[KhaamaPress] Russian Defense Minister warns over 20 radical groups with 15,000 fighters in Afghanistan threaten Central Asia’s security and stability.
Russian Defense Minister Andrey Belousov on Wednesday, 28, has warned that Afghanistan hosts more than 20 radical groups with over 15,000 fighters, posing a serious threat to Central Asia’s security. Speaking at a meeting of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) defense ministers, Belousov emphasized the ongoing danger these groups represent.
He specifically highlighted that radical groups in Afghanistan constitute the primary terrorist threat to Central Asian states. Belousov cautioned that these Death Eaters could infiltrate neighboring countries and beyond, exacerbating regional instability. Although he did not name specific groups, he mentioned imported muscle from the Middle East joining armed factions in Afghanistan.
Belousov further accused Western powers of attempting to impose a strategic defeat on Russia and applying pressure on CSTO member states. He described the military-political situation in CSTO-controlled regions as tense, with escalating challenges faced by member countries.
In line with these efforts, CSTO Secretary-General Imangali Tasmagambetov announced plans to begin military equipment shipments to reinforce the Tajikistan-Afghanistan border starting in 2026. This multi-year program aims to bolster border defenses in three stages over five years.
Russia has also supported joint military exercises in Tajikistan since the Taliban ...the once and current oppressors of Afghanistan... ’s return to power in August 2021. President Vladimir Putin ...President-for-Life of Russia. He gets along well with other presidents for life. He is credited with bringing political stability and re-establishing something like the rule of law, which occasionally results in somebody dropping dead from poisoning by polonium or other interesting substance. Under Putin, a new group of business magnates controlling significant swathes of Russia's economy has emerged, all of whom have close personal ties to him. The old bunch, without close personal ties to Putin, are in jail or in exile or dead from poisoning by polonium or other interesting substances... underscored the importance of regional security in a meeting with Tajik President Emomali Rahmon, stating that threats emanating from Afghanistan require Russia’s active engagement to protect Central Asian neighbors.
The CSTO, comprising Russia, Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan, has expressed concern over groups like ISIS and radical movements operating in Afghanistan. To address these threats, CSTO members have strengthened security cooperation and maintained close relations with the Taliban to manage border and security risks.
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Not so much sympathetic as creating insurance against the possibility that Al Shabaab might win, I suspect. Just like the party in power. It’s the culture, right?
[Garowe] Former Somali President Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed on Wednesday strongly rejected recent government accusations that opposition groups are sympathetic to al-Shabaab ... the Islamic version of the old Somali warlord... , dismissing the claims as baseless and politically motivated.
Speaking at a political conference in Mogadishu, Sheikh Sharif said the allegations were an attempt to silence dissenting voices and undermine legitimate political opposition. He accused the federal government of trying to derail dialogue and reconciliation efforts by branding critics as murderous Moslems.
"These accusations are meaningless and only serve to stifle the voice of the people," said the former president, calling for political maturity and openness to dialogue among all stakeholders.
Sharif also sounded the alarm over widespread corruption within Somalia’s security institutions, particularly the armed forces, arguing that it has severely weakened their ability to combat the al-Qaeda-linked al-Shabaab insurgency.
"If corruption within the security sector is not addressed, the country’s stability and development will be at serious risk," he warned.
The former leader urged Somali political actors to come together in open dialogue to find lasting solutions to the country’s worsening political crisis and ongoing armed conflict.
"Dialogue is the only key to saving Somalia," Sheikh Sharif said. "We must all recognise the importance of unity and work towards peace."
He stressed the need for accountable leadership and inclusive governance, saying the Somali people deserve transparency, justice, and political stability.
Such pious sentiments.
Wednesday’s conference also discussed the broader political landscape, including opposition concerns over President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud’s push for elections without a consensus. Opposition leaders called for a united front to challenge what they described as a unilateral and exclusionary process.
The political climate in Somalia continues to deteriorate as President Mohamud’s term nears its final year, with tensions rising over electoral disagreements and governance challenges.
Continued on Page 47
[Latin Times] Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said her administration will continue urging U.S. authorities to process the extradition of Dámaso López Serrano, also known as "El Mini Lic," in U.S. custody since his arrest in December 2024.
Sheinbaum said that U.S. authorities must explain why they have made plea deals with members of drug cartels that they themselves have designated as foreign terrorist organizations.
"We must emphasize something very important: the United States government recently issued a decree labeling some organized crime groups as terrorist organizations," Sheinbaum said. "They have repeatedly stated that they do not negotiate with these groups, so they need to explain why, in these cases, agreements are being made."
