#11
This is going to produce epic turmoil, and restore the public confidence in the Bureau once the cleansing is well underway. Expect a lot of alleged racism flak as the DEI crop of SACs and ASACs are flushed.
[KyivIndependent] After years of political isolation sparked by the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, U.S. and Russian officials will meet in Saudi Arabia this week to discuss how to bring an end to the war.
Neither Ukraine nor Europe has been invited to the main discussion, setting off alarm bells in Kyiv and capitals across the continent that U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin could reach an agreement without Ukraine and Europe’s involvement, and one that puts their future security in jeopardy.
Announcing that Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov would lead their delegation, the Kremlin set an ambitious agenda for the talks.
"They are expected to hold a meeting with their American counterparts on Tuesday, which will focus primarily on restoring the entire complex of Russian-American relations," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Feb. 17.
The U.S. delegation will be led by State Secretary Marco Rubio, National Security Adviser Mike Waltz, and Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff.
Though the U.S. and Russia will meet without Ukraine, President Volodymyr Zelensky will also head to Saudi Arabia this week. NBC reported that the intention is for the U.S. to host a bilateral meeting with Russia, followed by a bilateral meeting with Ukraine, and culminating with talks together.
Meanwhile, such is the sense of urgency in Europe over the course of events: European leaders are gathering in Paris on Feb. 17 for an emergency summit.
So what should we expect from the historic meeting in Saudi Arabia and is the direction of peace negotiations as alarming as many believe?
The Kyiv Independent asked co-chair of the BGR Group advisory board, Ambassador Kurt Volker, who served as the U.S. special representative for Ukraine negotiations in 2017-2019, and U.S. ambassador to NATO in 2008-2009, for his thoughts.
The Kyiv Independent: There has been a lot of panic in Ukraine and Europe about the possibility of the U.S. and Russia negotiating a peace agreement over their heads — is this justified?
Ambassador Kurt Volker: People were upset about (being excluded from the table) and I have to keep telling people there isn't a table.
There is (U.S.) President Trump picking up the phone, calling Putin, calling Zelensky, people having meetings at NATO, people having meetings in Munich. It's going to be like that. It's going to be a lot of consultation, a lot of conversations, but there's no single negotiation going on.
[IsraelTimes] Vaccine drive to start back up again after virus detected in wastewater; UN body says some 7,000 children from north Gaza weren’t inoculated in last round due to intense fighting.
[ToloNews] The Embassy of the Islamic Emirate in Pakistain has announced that Pakistain has decided to expel Afghan refugees from all parts of the country, including Islamabad and Rawalpindi, in the near future.
According to a statement from the Embassy of the Islamic Emirate in Islamabad, this decision is final and includes the expulsion of all Afghan refugees, including those holding ACC (Afghan Citizen Card) and PoR (Proof of Registration) cards.
Sardar Ahmad Shakeeb, the chargé d'affaires of the Embassy of the Islamic Emirate in Islamabad, stated: "The officials of Pakistain's Ministry of Foreign Affairs have informed us that from now on, Afghans can only stay in Pakistain with a visa. The ACC and PoR cards will no longer be valid. However,
there's more than one way to stuff a chicken... their cabinet has extended the validity of the PoR cards until June 30. After that, they will have no legal status—those who leave voluntarily can do so, but others will be forcibly deported."
At the same time, some Afghan refugees living in Pakistain consider this decision one-sided and call for their concerns to be addressed. They say this decision has caused anxiety among Afghan refugees in Pakistain.
"The Pak government should coordinate with the current Afghan authorities and the UNHCR in a tripartite agreement to establish a policy that guarantees all the rights of refugees," said Atiqullah Mansoor, an Afghan refugee in Pakistain.
"According to Pakistain's latest decision to expel all Afghan refugees from Islamabad, Rawalpindi, and other areas, this move has deeply worried Afghan refugees in Pakistain," said Mohammad Reza Sazish, another Afghan refugee in Pakistain.
This comes as Pakistain hosts the largest number of Afghan refugees, and previously, the United Nations ...where theory meets practice and practice loses... had also urged Pakistain to halt the forced deportation of Afghan refugees.
Gee, what have we seen in recent decades that would lead the native Briton to loathe and despise their Moslem colonists?
[IsraelTimes] The number of anti-Muslim incidents in Britain rose to a new high in 2024, according to data compiled by monitoring organization Tell MAMA, which says the war against the Hamas terror group in Gaza “super-fueled” online hate.
The surge in hate incidents against Muslims due to Islamophobia has also been linked to the killing of three young girls in the northern English town of Southport last summer, Tell MAMA says.
Tell MAMA says it verified 5,837 anti-Muslim hate cases — a mix of both online and in-person incidents — last year, compared with 3,767 cases the year before and 2,201 in 2022.
The organization’s data goes back to 2012 and is compiled using data-sharing agreements with police forces in England and Wales.
“The Middle East conflict super-fueled online anti-Muslim hate,” the group says in a statement, adding that “the Israel and Gaza War, the Southport murders and riots… created a surge in anti-Muslim hate cases reported to Tell MAMA from 2023-2024.”
Its director Iman Atta describes the surge as unacceptable and deeply concerning for the future.
Tell MAMA (Measuring Anti-Muslim Attacks) describes itself as an independent, nongovernmental organization that works on tackling anti-Muslim hatred.
Separate data last week showed that hatred toward Jews across Britain also rocketed to record levels in the wake of the October 7, 2023, attacks by Hamas on Israel and the subsequent war in Gaza.
[IsraelTimes] Three Palestinian terror operatives were killed by undercover Border Police officers in the Far’a camp in the northern West Bank this evening, Israeli defense officials say.
The three operatives were involved in smuggling arms, the IDF, Shin Bet, and police say in a joint statement.
Two other wanted Palestinians were detained in the operation.
After the three were shot dead, troops scanned the area and located a dismantled M16 assault rifle buried in the ground and other weapons. A handgun was also found on the body of one of the three operatives, police say.
[KhaamaPress] Friedrich Merz, one of the leading candidates for the chancellorship in Germany, has announced that if he wins, he will stop the program for accepting and relocating at-risk Afghans, including former local staff and their families.
Is this just something he must say to beat out AfD and get elected, or will he really follow through?
He further added that he would implement the deportation of rejected asylum seekers back to Afghanistan. Merz emphasized that this would be one of his first actions upon assuming power.
Polls indicate that Merz, the Christian Democratic Union candidate, has a higher chance of becoming Germany’s next chancellor in the parliamentary elections, set to take place in just three days (February 23).
Merz made these statements during a campaign event in Halle, stating that if Germany is providing 300 million euros in aid to Afghanistan annually, it should expect the Taliban ...the once and current oppressors of Afghanistan... to take back individuals who Germany no longer wants.
The absence of formal recognition of the Taliban by the international community and the lack of official relations with the group makes deporting Afghans from Germany and other European countries to Afghanistan difficult. Deporting Afghan criminals or those whose asylum applications have been rejected requires establishing communication with the Taliban-led government.
In the most recent incident, a 24-year-old Afghan asylum seeker drove a car into a crowd in Munich, killing a mother and her child and injuring more than 30 others. In response to such attacks, German officials, including the Chancellor and Interior Minister, have emphasized the importance of deporting Afghan criminals back to Afghanistan.
Merz’s proposed policies on Afghan refugees could lead to significant changes for those seeking asylum in Germany. This shift is likely to disappoint many Afghans who still hope for a future in Germany, as it may curtail their opportunities to seek refuge in the country.
#4
It will be interesting to see if the muslim invasions survive USAID budget cuts. The amount of evil in the world is proportional to the amount of USAID in the world. And I think a reduction in resettlement is built-in to the current state of affairs.
[KhaamaPress] The U.S. State Department has directed the Office of the Coordinator for Afghan Relocation Efforts (CARE) to prepare for closure by April 2025. This decision could affect approximately 200,000 Afghan individuals, including family members of Afghan-American military personnel, children awaiting reunification, and those who assisted U.S. forces during the 20-year conflict in Afghanistan.
CARE was established in August 2021 to facilitate the relocation of Afghans at risk due to their association with the U.S. government. Since its inception, the office has successfully resettled around 118,000 individuals, according to Rooters.
The impending closure of CARE has raised concerns among advocates and former military personnel. Shawn VanDiver, founder of AfghanEvac, described the potential shutdown as "a national disgrace, a betrayal of our Afghan allies, of the veterans who fought for them, and of America’s word."
This development coincides with broader efforts by the U.S. government to reduce diplomatic staff and cut expenditures. The closure aligns with President Donald Trump ...They hit him with slander, they impeached him twice. Nancy Pelosi tore up his State of the Union address on national TV. They stole an election and put his adherents in jail. They vilified him. They couldn't crucify him, so they shot him. Still, they can't keep him down... ’s initiative to overhaul diplomatic operations and reduce government spending by $2 trillion.
The closure plan includes shutting down processing centers in Qatar ...an emirate on the east coast of the Arabian Peninsula. It sits on some really productive gas and oil deposits, which produces the highest per capita income in the world. They piss it all away on religion, financing the Moslem Brotherhood and several al-Qaeda affiliates. Home of nutbag holy manYusuf al-Qaradawi... and Albania, where nearly 3,000 Afghans, including unaccompanied minors, are currently awaiting resettlement. These individuals are living in temporary housing units, receiving basic necessities, but face uncertainty due to the potential cessation of support programs.
The decision to close CARE has not been officially confirmed by the U.S. government, and the identities of those who issued the directive remain unclear. The situation continues to evolve, with ongoing discussions about the future of Afghan resettlement efforts.
The potential closure of CARE underscores the precarious position of Afghan allies who risked their lives to support U.S. operations. Many are now stranded in third countries or facing threats in Afghanistan, highlighting the urgent need for a clear and humane policy response.
Advocacy groups are calling for immediate action to ensure the safety and resettlement of these individuals, emphasizing the moral obligation to honor commitments made to those who assisted the U.S. during its military engagement in Afghanistan.
The international community is closely monitoring this situation, with hopes that the U.S. will uphold its promises and provide a pathway to safety for Afghan allies and their families.
[KhaamaPress] Shawn VanDeveer, the president of the main coalition of U.S. retired soldiers, advocates for refugee rights, and military personnel or “Afghan Evac,” has stated that the U.S. Department of State has not yet decided on the permanent closure of the office responsible for overseeing the resettlement of Afghan citizens.
On Wednesday, February 19, Shawn VanDiver posted a message on X regarding this matter. He noted that while the department has not made a final decision, “it doesn’t look good.”
He further clarified that the U.S. State Department is currently considering plans to permanently shut down the office that manages the resettlement process for Afghan citizens. He assured that as soon as there is more information, they will notify their Afghan friends about the developments.
Reuters reported yesterday, citing sources, that the office responsible for resettling eligible Afghan refugees in the U.S. has been instructed to prepare for closure by April of this year. This directive would prevent at least 200,000 eligible refugees from being able to enter the United States.
According to the report, if this directive is implemented, it would put the lives of tens of thousands of Afghan collaborators, who worked with U.S. forces in Afghanistan, in danger as they are now under Taliban rule. The situation has raised concerns about the safety and future of these individuals, who face imminent threats due to their association with the U.S. military.
The potential closure of the office that facilitates Afghan refugee resettlement raises significant human rights concerns. The decision could result in the denial of refuge for those who risked their lives to support U.S. forces in Afghanistan.
[Garowe] Puntland ...a region in northeastern Somalia, centered on Garowe in the Nugaal province. Its leaders declared the territory an autonomous state in 1998. Puntland and the equally autonomous Somaliland seem to have avoided the clan rivalries and warlordism that have typified the rest of Somalia, which puts both places high on the list for Islamic subversion... security forces have captured members of 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.... (ISIS) accused of extorting money and carrying out bombings in Bosaso, Bari region Police Commander Colonel Abdikadir Jama Dirir said on Wednesday.
Speaking to news hounds, Dirir said the arrests were part of a large-scale operation targeting ISIS in the city, conducted with support from local residents. He described the effort as a success in curbing the group’s activities but did not disclose the number of detainees.
The commander added that the campaign aims to dismantle both ISIS and al-Shabaab ... the personification of Somali state failure... in Bosaso, noting that several individuals who fled the Calmiskaad mountains are now in jug. ISIS has long extorted money from locals, often under the guise of "Zakat," targeting those who refused payment, he said.
Local reports suggest traders who once paid the fees have stopped since the operation began in the Calmiskaad mountains, restricting the group’s movements. Bosaso, a commercial hub in Puntland, has faced persistent security threats from Death Eater groups.
Puntland authorities provided no further details on the ongoing operations.
[Rudaw] The United States Navy and Coast Guard rescued seven mariners from a sinking Iranian vessel in the Persian Gulf, the US Central Command announced late Tuesday.
The mariners, five Iranians and two Indians, were rescued after abandoning the commercial vessel Shayesteh, which had issued a mayday call before sinking.
The crew was rescued by US naval personnel and taken aboard a coasties ship for medical care.
The Persian Gulf is a strategic waterway, vital for global energy supplies, with a significant portion of the world's oil transiting through the Strait of Hormuz. Incidents involving vessels in this region have far-reaching implications for international trade and regional stability.
In recent years, there have been multiple instances where US naval forces have rendered aid to Iranian sailors in distress.
[Rudaw] Iran ...a theocratic Shiite state divided among the Medes, the Persians, and the (Arab) Elamites. Formerly a fairly civilized nation ruled by a Shah, it became a victim of Islamic revolution in 1979. The nation is today noted for spontaneously taking over other countries' embassies, maintaining whorehouses run by clergymen, involvement in international drug trafficking, and financing sock puppet militias to extend the regime's influence. The word Iran is a cognate form of Aryan. The abbreviation IRGC is the same idea as Stürmabteilung (or SA). The term Supreme Guide is a the modern version form of either Duce or Führer or maybe both. They hate JewsZionists Jews. Their economy is based on the production of oil and vitriol... announced on Wednesday that it had dismantled intelligence networks, allegedly linked to the United States and Israel in the country’s northern Mazandaran province.
The networks were allegedly "operating under the guise of charitable and cultural organizations to collect intelligence," according to Siavash Moslemi, one of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) commanders in Mazandaran.
The IRGC’s media center quoted Moslemi as stating that the members of the networks entered Iran "under the guise of trade companies, as well as cultural and charitable centers," and "were seeking to gather information and establish networks of influence."
Moslemi further claimed that the US and Israeli intelligence services "are seeking to infiltrate" into Iran and conduct espionage operations "under the guise of foreign nationals and displaced persons."
All of the Mossad spies are named variations of Mohammed, except for the ones named Abdul … or is it Ahmad? Darn my porous memory! At any rate, it won’t be anything even remotely Jewish — that’s how you’ll recognize them.
He noted that the success in dismantling the alleged networks "prevented security threats and potential crises."
Like y’all dismantled the Mossad-hunting group that made off with the entire warehouse of nuclear program records? That was really impressive, I must admit.
The announcement of Iran’s dismantling of these spy networks notably comes just a day after Tehran’s Supreme Court formally charged two British citizens, Lindsay and Craig Foreman, with espionage. The couple, detained since January, were accused of entering the country under the pretext of tourism to gather information.
For her part, Lindsay Foreman told the Spanish outlet, Sur, in December that she was conducting her PhD studies in positive psychology and surveying people in different countries for her research.
#3
"Ahmad, I think that rock is a Zionist spy rock."
"The small brown one?"
"Yes. I have been staring at it for over an hour and it has not moved once."
"Your dedication is a lesson for us all, brother."
#4
"Why, on my Anthropocene playa,"
Mused innocent Gretaphile Gaia,
"Does all this debris
Always end up on me?"
"Ask your sinister blow-hard messiahs."
I don't remember that time period, but I do have a grandson who is 11.
Posted by: Bobby ||
02/20/2025 10:38
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#7
..well 18 and 19 are teenagers but are considered adults, of age, unless its to purchase alcohol, tobacco, or (some states) firearms. Of course in the latter case, they can enlist and be someplace shooting people with extreme prejudice but that inconsistency evades a lot of the Left.
It’s not just smugglers collecting uniforms—terrorists are reportedly doing the same. During the October 7th 2023 attacks, a large number of attackers disguised themselves as first responders. Always verify the identity of anyone in uniform by checking official badges and IDs.… https://t.co/v9iWKfWCFF
[Rudaw] Peshmerga forces said Wednesday they thwarted an attack by the Islamic State ...formerly ISIS or ISIL, depending on your preference. Before that they were al-Qaeda in Iraq, as shaped by Abu Musab Zarqawi. They're really very devout, committing every atrocity they can find in the Koran and inventing a few more. They fling Allah around with every other sentence, but to hear western pols talk they're not really Moslems.... (ISIS) sleeper cells in Salahaddin province’s disputed town of Tuz Khurmatu earlier in the day. Several shepherds were targeted by the armed individuals in the assault but were rescued by the Kurdish force. One of them recounted the attack.
"After a sleeper cell of the ISIS terrorist group launched a cowardly attack on several shepherds in the Tuz Khurmatu area, specifically around the villages of Duraji and Gharra, early this morning on Wednesday, a confrontation ensued," said Peshmerga ministry in a statement on its Facebook page.
The ministry added that upon being notified, it "immediately dispatched units to assist the shepherds and local residents. The forces successfully managed to return the shepherds safely to their areas while the Lions of Islam fled to an unknown location."
One of the shepherds told Rudaw that several armed individuals, whom he suspected were members of an ISIS sleeper cell, approached him and started speaking in broken Kurdish.
"They told me in Kurdish ’Come and do not be afraid.’ After this, I realized that they were from the group [ISIS]. I was carrying a gun. I hid behind a hill," Abbas Mohammed told Rudaw, adding that the gunnies started firing at him within a distance of 30 meters and he resisted until locals came to his aid.
"I had prepared myself to be either killed or fight back because they had previously taken some people and released them for ransom or killed them. I do not want to have the same fate," noted the Kurdish shepherd.
A Peshmerga commander told Rudaw earlier on Wednesday that three Kurdish shepherds, who were grazing their livestock, were surrounded by six ISIS Lions of Islam in Duraji village - which is administratively affiliated to Sulaimani province’s Garmiyan administration but geographically linked to Tuz Khurmatu.
"This is the land of our ancestors and we will not abandon it," Jassim Mohammed, another shepherd, said.
Many sheep were killed during the altercation but no villager was hurt.
Abbas' uncle said such attacks are frequent.
"We call on the KRG to somehow secure this area. They have not been indifferent but I hope they do more," Luqman Majeed said.
ISIS seized large swathes of territory in Iraq in 2014 but was militarily defeated in 2017 after three years of intense battles. Despite its defeat, the group continues to pose a security threat, particularly in disputed territories across several provinces, including Diyala, Kirkuk, ... a thick stew of Arabs, Turkmen, Kurds, and probably Antarcticans, all of them mutually hostile most of the time... Nineveh, and Salahaddin.
