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Generational Dynamics Web Log for 5-Oct-2014
5-Oct-14 World View -- Hong Kong protesters fear more violence by China's 'Triad' gangs

Web Log - October, 2014

5-Oct-14 World View -- Hong Kong protesters fear more violence by China's 'Triad' gangs

Joe Biden apologizes to Turkey's president Erdogan for ISIS remarks

This morning's key headlines from GenerationalDynamics.com

Hong Kong protesters fear more violence by China's 'Triad' gangs
Joe Biden apologizes to Turkey's president Erdogan for ISIS remarks

Hong Kong protesters fear more violence by China's 'Triad' gangs

Bloodied student protester on Friday (AP)

Bloodied student protester on Friday (AP)

Hong Kong's protesting students were bloodied on Friday by attacks by thugs thought to be from criminal gangs known as "triads." Protesters have accused the HK police of ignoring or even supporting the triad attacks on protesters, charges that the police vehemently deny. Some protesters are suggesting that the Beijing government is paying triad gangs to attack the protesters.

Triads are sometimes referred to as "the Chinese Mafia." They're families of organized crime gangs involved in armed robbery, racketeering, smuggling, narcotics trafficking, prostitution, gambling and even contract murder. Their roots go back 1000 years to Buddhist (White Lotus) secret societies that originally were political. But over the centuries they morphed into organized crime families. They were given the name "Triad" by the British because of a triangular symbol that they use. They are mainly centered in China, Hong Kong and Macao, but they've spread to other countries as well, including the United States. There are Triad members featured in the video game Grand Theft Auto.

Protesters are responding to threats by the Hong Kong government by promising to allow government buildings, schools and businesses to open on Monday, while allowing peaceful protests to continue. AFP and Reuters and Triads And Organized Crime In China

Joe Biden apologizes to Turkey's president Erdogan for ISIS remarks

The Obama administration continues to scramble to fend off scathing criticism by Obama's former defense secretary, Leon Panetta, who blames administration policy for the rise of the Islamic State / of Iraq and Syria (IS or ISIS or ISIL). In his book, Panetta says:

"My fear, as I voiced to the President and others, was that if the country split apart or slid back into the violence that we'd seen in the years immediately following the U.S. invasion, it could become a new haven for terrorists to plot attacks against the U.S. Iraq's stability was not only in Iraq's interest but also in ours. I privately and publicly advocated for a residual force that could provide training and security for Iraq's military."

In a speech on Thursday, U.S. Vice President Joe Biden attempted to deflect blame from the Obama administration by pointing to every country in the Mideast as culpable:

"What happened was, and the history will record this, what my constant cry was that our biggest problem is our allies, our allies in the region were our largest problem in Syria. The Turks were great friends and I have a great relationship with Erdogan, which I spent a lot of time with, the Saudis, the Emiratis, etc. What were they doing? They were so determined to take down Assad ... what did they do? They poured hundreds of millions of dollars and tens of thousands of tons of weapons into anyone who would fight against Assad. Except that the people who were being supplied were al-Nusra, and al-Qaeda and the extremist elements of jihadis coming from other parts of the world. ...
So what do we have for the first time? Now, Saudi Arabia has stopped the funding going on ... The Qataris have cut off their support for the most extreme elements of the terrorist organizations. And the Turks, President Erdogan told me, he is an old friend, said you were right. We let too many people through. Now they are trying to seal their border."

This statement infuriated Turkey's president Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who said:

"[Biden] will be history for me if he has indeed used such expressions. ...
There might have been people traveling on tourist visa but no one with arms has ever crossed the Turkish border."

So Biden spoke by phone with Erdogan on Saturday, and apologized. According to a White House statement:

"The vice president apologized for any implication that Turkey or other allies and partners in the region had intentionally supplied or facilitated the growth of ISIL or other violent extremists in Syria."

So does that amount to an admission that Panetta was right after all? Today's Zaman (Ankara) and CBS News

(Comments: For reader comments, questions and discussion, see the 5-Oct-14 World View -- Hong Kong protesters fear more violence by China's 'Triad' gangs thread of the Generational Dynamics forum. Comments may be posted anonymously.) (5-Oct-2014) Permanent Link
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Generational Dynamics Web Log for 5-Oct-2014 5-Oct-14 World View -- Hong Kong protesters fear more violence by China's 'Triad' gangs

Hong Kong protesters fear more violence by China's 'Triad' gangs

Joe Biden apologizes to Turkey's president Erdogan for ISIS remarks

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Generational Dynamics Web Log for 5-Oct-2014
5-Oct-14 World View -- Hong Kong protesters fear more violence by China's 'Triad' gangs