[CartelInsider] López Serrano, better known as “El Mini Lic,” once had every advantage a cartel legacy could offer: power, wealth, and the blessing of criminal royalty. But his arrogance, obsession, and lack of discipline have led him to disgrace—again. Arrested at his Virginia home in a federal operation, Mini Lic now faces a lengthy U.S. prison sentence, followed by extradition to Mexico, where he is wanted for the murder of journalist Javier Valdez.
This wasn’t just another cartel figure being taken off the streets—it was the end of a long, damning investigation. Federal agents had pieced together evidence linking Mini Lic to fentanyl trafficking and cartel violence in Sinaloa. Mini Lic’s downfall isn’t a story of betrayal or bad luck. It’s a self-inflicted collapse driven by ego, recklessness, and an obsession with reclaiming relevance—relevance that only he recognizes.
A DESPERATE ALLIANCE WITH MAYITO FLACO
The investigation that led to Mini Lic’s arrest revealed how far he had fallen. Once a narco prince with access to the highest levels of cartel power, Mini Lic had spent the last few years clawing for relevance. Evidence shows he allied with Ismael “El Mayito Flaco” Zambada, son of cartel boss Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada. Mayito Flaco, seeking allies against the Chapitos, offered Mini Lic control of Eldorado, the López Serrano family’s hometown in Sinaloa.
This wasn’t a grand cartel resurgence. It was desperation. Mini Lic wasn’t leading an empire; he was a pawn in the Zambada faction’s war against the sons of Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán. Wiretaps and informant testimony reveal how Mini Lic worked to facilitate fentanyl shipments while lending support to the Zambadas’ violent campaigns in Sinaloa. One video obtained during the investigation even shows his collaborators operating as hitmen, targeting Guzmán loyalists.
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
[KavkazUzel] Dagestan natives Abas Saidov and Zamur Tagirov were sentenced to 19 years in prison for creating a terrorist group. The witnesses whose testimony was used to build the case said they gave it under pressure. The defense appealed the verdict.
A message that the case against Dagestani residents Abas Saidov and Zamur Tagirov was based on testimony obtained through pressure and torture of the detainees was received in the feedback bot of the "Caucasian Knot" in Telegram. "The lawyers of the convicted are seeking a review of the case," the message says.
Residents of Dagestan Abas Saidov and Zamur Tagirov were convicted on March 26, 2025 under articles on the creation of a terrorist community (part 1 of article 205.4), incitement and recruitment into a terrorist community (part 1 of article 205.1), organization of an illegal armed formation (part 1 of article 208) and illegal arms trafficking (part 4 of article 222 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation), reported lawyer Abdulla Gaziev, representing the interests of Zamur Tagirov.
During the investigation and trial, Tagirov stated that he had been tortured, but during the debate they completely denied guilt.
"They were sentenced to 19 years of imprisonment each. On June 2, they will have been in prison for three years and four months. During the investigation and trial, Tagirov stated that he had been tortured, but during the debate they completely denied their guilt," he told a "Caucasian Knot" correspondent.
At the same time, according to the lawyer, during the preliminary investigation Tagirov was forced to partially admit guilt; according to him, his client was misled by the lawyers who initially defended him. "But at the court hearing he refused this. The Southern District Military Court in Rostov-on-Don added part 2 of article 205, note 4. That is, participation in the same . This is illegal. The court has no right to add, only to subtract articles of the charge," Gaziyev explained.
He also reported that Saidov was born in 2001, Tagirov was born in 2003. "Both worked before their arrest. Abbas, I think, worked in a cafe. They don't have wives or children," Gaziyev noted.
The testimony of two girls confirmed the prosecution's version.
"They claim that they had previously known each other, that they had told them during conversations that they had created some kind of organization. The criminal case against them [the girls] for failure to report a terrorist crime was closed," Gaziyev said.
Currently, the girls are refusing to testify and asking law enforcement agencies to sort out the situation and hold the security forces accountable, Gaziyev said.
The "Caucasian Knot" has copies of statements sent on May 16 to the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation, the FSB, the Prosecutor General's Office and the Office of the Human Rights Commissioner about violations of their rights and threats from security forces to obtain the "necessary" testimony.
The whole conversation came down to us giving testimony that Tagirov and Saidov created a terrorist community on the territory of Dagestan, which I first heard about from an operative officer.
In particular, Isabella Israfilova reported that security forces intimidated her and her sister Asiyat Batyrova with physical violence.
"The whole conversation came down to us giving testimony that Tagirov and Saidov created a terrorist community on the territory of Dagestan, which I first heard about from an operative officer <...>. In exchange, as was said, neither we nor our relatives will suffer physically," Israfilova said.
