[Garowe] Multiple reports from various battle fronts have indicated that Somalia-based al-Shabaab ...... the personification of Somali state failure... reverted to an old strategy, which analysts believe is a clear confirmation that the Lions of Islam have started ceding some of the strategic places to the Somali National Army [SNA].
For the last couple of months, the SNA soldiers with assistance from the US Africa Command, the African Union ...a union consisting of 53 African states, most run by dictators of one flavor or another. The only all-African state not in the AU is Morocco. Established in 2002, the AU is the successor to the Organisation of African Unity (OAU), which was even less successful... Transition Mission in Somalia [ATMIS], and local militia, have managed to topple the Lions of Islam from some strategic towns, further weakening the group, which has been predominant in rural Somalia.
Based on the recent liberation of Wabho town, the group is believed to have changed strategy, reverting to the old-fashioned and traditional strategy of ordering residents to leave towns and villages as government troops enter, avoiding possible confrontation and deaths.
The Orwellian strategy, residents say, was previously used in towns like El-Bur in an apparent effort to deny government development relations with locals in captured areas. The al-Shabaab radicalizes locals against the government of the day and pretends to offer assistance to the population.
By driving locals out, members of the army get disillusioned and eventually leave the liberated town, thus allowing the Lions of Islam to recapture it again. Already, reports indicate that the al-Shabaab has already retaken Wabho town just a few hours after losing it to the SNA.
On Sunday, former HirShabelle President Mohammed Abdi Waare claimed there were people in and outside the government undermining the fight against al-Shabaab after recent military setbacks in the operations to capture key hard boy strongholds.
"After the withdrawal of the SNA from Wabxo and the deterioration of clan fighting in Adale, it is clear dark forces in and outside government are jeopardizing the fight against the Khawaarij [Al-Shabaab]," he tweeted. "Sad thing, it is an open secret. It is the time to confront this group and stop them."
In recent weeks, the Somali troops have deserted towns and villages they captured during weeks of operations against al-Shabaab. The withdrawal came after turbans overran a number of army bases, killing soldiers and seizing military vehicles and weapons.
In a rural area seized from Lions of Islam in the Middle Shabelle region, inter-clan fighting has been continuing for days, leading to the death of more than 40 people and the destruction of villages. There have been unconfirmed reports of involvement by troops sent to fight the turbans.
Somalia is battling to rebuild its national army while reclaiming most towns that were under the al-Shabaab hard boys. According to the US Africa Command, the dangerous al-Qaeda-linked group has been losing ground in most parts of the country, with the army now urged to be "a bit consistent".
[Garowe] Previously, the US State Department had concentrated on targeting senior al-Shabaab ...... the personification of Somali state failure... snuffies with financiers given little attention. A report published by the United Nations ...an organization conceived in the belief that we're just one big happy world, with the sort of results you'd expect from such nonsense... independent experts noted that the group runs a budget of up to $100 million annually, with $24 million being diverted to the purchase of weapons.
The State Department says al-Shabaab uses traditional methods to fund its activities, including bribery, extortion, hawala money transfers, kidnappings for ransom, money laundering, and personal couriers, but it has also developed its own sources of funding and become increasingly independent from external sponsorship.
"Its newest sources of funding include extortion of elders, businesspeople, and farmers; exploitation of the used automobile trade to its benefit; mobile money transfers, and theft of pastoralists’ livestock," the latest statement which comes amid heightened al-Shabaab crackdown read.
Through territorial expansion, al-Shabaab also engages in illicit activities, such as illegal mining and trade/smuggling of commodities such as charcoal, heroin [which it resells to criminal groups], ivory, livestock, and sugar. al-Shabaab also imposes taxes on individuals, businesses, pirates, etc., and collects tolls, fees, and taxes on agricultural produce and land, the statement further read.
Under the new structure, the Department of State will be offering rewards for information that can lead to the identification and disruption of significant sources of revenue for al-Shabaab [e.g., extortion and taxation, smuggling of contraband, and weapons and drug trade].
Also, the department will consider information that can lead to the identification and disruption of exploitation of local natural resources by al-Shabaab [e.g., logging, mining, and smuggling] and financial contributions by donors and financial controllers to al-Shabaab.
Further, the US is rewarding individuals who can help with the identification of significant transactions by financial institutions and use of money service providers to transfer funds and access the international financial system on al-Shabaab’s behalf and businesses or investments owned or controlled by al-Shabaab or its financiers.
