[IsraelTimes] A trial begins today in Germany for four alleged Hamas members suspected of organizing weapons caches across Europe.
They are accused of seeking out and setting up weapons depots for the terror group across Europe so terrorists could later use the firearms and ammunition for attacks against Israeli and Jewish targets on the continent, prosecutors said when filing charges last year.
The weapons were allegedly moved around Europe in preparation for Hamas’s October 7, 2023, attack against Israel, prosecutors said.
Hamas also considered targeting the Israeli Embassy in Berlin, the area around Tempelhof Airport in the capital and the US Ramstein Air Base in Germany, authorities said.
Abdelhamid Al A., Mohamed B., Nazih R. and Ibrahim El-R. were arrested in December 2023. Prosecutors identified them only by their first name and last initial in line with German privacy laws.
All four had important positions within Hamas, prosecutors asserted.
The men allegedly set up a weapons cache in Bulgaria in 2019 and in Denmark later that year. They sought to find a spot in Poland but were unsuccessful, prosecutors said.
[IsraelTimes] A Trump administration move to suspend funding to the World Health Organization has frozen $46 million for its operations in Gaza, a top WHO official in the region says.
Dr. Rik Peeperkorn, the WHO representative for the Palestinian territories, says the “freezing” will leave six areas underfunded, including EMT operations, rehabilitation of health facilities, coordination with partner organizations and medical evacuation operations.
Speaking from Gaza to reporters at a UN briefing in Geneva, Peeperkorn says money for such operations remains in WHO’s funding pipeline and “we’re still going full steam ahead” with activities.
Tarik Jasarevic, a WHO spokesman, says he does not have figures about how the US funding cuts affect the entirety of its operations worldwide.
#2
Tarik Jasarevic, a WHO spokesman, says he does not have figures about how the US funding cuts affect the entirety of its operations worldwide.
"Our tentacles are long, and we have fingers in many pies. It would take an army of nerds armed with computers to untangle it all. Suffice it to say, our beaks will remain moist."
[IsraelTimes] Hamas rails against the Israeli security establishment’s recommendation to restrict Muslim prayer at Al-Aqsa Mosque during the month of Ramadan, which begins this Friday. "The Hooooooly Month of Ramadan!"
In a Telegram statement, Hamas calls on Palestinian Muslims in the West Bank and East Jerusalem as well as Arab Israelis to travel to the Temple Mount in large numbers and oppose attempts by Israel to “desecrate and control” the site, “by any means.”
The statement comes in the wake of Hebrew media reports claiming that Israel’s security establishment plans to allow only 10,000 West Bank Palestinians to enter the al-Aqsa compound for Friday prayer, given they submit a request in advance. Ex-prisoners released under the current ceasefire deal will not be permitted to enter the compound.
On the final Friday of Ramadan last year, some 120,000 worshippers prayed at Al-Aqsa — under heavy security — without major incidents, despite heightened tensions related to the war in Gaza. However, the site is a flashpoint, having seen frequent clashes between Palestinians and Israeli security forces over the years.
Security officials also recommended allowing entry only to younger children and older adults, namely children younger than 12, men older than 55, or women over the age of 50, per the reports. The IDF issued similar age restrictions for West Bank Palestinians last year.
The recommendation followed a series of discussions between the IDF, Defense Ministry, Israel Police, Shin Bet and Israel Prison Service. Security forces have yet to announce an official policy regarding Muslim access to the site.
The Kan public broadcaster reports that 3,000 security personnel will be deployed at checkpoints each day of the fast-approaching holy month.
[IsraelTimes] Defense Minister Israel Katz issues sanctions against freed security prisoners and their family members who received payments from the Palestinian Authority during their time in prison.
According to Katz’s office, the order applies to citizens and residents of the State of Israel. Israeli forces raided a number of homes and seized property and cash amounting to hundreds of thousands of shekels under the sanctions, his office adds.
Katz says that the seized funds will be transferred to victims of terror and their families.
[IsraelTimes] Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi dismisses the possibility of direct negotiations with the United States on his country’s nuclear program.
“There will be no possibility of direct talks between us and the United States on the nuclear issue as long as the maximum pressure is applied in this way,” Araghchi says during a joint press conference with his visiting Russian counterpart, referring to US President Donald Trump’s hardline approach to Tehran.
[IsraelTimes] The IDF says troops opened fire at a number of vessels off the coast of the Gaza Strip earlier today that violated maritime security restrictions.
The vessels did not immediately return to shore, the IDF says, but did so after troops fired in their direction a second time.
Elsewhere in the enclave, the military says troops opened fire to repel people who approached them “and posed a threat to them.”
“The IDF once again calls on Palestinian civilians to obey IDF instructions, not approach the forces deployed in the area, and to pass through the agreed checkpoints.”
[IsraelTimes] A leaked IDF probe into the October 7, 2023, attack on the Nahal Oz military outpost reveals that there was only one soldier on guard duty that morning, and he was stationed at the entrance to the base, Channel 12 reports.
More than 50 soldiers were killed and 10 were taken hostage from the Nahal Oz outpost, situated less than one kilometer from the Gaza border.
On the morning of October 7, 162 soldiers were present in the outpost, of whom 81 were armed combat soldiers and another 9 were armed but not trained for combat, Channel 12 reports, meaning that half of all soldiers on the base at the time of the attack were non-combatants.
Hamas had studied Nahal Oz from afar for years prior to launching the deadly assault and was intimately familiar with the layout of the base, including “where every room was,” the report says. It adds that the terror group knew that the base would be operating at a reduced capacity due to the Jewish holiday of Simhat Torah, which fell on a Saturday that year.
The IDF investigation found that Hamas began its final preparations for the attack on the evening of October 6, roughly 12 hours before the first air-raid sirens would blare in southern Israel, Channel 12 says. However, senior officers alerted to the unusual movement concluded that there was no need to send troops down to the border.
Had troops been instructed to take up their positions, “the battle picture would have looked different,” the report says.
The probe also reportedly addresses the impact that the incessant rocket fire had on the devastation inside the military outpost, as terrorists were able to easily kill large groups of soldiers who had gathered in bomb shelters.
The official findings of the probe are to be presented to relevant families on Thursday and then made available to the public.
[IsraelTimes] President rescinds National Security Memorandum-20, which had required reports to Congress on how weapons being used, as part of progressive bid to curb military aid to Jerusalem
The Trump administration has rescinded a Biden-era order aimed at Israel that required the government to report potential violations of international law involving US-supplied weapons by allies, two US officials and a source familiar with the decision said on Monday.
Signed by Biden last year, National Security Memorandum 20 (NSM-20) required all countries that receive weapons from the US to commit in writing that they will not use them to target civilians or restrict humanitarian aid.
Countries were already required to commit to using the arms in line with international law, but the concept of a written commitment was new as was the memo’s directive for the State Department to report to Congress on the mater.
Biden agreed to sign the memo amid pressure from progressive Democrats who specifically were looking to curb US military assistance to Israel, arguing that it was being used to harm civilians in Gaza.
The State Department report issued several months after the memo avoided reaching a determination that Israel was indeed misusing US security assistance, infuriating the progressive lawmakers behind NSM-20.
The May 2024 report said Israel may have breached international humanitarian law but that US officials were unable to identify specific instances of breaches that harmed civilians due to the chaos of war.
The Trump administration would have been required in the coming months to report to Congress its own assessment of Israel’s conduct.
The Washington Post cited an order issued by White House national security adviser Michael Waltz on February 21 repealing NSM-20. Reuters was not able to independently confirm the existence of the order, but two US officials and a source familiar with the move said they had been told the directive was revoked.
The State Department referred questions to the White House, which did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
US Senator Chris Van Hollen of Maryland, a key proponent of congressional oversight of US arms sales, said the decision to revoke the memo was “shameful.”
“It’s a disservice to our national security, to global human rights and to our standing around the world,” Van Hollen said in a statement.
After returning to office on January 20, President Donald Trump signed an executive order that called for a review of all national security memoranda issued under Biden.
He also reversed a decision by Biden to freeze a shipment of 2,000-lbs bombs to Israel, which had been in place since last spring due to concerns that the IDF would use them in densely populated areas and cause unnecessary civilian harm.
[IsraelTimes] Successful rescue mission of four captives in June led Hamas captors to tie abductees together in chains to obstruct future operations, says ex-hostage Eliya Cohen
Comments made by far-right MK Itamar Ben Gvir about Paleostinian prisoners during his tenure as national security minister led Hamas ..not a terrorist organization, even though it kidnaps people, holds hostages, and tries to negotiate by executing them,... to worsen the conditions of the hostages 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... , according to reported comments by a recently released captive.
The testimony was given by an unnamed former hostage, who was among the six released on Saturday, to Channel 13 news in a Monday evening report.
Upon becoming national security minister two years ago, Ben Gvir repeatedly railed against so-called luxury items in prisons, moving to ban fresh pita bread being served behind bars as well as to limit shower times for inmates. In the wake of the October 7, 2023, attack, he ordered new restrictions on security prisoners, including overcrowding and removal of beds. His policies have led civil rights organizations to petition the High Court of Justice.
Ben Gvir, alongside the rest of his ultranationalist Otzma Yehudit party, resigned from the government last month in protest of the hostage-ceasefire deal. He said his party would rejoin the government should fighting in Gaza resume.
Responding to the report, Ben Gvir wrote on X: "Channel 13 decided this evening to grant legitimacy to the horrors that Hamas committed against the hostages, with a report claiming that because of a change in prisoner conditions that I led, Hamas abused our hostages.
"It seems they forgot that the bully boyz killed, raped and massacred Jews long before the [prison] reform. They don’t need any excuse to do that besides the fact that we exist," Ben Gvir wrote.
"The essence of the conception is that if we just tolerate, bend over before the bully boyz and lower our heads, they’ll do us the courtesy of stopping to kill Jews," he continued. "The conception" is an umbrella term referring to the erroneous presumptions regarding Hamas’s intentions that enabled the October 7, 2023 massacre.
TIED TOGETHER WITH CHAINS
The Channel 13 report also featured testimony from Eliya Cohen, who was among the six hostages released on Saturday, alongside Tal Shoham, Avera Mengistu, Omer Shem Tov, Omer Wenkert and Hisham al-Sayed.
Cohen said that after a rescue mission that freed four hostages — Noa Argamani, Almog Meir Jan, Andrey Kozlov and Shlomi Ziv — Hamas bully boyz worsened the hostages’ conditions.
Cohen recalled that in order to obstruct future Israeli efforts to rescue hostages, the captors chained the abductees together.
Cohen also said he was separated on Tuesday from hostage Alon Ohel, who remains in captivity.
The families of the six released hostages held a presser on Monday to tell of the dire conditions in which they were held during their captivity. The hostages said they were chained, starved and denied necessary medical treatment.
[IsraelTimes] Organization run by Hezbollah backers has failed to realize its goal of having IDF troops arrested abroad, but may be making inroads in the court of public opinion
In countries around the world, former and current Israeli soldiers, from lowly grunts to top generals, are being hunted by a shadowy organization that claims to have thousands of volunteers around the world seeking justice for Gazooks.
Launched in September, the Hind Rajab Foundation has used social media posts by Israeli soldiers, officers, and reservists, in an attempt to have them arrested for alleged war crimes when they travel abroad.
Though the group has been largely unsuccessful in court, it has managed nonetheless to win widespread media exposure, allegedly caused a cabinet minister to rethink a trip abroad, and even prompted the Israeli military to create new rules to better protect troops’ privacy and keep them from being victims of doxxing — the practice of publishing someone’s personal information online to expose them.
"We have never before witnessed [an organized effort] on this scale or scope, and that has to do with the unprecedented scale of the war, the number of troops who were in Leb ...The Lebs have the curious habit of periodically murdering their heads of state or prime ministers... and 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... , the age of social media, the virality of things, and how things are all connected," a military source said. "It’s a new challenge, but we are handling it with the right seriousness."
The foundation was started by Lebanese-Belgian nationals Dyab Abou Jahjah and Karim Hassoun, a former Hezbollah member and supporter respectively, who say they are seeking justice for Paleostinians.
The Brussels-based pair claim to have thousands of volunteers around the world who scour social media posts uploaded by IDF soldiers, eyewitness testimonies, documentation by journalists, and reports by the United Nations ...where theory meets practice and practice loses... to support their claims of war crimes and other types of wrongdoing.
"We turn, you know, social media posts, basically, into legal cases," Abou Jahjah recently told the Democracy Now TV news program.
The organization is named after 6-year-old Paleostinian Hind Rajab, who was allegedly killed by the IDF in the Gaza City neighborhood of Tel al-Hawa, on January 29, 2024.
The IDF denies being behind an apparent strike on the Rajab family’s car, though reports about her death nonetheless helped catalyze already potent protests in North America and Europe.
Israeli troops fought in Gaza for over 15 months following the October 7, 2023 massacre, which saw thousands of Hamas ..one of the armed feet of the Moslem Brüderbund millipede,... -led bandidosturbans rampage across southern Israel, slaughtering some 1,200 people, taking 251 hostages, and sparking a war that has completely devastated the Gaza Strip and left Israel shaken to its core. Fighting has been paused since mid-January, though it is unclear whether the truce will extend beyond its early March expiration date.
HRF uses social media both to find evidence of alleged crimes in cases where soldiers post content from inside Gaza or southern Lebanon, and to find out about soldiers who travel abroad and post about it online, allowing the group to file complaints in the relevant jurisdiction.
Israel’s Foreign Ministry said in January that it knew of 28 claims filed in eight different countries against Israelis linked to the war, with HRF thought to be behind many of them.
Separately, the group also filed complaints against 1,000 IDF soldiers, officers, and commanders at the International Criminal Court in the Hague, Abou Jahjah said in October.
Allegations against the troops include the use of inhumane warfare tactics, war crimes, crimes against humanity, and acts of genocide against Paleostinians in the Gaza Strip since war erupted in October 2023.
In January, the organization boasted that a complaint against Diaspora Affairs Minister Amichai Chikli for allegedly "making terrorist threats" had forced him to cancel a planned visit to the European Parliament in Brussels.
Belgian officials said Chikli’s planned travel was not a state visit and so he would not have diplomatic immunity, should groups seek a warrant for his arrest.
HRF also recently asked Italia to arrest Maj.-Gen. Ghassan Alian, who heads the Coordinator for Government Activities in the Territories, the Defense Ministry unit that oversees aid shipments into Gaza, among other roles. Alian, who was in Italia on an official visit, maintained his original schedule for the trip, despite HRF’s attempt to pin him on charges of genocide, crimes against humanity, and war crimes.
Israeli officials say many of the organization’s claims of taking legal action against soldiers are overblown.
The IDF closely follows the activism of HRF and similar groups, but does not consider it a major threat, The Times of Israel has learned. The army has signaled that it believes most claims against individual soldiers have petered out before reaching prosecution, due to a lack sufficient or substantiated evidence. Nonetheless, steps have been taken to lower the risk of legal action against troops and reservists who travel abroad.
There is no explicit directive for troops not to travel abroad due to the threat posed by HRF. But the Israeli military recently announced that it would no longer allow soldiers to be identified by name in the media and the Foreign Ministry issued a public warning that social media posts could be used to bring legal action against them in other countries.
"Hind Rajab Foundation is very good at generating headlines," said Michael Freilich, a Belgian politician with the Phlegmish nationalist and conservative New Phlegmish Alliance party. "They try to make themselves bigger than they are. They are the darlings of the press, mainly because of their extreme rhetoric."
ANTI ASSIMILATION, PRO NASRALLAH
Abou Jahjah and Hassoun have been activists together since at least 2000, when they founded the Arab European League, a Belgium-based political organization resisting societal integration for Moslem immigrants colonists, which Abou Jahjah has described as "cultural rape."
The group, which also has a branch in The Netherlands, has been accused of stoking antisemitism and supporting terror.
In 2001, Abou Jahjah met His Eminence Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah ...The late, lamented satrap of the Medes and the Persians in Leb...> , the leader of the Lebanese Shiite terror group Hezbollah, an Iranian proxy group committed to Israel’s destruction.
"We spoke for only an hour, but his aura, smile, brilliance, and kindness are unforgettable. I am fortunate to have lived in his era and witnessed his leadership," Abou Jahjah recalled on X, after Nasrallah was killed in an Israeli Arclight airstrike ...KABOOM!... in September.
Abou Jahjah also took Hezbollah officials on tours in Europa ...the land mass occupying the space between the English Channel and the Urals, also known as Moslem Lebensraum... to meet politicians for the Arab European League in 2009.
In a 2003 New York Times
...which still proudly claims Walter Duranty's Pulitzer prize... interview, Abou Jahjah proclaimed his Hezbollah membership and said "he was still very proud" of the military training he received from the terror group.
Hassoun is also on record supporting Hezbollah and Hamas, though he has kept a lower profile than Abou Jahjah.
Just days after the October 7 atrocities, Hassoun wrote on his X account, "I condemn Hamas for not having taken 500 or 1,000 hostages instead of just 200."
According to Freilich, modern Belgium’s first-ever Orthodox Jewish politician, Abou Jahjah and Hassoun are fringe figures in Belgium, even if they have the support of some pro-Paleostinian movements, as well as that of some extreme-left Israeli organizations.
"The majority of the people, including the Moslem population, do not support them," he said, noting that both had made unsuccessful forays into local politics.
"Abou Jahjah tried several times to be elected to office, but was unsuccessful. He was also fired from De Standaard, where he was a columnist, after he praised a car-ramming attack in Jerusalem where several Israeli soldiers were killed," Freilich continued.
In the Belgian city of Willebroek, the Iedereen 2830 party was forced to boot Hassoun last month, after the mayor said he would not form a coalition with Death Eaters.
Last month, Haroon Raza, an HRF attorney was dropped from a panel at the European Paleostinian Network Conference held in Copenhagen. HRF claimed in a statement on X that his participation was canceled after information was "disseminated in the Israeli press, falsely linking us to resistance movements in Lebanon and Paleostine" and that other invitees refused to participate in the same panel as Raza.
Nevertheless, HRF and its founders have still managed to tap into a wellspring of anti-Israel sentiment prevalent in Europe since the October 7 attack.
"The war has hardened public opposition to Israel’s treatment of the Paleostinians and even turned many supporters of Israel into critics," Khaled Diab, a Belgian-Egyptian journalist and author, told The Times of Israel. He described the conflict in Gaza as "the most unpopular war Israel has ever been involved in."
Diab said that even if unsuccessful in court, the work of HRF can act as a "deterrent" to troops who "know they can potentially be pursued."
Robert Neufeld, a post-doctoral fellow at the Minerva Center for the Rule of Law under Extreme Conditions at the University of Haifa, told The Times of Israel that while no cases filed by HRF prove clear crimes of humanity or war crimes, the group "is a real threat and it should be dealt with as such. They are not something to dismiss."
Neufeld, who served in numerous positions in the Military Advocate General Corps and the office of the Military Ombudsman, stressed that winning on the battlefield in Gaza is not the end of the story, as every case that they file and make public helps to damage Israel.
"They are trying to achieve much more than the specific person that they are after. They are trying to hurt or damage the IDF in general and they want to stop people from serving as combatants. They want to portray Israel as a criminal state and the IDF as criminals," Neufeld said.
"We need to understand that wars are not only fought on the battlefield, but on social media, in the courts, and it affects Jewish communities abroad," he added.
Anne Hertzberg, a legal adviser with the Israel-based NGO Monitor who has tracked the group since it emerged in September, said that she believes the main purpose of HRF is not to file lawsuits against soldiers, but "to deter, and harass, Israelis and Jews across the globe. That’s their purpose."
"They are trying to disrupt Western security cooperation and cause trouble with Israel’s relationship with other countries. There are lots of things we don’t know about it, and we have to look into it. Every country where they are operating in, they need to be investigated," she said.
Though the foundation is registered with Belgian authorities, little is known about how its activities are being funded.
"We don’t know who they are working with, what kind of occupational support is behind them," said Hertzberg.
Both she and Freilich called on governments to examine who may secretly stand behind the effort. "This is not something they can do on their own, this isn’t cheap," Hertzberg added.
Israel, meanwhile, is attempting to fight back in the court of public opinion. Right now, when one googles the name of the organization, the first result is a sponsored link that takes users to an Israeli government page with a report claiming to "unmask" HRF’s terror-backing founders.
"Israel should make it clear that Abou Jahjah and Hassoun are linked to Hezbollah," Freilich said. "I hope that Europe will not stand for it, but it doesn’t seem to be a priority for the police or government at the moment. They don’t want to antagonize the largest Paleostinian community in Europe."
Neufeld cautioned that even if Israel manages to tear down Abou Jahjah and Hassoun, it would not solve the larger issue of groups seeking to prosecute Israelis abroad on war crimes allegations, trumped up or not.
#1
(a) IDF soldiers shouldn't use social media on matters relating to their service.
(b) Israelis shouldn't travel to the lands of Amalek.
(c) Mossad should start hunting Hind Rajab functionaries.
[IsraelTimes] Britain’s Telegraph quotes an Iranian source who says ‘everything has been on high alert’; Iran says it will not compromise with US on nuclear issues under pressure, sanctions
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... has placed its nuclear facilities on high alert bracing for a potential attack by Israel and the United States, The Telegraph reported Tuesday.
According to a report in the British Telegraph, Tehran has deployed additional air defense system launches around key nuclear and missile sites.
"They [Iranian authorities] are just waiting for the attack and are anticipating it every night and everything has been on high alert — even in sites that no one knows about," a source was quoted telling the news outlet, saying that concerns have heightened with rhetoric from new US President Donald Trump ...Never got invited to a P.Diddy party... An official told the newspaper that there was an understanding in Tehran that Iran’s already-weakened air defenses "may not be effective in the event of a large-scale strike."
Last year, Israel carried out a wave of retaliatory Arclight airstrike ...KABOOM!... s on Iran after Tehran carried out a second missile attack on Israel.
Israeli jets targeted Iranian air defenses as well as its ballistic missile program, striking factories, storage sites, launchers and research facilities, and targeting one facility believed to be used for the regime’s pursuit of a nuclear weapon.
Iran’s nuclear sites are also widely seen as more vulnerable with many of Tehran’s proxies weakened.
In November, after over a year of rocket and drone attacks by Hezbollah, Israel decimated the Leb ...an Iranian satrapy until recently ruled by Hassan Nasrallah situated on the eastern Mediterranean, conveniently adjacent to Israel... -based terror group’s leadership, fighters and weapons stores.