According to her, she was “rudely told that she would not be held accountable for a particularly serious crime.”
"Caucasian Knot" was unable to contact Asiyat Batyrova and Izabella Israfilova. The girls did not have lawyers.
THEY BEAT US: IN THE FACE, IN THE HEAD, IN THE GROIN - ESPECIALLY HARD.
Another witness in the Saidov and Tagirov case, Ingushetia native Adam Maloroev, stated that he and another witness in the case were tortured in a security agency department in Ingushetia in order to obtain the desired testimony. "They kept us under torture for several days. I was wearing a sack, I couldn't see anything. My hands were tied behind my back, my legs were taped to the legs of a chair. They beat us: in the face, in the head, in the groin - especially hard. They beat us so hard that blood came out of my mouth. They forced me to incriminate myself: to say that I was interested in the war in Syria or Chechnya,
…implying ISIS? Al Qaeda?
ISIS has been a problem with their recruiting from the southern Russian and CIS republics for years.
Noted with thanks.
that I was going to go to jihad, that I knew these guys. They connected electricity to me - they attached wires to my ears, hit me with a stun gun below the waist and on my body. They kept the electricity on until I "confessed" what they needed," follows from a video that Tumso Abdurakhmanov published on his Telegram channel.
Maloroev said that he left Russia to avoid testifying against Tagirov and Saidov.
On the website of the Southern District Court, in the case file of Tagirov (the name of the second defendant is hidden), it is indicated that the lawyers of both defendants have appealed the verdict. The prosecution has until May 30 to file objections to the appeals.
[KhaamaPress] Australia’s first hijab-wearing senator reported a senior colleague’s inappropriate comment urging her to drink wine and dance on a table.
Fatima Payman, an independent Afghan-Australian senator and Australia’s first hijab-wearing senator, has filed a complaint against a senior male colleague over inappropriate remarks made during an official parliamentary event.
In an interview with ABC’s "Triple J Hack" program, 30-year-old Payman revealed that the colleague, reportedly under the influence of alcohol, told her, "Come drink wine and dance on the table." She described the remarks as not only sexist and offensive but also discriminatory and disrespectful to her Moslem faith, which forbids alcohol consumption.
Fatima Payman was elected in 2022 representing the Labor Party from Western Australia but left the party in 2024 due to disagreements over its stance on Paleostine. She said she formally complained to Australia’s Parliamentary Workplace Support Service (PWSS) and expressed satisfaction with their prompt response.
The PWSS was established following sexual assault allegations against Brittany Higgins in 2021. According to Australian media reports, between 2023 and 2024, the service has handled approximately 339 cases concerning workplace misconduct.
This incident highlights ongoing challenges regarding workplace culture and respect for religious diversity within Australian political institutions. It also underscores the importance of effective mechanisms to address harassment and discrimination.
Fatima Payman’s complaint serves as a reminder of the need for inclusive environments that honor cultural and religious differences. Continued vigilance and support systems are crucial to fostering respect and safety for all parliamentarians.
Continued on Page 47
#1
"Fatima Payman’s complaint serves as a reminder of the need for inclusive environments that honor cultural and religious differences. Continued vigilance and support systems are crucial to fostering respect and safety for all parliamentarians." WHAT? Throw her to the dogs.
Posted by: Whiskey Mike ||
05/30/2025 5:21 Comments ||
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[IsraelTimes] Milan’s famed La Scala opera house has fired one of its ushers after she shouted a pro-Palestinian slogan at a gala event attended by Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni earlier this month, two trade unions says.
The woman shouted “Free Palestine” as Meloni was taking her seat in the Royal Box at a May 4 concert in honor of the Asian Development Bank meeting in Milan, the theatre’s trade unions says.
“In the dismissal order, signed by Superintendent Fortunato Ortombina, it is emphasized that she betrayed trust by disobeying service orders, but we believe that she listened to her conscience,” the CUB union says in a statement.
“We will deploy all trade union actions to defend this brave girl who has our utmost solidarity,” CUB adds.
Italy’s government has been a vocal supporter of Israel, but its foreign minister said on Wednesday that Israel’s continued assault on the Gaza Strip had become unacceptable and had to stop immediately.
In Italy, opposition parties are planning a rally on June 7 calling for an end to the war in Gaza, while unions at La Scala have asked for a banner to be put up before performances on June 6 and 11, saying “Ceasefire, stop the massacres.”
Continued on Page 47
#2
"...They carefully unwrapped the package, all wet newspaper and dirt, until it revealed a traditional usher's cap, with a still-gleaming mackerel next to it."