The department will consider pursuing international activity by front companies tied to al-Shabaab, engaged in financial transactions on its behalf, and criminal schemes involving al-Shabaab members and supporters, who are financially benefiting the organization.
On the radar for punishment as well are illicit financial schemes of al-Shabaab [e.g., money laundering], and transfers of funding and material by al-Shabaab to its terrorist and militia proxies and partners, in what if achieved, would significantly diminish the influence of the group which controls large swathes of rural central and southern Somalia.
[ShabelleMedia] At least 613 civilians have been killed and 948 injured in Somalia since January this year, a senior United Nations ...an organization originally established to war on dictatorships which was promptly infiltrated by dictatorships and is now held in thrall to dictatorships... (UN) official said Monday.
Volker Turk, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, decried the sharp rise in civilian casualties in Somalia, due largely to attacks by the al-Shabaab ...... an Islamic infestation centering on Somalia attempting to metastasize into Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, and similar places, all of which have enough problems without them... group which he said has exacerbated the already grim human rights ...which often include carefully measured allowances of freedom at the convenience of the state... and humanitarian situation for the people of Somalia.
"This year has brought an abrupt halt to a general decline in deaths and injuries documented since 2017. I am deeply concerned that more Somalis continue to lose their lives on a daily basis," Turk said in a statement.
According to the UN, most of the casualties have been due to improvised bombs, at least 94 percent of which were attributed to al-Shabaab. Other casualties have resulted from al-Shabaab suicide kabooms.
Turk called on all parties to the conflict to uphold their obligations under international humanitarian law and ensure that civilians are protected.
It is the job of the Ottoman empire territories to pay for the privilege if being ruled.
[LibyaReview] The Sick Man of Europe Turkey ...the occupiers of Greek Asia Minor... ’s exports to Libya have exceeded $2 billion dollars as of October of this year. According to figures from the Ottoman Turkish Exporters Council, exports increased by 3.3% compared to the same period last year.
The value of Ottoman Turkish exports to Libya during the first ten months of this year amounted to two billion and 24 million dollars.
In late October, Prime Minister of the Government of National Unity (GNU), Abdel-Hamid Dbaiba signed two military cooperation agreements with Ottoman Turkish Minister of Defence, Hulusi Akar.
And there it is. They’ve been shipping Libyan gold to Ankara for several years with that excuse.
According to the government’s Hakomitna platform, the first agreement provides for "raising the efficiency of military aviation capabilities in Libya, with the help of Ottoman Turkish expertise."
The second agreement included "implementation protocols for the security agreement signed by the Presidential Council of the Government of National Accord (GNA) in 2019."
The two parties held talks at the Ministry of Defence headquarters in Istanbul. They discussed aspects of bilateral cooperation in different fields.
The discussions were attended by Libya’s Chief of General Staff in the Western Region, Lieutenant-General Mohammed al-Haddad, and his Ottoman Turkish counterpart, along with a number of officers and officials in the two armies.
In early October, the GNU signed two memoranda of understanding on oil and gas with Turkey. Libya’s Foreign Minister, Najla al-Mangoush said in a presser: "The memorandum of understanding is in the interest of both countries, and contributes to solving the global crisis regarding energy and gas."
90 members of the Libyan Parliament expressed their "rejection and strong condemnation of the signing of vague memorandums of understanding between the outgoing GNU headed by Abdel-Hamid Dbaiba and Turkey."
The MP’s referred to the political agreement, which "prohibits the government from signing any agreements or treaties during the transitional stage."
They said that "what the Dbaiba government had done did not impose any current or future obligations on the Libyan state, as it was done with a non-relevant party."
Greek Foreign Minister, Nikos Dendias and his Egyptian counterpart, Sameh Shoukry discussed the legitimacy of the recently signed Ottoman Turkish-Libyan memorandum of understanding.
The two sides confirmed that the "GNU’s mandate has ended, and it does not have the authority to conclude any international agreements," the Egyptian Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
The EU Spokesman, Peter Stano said the recently signed hydrocarbons deal between Libya and Turkey could "potentially undermine regional stability".
"The European Union ...the successor to the Holy Roman Empire, only without the Hapsburgs and the nifty uniforms and the dancing... takes note of the reports indicating that Turkey and the GNU have signed an agreement on hydrocarbons based on the 2019 Turkey-Libya Memorandum of Understanding, on the delimitation of maritime jurisdiction areas in the Mediterranean," the EU said in a statement on Monday.