Days later, Sunni rebels took advantage of Israel’s successes and swept southward from Idlib, ending the Assad family’s half-century of rule in Syria and breaking the land bridge between Iran and Hezbollah.
Earlier this month The Washington Post reported that US intelligence assessments showed Israel is considering strikes on Iran’s nuclear program, and that the attacks could come as soon as mid-year.
Iran, whose leaders are sworn to Israel’s destruction, has formally rejected nuclear weapons. However,
Caliphornia hasn't yet slid into the ocean, no matter how hard it's tried... it has continued to advance its nuclear program, accelerating the enrichment of uranium to up to 60 percent purity, close to the roughly 90% needed to assemble a nuclear warhead. Critics say there are no civilian purposes for such highly enriched uranium.
Responding to the report, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said Tehran’s enemies may be able to strike the country’s nuclear centers but cannot deprive it of its ability to build new ones.
"WE WILL NOT NEGOTIATE UNDER PRESSURE AND SANCTIONS’
Amid the threats, Iran on Tuesday also vowed to resist US sanctions and said they will not compromise on the nuclear issue.
During a one-day trip to Iran, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov discussed regional and bilateral topics with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi, state media reported.
The visit comes a day after the United States imposed a fresh round of sanctions targeting Iran’s oil industry, the Islamic Theocratic Republic’s main source of income.
Trump earlier this month restored his "maximum pressure" campaign on Iran that includes efforts to drive the country’s oil exports to zero, reimposing a tough policy on Iran that was practiced throughout his first term.
"Iran’s position regarding nuclear talks is clear and we will not negotiate under pressure and sanctions," Araqchi said during a televised joint presser with Lavrov.
"There is no possibility of direct negotiations with the US as long as maximum pressure is being applied in this way."
While Trump had said he would "love to make a deal" with Iran’s holy manal rulers, Iran’s utmost authority Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei ...the very aged actual dictator of Iran, successor to Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini...> said this month that talks with the United States were "not smart, wise, or honorable."
However,
Caliphornia hasn't yet slid into the ocean, no matter how hard it's tried... he stopped short of renewing a ban on direct talks with Washington decreed during the first Trump administration.
In 2018, during his previous term in office, Trump pulled the US out of Tehran’s 2015 nuclear pact with six world powers and reimposed sanctions that have crippled Iran’s economy.
Tehran has since breached the pact’s nuclear limitations and efforts to revive the pact under the Biden administration failed.
Lavrov said he was sure that diplomatic measures were still on the table when it came to resolving issues around Iran’s nuclear program.
Moscow and Tehran have angered the West by developing stronger defense ties since the start of the Ukraine war in 2022.
"Our cooperation will be in various fields, including energy, trade, tourism and many other areas," Araqchi said.
[Israel.Times] Two suspects detained as they headed to carry out shooting, info obtained from men reveals presence of large explosive device in Qabatiya; other members of cell also arrested
The Shin Bet foiled a terror plot last month to use a powerful bomb against Israel Defense Forces soldiers in the West Bank, the security service said in a statement Tuesday.
Information about the explosive, a mine that weighed 100 kilograms, was obtained during the interrogation of two suspects who were arrested amid a sweep to catch terror operatives. It was seized in the town of Qabatiya.
During a joint IDF, Shin Bet, and Border Police operation, forces had arrested a number of terror cells in Qabatiya and Jenin that were planning to carry out significant terror attacks in the area, the statement said.
On January 11, Shin Bet agents arrested Ahmad Ali Zacharana and Tariq Abu Aid, both from Nablus, as they were driving to carry out a terror attack. The pair had with them two M-16 rifles.
Under questioning, they revealed they were planning a shooting attack in the town of Huwara and had been provided by terror commanders in Jenin with a 100-kilogram bomb to use against IDF troops in the West Bank.
On Monday, during a joint Shin Bet and IDF operation in Qabatiya, security forces arrested additional members of the cell. Weapons were seized and the 100-kilogram mine.
The investigation is continuing, the Shin Bet said.
The announcement of the thwarted attack came after three empty buses went kaboom! in quick succession in parking lots in the Tel Aviv suburbs of Bat Yam and Holon last Thursday night and the discovery of two more unwent kaboom! devices on additional buses in Holon. No casualties were reported as a result of the earth-shattering kabooms. According to officials, the botched attack originated from the West Bank.
An ongoing major offensive in the northern West Bank, dubbed Operation Iron Wall, was launched on January 21.
The IDF’s crackdown on terror groups began days after a ceasefire agreement was reached 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, and following recent activity against the groups by the Ramallah-based Paleostinian Authority.
The operation began in the terror hotbed of Jenin, which has seen dozens of raids since the Hamas ..not a terrorist organization, even though it kidnaps people, holds hostages, and tries to negotiate by executing them,... October 7, 2023, invasion of southern Israel from Gaza, which sparked the ongoing war in that territory, as well as a renewed effort to combat terror groups in the West Bank. Israeli forces have since pushed into several other nearby towns, including Tulkarem.
[IsraelTimes] Agreement confirmed by Israeli official, who says the captives’ remains will be returned on Wednesday; ToI told that if no further hostages released by March 8, ceasefire will end
Hamas ..a regional Iranian catspaw,... and Israel reached an agreement for the release of four Israeli hostages’ bodies and 602 Paleostinian security prisoners, the terror group and an Israeli official said late Tuesday, which would an end to an impasse that risked collapsing the multiphase ceasefire agreement before its first stage was even completed.
"An agreement was reached to resolve the issue of the delayed release of Paleostinian prisoners who were supposed to be freed in the last batch," Hamas said in a statement. "They will be released simultaneously with the bodies of the Israeli prisoners agreed upon for transfer during the first phase, in addition to an equivalent number of Paleostinian women and kiddies."
The Israeli official who confirmed the deal said the release will be carried out through Egypt on Wednesday, though other reports said it would not take place until some time on Thursday.
Israel was supposed to release the Paleostinian prisoners on Saturday but has been refusing to do so, citing Hamas violations of the deal during the return of the three Bibas family members’ remains as well as the propaganda ceremonies it has been putting on throughout the hostage releases so far in phase one.
Earlier Tuesday, an Israeli official told The Times of Israel that Hamas has agreed not to hold such ceremonies during the release of the four slain hostages, but similar assurances were given ahead of the release of the Bibas family and body of Oded Lifshitz that were not upheld, leading Jerusalem to refuse to release the Paleostinian prisoners before the hostages are freed.
According to Hamas, the agreement was reached during meetings that its delegation led by Khalil al-Hayya held in Cairo with Egyptian officials.
"The Hamas leadership delegation reaffirmed its clear position on the need for full and precise adherence to all its terms and stages," the terrorist organization’s statement added.
Despite the announcement of the deal, the future of the ceasefire and hostage release agreement remained uncertain.
The three-stage deal, reached last month, halted some 15 months of fighting triggered by the group’s October 7, 2023, invasion of Israel, when Hamas-led bandidosturbans killed some 1,200 people and took 251 hostages.
The deal requires Hamas to release all its hostages, Israel to release thousands of Paleostinian security prisoners — including hundreds serving life sentences — and a halt to fighting in the Strip, followed by negotiations for a "sustainable calm" and IDF withdrawal from the enclave.
Once the final release of hostages envisioned in the first phase happens, said an Israeli official, Hamas has three choices. It can agree to Israel’s terms — that it disarm, that its leaders go into exile, and that it give up any civil control over Gazoo
...Hellhole adjunct to Israel and Egypt's Sinai Peninsula, inhabited by Gazooks. The place was acquired in the wake of the 1967 War and then presented to Paleostinian control in 2006 by Ariel Sharon, who had entered his dotage. It is currently ruled with a rusty iron fist by Hamas with about the living conditions you'd expect. It periodically attacks the Hated Zionist Entity whenever Iran needs a ruckus created or the hard boyz get bored, getting thumped by the IDF in return. The ruling turbans then wave the bloody shirt and holler loudly about oppression and disproportionate response... — and then Israel will move to the second phase of the deal, which would see all hostages released and the war come to an end.
Hamas can also continue releasing hostages and extend the ceasefire.
Or, the official told The Times of Israel, Hamas can choose the end of the ceasefire, which would mean a return to all-out war.
"It would be different" from the past fighting during the previous Biden administration in Washington, said the official. "A new defense minister, a new chief of staff, all the weapons we need, and full legitimacy, one hundred percent, from the Trump administration."
"The gates of hell will be opened, as they say," the official said using a threat that both Israel and Hamas often level at each other.
The first phase of the deal, which includes the ongoing ceasefire, ends on Saturday.
After the release of the bodies on Thursday, Israel will give Hamas some time to decide what it wants to do, the official said. But if there isn’t another release of hostages by next Saturday, March 8, — indicating continuation of the first phase — Israel will consider the ceasefire over.
Israel expects US special envoy Steve Witkoff to come to Israel in the coming days, after he postponed a trip scheduled to begin Wednesday. "He is waiting for things to be a bit more ripe," the official asserted.
Witkoff, speaking at an event in Washington held by the American Jewish Committee, said Wednesday that Israeli negotiators would travel to 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... or Egypt this week for talks on the deal moving forward.
"We’re making a lot of progress. Israel is sending a team right now as we speak," Witkoff said.
Witkoff said the focus of the new talks will be to "put phase two on track and have some additional hostage release — and we think that’s a real possibility."
Witkoff said that "maybe" he will join the negotiations on Sunday "if it goes well." He earlier spoke of traveling to the region this week, a trip that the Axios news site reported that he delayed to focus on US-led efforts to find a negotiated end to the war between Russia and Ukraine.
Witkoff had said on Sunday morning news shows that he could be coming to the region Wednesday to talk about extending the first phase of the deal between Israel and Hamas, and to discuss a second phase.
Witkoff met with Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer, a top confidante of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, in Washington in recent days to discuss the talks.
Hamas must step aside, yes, but the PA/PLO cannot hold Gaza, so there’s no point in trying to bully PM Netanyahu into agreeing.
[IsraelTimes] Mahmoud Habbash tells ToI that Palestinian people together with PA and Arab states have ability to coax terror group into giving up power after 17 years of ‘failed’ rule in Strip
A senior adviser to 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....> called on Hamas ..the well-beloved offspring of the Moslem Brotherhood,... to step aside and allow the PA to govern 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... , as Ramallah tries to capitalize on growing frustration with the terror group in Washington and the region.
"Hamas failed in its control of Gaza over the last 17 years. It’s therefore now time for it to step aside and allow the Paleostinian Authority to control Gaza again in order to [improve] the situation there and protect the Paleostinian people and their rights," Habbash said in a Monday interview with The Times of Israel from his office in al-Bireh north of Ramallah.
Habash has long been one of the PA’s harshest critics of Hamas, but he is also seen as someone who closely mirrors Abbas’s positions, particularly regarding the Gaza Strip.
The stance further demonstrates Ramallah’s aversion to reconciliation with Hamas, which some Arab allies have sought to broker, arguing that a unified Paleostinian front is critical to securing eventual statehood.
PA officials have long claimed willingness to fold Hamas into the Paleostine Liberation Organization — the international umbrella body representing Paleostinians — if it renounces violence and recognizes all agreements that the PLO has reached with Israel, both non-starters for the terror group.
Hamas has ruled Gaza since 2007, when the Islamist party conquered the territory from its Abbas-led Fatah rivals in a brutal civil war.
"We believe that the only side that has the right to control and manage Gaza is the PLO and the Paleostinian Authority — not Hamas," Habbash said.
The PLO formed the PA during the Oslo Accord agreements with Israel in the 1990s, envisioning it as a transitional governing body for Paleostinians in the West Bank and Gaza ahead of the establishment of a sovereign state alongside Israel.
The grinding of the peace processor collapsed, but the PA has remained, though it now no longer controls Gaza and its grip is slipping in the West Bank.
Still, the PA is viewed as the Paleostinians’ sole legitimate representative body by much of the international community, which views Israel’s effort to dismantle Hamas following the terror group’s October 7 onslaught as an opportunity to reunify Gaza and the West Bank under a single governing body.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has repeatedly ruled out the possibility, likening the PA to Hamas and pointing to Abbas’s refusal to publicly condemn the October 7 attack. The premier’s critics have accused him of advancing policies over the last 15 years that saw Hamas boosted at the expense of the PA, which backs a two-state solution.
Senior Arab diplomats have told The Times of Israel that Hamas has indicated willingness to relinquish governing control of Gaza, but is not prepared to give up its weapons — which Habash said the PA would not accept.
"Our position is one authority, one law, one weapon," said the top Abbas aide.
Asked how Hamas can be forced to comply, Habbash replied, "We don’t want to to use un-peaceful means to convince anybody, but the Paleostinian people have the right to change the situation in Gaza."
"The Paleostinian Authority together with the Paleostinian community in Gaza and the Arab states... have the power together to convince Hamas to change its position," he added.
Egypt has sought to establish an interim, independent committee of Paleostinian technocrats to help administer Gaza, as much of the international community has maintained that the PA must undergo significant reforms before it can return to the Strip.
But Habash maintained that the committee should be directly under Ramallah’s administration. "We don’t want Gaza to be another state. The committee in Gaza should and will be under the PA."
"The Paleostinian people understand that the current era is critical. We have to to be wise, and not give the Israeli side any excuse to continue the aggression against the Paleostinians," Habash said, referring to his opposition to Hamas’s use of violence to fight Israel.
As for elections — which the PA hasn’t held in nearly 20 years, Habbash stated they should be held but the priority is rehabilitating Gaza.
#1
Hamas must die. And so are the Palestinian "Authority". In fact, since G*d gave the Land of Israel to the People of Israel, Palestinians - and everyone who supports them - are enemies of G*d.
[Townhall] President Donald Trump's proposal to transfer the few million Palestinian Arabs in Gaza to other Arab countries and then rebuild and redevelop Gaza was met with some surprise and pushback.
Isn't this unfair? Doesn't this violate the rights of Palestinians in Gaza?
Usually, when we think about those who see a world with rights and without responsibilities, a world with claims but without obligations, we think about the political left.
However, Palestinian Arabs may qualify as the world experts in this mindset.
The great economist Milton Friedman observed, "There is no such thing as a free lunch." Everything has a price. But this basic truth seems to elude too many Palestinians.
Palestinian Arabs sit today amid almost total destruction in Gaza as a result of years, years, years of doing nothing but saying "no."
In 1947, with the return of Jews from around the world to their historic homeland, the United Nations voted to divide the area between Jews and Arabs -- create a Jewish state and an Arab state.
The Jews said yes; the Arabs said no. The Jews started building, and the Arabs attacked and went to war.
Fortunately for both the Jews and the Arabs, the Jews won the war. They built a new modern country, the product of total perseverance over seemingly insurmountable odds.
But many Arabs refused to accept this new reality. Sitting and doing nothing except hating and terrorizing is no way to build a better life.
Israelis built a country despite being surrounded by those who only have "no" in their vocabulary.
The latest go-round was in 2005. Israel pulled out all their presence in Gaza and turned it over 100% to the Palestinians living there. The following year, elections were held, and Hamas terrorists were elected and given control.
Everything was there to build the country the Arabs living there claimed they wanted. Instead, billions in aid were channeled to endless rocket attacks on Israel and the construction of underground tunnels for hiding and smuggling.
Countries are built by loving your brother, not by hating your neighbor -- a simple truth that has never made it to Arabs in Gaza.
Then came the horrible attack of Oct. 7, 2023. More than 1,200 innocent Israeli civilians were brutally murdered and terrorized, and 251 were taken hostage.
Now, as hostages are released, a few at a time, the Hamas regime demonstrates it has learned nothing.
Hostages are turned over in humiliating ceremonies in which the hostages are forced to grovel before masked, armed Hamas terrorists, who convey that they have not, and will not, give up.
Trump understands well the rule that insanity means doing the same thing and expecting different results.
If there is one message the Palestinians have conveyed to the world, it is that they are incapable of governing themselves.
Per the World Population Review, there are 1.9 billion Muslims in the world
…that number is very likely an exaggeration, just like Palestinian population claims…
and approximately 50 countries with majority Muslim populations. Islam is about World conquest. In particular, anything once part of Islam must return. Plus, the Yehud made Islam lose face 5 times in a row (by beating the shit out of Arab armies) - which means Israel must be eradicated. Everything else is Taquia. And "Palestinians" are a tool.
Posted by: Grom the Affective ||
02/26/2025
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#1
The highlighted sentences at the end are the absolute truth. Just remember what Gracian said about such things.
'The wise man does quickly and expeditiously what the fool does uncertainly in halting stages.'
[JustTheNews] After an official state audit found $24 billion in state homelessness spending was not sufficiently tracked or evaluated, Newsom launched a statewide “accountability” website on homelessness.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s $40 billion fire aid request to Congress masks pre-fire budget woes and primes billions for nongovernmental organizations — largely government-funded groups providing government-type services.
Going into the new year, California’s largest cities, including Los Angeles, were already in weak fiscal shape.
Los Angeles City Controller Kevin Mejia said the city is “broke” and may soon be required to declare a fiscal emergency to make withdrawals from protected reserves after spending half of its reserves in the past year.
“Just one year ago, the reserve fund was historically strong, at $648 million,” said Mejia. “Less than three months into this fiscal year, the city is again dipping into its reserves to pay for liability claims (already $170M over budget). It’s getting close to going below the 2.75% mark, which when that happens, City Council must make a finding of a fiscal emergency.”
Newsom’s proposed fiscal year 2025-2026 budget, drafted before the fire, would withdraw $7 billion from reserves but lead to what the Legislative Analyst’s Office said would be “annual operating deficits beginning in 2026‑27 — growing from about $20 billion to about $30 billion.”
The state and local governments’ poor record of accountability suggests the funds may not be allocated well or fairly.
After an official state audit found $24 billion in state homelessness spending was not sufficiently tracked or evaluated, Newsom launched a statewide “accountability” website on homelessness, which provides little information beyond the total number of local homeless counted once per year and vague behavioral health statistics. Notably, this dashboard does not include homelessness spending and the number of people who have exited homelessness, which makes it difficult to use the dashboard to assess homelessness spending outcomes.
At the more local level, the chief executive of the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority, which oversees nearly a billion dollars per year combined city and county homelessness spending, was recently found by LAIst to have “inadvertently” signed millions of dollars of contracts to the nonprofit her husband works at, violating the organization’s conflict-of-interest policy.
LAHSA CEO Va Lecia Adams Kellum earns $430,000 per year, or more than Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass. Bass initially hired Adams Kellum as a consultant for a no-bid contract on homelessness advising for $60,000 for work she did between Feb. 6 and May 23 2023, or about $1,300 per day (including weekends).
Notably, Newsom’s executive order on disaster relief created a 60-day reporting extension for required ethics disclosures of behested payments or conflicts of interest for government officials in Los Angeles County, which — as billions of dollars comes flooding in — could lead to similar situations and possible impropriety.
Details at the link.
Posted by: Skidmark ||
02/26/2025
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#1
With Biden out of office, Newsom could well be the biggest crook in the country.
Posted by: Abu Uluque ||
02/26/2025 13:30
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[BBC] India is home to 1.4 billion people but around a billion lack money to spend on any discretionary goods or services, a new report estimates.
The country's consuming class, effectively the potential market for start-ups or business owners, is only about as big as Mexico, 130-140 million people, according to the report from Blume Ventures, a venture capital firm.
Another 300 million are "emerging" or "aspirant" consumers but they are reluctant spenders who have only just begun to open their purse strings, as click-of-a-button digital payments make it easy to transact.
What is more, the consuming class in Asia's third largest economy is not "widening" as much as it is "deepening", according to the report. That basically means India's wealthy population is not really growing in numbers, even though those who are already rich are getting even wealthier.
All of this is shaping the country's consumer market in distinct ways, particularly accelerating the trend of "premiumisation" where brands drive growth by doubling down on expensive, upgraded products catering to the wealthy, rather than focusing on mass-market offerings.
This is evident in zooming sales of ultra-luxury gated housing and premium phones, even as their lower-end variants struggle. Affordable homes now constitute just 18% of India's overall market compared with 40% five years ago. Branded goods are also capturing a bigger share of the market. And the "experience economy" is booming, with expensive tickets for concerts by international artists like Coldplay and Ed Sheeran selling like hot cakes.
Companies that have adapted to these shifts have thrived, Sajith Pai, one of the report's authors, told the BBC. "Those who are too focused at the mass end or have a product mix that doesn't have exposure to the premium end have lost market share."
The report's findings bolster the long-held view that India's post-pandemic recovery has been K-shaped - where the rich have got richer, while the poor have lost purchasing power.
In fact, this has been a long-term structural trend that began even before the pandemic. India has been getting increasingly more unequal, with the top 10% of Indians now holding 57.7% of national income compared with 34% in 1990. The bottom half have seen their share of national income fall from 22.2% to 15%.
The Marcellus report also points out that white-collar urban jobs are becoming harder to come by as artificial intelligence automates clerical, secretarial and other routine work. "The number of supervisors employed in manufacturing units [as a percentage of all employed] in India has gone down significantly," it adds.
The government's recent economic survey has flagged these concerns as well.
It says labour displacement as a result of these technological advancements is of particular concern for a mainly services-driven economy like India, where a significant share of the IT workforce is employed in low value-added services sectors that are most prone to disruption.
"India is also a consumption-based economy, thus the fall in consumption that can result from the displacement of its workforce is bound to have macroeconomic implications. If the worst-case projections materialise, this could have the potential to set the country's economic growth trajectory off course," the survey says.
[BBC] Apple plans to invest more than $500bn (£396bn) in the US over the next four years, starting with a new advanced manufacturing factory in Texas.
Not California, for some reason…
The tech giant said it expected to create 20,000 new jobs over that time, with the "vast majority" of roles in research and development, software and artificial intelligence (AI).
A new home for those tech types leaving the government, perhaps…
It is not clear to what extent the spending is an acceleration of the company's current activities. Apple said the sum included everything from spending on suppliers to Apple TV+ productions.
The announcement comes days after Apple boss Tim Cook met with President Donald Trump, who has made increased corporate investment in the US a priority.
In its announcement, Apple said its investment was its "largest-ever spend commitment" and would expand its support for American manufacturing.
"We are bullish on the future of American innovation," Cook said.
The new 250,000 sq ft factory in Houston, Texas, is set to produce servers that were "previously manufactured outside the US" to support Apple Intelligence, the company's AI system, the company said.
The iPhone maker added it would open in 2026 and create thousands of jobs.