Sulaimani-based security forces (Asayish) said late Wednesday that they had arrested two ISIS suspects in the vicinity of the city.
A Peshmerga commander told Rudaw that three Kurdish shepherds, who were grazing their livestock, were surrounded by six suspected ISIS militants in Duraji village, northwest of the district of Kifri, south of Sulaimani.
“The three shepherds were armed and resisted the ISIS militants. After an intense firefight, Peshmerga fighters and other security forces arrived to their rescue, and the ISIS militants fled the scene,” the commander explained. He added that “no casualties were reported in the clashes,” although “several livestock died due to the gunfight.”
The Peshmerga commander further noted that the rural area of Kifri district “has been a hotspot for ISIS militant activity,” and “the shepherds had ventured away from populated regions, so the militants seized the opportunity and attacked them.”
Kifri is part of Sulaimani’s Garmiyan administration and borders areas controlled by the Iraqi federal government. Both Erbil and Baghdad are working together to address the security vacuum between their areas of control to combat ISIS activities.
In early February, the Kifri district mayor told Rudaw that the joint deployment of Iraqi and Kurdish forces had helped curb ISIS activity in the area, which was once a hotbed of jihadist activity.
BREAKING: Terror supporters at Swarthmore College have violently taken over the main building on campus.
They have vandalized the inside of the building and are refusing to leave. This is Swarthmore’s opportunity to stand up to these extremists and arrest them. pic.twitter.com/2OuGTVh3as
Another chapter in Swarthmore’s long history of student protest felt intensified amidst an increasingly defensive college administration and a reactionary national environment. On the morning of Wednesday, Feb. 19, Swarthmore’s chapter of Students for Justice in Paleostine (SJP) announced an "Emergency Rally" to take place in front of Parrish Hall at noon, citing two demands: that the college drop its disciplinary cases against students for charges related to protests for Paleostine and that the college divest from companies tied to Israel. The rally, which transitioned to a sit-in in the Parrish East hallway outside the office of Dean Nathan Miller, was not allowed to progress in the same fashion as those from semesters prior. Officers from Public Safety quickly barricaded the building and attempted to stop the entry of additional protesters, as well as food and water. The protest continued throughout the day along with numerous heated exchanges between officers and students. An evening email sent to protesters from Vice President for Student Affairs Stephanie Ives threatened those still inside the building after 11:00 p.m. with interim suspensions. The administration confirmed to The Phoenix the swirling rumors that the FBI had contacted the school regarding the ongoing protests. All students and public safety officials left Parrish Hall shortly before 11:00 p.m.
Members of the Swarthmore community began their protest in front of Parrish Hall, and then marched inside and announced their sit-in in the Parrish East first-floor hallway at 12:30 p.m. SJP’s announcement, sent through email and posted on Instagram, read, "Your peers are currently at risk of suspension, financial aid loss, and eviction, for daring to demand this college divest all of its blood money. Today at 12 p.m., we are calling an emergency rally at Parrish Hall to send a clear message: The more you try to silence us, the louder we will be." The protestors sat outside the office of Nathan Miller, Interim Dean of Students and Senior Associate Dean of Student Life, who has been a key player in the college administration’s disciplinary process against students.
The demonstration came just days after SJP posted a statement on Instagram accusing the college of putting students at risk of suspension, expulsion, and deportation: "For the past year, the Swarthmore Administration and Public Safety Department have collaborated to racially profile, harass, and repress students on our campus — most of whom are first-generation low-income students ... It is time for outrage against our institution."
At 1:30 p.m., Public Safety locked all the doors to Parrish and shut the building down to the public and campus community with the protesters still inside. Public Safety officers stood at every entrance to Parrish and blocked access to any non-residents trying to get in. The students inside continued to let people in through a window to the first-floor men’s bathroom, which became the location of multiple confrontations between members of Public Safety and protesters.
An attempt to open doors by students on the north side of Parrish led to the most serious — and well-documented — interaction of the night. Protesters and various Public Safety and other officials struggled over control of the door. At one point a student can be seen grappling with an officer’s arm, forcing it off of the door. In a separate instance, a plainclothes officer grabs a student by the collar and pulls them several feet, then pushes with a second hand on the student’s back, sending them staggering back outside.
Late in the evening, Ives emailed a letter addressed to SJP; print copies were also distributed to the protestors in Parrish. The letter wrote that the college made "several good-faith attempts" to end the sit-in, saying that "we have no choice but to take immediate steps to bring the occupation to an end." Ives concluded the letter by warning students that if they do not leave by 11:00 p.m. they will face interim suspension, which results in the loss of all academic privileges and loss of access to campus services like food and housing.
Regarding rumors of non-Swarthmore law enforcement — police or the FBI — being contacted regarding the standoff, Hirsch emphasized in email correspondence with The Phoenix that the college did not notify the FBI or any other federal law enforcement agency. But, he continued, "The FBI contacted us based on the nature and volume of social media posts by Swarthmore SJP, along with other regional and national SJP and other accounts, calling for people from outside the campus community to come to Swarthmore and participate in the occupation." Both SJP and administration confirmed that all protestors had left the building shortly before 11 p.m., and Public Safety officers were seen leaving the building, signifying the end of the sit-in. "Given that the students complied with the letter, we do not expect to issue interim suspensions," Hirsch wrote.
#4
Long article in the Swarthmore Phoenix today about how the school is responding/will respond to the horrors being wrought by those chaotic and threatening people who will be running things for the next four years. After staff returned from the recent American Council on Education’s 2025 conference — where discussion of President OrangeManBad and what to do about it all was a hot topic — the conclusions were that because of Swarthmore’s long history of social activism and very healthy endowment, the school will be able mostly to proceed as they have been, cushioned from the loss of federal funding. Nonetheless, a private webpage has been launched with resources for university researchers, explaining how to alter presentation to avoid triggering federal inquisitiveness without significantly changing the underlying work. The university will act to protect non-citizen students and will work collectively with other universities to fight against the anti-intellectual plans coming out of Washington. So chin-up guys — this isn't the end of the world.
Syrian Jews in Damascus after thirty years. Rabbi Joseph Hamra and his son Henry read from the Torah scroll for the first time in thirty years in a synagogue in the heart of the Syrian capital Damascus. pic.twitter.com/nyQbCc6dv9
Hoping to see more Jewish tourists and their money, maybe even followed by them investing in renovating the old Jewish sites and properties or even in setting up businesses that the HTS government can tax.
[Rudaw] A Jewish Syrian Rabbi and his son have returned to their homeland from the United States after more than three decades of being forced to leave Syria by the Hafez al-Assad-led Baath regime.
Speaking to Rudaw’s Dilkhwaz Mohammed on Wednesday, Rabbi Yusef Hamra said he had returned to Damascus after 33 years of being forced to leave. "I am the first Jew to return to Syria. I arrived here with my son on Monday evening," he said.
Hamra expressed sadness at the state of the neighborhood he grew up, the Jewish Quarter southeast of Old Damascus. "It is empty of residents," he said.
After visiting his old synagogue, Hamra remarked, "I am upset that the place needs more attention and care." When asked about the possibility of holding prayers in the Jewish house of worship, he responded, "We are trying to gather a quorum of ten people. If they come, we will hold the prayer, but if they do not, the prayer cannot be performed."
In the Jewish faith, at least ten people must be present to conduct certain prayers. A quorum of ten Jewish adults, known as a Minyan, is the most highly recommended and required for some forms of prayer.
In 1992, more than 5,000 Jews were forcibly deported by the regime of Hafez al-Assad, father of the recently ousted Syrian president, Bashir Pencilneck al-Assad. These individuals were forced to settle in various European and Western countries and were unable to return to Syria.
Hamra visited some of the historic Jewish sites in Damascus, including the al-Franj, al-Raki and Jobar synagogues. He additionally visited the Ibn Maimonides Jewish school. Bashir al-Assad’s regime also prevented Jews from returning in subsequent years and confiscated their property.
In the Middle Ages, Syria was home to one of the largest Jewish settlements in the world, with most living in the Damascus area. The community dates back to Elijah’s Damascus sojourn nearly 3,000 years ago, but Jewish life really blossomed in the city after 1099, when Christian armies conquered Jerusalem in the First Crusade and massacred the city’s inhabitants.
Historians say 50,000 Jews fled to Damascus, making almost one in three Damascenes Jewish almost overnight. Some became government advisors and ministers, and the community grew to around 100,000 by the turn of the 20th century.
Tens of thousands of Jews relocated to Israel following its creation in 1948. Others held in Syria against their will, emigrated once they were allowed to when Middle East peace talks began in the 1990s.
[MSN-AFP] Syria's tiny Jewish community said they held their first group prayer in decades Wednesday, in a synagogue in Damascus's Old City, expressing joy at the long-awaited return to public worship.
In the Faranj synagogue, Syrian-American Rabbi Yusuf Hamra led the prayer for the first time since arriving this week from the United States, where he has lived since the 1990s.
"The last time I visited the synagogue here and prayed was before I travelled to America," said Hamra, 77.
"After arriving in Damascus two days ago, I came to pray for the first time... after 34 years," he told AFP in the Jewish quarter of the capital's Old City.
Hamra said he was the last rabbi to quit Syria -- one of thousands of members of the Jewish community to leave in the 1990s.
Syria's centuries-old Jewish community was able to practise their religion under then president Hafez al-Assad, but the strongman prevented them from leaving the country until 1992.
After that, their numbers plummeted from around 5,000 at the time.
Now just seven elderly Jews are believed to live in Damascus.
After an Islamist-led rebel alliance overthrew Hafez's son Bashir Pencilneck al-Assad The Scourge of Hama... in December last year, Hamra said he seized the opportunity to return with his son.
All of Syria's synagogues closed when civil war erupted in 2011, Hamra said.
A historic synagogue in the Damascus suburb of Jobar once drew Jewish pilgrims from around the world but was looted and heavily damaged during the war.
The whole suburb was devastated during the conflict.
The Assad family had presented itself as a protector of minorities in multi-ethnic, multi-confessional Syria.
Syria's new Islamist-led authorities have repeatedly sought to reassure minorities that they will be protected, and have pledged to involve all Syrians in building the country's future.
At the end of the prayer, community leader Bakhour Chamntoub expressed happiness at Hamra's return to the synagogue.
"I need Jews with me in the neighbourhood," he said of the Jewish quarter, where he lives.
He expressed hope that "Jews will return to their neighbourhood and their people" in Syria.
"For nearly 40 years, I haven't prayed with others. The feeling is indescribable," he said.
Posted by: Fred ||
02/20/2025
2025-02-20 00:58 ||
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[IsraelTimes] Yemeni Information Minister Moammar al-Eryani calls for the arrest of a group of leaders from Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthis who he says will attend Lebanese Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah’s funeral in Beirut.
Nasrallah, who had served as the Lebanese terror group’s secretary general for more than 30 years, was killed on September 27 as Israel ramped up its attacks. His funeral is scheduled for February 23.
Eryani demands that the Lebanese government arrest the Houthi leaders and hand them over to the rival internationally recognized government in a post on X.
He does not name the Houthi officials.
Neither the Lebanese government nor Houthi leaders are immediately available for comment.
The Houthis have not officially announced a delegation will attend the funeral, but the Houthi-run Al-Masirah TV has reported a delegation from Yemen will participate.
“We affirm that the movement of these terrorist leaders… in this timing is not a mere participation in the funeral, which is being used as a cover, to gather all the leaders of the Iranian axis and assess the situation after the blows they received,” he adds.
[IsraelTimes] The IDF confirms carrying out an airstrike in the southern Gaza Strip several hours ago, targeting a group of suspects who took possession of a drone that was used in a smuggling attempt.
According to the military, the drone had been identified as crossing from Israel into Gaza, in an attempt to smuggle prohibited goods.
After the drone landed and several suspects took possession of it, the IDF carried out an airstrike against them.
Palestinian media reported several dead and wounded in the strike.
The IDF says it is trying to find those who operated the drone, “to bring them to justice.”
Several such smuggling attempts have been carried out in recent weeks, with the IDF saying suspects on the Israeli side load up drones with weapons or drugs and fly them over the border into Gaza. Some of the attempts have been successful, according to the military.
[IsraelTimes] A US federal judge has ordered the Trump Justice Department to appear in court Wednesday to explain its extraordinary decision to drop corruption charges against New York Mayor Eric Adams, a move that triggered a wave of protest resignations.
US District Judge Dale Ho,
…Biden appointee, immigrant Filipino-American, his previous job was director of the American Civil Liberties Union's voting rights project …
who is presiding over the case, has ordered the embattled mayor of the largest US city and Justice Department prosecutors to attend a 2 p.m. (1900 GMT) hearing in Manhattan to discuss the reasons for dismissing the charges.
In asking last week for the case against Adams to be dropped, acting Deputy Attorney General Emil Bove says the prosecution was restricting the Democratic mayor’s “ability to devote full attention and resources to illegal immigration and violent crime.”
The unusual request prompted allegations that it was a quid pro quo in exchange for Adams agreeing to enforce Republican President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown — a claim denied by the mayor.
“I want to be crystal clear with New Yorkers: I never offered — nor did anyone offer on my behalf — any trade of my authority as your mayor for an end to my case,” he says.
Adams, who pleaded not guilty in September to charges of fraud and bribery, has been under growing pressure to resign.
On Monday, the head of New York’s city council called on the mayor, who is facing reelection in November, to step down and four deputy mayors announced that they were resigning.
Governor Kathy Hochul, who has the power to remove Adams from office, was meeting with “key leaders” on Tuesday to discuss what she called a “path forward with the goal of ensuring stability for the City of New York.”
#3
Charging someone with airline upgrades seems novel. There doesn’t seem to be any history of anyone else being charged similarly. It’s almost like Adams was targeted.
Posted by: Super Hose ||
02/20/2025 5:52
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#4
Governor Kathy Hochul, who has the power to remove Adams from office, was meeting with “key leaders” on Tuesday to discuss what she called a “path forward with the goal of ensuring stability for the City of New York.”
Governor Hochul, meet Tom Holman. Tom Holman, meet Governor Hochul.
#5
I think the problem is that even though Adams is corrupt THESE legal actions were primarily politically motivated and would not stand up under fair appeal even if he was convicted. Better to start fresh.
#Colombia 🇨🇴: National Liberation Army (Ejército de Liberación Nacional, #ELN) released a video and stated that they will "Continue To Fight Against Narco Paramilitaries".
The spokesman of the ELN is seemingly armed with an East German (DDR) made MPi-KMS-72 assault rifle. pic.twitter.com/Fg8Owi4FQN
[IsraelTimes] Shi’ite-majority Iraq to send delegation to Lebanon for burial of slain terror leader and his would-be successor; Beirut airport to be closed for 4 hours on Sunday during funeral
Flights from Baghdad to Beirut are nearly at capacity as airlines increase services ahead of Hezbollah’s terror leader His Eminence Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah ...The late, lamented satrap of the Medes and the Persians in Leb...> ’s funeral, officials said.
The Iran-backed terror group has called for a huge turnout when Nasrallah, killed in a September Israeli strike, is laid to rest in the Lebanese capital on Sunday.
"Iraqi Airways will increase its flights to Beirut from one flight a day to two, starting on February 20," said transport ministry spokesperson Maytham al-Safi, citing heightened demand ahead of the funeral.
An Iraqi airline official told AFP that "all seats on Iraqi Airlines flights from Baghdad to Beirut are booked."
A source from Leb ...The Lebs maintain a precarious sectarian balance among Shiites, Sunnis, and about a dozen flavors of Christians, plus Armenians, Georgians, and who knows what else?... ’s Middle East Airlines (MEA) reported increased flights between Baghdad and Beirut from Friday to Tuesday.
The airlines’ websites show that Iraqi Airways flights are fully booked until Sunday, with MEA nearly sold out.
Iraqi politicians and officials are expected to attend Nasrallah’s funeral privately, an Iraqi official said. Representatives from pro-Iran ...a theocratic Shiite state divided among the Medes, the Persians, and the (Arab) Elamites. Formerly a fairly civilized nation ruled by a Shah, it became a victim of Islamic revolution in 1979. The nation is today noted for spontaneously taking over other countries' embassies, maintaining whorehouses run by clergymen, involvement in international drug trafficking, and financing sock puppet militias to extend the regime's influence. The word Iran is a cognate form of Aryan. The abbreviation IRGC is the same idea as Stürmabteilung (or SA). The term Supreme Guide is a the modern version form of either Duce or Führer or maybe both. They hate JewsZionists Jews. Their economy is based on the production of oil and vitriol... Iraqi factions, Hezbollah’s longstanding allies in the Tehran-led "axis of resistance," are also expected to participate.
Beirut airport will be closed for four hours during the funeral.
Hezbollah has said 79 countries would be involved in the commemoration, either officially or through "popular" support.
Sunday’s funeral will also honor Hashem Safieddine, a senior Hezbollah figure who had been chosen to succeed Nasrallah before he was killed in an Israeli strike in October.
After decades at the helm of the group once seen as invincible, the killing of the charismatic Nasrallah sent shock waves across Lebanon and the wider region.
Since Nasrallah’s death, portraits of him, either alone or alongside other slain pro-Iran terror commanders, have been displayed throughout Baghdad and other areas of the Shiite-majority country.
On Sunday afternoon, thousands are expected to attend a "symbolic" procession for Nasrallah in Baghdad’s northwestern neighborhood of Kadhimiya, which is home to a Shiite shrine.
Nasrallah was killed in a huge Israeli Arclight airstrike ...KABOOM!... on Beirut’s southern suburbs on September 27, 2024, as Israel scaled up its campaign against the Iran-backed terror group following almost a year of cross-border attacks.
Hezbollah began near-daily attacks on northern Israel one day after the October 7, 2023, attack on Israel by its Paleostinian ally Hamas ..a regional Iranian catspaw,... , which triggered the war in 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... . Some 60,000 Israeli residents of the north were displaced by Hezbollah’s attacks, with rocket fire eventually spreading to the center of the country.
Israel intensified its campaign against Hezbollah in September, launching a series of devastating blows against the group’s leadership and killing its longtime chief Nasrallah before launching a ground invasion in southern Lebanon aimed at securing the border and enabling the return of displaced Israelis.
[Epoch Times] The Senate on Feb. 20 confirmed Kash Patel as director of the FBI.
Senators voted 51 to 49 to confirm Patel, who gained prominence for exposing alleged FBI and Justice Department malfeasance during the Crossfire Hurricane probe into the Trump campaign. Sens. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) and Susan Collins (R-Maine) crossed the aisle to join Democrats in voting against Patel’s nomination.
Posted by: Bobby ||
02/20/2025
15:52 ||
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[11176 views]
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#2
This is sort of shaping up as the worst case scenario for the DS. Now I would like to see confirmation of the bench strength. What is Hulk Hogan nominated for?