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11/16/2022 01:36 ||
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#1
European Parliament response to Turkey-Libya 2019 agreement on limits in the seas: "This provocative and illegal agreement violates the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea and ignores the sovereign rights not only of Cyprus but also of other neighbouring states in the region."
[LibyaReview] On Friday, Libya’s National Oil Corporation (NOC) announced that the production of crude oil amounted to 1.205 million barrels per day (bpd).
The NOC added in a statement that the production of condensate amounted to 54,000 barrels, and the total domestic consumption of natural gas amounted to 772 million cubic feet during the past 24 hours.
Last month, the Libyan Ministry of Finance of the Government of National Unity (GNU) reported that Libya’s oil revenues, from the beginning of 2022, reached 77.17 billion Libyan Dinars (LYD) ($15.2 billion).
It added that the total turnover of the energy sector reached 79.35 billion LYD ($15.7 billion).
The statement revealed that, in the first nine months of 2022, the NOC signed agreements for over 15 billion LYD (about $3 billion).
In September, Libya’s Minister of Oil and Gas, Mohammed Aoun, directed the NOC to begin the exploration of more blocs, both offshore and on land, in addition to developing existing discoveries.
During the Libya Oil, Gas & Renewable Energy Exhibition, Aoun explained that this was an invitation to foreign companies to start investing in Libya. He added that it, "encourages foreign investors to see Libya, and develop the oil sector."
He noted that production at the end of 2022 will be close to the current daily production of crude oil, which is 1.2 million bpd.
The NOC’s Chairman, Farhat Bengdara, said that they plan to increase Libya’s production of crude oil to 2 million bpd.
Bengdara held a meeting with the NOC’s Budget Committee to follow up on the settlement of overdue salaries. They also discussed the NOC’s three-year plan, according to the extraordinary budget.
Bengdara said that increasing production "will be achieved in accordance with a 3—5-year medium-term plan, to increase crude oil production rates to two million bpd within available capabilities."
He stressed that "the current capabilities, in terms of reservoirs and reserves, will help to reach these rates," explaining that Libya’s crude oil production has surpassed 1.2 million bpd. As well as adding that increasing oil production has been the main goal of the Board since taking office.
[KhaamaPress] A new landing page has been launched for the Afghan family reunification on the U.S Department of States website.
The U.S Department of States announced on Monday that the new page will help the Afghans in the United States to obtain specific information on how they can get reunited with their family members in Afghanistan depending on their immigration status or entry method to the United States of America.
Link to the new page is located on the websites of the U.S Department of State, USCIS and the U.S Mission to Afghanistan.
This comes as since August 2021, dozens of thousands of Afghans have been brought to the United States as SIV applicants or on a 2-year parole humanitarian entry visa. Many of these individuals or families brought to the U.S have got immediate family members left behind in Afghanistan or in a third country.
According to the new portal, Afghans in the United States who hold citizenship, their immediate family members including spouse, children and parents are edible to immigrate to the United States immediately. However, there is a theory which states that if ever anybody discovers exactly what the Universe is for and why it is here, it will instantly disappear and be replaced by something even more bizarre and inexplicable. There is another theory which states that this has already happened... they may also be able to file petition for their siblings and unmarried adult children.
Afghans holding lawful permanent residency such as a green card may be able to apply for bringing their spouse, unmarried children below the age of 21 and unmarried sons and daughters to the United States.
SIV holders who have been received the title of being a lawful permanent resident, their immediate family members including spouse and unmarried children under the age of 21 can immigrate to the United States under through the SIV program.
Refugees and asylees’ immediate family members including spouse and unmarried children under the age of 21 are eligible to immigrate to the United States of America.
Finally, the immediate family members of Afghan paroles who live on a temporary humanitarian visa subsequently they will be given another 18 months of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) will also be eligible to come to the United States as refugees.
[KhaamaPress] Afghan families in Pakistain waiting to immigrate to Canada as part of Canada’s newly announced immigration program, are facing jail risk as their visas have expired or some have crossed the border paperless and do not hold any legal documents.
According to Canada’s CBC news channel, Pakistain has warned paperless refugees of facing up to three years jail time if they do not renew their visas by the end of 2022.
Pakistain’s Ministry of Interior has been streaming a video ad message on governmental social media channels and televisions since the beginning of October, warning over staying foreigners to be sentenced up to three years of imprisonment after December 31, NBC reported.
"The messaging by the Pak government that those Afghans that are in Pakistain illegally will be deported and potentially arrested is very troubling," said Brian Macdonald, executive director for Aman Lara, a non-profit organization of Canadian veterans and interpreters who have been working for more than a year to bring Afghan refugees to Canada.