Apple is also expanding its data centre capacity in North Carolina, Iowa, Oregon, Arizona and Nevada, and doubling its support for a fund dedicated to US manufacturing, which it created in Trump's first term, from $5bn to $10bn.
Trump previewed the announcement last week, claiming it was partially a response to his trade policies, including tariffs.
On Monday, the president took credit for the news on social media, saying the reason for the investment was "faith in what we are doing, without which, they wouldn't be investing ten cents".
Trump has said he wants to see more companies making their products in the US, threatening to raise tariffs drastically in a bid to make domestic manufacturing more attractive.
Last month, he imposed a new 10% border tax on all imports from China, where Apple has a significant manufacturing presence.
He has also proposed tariffs on products made in many other countries, including neighbouring nations Mexico and Canada.
Eileen Burbidge, a venture capital investor in tech businesses and a founding partner of Passion Capital, said Apple had made similar announcements before.
In 2018 the company announced a $350bn investment in the US, and in 2021 it said it was committing $430bn to its home market, both times saying the investments would add 20,000 jobs over five years.
"It's starting to become a bit business as usual," she told the BBC. "But obviously it's music to Donald Trump's ears."
Investing in its own research and development (R&D) was in the company's best interests, she said, although the US investment was "relatively small" compared to what it spends on R&D globally.
"[But] bringing some of that back to the US - again that's a really smart political move to make these large announcements in order to demonstrate commitment to US industry."
[DM] A 74-year-old Texas rancher has been killed after driving over an IED planted by a cartel on his land in Mexico, 80 miles south of the US border.
Antonio Céspedes Saldierna died when his vehicle triggered the explosive device in Santa Rita, Tamaulipas, on Friday, police told ABC affiliate KRGV.
The rancher lived just over the border from Mexico in the town of Brownsville. The explosion also killed a man in the same truck and injured a woman.
Antonio's son, Ramiro Céspedes, a US Army veteran who served in Iraq and Afghanistan, said he was injured by an IED during his deployment.
He told KRGV he felt, 'sad' and 'confused' that his father had suffered the same fate but with deadly consequences back home on his own ranch.
'I consider this a terrorist attack because if I went to war to fight terrorists, and I'm seeing the same thing here to me – my personal opinion – it is a terrorist attack,' Ramiro said.
Two people - Horacio Lopez Peña and his wife Ninfa Griselda Ortega - were in the truck with Antonio when the IED was triggered.
Horacio died, while Ninfa was taken to hospital with injuries, officials said. Her condition was not immediately available.
Tamaulipas officials had recently warned residents about explosive devices on rural roads in the area.
A state police representative told Channel 5 News that organized crime groups plant the IEDs to keep opposing factions away from their territories - but sometimes regular people get caught in the crossfire.
In January, one device destroyed a pick-up truck from Mexico's federal water agency near Rio Bravo, according to KRGV.
Ramiro told the outlet he wanted to see better regulations so that others don't suffer the same fate as his father.
'They're hard-working people, they want to continue their lives there in the ejido (communal farmland), but it's other individuals coming in, it's not them fighting each other,' Ramiro said.
#5
I suspect in about 3-4 weeks, 70% of the major cartels members will get killed in a 3-4 night introduction orgy of death put on by 1st and 2nd tier US special forces. Many places will explode from planted charges or air strikes, many cartel homes will turn into giant craters.
[Daily Mail, where America gets its news] Health experts have expressed conflict of interest concerns after the FDA's drug chief quit for a top job in Big Pharma.
Pfizer announced this week that Dr Patrizia Cavazzoni, former director of the FDA's Center for Drug Evaluation and Research (CDER), will join the company as its chief medical officer.
Though the exact salary is unknown, job posting sites suggest the position pays up to $500,000 per year before bonuses, more than the $400,000 per year the president of the United States makes.
The move comes amid criticism from newly elected health chief Robert F Kennedy Junior, who has accused the FDA of being too beholden to industry influence, as nearly two-thirds of the agency's funding comes from the pharmaceutical companies it regulates.
Health experts told DailyMail.com Dr Cavazzoni's new post 'proves RFK Jr's point' about the 'revolving door' between health agencies and Big Pharma.
Yes, but now she is no longer on the government payroll, and her replacement will be very different — assuming her position is not cut altogether.
Dr Cavazzoni held her position at CDER from 2020 until last month, resigning just before President Donald Trump's return to office and the nomination of Robert F Kennedy Jr as Department of Health and Human Services secretary.
Dr Cavazzoni, who previously worked at Pfizer before joining the FDA in 2018, is the latest in a long line of former health officials jumping ship for Big Pharma.
#4
So, it wasn't Trump's Drug Chief, it was Biden's. FIFY you limey ponces
Yeah. If the headline doesn't look right, just read the whole story and you might find it really isn't right.
Posted by: Abu Uluque ||
02/26/2025 13:13
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#5
Trump is probably glad to get rid of her.
Posted by: Abu Uluque ||
02/26/2025 13:14
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#6
Dr Cavazzoni held her position at CDER from 2020 until last month, resigning just before President Donald Trump's return to office and the nomination of Robert F Kennedy Jr as Department of Health and Human Services secretary.
#8
Maybe a good review of all the Pfizer medications, etc. approved by Ms. Cavazzon is warranted?
Ya know, just make sure the process was done right because I can think of a couple that may not have been thoroughly vetted. such as certain vaccaines...
[DM] A mob of feral teen cyclists have been caught on camera beating up a driver after he got out of his car to confront them on the streets of Los Angeles.
Disturbing video shared by Los Angeles Police Department shows the moment more than 20 hooded youths descended on the man as he lay motionless on the ground.
Shot from inside a nearby vehicle, the footage shows a large group of teens who police said were aged between 16 and 18 attack a man by punching and kicking him.
The person filming can he heard saying 'wow' while her passenger exclaimed 'oh my God' as more youths sprinted towards the victim to join the mass attack.
Several of the teenagers appeared so excited to join the rabid assault they leapt off their bikes and cast them aside in the middle of the highway.
The victim is surrounded by so many tracksuit-clad assailants he could only be seen in brief glimpses. He appeared motionless on the ground towards the end of the clip.
LAPD said they released the video in the hopes of locating the suspects 'responsible for assaulting a man in broad daylight' around 5pm on Saturday.
The shocking incident unfolded at the intersection of San Vicente Boulevard and Carrillo Drive in Mid-Wilshire, just east of Beverly Hills.
[Daily Mail, where America gets its news] The FBI is beginning an investigation into an alleged accusation against former FBI director James Comey, after a whistleblower accused him of using female 'honeypot' agents to infiltrate the Trump campaign.
An agency whistleblower revealed details of the scheme, accusing Comey of launching an off-the-books investigation into Trump's campaign in 2015, according to Washington Times reporter Kerry Picket.
Details of the operation was revealed in a protected disclosure to the House Judiciary Committee in 2024, according to the Times.
Two female FBI undercover agents were drafted to infiltrate Trump's 2016 campaign as 'honeypots' the report noted.
The term 'Honeypots' refers to undercover agents feigning romantic interest with individuals within an organization to gain access from a specific target.
The whistleblower said in the disclosure that Comey 'personally knew' and 'personally directed' the operation even though it was off the books.
Comey was assisted by then-Deputy Director Dave Bowdich and Paul Abbate, according to the disclosure.
The undercover agents allegedly targeted campaign adviser George Papadopoulos, who was the focus of Comey's early efforts to scrutinize the Trump operation.
The FBI declined to comment when contacted by DailyMail.com about the story.
The news suggests that Patel will pursue investigations of past officials who targeted Trump within the FBI, even though he indicated he had no interest in doing so during his Senate confirmation hearings.
'I have no interest, no desire and will not, if confirmed, go backwards,' Patel said during his Senate Judiciary Committee confirmation hearing. 'There will be no politicization at the FBI. There will be no retributive actions taken.'
[FoxNews] President Donald Trump's director of national intelligence is taking action against federal employees within the intelligence community for alleged ties to explicit conversations on an internal agency messaging board.
DNI Tulsi Gabbard put out a directive Tuesday to terminate the employment of and revoke the security clearances of employees who participated in obscene and explicit chatrooms on the National Security Agency's (NSA) "Intelink" messaging platform.
"There are over 100 people from across the intelligence community that contributed to and participated in... what is really just an egregious violation of trust. What to speak of, like basic rules and standards around professionalism," Gabbard said on "Jesse Watters Primetime" Tuesday.
Federal employees are under investigation for allegedly misusing an internal agency messaging board to dish on their sexual fantasies under the guise of diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI), officials say.
Chat logs from the National Security Agency's (NSA) "Intelink" messaging platform, obtained by researchers from the conservative Manhattan Institute reportedly via sources within the NSA, revealed employees from various intelligence agencies discussing their experiences with gender-reassignment surgery, artificial genitalia, hormone therapy, polyamory and pronoun usage. Some of these agencies reportedly include the Defense Intelligence Agency, U.S. Naval Intelligence and the NSA.
This NSA chat shows how 'completely nuts' DEI partisans are, Buck Sexton saysVideo
After the Intelink chat logs were released Monday, an NSA spokesperson indicated to Fox News Digital that it was "actively investigating" potential abuses of the agency-operated messaging platform.
"We got to take a step back because this is just barely scratching the surface," Gabbard told Fox News host Jesse Watters.
"When you see what these people were saying,... they were brazen in using an NSA platform intended for professional use to conduct this kind of really, really horrific behavior. And they were brazen in doing this because when was the last time anyone was really held accountable? Certainly not over the last four years, certainly not over the last 10, maybe 20 years, and we look at some of the biggest violations of the American people's trust in the intelligence community."
Gabbard previously called the uncovered behavior "unacceptable," writing on social media that "those involved WILL be held accountable."
"These disgusting chat groups were immediately shut down when [the president] issued his EO ending the DEI insanity the Biden Admin was obsessed with," Gabbard wrote on X, formerly Twitter, on Monday evening. "Our IC must be focused on our core mission: ensuring the safety, security, and freedom of the American people."
[FoxNews] The House of Representatives has adopted a resolution that will eventually become a massive multi-trillion-dollar bill full of President Donald Trump's priorities on the border, defense, energy and taxes.
In a major victory for House GOP leaders, the resolution passed in a 217 to 215 vote.
All Democrats voted against the measure, along with lone Republican rebel Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., who was concerned about its effect on the national deficit.
The next step is now for the relevant House committees to meet and build their own proposals, which will eventually be returned into the framework and negotiated into a compromise deal with the Senate.
It was a dramatic scene in the House chamber on Monday night as Republican leaders delayed formally ending a vote for roughly 45 minutes as they worked to convince conservative fiscal hawks to support the legislation.
Impatient Democrats called out loud for the vote to be closed as Republicans huddled in varied groups.
Two people on the House floor told Fox News Digital that President Donald Trump got involved at one point, speaking to one of the holdouts, Rep. Victoria Spartz, R-Ind., by phone.
Reps. Tim Burchett, R-Tenn., and Warren Davidson, R-Ohio, could be seen on the phone at other points on the House floor as well, but it's not clear if they were speaking with Trump.
At one point, House GOP leaders appeared to lose confidence that they had enough support and abruptly canceled the planned vote.
The House resolution aimed to increase spending on border security, the judiciary and defense by roughly $300 billion, while seeking at least $1.5 trillion to $2 trillion in spending cuts elsewhere.
Moments later, however, lawmakers on both sides of the aisle were rushing back to the House floor and Fox News Digital was told the vote would be held.
Meanwhile, three House Democrats who had been absent early in the day returned for the Tuesday evening vote in dramatic fashion.
Rep. Brittany Pettersen, D-Colo., who had a baby roughly a month ago, returned to the House floor with her infant to oppose the bill. And Rep. Kevin Mullin, R-Calif., who was recently hospitalized for an infection, appeared in the chamber aided by a walker.
House and Senate Republicans are aiming to use their majorities to advance Trump's agenda via the budget reconciliation process.
It's a Senate maneuver that lowers the threshold for passage from two-thirds to a simple majority, but it's used when a party controls both houses of Congress and the White House because it allows that party to pass its policy goals even under the slimmest margins.
And Republicans are dealing with slim margins indeed; with current numbers, the House GOP can afford no more than one defection to pass anything without Democratic votes if all liberals are voting.
On the Senate side, Republicans can lose no more than two of their own in the reconciliation process.
The House resolution aimed to increase spending on border security, the judiciary and defense by roughly $300 billion, while seeking at least $1.5 trillion to $2 trillion in spending cuts elsewhere.
As written, the House bill also provided $4.5 trillion to extend President Donald Trump's 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act provisions, which expire at the end of this year.
An amendment negotiated by House Budget Committee Chairman Jodey Arrington, R-Texas, and conservatives on his panel would also force lawmakers to make $2 trillion in cuts, or else risk the $4.5 trillion for Trump's tax cuts getting reduced by the difference.
The resolution also fulfilled Trump's directive to act on the debt limit, raising it by $4 trillion or roughly two years.
A bipartisan deal struck in 2023 saw the debt limit suspended until January 2025. Now, projections show the U.S. could run out of cash to pay its debts by spring if Congress does not act.
The resolution's odds were touch and go for much of the week so far, since House lawmakers returned from a week-long recess period Monday.
Several fiscal conservatives had demanded more assurances from House GOP leadership that Republicans would seek deep spending cuts to offset the cost of Trump's priorities.
The House resolution aimed to increase spending on border security, the judiciary and defense by roughly $300 billion, while seeking at least $1.5 trillion to $2 trillion in spending cuts elsewhere.
#7
who had a baby roughly a month ago, returned to the House floor with her infant to oppose the bill.
Ugh. Really? She flip out a titty and start feeding too? "I'm voting against fiscal responsibility to fight against the girl math meme and to save my baby xer."
[FoxNews] Operation Desert Guardian will combat drug smuggling and human trafficking
Arizona's Democratic Gov. Katie Hobbs plans to expand border security operations along the state’s four border counties, placing added focus on disrupting transnational criminal organizations (TCOs).
Hobbs signed an executive order Tuesday to establish Operation Desert Guardian, a joint task force in which the state partners with local law enforcement, sheriffs and the federal government to disrupt TCO operations in the counties of Yuma, Pima, Santa Cruz and Cochise.
"I’m proud to launch Operation Desert Guardian to combat the cartels, stop drug smuggling and human trafficking and secure Arizona’s border," Hobbs said. "My administration has been in contact with the federal government and local sheriffs about the Operation, its critical objectives and our shared commitment to keeping criminals and drugs out of Arizona’s communities."
Hobbs added that the operation’s objectives will include identifying and mitigating security vulnerabilities along Arizona’s southern border, which stretches about 370 miles, while also combating border-related crimes committed by TCOs. To do so, Hobbs said, the joint task force plans to dismantle TCO supply chains and operating networks.
Operation Desert Guardian’s funding will come from a portion of the state’s Border Security Fund, which has a balance of $28 million.
The operation will also build on the efforts of Task Force SAFE (Stopping Arizona’s Fentanyl Epidemic), a joint operation between U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and the Arizona National Guard to stop drugs from entering Arizona at ports of entry.
Since its launch in July 2024, Task Force SAFE has intercepted 19 million fentanyl pills, 6,598 pounds of illicit drugs and 237 weapons at the border.
"I have worked productively with the federal government on Task Force SAFE and partnered with local law enforcement to deliver critical border security support, and I look forward to continued partnership on our shared border security priorities," Hobbs said. "With Operation Desert Guardian, I’m confident we can take an important next step in our ongoing work to secure the border."
After President Donald Trump was re-elected to a second term in November, Hobbs said Arizona would not be aiding the incoming administration with its "misguided" plan to launch a mass deportation operation.
She was asked by ABC News whether the Trump administration would bring a reset on the border, and she responded by focusing on current partnerships with the federal government to secure the border.
"I am very hopeful that that partnership can continue, and that the incoming administration will listen to, not only my administration, but the experts here on the ground, the people that are doing the work, about what is most needed, and what we can continue to do that will be most helpful in securing our border," she said.
"What I will unequivocally say is that, as governor, I will not tolerate efforts that are part of misguided policies that harm our communities, that threaten our communities, that terrorize our communities, and Arizona will not take part in those."
State Republicans have a different plan, and, in January, state Senate President Warren Petersen, a Republican, introduced the "AZ ICE Act," which would require sheriff’s departments and the Arizona Department of Corrections to enter into cooperative agreements with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
The agreements are based on 287(g) of the Immigration and Nationality Act, which allows ICE to delegate to state and local law enforcement officers certain immigration functions, including identifying and detaining suspected illegal immigrants.
Petersen’s bill would also require law enforcement to comply with ICE detainers, which are requests that ICE be notified when an illegal immigrant is being released from state or local custody. "Sanctuary" jurisdictions do not comply with detainers.
After Trump was sworn into office Jan. 20, he immediately signed a number of executive orders to tackle border security and illegal immigration.
Some local jurisdictions have pledged their support for the measures, but other officials have promised to either resist or not comply with any planned deportation operations.
[JPost] The followup
Twenty-six-year-old nurse Sarah Abu Lebdeh
… Ms Abu Lebdeh is a hijabi of Palestinian extraction who reacted viciously to unexpectedly finding herself Facetiming handsome Israeli Max Veifer, much to the shock of Bankstown Hospital management, despite the fact that a whistleblower had reported after 10/7 that the hospital was rife with the nastiest kind of anti-Jewish sentiment….
was arrested on Tuesday and charged with threatening violence, using a carriage service to threaten to kill, and using a carriage service to menace.
A Sydney area nurse was charged for threatening to kill Israeli patients in a viral video that created a massive uproar around the world, the New South Wales Police Force announced on Wednesday.
Twenty-six-year-old Bankstown Hospital nurse Sarah Abu Lebdeh was arrested on Tuesday and charged with threatening violence to a group, using a carriage service to threaten to kill, and using a carriage service to menace.
The Condell Park woman was granted conditional bail and is set to appear at the Downing Centre Local Court on March 19.
NSW Police Commissioner Karen Webb said in a statement that the antisemitic task force had exhaustively investigated the incident, in which Abu Lebdeh wished a harsh death on Israeli influencer Max Veifer that she wouldn't treat Israeli patients but instead would "kill them."
"Strike Force Pearl detectives must be commended for acting swiftly under enormous pressure and public expectation," Webb said of the antisemitism task force established in December to address rising antisemitic incidents in New South Wales. "These charges have been laid following a lot of hard work and legal advice, received yesterday from the Commonwealth DPP [Director of Public Prosecutions]."
[NY Post] Fired US Agency for International Development employees will be "escorted" to their desks and have "15 minutes" to collect personal belongings from the gutted agency’s Washington headquarters later this week, according to a notice from USAID.
USAID posted the "specific instructions" former staffers must follow in order to retrieve personal effects from the Ronald Reagan Building in downtown Washington, DC, on the agency’s website Tuesday.
The agency warned ex-employees that if they don’t show up during assigned timeslots on Thursday or Friday, or designate a staffer to retrieve their belongings, their stuff will be stashed in a government warehouse and could be damaged or lost.
"All staff and their property will undergo magnetometer and x-ray machine screening upon entry," read the notice. "Staff will then be escorted to their workspace, where they will be permitted to collect their personal items." "Don't even think about touching that computer or keyboard!"
"Staff will be given approximately 15 minutes to complete this retrieval and must be finished removing items within their time slot only," the agency added. "Staff with a significant amount of personal belongings to retrieve must be cognizant of time; however, flexibility may be granted in select circumstances with the approval of the Office of Security."
Posted by: Frank G ||
02/26/2025
00:38 ||
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[11151 views]
Top|| File under: Tin Hat Dictators, Presidents for Life, & Kleptocrats
Socialist dictator Nicolás Maduro has surrendered to President Donald Trump, handing over damning state evidence that reveals former President Joe Biden, the FBI, and the CIA worked with George Soros and his son Jonathan to unleash the violent Tren de Aragua gang on the United States. Soros, a malevolent billionaire bent on dismantling nations for his own power and profit, has funneled money through his Open Society Foundations to orchestrate this chaos, directing Biden to flood America with Venezuelan criminals while propping up corrupt district attorneys to keep them on the streets. Behind it all, Soros and his empire have weaponized immigration, crime, and drugs—including a direct link to China’s fentanyl trade—to destabilize the U.S., only to be thwarted by Trump’s vow to crush the deep state.
MADURO’S CONFESSION: BIDEN AND SOROS UNLEASHED TREN DE ARAGUA
On Thursday, February 20, 2025, Maduro publicly admitted during a regime event that the Biden administration facilitated the expansion of Tren de Aragua, a terrorist gang once confined to Venezuela, into Colombia and then the United States. “I say to President Donald Trump with respect, ask for the reports of the last four years from the FBI and the DEA, from the offices in Colombia,” Maduro declared, “so that you can see who financed, who moved, who directed the famous Tren de Aragua, who brought it to the United States.” He pointed the finger squarely at Biden, claiming the gang was used “with deep ties to the former Biden administration” to export terrorism from Venezuela to American cities.
Maduro’s regime once nurtured Tren de Aragua, letting it thrive under lenient prison policies and the pranato system, where gang leaders like Héctor “The Child” Guerrero ran Tocorón prison like a criminal kingdom—complete with a zoo, casino, and cryptocurrency farm, all guarded by the Venezuelan National Guard. In September 2023, Maduro staged a fake “raid” on Tocorón, allowing Guerrero and his lieutenants to escape through tunnels to a nearby lake, emptying the prison and setting the stage for the gang’s international rampage. Within weeks, Tren de Aragua surfaced in Chicago, New York, South Carolina, Louisiana, and beyond, running sex trafficking rings, robberies, and fentanyl operations—all thanks to Biden’s open-border policies.
Much more at the link. George Soros plays a feature role, though I suspect he wasn’t giving orders so much as finding like-minded partners..
#5
Could be Maduro was expecting more of a payoff than he ended up getting and decided to spill a few beans. It would be interesting to examine those FBI and DEA records as he suggests.
Posted by: Abu Uluque ||
02/26/2025 13:19
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#6
Er, that is, if they're not already shredded and erased from the hard drives.
Posted by: Abu Uluque ||
02/26/2025 13:20
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#7
Doesn’t the NSA back up all that stuff, Abu Uluque?
#11
I understand that SOP is to have a server in your basement bathroom.
Between Bill (& Bill's defenders) killing the concepts of honesty and shame and Hillary (and her supporters) killing the concept of transparency in government, they certainly accomplished a lot. Personal email accounts deliberately used to circumvent public records and a private server--anyone else would have done prison time for such acts.
