So useful to have a conduit to the enemy’s private thoughts…
[KhaamaPress] Iran’s Foreign Minister stated that Western powers engage in talks because they lack the capability to strike Iran’s nuclear facilities militarily.
Iran’s Foreign Minister, Seyed Abbas Araghchi, recently stated that the primary reason Western nations engage in negotiations with the Islamic Theocratic Republic is their inability to employ military force against Iran’s nuclear facilities. Speaking on May 15, 2025, during the 36th Tehran International Book Fair, Araghchi emphasized that Iran’s defensive capabilities and missile prowess provide leverage in diplomatic discussions. He argued that if Western powers could neutralize Iran’s nuclear infrastructure militarily, there would be no necessity for dialogue. Instead, Iran’s negotiators approach talks with the confidence derived from their military strengths.
In recent developments, U.S. President Donald Trump ...His ancestors didn't own any slaves... announced that the United States is nearing a nuclear agreement with Iran. During a visit to Doha, Trump indicated that 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... had "sort of" agreed to the terms of a new deal, which includes halting uranium enrichment for up to three years. In exchange, Iran seeks the lifting of economic sanctions and guarantees against future U.S. withdrawal from the agreement. However,
a clean conscience makes a soft pillow... significant gaps remain, particularly concerning the extent and timeline of uranium reduction and the destination of the remaining stockpile.
The fourth round of indirect negotiations between Iran and the United States took place in Oman, with senior representatives from both sides participating. Iran’s Foreign Minister Araghchi expressed cautious optimism, stating that the talks were constructive and held in a calm and respectful environment. He noted that both sides are committed to reaching a fair and honorable agreement based on equality. The discussions focused solely on Iran’s nuclear program, with Iran insisting that its defense capabilities, including its missile program, were not on the agenda.
President Trump has emphasized that the central demand of the proposed agreement is that Iran cannot possess nuclear weapons. While expressing a preference for diplomatic solutions over military action, Trump has also warned that substantial gaps remain in the negotiations. Iran has expressed willingness to limit uranium enrichment and accept inspections in exchange for the lifting of economic sanctions. Adviser Ali Shamkhani indicated Iran’s readiness to permanently renounce nuclear weapons and reduce its stockpile of enriched uranium to civilian-use levels. Nonetheless, disagreements persist on key issues, including the extent and timeline of uranium reduction and the destination of the remaining stockpile.
Despite the progress in negotiations, tensions remain high. Trump has threatened further sanctions and military action if diplomacy fails. Iran has warned that it could expel UN nuclear inspectors if the United States does not meet its demands. The situation remains complex, reflecting deep mistrust and Iran’s advancements in its nuclear capabilities since the U.S. exited the 2015 nuclear agreement.
The ongoing negotiations between Iran and the United States represent a critical juncture in international diplomacy concerning nuclear non-proliferation. While both sides have expressed a willingness to reach an agreement, significant challenges remain, particularly concerning Iran’s uranium enrichment program and the lifting of sanctions. The outcome of these talks will have profound implications for regional stability and global security.
#2
I double-dog dare ya to destroy our nuke sites!
-- Mad Mullahs
Posted by: Bobby ||
05/17/2025 6:40
Comments ||
Top||
#3
Iran’s Foreign Minister stated that Western powers engage in talks because they lack the capability to strike Iran’s nuclear facilities militarily.
Yeah don't be so sure, bucko. We suppose you're just saying this to appease the local masses. There are a couple of western assets that I'm aware of that could do the job quite well, if we let them.
Posted by: Mullah Richard ||
05/17/2025 7:15
Comments ||
Top||
#4
Some regimes can not be coerced with threats of strategic bombing. Read Robert A. Pape's Bombing to Win: Air Power and Coercion in War(1996). One indicator is a regime that believes that they can not regain power if they ever show weakness and lose it to Opposition parties -- they will opt to 'go down fighting to the end'.
Then let us dispense with the threats and proceed to the actual strategic bombing. Might want to give the IDF a heads up in case they want to tag along.
#8
Because really, it’s not about driving them to the point of agreement, but about ensuring they don’t have their nasty little toys anymore. This is about quickly and thoroughly breaking all the things, and incidentally (or not so incidentally — not my call, thank goodness) killing a few people in the vicinity.
[KhaamaPress] Thousands of Afghan refugees in Caliphornia, an impregnable bastion of the Democratic Party, received urgent deportation letters, sparking fear and confusion amid ongoing immigration policy uncertainties.
In recent weeks, thousands of Afghan refugees residing in California have received deportation notices from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS). These letters demand that recipients leave the United States within seven days, warning that failure to comply will result in federal enforcement actions. The notices have caused widespread anxiety among the Afghan community, particularly in the Bay Area, which hosts one of the largest Afghan populations in the U.S.
Many of the affected individuals entered the U.S. under humanitarian parole after the Taliban ...mindless ferocity in a turban... ’s takeover of Afghanistan in 2021. While some were granted Temporary Protected Status (TPS), the Biden administration’s decision to provide immigration relief has been reversed. The DHS announced the termination of TPS for Afghanistan, effective July 12, 2025, citing improved conditions in the country. This move aligns with the Trump administration’s broader immigration enforcement policies, which have drawn criticism from refugee advocacy groups.
The deportation notices have raised concerns due to their inconsistencies. Some letters lack personal identifiers such as names or case numbers, leading to confusion among recipients. In certain instances, individuals received follow-up letters stating that the initial notice was sent in error. These discrepancies have exacerbated the fear and uncertainty within the Afghan community.