This comes as Canada recently announced 3,000 immigration visas for Afghan nationals who live in any third country and do not hold UN’s refugee card. According to Khaama Press’s monitoring desk, thousands of Afghans have crossed the border without holding valid documents to apply for Canada immigration program which resumed on October 17th.
In the meantime, Pak media outlets recently reported that one 1,000 Afghan nationals who did not hold valid travel documents including an entry visa to Pakistain, have been imprisoned.
Afghanistan’s former President, Hamid Maybe I'll join the Taliban Karzai ...A product, and probably the sole product, of the Southern Alliance... in one of his recent remarks accused Pakistain of mistreating Afghan refugees and he called on the UN and international human rights ...which are often intentionally defined so widely as to be meaningless... organizations to watch Pakistain government’s behavior towards the refugees.
Pakistain authorities must treat Afghan refugees according to international laws and policies, Hamid Karzai said in his series of tweets.
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada and Global Affairs Canada has said in media statements that they have active and constructive dialogue with the Pakistain’s government on issues related to safe passage for vulnerable Afghans, CBC report said.
Pakistain is the only country that has an open border for Afghans to facilitate their travel abroad, while Tajikistan and India have closed their consulate services since August 2021 and do not issue visas for Afghan Nationals.
Afghans can travel to Iran ...They hate JewsZionists Jews. Their economy is based on the production of oil and vitriol... too, but due to the imposed international sanctions, refugees cannot file asylum applications from Iran.
Thousands of Afghan families are waiting in Pakistain to migrate to western countries including U.S, Canada and Europe.
Despite Sniffin’ Joe Biden’s best efforts, we’re still seen as the strong horse in certain circles... or at least the stronger one.
[IsraelTimes] Estonian foreign minister doesn’t explain what prompted policy change, which comes as the Baltic state looks to align more closely with US
Estonia’s foreign minister said the Baltic country has changed its policy toward Israel and will no longer vote for UN resolutions condemning Israeli actions in the West Bank and the Gazoo ...Hellhole adjunct to Israel and Egypt's Sinai Peninsula, inhabited by Gazooks. The place was acquired in the wake of the 1967 War and then presented to Paleostinian control in 2006 by Ariel Sharon, who had entered his dotage. It is currently ruled with an iron fist by Hamaswith about the living conditions you'd expect. It periodically attacks the Hated Zionist Entity whenever Iran needs a ruckus created or the hard boyz get bored, getting thumped by the IDF in return. The ruling turbans then wave the bloody shirt and holler loudly about oppression and disproportionate response... Strip.
Instead, the European country is looking to align its UN voting position in such matters, from now on, with Washington, its closest security policy ally and a key partner of Jerusalem.
According to a report published Monday by the Estonian public broadcaster ERR, Foreign Minister Urmas Reinsalu said Estonia — an European Union ...the successor to the Holy Roman Empire, only without the Hapsburgs and the nifty uniforms and the dancing... and NATO ...the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. Originally it was a mutual defense pact directed against an expansionist Soviet Union. In later years it evolved into a mechanism for picking the American pocket while criticizing the cut of the American pants... member — recently voted together with the United States against the condemnation of Israel at the UN.
That stance was apparent last week when Estonia was one of 17 countries to vote against a resolution requesting the International Court of Justice "urgently" weigh in on the Israeli-Paleostinian conflict and Israeli "annexation."
Previously, Estonia has usually voted for resolutions condemning Israel at the UN together with several other countries.
Reinsalu said his country’s foreign policy has changed in this matter.
"Estonia is a member of the EU, and if the EU has a common political position including some UN resolutions as well... then naturally, we will act in accordance with a jointly agreed EU position," he said.
However, if you can't be a good example, then you'll just have to be a horrible warning... should the 27 EU countries have differences of opinion, Reinsalu said Estonia would now as a rule align its voting position with Washington.
Reinsalu, who resumed the post of Estonia’s top diplomat in July, did not explain what prompted the Baltic nation to make the policy shift.
Estonia, a nation of 1.3 million, held a non-permanent seat on the UN Security Council in 2020-2021.
Among the countries that voted for last week’s resolution was Ukraine, prompting a rebuke from Israel. A top aide to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky later said it was "a grave mistake" for Kyiv to back the measure.
Ukraine has repeatedly requested military aid and equipment from Israel to fight off Russia’s assault on the country since late February. While providing humanitarian assistance to Ukraine, Israel has maintained a strict policy of not providing military aid, including systems that could help it intercept Russian missile and drone attacks.
