Wednesday, November 16, 2011

Gates of Vienna News Feed 11/16/2011

Gates of Vienna News Feed 11/16/2011Last Friday a gunmen fired shots at the south face of the White House in Washington D.C., striking a window and leaving one bullet embedded in a wall. The shooter then abandoned his vehicle and an AK-47 when he fled on foot near the Roosevelt Bridge. Today the alleged perpetrator, an Idaho man, was arrested at a hotel in Pennsylvania. He reportedly has a history of previous arrests, and is mentally ill. Once source says he had expressed hatred of President Obama.

In other news, a man in Jordan slit his sister’s throat in public to salvage his family’s honor after she had a romantic relationship with a man who wanted to marry her. The young woman died before she could be taken to the hospital.

To see the headlines and the articles, open the full news post.

Thanks to C. Cantoni, Erick Stakelbeck, Fjordman, Insubria, JP, KGS, Kitman, Paul Weston, Steen, and all the other tipsters who sent these in.

Notice to tipsters: Please don’t submit extensive excerpts from articles that have been posted behind a subscription firewall, or are otherwise under copyright protection.

Commenters are advised to leave their comments at this post (rather than with the news articles) so that they are more easily accessible.

Caveat: Articles in the news feed are posted “as is”. Gates of Vienna cannot vouch for the authenticity or accuracy of the contents of any individual item posted here. We check each entry to make sure it is relatively interesting, not patently offensive, and at least superficially plausible. The link to the original is included with each item’s title. Further research and verification are left to the reader.

2 comments:

Nemecis said...

300 migrants per day crossing into Greece:

Criticism as migrant influx peaks
ekathimerini.com , Wednesday November 16, 2011 (22:04)

Even as the repercussions of the debt crisis make the prospects of a new life in Greece less than rosy, the influx of undocumented immigrants into the country has increased significantly over the past year, according to figures released on Wednesday by the European Union’s border monitoring agency, Frontex. However, a top agency official has told Kathimerini that Greece woefully lacks the infrastructure to accommodate the would-be migrants.

Detentions at the Greek-Turkish land border increased by 20 percent in October compared to the same month last year, according to Frontex, which referred to “an absolute monthly record of 9,600 illegal border crossings.” “Average detections were over 300 irregular migrants crossing that border on a daily basis,” a statement issued by the agency said.

The agency attributed the “dramatic development” to a combination of factors. These include the absence of sufficient detention facilities both in Greece and Turkey, and the lack of adequate agreements for the readmission of immigrants from specific countries of origin.

Frontex’s deputy executive director Gil Arias Fernandez told Kathimerini at a press briefing on Wednesday that most of the 26 countries contributing staff and equipment to the agency’s operation at the Greek-Turkish border were increasingly reluctant to continue, largely due to the failure of Greek authorities to create new reception centers for migrants, particularly in Evros, a key main gateway for immigrants to cross into Greece from Turkey. Most of the current reception centers in Greece are “unacceptable,” according to Fernandez, who also criticized authorities for refusing to cooperate with nongovernmental organizations.

Additional contributing factors cited by Frontex appear to apportion a fair burden of the blame to Turkish authorities -- the proximity of Istanbul airport (with low-cost connecting flights), Turkey’s liberal visa policy and the “numerous facilitation networks established in Turkey with links to Greece,” an apparent reference to cross-border smuggling rings.

http://www.ekathimerini.com/4dcgi/_w_articles_wsite1_6926_16/11/2011_415122

Nemecis said...

EU threatens Greece with expulsion from the Schengen treaty area if it does not built new migrant “reception” areas…..

Pressure over Schengen grows
ekathimerini.com , Friday November 4, 2011 (22:32)

Serious delays in implementing a European Union plan to combat illegal immigration has jeopardized Greece’s membership of the bloc’s Schengen area, reports said on Friday.

Foreign officials, including members of the European Commission in Brussels, have made unannounced visits to the country in recent days to evaluate Greece’s progress in meeting its commitments.

Dutch Immigration Minister Gerd Leers on Wednesday also toured a reception center for immigrants in the northern Evros region for a firsthand evaluation.

“We have come to see the region where many migrants arrive and witness the way they are being received,” he said.

EU interior ministers meeting in Luxembourg last week reportedly criticized Athens after a large number of illegal migrants from Afghanistan and Pakistan were recently arrested in Serbia and Hungary after making their way through Greece.

Although Greece’s status among Schengen countries has not changed, officials say, “our peers never miss an opportunity to criticize our delays in designating areas for the new reception centers.”

Citizens’ Protection Minister Christos Papoutsis on Tuesday said that Greece, under fire for failing to prepare an action plan on illegal immigration, may have to leave the 25-member Schengen zone, which allows passport-free travel in the area.

Drawn up in May, the blueprint foresaw 14 sites being made available to accommodate migrants.

Despite some progress in assessing asylum applications, Greece is still lagging in the designation of areas where new reception centers will be built, as well as in upgrading existing facilities.

Authorities have reportedly stepped up efforts to build a new center in Filakio, Evros. The plan is to accommodate migrants in prefabricated houses, at a cost of 844,000 euros.

The European Commission has said that border controls can be reintroduced to deal with unexpected migration flows or if a Schengen country fails to monitor its borders with non-EU countries.


http://www.ekathimerini.com/4dcgi/_w_articles_wsite1_1_04/11/2011_413364