Posted by: Super Hose ||
02/20/2025 18:59
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I can hardly wait to find out. In the meantime, I am hoping Dennis Rodman gets appointed ambassador to North Korea. But some say he has returned to his homeworld.
#5
He had one good accomplishment. He kept Merrick The Weasel Garland from becoming a Supreme Court Justice. Other than that, it'll be good to see him go.
Posted by: Abu Uluque ||
02/20/2025 13:59
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#7
He also got a lot of judges approved during Donald Trump’s first term, which shaped the landscape in a lot of ways to make Trump 47 possible and successful. Other than that he is a corrupt, hate-filled, and canny political operator who definitely does not like it when the peepul — including President Trump — dare to think they have any input in ruling the country that belongs to him and the rest of the Senate.
#10
Good to see a guy get out while he still has his health and can truly enjoy all of the wealth he has collected over the years. Doesn’t look like he’ll be asked to call on Bingo Night. Those days are have passed.
Posted by: Super Hose ||
02/20/2025 18:53
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[Daily Mail, where America gets its news] Marine veteran Daniel Penny,
…the young retired Marine architecture student who, with the help of two gentlemen of colour who were not charged by Soros DA Alvin Bragg, restrained homeless schizophrenic Jordan Neely until the police arrived and took the still-breathing man off their hands. Mr. Neely had 40 prior arrests including violent attacks, and was loudly working himself up to attack riders in that subway car, in part because of the interesting drugs in his bloodstream that led to his death...
who was recently acquitted in a high-profile manslaughter case, has been awarded for his bravery on a New York City subway.
Penny, 26, received the coveted Semper Fidelis achievement award by the Marine Corps League at Iwo Jima Day in Boston.
The two attorneys who represented him in the case, Thomas Keniff and Steve Raiser, also received honors.
The League said Penny represented 'the Espirit De Corps defined by selfless service and sacrifice when he risked his life by defending the people of that New York City train,' Raiser told the New York Post.
Kenniff and Raiser then 'defended Danny from a prosecution that never should have been sought.'
Penny had faced up to 20 years in prison for his actions onboard the subway on May 1, 2023, when Jordan Neely - a black homeless man and Michael Jackson impersonator with more than 40 previous arrests began 'threatening' passengers.
The ex-Marine placed Neely, 30, into a chokehold for roughly six minutes, as caught on camera. Neely died shortly afterward.
Following a six-week trial at Manhattan Supreme Court, prosecutors made a bombshell decision to drop the manslaughter charge against him as the jury remained deadlocked.
Pushing ahead with lesser charges of negligent homicide, the jury returned a not-guilty verdict days later, prompting a small smile from Penny in the courtroom.
Ahead of Wednesday's ceremony, John M. MacGillivray, of the Marine Corps League wrote that the award goes to 'worthy and inspirational recipients'.
'We believe that Daniel Penny and attorneys Raiser and Kenniff deserve such recognition and hope that they will consent to accept these awards,' he said.
Raiser, in turn, said he, Kenniff and Penny 'were honored to be in the same room being honored alongside many veterans of prior wars, including an Iwo Jima veteran and a retired general who served as one of the Tuskegee Airmen.'
Kenniff also noted that outside of the State House, Brig. General Enoch 'Woody' Woodhouse, one of the Tuskegee Airmen, took Penny's hand, looked him in the eye and said, 'I'm proud of you son.'
'That is a moment I don't think any of us will forget,' he said.
While the veterans honored Penny for his heroism, others were left outraged by his acquittal.
Neely's father, Andre Zachery, for example, blasted the decision outside the courthouse.
'It really, really hurts,' he said. 'I had enough of this. The system is rigged.'
Black Lives Matter leader Walter 'Hawk' Newsome, who said he was Neely's uncle, even went as far as threatening Penny in the courtroom with 'black vigilante' action.
He shouted, 'it's a small f**king world, buddy', amid the chaos which followed the verdict being announced at Manhattan Supreme Court on December 9.
Then, speaking to media and later protesters outside the courthouse, Newsome said it was time for 'black vigilantes.'
'Everybody else has vigilantes. We need some black vigilantes,' he said.
'People want to jump up and choke us and kill us for being loud, how about we do the same when they attempt to oppress us.'
[ZERO] There are 7.3 million single mothers in the U.S., as well as 1.9 million single fathers. Single parents often face the dual challenge of being both the primary breadwinners and caregivers for their families.
This graphic, via Visual Capitalist's Bruno Venditti, represents the percentage of mothers in the U.S. who are single, by race/ethnicity, in 2023.
So, here we have a demographic group, that only makes up roughly 14% of the US population, accounting for almost 1/2 of all US's UN-Wed births and single Moms.
QUESTION:
So, why would any Local, State or Fed Political Party design and fund a process that it knows will produce growing generation after generation number of single mothers on TAXPAYER assistance?
SIDE NOTE:
Given the multi-Generational practice of multi-sperm donor hook-ups. With a surprising number actually seeking to become pregnant and get a free taxpayer ride.
There was also a study done some years ago, regarding the possible later generation inadvertent 1st and 2nd cousin hook-ups producing offspring in the Housing Projects and nearby areas.
#4
So, why would any Local, State or Fed Political Party design and fund a process that it knows will produce growing generation after generation number of single mothers on TAXPAYER assistance?
BIG governments need BIG constituencies. The poorer and less educated the better.
#6
Would be interesting to see a graph of those single parent demographic distributions over time - say 100 years. I am surprised whites are still down at 14% - my perception was that for the past generation the white kids have been racing to catch up with their tanner peers.
#7
It's % of single mothers per ethnic group - not ethnic percentage of single mothers, NN2N1 (note the numbers don't add to 100).
That is, 47% of black mothers are single - not 47% of single mothers are black.
#9
I took single fathers as those caring for their children without benefit of female support.
Or is Mayor Pete in that category? Or would that be 'double fathers'?
Posted by: Bobby ||
02/20/2025 10:01
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#10
I've read that multigenerational single moms adapt traits that make them insufferable mates: quick to anger, violent, mouthy, Dunning-Kruger types.
Posted by: Regular joe ||
02/20/2025 11:41
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#12
"for the past generation the white kids have been racing to catch up with their tanner peers."
Are you sure about that? I do not know any white kids, millennials or GenZ, who are single parents. Outside of gays but I dont want to digress there. And I tend to hand out with white trash and derelicts, that's the demographic most likely to be single parents, and I am not seeing it. Not like I did with my GenX peers.
#13
I do not know any white kids, millennials or GenZ, who are single parents.
I know several who started out single parents, but after a few years found someone to marry — sometimes well chosen, sometimes not. All have lots of support, both babysitting and financial, from their middle to upper-middle class parents.
It’s interesting to see the kids of the educated and successful choosing not to abort their whoopsies.
#14
It turned out that the welfare programs of the 1960s "Great Society" made it financially very advantageous for the woman to not be married. We destroyed the black families, which had previously been making great progress economically and socially. Johnson loved it.
[ZeroHedge] Poland is reviving the idea of creating a large military base called "Fort Trump" as European allies walk a diplomatic tightrope with the Trump administration as he pushes for Ukraine peace without their representation.
The country's President Andrzej Duda on Tuesday revealed that assurances have been communicated from the Trump White House over the future of America's troop presence in Poland. There are no plans for a US troop reduction along NATO's 'eastern flank' - he was told.
Trump and his top national security officials have been pushing hard for Europe to do more to bolster its own security, instead of relying on Washington dollars and deployments.
Duda addressed this in Tuesday comments as follows: "There are no concerns that the U.S. would reduce the level of its presence in our country, that the U.S. would in any way withdraw from its responsibility or co-responsibility for the security of this part of Europe."
"On the contrary, I hope that thanks to the efforts that President Trump is currently making, the war in Ukraine will end," he continued, immediately following a meeting in Warsaw with Gen. Keith Kellogg, the U.S. special envoy for Ukraine and Russia.
"I will say that in my personal opinion, America has entered the game very strongly when it comes to ending the war in Ukraine. I know President Donald Trump, I know that he is an extremely decisive man and when he acts, he acts in a very determined and usually effective way," Duda said, praising the longtime friend of his. The two appeared to be close during Trump's first administration.
Washington initially deployed and bolstered Pentagon forces in Poland following Crimea being annexed by Russia in 2014, which was the result of a popular referendum among the population.
International reports commonly estimate there are some 10,000 American troops in Poland. The Associated Press quoted Duda as expressing hope for an increase in troops, especially if Poland follows through on the prior Fort Trump idea:
Duda said Hegseth told him “that we can rather expect a strengthening of the American presence here. We even talked about the fact that I hope that Fort Trump, which we talked about during the first term of President Donald Trump, will really be established.”
Duda had first spoken publicly on this when he visited the White House in 2018, though the military outpost was never established.
I love how the media has gone full "How dare the US and Russia talk to each other about Ukraine without inviting Kiev?"
...when 8 months ago, the West held a summit in Switzerland where they invited everyone EXCEPT RUSSIA, and acted like they were going to solve the Ukraine war
As for more of what Duda thinks of current direct US engagement with Russia, he also struck a cautious tone on this. "We have told both the Secretary of Defense and General Kellogg clearly and distinctly that it is obvious to us that this war cannot end in a victory for Russia," the Polish leader said.
#1
Poor Poland - facing the resurgent Russian Empire and only the spagetti-spined EU as backup, now that Trump has caught Biden-brain disease and decided Putin is right to invade neighboring countries.
[ZeroHedge] Trump’s February 7 executive order “Addressing Egregious Actions Of The Republic Of South Africa” cuts off aid or assistance to the country and “promote[s] the resettlement of Afrikaner refugees.” The stated reasons for the administration’s actions are a new law that, according to White House, will “enable the government of South Africa to seize ethnic minority Afrikaners’ agricultural property without compensation. There are also “aggressive positions” towards the US and its allies, namely Israel, which the administration refers to with regards to South Africa’s genocide case at the International Court of Justice.
More broadly, the executive order states that South Africa is “undermining United States foreign policy, which poses national security threats to our Nation, our allies, our African partners, and our interests.”
While the charge of anti-white racism fits neatly with the empire’s new brand of identity politics, and the retribution for the ICC case against Israel is to be expected from any US administration,
…except the Biden-[Harris] administration, which quietly approved…
what of the other “undermining” of US foreign policy and “threats” to the US and its interests?
As the recent news surrounding the Panama Canal, Greenland, and other areas show, the US is doubling its efforts to control global shipping lanes — likely in preparation for a conflict with China — but this has gone unmentioned in connection to the pressure campaign against South Africa. I’ll explore that here after quickly looking at the plight of the Afrikaners.
#5
The vastly outnumbered of modern civlization simply could not compete. It really is all in the numbers (demographics) Israel is an excellent current-day example. If you are unwilling to fight to keep it, you are doomed.
* Not telling anyone here anything they don't already know.
Posted by: Herb Grerens1999 ||
02/20/2025 9:54
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My thoughts highlighted, ZH’s can be read at the link.
[ZeroHedge] Donald Trump's recent bold and unconventional geopolitical proposals have ignited a firestorm of speculation. Ideas like annexing Canada, the path of Ukraine/Russia peace, and his Gaza plans seem like jackhammer strikes when compared to business as usual in Washington. Opinions remain divided over whether his approach reflects strategic insight or risky overreach, especially given the complex dynamics between Ukraine, Russia, and the broader international community.
The world is uncertain with Donald Trump's presidency reshaping the global stage. Depending on perspective, it's either a bold new chapter or a more troubling extension of past dynamics. Trump's rapid-fire domestic and foreign policy decisions have many countries on edge, fueling widespread speculation. Among the more striking are Trump's idea for Canada as the 51st state, talks of purchasing Greenland, transforming Gaza into a luxury resort rivalling Mar-a-Lago, and even throwing Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky under the proverbial bus. From the calculated to the chaotic, each idea sparks debates about its brilliance or recklessness. Here's an analysis of whether these actions could represent strategic brilliance or reckless unpredictability.
Hey! What About Saskatchewan?
Canada has ten provinces. But what President Trump really wants, as he’s stated, is for Canada to properly guard their southern border, catching illegal immigrants and smugglers from crossing into the U.S. instead of waving them through. Also, it would be good for all involved were Canada to mine more petroleum and useful minerals to replace China.
A Palestinian Buyout
A maximalist challenge to the world to come up with a realistic solution.
The Inevitable Split
There are no good answers for Ukraine and Russia now, only more or less bad ones. But the demographic crash has been accelerated for both countries, no matter how happy President Putin might be about his Pyrrhic victory.
Problematic Europe - Always
Germany’s election approaches. Whether the winner actually carries out current promises being made about Europe’s Moslem colonists is the critical question, it seems to me.
Like a dog !
[WashingtonExaminer] Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem has debuted a multimillion-dollar ad campaign that implores illegal immigrants in the United States [to self deport],
Set to run a series of ads in a multiple languages in a multiple countries and regions.
#2
Now do one for the states that compares the exploitation of their labor as nothing but modern slavery, backed by the people who defended the old system, and pointing out the employers use politicians to cover their costs of housing, feeding and housing upon the backs of taxpayers.
They called you Hitler and a fascist and your followers racist and Nazis. Alinsky them.
The association said the guidance was not "very convincing" and that the order is not expected to successfully beat any legal challenges.
The School Superintendents Association, known as AASA, told its members this week that they can ignore the Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights' order to drop diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) policies or lose federal funding.
The Education Department's guidance last week told the public schools nationwide that they had 14 days to comply with the order or face repercussions, including a loss of federal funding. The guidance highlighted that "treating students differently on the basis of race to achieve nebulous goals such as diversity, racial balancing, social justice, or equity is illegal."
The association said the guidance was not "very convincing," because it predicts the order will not beat any legal challenges and because President Donald Trump recently halted the office's civil rights enforcement.
"It is also important for districts to remember that there is a long-drawn out process for rescinding funding for failure to comply with civil rights laws," the association told members Monday.
The association's civil rights attorney said districts that are concerned about federal backlash over their policies should “focus on programs and activities that might be at risk under the current law, regulations, and judicial guidance.
"Policies that explicitly use race in admissions, financial aid, hiring, or discipline—such as racial quotas, set-asides, or preferential treatment—are the most at risk under current law," she stated. "Similarly, DEI programs that stereotype individuals or groups, assign racial blame, or suppress speech based on race could be suspect."
The association added that no federal law bans the teaching of race-related topics, and argued that any order by Office for Civil Rights to do so would violate laws and raise First Amendment issues.
#4
I think they can (unless Courts rule DEI illegal), but it would (should) mean loss of all Federal funding (which shouldn't exist in the first place.)
[Daily Mail, where America gets its news] Donald Trump made his strongest move against illegal immigration yet on Wednesday, signing an executive order that stops taxpayer money from going to undocumented migrants.
The White House stated that Trump is 'committed to safeguarding Federal public benefits for American citizens who are truly in need, including individuals with disabilities and veterans.'
Trump is demanding 'corrective action' to stop 'all taxpayer-funded benefits for illegal aliens'.
Currently, children are entitled to a free K-12 public education regardless of immigration status under a 1982 Supreme Court ruling. Trump's order says a 1996 welfare law is supposed to deny public benefits to most illegal migrants, but points out that overhaul was 'repeatedly undercut' under Biden. He claims the Biden administration's border crisis resulted 'in the improper expenditure of significant taxpayer resources.'
The president also immediately ended his predecessor's use of parole to allow people into America temporarily, including via the controversial CBP One app that allowed in 900,000 migrants at the Mexican border. More than 500,000 Cubans, Haitians, Nicaraguans and Venezuelans who flew to the US at their own expense with a financial sponsor took advantage of the program.
Biden also granted parole to nearly 300,000 people from Ukraine and Afghanistan. People granted parole for at least a year are considered 'qualified non-citizens,' making them eligible for some income-based benefits, but only after five years. Those benefits include Medicaid and the Children´s Health Insurance Program, which provides coverage to children in families that earn too much money to qualify for Medicaid.
The order directs federal department and agencies to identify and end all federally funded programs currently providing any financial benefits to illegal immigrants.
'It ensures that Federal funds to states and localities will not be used to support "sanctuary" policies or assist illegal immigration,' according to a White House fact sheet about the order. The order also includes a mandate to improve benefit eligibility verification to make sure benefits are not going to immigrants in the US illegally.
Trump signed 10 executive orders on immigration on his first day in office. They included ending automatic citizenship for people born in the United States and asylum at the southern border. The birthright citizenship order has been temporarily halted in court.
Speaking to reporters on Wednesday night, Trump said he thinks ICE is doing a 'great job.'
Among his efforts taken on immigration, the president has also allowed the military to act as immigration and border enforcement officials and reprioritized the building of the border wall.
Trump moved to end so-called 'catch and release' which allows some migrants to remain in the US while they wait for court proceedings, instead opting for detentions and deportations of those in the US illegally. He also stopped the refugee arrivals and paused the US Refugee Admission Program pending a review.
More broadly, the president has also pushed to redefine birthright citizenship under the Fourteen Amendment, which is already being challenged in federal court.
The Biden administration made the changes to deal with the massive influx of illegal immigrants trying to get into the US in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic. Since Trump took over nearly a month ago, illegal border crossings have dropped substantially, as deportations have ramped up. 'Border Czar' Tom Homan posted to X on Monday that in the past 24 hours, US Border Patrol only encountered 229 migrants attempting to cross into the United States - down from a high water mark of 11,000 a day during the Biden years.
'I started as a Border Patrol Agent in 1984 and I don't remember the number ever being that low,' Homan commented. 'President Trump promised a secure border and he is delivering.'
Homan pushed back on an Axios report from Friday that said the Trump administration wasn't arresting as many illegal immigrants crossing into the US as the Biden administration. The Trump official explained this is because fewer people have been making those illegal crossing. He added that the new administration has been focused on 'interior arrests.'
'And we're blowing them out of the water,' Homan said.
Homan said that there were more than 600,000 illegal immigrants in the US with criminal convictions.
'So I won't be happy until we eradicate every one of those,' Homan said.
#2
"Explosive"? He's enforcing a law on the book since 1996 (Clinton Administration). The Donks had the Presidency, House and Senate under Obama for two years that could have changed that law. They did not.
#4
I missed this, and it's a good start. But NGOs all have battle chests to survive Trump and to carry on their missions during his admin. There was an expectation of funding freezes and they have already war gamed the next four years in their think tanks and consulting groups.
[YouTube] Before delivering a stunning rendition of his viral hit 'Rich Men North of Richmond' for the audience at ARC 2025, Chris Lunsford, known as Oliver Anthony, gave a poignant speech on the sense of disenfranchisement in rural America that left the whole room deeply moved.
[NYP] President Trump signed an executive order Wednesday night barring illegal immigrants from receiving federally-funded benefits.