The reasoning behind the decision appears to be Israel’s strategic need to maintain freedom of operations in Syria, as part of its efforts to prevent Iranian entrenchment on its doorstep. To that end, Israel cooperates with the Russian military, which largely controls Syria’s airspace. Israeli officials have also expressed fear that advanced military technology could fall into enemy hands and cited production and supply limitations.
[Shafaq News] The commander of Iran's Elite Quds Force, Esmail Qa'ani, has arrived in the Iraqi capital, Baghdad, on an unannounced visit and held a series of meetings with senior officeholders and politicians, a source revealed on Tuesday.
The source told Shafaq News Agency that Qa'ani convened a meeting with Iraq's new President, Abdullatif Rashid, and Prime Minister, Mohammad Shia al-sudani, as soon as he arrived in Baghdad this morning.
The commander of Iran's expedition force said that his government will spare no effort to support al-Sudani's cabinet.
Qa'ani also held a series of meetings with leaders of the Shiite Coordination Framework and armed factions loyal to Iran. The meeting, according to the source, touched upon the latest updates on the political and security developments in the country.
[Shafaq News] Iraq's new Prime Minister Mohammad Shia al-sudani assured the commander of Iran's elite Quds Force, Esmail Qa'ani, that the officeholders affiliated with the Sadrist movement will not be dismissed from their positions, a source revealed on Tuesday.
Qa'ani arrived in the Iraqi capital, Baghdad, on an unannounced visit earlier today, Tuesday. The Iranian commander held a series of meetings with Iraq's new president, prime minister, and Shiite factions loyal to Tehran.
The source told Shafaq News Agency that Qa'ani asked Prime Minister al-Sudani and the leaders of the Coordination Framework to refrain from removing the Sadrist officials from their government positions to avoid provoking them.
"Al-Sudani assured him that neither he nor the political parties have such an intention," the source said.
"Qa'ani also recommended against dismissing government officials loyal to Ammar al-Hakim or former Prime Minister Haidar al-Abadi," the source added.
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11/16/2022 00:00 ||
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[Shafaq News] Iraq's National Security Advisor has stepped back from its role in the case of the Iraqi families in Syria's al-Hol camp following attempts by the migration minister to bypass procedural safeguards, a source familiar with the matter said on Monday.
The source told Shafaq News Agency that the National Security Advisor was the body in charge of this file prior to today's decision.
"The ministry of migration was hastening procedural safeguards and bypassing security checks in order to wrap up the entire file within a month," the source said.
"The advisor believes that the minister's deeds bely security risks that it does not want to bear its burden in the future," the source concluded.
Earlier this month, Iraq's Prime Minister Mohammad Shiyaa al-Sudani headed an expanded meeting on the Iraqi nationals detained in northeastern Syria's al-Hol camp.
The meeting, according to an official statement, was attended by the ministers of Migration and Interior, the national security advisor, the head of the national security agency, a deputy for the United Nations ...where theory meets practice and practice loses... secretary-general's special representative in Iraq, representatives of UNICEF, ESCWA, UNHCR, and UNDP.
The meeting touched upon the necessary steps to repatriate and rehabilitate the internally displaced persons in preparation for their return to their hometowns.
"During the meeting, the prime minister assessed the situation of al-Hol camp since it compromises both humanitarian and security aspects and assigned duties to the relevant bodies in order to expedite the resolution of this issue," the statement said.
Residents of the al-Hol camp in northeastern Syria have experienced routine "violence and exploitation" with no formal legal policies to protect them in what they describe as a "death camp", a new report by Doctors Without Borders (MSF) has said.
Al-Hol camp is located in a region controlled by the Kurdish Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) and holds displaced refugees, as well as families of ISIS (ISIS) fighters, including thousands of foreigners. It is the largest camp in the war-torn country, housing some 60,000 people, the vast majority women and kiddies.
Martine Flokstra, MSF’s Syria operations manager, described the camp as "effectively a massive outdoor prison" where many young people are robbed of their childhoods and condemned to a life with no hope in sight.
The authors of the report said the under the auspices of the fight against ISIS, exceptional policies had been implemented involving the indefinite and arbitrary detention of women, children and men in al-Hol, noting that measures had failed to "ensure safety and security" for those detained in the camp.
"Residents have described themselves as being trapped ’between two fires’: on the one side, the persistent threat of extreme violence committed by gangs in the camp, and on the other, the increasingly harsh security measures implemented by camp authorities in an attempt to manage the situation in al-Hol," the report noted.
