Donald Trump has no idea what's about to hit him.

As PM refuses to join world leaders in condemnation, Melb is starting to stand up to Trump. Emergency mtg Sunday https://t.co/40TRi7ILtH

— Adam Bandt (@AdamBandt) January 30, 2017

Trump can only hope Bandt doesn't go the full Peter Allen and deploy the Seat of Melbourne Maracas.

"...I feel like Tarzan........of the jungle........." Adam Bandt in full Rio parliamentary flight.

The Royal Navy Gun Run - a central element of the Royal Tournament and often part of the ceremony of Beating the Retreat.

There is no better example of preparation, training and teamwork. 

One of the great military ceremonies is Beating the Retreat.

Not Celebrating the Victory. Nor the Charge.  Beating the Retreat.

It's the sensible thing to do from time to time.

Here's reader Gerry of Mentone. 

We must all contribute to the Common Good, as our gifts and circumstances allow. I pray that you be free to pursue your duty to completion, but trusting always that we are not masters of the earthly outcomes. 

So I respectfully append James MacAulay’s poem to Bob Santamaria, Retreat, in case you like to be reminded of it.

Come into yourself a while,
Be deaf to outer cares;
Ask not who wins, who fall, who rages,
Or what each doubtful sign presages,
Or what face treachery wears.

Soon you must return to tasks
That sicken and appall:
The calumnies will never cease,
Look only to the sign of peace,
The cross upon the wall.

From : http://www.newsweekly.com.au/article.php?id=2118

Last June I wrote a series of articles about the Islamic State's infiltration and influence over the Islamist elements of The Philippines.

Islamic State video announces creation of a province in The Philippines

www.michaelsmithnews.com/.../islamic-state-video-announces-creation-of...

 

ແປໜ້ານີ້

27 ມິ.ຖ. 2016 - The video proclaims the island in the Philippines as an official .... loyal to al Qaeda), and parts of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF).

 

Now official confirmation from the government of The Philippines of the Islamic State connection.

 

http://www.breitbart.com/national-security/2017/01/29/philippines-warns-islamic-state-growing-active/?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter

Philippines Confirms Communication Between Islamic State in Syria and Local Affiliate

 

STR/AFP/Getty Images

by FRANCES MARTEL29 Jan 201758

Senior Philippines defense officials have confirmed that Islamic State loyalists in the Asian island nation have established contact with terror group leaders in the Middle East. President Rodrigo Duterte delivered a plea to Islamic groups in the nation to reject the Islamic State and help police contain its supporters.

“I am earnestly asking, I am pleading to the MNLF and the MILF, do not provide sanctuary to the terrorists in your areas,” Duterte said in remarks on Friday. He was referring to the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) and the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF), armed Islamic groups stationed in southern Mindanao who do not have ties to the Islamic State. As mayor of Davao, one of Mindanao’s largest cities, for over two decades, Duterte has a long-established rapport with the MILF and MNLF. Both groups have publicly issued statements of support to Duterte.

Duterte warned the groups that, if they support Islamic State terrorists, “we will be forced to go after them within your territory, and that could mean trouble for all of us. I don’t want that to happen.” Duterte made a distinction between the armed Islamists of the MILF and MNLF — who use violence to attempt to establish an Islamic state within the Philippines — and the Islamic State, which have “killed a lot of innocent people.” Estimates suggest an estimated 120,000 people have been killed by the struggle between the two Moro separatist groups and the government.

Duterte’s outreach to the groups follows the revelation by Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana that the Islamic State’s leaders in Iraq and Syria have established communications with groups who pledged allegiance to “caliph” Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi in the Philippines. “They’ve made contact,” Lorenzana said Thursday. “One of the leaders… moved to Central Mindanao allegedly on the behest of ISIS people in the Middle East to find out if Central Mindanao is more conducive to the establishment of their wilayat [caliphate].”

The leader in question, Lorenzana added, was also tasked with consolidating the Islamic State’s presence in the region, including communicating with the violent Maute group, who pledged allegiance to the Islamic State in 2015.

Manila has already begun acting on the new intelligence regarding communications with Raqqa and Mosul. On Friday, the government announced that troops had already begun an operation, including airstrikes, on an Islamic State affiliate target on one of the nation’s southern islands.