"My Administration will uphold the rule of law, defend against the waste of hard-earned taxpayer resources, and protect benefits for American citizens in need, including individuals with disabilities and veterans," read the text of Trump’s order.
The president noted that the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 (PRWORA) ostensibly prohibits illegal immigrants from obtaining most taxpayer-funded benefits, but he argued that in the decades since its passage "numerous administrations have acted to undermine the principles and limitations directed by the Congress."
After returning to the White House, President Trump has intensified pressure on undocumented immigrants colonists, with some being transferred to other countries.
The Trump administration has moved several "undocumented Democrat offenders" to Guantanamo Bay. Recently, a group of Asian immigrants colonists, including those from Afghanistan and Iran, were deported to Panama.
[HODHODYEMENNEWS.NET] Fearless Leader of the Islamic Revolution ...Iran's doddering head theocrat... Ayatollah Sayyed ...Arabic term meaning your/his lordship. Groveling in His Exalted Presence is encouraged... Ali Khamenei ...the very aged actual dictator of Iran, successor to Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini...> said the United States' ''foolish American plan'' 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... would lead nowhere, Islamic Theocratic Republic News Agency (IRNA) reported.
Ayatollah Khamenei received the secretary-general of the 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... movement, Ziyad al-Nakhaleh, and his accompanying delegation in Tehran on Tuesday.
The Leader congratulated the Paleostinian resistance on their victory against Israel in Gaza, where the occupying regime has been forced to enter into a ceasefire agreement with Hamas ..a contraction of the Arabic words for "frothing at the mouth",... after failing to dismantle the resistance groups, a chief objective of its genocidal war in the enclave.
''The great work of the leaders and fighters of the Paleostinian resistance in creating unity and cohesion and steadfastness against the enemy, and moving the complex negotiations forward, along with the patience and perseverance of the (Paleostinian) people, has brought honor to the resistance in the region,'' Ayatollah Khamenei said.
Ayatollah Khamenei noted that this victory has set ''a new benchmark'' in resistance against the occupying regime.
The Leader pointed out that the Israeli regime is now negotiating the release of its prisoners held in Gaza in exchange for a substantially larger number of Paleostinian prisoners and with the same resistance groups that it had vowed to destroy going into the war.
''Currently, global public opinion is in favor of Paleostine, and under these circumstances, no plan will succeed without the consent of the resistance and the people of Gaza,'' he said.
Ayatollah Khamenei was referring to a proposed plan by U.S. President Donald Trump ...So far he's been unkillable, and they've tried.... to ''take over'' Gaza after the enclave has been forcibly cleared of its more than two million residents. The plan has been widely rejected by both the Paleostinians and the broader Arab world.
During the meeting, Nakhalah congratulated Ayatollah Khamenei on the Paleostinian victory and expressed gratitude for the Islamic Theocratic Republic's continuous support of the resistance.
''The Paleostinian resistance has, in fact, been at war with the United States and the West for the past year and a half,'' he said. ''Despite the unequal balance of (military) power, the Paleostinian resistance has been able to achieve great victories.''
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02/20/2025
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[HODHODYEMENNEWS.NET] Khalil al-Hayya, head of the Islamic Resistance Movement ''Hamas'' in the Gaza Strip and head of the negotiating delegation, announced on Tuesday evening that the movement and the resistance have decided to hand over four bodies of Israeli occupation prisoners next Thursday, in addition to releasing six living prisoners on Saturday, in exchange for the release of a similar number of Palestinian prisoners.
Al-Hayya explained in a video speech broadcast by Al-Aqsa TV that the movement will hand over four bodies on Thursday, February 20, including the bodies of the Bibas family, and that the occupation will release the concerned Palestinian prisoners on Saturday, February 22, according to the agreement.
He confirmed that the delivery of the remaining bodies agreed upon in the first stage will be completed during the sixth week.
He also indicated that the living prisoners agreed upon to be released in the first stage, six in number, will be released next Saturday, including prisoners Hisham al-Sayed and Avera Mengistu. He added that the occupation will have to release a number of Palestinians matching this number according to the agreement.
Al-Hayya confirmed Hamas and the resistance's readiness to immediately engage in the second phase negotiations, which include three main points: a complete ceasefire and achieving sustainable calm, the complete withdrawal of the occupation forces from the Gaza Strip, and the completion of a new prisoner exchange deal at once. He noted the movement's readiness to deal with these issues as one package.
He stated that Hamas continues to work with mediators, especially Qatar and Egypt, to confirm the occupation's commitment to previous agreements in the first phase. These commitments include the entry of relief materials, heavy equipment, fuel, and electricity alternatives, in addition to ensuring freedom of travel through the crossings and expanding the fishing area, with the aim of alleviating the suffering of the population and strengthening their steadfastness.
Al-Hayya emphasized that the movement's decisions come as a continuation of the efforts to make the first phase of the ceasefire agreement with the occupation a success and to prepare for the second phase. He also pointed out that these steps reflect the movement's seriousness and its response to the mediators' initiatives, which enhances the chances of fully implementing the terms of the agreement.
In return, Israeli occupation is scheduled to release 502 Palestinian prisoners this week. A total of 1,135 Palestinian prisoners have been freed from Israeli prisons over the past weeks as part of the first phase.
Arab media footage shows a Hamas operative who was released by Israel in the ongoing hostage-ceasefire deal in Gaza, at the location where the terror group is due to hand over the bodies of four slain hostages kidnapped on October 7, 2023.
Mohammed Abu Warda was serving 48 life sentences for masterminding multiple terror attacks, including a 1996 bombing on a bus in Jerusalem that killed 45 people.
He was one of some 2,000 Palestinian security prisoners who will be freed over the current first stage of the truce deal, including hundreds serving life sentences, in exchange for the release of 25 living hostages and eight bodies.
According to Hebrew media reports, Abu Warda was meant to be deported to Egypt under the ceasefire terms.
#3
Given the brilliant pager operation, I'd let the other side 'discover' that the Israelis have developed bio trackers based upon the DNA and through resonance by electromagnetic query can locate anyone of them. Achmed you're bugged!
#4
Everyone of them should be turned into a bomb detonated 10 minutes after they are 'released'. If Hamass has no live hostages, they receive no live prisoners. At this point, I'm fine with razing Gaza to the ground, pouring H2S in all the tunnels.
#5
Trump, After Watching Grisly Celebration of the Murders of Two Babies and Their Mom: "I Don't Want to See a Building Left Standing, I Want Them Wiped Out"
HT Ace of Spades.
Wow...I think Trump is PISSED. Hamassniks, be very very afraid.
[HODHODYEMENNEWS.NET] Russian troops have crossed the border with Ukraine in the Kursk Region, 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... said on Wednesday.
''The latest information that I received literally an hour ago: fighters of the 810th Brigade crossed the border of the Russian Federation and Ukraine and entered the enemy's territory over the night,'' Putin said, responding to news hounds' questions as he visited a drone manufacturing plant in St. Petersburg.
Russian troops continue to advance along the entire line of engagement, Putin said.
''Our forces are advancing along the entire line of contact,'' the head of state pointed out.
The 810th Separate Guards Orders of Zhukov and Ushakov Marine Infantry Brigade has fought in the most complex frontline areas in the special military operation in Ukraine. In particular, the Brigade's fighters participated in the liberation of Mariupol, the repulsion of the Ukrainian army's counteroffensive in the Zaporozhye Region and conducted operations in the island zone of the Dnieper River in the Kherson Region. As the Ukrainian army launched its attack on the Kursk Region, the Brigade's units were deployed to its borderline areas where they continue accomplishing their combat objectives.
In particular, as reported in early February, forces of the 11th Separate Air Assault Brigade, the 810th Separate Marine Infantry Brigade, the Veterans and Arbat volunteer formations, UAV operators of the Rubicon Center, the 40th Separate Marine Infantry Brigade and the 177th Separate Marine Infantry Regiment participated in repelling eight waves of Ukrainian army attacks. Putin has stated on many occasions that the Russian troops fighting in the Kursk direction are operating efficiently, competently and audaciously.
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02/20/2025
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[SUDANTRIBUNE] At least six people were killed and others injured on Wednesday in artillery shelling by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) on areas north of Omdurman, according to health officials.
The RSF has repeatedly shelled neighbourhoods, markets, and the Karari hospital in northern Omdurman from its positions in western Omdurman, resulting in the deaths of dozens of civilians.
''The rebel militia launched an artillery attack on Block 56 in Karari locality, which led to the deaths of six members of one family, including four children aged between 3 and 8 years old,'' the Khartoum State Ministry of Health said in a statement.
The shelling also left three people injured with varying degrees of wounds from shrapnel, the statement added.
Fath Alrahman Mohammed al-Amin, the Director-General of the Khartoum State Ministry of Health and the minister-designate, strongly condemned the ongoing and systematic targeting of unarmed civilians in their homes in al-Karari locality with heavy weapons, in blatant violation of humanitarian and international laws.
In El-Fasher, warplanes carried out Arclight airstrike ...KABOOM!... s on RSF positions in the vicinity of the city on Wednesday, while the RSF shelled several locations in the North Darfur capital with artillery.
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02/20/2025
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[SUDANTRIBUNE] The United Nations ...an organization conceived in the belief that we're just one big happy world, with the sort of results you'd expect from such nonsense... expressed deep concern on Wednesday over reports that Sudan ...a Moslem country located in the Horn of Africa. It is noted for its affinity for rule by ex- or current generals, its holy men, and for the oppression of the native Afro population by its Arab conquerors. South Sudan, populated mostly by the natives, split off from Sudan proper, which left North and South Darfur to be oppressed by the guys with turbans... 's Rapid Support Forces (RSF) are planning to declare a parallel government, warning such a move would escalate the conflict and fracture the country.
Spokesman Stephane Dujarric told news hounds at a briefing that the UN had seen ''rather extensive reports about the anticipated announcement by the Rapid Support Forces and others to establish a parallel government or a parallel governing body.''
''We're very deeply concerned about any further escalation of the Sudanese conflict and any steps like this one, which would increase the fragmentation of the country and risk making this crisis even worse,'' Dujarric said.
The RSF and allied groups are expected to announce a parallel government at the end of a meeting in Kenya on Friday, a move criticized by the Sudanese government.
He highlighted the dire humanitarian situation in Sudan, citing reports of famine and ongoing violence. ''We keep talking about Zamzam and other places where starving people are being killed and being bombed,'' he said.
''For us, preserving the unity of Sudan, the illusory sovereignty, and the territorial integrity remains a key ingredient for a sustainable resolution of the conflict and the long-term stability of the country in the wider region,'' Dujarric stated.
The UN reiterated its call to cease hostilities to protect civilians immediately. ''We yet again renew our call for an immediate cessation of hostilities to spare the Sudanese people any further arms,'' he said.
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[SUDANTRIBUNE] Sudan ...a Moslem country located in the Horn of Africa. It is noted for its affinity for rule by ex- or current generals, its holy men, and for the oppression of the native Afro population by its Arab conquerors. South Sudan, populated mostly by the natives, split off from Sudan proper, which left North and South Darfur to be oppressed by the guys with turbans... 's military-led government on Wednesday announced amendments to the Transitional Constitutional Declaration, as the head of the ruling Sovereign Council, General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, signalled to a Western diplomat his desire to appoint an independent prime minister.
The amendments follow a request by the Sovereign Council for political forces and gangs supporting the military to submit proposals to revise the 2019 transitional charter. These proposals included removing clauses related to the Forces for Freedom and Change (FFC), the former ruling coalition, and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF).
''The Sovereign Council and the Council of Ministers, in a joint meeting, approved the 2019 Transitional Constitutional Declaration, as amended in 2025, which is now in effect for the transitional period,'' said government spokesperson and Minister of Information Khalid Aleisir in a press statement.
The spokesperson did not provide details of the amendments made to the document, which was initially agreed upon between the military and civilian forces that led the protests against the regime of ousted President Omer al-Bashir in 2019.
Burhan dissolved the civilian transitional government in October 2021, a move widely condemned as a military coup.
Earlier, sources told Sudan Tribune that the amendments to the constitutional declaration would grant al-Burhan broad powers to appoint and dismiss the prime minister and increase the number of Sovereign Council members.
According to the sources, the proposed amendments stipulate that the total number of Sovereign Council members would be nine, three representing the parties to the Juba Peace Agreement and six appointed by al-Burhan.
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02/20/2025
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#1
And where would this quasi-government meet? Port Sudan?
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
[NewsFront] 23:58 Official summary of the Office for Documentation of War Crimes of Ukraine from 00:00 02/19/2025 to 00:00 02/20/2025.
A total of 19 facts of armed attacks by the Ukrainian Armed Forces.
Information has been received about the death of a civilian.
DAMAGED:
Two civil infrastructure facilities,
One residential building,
One car.
A total of 19 armed attacks in the Gorlovka direction.
A total of 63 units of various ammunition were fired.
19:51 FAB-3000 sends underground the Ukrainian Armed Forces' air defense forces in the Kursk direction.
19:34 Soldiers of the 1427th Guards Motorized Rifle Regiment of the "North" around the clock beat Ukrainian military, their deployment points and transport in the Kursk border area. Kamikaze drones are quickly staffed, equipped and sent to strike targets.
19:23 Servicemen of the reconnaissance unit of the 25th Combined Arms Army of the West group of forces with the help of UAVs revealed MLRS at a firing position and Ukrainian Armed Forces pickups camouflaged in the forest.
The detected targets were quickly destroyed by crews of fiber-optic controlled FPV drones.
19:07 Around 17:40 Moscow time by air defense systems on duty destroyed Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicle over the territory of the Belgorod region.
18:31 Operators of reconnaissance and attack drones of the 58th Combined Arms Army of the Dnepr group of forces discovered and struck the Ukrainian Armed Forces manpower in the Orekhov direction.
18:10 Calculation of the Buk-M2 air defense missile system of the Center group of forces destroyed HIMARS multiple launch rockets in the Krasnoarmeysk direction.
17:01 Operators of attack UAVs of the 35th Army of the "East" group struck enemy airborne forces in the Polozhsk direction.
16:58 Vladimir Putin reported about the crossing of the border with Ukraine by Russian Armed Forces soldiers in the Kursk region.
The Russian Armed Forces are advancing along the entire line of combat contact, the President said.
16:31 UAV crews of the Caspian Flotilla Naval Infantry detect andare being destroyed military facilities, combat equipment and manpower of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, and also adjusted artillery fire in the Kursk border area.
15:53 In the South Donetsk direction of the GV "East" continues penetration into the depth of the enemy's defense
Constantinople and Ulakly - heavy fighting is underway, the Russian Armed Forces have consolidated their positions, but the enemy is counterattacking with drones and armored vehicles. The cleanup continues.
To the west of Velikaya Novosyolka, the motorized riflemen advanced 1.5 km and took control of 9 km² in the areas of Privolnoye and Burlatskoye.
There are battles for Novoselka, an offensive to the east and south of the settlement.
To the east of Novoocheretovaty, Buryat units are clearing the forest area and have established a foothold in the village.
In one day, the following were destroyed: a T-64 tank, a Bogdana self-propelled gun, four Humvee armored vehicles, and three vehicles. The Ukrainian Armed Forces lost 100+ people in two days.
15:52 From 12:15 to 15:00 Moscow time, air defense systems on duty destroyed two Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles: one UAV over the territory of the Belgorod region and one over the territory of the Republic of Crimea.
15:47 The Ukrainian Armed Forces continue to shell civilians
A woman was killed and two others were injured in an attack by a Ukrainian drone in the LPR, authorities report.
In addition, Ukrainian drones struck Kakhovka in the Kherson region, wounding two women.
14:55 Servicemen of the reconnaissance unit of the North group of forces using aerial reconnaissance equipment discovered a Ukrainian Armed Forces tank at a firing position. The militants' tank was destroyed by a direct hit from a loitering munition in the border area of the Kursk region.
14:28 The Vostok Group of Forces is clearing plantings east of the village of Novoocheretovatoye –MAP
14:24 Calculation of the Rubicon Center destroyed another armored vehicle of the Ukrainian Armed Forces in the Kupyansk direction.
14:15 Russian army expands control in the area of Andreevka and Constantinople –MAP
13:33 Aerial reconnaissance of the strike force "Irishmen" of the Guards "North" discovered signs of a Ukrainian militant UAV crew. FPV operators, with the assistance of Severyan artillery, quickly worked on the target, destroying the enemy with all their equipment.
12:48 Around 12:10 Moscow time by air defense systems on duty destroyed Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicle over the territory of the Belgorod region.
12:47 Crew of the T-72B3 tank of the Novorossiysk paratroopers destroyed a Ukrainian Armed Forces dugout in the Orekhov direction.
12:21 In the border area, UAV operators of the GV "Sever" discovered a pickup truck of the Ukrainian military and sent an FPV drone into it.
12:08 Tula paratroopers after being hitting by aircraft, artillery and UAVs captured the northern part of Sverdlikovo and took control of the Sudzha-Rylsk road.
Having encountered fierce resistance from the enemy, the assault units, conducting reconnaissance and search operations, moving from cover to cover, drove the enemy out of the previously prepared positions they had occupied.
11:55 Calculation of the Iskander OTRK destroyedt he concentration area of the 27th Rocket Artillery Brigade of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, located in a forest belt near the settlement of Boromlya in the Sumy region.
11:31 Footage released breakthrough of the 57th Motorized Rifle Brigade to the rear of the Ukrainian Armed Forces in Novosyolka
A mechanized column with troops from the 57th Brigade successfully stormed the enemy's defenses in Novosyolka, located west of Vremyevka beyond Velikaya Novosyolka.
Tanks were in front and all the equipment was equipped with electronic warfare, protecting the column from the Ukrainian Armed Forces' strike drones. The column broke through the strongholds of one of the Ukrainian Armed Forces' brigades, entered the village and landed troops practically in the rear of the adjacent unit. The infantry consolidated its positions, taking up positions in the houses.
11:23 Around 10:00 Moscow time by air defense systems on duty destroyed Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicle over the territory of the Belgorod region.
11:06 In Sumy Oblast, the operator of the reconnaissance UAV GV "Sever" discovered Polish self-propelled gun "Crab". The target was hit by a loitering munition "Lancet".
At the moment, 12 Polish self-propelled artillery units have been destroyed in the Sudzhan border area alone.
10:19 UAV operators of the 14th Guards Special Forces Brigade of the Vostok group struck the enemy with an air strike in the settlement of Constantinopol in the South Donetsk direction.
09:54 On the southern outskirts of the settlement of Rechki in the Sumy region during aerial reconnaissance by border guards of the Guards Forces "North" discovered a German tank "Leopard". It was decided to use the "Lancet" loitering munition against this equipment.
09:19 The Russian Armed Forces, having liberated Sverdlikovo in the Kursk region, took the Sudzha-Rylsk road under control.
08:50 RF Armed Forces in fully occupied the southern part of the settlement of Constantinopol, and also completed the mop up of Andreyevka.
