CNN Yanks Story After Reporter Claims ISIS Flag Was Seen At London Pride

Via Raw Story:

A man trolling the violently homophobic Islamic State at a London gay pride event got extra troll points Saturday for duping CNN. CNN reporter Lucy Pawle was at the event when she stumbled upon that man, who to her bewilderment, everyone seemed to be ignoring. Turns out his fake “ISIS flag” was made up of images of dildos, Mediaite discovered. Pawle tells CNN anchors that she was leaving work when she happened upon the annual London Gay Pride festival. She was shocked to see a man dressed in black and white carrying what she called “a very bad mimicry” but a “very clear attempt to mimic the ISIS flag.” Taking a closer look, she could tell the writing was not Arabic. No one else seemed to be concerned about it, so she went to the event organizer and the police, both of whom seemed to brush her off.

CNN quietly removed the story from its site but the below mirror of the clip has gained over 700K views since last night.

ISIS Threatens Times Square Bombing

Via Vocativ:

A new ISIS rap video, subtitled in English, features some of the group’s most bloody scenes of beheading and torture, while promising suicide bombers in Germany as well as New York City’s Times Square. A terrorist is shown donning a suicide belt, with subsequent imagery showing scenes from New York’s bustling Times Square, after which the bomber, dressed in western clothes, pulls the pin. The three-minute long clip was broadcast on ISIS’s al-Hayat media network, the propaganda arm that focuses on a Western audience. Images of injured western troops being evacuated are juxtaposed with graphic scenes of beheadings and the immolation of Jordanian pilot Muath al-Kaseasbeh, shown struggling as flames engulf him.

The video below has been heavily edited by Vocativ.

REPORT: ISIS Beheads Gay Men In Iraq

Via News 24:

ISIS has publicly beheaded three men in northern Iraq, two of them for allegedly engaging in homosexual acts, according to photos shared by sympathisers on social media on Tuesday. The jihadist group, which controls swathes of Iraq and neighbouring Syria, has carried out hundreds of executions as it has imposed its brutal version of Islamic law, many of them photographed or videotaped. The latest images did not show the claimed beheadings and their authenticity could not be independently verified. A series of photographs shows the blindfolded men kneeling in the centre of what appears to be a traffic circle with a crowd of people looking on as a masked, black-clad executioner stands by with a long, rusty blade. Accompanying captions said the trio were then executed, the third of them for alleged blasphemy.

Some reports say all three young men were accused of homosexuality, adding that two of them may have been a couple. However ISIS is known to accuse its enemies of being gay in order to "justify" their executions.

CNN On Gays Living Under ISIS Rule

In a report on the ISIS executions of allegedly gay men, CNN today interviewed a gay couple who fled Syria just before ISIS took control. CNN reports that gays still living in ISIS-controlled regions are living in terror.

Headline Of The Day

Details. As always, it's important to keep in mind that these terrorists routinely accuse people of being gay in order to "justify" their murders.

Unions Demand Apology From Gov. Scott Walker After CPAC Comparison To ISIS

Via press release:

We’re not going to stand by and let Scott Walker smear hard-working Americans, simply because the exercise their first amendment freedom to disagree with him. You don’t attack good men and women who give their time every day to make this country a better place.

Public service workers have confronted terrorism. In the aftermath of September 11, they performed search and rescue operations and helped the devastated city recover. Halloveen Brightly, an AFSCME DC37 police communications specialist, stayed on the line with those who would never make it out of the towers. Patrick Bahnken of DC37 in New York City dug by hand for victims. Leonard Benjamin, a mortuary care technician from DC37, picked up the remains of the deceased at the World Trade Center. And Father Mychal Judge, an AFSCME member, arrived on scene as the towers burned, to provide aid and comfort to the injured, before falling victim himself.

To compare the 100,000 men and women who stood up in Madison and called Governor Walker out for his attack on workers’ freedom to terrorists is disgusting. That’s the desperate act of a craven, career politician, not a leader whose values are aligned with what this country stands for. In Madison, we marched alongside military veterans, firefighters, police officers, nurses, librarians and teachers. There were senior citizens and children. College students and clergy.

This cannot stand, Governor Walker, and the nation deserves an apology.

We hope they aren't holding their breath.

Scott Walker At CPAC: If I Can Beat Union Protesters Then I Can Beat ISIS

The DNC reacted immediately: "If Scott Walker thinks that it’s appropriate to compare working people speaking up for their rights to brutal terrorists, then he is even less qualified to be president than I thought. Maybe he should go back to punting."

Italians Mock ISIS After Threat To Throw Gays Off The Leaning Tower of "Pizza"

You can see the mocking responses and memes here and here. The Italian government is taking the threat seriously.

In the wake of the threat, Italian security chiefs have approved plans to put 4,800 soldiers on the country's streets and 'sensitive sites' to prevent terrorist attacks. Reports claim 500 will be deployed in Rome - where soldiers are already guarding diplomatic residences, synagogues and Jewish schools. The troops are also expected to be deployed at tourist venues such as archeological sites and monuments. The commander of Vatican's 110-man Swiss Guard said they were ready to defend Pope Francis if ISIS attack. ISIS have executed four men in recent weeks for alleged homosexuality.