Sonny's face darkened. "What the hell is this?"
Clemenza slowly shook his head. "It means the usher's now showing the fish to their seats." "
#3
'Brave girl' ? No, she is a thief, she stole that most precious thing : time. The employers paid her to be part of the 'opera experience' and she stole from the attendees that experience and stole the salary she was paid. Remember the Billy Joel lyrics -- "You can speak your mind. But not on my time." ?
Note the prayer bump on his forehead in the photo at the link.
[IsraelTimes] Hassan Chokr, 37, of Dearborn allegedly hurled antisemitic abuse, including ‘You are all going to die!’ and ‘F— you, Israel,’ as preschoolers walked to suburban Temple Beth El
A Michigan man who allegedly yelled antisemitic threats at families entering a synagogue in 2022 pleaded guilty Tuesday to the charge of being a felon in possession of a firearm, according to the Department of Justice.
In December 2022, Hassan Chokr, 37, of Dearborn, Michigan, drove through the parking lot of Temple Beth El in the bankrupt, increasingly impoverished, reliably Democrat, Detroit ... ruled by Democrats since 1962. A city whose Golden Age included the Purple Gang... suburb of Bloomfield Hills as parents walked their preschoolers into the building, and yelled a series of antisemitic threats at them, according to federal prosecutors.
The threats included "You are all going to die!" "You’re going to pay!" and "F— you, Israel," according to a local Fox affiliate.
After he was asked to leave, Chokr — who had a prior felony conviction for a different offense in 2017 — went to a gun store in Dearborn where he attempted to purchase three guns: a shotgun, a rifle and a semi-automatic pistol. He lied about his criminal record, according to prosecutors.
While waiting for his background check, Chokr said that he would "even the score" and use the guns for "God’s wrath," according to prosecutors.
He was denied the purchase following the results of the background check, but was charged for possessing multiple firearms within the store during the attempted transaction.
"The federal government must do everything in its power to stem the rising tide of antisemitism," said Interim US Attorney for the Eastern District of Michigan Jerome F. Gorgon Jr. in a statement.
"Chokr’s attempt to purchase several deadly firearms in an apparent attempt to follow through on his menacing threats against parents and preschoolers as they walked into a place of worship represents every American’s worst nightmare. And we will not allow anyone to terrorize our Jewish neighbors," Gorgon continued.
"We are committed to protecting every American and their right to live and worship free of fear."
Chokr faces up to 15 years in prison and is scheduled to be sentenced in federal court on September 24.
In a previous hearing, in December 2022, Chokr — who was joining remotely from jail — became agitated, and started shouting and pointing at the camera, then proceeded to pull down his pants.
In December 2023, Chokr was found unfit to stand trial, after a diagnosis of "schizoaffective disorder, bipolar type" and "antisocial personality disorder," but prosecutors asked he be involuntarily medicated so he could stand trial, according to The Detroit News.
Forcing treatment in this kind of situation is the right call, a kindness to give the man relief from his demons. And until public insane asylums are reopened, the only place he even has a chance of being treated in most states is the prison mental health ward. So: a future ruling of guilty but insane, followed by a long sentence?
[GEO.TV] Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir said on Thursday that Pakistain would never accept India's hegemony, adding that water is a "red line" and no one would be allowed to compromise on the fundamental right of 240 million Paks.
It is noteworthy to mention here that India threatened to block Pakistain's water after suspending the Indus Waters Treaty in response to last month's Pahalgam attack in the Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir ...a disputed territory lying between India and Pakistain. After partition, the Paks grabbed half of it and call it Azad (Free) Kashmir. The remainder they refer to as "Indian Occupied Kashmir". They have fought four wars with India over it, the score currently 4-0 in New Delhi's favor. After 72 years of this nonsense, India cut the Gordian knot in 2019, removing the area's special status, breaking off Ladakh as a separate state, and allowing people from other areas to settle (or in the case of the Pandits, to resettle) there.... (IIOJK) that left 26 tourists dead.
Field Marshal Munir interacted with participants of 'Hilal Talks' at the Army Auditorium today.
[GEO.TV] The White House said Thursday that Israel had accepted US President Donald Trump ...The cad! Twice caught beating wimmin!... 's proposal for a 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 a rusty iron fist by Hamas with 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... ceasefire, while discussions were "continuing" with Hamas ..a contraction of the Arabic words for "frothing at the mouth",... "I can confirm that special envoy Witkoff and the president submitted a ceasefire proposal to Hamas, that Israel backed and supported. Israel signed off on this proposal before it was sent to Hamas," Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said.