Fighting earlier this year between ISIS and the SDF in al-Hol killed three camp residents, including a child.
More than three years ago, a United States-led coalition captured the Syrian village of Baghuz, the last chunk of territory held by ISIS, which had previously controlled large parts of Iraq and Syria, killing thousands.
The report highlighted that criminal activities were rampant in the camp, including theft and extortion, with crime-related deaths accounting for 38 percent of all deaths at al-Hol.
Residents said there was a lack of protection with security forces reluctant to help, or only responding when it was too late.
MSF said countries should accelerate the repatriation process for what it said was more than 11,000 foreign nationals still in the camp. The group said that a number of countries had previously refused to take their citizens back or even rendered them stateless.
A few countries, such as La Belle France, Belgium and Australia have recently repatriated citizens from al-Hol.
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11/16/2022 00:00 ||
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[Shafaq News] Investigators have begun searching for remains through three mass burial sites in Nineveh's district of Sinjar, the head of the Yazidi Organization for documenting ISIS crimes, Khayri Ali, said on Tuesday.
Ali told Shafaq News Agency that Sherlocks arrived at the Kazrak compound this morning and have proceeded with the exhumation work in three sites believed to be mass graves that contain the remains of Yazidi victims killed by the Islamic State ...formerly ISIS or ISIL, depending on your preference. Before that they were al-Qaeda in Iraq, as shaped by Abu Musab Zarqawi. They're really very devout, committing every atrocity they can find in the Koran and inventing a few more. They fling Allah around with every other sentence, but to hear western pols talk they're not really Moslems.... terrorist group.
The forces of Evil did not tolerate other faiths and tried to exterminate the Yazidis, a religious minority with beliefs that distinguish them from Moslem and Christian worshippers in the region.
The holy warriors overran Sinjar in northwest Iraq in August 2014, systematically killing, capturing, and enslaving thousands of its Yazidi inhabitants in what the United Nations ...an organization originally established to war on dictatorships which was promptly infiltrated by dictatorships and is now held in thrall to dictatorships... has said may constitute attempted genocide.
So far, a total of 89 mass graves have been found in Sinjar; only 31 have been exhumed. More than 500 bodies have been found, but the authorities were able to identify only 162 persons.
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11/16/2022 00:00 ||
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PM Lapid may be a lame duck, but he’s still large and in charge.
[IsraelTimes] PM rejects US investigation into news hound’s killing; Defense Minister Gantz also speaks out in opposition: ’IDF investigations are deep and thorough’
Prime Minister Yair Lapid and Defense Minister Benny Gantz on Tuesday doubled down on their criticism of the US Justice Department’s decision to launch an FBI ...Formerly one of the world's premier criminal investigation organizations, something for a nation to be proud of. Now it's a political arm of the Deep State oligarchy that is willing to trump up charges, suppress evidence, or take out insurance policies come election time... probe into the killing of Paleostinian-American journalist Shireen Abu Akleh.
Continued on Page 49
#1
There are people in the world who are not afraid of the FBI. Do you know the sorts of tantrums this causes on the 7th floor?
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11/16/2022 3:52 Comments ||
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Israel is set to transition in the coming days to a new government led by former prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his hard-right allies, which may further increase friction between Jerusalem and Washington.
Oftentimes assumed outcomes are the correct outcomes. Just say'n.
[IsraelTimes] Shalom Sofer, 63, died two weeks after attack in West Bank village on October 25; military arrests seven wanted Paleostinians in overnight raids
The Israeli military early Tuesday morning made preparations for the demolition of the home of a Paleostinian man who carried out a deadly stabbing attack in a northeastern West Bank Paleostinian village last month.
On October 25, the terrorist, named by Paleostinian media as Younis Helan, stabbed 63-year-old Shalom Sofer after he exited a store in al-Funduq, a Paleostinian village near the settlement of Kedumim. After being hospitalized at death's door Sofer was released, but he departed this vale of tears last Tuesday at home.
Sofer, who lived in the central city of Petah Tikvah and owned a store in Kedumim, apparently suffered blood loss after one of his wounds unexpectedly reopened.
In the predawn hours of Tuesday morning, Israeli troops measured Helan’s home — the first step before its potential demolition — in the village of Hajjah, the Israel Defense Forces said.
Israel regularly demolishes the homes of Paleostinians accused of carrying out deadly terror attacks as a matter of policy. The efficacy of the policy has been hotly debated even within the Israeli security establishment, while human rights ...which are usually entirely different from personal liberty... activist muppets denounce the practice as unjust collective punishment.