An American M-113 armored personnel carrier was hit twice by kamikaze fiber-optic drones and left to rust in a forest plantation. M-113s have an aluminum hull, and can't rust. 07:40 During the past night, air defense systems on duty intercepted and destroyed:
Four UAVs were over the Black Sea
Three Ukrainian UAVs were over the territory of the Bryansk region,
One UAV was over the territory of the Republic of Tatarstan and
One UAV was suppressed over the territory of the Tula region.
07:04 MLRS strikes on enemy positions in Novochertovaty –MAP.
06:49 In the Kupyansk direction, Rubicon operators destroyed an enemy Mavic. It was not possible to reconnoiter the positions of Russian units –MAP.
06:03 The 152mm 2S5 Giatsint-S crew of the 20th Guards Combined Arms Army of the West Forces Group destroyed camouflaged self-propelled gun "Krab" of the enemy in the LPR.
05:03 Ministry of DefenseRF:
Another bad morning for the Ukrainian Armed Forces and a great morning for our fighters begins. New footage from the aces of the Rubicon Center.
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited. by Kamran Gasanov
[REGNUM] Recep Tayyip Erdogan shelters Volodymyr Zelensky from the rain in front of the Beshtepe presidential palace - this shot most vividly illustrates the trip of the head of the Kiev regime to Turkey on the day when Sergey Lavrov, Yuriy Ushakov, Marco Rubio and Steve Witkoff decided the fate of Ukraine in Riyadh, and helpless Europe was looking for its opportunities at the summit in Paris.
Three questions are of primary interest in the Ukrainian leader’s visit to Ankara: who initiated the meeting; why did it take place on February 18; why in Turkey?
Turkish media reports that Zelensky arrived at Erdogan's invitation. But this does not rule out bilateral interest in this rendezvous. For Turkey, the topic of Ukraine has become one of the key ones since the start of the NWO. In his New Year's address, Erdogan said that the settlement of the Ukrainian conflict remains a priority for him.
The wannabe neo-Ottoman sultan neeeeeeeds to be seen as an important mover and shaker on the international front, which is why he swans around the world, lavishly spending the charity his country was given to keep it from collapsing into long-delayed bankruptcy.
And this is no coincidence, since many important decisions in this process were made with the mediation of Ankara. These include the famous Istanbul talks in March 2022,
…which in the end accomplished nothing permanent…
the "grain deal", numerous prisoner exchanges, as well as the prisoner exchange between the West and Russia last summer.
Vladimir Putin, speaking about peace, often made reference to the Istanbul agreements as the most successful since the start of military actions. At the same time, Turkey's mediation has been called into question for about a year now.
The Russian president, listing the mediators (Brazil, India, China), does not mention Ankara. The president's press secretary Dmitry Peskov once said directly that "Turkey is not a mediator."
And, apparently, the reason for the loss of such a role is connected with the pro-Western tilt of Erdogan's new cabinet. In order to overcome the lira crisis, the economic bloc of the Turkish government began to take steps to get closer to the US and the EU - which, by the way, Putin drew attention to.
The date of February 18th made the topic of the country's loss of its special role on the shores of the Bosphorus even more relevant. Erdogan had high hopes for Donald Trump, who had promised to resolve the Ukrainian conflict even before winning the election. Apparently, the Turks hoped that the White House chief would look to them as mediators. Especially since Trump praised Erdogan, and Turkey demonstrated more than anyone else its readiness to reconcile the conflicting parties.
But no. Like a cold shower, the news poured on Erdogan's head that the first personal meeting of representatives of the Russian and American authorities would take place in Saudi Arabia.
The poor darling.
What to do in this situation? Türkiye could not tolerate such humiliation.
Erdogan decides to take a small revenge. As compensation, he invites Zelensky. On the one hand, it seems to be not the same scale. There, in Riyadh, are the USA and Russia, and here is some president of a losing Ukraine, and, moreover, according to both Trump and Putin, an illegitimate one. But, nevertheless, at least it is something.
War is at least a bilateral thing, and therefore, even if we approach it purely formally, peace must be signed in the presence and with the participation of Ukraine. By inviting Zelensky, Erdogan wants to show that he is “in” and has influence on one of the parties to the conflict. And, therefore, on its settlement.
Zelensky had no less motivation to go to some important country on February 18. If he had been invited to the meeting between Lavrov and Rubio, he would certainly have been there, even if he says he did not plan to go there. After all, Zelensky is offended by the fact that the fate of Ukraine is being decided behind his back by the United States and Russia.
The most obvious alternative is Europe: Emmanuel Macron is holding a second summit in a row in Paris with the participation of European leaders. However, does it make sense for Zelensky to come to Europe now, if there is complete discord there on sending troops to Ukraine? And even countries ready for this, such as Great Britain, do not allow their presence without the support of the United States? Therefore, for Zelensky, the only option was Erdogan.
The meeting in Ankara was in many ways a kind of response from Zelensky and Erdogan to Russia, the US and Europe. Ukraine secured the support of the second army in NATO, and Erdogan showed Trump and Europe that he is now much closer to Zelensky than they are.
But is there any practical result in this summit? This is a subject for discussion.
Donald Trump himself and through his team members made it clear that a return to the borders of 2014 and even 2022 is impossible, and Ukraine should not be in NATO. Europe supports the integrity of Ukraine, but cannot do anything without the consent of the United States. But Erdogan, in fact speaking out against the United States and Russia, tells Zelensky: “Turkey has always been very principled on the issue of Ukraine’s territorial integrity.”
Such words, especially today, are pleasing to Zelensky's ear, but does Erdogan really mean it? Or is it just a stock phrase aimed at strengthening his negotiating position as "Ukraine's patron"?
There is a persistent feeling that it is more likely the latter. After all, just a few months ago, the head of the Turkish Foreign Ministry, Hakan Fidan, spoke about freezing the conflict, which de facto means that it is impossible to return the territories to Ukraine.
It was important for Erdogan to demonstrate that he would not accept Saudi Arabia as the mediator without a fight. “Our country will be the ideal venue for negotiations between Russia, Ukraine and America in the course of our active diplomacy over the past three years,” he said, promising “comprehensive support” for the talks.
In theory, the Turkish leader can still claim to be a mediator. He has good relations with Trump so far, and the Gaza issue has not been able to spoil them, thanks to the peace deal. Erdogan has not officially quarreled with Putin either, and Turkey became a BRICS partner country in the fall. And Zelensky is much closer to Ankara than to Riyadh.
Former diplomat Gulru Gezer is also optimistic about Ankara's chances : "Turkey maintains ties with both Ukraine and Russia - it has not broken off relations with either side and positions itself as a neutral mediator. This makes it a unique country that can facilitate negotiations."
However, the final word on this issue does not belong to Ukraine, which sympathizes with Turkey, but to the United States and Russia. Erdogan’s words about territorial integrity certainly do not increase his chances of becoming the organizer of the meeting between Putin and Trump.
In addition to the topic of mediation, the Turkish army could become another lever of influence on the Ukrainian settlement process that has begun.
After the meeting in Ankara, the aHaber TV channel gave the following headline: “Did Zelensky ask Erdogan for help?”
And the question is not really out of nowhere. During the negotiations with his Turkish counterpart, the Ukrainian president was concerned about who would ensure Ukraine's security after the peace deal. In what form would this be implemented?
Zelensky complained to Erdogan that Ukraine "does not hear such support from the EU." He said that Europe does not support Ukraine's membership in NATO. And for Ukraine's security, strong Ukrainian Armed Forces and the deployment of foreign troops are needed. "We also talked about this with Mr. Erdogan," Zelensky hinted at a discussion of the Turkish presence.
The question of the appearance of NATO forces along the demarcation line or beyond it is the main obstacle in the peace process that has begun. Russia is categorically against it, Trump does not object to sending Europeans to Ukraine, but they are afraid to go it alone.
Can Türkiye play any role here?
Ankara is unlikely to object to the presence of its peacekeepers. However, in the absence of consent from Russia and the US, there is a risk of not only spoiling relations with an important energy partner in Moscow, but also disrupting the peace process launched by Trump, thereby spoiling relations with the US.
Turkey, despite its determination, military and geopolitical advantages, which have increased since the fall of Bashar al-Assad in Syria, still objectively has more chances to have influence in Ukraine in the field of diplomacy.
Although Trump is conducting a dialogue about resolving the conflict behind the backs of Europe and Ukraine, he recently admitted that the Ukrainians will still be involved in the process. It was not for nothing that his special envoy Keith Kellogg arrived in Kyiv the day after the meeting in Riyadh.
If the US does introduce Zelensky into the peace process, of course, having first instructed him on adequate demands, then Türkiye could also enter the settlement on his shoulders.
In Ankara, Zelensky said: "If these negotiations are honest and Ukraine, America and Europe are at this table, then these guarantees will be developed with the participation of all these countries. Of course, Turkey is among these countries."
Despite Erdogan’s high ambitions, his fairly serious ties to the Kremlin and the White House, and the “critical summit” (as Turkish media called the meeting with Zelensky), there are not many chances for Turkish mediation on Ukraine.
The ideal moment for Turkey was March 2022, but then everything was ruined by Erdogan’s strategic partner, Great Britain, led by Prime Minister Boris Johnson.
For now, Türkiye can content itself with merely being an active observer and hoping that its proposals will be appreciated in Washington and Moscow. Influence on Zelensky, who is no longer taken seriously either in the Kremlin or in the Oval Office, is not enough.
The Nefes newspaper notes with disappointment that “Turkey, which until now has played a prominent role in mediating between Ukraine and Russia, has now been pushed into the background by the United States.”
However, Erdogan is an experienced fighter, and he will not give up the palm to his brothers in faith without a fight.
“Calling Donald Trump a fascist is an insult to democracy and to history. You are turning the graveyards of the 20th century into a playground to have out your political spats. Get a grip”
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
[Korrespondent] Ukrainian Armed Forces Contain Russian Attacks in Kursk Region.
A Russian sabotage and reconnaissance group (DRG) attempted to enter Ukrainian territory, but was destroyed.
Russian dictator Vladimir Putin has announced the alleged "beginning of an offensive on Ukraine" from the Kursk region. This information is not true, the head of the Center for Countering Disinformation at the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine Andriy Kovalenko reported on Telegram on Wednesday, February 19.
In particular, Putin stated in a comment to his propagandists: "The latest information that was reported to me literally an hour ago is that tonight, fighters from the 810th brigade crossed the border of the Russian Federation and Ukraine and entered enemy territory."
He also assured that Russian troops are advancing along the entire line of contact in Ukraine.
Kovalenko reported that a Russian sabotage and reconnaissance group (DRG) attempted to enter Ukrainian territory, but was destroyed. At the same time, groups of Russians who could launch a large-scale offensive on Ukrainian territory have not been identified.
"Putin's information about a large-scale offensive by the Russians is a lie," he added.
Earlier, the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported that as of 16:00 on Wednesday, three combat clashes were underway in the Kursk region. In total, 12 Russian attacks have been recorded since the beginning of the day.
Aidan Maese-Czeropski, the former legislative aide to Sen. Ben Cardin (D., Md.) who lost his job after filming a backdoor sex romp in a Senate hearing room, has launched a new career as an independent sex worker. Before his retirement this year, Cardin served alongside notorious Democratic pervert Ted Kennedy as well as convicted felon Bob Menendez, also a Democrat.
The defrocked aide appears to have relocated to Sydney, Australia, where he recently launched accounts on p0rn websites OnlyFans and Just For Fans under the moniker "Senate Twink." Urban Dictionary defines "twink" as "a gay or effeminate man, or a young man regarded as an object of homosexual desire, usually a 'bottom.'" For just $9.99 a month, subscribers can gain access to a trove of Senate Twink (he/his) content, including "hardcore bareback sex, Q&As, kink and custom content, and lots of nudes."
Video is in English.
[Regnum] The United States of America conducted a test launch of the Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile. This was reported on February 19 by the US Space Force base.
It is specified that the launch was carried out from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California.
“An unarmed Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile was launched as part of an operational test at 01:00 Pacific Time on February 19 (12:00 Moscow time - Ed.),” the statement said.
Earlier, on December 22, the US Department of Defense confirmed the successful testing of two new long-range missiles, the LRHW (Long-Range Hypersonic Weapon) and the PrSM (Precision Strike Missile). They are designed to counter Russia in Europe and China in the Asia-Pacific region.
In late July, a US military official announced a test launch of a hypersonic weapon, which he said would be an important step in developing operational hypersonic technology.
The War Zone portal wrote on July 30 that the results of the test of the hypersonic weapon being developed by the US in Florida are unknown. Experts in a conversation with the publication specified that the US Army could have tested the Dark Eagle weapon system, which is also known as the Long Range Hypersonic Weapon (LRHW).
Direct Translation via Googler Translate. Edited. by Kirill Semenov
[REGNUM] The organization of the meeting of the Russian and American delegations in Riyadh is an absolute victory for the de facto leader of the kingdom, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. He demonstrated that the kingdom under his leadership is capable of successfully promoting “soft power” and being a key mediator in resolving the largest geopolitical crises.
And he beat out his rival, Turkey’s Sultan Recep Tayip Erdogan I “the much beloved”, which has to have felt really good.
The meeting of the Russian and US delegations in Saudi Arabia (KSA) is a bid for the summit of Presidents Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump to also take place in the kingdom. If its results lead to a suspension of hostilities in Ukraine, it will be possible to say that the world has truly changed towards multipolarity, and now the Middle Eastern Islamic states are becoming the main mediators in resolving crises in Europe.
Just recently everything was the other way around and it was very difficult to imagine such a turn of events.
It is significant that during the negotiations between the Russian and American delegations in Riyadh, Volodymyr Zelensky was nearby the entire time, in the UAE, also expecting to arrive in the Saudi capital the day after the end of the meeting.
However, local authorities apparently made it clear to him that his appearance in the kingdom was undesirable. MBS, as bin Salman is called, really wants to see the settlement process through to the end. And Zelensky's appearance at such a moment could spoil the entire game for the Saudis, especially in the context of Trump's statements about the need for elections in Ukraine and the money that disappeared there.
Thus, in Riyadh they do not consider Zelensky to be endowed with any subjectivity, but they see him as a factor capable of disrupting their deal.
LONG ROAD TO RIYADH
Saudi Arabia has been trying to play the role of mediator since the beginning of the Ukrainian crisis, and it is now clear that these efforts have begun to pay off.
Since the summer of 2022, reports have been leaking into the expert community about alleged contacts between representatives of Russia and Ukraine with Saudi mediation on the territory of the KSA.
The Saudi crown prince then played a key role in a prisoner exchange between Russia and Ukraine in September 2022. At that time, with the mediation of Mohammed bin Salman, Russia released 10 foreign mercenaries captured in Ukraine, including five Britons and two Americans. The move was made possible by the close ties that had developed between Prince Mohammed and the Russian president.
Saudi Arabia, along with its neighbor, the United Arab Emirates, has also successfully brokered other prisoner swaps between Ukraine and Russia. And the prince played a “major role,” as a Trump spokesman put it, in securing the release of American citizen Mark Fogel from Russian custody.
And back in February–March 2023, the kingdom’s Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan made shuttle visits to Ukraine and Russia in search of ways to resolve the conflict.
"Our main goal is to find a way to end the conflict. And I think everyone agrees that the only way this conflict will ultimately end is through negotiations," Prince Faisal said at the time. And the search for a solution was not in vain.
In August 2023, Saudi Arabia hosted consultations on ways to resolve the Ukrainian crisis. The consultations were attended by representatives of 30 countries, primarily from the Global South.
The country's officials viewed these talks not as support for Ukraine and a demonstration of agreement with the US position, but as evidence of their global influence. The talks were also seen as confirmation of the Saudis' desire to diversify their diplomatic partners and become the leading mediator and negotiator on the topic of Ukrainian settlement. This, of course, required Riyadh to maintain a high level of relations with Moscow.
The KSA also played a positive role, from Russia's point of view, at the so-called "peace summit" that took place in Switzerland in June 2024. Saudi Arabia tried to take into account the position of the Russian Federation, which has long been an important partner of the kingdom. Moscow and Riyadh have many common ties - from coordinating efforts within OPEC+ and pricing policy in the hydrocarbon sector to issues of regional security in the Middle East.
In order to maintain its political weight, Saudi Arabia needed to remain an equidistant intermediary and mediator in resolving the Ukrainian crisis and not be associated with direct support for one of the parties to the conflict.
And it should be noted that Riyadh succeeded in this despite the attempts of Zelensky, who visited the KSA as an invited person at the Arab League summit in May 2023 and on a working visit in February 2024, to dissuade Mohammed bin Salman.
Zelensky's visits to Saudi Arabia should be seen only as a certain compensation for other actions of the KSA in the international arena in order to maintain the necessary background of relations with the West.
Thus, his participation in the Arab League summit was supposed to smooth over the negative reaction of the United States and its allies to the presence there of the then Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.
And the visit of the head of the Kyiv regime to Riyadh at the beginning of last year was supposed to somewhat balance in the eyes of the West the grandiose tour of Russian President Vladimir Putin in December 2023 to the UAE and Saudi Arabia, in terms of the level of reception. At that time, the presidential liner was accompanied by Russian Su-35 fighters as an honorary escort.
TRUMP'S CUNNING PLAN
Now, after the launch of Russian-American consultations, new prospects for participation in the resolution of other conflicts are opening up for the kingdom. And the points gained for organizing the talks on Tuesday give bin Salman the opportunity to act from a stronger position on the Palestinian and Iranian tracks.
On the other hand, Saudi Arabia as a place for Russian-American negotiations was not chosen by chance by the Americans. Trump probably wants to play on the ambitions of the House of Saud, as if confirming the effectiveness of Riyadh's previous efforts to find a solution to the Ukrainian crisis.
The next step will be to involve the kingdom, which has acquired a taste for it, in more active participation in the resolution of the crisis in Gaza in the direction that the US needs. And then, according to the Americans' plan, there should be a reconciliation between Israel and Saudi Arabia and the building of a new Middle Eastern anti-Iranian alliance headed by them.
American experts also note that Trump's plan for Gaza is primarily aimed at Saudi Arabia, in order to force the kingdom to pay for its reconstruction and resolve all issues with the presence of Hamas in the enclave. It looks something like this: "if you don't like my plan to evict the Palestinians and seize Gaza, offer something better or don't interfere."
A similar strategy was already tested by the Trump administration in the summer of 2020. Following the failure of the “deal of the century” during his first presidency, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu publicly declared his intention to annex a significant part of the West Bank.
It could have been a simple bluff. But the leader of the UAE, Mohammed bin Zayed, demanded that Netanyahu abandon his plans as a condition for recognizing Israel, although he was previously unwilling to take this step. Netanyahu agreed. After that, the UAE was able to claim that it saved the Palestinians from the threat of annexation of the West Bank.