GOP Arkansas Pol: It's Time To Nuke ISIS

"With ISIS spreading all over the Middle East and Africa and Islamic Extremists carrying out violence in Europe, The United Kingdom and even in the United States, I wonder why the civilized world just sits by when we have weapons that could wipe out these barbarians where they are concentrated? I believe it is time to annihilate the strongholds and pursue the rest till we have them all captured or killed. A strategically placed nuclear weapon would save the lives of our soldiers and quickly turn things around. It is time for the insanity to be stopped." - GOP Arkansas state Sen. Jason Rapert, in a posting on his Facebook page. Rapert did not specify where this nuclear weapon should be detonated. The above image is from the Arkansas Times.

RELATED: Until this week Rapert was most famous for telling a Tea Party gathering that they should not allow "minorities to run roughshod over what you people believe in." Last summer Rapert authored a resolution calling on the Arkansas Supreme Court to invalidate the same-sex marriages that took place in the brief period in which they were legal. The resolution failed.

Obama Speaks On War Powers Request

I've replaced the live stream with a recording.

Obama Asks Congress For War Powers

Via TIME Magazine:

President Barack Obama asked Congress Wednesday to formally authorize military force against the Islamic State group, arguing the militants could pose a threat to the U.S. homeland if their violent power grab goes unchecked and urging lawmakers to “show the world we are united in our resolve to counter the threat.” The president elected on a promise to end America’s wars is sending Congress a proposed joint resolution to authorize military force against the swift rise of Islamic State extremists, who are imposing violent rule across Iraq and Syria and have brazenly killed U.S. and allied hostages in brutal online propaganda videos.

In a five-paragraph letter to lawmakers accompanying the three-page draft resolution provided to The Associated Press, Obama said the Islamic State “poses a threat to the people and stability of Iraq, Syria and the broader Middle East and to U.S. national security.” “It threatens American personnel and facilities located in the region and is responsible for the deaths of U.S. citizens James Foley, Steven Sotloff, Abdul-Rahman Peter Kassig, and Kayla Mueller,” he said, listing the American hostages who died in IS custody. “If left unchecked, ISIL will pose a threat beyond the Middle East, including to the United States homeland.”

The president will speak about his request today at 3:30PM. I'll post a live-stream.

LGBT Groups Urge Caution In Reporting "Alleged Executions For Sodomy" By ISIS

The International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission (IGLHRC) and MADRE, the global women’s rights group, have issued a joint statement about recent reports that ISIS has executed men on charges of homosexuality.

IGLHRC and MADRE caution concerned members of the media, representatives of foreign governments and people of conscience generally in the strongest possible terms against assuming that the men identified as ‘gay’ and against assuming the men engaged in homosexual acts. Other than the photos themselves, very little is known about these executions. IGLHRC has tried to independently verify the events that occurred with little success to date. Without credible evidence, it is crucial to exercise extreme caution in how the event is reported and how the men are described.

At this time, to publicly call Iraqi men “gay” can only do harm. If the men did not identify as gay, the allegation is inaccurate and obscures the Islamic State’s motivation for publicly labeling them as such. If the men indeed identified as gay, extreme caution should be exercised and consultation held with those they loved. If the men identified as gay, widespread publicity potentially exposes their families, loved ones and intimate partners to harm. Honor killings are pervasive in Iraq, so the safety of those most affected must be a paramount concern.

Furthermore, to assume that the executions were for sodomy solely on the basis of information from the Islamic State is dangerous. Without evidentiary basis or independent confirmation, this sweeping allegation could be applied to anyone the Islamic State seeks to discredit—including human rights activists and anyone opposed to the Islamic State. Accusing opponents of homosexuality is a tried and true tool used to discredit political adversaries throughout the world.

Accuracy is absolutely needed to moderate the level of fear of LGBTI Iraqis living in areas controlled by the Islamic State. During the anti-emo killings in 2012, rumors circulated alleging that upwards of a thousand people had been killed for perceived gender and sexual non-conformity, while the documented number was nearer ten. In response, IGLHRC interviewed LGBTI Iraqis and found that some fled the country, were shunned, isolated themselves at home too afraid to venture into the streets, and experienced high levels of suicidal ideation. The stakes today are high enough; allies in the media, foreign governments, and among concerned friends globally must understand accurately what occurred and avoid risky inflations of the threat level.

In recent posts about these reports I have described the victims as "allegedly gay" and of having been "accused of being gay." I've also excerpted press accounts which note that Islamists sometimes accuse their political enemies of being homosexuals in order to "justify" their executions. Hit the top link for more about this issue.

