[Daily Mail, where America gets its news] After three years at the helm of U.S. forces in the Middle East — including directing Donald Trump's Iran strikes — General Michael 'Erik' Kurilla has officially ended his military career.
The Chief of U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) Kurilla - nicknamed 'The Gorilla' - is leaving behind a four–decade career that culminated in Trump's unprecedented strikes on Iran's nuclear facilities in June.
He is passing the torch to U.S. Navy Admiral Charles Bradford Cooper Junior, who was appointed as commander of CENTCOM earlier this month to lead military operations in the Middle East.
It's unclear why 'The Gorilla' is choosing to leave now, after earning the trust of Pentagon Chief and ex-Fox News host Pete Hegseth.
At the height of tensions between Iran and Israel earlier this summer, Hegseth had placed sweeping operational authority squarely in the hands of Kurilla.
He often deferred decisions and comments to him.
It also comes at a time of turmoil at the Defense Department.
Hegseth recently fired the general whose agency angered Trump over its assessment that his Iran strikes may not have 'obliterated' the country's nuclear program. He axed Lt. Gen. Jeffrey Kruse, who led the Defense Intelligence Agency, as part of a spree of Friday firings that sent an unmistakable message through the Pentagon's ranks. In June, Trump made the surprising announcement that he went ahead and bombed three Iranian nuclear sites amid Israel's fighting with Tehran.
The U.S. military used 12 massive 30,000-pound 'bunker buster' bombs and 30 Tomahawk missiles to attack Fordow, Natanz and Esfahan.
But days later CNN reported that the Defense Intelligence Agency's initial assessment was that the strikes did not destroy core components of the sites and may have only set Iran's nuclear program back a number of weeks.
The president expressed anger publicly that the DIA's assessment leaked, attacking 'dumb' journalists and arguing that the news reports were offensive to the B-2 bomber pilots who flew the mission.
The Washington Post additionally also reported last week that Vice Adm. Nancy Lacore, the chief of the Navy Reserve, was removed as of Friday, as was Rear Adm. Milton Sands, a Navy SEAL officer who oversees Naval Special Warfare Command.
Hegseth and Trump have been aggressive in dismissing top military officials, often without formal explanation.
But Kurilla's departure does not appear to be intertwined.
Described by sources as deeply wary of Iran's intentions, Kurilla successfully pushed for a significant U.S. buildup in the Middle East.
His recommendations – from dispatching aircraft carriers to increasing the number of combat aircraft – were swiftly approved, reflecting both the urgency of the situation and the Pentagon's confidence in his leadership.
'I know that under the leadership of Admiral Brad Cooper, with the support of the Defense Department and Joint Staff, the counsel and contributions of our allies and partners, and support of our headquarters and component teams, the Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, Marines, Coastguardsmen, and Guardians of Central Command who serve this nation on the front lines of freedom will always succeed,' said Gen. Kurilla.
He added, 'It has been the honor of my life to have been their commander.'
CENTCOM says Cooper will have oversight of all U.S. military missions inside the 21–country area, which includes the Middle East and Central Asia.
Iran will likely become a big focus for Cooper, as experts predict the war between Israel and Iran is far from over, and debate on how much damage Iran really sustained from the attack on their nuclear sites, continues.
As the commander of U.S. Central Command, Kurilla emerged as a key architect of the American military posture in the region.
According to CENTOM, Kurilla is a West Point graduate and took command of U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) in 2022.
During his tenure, he reportedly directed the planning and execution of at least 15 major joint combat missions.
His final months in the role saw two high–profile operations: Operation Rough Rider, which targeted Houthi forces in Yemen in March and April, and Operation Midnight Hammer, a June strike on Iranian nuclear facilities.
Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth told Fox News Digital back in June: 'General Kurilla is a bold, dynamic, and inspiring leader who strikes fear into the hearts of America's enemies.'
Adding, 'He's a warrior through and through who always puts his country, mission, and troops first. It has been an honor to serve alongside him in defense of our great nation.'
Kurilla spent the majority of his career focusing on the Middle East, from 2004 to 2014, spending time in both Afghanistan and Iraq before winning two Purple Heart Awards and a Bronze Star.
Daily Mail reached out to both the Pentagon and White House for further comment on this story.
