steering wheel, certainly not behind your back.

So as with everything else coming out of this woman's mouth, she doesn't know what she is talking about though she presents herself as an expert on everything.  She is a silly woman who has yet to grow up. Along with her fellow Squad members, she represents everything that has gone haywire in our government. Once again, she deserves all the ridicule she gets.

Mexico :Caro Quintero "in Extradition Process"

According to the Mexican newspaper Excelsior, Rafael Caro Quintero is in the "process of extradition" according to a federal spokesman.

The below article is translated by Fousesquawk.

 https://www.excelsior.com.mx/nacional/caro-quintero-esta-en-proceso-de-extradicion-sspc/1528155

Caro Quintero is in the extradition process: SSPC

The Undersecretary for Security, Ricardo Mejia, highlights the apprehension of Caro Quintero in Sinaloa, accused by the US for the murder of Agent, "Kiki" Camarena.

-J. Castro-07:48


Caption: Rafael Caro Quintero after being arrested by the Marines: Photo Especial

Narcotrafficker Rafael Caro Quintero "is in the process of extradition". the undersecretary of Security and Citizen Protection  (SSPC), Ricardo Mejia affirmed

After the apprehension of the cartel boss on 15 July in the municipality of Choix in Sinaloa, the federal official today confirmed the process to deliver (him) to the US.

The US Government is accusing Caro Quintero of the murder of Agent Enrique "Kiki" Camarena in 1985.

It is worth mentioning that in August 2013, during the then recently-inaugurated government of Enrique Peña Nieto, Caro Quintero obtained his liberty, by which he was a fugitive from justice from that date until last Friday.

Last Monday, President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador maintained that the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) " had no direct (involvement) in the capture of the founder of the Guadalajara Cartel. 

According to the (president), the actions of finding and arresting the narco-trafficker were carried out solely by the Secretary of the Marines and the Federal Prosecutor's Office.

The clarification was given after the head of the DEA, Anne Milgram, maintained that a team from her agency worked together with Mexican authorities to arrest the cartel boss, a statement that was also refuted by the US Ambassador to Mexico, Ken Salazar.

Currently, Caro Quintero is detained in the Social Readaptation Center (Prison) of Altiplano, and on July 19, a federal judge granted him a stay from being extradited to the US without first going through the judicial process in Mexico.




Sweden: Prison Sentences for Koran Rioters


                                                                                                       "Heigh ho, heigh ho, it's off to jail I go"


Swedish justice may be lax, but it is quick it seems. Three men were sentenced to prison today ranging from 2 years 6 months to 4 years for their part in a riot in Linköping in repose to Danish activist Rasmus Paludan's Koran-burning demonstrations in Sweden during Easter week.

The below article from SVT News is translated by Fousesquawk.

 https://www.svt.se/nyheter/lokalt/ost/se-polisens-egna-bilder-fran-upploppet-i-skaggertorp

Caption: See police's own photos from April 17 in the Skäggetorp district in Linköping: Photo: Pictures from the preliminary investigation.

See police's own photos from riot in Skäggetorp .

Updated today at 05:58. Posted today at 05:11

On Thursday the judgment came down against the three men charged for aggravated sabotage against emergency services in Östergötland on April 17 this year. In the above video, you can see images from the police's own body cameras the same day. 

The images come from the police preliminary investigation and refer to the events that played out on Sunday, April 17 in the district of Skäggetorp district in Linköping. The images are part of the evidence during the trial that ended with prison sentences for the three men.

The 19-year-old was sentenced to 2 years and six months in prison. The 26-year-old was sentenced to three years and six months in prison. The 21-year-old was sentenced to four years in prison. 







Wednesday, July 20, 2022

Netherlands: One Fine Day in a Dutch Supermarket

 Life has changed in the Netherlands in the last few years. You can't even walk into a supermarket anymore it seems. This video running in today's online edition of the Telegraaf shows two fine young gentlemen attacking another customer for no apparent reason. The subtitles are translated by Fousesquawk. (Hat tip Vlad Tepes and Gates of Vienna.)