IRAQ: ISIS Executes Two Men Accused Of Being Gay By Hurling Them Off Roof

Via Radio Free Europe:

The Islamic State (IS) group in Iraq has published photographs that appear to show a man being thrown from the roof of a tall building apparently in Mosul, as punishment for being gay. The graphic photographs were uploaded to the Justpaste.it website on January 15 and shared on social media. One photograph, taken from the top of the building from where the man was apparently pushed to his death, shows a large crowd gathered in the public square below.

Another image shows a man with his face covered by a black balaclava, reading out the sentence imposed on the man under the IS group's version of Shari'a law. The caption to the photograph says that the verdict was issued by a Shari'a court in "Wilayat Nineveh," IS's name for Mosul and its environs.

Another image shows the victim being held by another man, apparently his executioner, on the edge of a rooftop. Text accompanying the photograph says that the man is being punished with "Hadd," meaning a punishment that is determined in the Koran and the Hadith for crimes considered to go against the rights of God. The caption noted that the man had committed the crime of the practices of the "people of Lot," a euphemism for sodomy, and that he must be killed by being "thrown from a high place."

According to the above-linked report, ISIS yesterday also stoned a woman to death after accusing her of adultery. (Tipped by JMG reader Zachary)

US Military Hacked On Twitter

Via the Washington Post:

Social media accounts for the U.S. military’s Central Command appeared to have been hacked on Monday, with the command posting threatening messages on Twitter and YouTube to American troops. The first rogue tweet was posted about 12:30 p.m. It appeared to come from sympathizers with the Islamic State militant group. CENTCOM has orchestrated the U.S.-led airstrike campaign against the militants in Iraq and Syria, and is beginning to train Iraqi troops to respond to the threat in the region. The background and profile photo of the CENTCOM account were both changed to show an apparent militant and the phrases “CyberCaliphate” and “i love you isis,” using one of the acronyms for the militant group.

The Twitter account has now been suspended.

REPORT: ISIS Throws Allegedly Gay Man From Roof And Stones Him To Death

Via Radio Free Europe:

A website affiliated with Islamic State (IS) militants on December 9 posted photographs online that appeared to show militants throwing a man off of a roof and then stoning him to death after one of the group’s Islamic courts ruled that he was a homosexual. A statement accompanying the images said that an Islamic court ruled that the man had “practiced sodomy and must be thrown off the highest point” in the area and then stoned to death. It said the court was in the Wilayet al-Furat -- referring to an area that stretches across the Syrian-Iraq frontier where the Euphrates River flows from Syria into Iraq at the Albu Kamal-Qaim border crossing. The killing comes after IS militants in November stoned two men to death in Syria, claiming they were homosexuals.

NOTE: Islamists have been known to accuse their critics of being homosexuals in order to "justify" their executions.

Billboard Of The Day

Via the Catholic League:

For the past several years, we’ve been engaged in a battle of the billboards with our atheist foes at Christmastime. The typical venue has been New York City, the media capital of the nation. This year we chose to put our mark on the culture by making a statement in Los Angeles, right outside of Hollywood. The billboard, which will be on display until December 28, is huge and illuminated. It is posted on Pico Boulevard, just west of Fairfax Avenue, in one of the most heavily traveled East-West arteries in Los Angeles. Located in the Miracle Mile district of Mid-City, the billboard targets traffic traveling between Century City and Downtown Los Angeles. No, the Hollywood moguls who disrespect Christians are not the same as radical Muslims who behead us, but both are full of hate. Moreover, both need to be challenged. Christians are fed up with the barbarians abroad and the bigots at home. It’s time all these bullies learned to practice the virtue of tolerance and the meaning of diversity.

SYRIA: ISIS Claims To Have Executed Two Gay Men By Stoning Them To Death

Via MSNBC:

The Islamic State group stoned two men to death in Syria Tuesday after claiming they were gay, a monitor said, in the jihadist organisation's first executions for alleged homosexuality. "The IS today stoned to death a man that it said was gay," the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said, adding that the victim was around 20 years old. He was killed in Mayadeen in the eastern province of Deir Ezzor, near the border with Iraq. The Britain-based Observatory said IS claimed it found videos on his mobile phone showing him "practising indecent acts with males". In a separate incident on Tuesday, an 18-year-old was also stoned to death in Deir Ezzor city after the group said he was gay, the Observatory said. Activists on social media said that the dead men were opponents of IS and that the group had used the allegation as a pretext to kill them.

(Tipped by JMG reader Chris)

ISIS Beheads British Aid Worker

Tony Perkins On Fox News: America Must Invade Iraq Again Because Christians

New NYC Transit Ads From Pam Geller

Having won a 2012 court battle to place anti-Islam ads on New York City transit, the above banners from blogger Pam Geller began appearing this week on buses and subway platforms. Today Geller agreed to pull the top image from the campaign after receiving complaints from the family of beheaded journalist James Foley. As part of the 2012 ruling, the ads appear alongside a disclaimer from the MTA. Geller is suing again because the MTA rejected one ad from the new campaign because it contains the words "killing Jews."