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited. by Leonid Tsukanov
[Regnum] Israel and Yemen's Houthis (Ansar Allah) are stepping up their attacks, clashing at least three times in the past week.
The parties do not intend to stop there, which means the exchange of blows will continue.
But as the Gaza crisis (which triggered the conflict between the Houthis and Tel Aviv) approaches its two-year mark, the sides have fewer and fewer tools to create real tensions in the opponent's camp.
NEW TECHNOLOGIES
On August 22, the Houthis attacked the terminal of Ben Gurion International Airport, located in Tel Aviv.
The rebels said the strike was carried out by a Palestine-2 hypersonic missile, designed "specifically to deter Israel," and was meant to serve as a reminder that the movement was still at war with the Jewish state.
Israeli TV channels reported that the missile "fell apart in mid-air" and did not cause much damage to the airport infrastructure. However, the subsequent military investigation shifted the focus: Yemeni rebels launched a carrier with a cluster warhead toward Israel for the first time.
Moreover, an examination of the missile's flight path, as well as debris and fragments found at the site of the impact, led the military to the conclusion that an Iranian-made Khorramshahr ballistic missile was used to strike Ben-Gurion.
This came as a surprise to Tel Aviv, as the Khorramshahrs are considered a relatively new product of the Iranian military-industrial complex, and their mass production has not yet been established. Even during the 12-day war with Israel, Tehran used only three such warheads and has not previously been known to transfer such complex and expensive arsenals to its proxies.
Against this backdrop, Israeli alarmists recalled a recent interview with Iranian Defense Minister Aziz Nasirzadeh, who spoke of the deployment of “dozens of secret missile production facilities on the territory of third countries.”
The Houthis' acquisition of advanced Iranian missiles was seen as the first indirect sign of the veracity of these statements.
COUNTER MOVE
The Israelis' response was not long in coming.
Already on August 24, a group of IDF fighters entered Yemeni airspace from the Saudi Arabian side and struck the capital, which is under the control of the Houthis.
The targets of the raid were the presidential palace, the Asar and Khizaz power plants, and a fuel storage facility. There were also reports of an attack on a “military camp” located on the outskirts of the palace, where Iranian “engineer advisers” were allegedly stationed. However, these rumors were not subsequently confirmed objectively.
It is worth noting that the Israeli strikes are designed more for political than military effect.
Thus, the raid on the presidential palace was more symbolic in nature - in Tel Aviv they know very well that it is used by the Houthi leadership exclusively as a ceremonial building, and the movement's leadership does not live there permanently.
Fuel and energy facilities were attacked with the aim of increasing social tension in rebel-controlled territory.
Military facilities (barracks and air defense batteries) were not damaged during the air raid.
CRISIS OF IDEAS
Although the intensity of the exchange of blows between Israel and Yemen does not decrease, it is increasingly clear that the opponents have found themselves in an ideological impasse.
The Houthis are concerned about the fact that rocket launches from their territory are no longer perceived as a challenge to the Israeli authorities. The repelling of strikes from Yemen on land and at sea is taking place in the background, and not only the world but also the local press has practically stopped paying attention to the Yemeni actions.
With Israel stepping up its offensive in the Gaza Strip to take final control of the enclave, the Houthis need to up the ante again to draw away some of the enemy's forces and resources.
In this context, the launch of the Iranian Khorramshahr missile can be considered a kind of "touchstone". If Ansar Allah manages to convince Tel Aviv to establish mass production of advanced ballistics, it will have to constantly monitor the Yemeni direction, reducing attention to other areas of the "Axis of Resistance" activity.
Israel faces a similar "crisis of action."
Tel Aviv is unable to effectively contain the Houthis by carrying out symbolic airstrikes on energy and military infrastructure. Moreover, due to Yemen’s geographical remoteness, Israeli security forces have a very vague idea of the situation “on the ground” and are forced to strike “at the squares” in the hope of hitting one of the high-ranking rebels.
It is no wonder that even after almost two years of conflict in Gaza, the Houthi movement remains the leader in terms of the survival rate of its command staff among Iranian proxy groups.
SHIFT THE RESPONSIBILITY
Israel is still not ready to deploy a full-fledged strike force against Ansar Allah: Yemen is not included in the category of priority theaters of military operations and is inferior to Lebanon and Iraq in terms of potential risk.