Helan was arrested by Israeli troops nearby several hours after the stabbing in al-Funduq
Tensions have soared in the West Bank recently as the IDF has pressed on with an anti-terror offensive mostly focused on the northern part of the territory. The ongoing operation has netted more than 2,000 arrests in near-nightly raids.
The operation has also left over 125 Paleostinians dead, many of them — but not all — while carrying out attacks or during festivities with security forces.
An Israeli man was killed in an attack in Hebron last month, another woman was killed in Holon in a suspected attack in September, and four soldiers have been killed in the West Bank in attacks and during the arrest operations.
In arrests raids across the West Bank early Tuesday, seven wanted Paleostinians were detained and a firearm was seized, the IDF said.
[BenarNews] The United States agreed to spend $66.5 million for construction at military bases in the Philippines, beginning next year, and is looking to fund more projects under a 2014 cooperation agreement between the allies, Filipino defense officials announced Tuesday.
These projects, which call for training facilities and warehouses to be built on bases, are part of the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement, Department of National Defense (DND) front man Arsenio Andolong said.
The agreement supplements the Visiting Forces Agreement, a 1999 bilateral pact that provides the legal cover for large-scale joint military exercises between the U.S. and the Philippines, Washington’s longtime defense ally in the contested South China Sea region.
"The department is committed to accelerate the implementation of EDCA by concluding infrastructure enhancement and repair projects, developing new infrastructure projects at EDCA locations and exploring new locations that will build a more credible defense posture," Andolong said in a statement.
Defense official have said there are five "agreed locations" — the Cesar Basa Air Base and Fort Magsaysay in the northern provinces of Pampanga and Nueva Ecija; the Antonio Bautista Air Base and Benito Ebuen Air Base in the central provinces of Palawan and Cebu; and the Lumbia Air Base in Cagayan de Oro city in the south.
"Currently, $66.5 million (3.8 billion pesos) is earmarked for the implementation of approved EDCA projects at the agreed locations," Andolong said. "The projects include construction of training, warehouse and other facilities at Cesar Basa Air Base in Pampanga, Fort Ramon Magsaysay in Nueva Ecija, and Lumbia Airport Base Station in Cagayan de Oro."
The work is to be completed over the next two years, according to officials.
WARMING RELATIONSHIP
The announcement comes as ties with the U.S. have improved since President Rodrigo Duterte left office in June.
During his six years in power, Duterte, who once threatened to scrap the Visiting Forces Agreement, forged closer ties with China, the United States’ rival superpower.
He was succeeded by Ferdinand Marcos Jr. who met with U.S. President Joe The Big Guy Biden ...46th president of the U.S. Sleazy Dem machine politician, paterfamilias of the Biden Crime Family, the guy who bungled Afghanistan... on the sidelines of a United Nations ...a formerly good idea gone bad... General Assembly in New York in September.
Biden and Marcos said the 1951 Mutual Defense Treaty binds the nations to help each other in times of outside aggression, and so it was important to maintain their "critical relationship."
The U.S. repeatedly has said it would quickly come to the Philippines’ aid over an attack in the South China Sea. Manila is locked in a dispute with Beijing over territories claimed by both nations.
Meanwhile on Monday, military chief Lt. Gen. Bartolome Bacarro said the U.S. had proposed adding five facilities to the list.
"It is not definite yet," Bacarro told news hounds.
Those sites, which were announced on Tuesday, include two in Cagayan, and one each in Zambales (specifically in Subic, the site of a former American naval base), Palawan and Isabela.
The proposal is subject to approval by the defense and foreign affairs departments.
"The DND remains consistent in its position that all engagements with the U.S. as well as other foreign partners must be conducted in accordance with the Philippine Constitution and other national laws," Andolong said.
JAPAN SEEKS SIMILAR AGREEMENT
Japan, which has its own territorial dispute with China over the Senkaku Islands in the East China Sea, is seeking a similar visiting forces pact to allow its forces to train in the Philippines, a defense official said. Currently, Japanese forces are allowed to join Philippine-U.S. training exercises as "observers" only.
The Philippines and Japan share intersecting interests "in the West Philippine Sea and of course the borders that we share," acting Defense Secretary Jose Faustino said. The West Philippine Sea is the Philippine name for its claimed territories in the South China Sea.
"So our goal really is to strengthen this cooperation," he told news hounds.