Italy: Citizens Fed up With Behavior of Foreign Youth at Train Stations


I need to add a comment to this latest outrage out of Italy regarding young immigrant men behaving badly and endangering public safety in that country. As previously stated over and over, I have always been a supporter of immigration in my own country. Immigration, by and large, has benefitted this country because we were getting great people who wanted to work hard and become proud Americans.
This is not what is happening in Italy and other Western European countries, where mostly young, unaccompanied males are storming the borders from places like Afghanistan, Somalia, the Middle East, Pakistan, North Africa, and sub-Saharan Africa, almost all Muslim majority countries. Unlike previous immigrants to the West, most of these latest arrivals have no wish to assimilate or be productive citizens of their new countries. On the contrary, they have contempt for Western culture, traditions, rules, and also for Western women.

After storming the borders, many of these young men go on to storm buses, trains, swimming pools, and any other place they can congregate or move from one place to another.

In this latest article, we see how gangs of young immigrants storm a train in northern Italy after a night of partying. They even crawl through the windows to avoid buying a ticket. Italian residents living near the train station of Borgonato have videotaped the goings on. They are clearly fed up.

But their government isn't listening. 

The below article from Il Giornale is translated by Fousesquawk.

 https://www.ilgiornale.it/news/cronache/peschiera-lassalto-treno-borgonato-bordo-anche-dai-2052645.html

After Peschiera, Storming of train at Borgonato: Even through the windows

20 July 2022-09:33

Many immigrant youths are seen in the amateur images shared on social media by citizens fed up with this situation, the umpteenth episode of degradation in our country.

-Francesca Galici

The images of the assault on the train from Peschiera del Garda are still vivid in memory, as are the reports of molestation from the young girls who were aboard. In that case, gangs of young foreigners who did whatever they wanted without anyone stopping them, were the masters. The most serious element in this story is that it is not just an isolated episode but acts like that of Peschiera del Garda are repeated almost every night, particularly during the weekends. The latest case is that of the train station of Borgonato, a hamlet in the municipality of Corte Franca in Brescia province.

Every weekend, gangs of rowdy young men storm the first trains in the morning to return home after a night of revelry. The residents are now at their limits and have decided to film what happens at the first light of dawn, publishing photos and videos on social media. The images leave little to the imagination, and the origin of the young people always seems the same. Immigrant boys or second-generation Italians, who, regardless of the rules and any civic sense, create "a serious problem with public safety". This is the complaint made by the administration and the same citizens, tired of living the reality.

The latest images coming from the Borgonato train station speak very clearly. After having spent some time waiting for the train, with noise and acts of vandalism of every kind, many of those present have literally stormed the first train of the morning to return home, and what is seen on the amateur video is incredible. In order not to pay for a ticket, out of contempt for the rules, or who knows for whatever motive, many of them board directly through the window. There were about 500 young people at the train station of Borgonato at dawn Sunday morning, and what is seen in the videos recorded by the citizens is right before our eyes. It is impossible for the railway personnel to intervene in the face of excessive risk.

The phenomenon is repeated in so many cities in our country, without any solution put in place to resolve it. And it is cannot be forgotten that the acts of June near Gardaland were committed to the cry of, "Peschiera is Africa", with insults to the very young girls returning from the amusement park just because they were white. A similar (sentiment) was repeated a few weeks later at Rimini, where a girl was assaulted by a group of boys and girls of similar age to the shout of, "Rimini is Africa". Vandalism, violence, and contempt for the rules are the traits that unite many young people born in Italy to foreign parents, just like children who arrive in our country from foreign countries. Italy, with shocking speed, is approaching social collapse, with a pattern already seen in France and the suburbs. 





Tuesday, July 19, 2022

Mexico: Judge Orders Halt to Extradition of Caro Quintero

Rafael Caro Quintero



In Mexico, a federal judge has issued a stay of any extraction proceedings for Rafael Caro Quintero until such time as he has gone through the formal extradition process. This would appear to put a halt to any efforts to quickly turn him over to US authorities. 

The below article from Excelsior is translated by Fousesquawk.

*Amparo: Translator's note: As previously noted, the Spanish term "amparo" has various definitions. In a legal sense, it refers to legal protections afforded citizens against an abusive judiciary, which could include the reversal of a conviction or sentence. In the below article, I have chosen to use various words like, "request for stay", "relief", or "reprieve".

 https://www.excelsior.com.mx/nacional/juez-evita-que-caro-quintero-sea-extraditado-a-estados-unidos-por-el-momento/1527441

Judge stops Caro Quintero from being extradited to US....for the moment


A federal judge granted a stay of the drug trafficker being delivered to the US without being adjudicated in Mexico; the amparo (reprieve) was requested by the sister of the cartel boss, Angelica Caro Quintero.