#12
I've never been there so I wouldn't know for sure but, if they have a competent (and honest) IT department, everything gets backed up and archived somewhere. I think it's probably a matter of who has access to the vault where the backups are stored. But I wouldn't want to get caught attempting to erase a backup tape.
Posted by: Abu Uluque ||
02/26/2025 18:00
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[AmericanGreatness] A left-wing New Yorker who posted a video on TikTok calling for the liquidation of DOGE chief Elon Musk has attracted the attention of the Trump Justice Department.
In the video, posted on X by Libs of TikTok, Sarah C. Roberts blatantly threatens Musk and admits to not paying taxes for the past eight years.
Musk responded to the video on X, CC’ing U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Ed Martin, and writing: "Death threat and multiple counts of tax fraud."
"Duly noted, thx for letting us know," Martin replied. "We’ll put you in the system, talk soon, ma’am."
Screenshot can be seen at the link.
Roberts also has an Instagram account, which she has set to private. Her bio indicates that she identifies as "she/her" and claims to "bring value and bless lives."
The account links to a radical black trans "collective" called "Brooklyn Liberation" that advocates for "trans youth."
[Breitbart] A 28-year-old Indiana man is accused of making violent threats against Elon Musk on social media.
The suspect, David Cherry, was arrested by Indiana State Police on Tuesday after law enforcement officials in Texas alerted them to the situation, Fox 7 reported Friday.
“In an affidavit filed Thursday in Harrison County, Indiana Superior Court, investigators identified several posts made on social media platform X under the username @effective_pawn,” the report said.
The account allegedly replied to a post by Musk, who leads the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), stating, “We’re gunning you down, next Muskrat.”
Another reply from the account said, “You’re robbing the American people. We will gut you and parade your corpse through the streets,” while yet another one stated, “I am going to plant a bomb in Elon Musk’s house.”
The Indiana officers were able to ping a cellphone to locate Cherry, who they found working at a Batteries Plus in Clarksville, Indiana. He was taken into custody at the location, and later told police he posted the statements to be “edgy” and get attention.
Police confiscated an AR-15-style rifle, a handgun, ammunition, and a ballistic vest from the suspect’s residence.
In addition, Newsweek reported that “Cherry owns an online store called Red Pawn Dynamics, which sells Communist, anarchist and political themed merchandise.”
Officials charged him with Level 5 felony intimidation. He was cut loose after being given a $2,500 cash bond and is expected to appear in court for pre-trial hearings in March and July.
A few weeks ago, Boston University assistant media technician Jared May allegedly posted on the social media platform Bluesky a “Wanted Dead or Alive” image showing the names and photos of DOGE workers, Breitbart News reported February 5.
The news comes after President Donald Trump survived two assassination attempts in 2024. In September, an Idaho man threatened to “personally” kill Trump, reportedly making the threats in phone calls to the president’s Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida.
In November, Breitbart News reported that several of Trump’s cabinet picks also had their lives threatened.
NOTE: To all Far Left Liberals and etc. This isn't the Obama/Biden era anymore. Threats to kill anyone now result in Prison, not a paid guest appearance on The View.
BTW: Thank-you for letting us know about your tax problem.
Rest assured, there are IRS workers looking to add something to their weekly Work Log records. It should be quickly addressed.
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited. by Yaroslav Karpikov
[REGNUM] The threat from the south was much more pressing for the Russian state for a long time than the enemies from the west: steppe dwellers constantly raided from Crimea and the Wild Steppe, looking for prey.
The traveler and geographer Adam Olearius from Aschersleben in Saxony, in his notes on his visit to Moscow, describes how 72 Crimean Tatars, “who all called themselves ambassadors,” simply burst into the Kremlin to see the Grand Duke in order to receive expensive gifts and go home.
"These peoples are cruel and hostile. They live in vast, widely scattered places south of Moscow. They cause much harm to the Grand Duke at the borders, especially near Tula, by robbing and kidnapping people," the Saxon said, pointing out that the abatis and ditches do not really hinder the robbers from penetrating to the north.
Then they usually tried to choose their route so as not to cross rivers, especially deep and wide ones, and to move along the most convenient paths in the lowlands.
Other enemies are now doing the same, only instead of cavalry, combat drones are flying along the most effective routes from the south, also bringing destruction and death. And just like five hundred years ago, guards and observation posts are being organized along these roads, notifying everyone of the approaching threat.
Once the signal was given by smoke or the news was carried by messengers, now social networks and messengers are working, where the message is transmitted from point to point: "They are coming. Get ready."
It is still amazing how much has changed over the centuries, only externally, while preserving the original essence.
"TO DRIVE THE CRIMEAN KHAN FROM THE IZYUM PATH"
Most of the rivers of southern Russia in the 16th–17th centuries could be forded — such places were called “ferries.” We find a description of them in the “ Book of the Big Drawing.” This detailed description, attached to the first map of the entire Russian state, listed, among other things, roads leading to the borders, Tatar routes, and other topographic objects, right down to wells. The map itself — the “Big Drawing” — was lost, but the “Book” allows us to reconstruct it.
For example, at the time of the compilation of the “Big Drawing” on the Seversky Donets there were 11 ferry crossings – from Kagansky, north of the confluence of the Uda River near the city of Chuguev (now in the Kharkov region), to Tatarsky ferry at the confluence of the Kalitva River in the territory of the current Rostov region.
The Tatars, who carried out annual attacks on the Russian ukrains (i.e., border territories), knew the terrain well. When moving to Rus', they chose the most convenient roads.
The only obstacles to their movement could be rivers and forests, because there were no mountains, gorges, or swamps in the Wild Field. The tributaries of the Dnieper and Don served as a watershed for the basins of these two rivers. The watershed was the Tatars' permanent natural road to the Russian state.
For raids into the Russian state, the Tatars used six permanent routes - roads, which were also called by the word "shlyakh" (from the Polish szlach, which comes from the medieval German slag - track, trace) or the Tatar word "sakma".
These were: Kalmiusskaya Sakma, Svinaya Doroga, Bakayev Shlyakh, Muravsky Shlyakh, Pakhnutiev Shlyakh and, finally, Izyumsky Shlyakh—familiar to everyone from the film “Ivan Vasilyevich Changes Profession”: “The Crimean Khan is causing mischief on Izyumsky Shlyakh! ”
The oldest and most frequently used by the Tatars was the Muravsky Shlyakh. It went from the Crimean Perekop to Tula between the headwaters of many rivers and streams of the Dnieper-Don watershed, without crossing almost any of these rivers.
But how could the relatively weak Russian state in the 16th–17th centuries control such a huge border – “Ukraine” (the same problems face modern Russia now, in the 21st century)?
How to determine in time the enemy's forces' concentration, their advance to positions and subsequent movement? When the enemy is cunning, knows the terrain well and acts in small groups. Modern representatives of the Ukrainian Armed Forces are the same heirs of the steppe predators of the 17th century - the Crimean and Nogai Tatars, as well as their "colleagues" in the predatory raids on the Russian Ukraine - the Zaporozhian Cossacks.
Let's consider the methods our ancestors used to organize border service 400 years ago.
"POLISH SERVICE" OF THE TERRIBLE TSAR
The Russian guard, consisting of the children of boyars and Cossacks, stood on the Don, Bystraya and Tikhaya Sosna rivers probably before the middle of the 16th century. In 1571, by order of Tsar Ivan Vasilyevich the Terrible, a prominent figure of that time, Mikhail Vorotynsky, became the head of the guard and stanitsa service with the order to "lead the stanitsas and guards and all their sovereign Polish services. " "Polish" in this case means "located in the field."
When creating a centralized border guard, Vorotynsky first ordered that the “guards and villagers” be questioned: “From which city and to which places, and to which places it is appropriate to travel by village, and in which places the guards should stand guard…”.
In the "Sentence on static and guard service", which the Boyar Duma approved in 1571 based on the results of the work of Prince Vorotynsky, the sphere of responsibility of 73 border "guards" was described, as they would say now, which were united into 12 categories. The first category included the "Guards of Donetsk".
HOW INTELLIGENCE WORKED IN "SECURE PLACES"
The “Sentence” gave requirements and instructions on how guards and villagers should behave.
The main difference between "stanichniki" and "watchmen" is the nature of their service. "Watchmen" stood in the area entrusted to them for a certain period of time, were "eyes and ears".
They were ordered: “To stand guard on guard posts, without changing from their horses, and to ride through the tracts.”
The "stanichniki" performed the function of patrols, patrolling a kind of route entrusted to them. They were the first to track whether the "thieving Cherkasy", Tatars, steppe Nogai would appear on one of the roads that they constantly used for attacks. The stanichniki were ordered to act mobile, move quickly and, if possible, covertly:
“And they shall not make camps, and they shall not set fires (make fires) in one place, and they shall not set fire in the same place twice; and in any place where someone has spent the day, they shall not spend the night in that place; and they shall not set up camp in the forests, but they shall set up camp in places where it would be safe,” that is, in places on high ground that provide visibility.
The villagers and guards were forbidden to come to their superiors with news obtained second-hand, and not through direct observation - the information had to be reliable.
The service was shift-based, the guards and villagers went to work according to a “schedule”: “And the guards stand guard for six weeks in the spring, and for a month in the fall.”
It is known that guards from two Russian outposts - Putivl (now in the Sumy region) or from Rylsk (in the modern Kursk region) - were sent to the Donetsk section of the "frontier" for six weeks in the spring.
Before being sent on missions, the stanitsa had to arrive in Putivl or Rylsk two weeks in advance. Before being sent on duty, all property (horses and "junk", i.e. movable property) of the stanitsa members had to be assessed. In the event of skirmishes between the stanitsa members and the Tatars and "repossession", compensation was issued from the sovereign's treasury.
The stanitsas began to leave on April 1 with a difference of 14 days and one day and up until November. All guards had to be constantly under surveillance until "the big snows fell" - winter was considered an obstacle to enemy movement along the roads.
It was necessary to leave only after waiting for the change.
If a stanichnik or a guard left his route without a "change" and for this reason the Tatars came to the border territories ("War will be waged against the sovereign's lands") - such people were to be punished by death. For being late for guard duty, service people were charged half a poltina per person per day.
TSARIST CIRCASSIANS VERSUS "THIEVES"
Since 1574, Ivan the Terrible appointed the boyar Nikita Yuryev from the Zakharyin-Yuryev clan, the founder of the future Romanov royal dynasty, as the new head of the guard and stanitsa service. During the reign of Ivan IV's son, Tsar Feodor Ioannovich, an important innovation appeared: Circassians, natives of Little Russia, who knew the Tatar ways and sakms in the Wild Steppe well, began to join the Ukrainian guard service of the Russian state. Valuable specialists were settled in the border Putivl district.
If we turn to the archives of the first years after the Time of Troubles, when the first tsar from the Romanov dynasty, Mikhail Fedorovich, was on the throne, we can see the following picture.
By the 1630s, there were stanitsa services in three southern Russian border towns in what is now the Belgorod region: Valuyki, Oskol, and Belgorod itself. The largest Belgorod stanitsa service included 40 mounted detachments, or "stanitsas," each of which consisted of ten people. Each stanitsa consisted of a stanitsa boyar's son (head), his deputy (ataman), six riders, and two leaders. In 1629, there were 400 stanitsa members in Belgorod: 40 stanitsa heads, 40 atamans, 240 riders, and 80 leaders.
Service in the villages was quite dangerous; every year during steppe raids in skirmishes with Tatars or “thieving Cherkassy”, Belgorod villagers died or were captured, as evidenced by surviving documents of that time.
THE MISSION OF THE VILLAGER MURZIN
Thus, on June 21, 1630, from Belgorod “down the Donets past the Tsarev-Borisov settlement, to the tracts, to the Aidar River and to the Sokolye Mountains (where the Black Stallion and Bakhmut Rivers flow into the Seversky Donets) a stanitsa headed by the boyar’s son Kondrat Trunov set out on patrol.
On July 15, a Cossack from Kondrat Trunov's detachment named Ilya Murzin came to Belgorod - "wounded, shot with a bow." The wounded man told the Belgorod voivode that while moving towards Sokolyi Mountains, near the Borovaya River, their detachment suddenly "met" with a Tatar Chambul. In the army of the Crimean Khans, Chambuls were small "flying" detachments intended for diversionary maneuvers and for the rapid capture of military booty and slaves on enemy territory.
The Cossacks tried to break away from the Tatars, but they were caught up with. During the chase, Ilya Murzin was wounded, and "the Cossacks Kondrat Trunov and his comrades were captured by the Tatars and brought to the Crimean side of the Donets River, to the river Lugan." Lugan is a right tributary of the Seversky Donets River, flowing in the modern DPR and LPR.
Murzin spent “five days and four nights tied up and suffering from stomach pain” in the Tatar captivity, and escaped on the fifth night.
The border guard was able to pass on to the Belgorod governor the information obtained at such a high price: "And in Lugansk there are three hundred or more Tatars." Further, based on the accumulated experience, it was possible to assume along which of the beaten paths the enemy would attack the Russian borderland.
HOW CHUGUEV LEARNED ABOUT THE THREAT FROM LUGANSK
An equally interesting document can be found in a later archive, from 1645. Belgorod governor Fyodor Khilkov writes to his colleague from another Russian “Ukrainian” city, Chuguev (now in the Kharkov region), Denis Ushakov. The governors of border Russian cities were obliged to “exile” — to share information with each other about the dangers from beyond the border.
This time the information was as follows: the villagers who arrived in Valuyki reported that “about ten versts before reaching the Svyatogorsk Monastery, opposite the Borisov settlement,” they spotted a group of Tatars moving along their traditional sakma, or “raid” road.
“The Tatars went from the Nogai steppe, from the upper reaches of the Black Stallion River to the Oskol River, about a hundred or more men, and they climbed over the Oskol River…” The villagers gave a forecast of where exactly the “Tatars” would go: “To the Belgorod district, and to Chuguev, and to other Ukrainian sovereign cities.”
Information about the approaching enemy arrived in time, and the Belgorod governor managed to promptly send a messenger with guards to Chuguev. The city was ready to repel the raid fully armed.
The stanitsa and guard service on the southern Russian borders was an effective method of warning of impending danger. Reconnaissance, observation and immediate delivery of news to people (governors) responsible for making decisions on eliminating enemy breakthroughs and raids on Russian borders.
By the way, in documents from the 1640s, like the report from the Valuyki Cossacks that we cited above, the names of localities familiar from the SVO reports constantly appear: the area of the Svyatogorsk Monastery (now the Svyatogorsk Assumption Lavra), which was the site of clashes in the spring and summer of 2022, the areas along the Black Stallion River, where battles are currently underway for the villages of Torskoye, Yampolovka and Terny. The Valuyki Cossacks were frequent guests at the Svyatogorsk Monastery. All this creates additional historical analogies.
Including early warning of the constant danger from the south and rapid coordination between intelligence and command, which could be learned from our ancestors - but this time to repel not raids, but attacks.
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited. by Leonid Tsukanov
[REGNUM] Less than a couple of months have passed since the overthrow of Bashar al-Assad, as anti-government sentiments have risen in the south of the country. This time, the focus was on the Druze from the Military Council of Es-Suwayda, who proclaimed the autonomy of the province of the same name.
The Military Council's position is still rather shaky, and it will not be able to fully oppose Damascus. However, other participants in the crisis are already trying to turn the turmoil around the Druze to their advantage - and any miscalculation by the authorities could be fatal.
So the formation of the “New Syria” continues – but clearly not in the form that the Transitional Government would like.
POWER TO THE COUNCIL
Despite the fact that the As-Suwayda Military Council was established back in December 2024, the hype around it only began a couple of days ago, following statements about the province’s transition to “political self-sufficiency.”
The reason for the declaration of autonomy (in the context of the Syrian conflict, de facto meaning complete disobedience to the central authorities) was, according to the Druze activists themselves, the inability of the central authorities to ensure the security of religious and national minorities in Syria.
The popularity of the new structure, at a quick glance, is growing quite rapidly: in a few days, dozens of small groups and former pro-government Druze units have joined the Military Council. However, upon closer analysis, it is noticeable that the accession is of a very formal nature - there is no talk yet of a mass transition of large forces to the side of the autonomy.
Unlike the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), the Druze militias cannot boast of having armored vehicles or serious weapons - the basis of the arsenal of the militias being formed, judging by the footage from the field, is small arms. However, the Druze do not plan to engage in combat with the new Syrian army yet, and explain the formation of units by "self-defense considerations."
It is noteworthy that individual SDF commanders have already announced the imminent formation of an alliance with the Druze in order to “jointly confront” Damascus. Although just a week ago, at a trilateral meeting, Kurdish leaders agreed to gradually integrate their units into the ranks of the new Syrian army.
ISRAEL'S INTEREST
Israel responded positively to the news about the emergence of an “alternative force” in southern Syria.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu almost immediately promised the Druze "protection from the militants' encroachments," while legitimizing the indefinite preservation of the IDF presence in the provinces of Quneitra, Daraa, and As-Suwayda. The Israelis clearly do not plan to allow supporters of al-Sharaa anywhere near the Druze.
It is noteworthy that back in December 2024, the head of Israel's military intelligence (AMAN), Shlomi Binder, arrived in southern Syria. The head of AMAN not only investigated cases of Druze involvement in espionage against Israel (the "Safadi case"), but also worked on forming an Israeli proxy network for possible counteraction to Iran and its allies. Apparently, Binder managed to "pick the keys" to some Druze figures - or at least create the appearance of their turning towards Tel Aviv.
Of course, for now the turnaround is very conditional - control by the Military Council is clearly insufficient to ensure the forceful protection of Israel's interests in Syria in the long term.
On the other hand, such a task is not set: the IDF clearly does not plan to delegate part of the powers to the new Druze formations. Moreover, during the three months of presence, the Israelis have laid down at least nine military facilities that are planned to become permanent bases.
It is important for official Tel Aviv to keep the Syrian-Lebanese border under control in order to uncover Hezbollah caravan routes in real time.
Indeed. Also, the ceasefire does not permit Hezbollah rearming, so they ought not be doing that.
And protecting the Druze in this context looks not only convenient, but also a noble motive.
DIVIDE AND HOLD
The new Syrian authorities are doing everything they can to avoid secession.
Hours after Prime Minister Netanyahu's provocative statements and the news of the creation of the As-Suwayda Military Council, transitional President Ahmed al-Sharaa urgently convened a meeting of Druze leaders from the provinces of Quneitra and Daraa.
Official Damascus is counting on the fact that, unlike Es-Suwayda, where anti-government sentiments have traditionally been strong (since the time of the Assad dynasty), other provinces will prefer not to get into trouble. Especially since only diplomatic methods are being used to stop the crisis.
The calculation of the Syrian authorities is quite justified - the positions of the Military Council of Es-Suwayda in the province are still quite shaky, and the militias fully control barely half of the newly-minted autonomy (mainly its southern part). Their contacts with official Tel Aviv - at least public ones - have not been established.
The Druze opposition does not have an established leader, although former army officer Tariq Ash-Shufi is a contender for that title.
Their activities are not understood by their own religious authorities.
Thus, the leader of the Druze community in As-Suwayda, Sheikh Hikmet al-Hijri, did not support the creation of the Military Council. On the contrary, he called those who spoke out against Damascus separatists and "servants" of Tel Aviv, noting that they have no authority to represent the interests of all Druze.
In time with al-Hijri's statements, mass anti-Israeli protests have swept across southern Syria, including the Druze of Es-Suwayda. The demonstrators are advocating for the country's territorial integrity and sovereignty, and are also criticizing the Israeli military presence, which essentially arose without the consent of official Damascus.
However, the Druze elders who attended the audience with al-Sharaa are trying to maintain relative neutrality for now. They do not express any obvious disagreement with Damascus's position. But they are also in no hurry to criticize the rebellious community too vehemently, in case some "hotheads" in the Syrian government try to force the Druze autonomy into obedience.
Among the supporters of President al-Sharaa are many who advocate tough measures against minorities - mainly former field commanders of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS)*, who are used to solving problems radically. So far, al-Sharaa has managed to restrain their impulses, but at the cost of some loss of support.
However, on the opposite side of the scale there is a “stake” of a different level – the loyalty of the entire Druze community in Syria. A quick (but bloody) option to stop the crisis in As-Suwayda risks alienating the population of southern Syria from the new government.
Not to mention that taking up the sword against one minority will greatly trouble the many other minorities within Syria’s borders.
And the Military Council, for lack of alternatives, will overnight turn from a political fiction into a “point of attraction” for those dissatisfied with Damascus.
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited. by Kamran Gasanov
[REGNUM] The meeting of Russian and American officials in Riyadh has brought not only the British, French and German politicians into dismay, but also the Turkish ones. How is that possible? “For three years we were the main mediators. The Istanbul memorandum, the grain deal, the exchange of prisoners and prisoners. Everything went through us,” they thought in the country on the shores of the Bosphorus. And then some Saudi Arabia.
Yes, that's right. It was the birthplace of Islam that Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin chose as a mediator country. But for how long? So far, the talks have taken place in Riyadh, and the next round will apparently take place there as well.
On the day of the Riyadh meeting, February 17, Recep Tayyip Erdogan hastily invited Volodymyr Zelensky, who was bored in the Emirates, and tried to attach importance to this summit through the media. “Important signals,” “a critical meeting” — this is how the Turkish media presented the rendezvous in Ankara.
But even with Zelensky “up his sleeve,” Erdogan did not feel needed or important in the new Russian-American game. A week before the Ankara summit, Turkey decided to remind about its mediation mission through the mouth of Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, who said that many of Trump’s proposals mirrored the ideas of the Istanbul Memorandum of March 2022.
Only on February 24 was Ankara able to partially regain its confidence: on that day, the head of Russian diplomacy arrived there.
ALTERNATIVE SITE
Sergey Lavrov "informed in detail" his colleague Fidan about the progress of negotiations with Marco Rubio on the topic of Ukrainian settlement. Russia shows its colleagues from Turkey that it has no secrets, and the Kremlin welcomes the desire to participate in the resolution of the three-year conflict.
Yes, Lavrov does not say that Ankara will be a mediator country at some stage, but there is still a big difference between Europe, which is no longer trusted, and Turkey. The Russian Foreign Ministry has no incentive to inform the Old World, if only because Brussels, Paris and Berlin, not to mention London, are in no hurry to establish contact with Moscow and so far are only putting spokes in the wheels of the peace process.