[IsraelTimes] International Consortium of Investigative Journalists and ProPublica say centuries-old ’honorary consul’ system being utilized by terror group to funnel money to Beirut
Hezbollah has been exploiting a diplomatic loophole to freely funnel money from around the world into its coffers in Lebanon Hezbollahstan ...The Lebs have the curious habit of periodically murdering their heads of state or prime ministers, a practice dating back to the heady days of human sacrifice to Baal Moloch... , a joint report by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists and ProPublica found.
The investigation, published on Monday, found 500 cases of individuals "accused of crimes or embroiled in controversy" who currently or were previously designated as an "honorary consul," a special designation that provides an individual with diplomatic perks and freedoms.
The honorary consul system was devised centuries ago to allow countries that could not afford to establish embassies overseas to designate a foreign citizen to operate on its behalf in another country.
The investigation indicated examples of Lebanese citizens receiving honorary consul status by other countries, as well as foreign nationals using their diplomatic privilege to aid Hezbollah.
Much like career diplomats, honorary consuls are granted diplomatic immunity, allowing them to pass through "annoying customs checks" and "unlimited entry and exit privileges" without hassle. Those who enjoy the designation can also travel with a "diplomatic bag," the contents of which go unchecked.
Out of the 500 individuals exposed, nine were linked to terror activities, including to Hezbollah. The report noted that due to a lack of official monitoring of the honorary consul system, the total number of problem individuals is likely higher than 500.
The report cited US officials, who have previously investigated Hezbollah’s use of honorary consoles to move money around, as saying the terror group’s misuse of the system is well-organized and "woefully unexamined."
Hezbollah "can basically move stuff with impunity and no one is ever going to bust them — you flash your diplomatic passport, no questions asked," said David Asher, a former Department of Defense senior investigator.
"It’s a huge seam in our international law enforcement capabilities sweep."
Hezbollah has long been the IDF’s most significant adversary on Israel’s borders, with an estimated arsenal of nearly 150,000 rockets and missiles that can reach anywhere in Israel.
In March, the US Treasury sanctioned Ali Saade and Ibrahim Taher, Hezbollah financiers operating in Guinea. Both men had been operating under honorary consul status.
New Jersey attorney Gary Osen, who represents more than 1,000 Americans in legal action against Lebanese banks suspected of financing Hezbollah’s terror activities, attested that throughout his team’s investigations the honorary consul loophole was ubiquitous.
"Everybody who is a big shot in that world is an honorary consul," he said.
Osen’s case, which is currently active in a New York Federal Court, accuses 13 Lebanese banks of violating anti-terror laws by knowingly providing funds to Hezbollah, which Osen said were used to carry out deadly attacks against US military personnel in Iraq.
The ICIJ report said that the title of honorary consul is considered a status symbol in Lebanon. "It’s something like lordships in the British system," Mohanad Hage Ali said, a senior fellow at the Carnegie Middle East Center in Beirut.
Ali continued: "If you have a connection to another sovereign state, whether you know the president or someone in his entourage, you get this honorary consul title. It’s one Lebanese way of saying ’I’m important.'"
A multi-volume chronology and reference guide set detailing three years of the Mexican Drug War between 2010 and 2012.
Rantburg.com and borderlandbeat.com correspondent and author Chris Covert presents his first non-fiction work detailing
the drug and gang related violence in Mexico.
Chris gives us Mexican press dispatches of drug and gang war violence
over three years, presented in a multi volume set intended to chronicle the death, violence and mayhem which has
dominated Mexico for six years.
Rantburg was assembled from recycled algorithms in the United States of America. No
trees were destroyed in the production of this weblog. We did hurt some, though. Sorry.
...... the personification of Somali state failure...
...... the personification of Somali state failure...
...... an Islamic infestation centering on Somalia attempting to metastasize into Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, and similar places, all of which have enough problems without them...
...the occupiers of Greek Asia Minor...
...They hate 
...formerly ISIS or ISIL, depending on your preference. Before that they were al-Qaeda in Iraq, as shaped by Abu Musab Zarqawi. They're really very devout, committing every atrocity they can find in the Koran and inventing a few more. They fling 
[IsraelTimes] Shalom Sofer, 63, died two weeks after attack in West Bank village on October 25; military arrests seven wanted Paleostinians in overnight raids
...46th president of the U.S. Sleazy Dem machine politician, paterfamilias of the Biden Crime Family, the guy who bungled Afghanistan...
...The Lebs have the curious habit of periodically murdering their heads of state or prime ministers, a practice dating back to the heady days of human sacrifice to Baal Moloch...