-by DAVID  VICENTEÑO  at 05:00

Caption:Rafael Caro Quintero arrested by Marines last weekend. Photo-Especial

The 7th District judge for Amparos in Penal Matters, based in the state of Jalisco, Francisco Resendiz Neri, granted a stay to the drug trafficker Rafael Caro Quintero that he would not be delivered to the US Government by means of expulsion or deportation without going through the process of extradition for which he was arrested. 

The (request for stay) was initially filed by Beatriz Angelica Caro Quintero, sister of the accused, who, in soliciting the protection of Federal Justice, asked that (Rafael Caro Quintero) be notified at the Federal Center for Social Readaptation #1, Altiplano, in Almoloya de Juarez, State of Mexico, where he was incarcerated last Friday, July 15.

In his ruling in granting the stay, Judge Resendiz Neri ruled that the  (extradition)  not be executed, and the subject remain where he is at the disposition of this judicial amparo body, only as to what refers to his personal liberty until the current reprieve proceeding is resolved.

According to sources in the Council of the Federal Judiciary (CJF), on Monday, an official attached to the 9th District  Court of  Amparos and Federal Trials in the State of Mexico visited the federal prison.

The judicial officer informed Caro Quintero about the stay and proceeded to ratify the order which prevents his delivery to the US without complying with what is established in the Extradition Treaty between both countries.

Against incomunicado

In Mexico City, Judge Guillermo Francisco Urbina Tanus of the 13th District Court for Amparo in Criminal Matters accepted another request for (relief) against being held incommunicado or forced disappearance.

The judicial authority granted the stay so that all authorities involved in the detention and custody of Caro Quintero be notified that he be permitted to receive relatives and defense attorneys.

Caro Quintero was arrested on July 15 during an operation carried out by units of the Secretary of the Marines of Mexico (Semar) and the National Prosecutor's Office (FGR) in Choix, Sinaloa.

The Narco of Narcos remained a fugitive since August 2013 when a federal judge (overturned his conviction) after having served 28 of a 40-year sentence for organized crime and homicide.

Caro Quintero is charged by the government of the US, specifically in the death of anti-drug agency agent Enrique "Kiki" Camarena Salazar and his pilot, Alfredo Zavala Avelar.

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*Update: July 19: On Tuesday, Judge Resendiz removed himself from the matter on the grounds that the issues at hand should be handled by a judge within the State of Mexico where Altiplano prison is located, not a court in Jalisco, where Judge Resendiz is based. According to the below Excelsior report, the stay of extradition remains in effect.

https://www.excelsior.com.mx/nacional/juez-que-freno-extradicion-de-caro-quintero-a-eu-abandona-el-caso/1527676

I am not familiar with Mexican law, but it seems odd that since Caro-Quintero was arrested in the state of Sinaloa and is now incarcerated in the state of Mexico, a judge in the state of Jalisco would get involved, but again, I don't know anything about the judicial process in Mexico.








 

How BDS Has Brought Anti-Semitism Back to Harvard



As reported previously by this site, the BDS movement (Boycott, Divest, and Sanctions-against Israel) continues to leave a stain on the reputation of Harvard, supposedly the most prestigious university in America. In real life, however, Harvard is just another politically-correct cesspool.

The student newspaper, the Harvard Crimson, is typical of the one-sided news you can expect from student newspapers. 90% of the content devoted to politics or the issues of the day is from the leftist point of view. The other 10% is when they decide to allow an opposing voice to write an op-ed, or the paper publishes a  dissenting reader comment. Online reader comments, over which, the Crimson has less control, tend to be critical of the liberal positions espoused. One might assume the readers are more from outside the university community.

In April, the Crimson editorial staff officially came out in support of the BDS movement, accusing Israel of apartheid and all kinds of human rights abuses against Palestinians. The result, as in so many other universities, is a climate of fear and intimidation directed toward Jewish students.

A Crimson associate editor, who is Jewish, Gemma Schneider, was not present at the editorial staff meeting that decided to post the pro-BDS stance. She has now written her own op-ed in the Crimson criticizing the board's move. I am cross-posting it here.