And what is also important is that it is not Trump, a NATO partner and friend of Erdogan, who is informing Ankara, but Russia.
As if inspired by the arrival of an important guest – whose importance in the eyes of the Turks grew even more after the dialogue between Lavrov and Ushakov with Trump’s team – Fidan began to gush with ideas about what role Turkey wanted and could play in the peace process, given the new realities.
“Turkey is always ready to take on any facilitating or accelerating role,” in other words, Ankara is ready for any role that Putin and Trump assign it.
When speaking about their place in the settlement of the conflict in Ukraine, the Turks primarily mean the negotiating platform.
According to the Turkish leader's estimates, Istanbul, where the most successful negotiations between Russia and Ukraine took place, should have priority status. At the same time, the Erdogan administration understands that the new agreements will be based on the conditions agreed upon by Putin and Trump. It was not for nothing that Fidan welcomed the American leader's initiatives at his meeting with Lavrov.
The US President, first through his subordinates, and on February 25 personally, allowed the cession of territories by Kiev. And Ankara's competitor, Riyadh, is not pushing the issue of "integrity" and "occupation of Crimea".
Consequently, Turkey will have to abandon the thesis about the “territorial integrity of Ukraine,” which Erdogan often voices in order to earn the status of a mediator not only in the eyes of Putin, but also of a senior NATO comrade.
TWO "PEACEKEEPING" SCENARIOS
Turkey's status in the Russian-Ukrainian process is not limited to just a platform for negotiations. Moreover, the US and Russia are currently betting on the KSA. What else can Ankara do?
Zelensky voiced one of the options, running ahead of his father into hell. After a meeting with Erdogan, he allowed the Turkish army to be brought into Ukraine as peacekeepers to provide “security guarantees.”
In this sense, Turkey, if it is ready for it, fits into the Western mainstream. After all, even Trump is talking about the possible presence of NATO troops in Ukraine, albeit without the Americans. Without the US, Europe's need for a strong army increases, and Türkiye is the alliance's second army.
So Great Britain and even Macron, who is not very fond of his Turkish colleague, would quite agree to joint participation with the Turks in “peacekeeping” in Ukraine.
Another issue is that Russia is not happy with the presence of either a French, German or even Turkish boot in a border country, to put it mildly. So Erdogan should at least wait for a consensus between Putin and Trump here.
Discussing the topic of peacekeeping and Ankara’s participation in it, Turkish political scientist Alper Coskun draws two scenarios.
The first, "peace enforcement," involves deploying a Turkish corps as part of a multinational Western coalition to "repel a potential future Russian invasion." However, if the ceasefire is disrupted, there is a risk of being drawn into direct military action with the Russian Armed Forces. Therefore, Coskun considers this scenario "unlikely."
He sees the presence of Turkish observers to monitor the cessation of fighting as more “likely”.
“As a country that has maintained relatively positive relations with both sides throughout the conflict, Turkey could be persuaded to lead such an internationally sanctioned initiative and provide the necessary capabilities,” the article says.
NATO WITH RESERVATIONS
The second scenario, which involves a monitoring presence, seems more feasible.
It eliminates the risks of the West being drawn into an unnecessary war with Russia, and at the same time Ankara demonstrates its contribution to European security and increases its ratings with NATO partners, and possibly in the world.
If we recall recent history, Turkey and Russia have quite a lot of experience in peacekeeping. Within the framework of the Astana platform and in accordance with the Sochi agreements, Turkish troops patrolled the security zones in Idlib and in eastern Syria, where until recently there were battles between Kurdish militias and the Syrian opposition supported by the Turkish Armed Forces.
In addition, after the Second Karabakh War, Turkish and Russian militaries established a joint monitoring center in Aghdam to ensure the ceasefire between Azerbaijan and Armenia. So, in theory, such experience could be used in Ukraine.
While the Russian side has a clear position on NATO presence, Trump has so far left his allies room to maneuver. Unlike Britain, France, and Germany, Turkey is being flexible on this issue. Probably in order not to lose the threads of connection with Russia and not to deprive itself of hopes for the status of a negotiating platform in advance.
When discussing Ukraine's accession to NATO, Fidan makes many reservations in an interview with Bloomberg: " If a large international coalition is not formed and deployed along the lines of contact, then the way to ensure security guarantees for Ukrainians may be NATO membership, or the Russians may have other ideas regarding security guarantees."
The Turkish minister hints that any peacekeeping by Ankara must be coordinated with Moscow.
NOT ONLY UKRAINE
For the sake of objectivity, it should be said that in Lavrov’s negotiations with Fidan (and Erdogan, with whom a meeting also took place), not the whole world revolved around Ukraine.
The ministers “synchronized their watches” on the South Caucasus, Palestine and Israel, and also on Syria.
Russia and Turkey share " similar views on preventing separatist movements" in Syria, Fidan said, a reference to Syrian Kurdistan.
Lavrov, for his part, complained that the US is creating an independent state in the east of the Arab Republic. If the Kurdish issue is existential for Ankara, then Moscow has an incentive to counteract separatism in order to gain the trust of the current government in Damascus.
The new ruler of Syria, Ahmed Ash-Sharaa, is in no hurry to say goodbye to the Russian military bases. And Turkey does not seem to be rushing him. On the contrary, both Ankara and Damascus could be interested in preserving the bases in Khmeimim and Tartus.
After all, the US, especially under Trump, will support Israel and is not yet in a hurry to "drain" the Kurdish project. Syria does not have its own air defense, and Israel recently demanded that the Syrians withdraw their troops from the southern provinces.
In the event of an IDF attack under any pretext, Al-Sharaa will need support. The US will not help, the EU will not either, and Turkey alone may not be enough. The presence of Russian bayonets restrains Israeli aviation and strengthens Erdogan's ally. And, accordingly, puts additional pressure on their common enemies in the form of the Kurdistan Workers' Party and its two militant offshoots - the YPG and PYD.
Along with geopolitics, the ministers traditionally discussed bilateral economic ties, tourism, the Akkuyu Nuclear Power Plant projects, and the Turkish Stream and Blue Stream gas pipelines.
Although journalists have become accustomed to mentioning these topics as a “routine poem” when describing meetings and relations between Turkey and Russia, they are the ones that create a platform for bilateral cooperation and act as “safety devices” in the event of competition and differences of opinion, whether in the Caucasus, Central Asia, the Middle East or the Black Sea region.
And for a brief summary, Lavrov’s words are best suited: “ Despite the tense international situation, Russian-Turkish political dialogue maintains intensity and progressive dynamics at all levels.”
And in this case, this is not just diplomatic rhetoric.
🚨 #BREAKING EXCLUSIVE: Eric Swalwell PANICS when I ask about his Chinese spy girlfriend Fang Fang, and whether that’s a bigger “national security threat” than Elon Musk
I sat next to a drunk Swalwell at dinner for 90 minutes. He was IMMEDIATELY compromised by a group of… pic.twitter.com/DeZg3EJphW
… by a group of lobbyists he’d JUST MET, spilling intimate details about his job and asking for HELP CHEATING ON HIS WIFE.
Oh ick.
MASSIVE national security threat. This guy should have his clearances revoked.
Swalwell spent his dinner bragging about “ORGlES” on Capitol Hill, telling them he’s bored of his wife and “only wants to f*ck tens.”
Worse, he spoke about ABUSlNG his power on the House Intel Committee (which he’s since been booted off of), saying he pushed to SUBPOENA Ivanka Trump because she’s “hot as f*ck”
THIS GUY MUST BE REMOVED FROM THE HOMELAND SECURITY COMMITTEE. He CANNOT keep his freaking mouth shut.
After I began questioning him, Swalwell jumped back into the group of lobbyists to hide from me, but I pressed on.
Dude looked absolutely TERRIFIED and 100% guilty. He knows he’s been caught.
More to come later. I have about an hour and a half of audio to go through 😉
And big shoutout to
@LauraLoomer
for assisting me with digging into this clown while I was focusing on listening in!
Worth noting, korrespondent.net has compiled its Invasion of Ukraine series into separate months, beginning May 9th, 2023. Linked in the title.
[Korrespondent] 20.50 The number of people injured as a result of the Russian strike on Kramatorsk in Donetsk Oblast has risen to 16. There are probably still people under the rubble. This was reported by the head of the OVA Vadim Filashkin.
18.35 As a result of the Russian strike on the private sector of Kramatorsk, one person was killed and 14 others were wounded, including four children. The rescue operation continues. At least 17 private houses were damaged by the shelling.
18.02 In Lithuania, as part of the Radarom! solidarity campaign for the purchase of drones for Ukraine, Lithuanian citizens and businesses have raised 5 million 614 thousand euros. This is reported by LRT. This is not the final amount, as it will be adjusted after all corporate donations have been received. The funds will be used to purchase drones and counter-drone equipment of Lithuanian and Ukrainian production.
17.51 Russian troops using MLRS shelled the village of Bely Kolodets in the Chuguevsky district. One of the shells hit a civilian car. This was reported by the Kharkiv OVA. As a result of the shelling, a man was killed and another was wounded.
16.36 Since the beginning of the day, 62 combat clashes have occurred along the entire front line. The Russians have reduced their activity in the Pokrovsk direction. This is stated in the operational summary of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine as of 16:00.
16:00 Given the current intensity of fighting on the front, Ukraine will have enough weapons without U.S. military assistance at least until the summer, The Wall Street Journal reported , citing current and former Western officials. But the Ukrainian Armed Forces may soon face a shortage of ammunition and an inability to use some of their modern weapons.
15.13 Russian troops dropped aerial bombs on Hulyaipole in Zaporizhia on February 25. This was reported by the head of the Zaporizhia OVA Ivan Fedorov on Tuesday, February 25.
14.57 Ukrainian troops have achieved another success near the city of Pokrovsk in the Donetsk region. The defense forces have rejected the Russians near the village of Uspenovka. This was reported by the analytical project D eepState .
14:36 Russian occupiers have started buying donkeys at their own expense to transport ammunition and equipment. The Russians themselves are talking about this in messages on Russian pro-government Telegram channels.
14.28 The Ministry of Defense has codified and approved the Vedmak unmanned aerial vehicle for use in units of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. This was reported by the Main Directorate for Support of the Life Cycle of Weapons and Military Equipment.
13:35 The population of the territory controlled by the Ukrainian authorities today may reach 31.5 million people. This was stated by the head of the Institute of Demography and Social Research Ella Libanova at the expert forum Mental health of the nation and rehabilitation of military and civilians during the war: a common cause of the state, business and civil society.
13:17 Russian troops continue to terrorize the civilian population of the Kharkiv region. As a result of another strike on the village of Zolochiv, according to preliminary data, two women were injured. This was reported by the press service of the Kharkiv OVA on Tuesday, February 25.
12:45 As of December 31, 2024, the total cost of recovery in Ukraine is estimated at $524 billion over the next decade. This data is presented in the Rapid Recovery Damage and Needs Assessment (RDNA4), published by the World Bank.
12:02 On Tuesday night, Russian invaders launched seven Kh-101 cruise missiles and 213 drones of various types at Ukraine. Most of the targets were destroyed by air defense. The Air Force of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported the details.
10:51 An unexploded Russian UAB-500 was found in one of the districts of Zaporozhye. Sappers defused the aerial bomb.
10:12 The Security Service detained in Odessa an agent of the Russian military intelligence (GRU), who burned down energy facilities of Ukrzaliznytsia and prepared caches with firearms and components for explosives.
The traitor turned out to be a 32-year-old woman from Odessa, who was remotely recruited at the end of last year by a career employee of the special operations forces of the Russian GRU.
09:50 As a result of a massive Russian attack on the night of February 25 in the Zhytomyr region, there are damages and casualties.
A commercial building and a residential building in the Zhitomir district were damaged by debris from the air. A woman was injured and hospitalized, and two children, aged four and seven, were also taken to the hospital due to an acute stress reaction.
08:37 Russian troops attacked Sumy with "shahedeen". As a result of the fall of one of the Russian drones with subsequent detonation, two people were preliminarily injured. The glazing of windows in two apartment buildings was also damaged.
07:35 As a result of the Russian attack in the Obukhovsky district, a 44-year-old woman was injured. A private house and utility rooms were also partially destroyed. Damage to private houses was recorded in Fastovsky. This was reported by the head of the Kyiv OVA Mykola Kalashnik.
07:22 As of February 25, 2025, the total combat losses of Russian troops on the territory of Ukraine amounted to approximately 869,530 people (+1,300 per day). This was reported by the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
#1
Russian occupiers have started buying donkeys at their own expense to transport ammunition and equipment. The Russians themselves are talking about this in messages on Russian pro-government Telegram channels.
The best solution is not always the most high-tech, whiz-bang solution. Sometimes low-tech is the best.
Posted by: Abu Uluque ||
02/26/2025 13:04
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#2
^^
#1 Russian occupiers have started buying donkeys at their own expense to transport ammunition and equipment. The Russians themselves are talking about this in messages on Russian pro-government Telegram channels.
The best solution is not always the most high-tech, whiz-bang solution. Sometimes low-tech is the best.
Better than a noisy robot, or a human driven BTR delivering 5.45mm.
Posted by: Mullah Richard ||
02/26/2025 17:53
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#5
"Never fight with the Russians, they will respond to any of your ingenious tactics with such stupidity that will always lead them to victory"
-- Otto von Bismarck
[GA Record] Wisconsin independent journalist, and election fraud investigator Peter Bernegger, working with CDM contributor Chris Gleason, has published evidence on his Telegram channel showing smurfing activity of the Jon Ossoff campaign.
Bernegger is releasing information on many U.S. senators, like Tom Cotton yesterday.
Posted by: The Walking Unvaxed ||
02/26/2025
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[11161 views]
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#1
It’s almost like a lot of them are smurfing. It will be interesting to see which one cross to extremely geriatric social sucirity registrations. You would think that George Washington would be extremely surprised to know that he has and needs an SSN.
Posted by: Super Hose ||
02/26/2025 5:28
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#2
Money or Service Donald Trump and his appointments are almost universally losing money by going into government. The opposite was generally true for Democrats.
#3
Smurfing money means structuring transactions for example depositing 100k by breaking it into 40 deposits of $2500 each. This is done to reduce the probability of the bank making a Suspicious Activity Report.
Posted by: Lord Garth ||
02/26/2025 9:16
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#4
These are my Senators and Hank ‘Guam could tip over and capsize’ Johnson my rep.
[AmericanTribune] The Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) reportedly discovered that babus government employees in the Washington, D.C. area are taking to the golf course on Friday afternoons, filling up public courses across the nation’s capital. The news sparked uproar from conservatives as the Trump administration seeks to rein in the federal government and cut waste.
The popular conservative commentator Amuse wrote on X, "DOGE: There are 40 public golf courses in the Washington DC area. On Fridays the tee sheets are filled with the names of career civil service workers. Does your boss let you ’work’ from the golf course?" President Trump also criticized work-from-home protocols within the federal government, stating that it was being abused to play tennis and golf.
[ShabelleMedia] Armed groups affiliated with al-Shabaab ... Somalia's version of the Taliban, functioning as an arm of al-Qaeda... launched a heavy attack on villages in the Lower Shabelle region, local sources reported.
The assault took place late last night, with al-Shabaab murderous Moslems targeting government military posts and civilian areas, according to the villagers, speaking to Radio Shabelle.
Government forces and military personnel attempted to repel the attackers, but there were casualties on both sides, with the exact number of victims still being confirmed.
In recent weeks, al-Shabaab has been intensifying its attacks in southern Somalia, particularly in regions under the control of the federal government, in an effort to disrupt security progress.
[Breitbart] On Monday’s broadcast of the Fox News Channel’s “Special Report,” French President Emmanuel Macron stated that President Donald Trump is correct that Europe has to do more on defense and France has to increase its spending, but “not because you ask us to do so and add more burden sharing. This is our interest” and Europe has “to take our part of the burden and we have to invest much more in our own security, first, to decrease your own burden. But, second, because this is our interest.”
Host Bret Baier asked, [relevant exchange begins around 10:40] “President Trump has said he wants NATO now — NATO allies to spend 5% of their GDP on defense. Your country, if you look at the graph, sits at about 2%. Will you boost defense spending in this environment?”
Macron answered, “This is what I — so, first, since I was elected in 2017, I passed two loads…and at the end of these two loads, we will have double our budget in France. As you mentioned, we are at 2%. We have to do much more. Your President is right.”
Macron added, “[W]hat I did, and this is my job, it’s to convince the majority of French people and the majority of parties to step up…and it’s not because you ask us to do so and add more burden sharing. This is our interest. And why, and this is important and this is something you have to realize as well, because Russia is still a threat. Russia has spent 10% of its GDP in defense, and it’s close to us and Russia is aggressive vis-à-vis Europe and we have, every week, cyberattacks. We had terrorist attacks. They have a sort of…war vis-à-vis Europe. And so, we have to step up our expenditures. So, in France, we will deliver increases, additional ones. I’m building consensus, and I will do my job. And the political forces are all very aware of the situation.”
Macron continued, “On top of that, we have to do much more at the European scale. I convened a meeting at the beginning of this week, and we will have the European Council, in the days to come, the sixth of March, and we will have some special announcement by the commission to increase, as well, shotgun financing. And what we have to do, we need innovative financing to have much more command investment as Europeans. Why? Because we have to take our part of the burden and we have to invest much more in our own security, first, to decrease your own burden. But, second, because this is our interest.”
#5
not because you ask us to do so and add more burden sharing. This is our interest” and Europe has “to take our part of the burden and we have to invest much more in our own security
Gaud you insufferable pricks are like teenagers, throw a damn fit when Dad tells you to clean your room, your mess, throw a tantrum and fall down on the pile of dirty laundry. "I'll clean it now, but not because you said so! yeeeeee!"
🚨JUST ANNOUNCED: Five members of the Democratic Party in Bridgeport, CT and Philadelphia have been criminally arrested and charged with numerous counts of voter fraud at both the state and federal levels regarding mail-in ballots.
#3
I would be more interested in investigations in Virginia, Georgia and Michigan. I sort of assume that all Conn politicians are Dem and criminal. Getting arrested is different, but the Conn voters will probably re-elect all of them.
Posted by: Super Hose ||
02/26/2025 5:33
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#4
They had to cheat in CT?
Posted by: Throlush Dark Lord of the Nebraskans2736 ||
02/26/2025 7:50
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#5
^ They know no other way. Example, CA. Some of the biggest vote fraud takes place here. They might still be counting votes, I'm crapping you negative. Question is, why?
Posted by: Rex Mundi ||
02/26/2025 8:38
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#6
The people charged in Connecticut were charged by State of Connecticut officials.
The charges relate to activity in Primary Elections, not General Elections.
Posted by: Lord Garth ||
02/26/2025 9:20
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#7
The charges relate to activity in Primary Elections, not General Elections.
They are guilty of trying to cheat fellow Democrats?
[GEO.TV] A Sudanese military plane crashed in Omdurman, part of greater Khartoum, on Tuesday, due to a technical malfunction, killing its crew, a military source said, as the army and its rival paramilitary forces battle for control of the capital.
"An Antonov aircraft crashed, killing a number of officers who were on board," the source told AFP on condition of anonymity because they were not authorised to speak to the media.
Posted by: Fred ||
02/26/2025
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[11155 views]
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Text taken from the Telegram channel of russiaun.ru
[ColonelCassad] Nebenzya's speech at the UN Security Council during the preparation of the vote on the resolution on Ukraine, where the US, Russia and China unanimously voted FOR.
As a result of recent Russian-American contacts at the highest and high level, the ice, as they say, has broken. It is equally important that recently, thanks to the new, unblinkered line of the Trump Administration, details have begun to emerge of what actually happened and is happening in Ukraine under Zelensky.
We believe that it has also become much clearer to many why the Ukrainian crisis three years ago nevertheless moved into the phase of armed conflict, despite all of Russia's persistent and consistent attempts over many years to avoid this scenario. Everyone in the world has learned, in particular, that the entire anti-Russian project "Ukraine", as we have repeatedly stated in this room, was financed by the West from the very beginning.
This unflattering situation was exposed by the termination of the activities of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), which, as it turned out, spent $30.6 billion on Ukraine from 2021 to 2024, or 21% of its total spending abroad. USAID assistance in 2024 was equal to 3% of Ukraine's GDP.
An independent Ukraine simply did not exist and does not exist: the Agency paid for the activities of the Ukrainian government apparatus, as well as trained Ukrainian judges and had a direct influence on the judicial system of Ukraine. The Ukrainian parliament, the Verkhovna Rada, operated with American funding: $25 million was allocated by USAID for public events and the work of the secretariats of parliamentary commissions.
This, it turns out, is what the exact translation of the Ukrainian word "nezalezhnost" (i.e. "independence") looks like.
Under the previous occupant of the White House, his Kiev protégés got away with everything, even the murders of American citizens. Last week, thanks to former Verkhovna Rada deputy Oleksandr Dubinsky, who is known to be in custody, new details of the death of independent American journalist Gonzalo Lira in the dungeons of the Kiev regime were revealed.
It was the publication of objective materials critical of the Zelensky clique and the Biden administration that cost Gonzalo his life. It was for this that he was tortured to death on Zelensky’s orders. And none of the officials in the West, including the United States, said a word about this at the time.
But there are tens, if not hundreds of thousands, of such cases involving Ukrainian citizens opposed to the Zelensky regime.
In our speeches in this room, we have repeatedly drawn attention to the rampant corruption in Ukraine, which has permeated the entire society under Zelensky. They pointed out the glorification of those responsible for the deaths of hundreds of thousands of Jews, Poles, Russians, Gypsies and Ukrainians during the Second World War. They cited data about mass violations of human rights.
They highlighted examples of outright theft of Western aid, resale of weapons from the US and Europe on the black market. They pointed out the illegitimacy of the Kiev leader, who trampled on the constitution of his country in order to stay in power.
And even if today the Western European sponsors of the Zelensky regime continue to try to shield him and shift all the blame for the Ukrainian crisis onto Russia, prescribing to it all conceivable and inconceivable crimes and, of course, not noticing anything that the Kiev regime allows itself to do, covering up for its bankrupt, thieving client, as shown by today's vote in this hall on the American draft resolution, it is becoming increasingly difficult for them to do this. Because the facts are not in their favor at all.
Plus details of how the vote took place at the UN yesterday.
Briefly about what happened on February 24, 2025 at the UN headquarters.
Ukraine submitted its traditional anti-Russian resolution to the UN General Assembly (UNGA). It was adopted. The United States was against it for the first time.