"I can also confirm that those discussions are continuing, and we hope that a ceasefire in Gaza will take place so we can return all of the hostages home," Leavitt told news hounds.
State Department spokeswoman Tammy Bruce said that there had not yet been a response from Hamas.
"We are unaware of Hamas accepting it, but we do believe that it has some significant promise," Bruce told news hounds.
"So there is some optimism -- some important optimism," Bruce said.
Leavitt declined to confirm reports in Saudi and Israeli media that both sides had reached a 60-day ceasefire agreement and that Trump was poised to make an announcement.
"If there is an announcement to be made, it will come from the White House -- the president, myself, or special envoy Witkoff," Leavitt said.
Israel's ceasefire terms do not address Hamas' key conditions: Group official
[GEO.TV] The Israeli response to the Gaza ceasefire offer presented by US President Donald Trump's Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff has failed to meet Hamas' demands, the group's senior official Basim Naim told Reuters on Thursday.
"The Witkoff proposal was still under discussion," he added.
Hamas completely misunderstands its options when the enemy is bouncing the rubble unopposed.
Israel and Hamas have agreed to begin a ceasefire within hours.
Hamas, Israel agree on 60-day truce in Gaza – Al Arabiya Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
[Regnum] The Palestinian movement Hamas and Israel have agreed on a temporary truce in the Gaza Strip. According to Al Arabiya TV channel, the ceasefire is for 60 days.
Al Arabiya sources note that US Presidential Special Envoy Steven Witkoff is already aware of the parties' approval of the draft agreement he proposed. It is also claimed that US President Donald Trump is expected to make an official statement on the agreement in the near future.
At the same time, the Quds portal writes that Hamas continues to study Wittkoff's proposal for a semi-exclave, and media reports about the parties reaching an agreement on a truce are not true. Neither side has made official statements about a ceasefire yet.
The Israeli-Palestinian conflict escalated in October 2023. On May 18 of this year, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) announced the launch of a large-scale ground operation, Gideon's Chariots, in the northern and southern areas of the Gaza Strip.
As reported by the Regnum news agency, on May 26, Israeli troops carried out an airstrike on a school in Gaza City, killing more than 20 people. On May 24, the Qatari television channel Al Jazeera announced that at least 76 Palestinians had been killed and over 200 wounded in IDF strikes on the semi-exclave in the past 24 hours.
On May 28, Prime Minister of the Jewish state Benjamin Netanyahu announced the liquidation of one of the leaders of the Palestinian movement, Mohammed Sinwar, in the Gaza Strip.
BBC: Hamas to reject latest US proposal for ceasefire and hostage release deal
[IsraelTimes] The BBC quotes an unnamed senior Hamas official as saying that the Palestinian terrorist group will reject the latest US proposal for a Gaza ceasefire and hostage release agreement. The source says the proposal doesn’t meet Hamas’s key demands, including ending the war started by its October 7, 2023, terror atrocities.
[GEO.TV] Climate campaigner Greta "Pippi" Thunberg ...an autistic sixteen year old Swedish expert on climate change, though I guess she's older now... and other activists will set sail Sunday for 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 a rusty iron fist by Hamas with 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... on a humanitarian ship aimed at protesting Israel's war on the territory, a French-Paleostinian politician said.
Enjoy your cruise, my dear, because it will never debark passengers in Israel .
The trip is organised by the Freedom Flotilla, a coalition of groups opposed to the blockade on humanitarian aid for Gaza that Israel imposed on March 2 and has only recently begun lifting.
Rima Hassan, a European Parliament member also taking part in the trip, said the operation had "several aims: to condemn the humanitarian blockade and ongoing genocide, the impunity granted to the state of Israel and raise international awareness."
Hassan, an outspoken figure for French left-wing party LFI, has caused controversy in the past with her statements on the Middle East.
She was due to visit the occupied Paleostinian territories in February with a European Parliament delegation, but said she was refused entry to Israel.
Thunberg, who rose to fame organising teen climate protests in her native Sweden, was due to travel to Gaza on a Freedom Flotilla Coalition ship earlier this month, but it was damaged en route.
There have been so many. Only the first two, I think, even came close.
Activists said they suspected an Israeli dronezap was responsible.
Or Israeli scuba divers, or possibly just poor maintenance…
"To guarantee our security, and also the success of our mission, we need maximum mobilisation by the public for this initiative," Hassan said on social media.
Old moral panics never have the same excitement. Face it Hassey, baby — you're boring.
#2
Maybe Hamass will kidnap HER and show her their loving side.
Hey, I can hope.
Posted by: Whiskey Mike ||
05/30/2025 5:23 Comments ||
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#3
Imagine, for a moment, the headline.
