Due to the server shutting down every two hours to backup rantburg.com, you won't be able to access the server between 15 minutes after the hour and 40 minutes after the hour, every two hours, depending on your time zone.
For example, I can't access the site between even numbered hours between those times, CST.
I suggest you comment on the backup site before trying the o-club to grab a cookie. Your comment will be wiped by the next update, but you're getting a cookie.
#6
#5 I just did, and it is, so I commented. I note that my comment over there did not immediately update here.
It won't. Your comment at the backup site only creates a cookie for the backup site. Your comment itself will be overwritten (and thus, disappear) on the next update.
[FoxNews] One Maine police chief said 90% of crimes that his officers respond to "have a drug nexus".
Maine has become a "wholesale distribution hub" for drug dealers in the Northeast, bringing a slew of crime to the rural state, a police chief told Fox News Digital.
The New England state, typically known for its rugged coastline and beautiful fall foliage, has gradually become filled with illicit drugs as more gangs establish themselves in the area. Chris Martin, police chief of the Brewer Police Department in Maine, told Fox News Digital that his area has turned into a distribution hub for illegal drugs.
"What we've seen in the past, particularly four years, is that our area has turned into a wholesale distribution hub. So, we have kilo quantities available of fentanyl and methamphetamine and cocaine. And that's a dramatic market shift that we hadn't seen 10, 20 years ago. So the supply has increased readily," Martin said.
Martin, who also serves as the town's public safety director, said the rise in illegal drugs has also brought a rise in crime. Since it's often costly to purchase street drugs, Martin said that individuals are turning to crime in order to fund their addiction.
"With that, we're also seeing the presence of organized crime. Street gangs out of New York, Massachusetts, Connecticut, they're actually bringing the supply here," Martin said. "Drug addiction cause crime. And if you have a one or 200 or $300 a day habit, especially if it's an opioid like fentanyl, it doesn't take a day off. If you don't have the drug, you get sick. So how does anybody afford one, two, $300 day habits every day of the week? You invariably have to commit crimes."
Martin said those crimes include theft, prostitution, human trafficking, burglary and drug sales. He added that about 90% of the crimes that his officers are responding to "have a drug nexus."
Maine Democratic Gov. Janet Mills said in September 2023 that fentanyl is responsible for 80% of all drug deaths throughout the state.
Republican State Sen. Brad Farrin, who lost his 26-year-old daughter to a drug overdose, proposed a bill in 2023 that would have reclassified the trafficking of fentanyl to a Class A felony. The bill was voted down, primarily by Democrats.
Republican Bobby Charles, who is running for Maine governor and served in the former Bush administration as the Assistant Secretary of State for International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs, told Fox News Digital the state needs to get more serious about confronting this epidemic.
"I have never seen anything like what we're experiencing here in Maine. This state, when I grew up in this state, might have had five overdoses in the entire state. Last year, this state had 10,000 overdoses, and many of them fatal," Charles said. "I sit down beside people and they quietly lean over to me and say, this happened to me two days ago, I lost my daughter to fentanyl two years ago…Do you know what that devastation is like? It's huge and it is inexcusable. It is immoral and it has to be stopped."
Charles has placed the blame squarely on statewide Democrats and Mills, who, in his view, haven't done much to reduce the flow of illegal drugs into Maine.
"The traffickers have come into this state, and because the Democrats have cut the guts out of law enforcement, they have, in my opinion, betrayed them. There isn't a single situation in which a prosecutor feels like he has enough money or has the ability to prosecute these cases. They've been abandoned, OK?" Charles said.
"The bottom line is they're trying to turn Maine into inner city Chicago or the Badlands of Philly. And I am not going to stand for it. Mainers are not going to stand for."
#1
Treat the addicts, execute the dealers upon conviction. Allowing 1 mandatory automatic appeal not to exceed 3 years... not 20 years later or life as it is now.
#3
An interesting development. Maine used to be up near Canada. Recently, with Trump's tariffs vs fentanyl move, we have gotten some idea of the extent of China's involvement in Canadian government and other even scurrilous things. Perhaps there is a CCP connection here. Or it could just be the usual transnational criminal gangs.
It is left as an exercise for the Reader to distinguish national governments from criminal cartels.
#4
Maine is perfect for this type of operation. Most of the population is near the seaboard, with vast areas of forests and undeveloped areas to hide.
Posted by: Mullah Richard ||
04/25/2025 10:35 Comments ||
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#5
And then there is the unprecedented demand driven by woke nonsense -the hopeless nihilism - indoctrinated into our young students. They need true meaning in their lives, not drugs.
As an aside, marijuana was legalized here 3 years ago.
Posted by: Difar Dave ||
04/25/2025 11:27 Comments ||
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[JustTheNews] Army officials at Fort Bragg in North Carolina on Thursday night shut down the All American Gate, after a suspicious device was found in its vicinity.
Officials said the incident is contained but that the gate will remain closed until further notice as they investigate the device. Visitors to the base are encouraged to use alternative gates, but no additional details were immediately available.
[ShabelleMedia] al-Shabaab ... the personification of Somali state failure... Lions of Islam launched a pre-dawn assault on a Somali National Army base in the War-Gaadhi area, under the Masjid Cali Gaduud district in the Middle Shabelle region, early Thursday, officials said.
The attack began with a series of explosions, followed by an intense firefight between Somali government forces — backed by local Ma’awisley militia — and the holy warriors.
Masjid Cali Gaduud district commissioner, Salah Omar Haayow, told Shabelle Radio that Somali forces successfully repelled the attack and inflicted casualties on the bully boys.
"Our forces pushed back the al-Shabaab fighters, and the group suffered losses during the first phase of the battle," Haayow said, noting that the exact number of casualties could not yet be confirmed.
The Somali National Army has not yet issued an official statement regarding the incident.