Following this, the US submitted its own draft resolution on the Ukrainian crisis to the same UN General Assembly — with a universal call for peace, without Russophobia. The EU countries (including Britain and France, which is important) ruined the text with their amendments. The resolution was adopted. The US abstained. The EU countries voted "for".
By the way, both resolutions in the UN General Assembly were adopted by the smallest number of votes during the Emergency Special Session (ESS) of the General Assembly — only 93 "for" — this in itself is more than indicative.
Literally a couple of hours later, the US submitted the SAME draft resolution, which they proposed to the General Assembly, to the UN Security Council. And there this resolution was approved without any amendments.
Now to the most interesting part. Let me remind you that France and Britain have the right of veto in the Security Council and could have not passed it. But they did not. Thus, the UN Security Council resolution without condemning Russia, with an appeal for peace, sets the right framework and, in terms of status, has priority over the UN General Assembly resolution.
Attention, question: when were France and Britain sincere? When did they distort the American draft UN General Assembly resolution or when was the SAME American draft approved without amendments?
It takes about three minutes to walk at a measured pace between the halls of the General Assembly and the Security Council. Did they change their views on the global crisis in 180 seconds? Or do they just have a mask in each pocket for any occasion?
#2
Ukraine is an independent state recognized by all countries in the world including Russia, a member of the United Nations. What it was or wasn't in the early Middle Ages (when Moscow didn't evenm exist) is completely irrelevant. Invading and terrorizing a country because you think it has no right to exist: Where have we seen this before?
We now have the United States voting with North Korea, Belarus, Libya and Sudan. Is that the new company you want to keep.
It feels like stepping into a new version of "Invasion of the Body Snatchers" these days. "Fair is foul, and foul is fair", said Shakespeare.
Posted by: European Conservative ||
02/26/2025 6:06
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#4
And what we call Russia today was once a vassal of the Yuan Mongol Empire. In fact the only outside power to conquer and occupied came from the east.
Prussia [East] was never part of historical Russia. Things change.
Posted by: Mullah Richard ||
02/26/2025 7:44
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#8
The three-page U.N. General Assembly resolution, as presented by Ukraine’s delegation at the international body, called for Russia to “completely and unconditionally withdraw all of its military forces from the territory of Ukraine within its internationally recognized borders.”
In all, 93 countries voted in favor of the Ukrainian resolution, while 65 countries abstained. The United States and Russia were among the 18 countries that voted against the resolution.
[T]he U.S. delegation at the United Nations presented a competing one-page resolution that calls for international support for a lasting peace in the conflict without prescribing a specific outcome,
Not so outrageous, when you see the context and all the votes.
Posted by: Bobby ||
02/26/2025 9:04
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#9
Ukraine is an independent state recognized by all countries in the world including Russia, a member of the United Nations.
You can recognize it all you want but that doesn't make it so, especially if they need American taxpayer's to stay afloat.
Posted by: Abu Uluque ||
02/26/2025 14:02
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#10
I don't mind if Ukraine remains independent but I really don't care if they don't. I just happen to believe this stupid, bloody war could have been avoided if people like Victoria Nuland had not meddled in their affairs. I believe that was a sin and I'm not willing to continue paying for it. Sorry, I'm not willing to guarantee the independence of every piss ant country in the world. Ever since WWII Americans have been trying to do that and the experience has proven that it's not always a good idea.
Posted by: Abu Uluque ||
02/26/2025 14:39
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#11
You can recognize it all you want but that doesn't make it so, especially if they need American taxpayer's to stay afloat.
Yes. There are *lots* of places we can go with this topic. Is Canada "Independent", since it rolls on doing its socialist-dance solely because it backs up to the US, and a military strike on it would be defended by US technology and treated as if it were a strike upon the US? How much of Europe is "Independent"?
Text taken from the Telegram channel of darpaandcia
Commentary by Russian military journalist Bori Rozhin is in italics.
[ColonelCassad] The Pentagon's Big Lie: Why the US Really Dropped Atomic Bombs on Japan
Interestingly, a 1985 Washington Post article ended up in the CIA archives — the intelligence agency was clearly monitoring publications that refuted the official version of the need for atomic bombings. Author Gar Alperovitz reveals an inconvenient truth: the destruction of Hiroshima and Nagasaki was not a military necessity, but the first step in the Cold War against the USSR. For decades, the Americans justified the destruction of Hiroshima and Nagasaki by the need to prevent a bloody invasion of the Japanese islands. The official version claimed that the bombing saved up to a million American lives. However, documents prove that this was just a convenient legend.
By the summer of 1945, Japan was already on the verge of surrender. The US Joint Chiefs of Staff reported that strategic bombing and the naval blockade had already "made millions of Japanese homeless and destroyed between 25 and 50 percent of the urban sprawl of Japan's major cities."
American intelligence had been intercepting Japanese messages expressing a desire to surrender since September 1944.
Particularly revealing is the entry in Truman's diary, where he himself calls an intercepted telegram "a message from the Japanese Emperor asking for peace." Secretary of the Navy Forrestal noted in his diary "tangible evidence of the Japanese desire to withdraw from the war."
The Japanese minister in Switzerland, Kase, openly expressed "a desire to help arrange an end to hostilities." The only obstacle to surrender was the US demand for unconditional surrender - Japan only wanted to preserve the institution of the emperor.
Amazingly, the top US military leadership did not consider the atomic bombing necessary:
Admiral Leahy, the President's Chief of Staff:
"At the present time... the surrender of Japan can be arranged on terms that Japan can accept."
General Eisenhower told Truman bluntly that the use of the bomb was "not necessary."
Admiral King believed that a naval blockade would ensure unconditional surrender without invasion.
General Arnold argued that unconditional surrender could be achieved by October by conventional means.
Key to the decision was Secretary of State James Byrnes, Truman's chief adviser on both diplomacy and the atomic bomb. It was he who insisted on "finishing the Japanese business before the Russians entered the war."
Scholar Leo Szilard, who met with Byrnes on May 28, 1945, recalled:
"Byrnes did not argue that it was necessary to use the bomb against Japanese cities to win the war."
Instead, Byrnes was concerned about Russia's postwar behavior and believed that"Russia will be easier to govern if she is impressed with American military power."
Stimson wrote in his diary after a conversation with Byrnes at the White House:
"He is very much against any attempt to cooperate with Russia. His mind is full of the problems of the coming meeting of Foreign Ministers, and he counts on having the bomb in his pocket, so to speak, as a great weapon."
Truman deliberately delayed negotiations with Stalin until after the test of the atomic bomb. After the successful test on July 16, 1945, Churchill noticed a dramatic change in Truman's demeanor: "He told the Russians where to stand and sit, and generally commanded the whole conference."
The bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki was not so much a military necessity as the opening move in the Cold War. America deliberately sacrificed 130,000 Japanese lives to demonstrate its new strength to the Soviet Union.
As Churchill later noted:
"The historical fact remains, and must be assessed in the future, that the decision to use or not to use the atomic bomb... was never even a question."
The decision was made long before all the alternatives were considered.
Actually, Stalin understood this game very well, so during the famous episode in Potsdam he took into account Truman's veiled threats related to the atomic bomb and ordered the acceleration of the implementation of the Soviet nuclear project, which in a short time under Beria's leadership was brought to a finished product.However, the Japanese will bashfully remain silent at official events about who dropped nuclear bombs on them, so...
#3
Truman departing the USS Augusta to attend the Potsdam Conference. He made the decision to drop the bomb while onboard. The tall Secret Service Agent on the left is my dad.
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
[NewsFront] 23:58 Official summary of the Office for Documentation of War Crimes of Ukraine from 00:00 02/25/2025 to 00:00 02/26/2025.
A total of 29 facts of armed attacks by the Ukrainian Armed Forces.
There were reports of a civilian being injured.
DAMAGED:
Five civilian infrastructure facilities.
A total of 29 armed attacks in the Gorlovka direction.
A total of 92 units of various ammunition were fired.
19:30 Around 18:10 Moscow time by air defense systems on duty destroyed Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicle over the territory of Kursk region.
18:25 Information is coming in that the Russian Armed Forces, following Pogrebki, have liberated Orlovka, –MAP.
17:20 Soldiers of the 34th Guards Motorized Rifle Brigade raisedThe Russian flag over a school in the village of Pogrebki in the Kursk region. The village has been liberated.
16:35 Assault units of the 5th Army of the "East" group committed a successful offensive thrust from the Vremyevka-Gulyaipole highway to Burlatskoye. The depth of advance was about four km, the width along the front was about five km.
16:20 The Russian Armed Forces launched a missile strike on the Ozernoye airbase in the Zhitomir region, where MiG-29 and F-16AM fighters are based. Three missiles hit their targets, one was shot down by air defense systems, –MAP.
16:14 Drone operators of the Dnepr Guards from the 18th Army attacked the Ukrainian Armed Forces UAV control point, –video.
15:00 In the Khar'kov region, servicemen of the reconnaissance unit of the North group of troops used a UAV revealed an enemy combat armored vehicle transporting Ukrainian Armed Forces fighters for rotation.
The detected target was quickly destroyed by the FPV drone crew of the North Forces Group.
14:31 Drone operators of the 40th Naval Infantry Brigade of the Vostok group of forces, interacting with artillerymen,continue to identify and destroy Ukrainian Armed Forces equipment in the South Donetsk direction.
During aerial reconnaissance, the naval infantry discovered the movement of nationalist armored vehicles. The coordinates of the targets were promptly transmitted to the barrel artillery command post, whose crews destroyed the enemy combat vehicles with targeted fire.
13:30 Armed Forces of the Russian Federation continue to defeat of the Ukrainian Armed Forces formations in the Kursk region.
During offensive operations, units of the North group of forces defeated formations of a heavy mechanized, five mechanized, motorized infantry, assault, two airborne assault brigades, two territorial defense brigades and two assault regiments of the Ukrainian Armed Forces in the areas of the populated areas of Viktorovka, Goncharovka, Guevo, Kazachya Loknya, Kubatkin, Kurilovka, Lebedevka, Makhnovka, Melovoy, Nikolsky, Novaya Sorochina, Rubanshchina and Sudzha. Two enemy counterattacks were repelled.
Strikes by operational-tactical and army aviation and artillery fire hit enemy manpower and equipment in the areas of the settlements of Bondarevka, Kositsa, Lebedevka, Loknya, Malaya Loknya, Martynovka, Nikolaevka, Oleshnya, Staraya Sorochina, Cherkasskoye Porechnoye, Cherkasskaya Konopelka, as well as Basovka, Belovody, Veselovka, Novenkoye, Zhuravka and Yunakovka in Sumy Oblast.
Over the course of 24 hours, the Ukrainian Armed Forces lost more than 220 servicemen, two tanks, an armored personnel carrier, 25 armored combat vehicles, 18 cars, eight artillery pieces and a mortar, as well as five UAV control points and three ammunition depots were destroyed.
13:10 Tank crews of the 51st Combined Arms Army destroyed a UAV control point of the Ukrainian Armed Forces in the Dzerzhinsky direction.
As a result of the timely support of the tank crews, the assault groups were able to advance forward and capture another enemy stronghold.
12:21 Armed Forces of the Russian Federation inflicted a strike with high-precision air-launched weapons and unmanned aerial vehicles on the infrastructure of Ukrainian military airfields. The strike's objectives were achieved.
11:40 RF Armed Forces applied strikes on targets in Sumy
11:15 Kupyansk direction: expansion of the Russian Armed Forces bridgehead and destruction of the defense of the Armed Forces of Ukraine
The key event in this direction was the official liberation of the settlement of Topoli, which made it possible to expand the bridgehead on the right bank of the Oskol and develop further offensive in the western and southern directions.
10:11 RF Armed Forcesare applied strikes on enemy targets in Zhitomir
9:58 Kostroma paratroopers of the 98th Airborne Division evacuated wounded BTR-MDM driver and recaptured the equipment from Ukrainian Armed Forces drones in Chasovy Yar.
During the advance of the armored group of paratroopers after completing a combat mission, the BTR-MDM "Rakushka", which was bringing up the rear of the column, ran over a mine. The vehicle lost control and stopped. The group of paratroopers reported the incident to the regiment command and advanced to the combat vehicle.
8:59 Around 6:00 Moscow time by air defense systems on duty destroyed Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicle over the territory of Kursk region.
8:06 From Zaoleshenka the enemy throws over troops to Kazachya Lokna and Cherkassky Porechny.
7:25 During the past night, air defense systems on duty intercepted and destroyed 19 Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles
16 UAVs over the territory of the Bryansk region,
Two UAVs over the territory of the Kursk region and
One UAV over the territory of the Kaluga region.
[Garowe] Suspected Somali pirates have fled a Yemen ...an area of the Arabian Peninsula sometimes mistaken for a country. It is populated by more antagonistic tribes and factions than you can keep track of... i fishing boat they seized off the Horn of Africa and operated for five days, authorities said Monday.
In a statement, a European naval force known as EUNAVFOR Atalanta said the pirates' initial Feb. 17 attack targeted a dhow, a traditional ship that plies the waters of the Mideast, off the town of Eyl in Somalia.
The vessel, called the Saytuun-2, was under their control until Saturday, EUNAVFOR said. The pirates had ladders and weapons, suggesting they possibly sought to hijack other vessels while using the fishing boat as a so-called mothership.
"The fishing vessel was vacated by the alleged pirates after they stole some of the crew’s belongings," the naval force said. It added that the Saytuun-2's crew now were safe and free.
The Feb. 17 attack came just days after another pirate attack on another Yemeni fishing boat which ultimately ended with the pirates fleeing and the mariners on board being recovered unhurt.
Piracy off the Somali coast peaked in 2011 when 237 attacks were reported. Somali piracy in the region at the time cost the world’s economy some $7 billion — with $160 million paid out in ransoms, according to the Oceans Beyond Piracy monitoring group.
The threat was diminished by increased international naval patrols, a strengthening central government in Mogadishu, Somalia’s capital, and other efforts.
However,
a person who gets all wrapped up in himself makes a mighty small package... Somali pirate attacks have resumed at a greater pace over the last year, in part due to the insecurity caused by Yemen's Iran's Houthi sock puppets ...a Zaidi Shia insurgent group operating in Yemen. They have also been referred to as the Believing Youth. Hussein Badreddin al-Houthi is said to be the spiritual leader of the group and most of the military leaders are his relatives. The legitimate Yemeni government has accused the them of having ties to the Iranian government. Honest they did. The group has managed to gain control over all of Saada Governorate and parts of Amran, Al Jawf and Hajjah Governorates. Its slogan is God is Great, Death to America™, Death to Israel, a curse on the Jews They like shooting off... ummm... missiles that they would have us believe they make at home in their basements. On the plus side, they did murder Ali Abdullah Saleh, which was the only way the country was ever going to be rid of him... rebels launching their attacks in the Red Sea corridor over the Israel-Hamas ..a contraction of the Arabic words for "frothing at the mouth",... 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.
In 2024, there were seven reported incidents off Somalia, according to the International Maritime Bureau.
[Garowe] The 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... Defense Forces discovered several fresh mass graves within the vicinity of Cal-Miskaad mountains, the counterterrorism center reported, highlighting the possibility of severe losses on the ISIS bandidosholy warriors within the state.
Several bodies were also tumbled on as the forces made huge gains, officials said, with the graves believed to be the final resting places for their big shots, who had died side the beginning of Operation Lightning.
"There are also bodies and a mass grave where the turbans buried some of their senior members," the counterterrorism center said in a post on X, reaffirming the military's determination to eradicate the bad boys.
It could not be established the correct number of the ISIS bandidosholy warriors who have died. Still, many may have fallen following aerial bombardments by the US Africa Command and the United Arab Emirates. The ground combats have also been severe.
Also seized were several vehicles and cycle of violences destroyed by the Arclight airstrike ...KABOOM!... s, with the forces projecting that the bandidosholy warriors may have been planning to use them in bombing military bases and strategic locations for the frontline teams.
"The Puntland Counter-Terrorism Forces have found some of the vehicles and cycle of violences belonging to ISIS turbans that were destroyed in the recent airstrikes in Almiskat. These vehicles and cycle of violences were initially planned for bombings but were eliminated in the strikes."
Earlier, the Puntland Counter-Terrorism Forces conducted operations in Cuuraar and the surrounding areas of GaatirOodan. They took control of part of the major bases where ISIS turbans were hiding, officials said.
The operation is set to go on as Puntland calls for honest and consistent support for local troops. ISIS bandidosholy warriors are trying to establish formidable bases in Somalia but the attempts have been met by fierce resistance by members of the military.
Posted by: trailing wife ||
02/26/2025
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Top|| File under: Islamic State
[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... ’s defense forces have secured the town of Sheebaab, the Kayaxa area, and several surrounding strategic locations in the Almiskaad mountains of Bari region, according to local officials. The move marks a significant victory in the ongoing counterterrorism operation in the region.
The forces also seized fuel, weapons, and medical supplies left behind in a hospital previously used by ISIS holy warriors. The hospital had been serving as a key site for the terror group before its destruction.
Additionally, Puntland forces took control of an explosives and vehicle manufacturing plant used by ISIS. The facility was bombed in an Arclight airstrike ...KABOOM!... on February 14 but was reportedly still in use by the holy warriors, despite being rendered inoperative.
Authorities also discovered two mass graves in Sheebaab, believed to contain the remains of ISIS fighters killed in previous airstrikes targeting holy warrior positions in the Calmiskaad mountains. These strikes were reportedly carried out by U.S. and UAE forces.
Puntland troops continue their operations in the area, successfully clearing ISIS Death Eaters from these vital regions and striving to maintain security in the face of ongoing threats from the terror group.
Puntland state has hailed international partners for the role they played in the success of the operations against ISIS holy warriors.
The United States Africa Command (AFRICOM) said a Feb. 1 airstrike it carried out against ISIS killed 14 terrorists, including a big shot.
The strike targeted senior ISIS leadership in a series of cave complexes approximately 50 miles (80 kilometers) southeast of the port city of Bosaso, the capital of the northeastern Bari region.
Among those killed was Ahmed Maeleninine, a key ISIS recruiter, financier, and external operations leader "responsible for the deployment of gunnies into the United States and across Europe."
[ShabelleMedia] On the night of February 23, Arclight airstrike ...KABOOM!... s hit several locations in the Lower Shabelle region of Somalia, particularly the towns of Hawaay, Sablaale, Xaramka, and Arbacoow. The airstrikes were reportedly carried out by warplanes from allied countries supporting Somalia in its battle against the bully boy group al-Shabaab ... Somalia's version of the Taliban, functioning as an arm of al-Qaeda... The attacks have resulted in significant damage, including the disruption of al-Shabaab operations and heavy losses. According to Somali military sources, high-ranking al-Shabaab officials were targeted in the air raids. Some of these leaders had been orchestrating plans for attacks in the capital, Mogadishu.
In the town of Hawaay, airstrikes destroyed vehicles loaded with explosives that were heading towards the capital. Sablaale saw the targeting of foreign al-Shabaab operatives, who were planning attacks on the Shabelle Dhexe region. Meanwhile,
...back at the desert island, Bert climbed the cocoanut tree, looking for ships. He saw none. He looked in the other direction and saw Irene, vigorously scrubbing her backside... in Arbacoow, airstrikes hit areas where al-Shabaab was preparing multi-pronged attacks, primarily led by imported muscle.
The government of Somalia has stated that these airstrikes are part of a continued effort to weaken al-Shabaab’s stronghold in Somalia and will persist until the group’s capacity to carry out attacks is diminished.
In other parts of the country, intense fighting continues between al-Shabaab turbans and Somali government forces, notably in the HirShabelle region, where fierce battles have been reported.
Al-Shabaab, in response, has launched renewed attacks on government and local militia positions, including several recent assaults in the Middle Shabelle region.
[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 National Umma Party (NUP) dismissed its acting leader late on Monday after he signed a pact with groups aligned with the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) to establish a parallel government, a party leadership body said.
Fadlallah Burma Nasir, along with representatives of other armed, political, and civil organizations, signed the founding charter on Feb. 22. The agreement endorsed the formation of a parallel government, the establishment of a secular state, and the right to self-determination if secularism is not enshrined in a transitional or permanent constitution.
In a statement seen by Sudan Tribune, the NUP's Presidential Institution said it had ''decided to withdraw the mandate'' of retired Major General Fadlallah Burma Nasir as party president. Mohammed Abdallah al-Douma will replace him, ''exercising the powers of the elected president and making decisions through the Presidential Institution,'' it added.
Rift widens in Sudan’s Umma Party as acting leader rejects ouster, dissolves key body
[SUDANTRIBUNE] A power struggle within Sudan’s National Umma Party (NUP) intensified on Tuesday after the party’s acting leader rejected a move to oust him and dissolved the body that initiated his removal, escalating a dispute over a pact with RSF-aligned groups.
Late on Monday, the NUP’s Presidential Institution withdrew confidence from acting party president Fadlallah Burma Nasir for signing an agreement with groups aligned with the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) to establish a parallel government. The institution appointed Mohamed Abdullah Al-Douma as his replacement.
On Feb. 22, Burma Nasir, representing the NUP, signed a founding charter alongside other armed, political, and civil organizations. The charter endorsed the establishment of a parallel government, a secular state, and the right to self-determination if secularism is not enshrined in a transitional or permanent constitution.
In a move threatening the unity of the long-established party, Burma Nasir issued a decision Tuesday evening terminating the mandates of the vice presidents, presidential assistants, and advisors, effectively dissolving the Presidential Institution. He also announced plans to reconstitute the Presidential Institution on “new foundations” and to consult with the head of the Political Bureau and the Secretary-General on convening an extraordinary general congress.
Burma Nasir stated that the actions taken in the name of the Presidential Institution were contrary to the party’s constitution and did not represent the institutions stipulated within it.
Posted by: Fred ||
02/26/2025
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#1
Not sure if this is the same Burma Nasir who was an early 1985 Minister of Defense in the Islamist Government. Whether it is he, or a son, the split is important because the elder Burma Nasir was a major figure within the Missiriya (Arab cattle nomads) of Darfur. If the Umma, the powerful party of deceased Sadiq al-Mahdi, is now split with the Darfur element going its own way, the Sudan is ripe for yet another secession.
[RS] Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem appeared on Monday's Fox News' "Hannity" to announce she had found the leakers within DHS who are exposing the DHS and ICE raids to sweep up criminal illegal aliens. Noem said:
I have found some leakers, we are continuing to get more.