Monday, July 18, 2022

Germany: 17-Year-Old Girl Found Murdered-Syrian Man in Custody

Ludwigsburg


Apparently, it has happened again. Angela Merkel may no longer be chancellor of Germany, but her deadly legacy lives on. Over the weekend, police in the state of Baden Wuerttemberg discovered the body of a 17-year-old German girl who had apparently been murdered. A 35-year-old Syrian man has been arrested and remains in custody after appearing before a magistrate.

The below news article from the Ludwigsburger Zeitung, a local paper, is translated by Fousesquawk.

 https://www.lkz.de/lokales/landkreis-ludwigsburg_artikel,-vermisste-tabitha-e-17-aus-asperg-tot-aufgefunden-_arid,694149.html

Missing Tabitha E. (17) from Asperg found dead

The missing Tabitha E. from Asperg is dead. On Sunday, investigators found the body of the 17-yeat-old. Police and State Prosecuopt's office are assuming homicide. According to Monday's information, a 35-year-old Syrian is in custody. 

Asperg/Markgroeningen: While police and the State Prosecutor's office, in a joint press conference, would not give precise information about the exact location where the body was discovered and only referred to the Ludwisgburg District, our newspaper has received unconfirmed information that it was either between Oberriexingen and the Markgroeninger neighborhood of Oberriexingen or in Lendelsbachtal between Markgroeningen and Unterriexingen. Reportedly, the smartphone of the murder victim last logged in in the area of the Markgroeningen water tower in Gewann Bracke. In this area, the investigators conducted a massive search operation over the weekend, in which helicopters, drones, and detection dogs were deployed. A nearby stretch of forest in Leudelsbachtal was also the focus of the investigators. On Sunday afternoon, according to police and the State Prosecutor's office, the body was found.

Victim of a violent crime

Based on initial findings, the police assume that Tabitha E. was the victim of a violent crime. On Saturday, the investigators searched the apartment of a 35-year-old suspect, and the man was temporarily taken into custody. On request of the State Prosecutor's office in Stuttgart, he was taken before a magistrate, who committed the 35-year-old Syrian national to a prison facility. As a spokesperson of the State Prosecutor's office announced, the suspect gave no information to the magistrate.

For further police investigations, police have established a special commission ("Berg"-Mountain). The police are hoping for information as to the possible course of events and cause of death from the results of the autopsy, which took place on Monday. The police are hoping for clues from witnesses. For the investigators, it is especially important who saw a greyish brown 2009 BMW 320 with Ludwisgburg license plates since the 17-year-old disappeared on July 12, (and) in which the missing girl and the man were riding. Witnesses should contact police at tel. number (0800) 1100225.

Hardly any information from investigators

The police and State Prosecutor are not releasing further information about the crime. Thus far, there is no information as to whether the murder victim was raped, any visible injuries, or whether a murder (weapon) was found. It also remains unclear where the victim and the 35-year-old suspect knew each other from and if the Syrian was already known to police.

The teenager had left her parents' apartment at around 16:15 on the afternoon of July 12, to take the bus to Ludwigsburg. By evening, she had not returned home. Her brother then started a search action on Instagram and posted a photo of his sister. TV Moeglingen joined the call for a search on Facebook. Tabitha E. was apparently active as a supervisor in the club's gymnastic department.

Author Frank Elsässer

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Fousesquawk comment: In fairness, I should note that no evidence has been disclosed publicly by police, and sometimes, arrested suspects are later released and cleared. So I am not pre-supposing this suspect's guilt. Yet, this kind of crime is happening all too often in Germany and the rest of Western Europe. Angela Merkel and other German politicians, past and present, have the blood of innocent Germans on their hands. When will Germany's leaders say, "Enough!" and stop importing violent criminals into their country under the guise of a humanitarian refugee policy?






Autor: 

Mexico: Lopez Obrador Promises There Will Be No Corruption in Caro Quintero Case



Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador

Mexican President  Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador has stated in a news conference that the government has received requests to free Raphael Caro Quintero based on alleged legal errors in the process of his recapture. The President promised that the law will be followed.