The attack comes just a week after a similar raid by al-Shabaab on a military base in Aadan Yabaal, also in the Middle Shabelle region, where dozens of government soldiers were reportedly killed.
The repeated assaults underscore the ongoing threat posed by al-Shabaab, as Somali forces continue their operations to reclaim territory in central Somalia.
[ShabelleMedia] Kenya’s Security agencies in Mandera are currently pursuing suspected al-Shabaab ... Somalia's version of the Taliban, functioning as an arm of al-Qaeda... turbans following the abduction of a Safaricom technician in the volatile Bamba Ola area, roughly 25 kilometres north of Elwak.
According to internal communication seen by The Eastleigh Voice, the incident occurred at approximately 4.30 p.m. when around 10 bad boys, armed with AK-47 rifles and a PKM machine gun, ambushed a fuel tanker transporting supplies to Safaricom communication masts.
The two other occupants of the tanker, both locals, were left unharmed, and the vehicle was later secured at the Wargadud Special Operations Group (SOG) camp.
In the same operation, the turbans intercepted several vehicles, including cycle of violences and proboxes, heading toward Elwak Town. After establishing that the occupants were locals, they reportedly lectured them before allowing them to proceed.
Two buses—Legend and Ambasa—travelling from Nairobi to Mandera were also stopped, with passengers subjected to a brief interrogation and lecture before being released.
Security teams from the Elwak Forward Operating Base (FOB) and Wargadud SOG immediately responded and have launched a joint pursuit of the assailants.
"This incident is a stark reminder of the persistent threat posed by terror groups in our border regions. We are doing everything possible to ensure the safe recovery of the kidnapped technician," said a senior security officer based in Mandera, speaking on condition of anonymity
... for fear of being murdered... Monitoring and tracking efforts remain ongoing as authorities continue to tighten security and urge residents to remain alert.
[VANGUARDNGR] 19 passengers in two fully loaded commercial buses have been taken hostage by suspected armed herdsmen at Jor community along the Adoka-Naka road, in Gwer West Local Government Area, LGA, of Benue state.
It was gathered that the two ill fated buses were waylaid Thursday morning in separate incidents at the same spot, three kilometres from Naka town, the headquarters of Gwer West LGA.
According to the sources in the area, one of the commercial vehicles was en route to Makurdi from Akpa in Kogi State when the driver ran into the ambush by armed herdsmen while the second vehicle was en route to Lokoja also in Kogi State from Makurdi when they ran into the ambush at the same spot few minutes later.
The Ter Tyoshin and Chairman of Gwer West Traditional Council, HRH, Daniel Abomtse, who confirmed the development, said the information at his disposal indicated that two vehicles were involved and each of the vehicles had 12 passengers on board.
He said ''I was told that each of the vehicles carried about 12 passengers but an elderly woman, a breast feeding woman, her two kids and a driver were not taken away.
''The passengers and driver who were not taken away reported at the Police station but they have just been released by the police.''
The Secretary of National Union of Road Transport Worker, NURTW, High level Unit, which is the main park of commercial vehicles on that route, Mr. Yakubu Onu confirmed the incidents.
He also confirmed that the spared passengers reported at the Naka Police Station and were later asked to continue their journey ''but we are yet to hear from them and also yet to get further information from those coming from Ankpa.''
Contacted, the Police Public Relations Officer, Chief Superintendent, CSP, Catherine Anene said she was yet to receive information on the incident.
[VANGUARDNGR] The Catholic Diocese of Kafanchan has confirmed the abduction of Rev. Fr Ibrahim Amos, Priest of St. Gerald Quasi Gay Pareeh, Kurmin Risga in Kauru Local Government Area of Kaduna State.
In a statement, Rev. Fr Jacob Shanet, Chancellor of Kafanchan Diocese, said the incident occurred at about 12:15 am on Thursday at the residence of the kidnapped priest in Kurmin Risga.
Shanet called for prayers for the safety of the priest, while urging the public to avoid taking the law into their hands.
''We will use every legitimate and available means to ensure that Rev. Fr Ibrahim Amos returns to us unharmed and in good health.
''May the Blessed Virgin Mary, the mother of priests and religious and all the angels continue to intercede for us and bring him back to us safe and sound,'' he added.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Amos' abduction is the latest in a series of attacks on clergymen in the South of Kaduna in recent times. (NAN)
Posted by: Fred ||
04/25/2025 00:00 ||
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[HodhodYemenNews] At least three civilians were maimed due to the American aggression on the capital Sana’a and Saada Governorate in the early hours of Thursday, the Health Ministry in Sanaa reported.
In a statement, the Health Ministry explained that one civilian was injured in the attack on the eastern al-Gharaf neighborhood in the Shu’ub district.
The attack also left damages to several houses in the same area .
It added that another civilian was injured in the enemy’s Arclight airstrike ...KABOOM!... s on the Al Salam district, while a third was maimed in the aggression targeting the Sahar district in Saada Governorate.
[HodhodYemenNews] l,The United States has launched a new wave of airstrikes across multiple regions in Yemen, including the capital Sana’a, in support of the Zionist entity and its ongoing genocidal war against Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.
Security sources reported that American warplanes launched six airstrikes, targeting the Brash area east of Jabal Nuqum in the capital, Sana’a, and struck Jabal Nuqum with three airstrikes east of the capital.
The sources indicated that the American aggression targeted the eastern al-Gharaf neighborhood in the Shu’ub district.
Last night, the American enemy launched six airstrikes on Sahlin area of Al Salem district and three airstrikes on the northern part of Saada city.
The American enemy also conducted a series of airstrikes on Marib Governorate.
Additionally, the aggression warplane launched a series of airstrikes on the district of At-Huhayta in Hodeidah province, western Yemen.