They will be fired, there will be consequences. And remember, when they leak information to the press in order to blow an Op, they are putting law enforcement lives in jeopardy. They are risking their lives and putting their families in the position where they have to live without those individuals any further. So, you bet, we have used every tactic that we have.
Noem also told Hannity that they are employing various tools to root out the bureaucratic actors who are choosing to "resist" from the inside by sabotaging these operations.
If you remember we talked, just last week, about how I'm using polygraphs to go after and to really interview these folks. Because we are a national security agency, I have that tool I can use. Also looking at their emails, looking at their communications. And it's amazing how these bureaucrats who have an agenda to stop the work that we're doing to bring safety to America, how they will sell each other down the river if it's just to protect themselves. So, don't worry, I am doing everything to find these leakers, and to get rid of them; so that we can do our work, and so our law enforcement officers and agents can do it safely.
[X]
🚨BREAKING: DHS Secretary Kristi Noem announces she has found the ICE raid leakers and is FIRING them:
[FoxNews]Posters are written in Spanish and feature the sensitive personal information of agents
Flyers showing the names, pictures, and phone numbers of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents have surfaced in a Southern California neighborhood.
Multiple federal law enforcement sources confirmed to Fox News national correspondent Bill Melugin that anti-ICE activists, who have been interfering with ICE operations in the Los Angeles area in recent days, have now started putting up posters featuring the personal information of ICE and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) officers working in the Los Angeles and Southern California area.
The posters, which were written in Spanish, translate roughly to read "CAREFUL WITH THESE FACES."
"These armed agents work in Southern California. ICE and HSI racially terrorize and criminalize entire communities with their policies. They kidnap people from their homes and from the streets, separating families and fracturing communities. Many people have died while locked up in jails, prisons, and detention centers," the posters continued.
is unclear which activist group is putting up these posters, but ICE officials said they are aware and are investigating.
"These pathetic activists are putting targets on the backs of our law enforcement as they shield MS-13, Tren De Aragua and other vicious gangs that traffic women and children, kidnap for ransom and poison Americans with lethal drugs," a Department of Homeland Security (DHS) spokesperson told Fox News in a statement. "These individuals will be held accountable for obstructing the law and justice. This shouldn’t be controversial."
This comes as anti-immigration activists disrupted a planned multi-agency task force operation involving ICE, Drug Enforcement Administration and Federal Bureau of Investigation agents on Sunday afternoon.
ICE officials said that the operation was part of investigations targeting criminals, and was not a raid.
NEW: An anti-ICE group based in Los Angeles called the Community Self-Defense Coalition is training members how to interfere with ICE operations.
The group successfully disrupted two operations on Monday.
Posted by: Frank G ||
02/26/2025
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Top|| File under: Tin Hat Dictators, Presidents for Life, & Kleptocrats
#1
Maybe she will give them the Cricket treatment.
Posted by: Super Hose ||
02/26/2025 5:29
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Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
[Regnum] The negotiation process regarding the preservation of Russian military bases in Syria is ongoing. This was reported by the press secretary of the Russian president Dmitry Peskov.
"We continue our contacts with the Syrian authorities, the Syrian issue is on the agenda of all our international contacts. Let's say the work process is ongoing," he noted.
The Kremlin spokesman added that Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov was recently in Ankara, where this issue was also raised during other contacts.
As reported by the Regnum news agency, Deputy Foreign Minister of the Russian Federation Mikhail Bogdanov noted in December 2024 that Russia expects to maintain military bases in Syria, since they play an important role in the fight against international terrorism.
On February 7, Syrian Defense Minister Marhaf Abu Kasra said that the country could agree to retain Russian military bases if it would be beneficial to Damascus.
[GEO.TV] Bangladesh's army chief on Tuesday blamed infighting for deteriorating law and order, warning that the gains of the student-led revolution that toppled the government last August were at risk.
The South Asian nation has been struggling to stem a surge in violent mostly peaceful crime, with the security forces arresting thousands this month targeting gangs allegedly connected to the party of ousted prime minister the loathesome Sheikh Hasina ...Bangla dynastic politician and now exiled former Prime Minister of Bangladesh. She was President of the Bangla Awami League since the Lower Paleolithic. She is the eldest of five children of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the founding father of Bangla. Her party defeated the BNP-led Four-Party Alliance in the 2008 parliamentary elections. She once before held the office, from 1996 to 2001, when she was defeated in a landslide. She and the head of the BNP, Khaleda Zia showed such blind animosity toward each other that they are known as the Battling Begums. That is probably because Khaleda's late husband was the Pak tool who had Mujib assassinated... "If you can't move beyond your differences and continue meddling and fighting among yourselves, the independence and integrity of the country will be at risk — I warn you," said General Waker-Uz-Zaman, without singling out any group by name.
"Since stakeholders are busy accusing each other, miscreants find the situation favourable. They believe they can get away with anything," he said at an army memorial event.
Bangladesh has been riven by a surge of crime, as well as protests this month where crowds smashed buildings connected to Hasina's family.
Last week rival student factions clashed at a university campus, a sign of serious discord between groups instrumental in driving the uprising against Hasina.
Security forces have arrested more than 8,600 people since it launched "Operation Devil Hunt" on February 8, which the government has accused of being Hasina loyalists and of wanting to "destabilise" the country.
"The anarchy we have witnessed is manufactured by us," Waker said.
Posted by: Fred ||
02/26/2025
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In a stunning and unprecedented move, President Donald Trump has fired the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the highest-ranking military officers in the United States, following allegations of a plot to undermine his authority. The dramatic shakeup, announced late Friday night, February 21, 2025, stems from a controversial video released by investigative journalist James O’Keefe on January 15, 2025, which purportedly exposed a high-level Pentagon official discussing secret meetings to defy and potentially overthrow Trump if he issued orders deemed controversial by military leadership. The firings have ignited a firestorm of debate, with some hailing it as a bold defense of civilian control over the military, while others decry it as a dangerous politicization of the armed forces.
THE O’KEEFE VIDEO: A BOMBSHELL REVELATION
The saga began on January 15, 2025, when O’Keefe Media Group (OMG) released undercover footage featuring Jamie Mannina, a senior advisor to the Joint Chiefs of Staff and former FBI special agent.
Also an arrogant fool with suboptimal situational awareness. But do go on…
In the video, Mannina, employed by defense contractor Booz Allen Hamilton, was recorded speaking with an undercover OMG journalist. He allegedly admitted to participating in a “huge meeting with military leaders” in a secure Pentagon room known as “The Tank,” a Sensitive Compartmentalized Information Facility (SCIF). According to Mannina, these discussions involved retired generals—some as high-ranking as four-star officers—and focused on strategies to “protect people from Trump” and explore “what we can do” to counter his incoming administration.
Mannina’s statements painted a picture of a clandestine effort within the military establishment to resist Trump’s authority. He claimed to have been in conversations with retired generals since the spring of 2024, working through a 501(c)(4) organization to obscure their involvement. “This organization tried to defeat Donald Trump,” Mannina said, adding that he had ghostwritten over 100 opinion columns for generals to sway public opinion against Trump during the election cycle.
Golly. Imagine by how much more The Donald would have won by, had it not been for Mr. Mannina’s feverish efforts.
He also expressed concerns about Trump’s potential orders, suggesting the military might need to act to preserve national security or democratic norms.
The confrontation that followed was equally explosive. O’Keefe ambushed Mannina outside a Washington, D.C., restaurant, presenting him with the footage. Mannina reacted angrily, shouting, “Get the f*** out of here!” and calling O’Keefe a “known liar” and “fraud,” though he failed to specify any inaccuracies when pressed. Within hours, the Pentagon confirmed Mannina’s termination from his contracted role, with Joint Staff Public Affairs Spokesman Joseph Holstead stating that his views did not reflect those of the military leadership.
TRUMP’S RESPONSE: A SWIFT AND DECISIVE PURGE
The January video set off alarm bells within Trump’s transition team, already wary of “deep state” resistance from his first term. Sources close to the administration suggest that the footage fueled suspicions of a broader conspiracy within the Pentagon. By February 21, 2025, just over a month into his second term, Trump acted decisively. In a Truth Social post, he announced the firing of General Charles “CQ” Brown, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, thanking him for his 40 years of service but offering no specific reason for the dismissal. Minutes later, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth followed with a statement confirming the removal of Chief of Naval Operations Admiral Lisa Franchetti, Air Force Vice Chief of Staff General James Slife, and the Judge Advocates General for the Army, Navy, and Air Force.
Reports indicate that Trump’s team linked the alleged plot to a faction of military leaders perceived as loyal to former Chairman Mark Milley, whom Trump has long criticized. Milley, who retired in 2023, was quoted in Bob Woodward’s 2024 book War calling Trump “fascist to the core,” a statement that deepened the rift between Trump and the military establishment. A source familiar with the transition told Reuters that the administration aimed to purge “every single person elevated and appointed by Milley,” suggesting the firings were part of a broader effort to root out perceived disloyalty.
Critics, however, question the video’s context and O’Keefe’s credibility. Mannina’s statements, while provocative, lack specific details about actionable plans, and some argue they reflect personal frustrations rather than an organized conspiracy. The Joint Staff clarified that Mannina was not an advisor to General Brown or the Joint Chiefs directly, but rather a contractor in the J6 C4 & Cyber division.
Deflection. Mr. Mannina made it clear in the recorded conversation that this was a side gig as a favour to the eminent parties involved, not his regular job.
Skeptics on X and in mainstream outlets like CNN have accused O’Keefe of selective editing, a critique leveled at his past work with Project Veritas. Still, the Pentagon’s swift firing of Mannina lent credence to the video’s impact, if not its full narrative.
Posted by: Lord Garth ||
02/26/2025 9:08
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#6
Lincoln cashiered a lot of generals till he found a team that would work. A good number of senior officers of 1941 didn't make it to 1943, yet Eisenhower who was a major in 1935 made 5 star less than 10 years later. Let talent override box checking.
#7
Skeptics on X and in mainstream outlets like CNN have accused O’Keefe of selective editing, a critique leveled at his past work with Project Veritas.
And if anybody knows about selective editing, it would be the folks at mainstream outlets like CNN.
Posted by: Abu Uluque ||
02/26/2025 13:40
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#8
^6 In 1863 Congress abolished the DC Federal District court and immediately organized a replacement court, excluding a difficult Federal Judge Merrick who had been interfering with the Union's Civil War efforts. Perhaps that was their way of "cashiering" him. He was not impeached, either.
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
[Regnum] The search for the Malaysia Airlines Boeing 777-200 that went missing in 2014, flight MH370 from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing, has resumed in the Indian Ocean off the west coast of Australia. This was reported on February 25 by the 9News TV channel.
“Today, a new search for the long-missing MH370 will begin in the Indian Ocean, more than ten years after the passenger plane disappeared… The new search is much more targeted and precise than the previous ones, which covered about 200,000 square kilometers,” the journalists specified.
The work is complicated by the topography of the ocean floor at depths of several kilometers, including underwater rocks and volcanoes.
The UK-based US company Ocean Infinity has signed a contract with the Malaysian government to explore about 15,000 square kilometres of ocean approximately 1,500 kilometres off the coast of Perth.
As reported by Regnum News Agency, the Malaysia Airlines Boeing 777-200 took off from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing on the night of March 8, 2014, and disappeared from radars about two hours later. There were 227 passengers and 12 crew members on board. What happened to the plane is unknown. Repeated attempts to find the wreckage of the missing plane, in which China and Australia took part, were unsuccessful and were abandoned. In January 2015, Malaysian authorities declared the plane a disaster and all people dead.
According to one version, the plane disappeared over the Andaman Sea and crashed in the southern Indian Ocean, 1,500 miles southwest of Australia. Former Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott, citing senior Malaysian government officials, claimed that the plane crashed due to the suicide of the crew commander, Zachariah Ahmad Shah.
#5
Former Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott, citing senior Malaysian government officials, claimed that the plane crashed due to the suicide of the crew commander, Zachariah Ahmad Shah.
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
[Regnum] On Tuesday night, the Sun ejected the largest plasma cloud this year. This was reported by specialists from the Solar Astronomy Laboratory of the Space Research Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences (IKI RAS) and the Institute of Solar-Terrestrial Physics.
“In the images received from space coronagraphs, the expanding plasma cloud could be observed from about 1 a.m. Moscow time until 9–10 a.m., after which the ejection moved away from the Sun and was no longer visible in the instrument’s field of view,” the laboratory’s website says.
It has been preliminarily established that the source of the emission is on the far side of the Sun, and this event does not pose a threat to the Earth. However, active areas directed towards our planet may remain potentially dangerous for about 1.5 days.
As reported by Regnum News Agency, on February 23, scientists from the Space Research Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences and the Institute of Solar-Terrestrial Physics of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences (ISTP SB RAS) recorded a high-magnitude solar flare. The flare, which lasted 12 minutes, was recorded in the X-ray range in the sunspot group 4001 (N25W86). This event was the result of a rapid increase in solar activity, which began less than a day ago and continues to develop. In the middle of the day, astronomers recorded three more flares of medium M level.
[FoxNews] President Donald Trump turned his attention to the Keystone XL Pipeline on Monday evening, calling for the company building it to "come back to America, and get it built — NOW!"
Trump said he was "just thinking" about how construction on the pipeline was "viciously jettisoned by the incompetent Biden Administration," and promised things are different now under his leadership.
"I know they were treated very badly by Sleepy Joe Biden, but the Trump Administration is very different — Easy approvals, almost immediate start! If not them, perhaps another Pipeline Company. We want the Keystone XL Pipeline built!"
The pipeline has been at the forefront of political debate since the project began construction in 2010, and was eventually halted by former President Barack Obama before it was finished. Trump revived it during his first term.
However, former President Joe Biden ordered the pipeline cancelation via executive order on his first day in office in January 2021, leading to thousands of job losses.
TC Energy, the operator of the Keystone XL pipeline, ultimately gave up on the project in June 2021 as a result of Biden's decision to cancel its federal permits.
Then, in 2023, a federal judge tossed a legal challenge from nearly two dozen states asking the court to reinstate the pipeline's permits.
The pipeline had been scheduled to be completed in early 2023 and would transport an additional 830,000 barrels of crude oil from Canada to the U.S. through an existing pipeline network, according to TC Energy. It was also projected to create thousands of jobs, many of which would have been union jobs.
In December 2022, the Biden administration's Department of Energy (DOE) published a report that said the Keystone XL project would have created between 16,149 and 59,000 jobs and would have had a positive economic impact of between $3.4 and $9.6 billion, citing various studies.
"Joe Biden’s action cost tens of thousands of jobs and billions of dollars and every American family is still paying more every day," Daniel Turner, the founder and executive director of Power the Future, shared with Fox News Digital in a previous statement.
The system was designed to carry oil from Alberta to states like Illinois, Texas and Oklahoma.
In January, Danielle Smith, the premier of Alberta, Canada, said that she was interested in talking to the Trump administration about potentially reopening the pipeline project.
"Restarting the Keystone XL pipeline aligns with President Trump’s agenda to lower food and energy costs by bolstering North American energy infrastructure and reducing reliance on costly imports," Jason Isaac, CEO of the American Energy Institute (AEI), previously told Fox News Digital.
Another expert said that Trump will likely face litigation if he chooses to proceed with construction of the pipeline, but that Congress could help limit legal action.
#1
TC Energy Corporation (formerly TransCanada Corporation) is a major North American energy company, based in the TC Energy Tower building in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, that develops and operates energy infrastructure in Canada, the United States, and Mexico.
No, I don’t trust the government. If the Executive Branch has limited control over the bureaucracy, and if Congress and the Judiciary are compromised by conflicts of interest driven by NGOs, then governance is no longer by "We The People."
[FoxNews] Migrants were pictured sleeping on floors at the airport last year
The chairman of the Senate Commerce Committee is subpoenaing the Massachusetts Port Authority for documents requested last year related to the sheltering of migrants in Boston Logan International Airport, calling the practice "reckless and offensive."
Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, who is chairman of the Senate Commerce Committee, intends to subpoena Massport for documents Republicans on the committee requested last year about the use of facilities to allow migrants to shelter at the airport.
"Donald Trump put a stop to Biden’s open border policy, but a full investigation of this scandal is vital to both prevent its future reemergence and hold accountable those complicit in Biden’s lawless immigration orders," Cruz told Fox News Digital.
In a letter in March last year, lawmakers pointed to Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) grants Logan had received, and said that one of the obligations of such funding was that facilities be available for public use. They argued that the use of facilities to house migrants violated that condition.
Migrants were camped out at the airport on a daily basis on the floors of Terminal E at the airport at the height of the migrant crisis, which quickly saw migrants travel to "sanctuary" cities that limit cooperation with ICE.
"Frankly, what you’ve seen at Logan has been the situation, and this is why I said months ago that we are reaching capacity here," Gov. Maura Healey said in January 2024.
In July, migrants were barred from using the airport as a shelter, and instead were offered taxpayer-funded accommodation elsewhere.
"As of July 9, 2024, there was a policy change announced by the state that migrant families could no longer stay overnight at Logan, and no families have stayed at Logan since then," a spokesperson for Massport told Fox News Digital on Monday.
Lawmakers on the Commerce Committee wanted to know how many migrants were housed, the related costs, the impact on capacity, screening information and how the port authority was reimbursed, if at all. But the committee says it did not receive a response.
A committee aide told Fox News Digital that the committee is subpoenaing documents and communications related to the house of illegal immigrants at Logan, including communications with government agencies, nonprofits and healthcare providers. It will also seek documents about security incidents involving migrants, and documents identifying those involved in housing them.
"As the investigation has already shown, Massport clearly violated FAA grant requirements when it used Logan International Airport as ‘free’ housing for illegal aliens," Cruz told Fox.
"Massport has repeatedly refused the Committee’s request for information, including on potential security incidents. As Chairman of the Committee with jurisdiction over civil aviation and aviation security, I plan to issue a subpoena to compel Massport to turn over the information and communications we’ve been seeking for almost a year," he said.
"Using a federally-funded public airport to house illegal aliens was reckless and offensive to airline passengers and American taxpayers alike," he said.
The subpoena comes as the Trump administration has taken an aggressive approach to cracking down on illegal immigration. It has increased interior enforcement, including in sanctuary cities like Boston, while limiting the ability to release migrants into the interior. It has also deployed the military to the border and ended the Biden-era use of humanitarian parole to release migrants.
Interior arrests have gone up, while border crossings have dropped sharply, which the administration is putting down to the impact of the new policies.
[Daily Mail, where America gets its news] NATO was forced to scramble its warplanes in Poland today as Vladimir Putin used strategic bombers and missiles to attack neighbouring Ukraine - even as Vladimir Putin insists he wants peace 'as soon as possible'.
Putin's air force deployed Tu-95MS nuclear-capable strategic bombers to pound targets across Ukraine, causing panic in Kyiv as residents rushed for the metro underground shelters.
Explosions were heard in Kyiv, Zhytomyr, and Sumy, as well as in several towns across the regions of Zaporizhzhia and Chernihiv. Drones were also used by Russia, with several people reportedly suffering injuries.
Warsaw's armed forces operation command headquarters ordered NATO jets to patrol Polish airspace as Russian bombers and missiles soared over Ukraine amid fears they could approach the Polish border.
'Attention, due to the activity of long-range aviation of the Russian Federation, striking targets located, in particular, in the west of Ukraine, military aviation has begun to operate in the airspace of Poland,' the command headquarters said.
Ground-based air defences and radar reconnaissance systems were also 'put on alert'.
It comes just one day after a US B-52 bomber flew a sortie less than 50 miles from the Russian border in a show of strength on the third anniversary of its invasion of Ukraine.
The B-52 jet, which is described as providing the US with 'immediate nuclear and conventional global strike capability', flew from RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire to the frontline NATO state and was flanked by F35s and F-A18 fighters.
The planes jetted in formation over soldiers and tanks as a military parade of over 1,000 troops from NATO and the Estonia's Defense Forces took place in the Estonian capital of Tallinn.
February 24 marked three years since Russian troops invaded Ukraine, and is also Estonian Independence Day. The Baltic state has been a member of NATO for 21 years.
Sweep nets and magnets to somehow be deployed, I imagine. Both fun and useful.
[JustTheNews] “As the commercial space industry continues to grow, we need to safely track and manage objects in orbit to prevent collisions,” said former NASA astronaut and current U.S. Sen. Mark Kelly, D-Arizona.
U.S. senators, including a former astronaut, want to make outer space safer.
They've introduced a bipartisan bill to help track space junk in low Earth orbit and increase international collaboration in space. The legislation, called the Situational Awareness of Flying Elements in Orbit Act or SAFE, would create a public database for tracking satellites and other objects in an increasingly commercially-operated sector.
“As the commercial space industry continues to grow, we need to safely track and manage objects in orbit to prevent collisions,” said former NASA astronaut and current U.S. Sen. Mark Kelly, D-Arizona. “I’ve had to directly deal with the consequences of orbital debris, and I know it’s critical we provide the tools to empower scientists and innovators to successfully explore this critical frontier and strengthen American leadership in space.”
The SAFE bill would develop a public database to track satellites and prevent high-speed incidents in low-Earth orbit – the section of space within 1,200 miles of Earth where the International Space Station, as well as 10,000 satellites, operate.
The U.S. government, operating through the Office of Space Commerce, would be immune from legal action for use of this tracking data.
As commercial activity increases in low-Earth orbit, the potential for collision between satellites grows.
Thousands of defunct satellites are joined in this space by an estimated 100 million small pieces of debris, according to Siamak Hesar, co-founder and CEO of Kayhan Space. Hesar has supported NASA missions as a flight dynamics engineer and space situational awareness specialist.
In the coming years, these numbers of objects in low-Earth orbit are expected to skyrocket and create a dangerous and costly field of high-speed space traffic. Hesar said low-Earth orbit congestion will likely increase substantially.
“Commercial space objects in low-Earth orbit can help scientists make new discoveries and spur technological innovation, but this hinges on the ability to conduct safe and effective space traffic coordination,” said U.S. Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas. “The SAFE Orbit Act would prevent dangerous and costly accidental collisions in low-Earth orbit and improve access to data collection and analysis to help propel the United States into the next phase of space exploration.”
Supporters of the SAFE bill have highlighted how it would strengthen U.S. presence in space.
“The world is entering a new space race, and we must equip American innovators with every resource to win,” said U.S. Sen. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tennessee.
But the bill also encourages international cooperation to share satellite data and help the public database track as many objects as possible.