Geta Released By Hamas.
After only 5 days of being held Hostage. Hamas Spokesman, said she was too much of a pain in the Butt to deal with, and no country expressed interest in paying for her release.
#4
#2^
Then what if.... 🤣
Trump tells Hamas/Iran/EU, that the US will take her off their hands for their payments of $10 Billion in Gold and Oil each. But she has to fly a Boeing Jet back and be housed at Johnson Atoll or McMurdo station. 🤣
Regarding Greta and the flotilla; IIUC, there are some problems with the flotilla. One of the ships is not seaworthy and they do not have permission to dock at a Gaza seaport.
Posted by: Lord Garth ||
05/30/2025 13:45 Comments ||
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#10
#8 ^
If a collection of people happen to post this as a IDF intel leak on say some _BS or _NN websites ... Maybe Hamas might see it.
[Rudaw] The Kurdish administration in northeast Syria (Rojava) on Thursday announced that nearly 200 internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Hasaka province returned to their homes in the eastern province of Deir ez-Zor. The move comes amid growing efforts to facilitate the return of all displaced individuals to their hometowns.
"This is the eighth batch evacuated by the Areesha camp administration, comprising 46 families, totaling 193 individuals," read a statement from the Democratic Autonomous Administration in North and East Syria (DAANES).
The DAANES said the move is part of a decision to facilitate the return of displaced persons "wishing to voluntarily return to their areas of origin." The Kurdish administration carried out the evacuation in coordination with 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... High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), the statement added.
The administration said it plans to continue facilitating more evacuations.
In late April, the UNHCR reported that an estimated 214,000 IDPs live in informal sites across northeast Syria, including Areesha. The report noted that returnees have expressed concerns about unwent kaboom! mines in Deir ez-Zor, which has made many hesitant to go back.
Last week, the pro-DAANES North Press Agency reported that 52 families, totaling 274 people, had left the camp
.
In March, the Hawar News Agency (ANHA), affiliated with the Kurdish authorities, reported that 80 families - a total of 470 individuals - left the camp. ANHA cited camp director Salwa Jajo as saying that Areesha holds around 2,700 families, mostly from Deir ez-Zor.
While it is unclear how many IDPs the camp holds presently, a 2017 UN report stated that between 11,000 and 13,000 IDPs from Deir ez-Zor and Raqqa had taken refuge in the camp.
A 2022 report by the REACH humanitarian organization detailed the living conditions and access to basic necessities at Areesha camp.
[IsraelTimes] Raising flag in Damascus, American envoy Tom Barrack says Israel-Syria conflict solvable through dialogue, as Washington rolls back Assad-era sanctions
The US ambassador to The Sick Man of Europe Turkey ...the only place on the face of the earth that misses the Ottoman Empire... , Tom Barrack, who has also been appointed special envoy to Syria, arrived to inaugurate the residence, Syrian state-run news agency ...and if you can't trust the state-run news agency who can you believe?... SANA reported.
On Thursday, speaking to Saudi channel Al Arabiya in Damascus, Barrack described the long-standing conflict between Syria and Israel, who have technically been at war since 1948, as a "solvable problem" through dialogue, proposing a "non-aggression agreement" between them.
Rooters reported earlier this week that Israel and Syria are in direct contact and have, in recent weeks, held face-to-face meetings aimed at calming tensions and preventing conflict in the border region.
Washington hasn’t formally reopened its embassy in Damascus, which closed in 2012 after protests against the government of strongman president Bashir Pencilneck al-Assad Before going into the family business Pencilneck was an eye doctor. If he'd stuck with it he'd have had a good practice by now... were met by a brutal crackdown and spiraled into civil war. Assad was unseated in December in a lightning rebel offensive.
But Barrack’s visit and the raising of the flag were a significant signal of warming relations.
Washington was initially circumspect about Syria’s new leaders, led by Ahmed al-Sharaa, the former leader of an Islamist bad boy group that the US still lists as a terrorist organization.
However,
if you can't say something nice about a person some juicy gossip will go well... US President Donald Trump’s administration, encouraged by two US allies in the region, Saudi Arabia ...a kingdom taking up the bulk of the Arabian peninsula, largely made up of sand and oil rigs. Its primary economic activity involves exporting oil and soaking Islamic rubes on the annual haj pilgrimage. The country supports a large number of princes in whatcha might call princely splendor. Formerly dictatorial and steeped in Olde Tyme Religion, deferring to Salafist holy men on all issues, it has now done a 180 and is making a serious effort to modernize, so as not to be left in the sand by its Gulf Arab neighbors. The holy men have been shoved to the background and the nation is now still dictatorial but somewhat rational. That doesn't make them trustworthy, but it's a start... and Turkey, has shown increasing openness to Damascus in recent weeks.