[IsraelTimes] The US military says a blast on Sunday near a UNESCO world heritage site in Yemen ...an area of the Arabian Peninsula sometimes mistaken for a country. It is populated by more antagonistic tribes and factions than you can keep track of... ’s capital city of Sanaa was caused by a Iran's Houthi sock puppets ...a Zaidi Shia insurgent group operating in Yemen. They have also been referred to as the Believing Youth. Hussein Badreddin al-Houthi is said to be the spiritual leader of the group and most of the military leaders are his relatives. The legitimate Yemeni government has accused the them of having ties to the Iranian government. Honest they did. The group has managed to gain control over all of Saada Governorate and parts of Amran, Al Jawf and Hajjah Governorates. Its slogan is God is Great, Death to America™, Death to Israel, a curse on the Jews They like shooting off... ummm... missiles that they would have us believe they make at home in their basements. On the plus side, they did murder Ali Abdullah Saleh, which was the only way the country was ever going to be rid of him... missile and not an American Arclight airstrike ...KABOOM!... The Houthi-run health ministry said a dozen people were killed in the US strike in a neighborhood of Sanaa. The Old City of Sanaa is a recognized UNESCO World Heritage Site.
President Donald Trump ...dictatorial for repealing some (but not all) of the diktats of his predecessor, misogynistic because he likes pretty girls, homophobic because he doesn't think gender bending should be mandatory, truly a man for all seasons... ordered the intensification of US strikes on Yemen last month, with his administration saying they will continue assaulting Iran-backed Houthi rebels until they stop attacking Red Sea shipping.
A US Central Command spokesperson says the damage and casualties described by Yemen’s Houthi officials "likely did occur" but they were not caused by a U.S. attack. The closest US strike that night was more than three miles (5 kilometers) away, the spokesperson says.
The US military assessed that the damage was caused by a "Houthi air defense missile" based on a review of "local reporting, including videos documenting Arabic writing on the missile’s fragments at the market," the spokesperson says, adding the Houthis subsequently arrested Yemenis. He does not provide evidence.
[IsraelTimes] A teenager who attacked a rabbi in a central French city is sentenced to 16 months in prison by the juvenile court, after a long day of hearings in which he denied responsibility.
The attack took place last month as Rabbi Arie Engelberg was walking with his nine-year-old son from a synagogue in Orleans, about 110 kilometers (about 70 miles) south of Gay Paree.
After the teenager was arrested, he told Sherlocks that he was Paleostinian, but later said during a hearing that he was Moroccan and 16 years old.
According to his lawyer, the teenager arrived less than a year ago in La Belle France, where he has no family.
He is given a 12-month sentence for the attack, as well as additional time in prison for other cases, including refusing to undergo police testing while in jug and possession of illegal narcotics after being found with two grams of cannabis resin.
He has been ordered to remain in detention, Orleans public prosecutor Emmanuelle Bochenek-Puren tells AFP, adding that the teenager has also been banned for five years from the Loiret department where the assault occurred.
"We have encountered a person who has denied any responsibility," says the rabbi’s lawyer, Isabelle Abreu, criticizing the minor’s attitude of "denying everything" after several hours of a closed-door trial.
Accompanying Engelberg to the hearing is Andre Druon, president of the Jewish community of Orleans, who says the attacker "blamed everything on the rabbi" during the hearing.
"The attacker expressed no form of regret or compassion," Druon says after the hearing.
"I have a community and a family to take care of, we have no choice but to move forward, and we do so with our heads held high," Engelberg says, recalling that he defended himself against his attacker.
[KhaamaPress] Germany has suspended Afghan refugee transfers from Pakistain until the new government takes office, affecting thousands awaiting relocation.
Germany’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced on Wednesday, April 23, that it would suspend Afghan refugee flights for two weeks until the formation of the new government. Thousands of Afghans, including former employees of German institutions who have received asylum, are currently awaiting transfer to Germany from Pakistain.
The suspension comes after a decision by Germany’s new coalition government, which agreed to limit "illegal" migration in response to public protests following violent mostly peaceful attacks attributed to migrants colonists. The new government will decide on future Afghan refugee resettlements once in office.
In 2021, following the chaotic withdrawal of Western allies from Afghanistan, Germany launched several resettlement programs aimed at protecting local staff who had worked for German institutions and humanitarian organizations. These programs were designed to offer asylum to vulnerable Afghan workers and their families.
To date, Germany has accepted 36,000 individuals through these programs, including over 20,000 former local employees and their families. Currently, around 2,600 people are awaiting transfer to Germany, with 350 of them being former local employees.
The German Ministry of Foreign Affairs emphasized that the confirmations issued for these individuals are legally binding, and can only be revoked under special circumstances. In recent weeks, several chartered flights have been conducted to transfer Afghan refugees from Pakistain to Germany, though these flights have faced criticism from conservative politicians.
Human rights organizations have expressed concern over the impact of the flight suspension, with some warning that it could endanger vulnerable Afghan refugees. Pro Asyl, a refugee rights group, cautioned that delaying the transfers could put the lives of at-risk individuals at further risk.
As the new government prepares to take office, officials have called for a careful review of refugee resettlement policies to balance security concerns with humanitarian obligations. The situation remains fluid, and there is growing pressure for a clear and consistent approach to Afghan refugee admissions.
[PJMedia] How many Americans are aware of how active jihadis have been in this country of late? In New York, Ahmed al Jabali went into a barber shop to get his beard trimmed and ended up stabbing the Jewish barber with his own barber’s scissors, explaining that it was his "right as a Moslem to punish Jews." In Kentucky, Mirsad Ramic has just been "convicted of providing material support to 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.... of Iraq and al-Sham, known as ISIS; conspiracy to support the organization; and receiving military training." In Georgia, Aliakbar Mohammed Amin threatened to murder both President Trump and Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard.