Moreover, none of the countries neighboring Yemen is ready to take responsibility and “shelter” a punitive expedition by creating a transit base for the Israelis on its territory; there is a high risk of encountering not only retaliatory steps by the Houthis, but also retaliatory actions by Iran.
For this reason, Tel Aviv is looking for ways to shift responsibility for containing the Houthis to regional partners, especially those who already have established networks of influence in Yemen.
For example, a few days before the start of the latest wave of clashes between Israel and the Houthis, a delegation of Israeli officials headed by Minister of Strategic Planning Ron Dermer secretly arrived in the UAE.
In addition to discussing the situation in Gaza (the official purpose of the visit), the Israeli counterparts several times emphasized the need to stabilize the situation in the Red Sea – de facto, to contain the Houthis by force. And in this case, the large base of Yemeni loyalists on Abu Dhabi’s balance sheet could help temporarily distract Ansar Allah from the “Israeli front.”
Judging by the tone of the statements made by the Emirati authorities following the meeting about their commitment to a diplomatic settlement of the situation in the Red Sea, the Israelis never achieved their goals.
However, the UAE is not the only potential “helper” in pacifying the Houthis. Tel Aviv has a chance to reach an agreement with other major players, be it Saudi Arabia or Turkey. The only question is what dividends the Israelis will be ready to offer to hypothetical allies in exchange for a guaranteed escalation with Iran.
What US tour? Weren’t all their concerts cancelled after praising Hezbollah in Glastonbury?
Irish rap trio Kneecap has canceled its 15-date US tour scheduled for October, it says, citing the proximity of a London court hearing where member Liam Óg Ó hAnnaidh faces a terrorism charge.
Ó hAnnaidh, known by his stage name Mo Chara, is accused of displaying a flag of Iran-backed Lebanese terror group Hezbollah during a performance in London in November 2024.
The 27-year-old was charged in May under the Terrorism Act, which prohibits displaying articles in a way that may suggest support for a proscribed organization.
The Belfast-based band, which has said the flag was thrown on stage during its performance, says the closeness of the September 26 hearing to the start of the tour made it impossible to proceed with the 15 scheduled dates.
“To all our US-based fans we have some bad news,” the band says in an Instagram post. "To anyone with good taste, we have good news"
“Due to the proximity of our next court hearing in London to the first date of the tour, as the British government continues its witch-hunt, we will have to cancel all 15 US tour dates in October.”
I think it's a matter of semantics here - they had the tour cancelled for them after Glastonbury, but they were ranting about freedom , oppression, etc. and didn't accept it/announce it until now.
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
[Regnum] The relatives of Islam R, the instigator of the mass brawl in Shchyolkovo, in which 20-year-old football player Arseniy E. was beaten to death, do not agree with the charges and are going to appeal his detention. In a conversation with Regnum News Agency, Islam's brother Alik said that "Islam is not guilty of anything" and demanded that a medical examination be conducted to prove that 20-year-old Arseniy died precisely because of Islam's blows. According to the man, his brother "was simply defending his honor" and should not be charged under the same criminal article as the other participants in the mass brawl, who, together with Islam, beat the athlete. The family has already hired a good lawyer for Islam.
In a conversation with the Regnum news agency, the brother of the detained Islam R, a native of Uzbekistan who holds Russian citizenship, Alik R, said that the man's family categorically disagrees with his detention and the charges brought against the man. The man's relatives have already hired a lawyer and are going to appeal Islam's detention.
“Islam is not guilty! We will go to court! We will appeal the detention and subsequent arrest! We are citizens of Russia, and we know the law! What they are doing to my brother now is not according to the law! It is outrageous that Islam is being charged with the same article as the other defendants! They [the investigative bodies. — Ed.] are doing the wrong thing now, because that guy [20-year-old footballer Arseniy, beaten to death by a crowd of foreigners. — Ed.] did not die because of Islam’s blows! This is 100% injustice! Let them prove that the victim died precisely because of Islam’s blows. Let the hospital give them a paper stating that the guy died because of Islam’s blow! Let them prove it!” Alik said in a conversation with IA Regnum .
According to the man, on August 24, operatives came to Islam’s home and took the man away for questioning to the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation.