The below article from La Voz de Michoacan is translated by Fousesquawk.

 https://www.lavozdemichoacan.com.mx/pais/amlo-confirma-que-hay-amparos-para-liberar-a-caro-quintero-y-la-autoridad-actua-contra-ellos/

Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador confirms that there are amparos* to free Caro Quintero and the government is countering them

*Amparo: Translator's note: The Spanish term "amparo" has various definitions. In a legal sense, it refers to legal protections afforded citizens against an abusive judiciary, which could include the reversal of a conviction or sentence. It does not presume guilt or innocence. In certain contexts, it can also mean "under cover of darkness". Yesterday, in translating a video of an Ultima Hora broadcast, I chose this latter definition based on the context in which "amparo" was used. In the title above, I assume the term is referring to letters or requests to free Caro Quintero.

The president of Mexico promises that he will not permit corruption and will take care that what occurred in 2013 when on a Saturday, the (cartel) boss went free without completing his sentence.

Mexico City: The president of Mexico, Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, stated that in the case of Rafael Caro Quintero, the process will be (monitored) and that what happened on a Saturday in 2013, when he (Caro Quintero) walked free due to an amparo without completing his sentence, will not be repeated. 

This Monday morning, during his morning news conference, the national leader confirmed that since Saturday, amparos have been presented to protect the recaptured (cartel) boss, but "the authorities are responding to the judges," he said.

He explained that these (requests) are not against the extradition of Caro Quintero, rather to free him, " arguing that there were errors in the process; thus, the government will respond as to how the legal process was carried out, meaning that it was in accordance with the established procedure."

Lopez Obrador promised that he will act in a legal manner but warned that he will not permit corruption or any act contrary to the law.

He recalled that two years ago, the government that he heads was confronted with a similar situation with another famous accused criminal when he was also ordered released on a Saturday.



Sunday, July 17, 2022

More on the Capture of Rafael Caro Quintero

Hat tip Vlad Tepes and Gates of Vienna for sub-titling. Translation by Fousesquawk.


Yesterday, we posted a translation of a Mexican newspaper article (Excelsior) reporting on this week's capture of Rafael Caro Quintero, wanted for the 1985 kidnap, torture, and murder of DEA agent Enrique Camarena and Mexican pilot Alfredo Zavala in Guadalajara. 

This is a TV discussion from Excelsior's Ultima Hora. I apologize, but I am still unable to find who the three gentlemen speaking are.  I will continue to search for that information.

It is believed that Caro Quintero has been delivered to Altiplano prison in the State of Mexico pending possible extradition to the US. Altiplano is a maximum security prison, but it was from Altiplano that Joaquin "Chapo" Guzman escaped in 2015. Previous reports by Excelsior that Caro Quintero had been taken to an undisclosed location near the US border appear to have been in error.

In addition, there have been conflicting reports about a Marine helicopter crash that occurred the same day as the arrest in Los Mochis in which 14 Marines were killed. Was this helicopter involved in the operation to capture Caro Quintero? It is not entirely clear.

Finally, there are conflicting reports about whether DEA participated in the capture. DEA Administrator Anne Milgram indicated in her official statement that DEA was involved in some capacity, but this is being denied by US Ambassador Ken Salazar. I am guessing that Milgram was referring to DEA's assistance in the search for Caro Quintero since 2013 while Salazar is referring specifically to the actual arrest. Again, that is speculation on my part.


Saturday, July 16, 2022

France: Three Teens Stabbed to Death in Angers

Esplanade Coeur de Maine in Angers, France


It has become almost an everyday event in France. Early Saturday morning, in the western city of Angers, a dispute broke out between a group of young Wallisiens (from the French Polynesian island of Wallis) and a Sudanese man. The cause of the dispute is not clear. It may have had something to do with the music the group of youths was playing, or according to some witnesses, the Sudanese man had tried to make advances on one or more of the girls in the group. At any rate, when it was over, three of the young men, aged 16, 18, and 20, had been stabbed to death. The Sudanese man is in custody.

Police and emergency responders were hit with a barrage of bottles and cans by a large crowd as they attempted to render first aid.