And now, it looks as if Mohammed Adan Mohammed, a young resident of the left’s brave, new, multicultural Mankato, Minn., was stopped just in the nick of time. A special agent with the state Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA) said that "there were strong indicators that Mohammed was preparing to conduct some sort of attack (Mass Casualty Event) in the next twenty-four hours." Mohammed Adan Mohammed was stopped, but what is being done to prevent others in the future from plotting jihad massacres of the kind that he wanted to perpetrate? Nothing whatsoever, of course.
Minnesota’s Alpha News reported Wednesday that "the Blue Earth County Attorney’s Office has filed felony charges against Mohammed Adan Mohammed after he allegedly stole $2,150 worth of firearm magazines and made a threatening, anti-American post on social media." The social media posts were the first indication that this was much more than just a shoplifting case.
Mohammed, who is 24, behaved suspiciously from the beginning. He "entered a Mankato store last week wearing a COVID mask, gloves, a green stocking cap, and a heavy winter coat." It's getting warmer these days, even in Mankato, and so Mohammed’s attire gave the impression that he had something to hide or was himself intending to hide items he shoplifted. And indeed, he "reportedly began selecting high-priced items such as body armor, bear spray, and 9mm firearm magazines without checking prices. As such, the business became suspicious." With good reason.
While he was in the store, Mohammed also spoke to store employees about "an AR-style rifle he claimed to possess." Then he left with "approximately $2,150 worth of products," for which he had not paid. Store security officers tried to stop him, but Mohammed Adan Mohammed got into a car and sped away, "nearly [running] over a person" in the process.
Charges: ‘Strong indicators’ Mankato shoplifter was ‘preparing to conduct some sort of attack’
A BCA agent said "there were strong indicators" that Mohamed Adan Mohamed "was preparing to conduct some sort of attack (Mass Casualty Event)." https://t.co/674l3W9xo3
Mohamed had been in such a hurry to get out of the store that he “reportedly left behind a list that he referred to as he selected products.” These included a “Survival Gear List,” which included a “sleeping bag, lighters, 8 magazines, knives, pepper spray, a ‘6-mag chest right,’ bows and arrows.” In line with this, Mohamed “had stolen eight magazines” among the other items he purloined from the store.
All this took place against the backdrop of the fact that Mohamed recently put up a series of social media posts “featuring ammunition and guns.” One showed Mohamed himself “pointing an assault rifle at the camera and included the hashtag ‘#deathtoamerikkan&israelliImperialism.’”
No one has faced the implications of the fact that America is now home to large numbers of people who wish death to it, but they’ll have to be faced sooner or later. In the meantime, it appears that Mohamed was stopped from carrying out an imminent jihad attack, and for that, we can all be grateful. He has since been charged with “one count of felony theft and one count of felony threats of violence,” and his bail has been set at a million bucks “with no conditions, or $500,000 with conditions.”
Ahmed al Jabali, 34, pleaded guilty to second-degree assault as a hate crime last week in the Aug. 29 assault on Yonkers barber Slava Shushakova over the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza, prosecutors said Monday.
Shushakova told The Post after the attack that Jabali was having his beard trimmed at his Yonkers Avenue shop when he flew into a rage, telling the barber that “he has a right as a Muslim to punish Jews.”
Jabali, a Muslim originally from Yemen, was arrested and charged with attempted murder.
On Thursday, he pleaded guilty to the lesser assault charge, with the judge promising him a six-year sentence. The charge carries a sentence of up to 15 years under state law.
“Hate has no home in Westchester County,” county District Attorney Susan Cacace said in a statement released Monday. “The rise in antisemitic hate over the last several years is disturbing and completely unacceptable.
“Today and every day, my office stands with the Jewish community of Westchester and will seek justice for victims of antisemitic violence,” the statement said.
Police said Shushakova needed 30 stitches to close the bloody gashes to his right hand and wrist that he suffered in the attack, which temporarily knocked him out of work.
“Thank God he didn’t touch my face because he tried to hit me different ways,” he said in the earlier interview. “This is how I stopped him, with my hands.”
The barber shop attack came during an Israeli military counteroffensive in the Gaza Strip following a sneak attack on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023.
Jabali is due to be sentenced by Judge James McCarty on May 29.
Bowling Green man found guilty of terrorism charges after joining, fighting for ISIS
June 24, 2024
[LouisvilleCourierJournal] A federal jury has found a man from southwestern Kentucky guilty of several terrorism charges related to his involvement with 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.... of Iraq and al-Sham, colloquially known as ISIS, the U.S. Attorney's Office of the Western District of Kentucky announced Wednesday.
Mirsad Hariz Adem Ramic, a 34-year-old from Bowling Green, has been charged with providing material support to ISIS and receiving military-type training from the organization. He faces a statutory maximum penalty of 50 years in prison, a fine of $750,000 and term of supervised release up to life.
Ramic is believed to have flown to The Sick Man of Europe Turkey ...the only place on the face of the earth that misses the Ottoman Empire... with two other people in 2014, then traveled into Syria to join ISIS, which has been designated a foreign terrorist organizations by the U.S. Secretary of State.
After joining ISIS, Ramic attended an ISIS training camp, where a photo of Ramic posted on social media depicted him "wearing camouflage clothing and standing in front of a truck outfitted with an anti-aircraft gun and the ISIS flag," according to a blurb.
Ramic, a dual U.S.-Bosnian citizen, then joined a fighting unit comprised primarily of Bosnian imported muscle and participated in ISIS’s offensive in Kobane, Syria.
He was brought into federal custody in December 2021 after being deported to the United States from Turkey.
His sentencing hearing has been set for September 24.
[KhaamaPress] Over 200 Afghan refugees in Iowa have been ordered by U.S. authorities to leave the country immediately, facing legal action.
American media reports indicate that in April, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security sent emails to over 200 Afghan refugees residing in Iowa, instructing them to leave the country immediately.