Trump held a surprise meeting with al-Sharaa in Riyadh earlier this month, and the US has begun to roll back decades of sanctions slapped on Syria under the Assad dynasty.
The US State Department posted a statement on X on Thursday attributed to Trump announcing Barrack’s appointment as envoy to Syria.
"Tom understands there is great potential in working with Syria to stop Radicalism, improve Relations, and secure Peace in the Middle East. Together, we will Make America, and the World, SAFE AGAIN!" the statement said.
Barrack thanked Trump in an X post for "your bold vision, empowering a historically rich region, long oppressed, to reclaim its destiny through self-determination."
Continued on Page 47
Posted by: trailing wife ||
05/30/2025 00:00 ||
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Link ||
[39 views]
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[NAHARNET] Foreign Minister Youssef Rajji has said that Hezbollah chief Sheikh Naim Qassem ... the new Fearless Leader of the Hezbullies... ''can say what he wants'' about the so-called ''army-people-resistance'' equation but added that ''the Lebanese people no longer want this outdated equation.''
''He certainly does not want to give up his weapons, but eventually he must find a solution,'' Rajji said in an interview with the al-Quds al-Arabi newspaper.
''This is an outlaw gang and it is not legitimate. We ask it to seek a solution, hand over its weapons and form a normal political party that has the creed it wants. I support total creed freedom and let its fighters return to their normal life and each member to his job,'' the minister added.
Hezbollah MPs lash out at Foreign Minister Rajji
[An Nahar] A number of Hezbollah MPs have lashed out at Foreign Minister Youssef Rajji, who is close to the Lebanese Forces, over his latest remarks on Hezbollah and its weapons.
“Foreign Minister Youssef Rajji’s remarks reflect the opinion of a political party, not the government. He used to fire bullets at people during the (civil) war, and now he is firing words,” MP Hassan Fadlallah said in an interview on al-Manar TV.
Responding to Rajji’s statement that the Lebanese people no longer want the so-called army-people-resistance equation, MP Ibrahim al-Moussawi said: “Which people are you referring to? The people who marched in the funeral of (Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah)? You are talking about hundreds of thousands of Lebanese people … Are you talking about the people who signed with their blood before their ink in the municipal elections to reiterate this equation?”
Slamming Rajji’s remarks as “irresponsible” and “shameful,” Moussawi said the people want to hear the minister talking about “Israeli occupation, aggression and daily assassinations.”
[NAHARNET] An Israeli army official has said that the Lebanese Army has been ''way more effective than expected'' in removing Hezbollah's arms, adding that the Israeli army is ''pleased by this trend.''
Leb ...an Iranian satrapy until recently ruled by Hassan Nasrallah situated on the eastern Mediterranean, conveniently adjacent to Israel... 's army has dismantled most of Hezbollah's posts and weapons stockpile in the country's south, with the help of Israeli intelligence passed along by the U.S., and Israeli and American officials are said to be pleasantly surprised by the progress, the Wall Street Journal has reported.
But the report, which also cited Arab officials, noted that the Lebanese Army still faces the challenge of completing the job in the south and implementing its plan to disarm Hezbollah and assert control over the entire country.
Israeli intelligence, delivered to the Lebanese state via the U.S., helped locate remaining Hezbollah caches and posts in the south, unidentified senior Arab officials told the newspaper.
Some of the weapons were destroyed, others were kept for the army's own use.
Senior Lebanese officials said Hezbollah has also been forced to give up control of Beirut's international airport. That has impacted Hezbollah's ability to bring in funds, according to the report.
Prime Minister Salam says government has achieved 80% of its objectives in taking control of country’s south.
Does that include all the arms caches in/under mosques and rocket/missile launch posts in the attics of private homes? Hezbollah was said to have something like 200,000 rockets and missiles ready to shoot at Israel before 10/7, and they certainly did not shoot off most of them….
[NAHARNET] Hezbollah leader Sheikh Naim Qassem ... the Grand Vizier of the Hezbullies... seems "as if he's on another planet" to Lebanese Forces A Christian political party founded by Bashir Gemayel, who was then bumped off when he was elected president of Leb... leader Samir Geagea ....Geagea was imprisoned by the Syrians and their puppets for 11 years in a dungeon in the third basement level of the Lebanese Ministry of Defense. He was released after the Cedar Revolution in 2005.... who criticized Qassem's "unrealistic" statements, in an interview with LBCI on Wednesday night.