The major Islamic State affiliate in the Philippines is Ansar al-Khilafah in the Philippines (AKP), formerly Abu Sayyaf. The group, an offshoot of the Moro Liberation groups, specializes in abducting Westerners for ransom and made $7 million in profit in ransoms in the first six months of 2016. To cut the flow of assets to the terrorist group, Duterte recently pledged not to attempt to rescue its hostages, warning Filipinos to avoid dangerous areas and not rely on ransom payments to come.

Duterte, who is from southern Mindanao, has previously warned that the Islamic State has been growing increasingly popular in his country, and the battle has become extremely personal for him. To be frank, I have cousins on the other side, with MI [Moro Islamic Liberation Front] and MN [Moro National Liberation Front]. Some, I heard, are with ISIS,” he told reporters earlier this month. Months before that revelation, Duterte warnedthat the Philippines has “problems with Muslim insurgency, and we have to address them before they get contaminated by the ISIS disease.”

The Philippines has confirmed that some of its citizens have joined the jihadist group in Iraq and Syria, even appearing in the group’s gruesome propaganda videos.

 

ENDS

Here is my email to DFAT

Sent: Tuesday, 28 June 2016 6:29 AM
To: Media
Subject: Request for comment on Australia funding for Islamic schools under DAESH influence/control

To the proper officer,

After months of buildup, which included pledges of loyalty from various local groups, the Islamic State has officially created a province in the Philippines. A newly released video from the region, which was produced in the same style as all other Islamic State provinces, offered confirmation of the new province.

The video begins by showing several “battalions” of the Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) pledging allegiance to the Islamic State. This includes the Abu Dujana Battalion, Abu Khubaib Battalion, Jundallah Battalion, and the Abu Sadr Battalion. These battalions joined others from ASG, including Jund al Tawhid, Ansar al Sharia, and Marakah al Ansar in pledging bayah to the Islamic State. Additionally, some of ASG’s leadership, including overall leader Isnilon Hapilon (who is shown in the video), have pledged to the jihadist group.

Hapilon, a US-designated terrorist, was again confirmed as the leader of all of the Islamic State’s forces in the Philippines. In an April issue of the Islamic State’s weekly newsletter Al Naba, the jihadist group said that Hapilon, also known as Abu Abdullah al Filipini, had been appointed as emir. In a portion of the video featuring a Filipino fighter in Raqqah, Syria, he confirms the Al Naba report.

Hapilon is the senior most figure to have defected to the Islamic State in the Philippines. The video also confirms that a formal leadership structure for the Islamic State has indeed been put into place, exemplifying its expansion in the country. This was also seen earlier this month in an infographic released by the ‘Amaq News Agency, one of the jihadist group’s news outlets. The infographic included several important facts from the Islamic State in the Philippines, including the number of groups that have pledged allegiance and where they operate. (See Threat Matrix report, Islamic State details activity in the Philippines.)

For all those 300,000 pensioners who had their pension slashed u will be glad to know that Gov ministers are doing it tough too #pensioncuts pic.twitter.com/2ykEjayVqz

— CFMEU (@CFMEU) January 30, 2017

On 7 December 2016 Saudi Arabia's ambassador met with Christopher Pyne MP - here's a screen shot from the Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs website for its Royal Embassy in Australia.

Chris Pyne has responsibility for defence industries in his portfolio, but he's not the defence minister.

Marise Payne is.  Maybe the Ambassador was hedging his bets, because his staff misspelt Pyne's surname - although many think Chris has always had the silent A.

When you represent so wealthy a nation, an alleged ally in combating terrorism, when you are supported by a military attache, when you are a respectful (however plenipotentiary you might feel) guest it pays to get the details right.  Almost two months after the event the "who cares" Saudis still haven't woken up.  

Can't imagine what bilateral relations were discussed - must have been a bit like when the 3AW summer breakfast hosts Greg Evans and Sam Newman thought they were interviewing Bill Collins the movie guru but the producer had put The Accurate One Bill Collins the race caller on the line (detail for the interested at the foot of this post).

If you're up for it, check out the celebrations for Saudi Arabia's national day on 7 December last year.

