Blog Heap of Links for the day 24 May 2015

The new issue of ISIS propaganda magazine ‘Dabiq’ contains an article allegedly penned by British kidnapped reporter John Cantlie according to which the Islamic State has every intention of striking the US, at home and on a grand scale, either with a nuclear device or with several tons of explosive.…

Islamic State fighters have executed at least 400 people in Palmyra since capturing the ancient Syrian city four days ago, Syrian state media said on Sunday. … militants seized the city of 50,000 people, site of some of the world's most extensive and best preserved ancient Roman ruins, on Wednesday, days after also capturing the city of Ramadi in neighboring Iraq.…

A disturbing conversation with the narcissistic killer. … he lied about everything and if he wasn’​t lying he was concocting elaborate stories to explain away the horror… He is convinced he is getting out… thinks of himself as a martyr. …

Forty-five years after Simon & Garfunkel split up, the singer [Garfunkle] is still consumed with bitterness…

…Child of God! give the Father time. He is long-suffering over you. He wants the blessing to be rich, and full, and sure; give Him time, while you cry day and night.…

Just a thought on Memorial Day greetings

Please, do not say “Happy Memorial Day”.

Memorial Day isn’t a day to be “happy”. It is not “celebrated”, it is observed.…

In the face of this electoral season's acrimony, it behooves us all as Americans to every now and then declare a truce, step back from the brink and to take stock of this awesome Nation of ours.

Of all of ours. …

Remember the price of freedom. Our deepest gratitude to those who paid it on our behalf. #MemorialDay #CommonSoldier [video]

…The U.S. arranged papers for Barwari’s mother but, due to a clerical error, baby Lava wasn’t allowed to leave with her. She nearly had to stay in Iraq, left to the whims of Hussein’s brutal regime. That’s when an American soldier named Greg Peppin stepped in. … She grew up hearing stories about the man who saved her life but, until this past week, she had never met the former soldier….

Assistant US Secretary of State for International Security and Nonproliferation, Thomas Countryman, recently visited Israel and held talks with senior Foreign Ministry officials, about the possibility of making the Middle East nuclear-free.… sources in the US Administration said that Israeli agreement to the idea would be a catalyst for bringing additional countries into discussions on the matter. …

[Yes, let's first disarm the folks that everyone around them is constantly calling for their death. Sounds like a plan. I'm sure they'll go for it!]

In Tensta, a culturally enriched suburb of Stockholm, a mob of “youths” attacked a police patrol with rocks and Molotov cocktails. Police were forced to fire warning shots into the crowd. The rioters, said to be mainly Somalis and Kurds, were apparently upset that police had started cracking down on crime in their neighborhood.

In other news, the Islamic State claimed responsibility for a suicide bombing at a Shi’ite mosque in Saudi Arabia, and promised more attacks targeting Shi’ites.

[much more]

[Graphics and cartoons. Funnies aren't always so funny when they're mostly Hillary.]

Vic is here with the latest.

"On this day in 1883 the Brooklyn Bridge in New York City is opened to traffic after 14 years of construction.""