"We were deceived! When the investigators came to our home and took Islam, they promised that they would simply take him to the department for questioning, and he would return home. But he was detained there! During the interrogation, Islam was charged and detained for 48 hours. The court hearing for the selection of a preventive measure was scheduled for August 25 at 12 noon. We will go there and challenge this lawlessness!" Alik said.
#1
Quit your yapping. Do you have any idea how many people in the civilized world would like to have 'investigators' or any other form of gator for that matter come to our homes and remove Islam?
[IsraelTimes] Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has accused Iran of being behind a pair of 2024 antisemitic attacks, announcing that Canberra was expelling Tehran’s ambassador, had pulled its diplomats from the Islamic Republic and will pass legislation to list the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps as a terror organization.
The announcement comes less than a week after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu sent a scathing letter to Albanese accusing him of failing to act against antisemitism in Australia and giving him a deadline of next month’s Rosh Hashanah Jewish new year holiday to act against the phenomenon.
Netanyahu has taken particular issue with Albanese’s decision to join other Western countries in recognizing a Palestinian state next month. The Israeli premier subsequently branded Albanese a “weak politician who betrayed Israel.”
Albanese told reporters last week that he doesn’t “take these things personally,” as Netanyahu “has had similar things to say about other leaders” in the past.
At a press conference this morning in Canberra, Albanese says the Australian Security Intelligence Organization (ASIO) “has now gathered enough credible intelligence to reach a deeply disturbing conclusion that the Iranian government directed” at least two of the recent attacks on Australia’s Jewish community.
The first was an arson attack on Lewis’ Continental Kitchen in Sydney on October 20, 2024. The second was an arson attack targeting the Adass Israel synagogue on December 6, 2024.
Albanese says that ASIO also assesses that Iran likely directed additional attacks, but he does not publicize the intelligence obtained by the agency indicating as much.
“These were extraordinary and dangerous acts of aggression orchestrated by a foreign nation on Australian soil. They were attempts to undermine social cohesion and sow discord in our community. It is totally unacceptable, and the Australian government is taking strong and decisive action in response,” he adds.
“A short time ago, we informed the Iranian Ambassador to Australia that he would be expelled. We have suspended operations at our embassy in Tehran, and all our diplomats are now safe in a third country,” Albanese continues. “I can also announce the government will legislate to list Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, the IRGC as a terrorist organization.”
Already in January, Albanese said that Australian intelligence was investigating whether Iran had paid suspects behind antisemitic attacks to carry them out in order to sow domestic discord.
[FoxNews] The executive order follows recent flag-burning incidents during anti-Israel and anti-ICE protests
President Donald Trump is expected to sign an executive order on Monday cracking down on suspects who desecrate the American flag, including burning it, by mandating they face prosecution, Fox News Digital exclusively learned.
"The American flag is the most sacred and cherished symbol of the United States of America, and desecrating it is uniquely and inherently offensive and provocative. It is a statement of contempt and hostility toward our Nation, and an act used by groups of foreign nationals calculated to intimidate and threaten violence against Americans," a fact sheet on the order provided to Fox News Digital reads.
The executive order will direct the attorney general to prosecute those who violate laws "in ways that involve desecrating the flag," and to pursue litigation that would clarify the scope of the First Amendment as it relates to flag desecration. The order additionally directs Attorney General Pam Bondi to refer flag desecration cases that violate state and local laws to appropriate local authorities.
One response:
The President's executive order on flag burning isn't legal, but it will get the Democrats to all go out and burn American flags, yet again putting them on the 20% side of an 80-20 issue.
#1
The EO acknowledges the SCOTUS ruling that burning the flag constitutes free speech, especially on private property. What it does is criminalize burning in furtherance of inciting a riot or unrest on public property
Posted by: Frank G ||
08/26/2025 4:09 Comments ||
Top||
#2
Given the materials of a typical US flag is not easily ignited.
As we have frequently seen, fuels and accelerants are used to burn the flag in crowded groups.
Charge the person with unsafe use of a combustible fluid, starting a fire w/o a permit, dangerous use of flammables in a public area, or if something else catches fire then attempted arson.
Make the crime about the fire itself, not the flag, which skirts the SCOTUS ruling.
#4
WHAT IF?