Geagea said foreign countries will not help Leb ...Formerly inhabited by hardy Phoenecian traders, its official language is now Arabic, with the usual unpleasant side effects.... or deal with the Lebanese state as long as Hezbollah is keeping its "illegal" arms. "There will be no reconstruction, no financial rescue — all of that is now suspended, frozen, and paralyzed, until Hezbollah disarms. No one will want to deal with the state in such a situation."
Geagea praised Prime Minister Nawaf Salam's stance on Hezbollah's arms but urged President Joseph Aoun to set a deadline for the disarmament of the group. "Salam's stances are very clear but Aoun's dialogue can not be indefinitely open. A timeframe is needed, decisive decisions are needed, although no one wants conflict," he said.
Aoun and Hezbollah have been exchanging messages and the president met with a delegation from Hezbollah's parliamentary bloc on Monday. Aoun has long stressed that disarming Hezbollah should happen through a calm dialogue warning against the use of force or dealing hastily with the matter.
Hezbollah's leader said the group will not discuss giving up its remaining weapons until Israel withdraws from the five border points it occupies in southern Lebanon and stops its Arclight airstrike ...KABOOM!... s.
"We have completely adhered" to the ceasefire agreement, Qassem said, adding: "Don't ask us for anything else from now on. Let Israel withdraw, stop its aggression, release the prisoners and fulfill all obligations under the agreement. After that, we will discuss each new development."
Geagea responded that Hezbollah has no right to impose conditions and sarcastically added that the group failed to liberate Lebanese land through the use of force. "Can Hezbollah make Israel withdraw by force? Than why hasn't it done that?"
Hezbollah was left badly weakened by more than a year of hostilities with Israel, beginning with the group's campaign of rocket fire at its arch-foe in support of 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 a rusty iron fist by Hamas with 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... , and culminating in a major Israeli bombing campaign and ground incursion into Lebanon.
"We need to implement the ceasefire deal. A Peace treaty with Israel is not our priority now," Geagea said, amid talks about a possible normalization of ties with Israel.
Israel's ambassador to the U.S. had said earlier this month that Syria and Lebanon could join the Abraham Accords and normalize relations with Israel even before Saudi Arabia ...a kingdom taking up the bulk of the Arabian peninsula, largely made up of sand and oil rigs. Its primary economic activity involves exporting oil and soaking Islamic rubes on the annual haj pilgrimage. The country supports a large number of princes in whatcha might call princely splendor. Formerly dictatorial and steeped in Olde Tyme Religion, deferring to Salafist holy men on all issues, it has now done a 180 and is making a serious effort to modernize, so as not to be left in the sand by its Gulf Arab neighbors. The holy men have been shoved to the background and the nation is now still dictatorial but somewhat rational. That doesn't make them trustworthy, but it's a start... . "I am very optimistic about the potential of an Abraham Accord with Syria and Lebanon," Ambassador Yechiel Leiter said.
Continued on Page 47
Posted by: Fred ||
05/30/2025 00:00 ||
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...the once and current oppressors of Afghanistan...
... the Islamic version of the old Somali warlord...
.jpg "Kashmir")
...a disputed territory lying between India and Pakistain. After partition, the Paks grabbed half of it and call it 
..a contraction of the Arabic words for "frothing at the mouth",...
...a kingdom taking up the bulk of the Arabian peninsula, largely made up of sand and oil rigs. Its primary economic activity involves exporting oil and soaking Islamic rubes on the annual haj pilgrimage. The country supports a large number of princes in whatcha might call princely splendor. Formerly dictatorial and steeped in Olde Tyme Religion, deferring to Salafist holy men on all issues, it has now done a 180 and is making a serious effort to modernize, so as not to be left in the sand by its Gulf Arab neighbors. The holy men have been shoved to the background and the nation is now still dictatorial but somewhat rational. That doesn't make them trustworthy, but it's a start...
...an Iranian satrapy until recently ruled by Hassan Nasrallah situated on the eastern Mediterranean, conveniently adjacent to Israel...
...a kingdom taking up the bulk of the Arabian peninsula, largely made up of sand and oil rigs. Its primary economic activity involves exporting oil and soaking Islamic rubes on the annual haj pilgrimage. The country supports a large number of princes in whatcha might call princely splendor. Formerly dictatorial and steeped in Olde Tyme Religion, deferring to Salafist holy men on all issues, it has now done a 180 and is making a serious effort to modernize, so as not to be left in the sand by its Gulf Arab neighbors. The holy men have been shoved to the background and the nation is now still dictatorial but somewhat rational. That doesn't make them trustworthy, but it's a start...