Lyndal Sachs PSM looked a tad uncomfortable standing in front of the big screen while everyone sang about His Majesty The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques and the theocracy that exists wholly and solely "For Islam and the Muslims".

Not one word from the stage or in the video was spoken by a Saudi figure in English.  They had the "Australian" grand mufti there to speak in the language of The Quran and all the Islamist insiders would have felt right at home. 

If you understand Arabic and are Muslim you'd be quite at home at that affair, with the Shahada and the Sword of Islam.

This is the flag of Saudi Arabia.

The words on the flag give comfort to Islamist hearts and reflect Saudi Arabia perfectly:

1.  For them - the Islamic Creed, لَا إِلٰهَ إِلَّا الله مُحَمَّدٌ رَسُولُ اللهlā ʾilāha ʾillā-llāh, muhammadun rasūlu-llāh - There is no god but Allah: Muhammad is the Messenger of God.

2. For us - the Sword.  The penalty in Saudi Arabia for not being Muslim is death by beheading.  Let than sink in.

There's plenty on the Embassy's website about Israel and Palestine. Plenty about the Shia reprobates in Iran who aren't sufficiently good Muslims like the Waleed Aly Sunnis in Saudi.  Plenty about Saudi Arabia's real purpose, as made manifest in The King whose official title is Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques - and that purpose is The Service of Islam and the Muslims.

Saudi Arabia does not give a flying extramarital flop about Australia in any context other than the conversion of the Kuffirs herein to the true way, in Service to Islam and the Muslims.

Where they have had a go at appearing to care it's laughable.

There's heaps more with heaps of details about the Toyota Camry which was much preferred by Saudi cabbies in the year 2009 - that's when these inept Islamists engaged their consultant to write their hopelessly out of date tosh:

References:

1-     Kingdom of Saudi Arabia & Australia Regional Partners Global Leaders - Bayliss, Roger

There mightn't be as much joy around the current status of Australian manufactured motor cars.  The industry is no more, Toyota's last cars will be dribbling of the line this year.

As the "death to Apostates" crowd sharpened the swords on their national day, Australia's Minister for Foreign Affairs Julie Bishop posted this:

Australia will work towards advancing the rights of women and girls

Promoting good governance and stronger democratic institutions everywhere

Australia will promote and protect freedom of expression

Advancing human rights for indigenous peoples around the globe

Promoting strong national human rights institutions and capacity building

I'd have left my dignity intact Julie, rather than pretending to mean a word of what you say, while partnering with Saudi Arabia.

Saudi uses role on UN Human Rights Council to cover up its abuses

#HumanRights

Leah Schulz

Monday 24 October 2016 11:17 UTC

UN Human Rights Council, Saudi-led coalition, Executions, torture, Freedom of expression

Show comments

The kingdom's continued membership is an affront to the council's mission of promoting and protecting human rights around the globe

This week, Saudi Arabia will be re-elected to the UN Human Right Council (HRC) for the fourth time, after another non-competitive election at the UN General Assembly (UNGA).

While serving its third term on the council, Saudi Arabia blocked international inquiries into its human rights abuses, punished Saudi citizens who worked in collaboration with the HRC, and threatened to cut critical UN funding after being called out for violating children’s rights.

Saudi Arabia’s presence on the council turns the HRC’s mission on its head

Given the kingdom’s unrelenting record of repression, Saudi Arabia's continued council membership is an affront to the HRC's mission of promoting and protecting "all human rights around the globe".

It is no secret that Saudi Arabia’s values are at odds with the council's. Religious intolerance, gender inequality and a penchant for public executions are hardly the qualities that the UN had in mind for its council members.

The opposite effect

Worse, instead of incentivising the kingdom to institute reforms to curtail abuses and foster greater accountability, Saudi Arabia’s membership on the council appears to be having the opposite effect.

The number of executions in the kingdom has spiked dramatically since Saudi Arabia was last elected to the council - with 2015 marking the most brutal year in two decades with 157 executions and 2016 closing in with 124 executions as of the end of September.

Meanwhile, the country ignores visit requests from the HRC’s “special procedures” - independent human rights experts who undertake country visits and report back to the council. Currently, Saudi Arabia has seven outstanding visit requests, including requests from special rapporteurs appointed to conduct fact-finding inquiries related to torture, freedom of expression and opinion, and executions.