American Flags are treated like US Postal Mail Boxes, where USPS protections / ownership is retained despite a person buying and installing it?
[IsraelTimes] Syria’s interim president, Ahmed al-Sharaa, will speak at the United Nations ...the Oyster Bay money pit... General Assembly next month, a Syrian foreign ministry official tells AFP.
Sharaa "will take part in the United Nations General Assembly in New York where he will deliver a speech," the official says, requesting anonymity as they were not authorized to brief the media.
The official adds that he will be the first Syrian president to address the assembly since 1967.
[IsraelTimes] Deputy foreign minister-level meetings come after European trio threatened ‘snapback’ sanctions under 2015 nuclear deal if Iran does not curb uranium enrichment, allow inspections
[GEO.TV] The United Nations ...where theory meets practice and practice loses... Security Council will vote Monday on the future of the blue helmet peacekeeping mission in southern Leb ...The Lebs have the curious habit of periodically murdering their heads of state or prime ministers... that has faced US and Israeli opposition.
The Council will vote on a French-drafted compromise that would keep the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), deployed in 1978 to separate Israel and Lebanon, in place for one more year while it prepares to withdraw.
In the latest draft text seen by AFP, the Council would signal "its intention to work on a withdrawal of UNIFIL with the aim of making the Lebanese Government the sole provider of security in southern Lebanon."
Under a truce that ended a recent war between Israel and Iran-backed Hezbollah, Beirut's army has been deploying in south Lebanon and dismantling the group's infrastructure there.
Lebanon has been grappling with the thorny issue of disarming Hezbollah, with the cabinet this month tasking the army with developing a plan to do so by the end of the year. The Iran-backed group has pushed back.
Under the truce, Israel was meant to completely withdraw from Lebanon, though it has kept forces in several areas it deems strategic and continues to conduct strikes across Lebanon.
Posted by: Fred ||
08/26/2025 00:00 ||
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[94 views]
Top|| File under: Hezbollah
[IsraelTimes] Aircraft from Jordan, the United Arab Emirates, Germany, and Indonesia airdropped 116 pallets of humanitarian aid in the Gaza Strip today, the IDF says.
Each pallet contains several hundred kilograms of food, according to the military.
Indonesia, the country with the largest Muslim population in the world, does not have relations with Israel.
Israel re-adopted a policy of allowing aid airdrops on July 26, amid mounting international criticism over the hunger crisis in Gaza. But airdrops are only able to deliver a small fraction of what can come into Gaza by land. They also pose safety risks for the civilians who can be hit by the packages from above.
Since then, over 540 tons of aid have been airdropped in Gaza, according to the Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories.
#1
Hard to believe 540 tons of air-dropped aid and nobody got smushed. Maybe the NGOs are covering it up by passing the deaths off as famine.
"As God is my witness, I thought Paleostinians could flee."
[GEO.TV] Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that Israel deeply regretted what he described as the "tragic mishap" that occurred at the Nasser hospital in the south of 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 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... Strip on Monday.
An Israeli strike on Nasser hospital killed at least 20 people, including five journalists who worked for agencies including Rooters, the News Agency that Dare Not be Named and Al Jazeera.
Posted by: Fred ||
08/26/2025 00:00 ||
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[188 views]
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#1
20 years from now, there will be no Arabs living in the Land of Israel.
[IsraelTimes] Defense Minister Israel Katz declares that the IDF will maintain its positions on the Syrian side of Mount Hermon and in security zones needed to protect Golan Heights and Galilee communities from threats emanating from Syria, calling it a “key lesson” from the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack.
Katz says that Israel will also continue to defend Druze communities in Syria, which have faced recurring violence in recent tmonths.
His comments come after US envoy Thomas Barrack visited Israel Sunday for discussions with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Syria and Lebanon, amid reports that Jerusalem is close to securing an understanding with Damascus.
Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa confirmed to Arab journalists that his government was in “advanced” negotiations with Israel on a security agreement, telling Sky News Arabic that any deal would be based on the 1974 disengagement lines. Sharaa stressed that while the time was not right for a peace treaty, he would accept any arrangement that benefits Syria and the wider region.