Now, in response to the rejection of his own plan, Trump will push Saudi Arabia not only to invest in the reconstruction of Gaza, but also to recognize Israel without demanding the creation of a Palestinian state. In this case, Riyadh's step towards Tel Aviv will look like a necessary sacrifice to save the Palestinians from eviction and the "Trump plan", and will allow it to save face.
SAUDI ARABIA CONTINUES ITS GAME
However, whether the new White House administration will succeed in such a trick is a big question. Saudi Arabia has become much stronger and has learned to play its game with the Americans to the end, which it demonstrated during the presidency of Joe Biden, refusing any concessions to Washington.
Therefore, there is another point of view on the role of Riyadh in Russian-American negotiations: Saudi Arabia itself forced both Russia and the US to acknowledge its role and, in fact, became the only platform for dialogue, while relations between the US and Saudi Arabia are still far from ideal.
A possible hint of continuing tensions between the two countries may be the unusually short press releases from both sides about the negotiations between US and Saudi Arabian representatives, which were held in parallel with the Russian-American talks.
The State Department did not even mention Saudi Arabia's mediating role in the talks with Russia, and Saudi Arabia released only a short video of the conversation between the crown prince and Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
According to Middle East Eye, the Trump administration is unhappy with Saudi Arabia for several reasons.
The kingdom ignored Trump’s call to increase oil production last month. If that call was “all hot air,” Saudi Arabia’s decision to continue to block US airstrikes against the Houthis in Yemen from Saudi air bases and through Saudi airspace is a particularly sore point in the relationship: Trump redesignated the Houthis as a foreign terrorist organization in January over their attacks on merchant ships.
The US said Rubio and the crown prince discussed “security in the Red Sea and freedom of navigation,” but Saudi Arabia again refused to support US plans for war against the Houthis and intends to continue peace talks with them.
On the other hand, Israel is increasingly lobbying the Trump administration to support strikes on Iran's nuclear facilities. However, this issue also faces resistance from Riyadh.
Instead of using force on Iran, Saudi Arabia has already offered to act as a mediator to revive the “nuclear deal” and restore ties between Tehran and Washington. If bin Salman succeeds in this operation, he will further increase the kingdom’s international importance.
Of course, the KSA is concerned that Iran is moving closer to creating nuclear weapons after its proxies ceased to be a deterrent for the US and Israel. But Saudi Arabia believes that attacks on its nuclear infrastructure may ultimately not solve the problem, but only exacerbate it and lead to a major regional war. Moreover, military operations do not guarantee the complete destruction of all Iranian nuclear capabilities.
Riyadh is therefore looking to use its close ties with Trump to provide Tehran and the White House with a diplomatic path forward, underscoring Riyadh’s desire to cement its improved relationship with its former adversary, Iran, and secure a seat at the table for a potential new deal.
While Trump has said he might engage in dialogue, Iran’s position is ambiguous. Last week, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said that negotiations with the United States were “unwise.” However, it appears that Saudi Arabia may try to persuade Iran’s leadership.
Trump's stance could also help. The American president continues to hint that he remains interested in a deal with Iran and is open to diplomacy aimed at resolving all the difficult issues surrounding its nuclear program.
It is too early to talk about any clear American strategy regarding Iran, but it is obvious that Trump will seek ways to closely coordinate with all key partners in the Middle East, and not just with Israel, to resolve the accumulated problems.
***
Of course, Saudi Arabia will try to use its close relations with the Trump administration, but only to strengthen its own influence in the Middle East and the world as a whole. Riyadh is ready to make certain concessions to Washington, but expects no less significant reciprocal steps from the United States.
The Americans themselves taught the Saudis to rely on their own strength and pushed them to build new regional alliances and networks without the participation of the United States. And now it will be very difficult for them to "tame" the KSA again, forcing it to play someone else's game.
The Kingdom will continue to pursue a course to consolidate its position as a leading regional power and gain the status of a new pole of a multipolar world, maintaining a high level of relations with Russia and China.
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
[Regnum] Multiple convictions for pedophilia, 70-year-old Anatoly Brovkin, during interrogation, spoke in detail about his latest attack on a little girl in Moscow, but refused to admit guilt.
According to the Regnum news agency, the pensioner was detained after he sexually assaulted a nine-year-old girl in the entrance of a building in the capital on February 14. Returning home, the schoolgirl told her mother everything, who immediately went to the police.
The suspect was found quite quickly - he was caught on the intercom camera in the entrance. As it turned out, the criminal was pensioner Anatoly Brovkin, who served a total of 43 years for crimes against the sexual inviolability of minors. The pedophile received his first term back in 1975. However, Brovkin was released from the colony only a year ago.
During interrogation, the detainee admitted that this time he was stopped only by the fact that the girl screamed and one of the neighbors began to open the door - this scared off the attacker.
As Brovkin said, he first tried to lure the girl with ice cream, but when she refused and quickly ran into the entrance of her house, he went straight after her.
“She went up the stairs, and I stopped her there… She started screaming, I heard someone opening the door, I got scared and left,” he said, assuring investigators that he allegedly “accidentally” began touching the child in her intimate areas.
Despite the detailed account of his crime, the pedophile refused to admit guilt. However, he still faces a new sentence under the article on violent sexual acts against a minor.
As a source told IA Regnum, the pedophile received his first term 50 years ago under Article 120 of the Criminal Code of the RSFSR - "Indecent acts". The Tushinsky court found him guilty and sent him to a penal colony for three years, but he served only nine months and was released on parole. In 1978, he went to prison again, this time on two counts - for the rape of a minor and under the same Article 120, for indecent acts, and this time for 12 years.
Two years after his release, Brovkin was again sentenced to nine years in prison for rape and indecent assault against children. After his release and another crime against children, under the Russian Criminal Code, the pedophile was sent to prison for 20 years. He was released as a pensioner in 2023 and was under administrative supervision. The last conversation, if the documents are to be believed, was held with him literally on New Year's Eve - December 29.
In the new criminal case, 70-year-old Brovkin faces 15 to 20 years in prison.
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
[Regnum] The Basmanny Court of Moscow extended the arrest of four people accused of committing a terrorist attack at the Crocus City Hall concert hall. This was announced on February 19 by the press service.
“The petition of the preliminary investigation bodies regarding Muhammadsobir Faizov, Dalerdzhon Mirzoev, Murodali Rachabalizoda, Shamsiddin Fariduni (individuals included in the Russian Federation list of terrorists and extremists of Rosfinmonitoring) to extend their term of detention until March 24 shall be granted,” the court said.
It is noted that the meeting was held behind closed doors. The investigation has already completed the investigation of the case, and the parties are currently reviewing the materials.
As previously reported by the Regnum news agency, on March 22, 2024, terrorists opened fire at Crocus City Hall in Krasnogorsk, Moscow Region, and also started a fire. As a result of the terrorist attack, 145 people were killed and another 551 people were injured. The Russian Investigative Committee opened several criminal cases, including under the article on committing a terrorist attack. On February 6, lawyer Oleg Vlasov announced the completion of the investigation into the terrorist attack in Crocus.
On January 14, the Chairman of the Investigative Committee Alexander Bastrykin announced that 27 people had been charged in the case of the terrorist attack in Crocus. In addition, in December 2024, law enforcement officers detained four Batalkhadzhin terrorists
…a Sufi Ingush clan at the moment fighting alongside Ukraine…
(the movement is recognized as terrorist and banned in the Russian Federation). The investigation established that they helped to organize the terrorist attack and that during the search, weapons were found on them, and correspondence with the leaders of the organization hiding outside the Russian Federation was found on their mobile phones.
According to media reports, they were four men aged 22 to 35 years old - Khusen Kulaev, Makhmud Kartoev, Mansur Tochiev and Magomed Santaliev, they helped Batyr Kulaev (an individual included in the Russian Federation's list of terrorists and extremists) to hide from prosecution.
#3
"But Putin has said negotiations with Ukraine remain a non-starter so long as Zelensky refuses to hold elections. The Russian leader has said this makes him 'illegitimate' and thus he can't legally sign any peace terms." (From the ZeroHedge article).
You wonder how "elected" Stalin could negotiate with "dictator" Churchill.
Posted by: European Conservative ||
02/20/2025 6:47
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#4
As long as the US stays in NATO war with Russia is almost inevitable. Peace now means war in 7-10 years. Better to give Ukraine all the weapons it need now then fight later. Or exit NATO. Those are your choices.
#5
I would it the other way round: As long as the US stays in NATO, war with Russia won't happen.
Article 5 has never been in doubt until now. This could lead Russia to make a fatal miscalculation.
Europe will rearm but it will take time. But if the US abandons Europe, don't expect Europe to buy US weapons any longer.
Another possibility is that Europe somehow comes to terms with Russia (and China). The US could find itself damn alone.
Posted by: European Conservative ||
02/20/2025 8:15
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#6
How can one single election change things. Under Biden West Europeans were masters of the Universe - with their US Democratic disciples providing both money & muscle to enforce the decisions of the EUropean Globalist sages. Now, US has a POTUS who wants to make EUrope into a theme park - like Disneyland. No wonder Globalists hate democracy.
Article 5 has been invoked exactly once, after a mass fatality attack on the US.
The military reaction by NATO & US, pertaining to Art. 5 ended in a shameful and humiliating defeat for NATO & the US.
If Putin hadn't reasonably doubted Art. 5 he wouldn't have annexed Crimea, or started the 2022 invasion (or used a radiological weapon on the territory of a nuclear NATO member state.)
Better to give Ukraine all the weapons it need now then fight later. Or exit NATO. Those are your choices.
Russia wants to put end end to freedom of navigation for the US surface navy in non-US or international waters. This would end the US role as a global power, ending alliances and security guarantees wrt Europe, Israel, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, Australia / Oceania.
Technically it would be hard to impossible for the US to maintain bases like Diego Garcia, Pacific territories and even Alaska and Hawaii.
Trump's Greenland, Gaza and Monroe doctrine policies would be made impossible.
But Putin has said negotiations with Ukraine remain a non-starter so long as Zelensky refuses to hold elections.
Trump has been very wrong before. but he has shown the willingness and the ability to correct himself, which is more than can be said of other politicians.
No wonder Globalists hate democracy.
European elites did their very best to destroy the Western alliance by spitting in 'Good Cop' Vance's face.
For this irrational irresponsibility they deserve scorn and contempt.
But the other side is also a Globalist project. All-Under-Heaven under the leadership of the 'Center Kingdom' aka PRC.
#12
In general I agree with EC that we should stand by NATO. That said, the question of what we should do has to be assessed in conjunction with the question of what we can do. We have defense commitments to NATO, the nations of the First Island Chain, and others. But we no longer have virtually uncontested control of the seas, which means that movement of forces and projection of power are not what they might have been 20 years ago. Imagine a REFORGER exercise in which our forces have to fight their way through a capable PLAN fleet to get to Europe, while also defending Taiwan, South Korea, and Japan. Which is why Trump is right to insist on the other NATO countries (and our Asian allies) getting serious about defense. He's not making that demand just to annoy Europe.
Posted by: Matt ||
02/20/2025 11:22
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#13
@12
I'm not an American and I haven't given any direct advice.
I just laid out what Russia has been demanding openly and officially since December of 2021.
When I saw the reports on the draft treaties back then I was shocked, and I knew that something big and bad was going to happen.
This goes far beyond Ukraine.
But it also shouldn't be a surprise.
9/11 demonstrated the US' and NATO's lack of any serious commitment to self-preservation and self-defense, not due to cowardice but due to some kind of weird cultural masochism.
Also, I can not emphasize enough how much I loathe and despise the European political class who has done their very worst to destroy the Western alliance over the last decades.
Posted by: Matt ||
02/20/2025 12:05
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#15
/\ Also, I can not emphasize enough how much I loathe and despise the European political class who has done their very worst to destroy the Western alliance over the last decades.
Posted by Elmerert Hupens
#16
Big Bad Putin is going to run his tanks into Paris, huh? After he rolls through Warsaw and Berlin? Gimme a break. He can't even get them to Kiev.
NATO started after WWII as a bulwark against Joe Stalin and the USSR. But Stalin and the USSR no longer exist. Some people argued after the Soviet Union collapsed that NATO no longer had a purpose. I say the purpose changed. It's purpose is no longer to keep the Russians out of Western Europe but to keep Western European war mongers down. It failed in that purpose when Joe Biden, with backing from Western European globalists, insisted on expanding NATO into Ukraine. Putin warned them not to do it. The prospect of NATO bringing nuclear tipped cruise missiles right up to Russia's border was unacceptable to him. He feared those missiles could hit Moscow before the Russians even knew they were launched and so a first strike from NATO would go unanswered. Doesn't anybody understand how destabilizing that would be?
But the globalists thought Putin was so weak that he could not stop the NATO expansion. They thought they could do it on the cheap without committing their own troops. Then they could go on to Belarus, Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, Georgia and all the Caucasus states. Where would they stop? Kamchatka? Putin is correct not to trust Americans or Western Europeans. They lied to him about the Minsk Agreements. They engineered a coup in Kiev to install their own puppet regime. They are not trustworthy.
But the globalistimperialist American and Western European war mongers miscalculated. They underestimated both Putin and Russia just like Napoleon and Hitler before them.
You want to talk about Crimea? Tsarina Catherine the Great ran the Tatars out of Crimea back in 1787. Crimea was a part of Russia before California was a part of the United States of America. The Ukrainian border that included Crimea was drawn in the early 1950's when it didn't matter because it was all a part of the Soviet Union under Moscow's control. No way in hell could Putin allow a NATO naval base in Sevastopol. His generals would kill him if he did and they would be correct in doing so.
Forget it, people. Ukraine is a lost cause. It should have never been a cause in the first place. Crooked American and Western European elites were only using it to launder money and expand their empire. They lost. Don't cry about it. Celebrate.
But, hey, you want to keep fighting Russians? Go ahead. Just don't come crying to me when you get your butts blown off and don't ask me to pay for it.
Posted by: Abu Uluque ||
02/20/2025 13:28
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#17
^One can argue - based on history (both recent and less recent) - that Ukrainians are incapable of self-rule. Thus, again based on history, Russian rule is the best thing that can happen to them (Polish is the worst - Churchill didn't call Poland "the hyena of Europe" for nothing).
Worth noting, korrespondent.net has compiled its Invasion of Ukraine series into separate months, beginning May 9th, 2023. Linked in the title
[Korrespondent] 19.15 Russian military struck residential areas of Kupyansk with UABs. A 59-year-old civilian man was killed as a result of a hit on a private home. A 60-year-old woman suffered an acute stress reaction. At least ten private homes were damaged.
In addition, the occupiers struck the residential sector in the urban-type settlement of Kupyansk-Uzlovaya with drones. Two civilians, aged 63 and 70, were injured. They were taken to hospital in serious condition.
18.54 US President Donald Trump called Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky a "dictator" because of his alleged unwillingness to hold elections. He wrote about this on his own social network Truth Social. This is already the second scandalous statement by Trump about Zelensky in less than a day.
18:20 Ukraine managed to bring home another 15 children from occupation. Among them is a large family, where the mother refused Russian documents and because of this experienced constant pressure from the occupiers. Three teenagers who received summonses to the Russian army also returned.
17.58 Head of the Presidential Office Andriy Yermak held a meeting with the US Presidential Special Envoy for Ukraine and Russia Keith Kellogg. This was reported by the OP press service. Briefings of the military command and commanders on the ground will be organized for the US Special Envoy.
17.56 Russian military carried out a drone attack on one of the outpatient clinics in the Belozersk community of the Kherson region. As a result of the explosives dropped, eight medical workers were injured. One victim was hospitalized.
17:50 An agreement has been signed between the defense concern Rheinmetall and the Bundeswehr to provide logistical support during the redeployment of troops both in Germany and abroad, Reuters reports. It is noted that the framework deal will be valid for three years, and its value may reach 260 million euros ($271 million). At the same time, the contract may be extended until 2029. The company clarified that the agreement covers not only the Bundeswehr, but also the armed forces of allies, including NATO.
17.33 Russian dictator Vladimir Putin announced the alleged "beginning of an offensive on Ukraine" from the Kursk region. This information is not true, said Andriy Kovalenko, head of the Center for Countering Disinformation at the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine.
17.05 Russian dictator Vladimir Putin highly praised the negotiations between the US and Russian delegations in Saudi Arabia. He said this in a commentary to Russian media. The Kremlin boss expressed a desire to meet with US President Donald Trump, but the meeting needs to be well prepared "to get results."
16:50 The Office of the President of Ukraine is preparing to introduce contracts for mobilized personnel, which will specify clear terms of service. Deputy Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine Pavlo Palisa said this on the air of the telethon.
16.26 Since the beginning of the day, 77 combat clashes have occurred on the front in 10 directions. The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported the details in the operational summary as of 16.00.
16.00 Law enforcement officers have eliminated a large-scale scheme for evading mobilization in the Odessa region. It operated in one of the city-district courts, the SBU reported. The defendants in the case helped evaders flee abroad due to fake court decisions on the independent upbringing of a child by a father liable for military service.
15.37 Russian troops have carried out another round of shelling in the Kherson region, which resulted in the death of two local residents. This was reported by the head of the Kherson OVA, Oleksandr Prokudin, on Wednesday, February 19.
15.22 Operators of the Ukrainian Armed Forces' Unmanned Systems Forces have begun training on the American-made V-Bat reconnaissance and strike system.
V-Bat (MQ-35A) is an unmanned aerial vehicle operating on a VTOL system with vertical takeoff and landing. UAV deep reconnaissance – up to 150 km, maximum flight altitude – up to 6 km, flight time – up to 10 hours.
The V-Bat is equipped with a laser-guided camera and a 320x optical zoom camera. The system can carry a strike drone or even a missile.
15.13 A captured North Korean soldier stated that North Korean soldiers in the Kursk region of the Russian Federation were told that they were fighting not only with Ukrainians, but also with South Korean soldiers.
14.56 Ukrainian air defense does not have enough missiles for American Patriot anti-aircraft systems. This was stated by President Volodymyr Zelensky at a briefing. It is necessary to count daily how many missiles for Patriot systems are available, and this is not correct, he noted.
14.29 Lithuania announced the transfer of a new package of military aid to Ukraine on Wednesday, February 19. This was reported by the Lithuanian Ministry of Defense on Wednesday, February 19.
14.14 The current US administration is taking steps to bring Russia out of its long-term isolation and thereby helping Vladimir Putin. This opinion was voiced by President Zelensky at a briefing. According to him, Ukraine is ready for everything.
14.00 Russian aggressors dropped air bombs on the city of Konstantinovka. At least one person was killed and seven others were injured. 34 private houses, an administrative building, three power lines and three gas pipelines were damaged in the city.
13.47 It is important for the US President's Special Envoy for Russia and Ukraine Keith Kellogg to look at Kiev and other Ukrainian cities to understand the situation. This was stated by President Volodymyr Zelensky at a briefing.