The below article in Ouest France/Courrier, a local news outlet, is translated by Fousesquawk.

 https://www.ouest-france.fr/societe/faits-divers/meurtre-d-angers-trois-morts-un-suspect-arrete-des-circonstances-troubles-ce-que-l-on-sait-31f250a6-0514-11ed-8a81-42fa9cc69cd5

In addition, the website, Allah's Willing Executioners, also has a report with videos of the immediate aftermath of the incident including the chase of the suspect.

https://medforth.biz/france-3-people-including-a-16-year-old-minor-were-killed-by-a-sudanese-migrant-with-a-knife-firefighters-were-attacked-by-an-aggressive-mob-when-they-tried-to-rescue-the-victims-videos/

Murder in Angers. Three Dead, a suspect arrested, troubling circumstances: What we know

Three young persons were mortally stabbed during the night of July 15-16 in Angers (Maine-et-Loire) A suspect was arrested and placed in custody. For now, the circumstances of the incident remain unclear. The case has been assigned to the Security Department of Angers.

Three persons are dead after having been stabbed in the thorax during the night of Friday, the 15th- Saturday, the 16th of July on the Coeur de Maine Esplanade in Angers. Three other persons were slightly injured.

Who are the deceased victims?

The three young persons who were fatally stabbed are ages 16, 18, and 20. According to our colleague in Oeste France, these three victims are named Ismael, Manuolito, and Atama and were part of the Wallisian community (French Polynesian). They each received a knife blow to the thorax and succumbed to their wounds.

Who is the suspect?

He is a man, aged 32, and originally from Sudan. "He is also in regular status in France and unknown to the (police)," confirmed M. Bouillard to our colleagues at Parisien. Captured by people present at the scene of the incident, then by municipal police, he is currently hospitalized and in custody but not in a condition to speak at the moment.

What happened?

The circumstances of the incident are not yet clear. In a statement transmitted to the press, Prosecutor Bouillard presented the initial elements of the case. "On 16 July at 2:50 am, Angers police responded to an altercation taking place in the Coeur de Maine sector of Angers. At the scene, they found a large and sometimes aggressive crowd, throwing projectiles at the responding personnel. Victims each of a knife blow to the thorax, three persons in a condition of cardio-respiratory arrest were treated by emergency personnel. Unfortunately, they quickly died. Pending future developments in the case, it appears an initial altercation took place around 1 am. Run off by the victims' group,  the defendant reportedly returned later armed in order to attack them.

Why did the killer stab?

On this point, two hypotheses are raised by the witnesses. The first is that the suspect was bothered by the young people's music. The second would be connected to sexual aggressions that the suspect might have made on one or several of the young females present this evening. The case, assigned to the Security Department of Angers, should clarify this point.

Why did the emergency response go badly?

The police response took place in a very hostile climate, while about 200 persons were still present at the scene. Contacted by Courrier de L'Ouest, Jeanne Behre-Robinson, deputy mayor of Angers in charge of Security and Prevention, indicated having, "a lot of difficulty" understanding these actions." As they were responding to Coeur de Maine to provide first aid, they were hit in the head with glass bottles and cans. Same thing with the firefighters. I am really shocked." She explains that the throwing of projectiles continued as the emergency personnel were performing CPR on the victims. The Coeur de Maine Esplanade is closed since Saturday morning until further notice.

Was there a "hiccup" with the National Police?

This is what several witnesses are claiming. "Between midnight and three in the morning, I called 7 times to the police station. I wanted to tell the police that tensions were mounting. But nobody picked up the phone," one of them says, who wanted to remain anonymous. "Then I wound up calling 17. I dialed it three times, (and) I waited until the line cut off. I never got ahold of anyone," he adds. Meanwhile, around 2:45 am, the couple heard (someone shout) "Murderer!" several times. Then, "a girl cried out, 'Oh no, Oh no, not that!" We heard it distinctly," this witness says. Contacted by Le Courrier de l'Ouest, the director of the Department of Public Security indicated that, "these elements are being verified to find out the reality of the facts.

What reactions in the political world?

Christophe Bechu, former mayor of Angers, currently minister of ecological translation, expressed his fear and sadness on Twitter. "My thoughts go out to the victims' families. I thank the municipal and national police as well as the emergency personnel who responded to the scene."

Several deputies and senators from Maine-et-Loire, as well as municipal counselors, have equally reacted.  

As for the president of the Rassemblement National (party), Marine Le Pen, she noted on Twitter, "What happened yesterday in Angers is a tragedy, and I am moved for the relatives of the victims. How long are we going to allow our youth to be  killed?"