According to Axios, the emails, sent by U.S. Customs and Border Protection, begin with the statement, "It is time to leave the United States." The messages warned that failure to leave voluntarily would result in detention, revocation of work permits, and potential legal action. One of the emails accessed by Axios concludes with the message, "Do not attempt to remain in the United States, the federal government will find you."
These warnings were directed at refugees who entered the U.S. legally under humanitarian programs or Temporary Protected Status (TPS) after the U.S. forces withdrew from Afghanistan and Kabul fell in 2021.
The Afghan Allies in Iowa organization, led by Zabihullah Safi, has stated that many of the recipients of these emails are former soldiers who fought alongside U.S. forces in Afghanistan, putting them at risk of retaliation by the Taliban ...Arabic for students... . Safi emphasized that these individuals have become active members of the community in Iowa, working, paying taxes, and having their children enrolled in schools and universities.
According to Axios, this action is part of a broader federal policy to end the temporary humanitarian parole status granted to Afghan refugees in 2021 and 2022. More than 900 such refugees were granted this status in Iowa.
The Department of Homeland Security confirmed this development in a statement to Axios, asserting, "The presence of foreign nationals in the United States is a privilege, not a right. We act in the interests of the country and enforce the law."
These developments reflect the ongoing challenges faced by Afghan refugees in the U.S. and the complexities of immigration policy, as well as the broader debate over humanitarian aid and asylum policies. As these issues unfold, many Afghan refugees in the U.S. remain in limbo, caught between their past sacrifices and uncertain futures.
[OneIndia] Apr 25, 2025, 9:45 AM IST
The house of Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorist Adil Thokar, also known as Adil Guree, has also been demolished. He is believed to have been involved in the Pahalgam attack that killed 26 people, mostly tourists. Adil had legally traveled to Pakistan in 2018, where he reportedly received terror training before returning to Jammu and Kashmir last year.
Apr 25, 2025, 9:45 AM IST
Even as Pakistan condemned the recent attack in Jammu and Kashmir's Pahalgam and denied claims of harbouring terror outfits, its Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar on Thursday hailed the perpetrators as "freedom fighters".
Apr 25, 2025, 9:15 AM IST
Based on specific intelligence input regarding the presence of terrorists, a Joint Search Operation was launched by the Indian Army and Jammu & Kashmir Police in the general area of Kolnar Ajas, Bandipora. Contact was established and firefight ensued: Chinar Corps, Indian Army
Apr 25, 2025, 7:43 AM IST
Pakistan Army initiated small arms firing at some places on the Line of Control. The firing was effectively responded to by the Indian Army, ANI reported, citing Indian Army officials. No casualties have been reported and further details are being ascertained.
The decision was taken at the National Security Committee meeting chaired by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.
In a statement, the National Security Committee said: "Water is a Vital National Interest of Pakistan, a lifeline for its 240 million people, and its availability will be safeguarded at all costs.
"Any attempt to stop or divert the flow of water belonging to Pakistan as per the Indus Waters Treaty, and the usurpation of the rights of lower riparian will be considered as an Act of War and responded with full force across the complete spectrum of National Power".
According to a statement from the Indian Army's White Knight Corps, the operation was launched based on specific intelligence inputs. "A joint operation with the Jammu and Kashmir Police was launched today in Basantgarh, Udhampur. Contact was established, and a fierce firefight ensued," the statement read.
Tragically, one Indian Army soldier was critically injured during the initial exchange of fire and later succumbed to his injuries despite the best medical efforts.
"The Indian Navy's latest indigenous guided missile destroyer, INS Surat, has successfully carried out a precision cooperative engagement of a sea-skimming target, marking a significant milestone in strengthening the Navy's defence capabilities. This achievement demonstrates the Indian Navy's growing prowess in indigenous warship design, development, and operations, and underscores the nation's commitment to self-reliance in defence manufacturing," the Indian Navy said in a statement.
The Indian Navy's demonstration follows reports of Pakistan preparing for a surface-to-surface missile test along its Karachi coastline between April 24-25. While Pakistan claims the test will occur within its Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), Indian defense officials are closely monitoring the situation. Analysts suggest the test likely involves Shaheen-III or Babur cruise missiles, which have the range to target major Indian cities.
[KhaamaPress] Indian authorities uncovered a drug trafficking network smuggling heroin to fund Lashkar-e-Taiba ...the Army of the Pure, an Ahl-e-Hadith terror organization founded by Hafiz Saeed. LeT masquerades behind the Jamaat-ud-Dawa facade within Pakistain and periodically blows things up and kills people in India. Despite the fact that it is banned, always an interesting concept in Pakistain, the organization remains an blatant tool and perhaps an arm of the ISI...> Indian security authorities have uncovered a large-scale drug trafficking network with alleged links to terrorism, seizing nearly 2,988 kilograms of heroin smuggled from Afghanistan to the Mundra Port in Gujarat
...where rioting seems to be a traditional passtime... . Officials report that the operation was part of a broader effort to fund Death Eater activities.
The National Investigation Agency (NIA) announced on Wednesday, April 23, that the proceeds from the seized heroin were intended to finance terrorist operations carried out by the group Lashkar-e-Taiba. The agency emphasized the cross-border dimensions of the case, describing it as a "narco-terrorism" network.
According to the NIA, the drugs entered India through Iran’s Bandar Abbas port, disguised as shipments of unprocessed stones and coal. Authorities said forged import documents were used to conceal the true nature of the cargo.
A protected witness revealed that Latif Rather, a now-deceased member of "The Resistance® Front" — a Lashkar-e-Taiba affiliate — had coordinated with Afghan and Pak traffickers to channel funds for arms purchases. His involvement is seen as a key link between narcotics trade and krazed killer financing.