13.25 Ukraine has spent $320 billion on defense in three years of war. Of this amount, the United States provided weapons worth $67 billion. This data was announced by President Zelensky at a briefing in Kiev.
13:19 The Security Service detained two more FSB informants in the Kharkiv region. On orders from the enemy, they tried to reconnoiter the locations of the largest concentration of personnel and military equipment of the Defense Forces in the region and passed this information on to the Russians. This was reported by the press service of the SBU on Wednesday, February 19.
12:59 The International Criminal Court, the future tribunal for aggression, bodies created by the UN Security Council and Interpol member countries will now be able to submit requests for "red cards" (Red Notice - an international search tool) for war criminals of the Russian Federation. Ukraine also gets a chance to use Interpol tools against war criminals who are citizens of other countries, not just the Russian Federation or Belarus. This was stated by the head of the Department of International Police Cooperation of the National Police of Ukraine Vitaliy Kasap in a blitz interview with the Interfax-Ukraine agency.
12.02 Most European leaders support Ukraine's accession, with the exception of Slovakia, Hungary, Germany and the United States. This was stated by President Volodymyr Zelensky.
11.31 On February 17, the Air Force carried out a high-precision strike on the positions of the 2nd motorized rifle battalion of the 64th separate motorized rifle brigade of the Russian Armed Forces near the village of Mlechnoye in the Zaporizhia region. This was reported by the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
11.27 More than half of Ukrainians trust Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, despite the statement by American leader Donald Trump. In particular, the president's rating has increased in recent months. This is evidenced by the KIIS survey data.
10:59 North Korean military adapts to modern warfare. In Russia, about a thousand DPRK soldiers are currently undergoing training on new equipment. This was stated by the deputy head of the Main Intelligence Directorate (GUR) of the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense Vadim Skibitsky in an interview with The Chosun.
10:45 Night attack by drones on the Syzran oil refinery, damage to the primary oil refining unit. This is reported by sources of the Russian publication ASTRA.
10:24 The State Bureau of Investigation (SBI) employees have completed the pre-trial investigation into a resident of Kherson, who worked for the invaders in a captured colony during the occupation of the city, and then almost ended up serving in the Armed Forces of Ukraine. The indictment has been submitted to the court. The SBI reported this on its website.
10:17 Four agents of the Russian special services, who were preparing a terrorist attack in Mykolaiv on February 14 by order of the Russian Federation, have been detained. Evidence has been collected on the defendants and their connection with the enemy has been fully documented. This was reported by the SBU.
9:45 As a result of an attack by Russian drones in the Vyshgorod district of the Kyiv region, a private house was damaged, and in Fastivsky, several cars. This was reported on February 19 by the Kyiv OVA.
9:23 In the Uman district of the Cherkasy region, as a result of falling debris from a downed Russian drone, a power line, eight houses, five outbuildings were damaged, three people were injured. This was reported by the head of the Cherkasy OVA, Igor Taburets.
8:54 The Russian occupation army lost 1,300 soldiers in the war against Ukraine in a day, from February 18 to 19. The Ukrainian Armed Forces also destroyed 72 artillery systems, 175 drones and 146 vehicles.
8:47 Over the past day, the Ukrainian military repelled 156 attacks by Russian troops and inflicted significant losses on the enemy. 1,300 occupiers, dozens of vehicles and artillery were destroyed.
8:24 US President Donald Trump supported the idea of deploying European armed forces in Ukraine for a peacekeeping mission. According to him, the deployment of European troops in Ukraine is "wonderful."
7:46 Russian occupiers have once again carried out an air attack on Ukraine - Odessa was under attack. Many explosions were heard in the city after the drone attack, social networks reported fires, smoke and damage to a medical facility. The Russians launched a massive attack on a densely populated area of Odessa, where the power went out. This was reported by the city mayor Gennady Trukhanov on his Telegram channel on Wednesday, February 19.
7:25 Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov justified Russia's full-scale invasion during US-Russia talks in Saudi Arabia, shifting responsibility for the war to Ukraine and the West. The Russian official repeated the Kremlin's propaganda theses about the alleged "root causes" of the war, including NATO expansion and "discrimination" against the Russian-speaking population in Ukraine, ISW reports.
03:22 France is not preparing to send troops to Ukraine for direct participation in hostilities on the front line, but the possibility of sending experts to Ukraine or troops in limited numbers for use outside the conflict zone is being discussed, "to give confidence to Ukrainians and show solidarity." This was stated by the country's President Emmanuel Macron. Among the options for security guarantees for Ukraine, Macron named the rearmament of Ukrainians, sending specialists or even troops to "non-conflict zones" (something that France "is thinking about with the British"), and possibly the country's membership in NATO.
02:11 US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said that the Donald Trump administration will maintain sanctions against Russia at least until an agreement is reached to end the war in Ukraine.
01:47 Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky decided to postpone his visit to Saudi Arabia so as not to give "legitimacy" to the meeting between US and Russian officials in Riyadh, which took place on February 18, Reuters reports.
01:00 On the night of February 18-19, the Russian army attacked Ukrainian regions with drones. Odessa in particular came under massive enemy attack, where the greatest number of destructive consequences due to the night attack have now been recorded. The mayor of the city Gennady Trukhanov reported that a densely populated area of the city came under attack by Russian drones. Due to the attack by the Russian Armed Forces, residential buildings and other buildings were left without water, electricity and heating.
00:39 US President Donald Trump said that Ukraine "should not have started" the war and suggested that peace could have been agreed upon in three years. The statement came after talks between US and Russian representatives in Saudi Arabia, which took place without the involvement of the Ukrainian delegation. Trump called the talks "very good."
00:20 US President Donald Trump claims that the head of the Ukrainian state Volodymyr Zelensky has only a 4% approval rating, and therefore he insists on elections. Trump said the position on the election "is not Russia's, but comes from him and many other countries."
Linked article is available only through a VPN
[EngMilRu] The Armed Forces of the Russian Federation continue the special military operation.
In Kharkov direction, units of the Sever Group of Forces inflicted fire damage on manpower and hardware of one motorised infantry brigade and one territorial defence brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) near Volchansk (Kharkov region).
The AFU losses amounted to up to 60 troops, one armoured personnel carrier, and nine motor vehicles. One ammunition depot was destroyed.
The Zapad Group of Forces has improved the tactical situation. Strikes were delivered at formations of two mechanised brigades, one assault brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, and two territorial defence brigades close to Borovoye, Zagoruykovka, and Dvurechnoye (Kharkov region), as well as at Serebryansky forestry.
The AFU losses amounted to up to 200 troops, two infantry fighting vehicles, four motor vehicles, and seven field artillery guns, with two of them manufactured by NATO countries. Four Anklav and Klever electronic warfare stations, as well as one ammunition depot, were neutralised.
The Yug Group of Forces took more advantageous lines and positions. The Group hit personnel and manpower of two mechanised brigades, one assault brigade, one airmobile brigade, and one mountain assault brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine near Krestishche, Dronovka, Chasov Yar, Seversk, Nikiforovka, Nikolaipolye, and Ulakly (Donetsk People's Republic).
The enemy losses amounted to up to 185 troops, one tank, three motor vehicles, two field artillery guns, and one electronic warfare station.
The Tsentr Group of Forces' units improved the situation along the front line. They inflicted damage on units of eight mechanised brigades, two jaeger brigades, one airmobile brigade, one assault brigade, one assault regiment of the AFU, one special forces brigade, and one National Guard brigade were defeated near Dyleyevka, Katerinovka, Alekseyevka, Zverevo, Kotlino, Udachnoye, Belaya Gora, Krasnoarmeysk, Ivanopolye, Nadezhdinka, and Novoaleksandrovka (Donetsk People's Republic).
The enemy lost up to 290 troops, three tanks, six armoured fighting vehicles, including one U.S.-made M113 armoured personnel carrier, 13 motor vehicles, and four field artillery guns, including one Polish-made 155mm Krab self-propelled artillery system.
Units of the Vostok Group of Forces continued advancing into the depth of enemy defences. They hit two mechanised brigades, one air assault brigade of the AFU, one naval infantry brigade, and three territorial defence brigades close to Konstantinopol, Zelenoye Pole, Razdolnoye, Burlatskoye, one Razliv (Donetsk People's Republic), Zaliznichnoye, and Gulyaipole (Zaporozhye region).
The enemy losses amounted to up to 160 troops, one tank, one armoured fighting vehicle, three motor vehicles, four field artillery guns, and one electronic warfare station.
The Armed Forces of the Russian Federation continue the operation to neutralise AFU formations on the territory of Kursk region.
During the offensive actions, units of the Sever Group of Forces inflicted strikes on one tank brigade, one heavy mechanised brigade, six mechanised brigades, one mountain assault brigade, four air assault brigades, one naval infantry brigade, three territorial defence brigades, and three assault regiments of the Armed Forces of Ukraine near Gogolevka, Goncharovka, Guyevo, Zaoleshhenka, Kazachya Loknya, Kolmakov, Lebedevka, Loknya, Malaya Loknya, Makhnovka, Nikolsky, Rubanshchina, and Sudzha. Two counter-attacks launched by enemy units were repelled.
Operational-tactical, army aviation and artillery fire hit enemy manpower and hardware close to Agronom, Bondarevka, Dmitryukov, Zamostye, Kurilovka, Martynovka, Melovoy, Nikolayevka, Oleshnya, Staraya Sorochina, Cherkasskoye Porechnoye, as well as Basovka, Belovody, Boromlya, Veselovka, Zhuravka, and Obody in Sumy region.
Over the past day, the AFU losses amounted to more than 510 troops, one tank, one infantry fighting vehicle, four armoured personnel carriers, 22 armoured fighting vehicles, 57 motor vehicles, two self-propelled artillery systems, including one Panzerhaubitze 2000 manufactured by Germany, four artillery guns, four mortars, a launcher and a transport-loading vehicle of the Olkha MLRS, two electronic warfare stations, one counterobstacle vehicle, as well as three UAV command posts, one ammunition depot, and one materiel depot. One AFU serviceman surrendered.
Since the beginning of hostilities in Kursk direction, the AFU losses amounted to more than 62,040 troops, 371 tanks, 277 infantry fighting vehicles, 228 armoured personnel carriers, 1,937 armoured fighting vehicles, 2,088 motor vehicles, 456 artillery guns, 49 MLRS launchers, including 13 of HIMARS and six of MLRS made by the USA, 22 anti-aircraft missile launchers, nine transport-loading vehicles, 111 EW stations, 15 counter-battery warfare radars, seven air defence radars, 49 units of engineering and other materiel, including 19 counterobstacle vehicles, one UR-77 mine clearing vehicle, five bridge launchers, one engineering reconnaissance vehicle as well as 14 armoured recovery vehicles, and one command post vehicle.
The Armed Forces of the Russian Federation continue the operation to neutralise AFU formations on the territory of Kursk region.
During the offensive actions, units of the Sever Group of Forces inflicted strikes on one tank brigade, one heavy mechanised brigade, six mechanised brigades, one mountain assault brigade, four air assault brigades, one naval infantry brigade, three territorial defence brigades, and three assault regiments of the Armed Forces of Ukraine near Gogolevka, Goncharovka, Guyevo, Zaoleshhenka, Kazachya Loknya, Kolmakov, Lebedevka, Loknya, Malaya Loknya, Makhnovka, Nikolsky, Rubanshchina, and Sudzha. Two counter-attacks launched by enemy units were repelled.
Operational-tactical, army aviation and artillery fire hit enemy manpower and hardware close to Agronom, Bondarevka, Dmitryukov, Zamostye, Kurilovka, Martynovka, Melovoy, Nikolayevka, Oleshnya, Staraya Sorochina, Cherkasskoye Porechnoye, as well as Basovka, Belovody, Boromlya, Veselovka, Zhuravka, and Obody in Sumy region.
Over the past day, the AFU losses amounted to more than 510 troops, one tank, one infantry fighting vehicle, four armoured personnel carriers, 22 armoured fighting vehicles, 57 motor vehicles, two self-propelled artillery systems, including one Panzerhaubitze 2000 manufactured by Germany, four artillery guns, four mortars, a launcher and a transport-loading vehicle of the Olkha MLRS, two electronic warfare stations, one counterobstacle vehicle, as well as three UAV command posts, one ammunition depot, and one materiel depot. One AFU serviceman surrendered.
Since the beginning of hostilities in Kursk direction, the AFU losses amounted to more than 62,040 troops, 371 tanks, 277 infantry fighting vehicles, 228 armoured personnel carriers, 1,937 armoured fighting vehicles, 2,088 motor vehicles, 456 artillery guns, 49 MLRS launchers, including 13 of HIMARS and six of MLRS made by the USA, 22 anti-aircraft missile launchers, nine transport-loading vehicles, 111 EW stations, 15 counter-battery warfare radars, seven air defence radars, 49 units of engineering and other materiel, including 19 counterobstacle vehicles, one UR-77 mine clearing vehicle, five bridge launchers, one engineering reconnaissance vehicle as well as 14 armoured recovery vehicles, and one command post vehicle.
The operation to neutralise the AFU units is in progress.
[ZeroHedge] Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said her government would announce plans on Wednesday for a "massive" rearming of Denmark's military due to the growing threat posed by Russia.
"We must upgrade massively to protect Denmark. And we must rearm massively to avoid war," Frederiksen told parliament on Tuesday.
She did not disclose any details or sums, but according to Danish public broadcaster DR, the government is expected to announce the creation of a 50-billion-kroner ($7 billion) fund for additional defence spending in 2025-2026.
The government had considered doubling the size of the fund, but determined that there was currently not enough defence equipment on offer to be able to purchase for a larger amount, according to the broadcaster.
Among the items on the government's wishlist are air defence systems, which it does not currently have, DR said.
Frederiksen told parliament the rearming would need to happen "quickly", amidst a "difficult situation for our country, kingdom and continent."
Denmark is currently experiencing "the most dangerous situation in our lifetime."
"This is worse than during the Cold War," she said.
After emergency talks in Paris over the US change in policy on the Ukraine war, Frederiksen warned that Russia is "threatening all of Europe now".
The war in Ukraine has been about Russia's "imperial dreams, about building a stronger and a bigger Russia, and I don't think they're going to stop in Ukraine", she told reporters.
She warned the US against attempts to agree on a "fast" ceasefire that would give Russia the chance "to mobilise again, attack Ukraine or another country in Europe".
Should the Danish fund's size be confirmed at 50 billion kroner, that would bring Denmark's defence spending to three percent of its gross domestic product (GDP), according to Danish daily Berlingske.
US President Donald Trump has demanded that NATO allies more than double their defence spending targets to five percent of GDP.
The United States currently spends around 3.4 percent of GDP on defence.
Denmark has been one of Ukraine's strongest backers.
Since the outbreak of the war in February 2022, Danish support to Ukraine has amounted to some $7.52 billion in military support and around $741 million in civilian contributions, according to the Danish foreign ministry.
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul announced on Tuesday preparations to use the New York National Guard to protect correction officers who are currently on the job, inmates, and the communities surrounding the correctional facilities.
The move comes after inmates took over three dorms and attacked three guards at Collins Correctional Facility in Erie County, amid reports of staffing shortages.
New York State politicians not willing to spend enough to hire adequate staff? Or were they trying to protect the suffering inmates from meanie guards?
Over the last year, dozens of guards at the facility have been injured by inmates, Fox News Digital previously reported.
The governor also directed Department of Corrections and Community Supervision (DOCCS) commissioner Daniel Martuscello and senior administration officials to meet with leaders from the New York State Correctional Officers & Police Benevolent Association (NYSCOPBA) to "call for an end to the unlawful work stoppage that is causing significant public safety concerns across New York," according to a statement.
"The illegal and unlawful actions being taken by a number of correction officers must end immediately," Gov. Hochul wrote in the statement. "We will not allow these individuals to jeopardize the safety of their colleagues, incarcerated people, and the residents of communities surrounding our correctional facilities."
New York National Guard members will be deployed to DOCCS facilities on Wednesday if the unlawful work stoppage does not end, and will begin to take appropriate disciplinary action "as necessary," according to the statement.
Hochul's counsel will work with the Office of the Attorney General on legal mechanisms, like the Taylor Law, which will compel employees to return to work.
"This illegal job action involving NYSCOPBA members is causing irreparable harm to the operations of the department and jeopardizing the safety and security of their co-workers within these facilities," Martuscello wrote. "We will continue to develop strategies to reduce assaults and to bring more staff on board."
He added there is always room for progress and for disagreements with the union, but he urges all those on strike to end the measure.
In March 2024, the union agreed to a collective bargaining agreement with the State of New York to improve working conditions for corrections officers.
Some of the benefits included: increased salaries and starting pay for new employees by $6,500, increased correction officer location-based pay by $500 to $1,000 per officer for downstate assignments, increased correction officer hazardous duty pay from $200 to $1,075, and providing 12 weeks of fully-paid parental leave.
Laws and administrative changes have been made to protect corrections officers, and recruitment efforts have been expanded.
The NYSCOPBA did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment.
#2
I didn’t think they jailed people in NY anymore other than Penny.
Posted by: Super Hose ||
02/20/2025 5:53
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#3
New York State politicians not willing to spend enough to hire adequate staff? Or were they trying to protect the suffering inmates from meanie guards?
Protecting valued (captured) voters. It's getting tight out there. Got to have a place that they can get a hundred or so votes in their three week count on a close race.
#4
If Hochul can't pay the guards, the Cartels will...this is truly third world.
Good order and discipline has collapsed. The good Guards are not paid enough and they have to fight on three fronts - against inmates, bad leadership and guards bought with Cartel money, and stupid politicians. Not sure there is an easy way out of this for ole Kathy - she earned this disaster.
#6
The problem for the rest of us is when New York can't afford to incarcerate criminals, or just plain refuses to incarcerate them, and they commit crimes in other states.
Posted by: Abu Uluque ||
02/20/2025 14:12
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#7
Cautionary observation-from CCPOA (California Correctional Peace Officer association) interactions off the record, I can tell you that staffing shortages are sometimes a desired end-state for liberal state systems with long-standing union corrections officers. Pensions in CA, (and others with similar unionized systems) I suspect, are based on "high-one" annual salaries. Overtime is counted in that computation, so you often get systems where last year individuals game the system, with fellow-union partners, to get massive amounts of overtime at the back-end of their careers, to inflate pension amounts. (I recall from many years past a rumored Oakland bus-driver in a similar system, whose last year payroll exceeded 300,000 with massive overtime and whose 35 years of service (35x2%=70%) gave him a pension of 210,000 per annum.)
#8
^ tell me why any 'civil servant' should get a retirement that is greater than the average salary of the taxpayers. If you want to increase your pension make sure the average taxpayer's income rises as well.