In addition to resisting human rights investigations by UN experts, Saudi Arabia has sought to prevent its citizens from communicating with the council and other international organisations.

In 2014, the government issued a travel ban against activist Samar Badawi after she spoke at the 27^th session of the council on behalf of imprisoned Saudi activist, Waleed Abu al-Khair. Authorities prevented Badawi from travelling to Brussels to attend an EU forum on human rights.

Several Saudi human rights defenders who cooperated with the Human Rights Council have been criminally prosecuted

Under the country’s counter-terrorism law, contacting international organisations, such as the HRC, can be deemed a terrorist offence. Several Saudi human rights defenders who cooperated with the HRC have been criminally prosecuted as a result, including members of the now-shuttered Saudi Association for Civil and Political Rights (ACPRA).

ACPRA co-founder Mohammed al-Qahtani contributed numerous submissions to the HRC’s special procedures, especially to its working group on arbitrary detention. Saudi officials charged him with “provoking international organisations to adopt stances against the kingdom”. Al-Qahtani and ACPRA’s other co-founders are currently serving lengthy prison sentences for their human rights work.

Covering its tracks

While Saudi Arabia’s attempts to prevent both UN official and its own citizens from addressing human rights abuses in the kingdom should disqualify the country from a seat at the council table, its actions in Yemen over the past 19 months are an even greater affront to the HRC’s mission.

By now the word is out that Saudi-coalition airs trikes are responsible for the majority of the roughly 4,000 civilian deaths in Yemen. Hospitals, schools, marketplaces, weddings, and factories have and remain viable coalition air strike targets.

On 9 October, the coalition carried out possibly the single deadliest attack in the conflict, an air strike on a funeral ceremony in Sanaa, which killed over 140 and injured over 500.  

As reprehensible as these incidents are, Saudi Arabia’s efforts to prevent the world from learning how and why these atrocities occurred make the situation far worse.

Saudi Arabia is using its position on the council to block international efforts to investigate the role of all combatants in Yemen’s devastation

Instead of working with the UN mechanisms to reform its military campaign and alleviate the resulting humanitarian crisis, Saudi Arabia is using its position on the council to cover its tracks and avoid responsibility. It has fought tooth and nail against international efforts to investigate the role of all combatants in Yemen’s devastation.

Last month, at the 33rd session of the HRC, Saudi Arabia led a successful effort for the second year in a row to block an EU resolution for an international inquiry. In its place, council members passed an Arab-state sponsored resolution providing additional support for an ongoing probe by the Yemeni National Commission of Inquiry.

The Yemeni National Commission, established last year by the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) after an international inquiry resolution failed, has been widely criticised as biased and ineffectual.

According to UN Deputy High Commissioner for Human Rights Kate Gilmore, the Yemeni inquiry "lacks impartiality, does not abide by the basic norms of protection" and its mandate, composition and methodology fail to meet international standards.

Demanding greater accountability

The defeat of an international inquiry is just the most recent example of the ways in which Saudi Arabia has thwarted the council’s efforts to address the crisis in Yemen.

In June, Saudi Arabia successfully blackmailed the UN into removing the Saudi coalition from a list of violators of children’s rights by threatening to cut UN funding.

UN officials working under Saudi oversight banned foreign journalists and human rights workers from their flights into and out of Yemen

Even as early as two months into the conflict, UN officials working under Saudi oversight banned foreign journalists and human rights workers from their flights into and out of the increasingly isolated country. UN officials and aid workers, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the ban was instituted after Saudi officials rejected a flight manifest that included reporters from the New York Times, BBC and other journalists.

The HRC was established to promote human rights and hold violators accountable. Saudi Arabia’s presence on the council turns the HRC’s mission on its head.

It is time for member states to push back against Saudi threats and obstructions and demand greater accountability and transparency from their fellow council member. Otherwise, they risk becoming increasingly complicit in the very violations that the HRC was created to eradicate. 

ENDS

In April last year we brought you this

Big nights on the grog and speed racing for Saudi Arabia's party boy diplomats in Australia

Tuesday, 12 April 2016