Channel 12 reported Sunday that the emerging deal would see Syria’s side of the Golan Heights demilitarized, the restoration of the Syrian army blocked in sensitive areas, strategic weapons barred from entering Syria, and a humanitarian corridor established to Jabal al-Druze. In return, Syria would receive reconstruction assistance from the US and Gulf states.
[IsraelTimes] After Beirut orders plans to disarm Iran-backed terror group, Jerusalem pledges ‘reciprocal measures,’ including a phased withdrawal of IDF troops from posts in the country’s south
Israel is "ready to support" Leb ...an Iranian satrapy until recently ruled by Hassan Nasrallah situated on the eastern Mediterranean, conveniently adjacent to Israel... ’s efforts to disarm Hezbollah and will implement a phased reduction of its military presence in Lebanon as a "reciprocal measure," the Prime Minister’s Office said in a statement on Monday.
If the Lebanese Armed Forces "take the necessary steps to implement the disarmament of Hezbollah, Israel will engage in reciprocal measures, including a phased reduction of IDF presence in coordination with the US-led security mechanism," the statement reads.
"Israel stands ready to support Lebanon in its efforts to disarm Hezbollah and to work together towards a more secure and stable future for both nations," it continued.
The comments issued by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office come nine months after Israel and Lebanon reached a ceasefire deal following a year of cross-border fighting that escalated in September 2024 before the agreement was signed in November. Israel has maintained a military presence in five key points in southern Lebanon and continues to strike Hezbollah targets in the country.
On Monday, alongside the comments from Netanyahu’s office, a Hezbollah operative was killed in an Israeli dronezap in the southern Lebanon town of Tebnine, the military said.
According to the IDF, the operative was involved in restoring Hezbollah military infrastructure in the nearby town of Beit Lif, which the IDF called a violation of the ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon. The Lebanese health ministry reported one dead in a strike on a car in Tebnine. The strike is the first since the IDF said it hit a Hezbollah arms depot on Friday.
Lebanese President Joseph Aoun and Prime Minister Nawaf Salam this month approved the objectives of a US proposal to disarm Hezbollah, the Iran-backed terror group that is also a political party in Lebanon, by the end of this year. Hezbollah, which was heavily weakened by the war, has vowed to resist such efforts.
The Prime Minister’s Office statement praised leaders in Beirut for their "momentous decision," calling the move "a crucial opportunity for Lebanon to reclaim its illusory sovereignty and restore the authority of its state institutions, military, and governance—free from the influence of non-state actors."
The statement came a day after top US envoy Tom Barrack, accompanied by US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee, reportedly met in Jerusalem with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other bigwigs to discuss Syria and Lebanon.
Barrack said in Beirut last week that Israel should honor its commitments under a November 2024 ceasefire, in light of Beirut’s decision to work toward Hezbollah’s disarmament.
"I think the Lebanese government has done their part. They’ve taken the first step. Now what we need is Israel to comply," Barrack said following a meeting in Beirut with Lebanese President Aoun.
Asked by news hounds about whether he expected to see Israel fully withdraw from Lebanese territory, Barrack said that "that’s exactly the next step" needed.
Last week, Axios reported that Washington had asked Israel to scale back "non-urgent" military action in Lebanon, warning that continued IDF strikes risk undermining Beirut’s efforts to disarm Hezbollah. The US also reportedly pressed Israel to consider withdrawing from one of five outposts the IDF has established inside Lebanon.
Under the November 2024 truce agreement, weapons in Lebanon were to be held only by the state, and Israel was to fully withdraw its troops from the country; however, Israel has remained in those five outposts, and Hezbollah has refused to disarm.
Since the beginning of the ceasefire, the IDF says it has carried out over 500 Arclight airstrike ...KABOOM!... s against Hezbollah targets in Lebanon, killing at least 230 operatives and destroying dozens of sites belonging to the terror group, saying they violated the terms of the truce.
Israel has also signaled it would not hesitate to launch more destructive military operations if Beirut failed to disarm Hezbollah.
Under the ceasefire agreement, Israel is entitled to act against immediate threats posed by Hezbollah, but must forward complaints about longer-term threats to an oversight committee.
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 Lebs have the curious habit of periodically murdering their heads of state or prime ministers...
...an Iranian satrapy until recently ruled by Hassan Nasrallah situated on the eastern Mediterranean, conveniently adjacent to Israel...