The level of double thinking is astounding. Even as the Biden-[Harris] administration was publicly browbeating Israel to surrender to Hamas, which had only just invaded, tortured, raped, killed over 1200 Israelis and foreigners, and carried off hundreds — both living and corpses — they were also slow-walking weapons shipments to Israel and throwing literal billions of dollars at Iran, Lebanon, and Hamas with no strings attached as a reward.
[IsraelTimes] After Mideast czar’s defense of administration’s policy, Ilan Goldenberg suggests Biden should have tried leveraging post-Oct. 7 popularity in Israel to push for deal much sooner
No. Even to suggest such a thing is evil. Thank God Bibi Netanyahu is strong and clever enough to to have held them off.
A former senior staffer of former US president Joe Biden argued Tuesday that his former boss may have had a chance to secure a hostage deal already at the end of 2023, offering one of the first public reckonings from the previous administration regarding its handling of the Israel-Hamas war.
Still trying to undercut PM Netanyahu at home and abroad. Fortunately, the Biden-Harris administration no longer has the power nor the discretionary funds to enforce their vicious ideas.
In a post on his personal blog, Ilan Goldenberg — who served in several high-level positions at the White House and the Pentagon since 2021 — argued that Biden had an opportunity just several months into the war, when his popularity among Israelis was at an all-time high
…they mistook the purchased love of the Israeli labour socialist left for the entirety of Israeli society, as they did the same in America, discounting the conservative section as meaningless. A fatal error, as it turned out…
for his full-throttled defense
…he means full-throated defense, though fully throttled is indeed what it actually was — the bruises are still metaphorically visible on the Israeli throat…
of the Jewish state in the aftermath of Hamas’s October 7, 2023, onslaught, and when Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s popularity was still at a particularly low point, with much of the public viewing him as responsible for the failures that allowed the attack to take place.
Goldenberg maintains that at this unique moment, Biden could have given a speech directly to the Israeli public presenting them with a choice between two paths.
The first would begin with a ceasefire and hostage release deal that would require Israel to grant the Palestinian Authority a foothold in Gaza,
…not just no but Hell, no. The PA couldn’t hold Gaza against a much weaker Hamas in 2007 or so. There’s no way they could have held it after Hamas had been been trained, armed, and funded while digging in for two decades in Gaza. At the current moment I would not be surprised if even though Hamas is likely to lose Gaza, they go on to take the West Bank from the weak, corrupt, and highly disliked national socialist Palestinian Authority after Mahmoud Abbas dies in office….
which would unlock the sought-after support of Arab allies in rebuilding and restabilizing Gaza.
Rebuilding, yes, as they’ve done before for Hamas. Restabilizing, however, would only last until the next 10/7, as Hamas has promised repeatedly. Not something that Israel should desire.
Such a deal would have involved a ceasefire in Lebanon and allowed for the advancement of a Saudi normalization deal.
That would be a possibly fatal Pyrrhic victory for Israel, just what the Biden-[Harris] administration — as the third term of Barack Obama’s presidency — was working toward with malice aforethought, while posturing as Israel’s friend and protector.
The second path offered a continuation of the war for an indefinite period during which more hostages and Israeli soldiers would die, Jerusalem would be increasingly isolated in the region, and Hamas would remain in control of Gaza.
And yet here we are. And would have got to this point sooner, had not the Biden-Harris administration been full-throttling Israel with both hands.
Goldenberg acknowledged that a then-still-unpopular Netanyahu
…so unpopular that he kept getting elected for a quarter century, despite the heavy thumbs of European and Democratic American governments on the scales…
could still have rejected the effort to get Israel on the first path,
…ya think??
with the premier’s hard-right base rallying behind him, and the former Biden aide admitted that Hamas could well have played spoiler.
They never, ever miss an opportunity, etc…
“We will never know how things might have gone. What we do know is where we did end up. The war dragged on for a year with great suffering in Gaza and hostages continuing to die,” Goldenberg wrote.
Or you lot could have stepped out of the way and let the IDF work their plan to finish off the war in six months. I know which I think more likely.
“The disagreements between Netanyahu and Biden surfaced piecemeal and incoherently, with Netanyahu using every opportunity to create distance between himself and Biden, and weaken Biden’s standing with the Israeli public eventually eroding his leverage,” he added.
”And we would have got away with it, if it weren’t for that meddling Bibi!”
The reflection offered a different take on the Biden administration’s handling of the war after former White House Middle East czar Brett McGurk presented an unapologetic defense of the former president’s policy in a Washington Post op-ed last week.
In the latter account, McGurk framed Hamas as the only obstacle in hostage negotiations that dragged on for over a year between the first and second agreements.
The more senior McGurk largely vindicated Netanyahu — who retweeted the op-ed — while arguing that US support for Israel allowed for the weakening of Iran and its proxies in late 2024
..uh huh. Sure. Though we can clearly see why Mr. Goldenberg was not the senior partner in the hierarchy — he completely lacks the vision thing…
and that this led an isolated Hamas to finally compromise and agree to a hostage deal last month.
Last year, The Times of Israel revealed that the Biden administration had again weighed having the president give the “moment of reckoning” speech in May, but ultimately shelved the idea in favor of a different address during which the president revealed the components of what was then the latest Israeli hostage deal offer and called Hamas to get on board.
Shelving that speech was probably one of the smartest things the Biden-etc administration did during their time in office. Making the other speech was back to the pathetic level that was the administration's normal level of cleverness.
By then, Netanyahu’s polling numbers had begun to recover, while Biden’s favorables among Israelis had nosedived over his intensifying alarm over the humanitarian situation in Gaza and his decision to withhold a shipment of 2,000 lbs bombs that he feared would lead to the deaths of too many civilians.
Again overtly favouring Hamas and the entire Iran-controlled cabal.
At the end of 2023, though, IDF operations had already struck significant blows to Hamas to the point where it could not carry out another October 7-like attack, according to Goldenberg. But already then, Netanyahu had made clear that he wasn’t interested in advancing a viable alternative to the terror group, which massively increased the chances that Israel would be bogged down in Gaza indefinitely, the former Biden aide maintained.
Given Mr. Goldenberg’s overall level of perspicacity, his maintenance of any point can be taken as proof it is wrong.
#1
"That would require Israel to grant the Palestinian Authority a foothold in Gaza."
If I recall correctly, PLO lost the elections to Hamas. So with the globalists, if your democracy does not meet global marxists standards, your democracy will be arrived at via global marxist decrees.
[IsraelTimes] Conscripts had reportedly posted images from their time in Gaza war online as well as trip abroad, which were then used by anti-Israel group to track them down
Conscripts had reportedly posted images from their time in 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... war online as well as trip abroad, which were then used by anti-Israel group to track them down
Two IDF conscripts vacationing in Amsterdam were rushed back to Israel after pro-Paleostinian groups got wind of their trip and were mobilizing to have arrest warrants issued for the pair.
According to Hebrew media reports Tuesday, it is the first time that conscripts have faced such a situation. Previous instances involved IDF reservists.
The two soldiers had posted photos on their social media accounts from their service in northern Gaza during the war, with some of the photos showing blindfolded Paleostinian suspects.
The two soldiers also posted that they were heading to Amsterdam along with pictures from their trip while they were there.
Pro-Paleostinian groups posted the soldiers’ information online and the pair were instructed by Israeli authorities to remain in their hotel room in case of the unlikely event that arrest warrants would be issued for them and the more likely concern that their safety was at risk, reports said.
They were whisked back to Israel and arrived safely.
The Hind Rajab Foundation
…a project launched last October by the March 30 Movement, itself named in memory of the Palestinian general strike on that date in 1976 in the West Bank against the Israeli government, since referred to as Land Day. Both groups are lawfare boiler rooms generating endless lawsuits against Israelis and those who support Israel in Western Europe and elsewhere, and between times propagandizing against Israel using the currently fashionable far left shibboleths. March 30 is the hobby of lawyer Haroon Raza, appearing at the end of 2023, but at bottom it’s a Hezbollah front founded by Dyab Abou Jahjah (Dyab Abu Jahjah) …
acknowledged tracking the soldiers, describing one of them as "a war criminal."
In a post Tuesday to its X account the organization said, "Our lawyers moved on him, in silence. However,
the way to a man's heart remains through his stomach... after some large accounts online started tagging us with their pictures, the Israelis were alerted and immediately smuggled" out of the Netherlands.
The army said in a statement it "emphasizes that IDF soldiers and commanders are required to follow information security and personal safety instructions."
Soldiers, including those in the reserves, have been advised to delete any photos they posted to social media of their time in war zones. They have also been told to consider making their social media accounts private, enabling only acquaintances to access the information. Soldiers are also told to not publish information about trips they take abroad.
The soldiers’ flight back to Israel was paid for by PassportCard, an Israeli medical insurance group. PassportCard announced Monday it had set up a $1,000,000 fund to pay for emergency flights for soldiers who need to change their travel plans abroad to avoid possible arrests.
Antisemitic incidents in Amsterdam have spiked since Hamas ..the braying voice of Islamic Resistance®,... attacked Israel on October 7, killing 1,200 people, taking 251 hostages, and sparking the war in Gaza. In November last year, coordinated attacks against Israeli soccer fans in Amsterdam sparked furious reactions around the world.
Israeli officials said 10 people were maimed in the violence, while hundreds more Israelis huddled in their hotels for hours, fearing they could be attacked. Many said that Dutch security forces were nowhere to be found, as the Israeli tourists were ambushed by gangs of masked assailants who shouted pro-Paleostinian and anti-Israel slogans while they hunted, beat, and harassed them.
The Hind Rajab Foundation has sparked alarm in Israel recently by seeking the arrest of Israeli officials and soldiers traveling abroad over alleged war crimes. It is named after a 6-year-old girl who was killed in Gaza in January 2024. Her death was blamed on the IDF, but an initial probe conducted by the army said there were no troops in the area at the time.
Last month a reservist IDF soldier was forced to flee Brazil when the Hind Rajab Foundation sought to have him arrested after identifying that he was on vacation in the country.
In January, Channel 12 reported that the Foreign Ministry knows of at least 12 cases in which complaints have been filed abroad against Israel Defense Forces soldiers accusing them of war crimes in Gaza.
Such complaints have been filed in Brazil, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Belgium, the Netherlands, Serbia, Ireland and Cyprus, the report said, citing figures presented in a ministerial meeting. According to the Haaretz daily, the list also includes South Africa and La Belle France.
[IsraelTimes] Military says operative was spotted handling weapons; Hezbollah supporters fly Iran-backed terror group’s flags in villages near border
The Israel Defense Forces on Wednesday carried out a strike in southern Leb ...The Lebs maintain a precarious sectarian balance among Shiites, Sunnis, and about a dozen flavors of Christians, plus Armenians, Georgians, and who knows what else?... , killing a Hezbollah operative.
He was the first person killed by the IDF in Lebanon since Israel withdrew from most of the border area a day earlier.
The official National News agency reported the "enemy drone struck a vehicle... in the town of Ayta ash-Shab," near the southern border.
An IDF statement said the Hezbollah member was targeted in the town after he was seen handling weapons.
The NNA had earlier said one person was maimed in the Wazzani region, elsewhere along the frontier, after Israeli forces opened fire "while residents were inspecting" restaurants and cafes in the area.
The NNA also reported Israeli automatic weapons fire toward homes near the town of Shebaa.
In a separate incident on Wednesday, the IDF said it fired warning shots in the Kafr Kila area in southern Lebanon after a group of suspects gathered close to the Israeli border. The suspects withdrew after the shots were fired, the military added.
A November 27 ceasefire deal had halted more than a year of hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah, including two months of all-out war, that was started by the Iran-backed terror group, some of whose supporters on Wednesday hoisted Hezbollah flags in several Lebanese villages near the border following the IDF pullout.
David Azoulay, mayor of the border town of Metula, lambasted the Israeli government, telling Channel 12 news, "The government of abandonment is continuing on its path in the north. Dozens of Hezbollah men [arrived] under the guise of civilians — and there is zero response. Once again we are containing and containing it."
Under the terms of the deal, brokered by the United States, Israeli troops were granted 60 days to withdraw from southern Lebanon, where they had waged a ground offensive against fighters from Lebanon’s Hezbollah terror group since early October.
Hezbollah operatives were to leave the zone and Lebanese troops were to deploy in the area within the same period. The original withdrawal deadline was January 26, but was extended until February 18 as Israel argued the Lebanese army was not deploying quickly enough. In the meantime, the IDF uncovered weapons caches along the border and carried out strikes on Hezbollah targets it said posed a threat.
Israel announced just before the February deadline that it would temporarily keep troops in "five strategic points" near the border.
The army said they were hilltops overlooking the frontier where troops would remain to "make sure there’s no immediate threat."
Lebanese leaders said Tuesday they were in contact with ceasefire brokers the United States and La Belle France to press Israel to fully withdraw, branding its continued presence in five places an "occupation."
The UN called the incomplete pullout a violation of a Security Council resolution.
The IDF did not officially confirm completing the pullout, but the matter was confirmed by observers on both sides. Defense Minister Israel Katz said the IDF was remaining in "a buffer zone," with "five strategic outposts," and would enforce the ceasefire "against any violation by Hezbollah."
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had warned in November that Israel would maintain "full military freedom of action" in case of any truce breach.
Last week, the US authorized the IDF to remain in the five points, though it was not clear how long troops would stay there.
The conflict began on October 8, 2023, when Hezbollah began firing across the border, one day after Paleostinian terror group Hamas ..not a terrorist organization, even though it kidnaps people, holds hostages, and tries to negotiate by executing them,... led an invasion of southern Israel that killed 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and triggered war in 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.
Hezbollah rocket and drone fire forced the evacuation of 60,000 residents from northern Israel and caused major damage in many towns and communities.
As Hezbollah’s rocket fire reached further into Israel fighting escalated into open war in September, during which the terror group suffered significant losses to its leadership and weapons stockpiles.
A complex, three-phase ceasefire between Israel and Hamas began in January, though only the first stage has begun so far and talks have yet to start on the latter stages.
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
[Korrespondent] The enemy remains highly active in the Pokrovsky direction. There, the Russians are attacking near nine populated areas.
Since the beginning of the day, 77 combat clashes have occurred on the front in 10 directions. This was reported by the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in an operational report as of 16:00 on Wednesday, February 19.
Thus, in the Kharkov direction, the enemy attempted to attack near Volchansk four times.
In the Kupyansk direction, the enemy once tried to advance in the area of Petropavlovka, but the attack was successfully repelled.
In the Limansky direction, nine armed clashes occurred near Nevsky, Yampolevka, Kolodyazi and Grigoryevka. Three armed clashes are ongoing.
In the Seversky direction, the enemy is attacking in the Verkhnekamenskoye area. There is a battle going on there.
In the Kramatorsk direction, the enemy attacked three times in the areas of Chasovy Yar and Ivanovskoye. Two combat clashes are currently ongoing.
In the Toretsk direction, the invaders stormed the areas of Ozaryanovka, Toretsk and Leonidovka eight times. Our defenders repelled all attacks.
The enemy remains highly active in the Pokrovsky direction. There have been 18 clashes of varying intensity near the settlements of Zelenoe Pole, Vodyanoye Vtoroye, Yelizavetovka, Novotoretskoye, Promin, Kotlino, Nadeyevka, Andreyevka and Ulakly. Four clashes are still ongoing.
In the Novopavlovsk direction, the aggressors attacked 13 times in the areas of Constantinople, Razdolnoye, Novy Komar and Privolnoye. Six battles are currently ongoing.
In the Orekhov direction, the occupiers tried to advance eight times in the areas of Malye Shcherbaki, Novoandreyevka and Stepnoye. Two clashes are still ongoing.
In Kursk region our troops are repelling three attacks. In total, 12 combat clashes have already been recorded. The enemy carried out nine air strikes, dropping 11 guided bombs.
Let us recall that on February 18, Russia lost 1,300 servicemen on the front. The total losses of the aggressor country are approaching 870 thousand.
[IsraelTimes] Paleostinian Authority President the ineffectual Mahmoud Abbas ...aka Abu Mazen, a graduate of the prestigious unaccredited Patrice Lumumba University in Moscow with a doctorate in Holocaust Denial. While no Yasser Arafat, he has his own brand of evil, just a little more lowercase....> has fired an official who criticized his decision to end a system that paid stipends to the families of prisoners, including those convicted of deadly terror attacks against Israelis.
Abbas has announced the replacement of Qadura Fares as head of a prisoner affairs body, without providing an explanation.
Last week, Abbas put an end to what was known as the "deaders’ fund," acquiescing to longstanding demands by the United States and Israel. Many Paleostinians viewed the payments as compensation for people harmed in the course of their struggle against Israel.
The United States and Israel had long criticized the practice, saying it incentivized violence.
Abbas is deeply unpopular among Paleostinians, many of whom view his Paleostinian Authority as corrupt and autocratic.
The Hamas terror group, which drove Abbas’s forces from Gaza in 2007, criticized Fares’s firing, saying it reflects the “oppression and exclusion” practiced by the authority and its “submission to Zionist and American dictates.”
Last week, Fares gave a presser urging the president to immediately withdraw his decree ending the conditioning of welfare payments to Paleostinian security prisoners on the length of their sentences in Israeli jails.
While the government will likely continue to provide stipends to many families of prisoners and slain terrorists, it will do so based only on financial need.
Fares criticized Abbas’s decision to transfer the database of information on the families of prisoners and slain attackers from the Social Welfare Ministry to a new independent body called the Paleostinian National Foundation for Economic Empowerment.
The Abbas decree went into effect today, and will see Raed Abu al-Humus take Fares’s place as minister.
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 once and current oppressors of Afghanistan...
...They hit him with slander, they impeached him twice. Nancy Pelosi tore up his State of the Union address on national TV. They stole an election and put his adherents in jail. They vilified him. They couldn't crucify him, so they shot him. Still, they can't keep him down...
...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 
...a theocratic Shiite state divided among the Medes, the Persians, and the (Arab) Elamites. Formerly a fairly civilized nation ruled by a Shah, it became a victim of Islamic revolution in 1979. The nation is today noted for 
...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 
..a regional Iranian catspaw,...
...Arabic term meaning 
...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...
...
...a Moslem country located in the Horn of Africa. It is noted for its affinity for rule by ex- or current generals, its holy men, and for the oppression of the native Afro population by its Arab conquerors. South Sudan, populated mostly by the natives, split off from Sudan proper, which left North and South Darfur to be oppressed by the guys with turbans...
...a Moslem country located in the Horn of Africa. It is noted for its affinity for rule by ex- or current generals, its holy men, and for the oppression of the native Afro population by its Arab conquerors. South Sudan, populated mostly by the natives, split off from Sudan proper, which left North and South Darfur to be oppressed by the guys with turbans...
..the braying voice of Islamic Resistance®,...
..not a terrorist organization, even though it kidnaps people, holds hostages, and tries to negotiate by executing them,...