In a troubling development, the NIA also reported that a key witness in the case — a retired customs officer — was found dead under suspicious circumstances after expressing willingness to cooperate with Sherlocks. His death has raised concerns about the safety of informants in high-profile terror-linked cases.
Officials said that at least six similar consignments are believed to have entered India through the same network. Twelve suspects, including individuals from Iran, Pakistain, Afghanistan, and Dubai, are currently under investigation or being pursued by authorities.
This case highlights growing concerns over the use of drug trafficking to finance terrorism in South Asia. Indian officials have called for greater regional cooperation and tighter port surveillance to prevent similar operations.
Security analysts warn that narco-terrorism poses a serious threat to national and regional stability, urging international collaboration to dismantle such transnational criminal networks.
[VANGUARDNGR] All Pak citizens in India must leave the country by April 29, New Delhi's foreign ministry said Thursday, in the latest diplomatic measure taken after an attack it blames on Islamabad.
''In the wake of the Pahalgam terror attack, the Government of India has decided to suspend visa services to Pak nationals with immediate effect'' the statement read. ''All Pak nationals currently in India must leave India before the expiry of visas, as now amended.''
It will not impact Pak diplomats in New Delhi, although their numbers were reduced by Indian orders a day earlier.
[IsraelTimes] Undercover Border Police officers and IDF troops say they arrested the head of a terror cell in the West Bank refugee camp of Balata near Nablus, following precise intelligence provided by the Shin Bet.
According to a joint statement, the suspect was apprehended after a brief exchange of fire. A second wanted man involved in terrorist activity was also detained during the operation.
Security forces say violent riots broke out during the arrest, prompting them to respond with live fire.
[IsraelTimes] The IDF says troops killed a Palestinian who hurled an explosive device at the forces in the West Bank town of Yamun, near Jenin, earlier today.
[IsraelTimes] Hamas-run civil defense says at least 25 dead in IDF strikes across Strip; Israel’s Foreign Ministry blasts UK-France-Germany call for resumed aid, says ‘no shortage of aid in Gaza’
The IDF and Shin Bet said Thursday an Arclight airstrike ...KABOOM!... in northern 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... ’s Jabalia targeted a group of Hamas ..a regional Iranian catspaw,... and Paleostinian Islamic Jihad ...created after many members of the Egyptian Moslem Brotherhood decided the organization was becoming too moderate. Operations were conducted out of Egypt until 1981 when the group was exiled after the assassination of President Anwar Sadat. They worked out of Gaza until they were exiled to Lebanon in 1987, where they clove tightly to Hezbollah. In 1989 they moved to Damascus, where they remain a subsidiary of Hezbollah... operatives at a command center used by the terror groups.
Paleostinian media reported that the strike targeted Jabalia’s former cop shoppe, and that at least nine people were killed.
According to the IDF, the site was used by the terror operatives to plan and carry out attacks on Israeli civilians and troops.
The IDF said it had taken steps to mitigate civilian harm in the strike, including the use of a "precision munition, aerial surveillance, and additional intelligence."
"The terror organizations systematically violate international law while taking over civilian infrastructure, and while brutally exploiting the civilian population as a human shield for its terror attacks," the military added.
The Hamas-run Gaza civil defense agency and Paleostinian medics said that Israeli air strikes killed at least 25 people on Thursday, including a family of six whose home was struck in Gaza City.
The numbers cannot be verified and do not differentiate between civilians and terror operatives.
Nidal al-Sarafiti, a relative of the family, said the strike was carried out when the family was sleeping.
"What can I say? The destruction has spared no one," he told AFP.
Elsewhere, five people were said to have died when the tents they had sought refuge in were hit.
Three people were killed, including a child, in the town of Zuwaida in central Gaza, the civil defense said in a statement.
Another two people were reported killed in a strike on a home in the southern city of Khan Younis.
"We were sitting in peace when the missile fell.. I just don’t understand ... what’s happening," said Mohammed Faris, who said he witnessed the strike on the house.
FOREIGN MINISTRY BLASTS UK, FRANCE, GERMANY
The strikes came as Israel continued to take military action against Hamas and deny the entry of aid into the Strip in a bid to pressure the terror group into reaching a deal to release hostages.
Late Wednesday, the Foreign Ministry responded to a joint statement by the United Kingdom, La Belle France, and Germany condemning Israel’s blockade of humanitarian aid into Gaza, in a blurb shared by the ministry’s front man, calling the statement "ethically outrageous."
"Israel is fighting Hamas, which steals humanitarian aid, uses it to rebuild its war machine, and hides behind civilians," the Foreign Ministry said, adding that it "categorically reject[s] the claim of ’politicization of humanitarian aid’ as stated in the E3’s statement."
In the statement, the three nations’ foreign ministers called for the immediate resumption of aid deliveries to the Strip and criticized recent comments on the issue by Defense Minister Israel Katz. They also called for Israel to do more to protect Paleostinian civilians in Gaza, for Hamas to release the remaining 59 hostages, and for all parties to return to a ceasefire.
"Article 70 of the First Additional Protocol to the Geneva Conventions requires aid when ’the civilian population is not adequately supplied,’" the statement from the Foreign Ministry added. "During the 42-day ceasefire, 25,000 aid trucks entered Gaza. Israel is monitoring the situation on the ground, and there is no shortage of aid in Gaza."
"According to Article 23 of the Fourth Geneva Convention, a side is not obliged to allow in aid if it is ’likely to assist the military or economic efforts of the enemy.’ Hamas hijacked the humanitarian aid to rebuild its terror machine," the ministry further stated.
Instead of mentioning that "Hamas is the one targeting Israeli civilians while hiding behind Paleostinian civilians," the three countries "chose to accuse Israel of strikes on humanitarian personnel and healthcare facilities — this is morally twisted and wrong," the blurb said.