“As we enter this new frontier, we must be certain that we prioritize safety and coordination with our partners around the globe," Blackburn said.
Besides senators from Arizona, Texas and Tennessee, the bill is being introduced by U.S. Sens. Gary Peters, D-Michigan; Eric Schmitt, R-Missouri; Roger Wicker, R-Mississippi; Ben Ray Luján, D-New Mexico, and John Hickenlooper, D-Colorado.
said that Egypt should run 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 for at least eight years once the war is over, in exchange for massive debt relief.
"The solution is Egypt will take responsibility for the management of the Gaza Strip for eight years with an option to extend to 15 years," he told the hawkish Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD) think tank in Washington.
"At the same time, its foreign external debt will be paid off by the international community and regional allies," Lapid, a former Israeli prime minister, continued.
Egypt would lead a "peace force" of the Gulf states and the international community "for the management and rebuilding of Gaza," he said.
[IsraelTimes] Egypt rejects a proposal presented by Opposition Leader Yair Lapid today that would see Cairo taking over management of the Gaza Strip for 8 years, reports the Saudi state-owned Al Arabiya network.
Egyptian sources tell the outlet that Palestinians will run the Strip, and that “Egypt will not be led by an attempt to administer Gaza.”
And that’s that.
Posted by: Fred ||
02/26/2025
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[GEO.TV] Lebanese state media said that an Israeli air strike on Tuesday killed at least two people in the country's east, where Israel has previously targeted Hezbollah fighters.
"An enemy drone carried out an air strike on the town of Shaara... near the eastern Leb ...home of the original Hezbollah, which periodically starts a war with the Zionist Entity, gets Beirut pounded to rubble, and then declares victory and has a parade.... mountain range, killing two people and wounding two" others, said the state-run National News Agency.
[IsraelTimes] The IDF says it carried out an airstrike against a group of Hezbollah operatives in Lebanon’s Beqaa Valley earlier today.
The strike was carried out after the military says it identified the operatives at a “strategic weapons” manufacturing and storage facility belonging to the terror group.
The operatives’ activity at the site is a “blatant violation” of the ceasefire agreement between Israel and Lebanon, the IDF says.
[Daily Mail, where America gets its news] Donald Trump's selection of former Fox News commentator Dan Bongino as assistant director of the FBI brings in a partisan warrior who has sworn himself to 'owning the libs' while warning of dark forces and selling survival supplies.
Bongino has hurled expletives at reporters and blasted the Democratic president he once guarded during his 12 years as a Secret Service Agent.
He grew emotional on his podcast Monday, titling the episode 'Cutesy time is over.'
The trove of public commentary by the former NYPD officer has critics on the left arguing he is even more of a lightning rod than new FBI Director Kash Patel, who was confirmed 51-49 in the Senate after being accused of drawing up an 'enemies list.'
Amid the partisan clash over the Brett Kavanaugh nomination during Trump's first term, Bongino dedicated himself to payback.
At the time he said: 'That's it. The libs, because they have shown themselves through this Kavanaugh abomination of a process to be ― I'm talking about the libs on Capitol Hill and sadly some of these radical groups ― to be pure, unadulterated evil, what they did to this guy.
'You have to lose, I'm sorry. We win, you lose, the new rules are in effect. My life is all about owning the libs now. We have got to get this guy appointed on the Supreme Court,' he said.
He has also railed against the Russia probe, and occasionally hosted Donald Trump on his show.
'Listen, I've spent nearly 20 years of my life as a cop and a federal investigator. I have never in my life seen such an obvious frame job and setup. This was a sting operation against the Trump team,' Bongino told Fox & Friends in 2018.
Bongino has impressed Trump with his zeal for going after his rivals – including members of the press that Trump calls the 'fake news.'
[GEO.TV] Israeli fighter jets bombed hit a district south of Syria's capital as well as the southern province of Daraa, local broadcaster Syria TV reports.
Residents of Damascus heard the sound of aircraft flying low over the capital followed by a series of blasts.
Israeli strikes struck the suburb of al-Kisweh, about 20km (12 miles) south of Damascus. A security source said a military site was targeted, without providing further details.
Additional Israeli air raids hit a town in the southern province of Daraa. There was no immediate comment from the Israeli military.
The bombardment came hours after Syria condemned Israel's incursion into the country's south and demanded it withdraw its forces.
“The presence of military assets and forces in the southern part of Syria constitutes a threat to the citizens of the State of Israel,” the military says. “The IDF will continue to act to remove any threat to the citizens of the State of Israel.”
The strikes come after several Israeli officials, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, demanded in recent days the demilitarization of southern Syria, and warned that Israel would prevent the Syrian army from moving south of Damascus.
“We will not endanger the security of our citizens,” Katz says. “Any attempt by Syrian regime forces and the country’s terrorist organizations to establish themselves in the security zone in southern Syria — will be met with fire.”
A security source tells Reuter that a military site was targeted, without providing further details.
Residents of Damascus and Reuters reporters in the city heard the sound of airplanes flying several low passes over the capital and a series of blasts.
“We are not going to allow jihadists near our border, we are not going to allow threats to the Druze in Syria, the brothers of brothers, and we will not allow another October 7 to happen in the Golan,” says the official.
On Sunday, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned Syria’s new leadership against moving troops into southern Syria.
Yeah yeah, you’re big, scary Al Qaeda jihadis. That don’t make ya da sh*t to us.
[FoxNews] As the Trump administration investigates California’s bullet train project, which has come under scrutiny for very little progress in 17 years, a small area where construction is underway has made life a "nightmare" for some people north of Fresno.
Dalia Pena, who resides in Madera County, California, said that the construction of an overpass for cars has not only created a major eyesore in her backyard, but the construction has also been a loud disruption, including vibrations, for the once-quiet neighborhood.
"They were out here doing construction at 6 o'clock on Saturday mornings," Pena told Fox News Digital during a phone interview, detailing how the first drilling noises were extremely prevalent.
While she said the noise has gotten a little better, it's unclear if it will get worse before construction is complete. She also added that construction has made it difficult to use the pool in her backyard because of the proximity of the worksite.
In addition, a survey Pena had done at her residence indicated encroachment on her property, according to a copy obtained and reviewed by Fox News Digital.
"The authority doesn't hold them accountable," she said of the contractors when it comes to construction noise and dust, as well as the behavior of workers themselves.
The California High-Speed Rail Authority said that they gave proper public notice to residents with prior meetings, as the construction is expected to be done by the fall, according to Fox 26.
Pena attended a February 2024 meeting about the Road 26 closure, according to a sign-in document obtained by Fox News Digital, but said she was not adequately informed of earlier meetings about the construction itself, given its closeness to the property.
Linked article is available only through a VPN
[EngMilRu] The Russian Armed Forces launched a high-precision strike by air-based weapons and strike unmanned aerial vehicles at the infrastructure of Ukrainian military airfields. The goals of the strike were achieved.
In Kharkov direction, the Sever Group of Forces defeated formations of one motorised infantry brigade and one territorial defence brigade of the AFU near Volchansk and Liptsy (Kharkov region).
The AFU losses amounted to up to 35 troops, two motor vehicles, and one artillery gun.
The Zapad Group of Forces improved the tactical situation. Strikes were delivered at manpower and hardware of two mechanised brigades, one assault brigade of the AFU, and one territorial defence brigade close to Kamenka, Lozovaya (Kharkov region), and Makeyevka (Lugansk People's Republic).
The AFU losses amounted to up to 190 troops, five motor vehicles, and eight field artillery guns, two of which are manufactured by NATO countries. One Kvertus electronic warfare station and three ammunition depots were neutralised.
The Yug Group of Forces took more advantageous lines and positions. Formations of three mechanised brigades and one airmobile brigade of the AFU suffered losses near Seversk, Stupochki, Chervonoye, and Konstantinovka (Donetsk People's Republic).
The AFU losses amounted to up to 140 troops, four armoured fighting vehicles, and two motor vehicles. Two ammunition depots were destroyed.
The Tsentr Group of Forces improved the situation along the front line. Strikes were delivered at manpower and hardware of four mechanised brigades, one assault brigade of the AFU, and one national guard brigade near Zverevo, Sergeyevka, Udachnoye, Shevchenko, Andreyevka, and Uspenovka (Donetsk People's Republic).
The AFU losses amounted to up to 305 troops, seven armoured fighting vehicles, one motor vehicle, and three artillery guns.
The Vostok Group of Forces continued advancing into the depth of enemy defences. Formations of two mechanised brigades of the AFU and three territorial defence brigades were hit near Burlatskoye, Skudnoye, Volnoye Pole (Donetsk People's Republic), and Gulyai Pole (Zaporozhye region).
The AFU losses amounted to more than 150 troops, two armoured fighting vehicles, three motor vehicles, and three field artillery guns.
The Dnepr Group of Forces have engaged manpower and hardware of two mechanised brigades and one coastal defence brigade of the AFU near Shcherbaki (Zaporozhye region), Tokarevka, and Pridneprovskoye (Kherson region).
The AFU losses amounted to up to 85 troops, one armoured fighting vehicle, one motor vehicle, and one ammunition depot.
Operational-Tactical Aviation, strike unmanned aerial vehicles, and Missile Troops and Artillery of the Russian Groups of Forces have engaged the production sites of strike drones as well as temporary deployment areas of the AFU in 144 areas.
Russian air defence systems have shot down five U.S.-made JDAM guided bombs, 23 Czech-made Vampire MLRS projectiles, and 97 fixed-wing unmanned aerial vehicles.
In total, since the beginning of the special military operation, 656 aircraft, 283 helicopters, 44,431 unmanned aerial vehicles, 596 anti-aircraft missile systems, 21,734 tanks and other armoured fighting vehicles, 1,521 MLRS combat vehicles, 22,007 field artillery guns and mortars, and 32,099 units of support military vehicles have been neutralised.
The Armed Forces of the Russian Federation continue the operation to neutralise AFU formations on the territory of Kursk region.
The Sever Group of Forces have inflicted fire damage on formations of one heavy mechanised brigade, five mechanised brigades, one motorised infantry brigade, one assault brigade, two air assault brigades, two territorial defence brigades, and two assault regiments of the AFU near Viktorovka, Goncharovka, Guyevo, Kazachya Loknya, Kubatkin, Kurilovka, Lebedevka, Makhnovka, Melovoy, Nikolsky, Novaya Sorochina, Rubanshchina, and Sudzha. Two counter-attacks launched by enemy units were repelled.
Operational-Tactical and Army aviation and artillery inflicted fire on AFU manpower and hardware close to Bondarevka, Kositsa, Lebedevka, Loknya, Malaya Loknya, Martynovka, Nikolayevka, Oleshnya, Starya Sorochina, Cherkasskoye Porechnoye, Cherkasskaya Konopelka as well as Basovka, Belovody, Veselovka, Novenkoye, Zhuravka, and Yunakovka (Sumy region).
Over the past 24 hours, the AFU losses amounted to more than 220 troops, two tanks, one armoured personnel carrier, 25 armoured fighting vehicles, 18 motor vehicles, eight artillery guns, one mortar, five UAV command posts, and three ammunition depots.
Since the beginning of hostilities in Kursk direction, the AFU losses amounted to more than 63,325 troops, 381 tanks, 288 infantry fighting vehicles, 241 armoured personnel carriers, 2,042 armoured fighting vehicles, 2,185 motor vehicles, 477 artillery guns, 52 MLRS launchers, including 13 of HIMARS and seven of MLRS made by the USA, 23 anti-aircraft missile launchers, one self-propelled anti-aircraft system, ten transport-loading vehicles, 116 EW stations, 15 counter-battery warfare radars, eight air defence radars, 50 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.
[ShabelleMedia] Somalia has cleared its outstanding financial dues to the United Nations ...an idea whose time has gone... , ending 35 years on the Security Council’s list of countries in arrears and marking a significant milestone in the nation’s diplomatic resurgence, officials announced Monday.
The payment, finalized this month, removes Somalia from a roster of nations prohibited from voting in the UN General Assembly due to unpaid contributions. The list, which has historically included countries facing economic or political challenges, imposes restrictions under Article 19 of the UN Charter, barring delinquent members from participating in key votes until their debts are settled.
Somalia’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Ahmed Moallim Fiqi, hailed the development as a testament to the country’s commitment to reestablishing its standing in the international community. In an interview with the state-run Somali National News Agency, Fiqi said the settlement reflects years of effort by the government to stabilize its finances and strengthen ties with global institutions.
"This achievement is a clear signal of Somalia’s determination to fully engage with the world," Fiqi said. "For the first time in decades, we will take our place as a voting member of the General Assembly, contributing to decisions that shape our shared future."
The Horn of Africa nation, long plagued by civil conflict and economic instability, had accrued the debt over decades amid successive governments’ struggles to maintain fiscal stability. Officials did not disclose the exact amount of the settled dues, but Somalia’s return to good standing with the UN underscores a broader push toward recovery under President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud’s administration, which has prioritized governance reforms and international cooperation since taking office in 2022.
UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric welcomed Somalia’s payment during a briefing at the organization’s headquarters in New York, calling it "a positive step" for both the country and the UN. "We look forward to Somalia’s active participation in the General Assembly," Dujarric said, declining to comment on other nations still in arrears.
Somalia’s reinstatement comes at a pivotal moment, as the country seeks to amplify its voice on issues like climate change, security, and development—challenges that disproportionately affect the region. Analysts say the move could also bolster Somalia’s bids for foreign investment and aid, signaling reliability to donors and partners.
For many Somalis, the news offers a rare moment of optimism. "This is about dignity," said Amina Hassan, a 34-year-old teacher in Mogadishu. "It’s not just about money—it’s about showing the world we’re moving forward."
Somalia last voted in the General Assembly in the late 1980s, before the collapse of its central government in 1991 plunged the nation into chaos. With this payment, completed as of Feb. 24, 2025, Somalia joins a growing list of countries emerging from prolonged isolation to reclaim their roles on the global stage.
[ShabelleMedia] Reports from the HirShabelle state of Somalia indicate that many troops from Galmudug ...a semiautonomous region in central Somalia, bordering Puntland on the north. Galmudug is not trying to obtain international recognition as a separate nation, but rather considers itself autonomous within the larger Somali federalism, for what that's worth... state have arrived in areas within the Middle Shabelle region. The reinforcements include both the Galmudug State forces and local clan militia units.
Sources say the troops are headed to the Ceelbaraf area to support forces already stationed there, who have been engaged in intense battles with the turban group al-Shabaab ... al-Qaeda's tentacle in East Africa... in the past few days.
In a Shabelle Radio interview, Abdullahi Osmaan Dhore, a member of the Hirshabelle parliament, discussed the arrival of additional forces.
He emphasized that the troops are strong and will support the local forces in their efforts to clear al-Shabaab from the region, specifically from areas in the Middle Shabelle region where the bully boyz have a huge presence.
It is also worth noting that Ceelbaraf recently saw a fierce clash between al-Shabaab fighters and Somali National Army troops.
The battle resulted in casualties on both sides. The arrival of the Galmudug forces is expected to play a significant role in the ongoing effort to eliminate al-Shabaab from the region.
[NY Post] This self-proclaimed "super mayor" is now a super loser.
Dolton "Dictator" Tiffany Henyard suffered a landslide loss in Tuesday’s Democratic primary after more than a year of seedy scandals, wild antics and haughty remarks finally caught up to her at the ballot box.
The under-fire Illinois mayor finally ran into her kryptonite — voters in her own Chicago suburb who overwhelmingly picked village Trustee Jason House as the Democratic nominee.
With all precincts reporting, House notched nearly 88% of the vote while Henyard gained a measly 12%, according to Cook County election results.
Earlier Tuesday, Henyard confidently claimed she would easily win, making clear, "I see no competition," according to Fox 32.
"Come be part of me making history once again," she crowed on Facebook.
"I’m calling for my base, I’m calling for all the people that love the super mayor, who say you support me, I need you to show up and show out," Henyard added, a request that apparently fell on deaf ears.
House, who was once an ally of Henyard, told CBS Chicago he was ecstatic as he declared victory.
"The voters have spoken. They’ve spoken in a loud way," House said.
"And I’ve said it before — I’ll always say it — this does not represent Dolton. We had one rogue individual," he added in reference to Henyard. "Dolton is proud, and we are happy that we’re ready to change the narrative."
Meanwhile, Henyard told WGN following the results, "The people have spoken."
"God must have a different plan for me," she added, seemingly accepting her defeat.
Leading up to the primary, the 40-year-old pol, who was first elected mayor in 2021, was dogged by an avalanche of damaging accusations and sordid headlines that led to constituent fury.
She faced accusations of overseeing off-the-rails spending with Dolton village government becoming the focus of an FBI probe last year.
The mayor recently jumped into a raucous brawl at a town board meeting in Thorntown where she serves as supervisor, though she lost the Democratic nomination for that position earlier this year.
She has consistently defended herself against the stinging criticism and accusations, calling it a smear campaign and blasting fake news.
“I want to heal my community after this,” the divisive character said online before later arguing there was voter suppression in the village because a polling place was moved.
Henyard’s entire slate of candidates also lost to candidates that ran with House, according to results.
Henyard's slate of candidates all lost.
[Breitbart] A staggering 75 percent of Democrats do not believe President Joe Biden’s deputies deliberately kept the border open for migrants, according to a February poll by Harvard Harris.
The February 19-20 poll of 2,443 registered voters comes just weeks after President Donald Trump deliberately shut down Biden’s destructive, expensive, and deadly migration during his first few hours in the White House.
Fifty-two percent of Americans and 80 percent of Republicans recognize Biden’s Democrats — led by pro-migration border chief Alejandro Mayorkas — deliberately encouraged the inflow of up to nine million southern migrants.
Those inadmissible migrants entered via a bewildering number of illegal and quasi-legal routes, such as “parole” and the “Welcome Corps at Work” programs. They were aided by billions of dollars in government funding and frequently welcomed as a boost to the economy.
Amid the massive evidence of a deliberate policy, 75 percent of Democrats said the inflow “was not their deliberate policy.”
So do 51 percent of people who describe themselves as independents or “other.”
The poll asked: “Do you think Democrats deliberately kept the Southern border open to bring millions of immigrants into the country illegally or was that not their deliberate policy?”
The Democrats’ reluctance to recognize the party’s deliberate choice policy to open the borders may be a psychological defense to hide the colossal damage caused by their inconsistent views.
The migration caused massive damage both to Americans and to the migrants that Democrats claimed to protect and promote.
The Democrats’ policy killed many Americans –Georgia’s Laken Riley, for example — but it also killed thousands of migrants who were trying to get into the United States.
Mayorkas’ reckless or criminal illegal migrants injured and abused many Americans, but Mayorkas’ deputies also handed hundreds of thousands of youth migrants to labor traffickers and sex traffickers.
The Democrats’ policy damaged the U.S. economy and many communities — and it also wrecked the economy of multiple sending countries, including Cuba and Haiti.
#5
^ TB and Measles. They'll do their awful best to avoid saying it came in from Illegals
Posted by: Frank G ||
02/26/2025 11:35
Comments ||
Top||
#6
The only people who believe that want to believe that.
And that seems to be the shadow message push right now. Hell, even Kid Rock was up apologizing for George Clooney because, 'even though he was a shill he had to guts to finally wonder where Biden's brain was. He's a good guy, he's smart, he's fun, and said something about wondering who was steering the ship. Ooopsie Doopsies!'
Like saying Kathleen Kennedy is the victim of just a couple accidentlies, and not the...head...of the Disney Progressive Visual Department.
[IndependentJournalReview] Republican North Dakota Sen. Kevin Cramer suffered a brain injury Sunday afternoon after slipping on ice in the backyard of his North Dakota home.
Cramer, 64, said he was hospitalized and diagnosed with a “severe concussion, a seizure and a slight brain bleed” in a statement posted to Facebook Monday evening. He said he did not know when he plans to return to Washingto, D.C., but that he could return quickly for a critical vote if necessary.
“Late yesterday afternoon, I walked to my backyard intending to retrieve a piece of conduit which came off my dock and was laying on the ice,” Cramer wrote. “While walking on the hill down to the dock, I stepped on ice and evidently fell hard, hitting the back of my head. I do not remember anything from the fall until arriving at Sanford Health emergency room with [wife] Kris. After seeing the emergency doctor, taking some tests, including a CT Scan, and seeing a neurologist, I was diagnosed with a severe concussion, a seizure, and a slight brain bleed.”
“The wound on my head wouldn’t stop oozing, so the doctor punched a couple of staples on the laceration and admitted me,” Cramer said. “I had a good night sleep before getting a second CT Scan. I am better today with only a slight brain bleed and pretty bad headaches. Doctors prefer I rest a little longer before returning to DC, so I do not know exactly when that will happen. It will be da y to day this week, but I am ready to return quickly if events require it.”
A spokesperson for Cramer told the Daily Caller News Foundation that the senator is recovering at home.
The Senate is slated to confirm additional Trump nominees this week, including Army Secretary nominee Daniel Driscoll and U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer. Given Senate Republicans’ 53-seat majority, Senate GOP leadership will still have enough votes to confirm the president’s nominees despite Cramer’s likely absence.
Cramer is serving in his second Senate term and is a member of several prominent Senate committees, including the Senate Armed Services Committee and the Senate Banking Committee.
#2
FYI, anyone over 60 who takes a hard knock to the head like Cramer's should get a brain scan even without many symptoms afterwards. It is the best way to identify bleeding in & around the brain. That bleeding can result in symptoms resembling a run of the mill stroke, symptoms can start with the fall or develop days later. Treatment of posttraumatic brain bleeding can differ greatly from bleeding due to other causes, and needs to be found ASAP. I lost my grandmother to a posttraumatic bleed misdiagnosed as a stroke.
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.
..not a terrorist organization, even though it kidnaps people, holds hostages, and tries to negotiate by executing them,...
..one of the armed feet of the Moslem Brüderbund millipede,...
...an Iranian satrapy until recently ruled by Hassan Nasrallah situated on the eastern Mediterranean, conveniently adjacent to Israel...
..the well-beloved offspring of the Moslem Brotherhood,...
[JPost] 
[NY Post] Fired US Agency for International Development employees will be "escorted" to their desks and have "15 minutes" to collect personal belongings from the gutted agency’s Washington headquarters later this week, according to a notice from USAID. 
... Somalia's version of the Taliban, functioning as an arm of al-Qaeda...
..a contraction of the Arabic words for "frothing at the mouth",...
...
...
...
...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...