The Foreign Ministry asserted that the IDF "conducts thorough and transparent investigations" in cases involving civilian casualties, and says that "all condemnations should be directed at Hamas, which hides in hospitals and behind civilians."
"The so-called balance the E3 statement is trying to create between Israel and Hamas is ethically outrageous," the response went on, saying that the countries mention "only in passing the fact that Hamas still holds 59 hostages in inhumane conditions underground."
"The war can end tomorrow if the hostages are released and Hamas lays down its weapons," the ministry said.
[IsraelTimes] Initial IDF probe finds Master Sgt. Asaf Cafri, 26, was hit by sniper fire close to military post in Israeli-held buffer zone, while the other troops were targeted by anti-tank fire
An Israeli soldier was killed and three others were wounded during fighting in the northern Gaza Strip on Thursday, the military announced.
The Israel Defense Forces later named the slain soldier as Master Sgt. Asaf Cafri, 26, a tank driver in the 14th Reserve Armored Brigade’s 79th Battalion, from Beit Hashmonai. His family was notified.
In the same incident, a reservist in the 79th Battalion and an officer in the elite Yahalom combat engineering were seriously wounded. Another reservist, in the Gaza Division’s Northern Brigade’s 8239th Battalion, was moderately hurt.
According to an initial IDF probe, Cafri was hit by sniper fire in the Beit Hanoun area, close to one of the military’s posts in the Israeli-held buffer zone.
The other troops were hit by anti-tank fire, according to the initial investigation.
The cell behind the attack apparently managed to flee.
The deadly incident took place not far from an attack on Saturday, in which Hamas operatives opened fire on an unarmored army vehicle, seriously wounding three soldiers, before planting a bomb in the area, which killed a soldier and seriously injured another.
That soldier, Warrant Officer G’haleb Sliman Alnasasra, was the first soldier to be killed since the IDF resumed its offensive against Hamas in Gaza lsat month.
Hours before announcing the death of the tank driver on Thursday, the IDF issued an evacuation warning to Palestinians residing in Beit Hanoun and the Sheikh Zayed neighborhood in the northern Gaza Strip.
In a post on X, the IDF’s Arabic-language spokesman Col. Avichay Adraee published a map of the area that was to be evacuated, saying the warning came in light of sniper attacks on troops and other activity by terror groups in the area.
Palestinians were called upon to head for Gaza City.
Also Thursday, the IDF and Shin Bet said an airstrike in northern Gaza’s Jabalia a short while ago targeted a group of Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad operatives at a command center used by the terror groups.
Palestinian media reported that the strike targeted Jabalia’s former police station, and that at least nine people were killed.
According to the IDF, the site was used by the terror operatives to plan and carry out attacks on Israeli civilians and troops.
The IDF said it took steps to mitigate civilian harm in the strike, including the use of a “precision munition, aerial surveillance, and additional intelligence.”
“The terror organizations systematically violate international law while taking over civilian infrastructure, and while brutally exploiting the civilian population as a human shield for its terror attacks,” the military added.
Meanwhile, video from the center of Gaza City showed an injured child among rubble, reportedly following an Israeli airstrike.
Osama Abu Rabee, a journalist in Gaza, published footage showing a wounded and bleeding child among the rubble of a building. The body of a man can be seen behind the child, who is calling for help. Abu Rabee also claimed that there were additional bodies of children on the scene of the strike.
According to reports from Gaza, the building was hit by an Israeli airstrike.
The Saudi Al-Arabiya channel reported that seven people were killed in the strike.
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited. by Leonid Tsukanov
[REGNUM] Jordan's political landscape is rapidly changing. Following the revelation of a secret "missile factory" by the security services, the kingdom's authorities have decided to completely ban the activities of the Muslim Brotherhood* group.
The decision was made almost instantly - literally a few days after the publication of details of the defeat of the failed underground missilemen. Most of the country's residents did not question the harsh reaction to the conspiracy.
At the same time, there is a high probability that, in addition to issues of national security, the foreign policy ambitions of official Amman played a role in the final defeat of the Brotherhood.
"BROTHERS" IN JORDAN
The Muslim Brotherhood has been active in Jordan for over eighty years, from the mid-1940s until recently, and was considered a serious political force.
The group had hidden influence over the country's civilian and military elites and even attempted several times to overthrow King Abdullah II.
The royal court responded in kind, with searches and arrests, as well as the temporary closure of individual offices of the group, and tightened control over its financial flows and political course.
However, for most of the time, both forces existed in a state of "cold peace".
Clouds began to gather over the group on April 21, when attacks against the Muslim Brotherhood began to be heard from the rostrum of the Jordanian parliament one after another.
Representatives of various political forces, both those close to the court and those who consider themselves part of the moderate opposition, accused the group of trying to sow discord and plunge Jordanian society into civil war, and to create a new “terrorist enclave” on the territory of the kingdom.
POLITICAL STORM
The accusations were prompted by reports from Jordanian security forces about the arrest in mid-April of a large group of underground fighters affiliated with the Brotherhood.
At an abandoned facility in the northwest of the country (dubbed the "rocket factory"), the conspirators manufactured homemade missiles and UAVs, and stockpiled weapons and explosives, all of which they allegedly intended to use against the authorities soon.
The deputies, clearly impressed by the scale of the secret arsenals, called on the Islamic Action Front (considered the political wing of the Brotherhood) sitting in parliament to publicly condemn the group's activities and even renounce them. Otherwise, the entire faction (31 deputies) risked losing their mandates in one fell swoop "for assisting the conspirators."
And although the speaker of parliament, Ahmad al-Safaadi, tried to soften the emotional attacks of some of his colleagues, the mistrust of the Front did not diminish, even taking into account the fact that some deputies complied with the demands and condemned the course of the Muslim Brotherhood.
The public defeat of the Brotherhood was completed by the Kingdom's Interior Minister Mazen Faraya. At a special briefing on April 23, he announced that due to the attempted anti-government conspiracy, the movement's activities in Jordan were completely banned. Any public support for the group - including online campaigning for it - would henceforth be prosecuted.
The Muslim Brotherhood’s attempts to defuse the crisis and present the activities of the detained underground fighters as “purely independent” and “separated” from all official structures have led to nothing.
THE PALESTINIAN INCIDENT
The Jordanian authorities not only dissolved the organization, but also confiscated its property and closed all its offices in the country.
At least five activists of the movement were detained "pending clarification of the circumstances." However, they were quickly released without any new charges.
It was not only the Muslim Brotherhood that came under attack from official Amman.
In parallel with the closure of the group's offices, Jordanian law enforcement officials began an operation against the Palestinian Hamas.
At least three mid-level Palestinian officials who were in the country legally were arrested in the past 24 hours and taken to al-Jandaweel prison, which has a reputation for being political.
It is also noteworthy that several days before this, several Palestinians from the Islamic Jihad faction were arrested in neighboring Syria.
The arrest was carried out by the authorities under the pretext of the Palestinians' cooperation with "anti-government forces," which shocked them quite a bit: "Islamic Jihad" and other factions felt quite comfortable in Syria not only during the Assad dynasty, but also after its overthrow, and they showed no intention of conflicting with the new Damascus.
PREPARING THE SOIL
Outside observers tend to link the two episodes together and interpret them as preparing the ground for the launch of negotiations on normalizing relations between Syria and Israel in the spirit of the Abraham Accords.
And Jordan, as one of Israel's oldest Arab "friends," is quite capable of playing the role of mediator and providing channels of communication between Damascus and Tel Aviv. Especially since interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa has declared his readiness for détente with the Israelis at least several times.
In addition, Jordan has significant strategic autonomy in organizing the negotiations and has no claims against either the Syrian or Israeli side, and is less focused on the interests of its neighbors. The same Saudi Arabia and Qatar are not in a hurry to get involved in mediation, fearing to cause discontent in Iran and Turkey.
The success of the new “Abrahamic” negotiations will not only raise Jordan’s prestige in the eyes of the US and Israel, but will also open up vast opportunities for the kingdom to strengthen its presence in the Syrian market – primarily in the energy sector, where the Turks currently hold virtually undivided sway.
However, for the successful implementation of such a combination, official Amman needs to keep all internal forces under complete control. In order to quickly extinguish any discontent with the change in the political balance.
And the Muslim Brotherhood, which is under conditional control, as well as the Islamic Action Front affiliated with them (which is also one of the largest consolidated political forces in parliament) could seriously stir up the public. And in a tactical alliance with Hamas, they could also turn the Palestinian communities living in the country against the throne.
Amman does not want to risk the stability of the dynasty for the sake of dubious political benefits, and therefore chose to solve the problem effectively, taking the confrontation with the “Brothers” beyond the political in advance.
Posted by: badanov ||
04/25/2025 00:00 ||
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Top|| File under: Muslim Brotherhood
#1
The MB is a front for the Qatar/Iran/Russia axis.
Did the Trump administration give Jordan some assurances in their challenging a much more powerful alliance or is this a reaction to Trump's rapprochement with Qatar/Iran/Russia a la Witkoff?
[IsraelTimes] In a summary of activities in Leb ...The Lebs have the curious habit of periodically murdering their heads of state or prime ministers... over the past week, the IDF says it killed nine Hezbollah operatives and struck over 40 sites belonging to the terror group.
The IDF says the strikes come as part of efforts to prevent Hezbollah from rearming. Operatives involved in Hezbollah’s regrouping efforts and those who Israel says were violating the ceasefire were targeted.
It publishes footage of some of the strikes this past week.
Since the start of the ceasefire in Lebanon, the IDF says it has killed over 140 Hezbollah operatives.
[IsraelTimes] Lebanese official media says eight people were maimed in a drone attack in a border village, as Syria said it responded to artillery fire from Leb ...home of the original Hezbollah, which periodically starts a war with the Zionist Entity, gets Beirut pounded to rubble, and then declares victory and has a parade.... Eight Syrian refugees were maimed and taken to the hospital in the northeast area of Hermel after an "explosives-laden drone blew up" in the border village of Hawsh al-Sayyed ...Arabic term meaning your/his lordship. Groveling in His Exalted Presence is encouraged... Ali, Lebanon’s National News Agency says.
The Lebanese army sent reinforcements "after gunfire was heard," the report adds.
Syrian state news agency SANA, carrying a statement from an unnamed defense ministry source, says Lebanon’s Hezbollah terror group had launched artillery shells at Syrian army positions in the Qusayr area of Homs province, near the Lebanese border.
"Our forces immediately targeted the sources of the fire," the statement says.
"We are in contact with the Lebanese army to evaluate the incident and stopped targeting the sources of fire" at the Lebanese army’s request, the statement adds.
Lebanon and Syria’s defense ministers signed an agreement last month to address border security threats after festivities left 10 dead.
Earlier in March, Syria’s new authorities accused Hezbollah of abducting three soldiers into Lebanese territory and killing them.
The Iran-backed terror group, which fought alongside the forces of toppled Syrian president Bashir Pencilneck al-Assad Oppressor of the Syrians and the Lebs... , denied involvement, but the ensuing cross-border festivities left seven Lebanese dead.
Lebanon and Syria share a porous 205-mile (330-kilometer) frontier that is notorious for the smuggling of goods, people and weapons.
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...
... Somalia's version of the Taliban, functioning as an arm of al-Qaeda...
...
...a Zaidi Shia insurgent group operating in Yemen. They have also been referred to as the 
...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 
...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 
...Arabic for 
...the 
..a regional Iranian catspaw,...
...The Lebs have the curious habit of periodically murdering their heads of state or prime ministers...
...Arabic term meaning 