Afghan community leaders and legal advocates are mobilizing to support those affected. Attorney Spojamie Nasiri reported that many of her clients have received the deportation notices, prompting widespread fear and reluctance to engage in daily activities. Community organizations are offering legal assistance and guidance to help individuals navigate the complex immigration landscape.
The situation highlights the precarious legal status of many Afghan evacuees. A report by CBS News revealed that over 36,000 Afghan evacuees lack a direct pathway to permanent legal status in the U.S., leaving them vulnerable to deportation if their asylum claims are unsuccessful. The proposed Afghan Adjustment Act, which aims to provide a legal pathway to permanent residency for these individuals, has stalled in Congress, leaving many in legal limbo.
[KhaamaPress] Chief Minister, Sardar Sarfraz Bugti claims rising militancy in Balochistan ...the Pak province bordering Kandahar and Uruzgun provinces in Afghanistan and Sistan Baluchistan in Iran. Its native Baloch propulation is being displaced by Pashtuns and Punjabis and they aren't happy about it... , Pakistain, is fueled by Taliban ...mindless ferocity in a turban... support, weak governance, and corruption, urging urgent action.
Sardar Sarfraz Bugti, the Chief Minister of Balochistan, has highlighted a concerning escalation in hard boy activities within the province, attributing the intensification to support from the Taliban in Afghanistan. In a recent interview with BBC, Bugti emphasized that the deteriorating security situation has made it increasingly difficult for security forces to differentiate between allies and adversaries. He noted that Death Eaters are operating with greater autonomy, complicating counterinsurgency efforts .
Bugti pointed to the province’s uneven development, weak governance, and corruption as factors that have allowed Lions of Islam to gain a foothold. He asserted that these Death Eaters are receiving support from Afghan soil, with some reportedly residing in areas under Taliban control. The Chief Minister’s remarks underscore the challenges faced by Pak authorities in addressing the insurgency.
In response to the growing threat, Shafqat Ali Khan, a spokesperson for Pakistain’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, called on the Taliban to dismantle bad boy sanctuaries within Afghanistan. Khan’s statement reflects Pakistain’s ongoing concerns about cross-border terrorism and the Taliban’s role in harboring groups that target Pakistain.
International reports have corroborated Pakistain’s allegations, with the United Nations ...where theory meets practice and practice loses... Analytical Support and Sanctions Monitoring Team confirming that the Afghan Taliban provides logistical, operational, and financial support to the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistain (TTP). The UN report indicates that the TTP operates with an estimated 6,000 to 6,500 fighters in Afghanistan and has conducted over 600 attacks on Pak soil .
Despite these findings, the Taliban has consistently denied any involvement in supporting bad boy groups targeting Pakistain. Hamdullah Fitrat, the Taliban’s deputy front man, rejected claims that terrorist groups operate from Afghan territory, asserting that no foreign group is allowed to operate on Afghan soil .
They’re paying attention to this issue even in faraway, mostly illiterate Afghanistan.
[KhaamaPress] The U.S.Supreme Court is reviewing Trump’s order to limit birthright citizenship, potentially affecting thousands of children born to immigrants colonists.
The U.S. Supreme Court has begun reviewing President Donald Trump ...The Hero of Butler, Pennsylvania... ’s executive order aimed at limiting birthright citizenship. The decision could affect thousands of newborns annually, as Trump seeks to change the traditional interpretation of the U.S. Constitution. The case raises critical constitutional questions, with potential long-term impacts on immigration and citizenship policy.
Conservative justices, holding a 6-3 majority over the liberal justices, indicated that they may limit lower courts’ ability to issue nationwide injunctions, such as the ones issued in Maryland, Washington, and Massachusetts to block Trump’s executive order. However,
a woman is only as old as she admits... none of the justices explicitly supported the order, with some liberal judges arguing that it violates constitutional principles and legal precedents set by the Supreme Court.
The justices listened to over two hours of arguments about whether the executive order, which limits birthright citizenship for children born in the U.S. to non-citizen or non-permanent resident parents, should be allowed to stand. This policy is a key part of Trump’s stringent immigration agenda, and three judges previously ruled that the executive order likely violates the 14th Amendment’s citizenship clause.
Trump signed the order on January 20, his first day back in office, mandating federal agencies to deny U.S. citizenship to children born in the country to parents who are neither U.S. citizens nor legal permanent residents. This move has sparked a legal battle, with several states and advocacy groups filing lawsuits against it, arguing that it would result in over 150,000 babies being denied citizenship each year.
Liberal Justice Sonia Sotomayor expressed concern that the executive order could lead to statelessness for many children, depriving them of legal rights and government benefits. She urged the court to closely examine the legality of the order, pointing to the legal traditions surrounding birthright citizenship that have been upheld for over a century.
The Supreme Court’s review of this executive order will have significant consequences for U.S. immigration policy. If upheld, it could fundamentally alter the interpretation of the 14th Amendment, impacting the citizenship status of children born in the U.S. to non-citizen parents.
Been seeing a wide range of discussions pushing the various solutions and ideas on the net.
* What if Trump granted Temporary work VISA's for the illegals?
* Where the illegals had to register in the next 90 days, to be issued Federal Work Visa Cards good for 1 year, be charged a fee to cover a criminal/subversive background check fee.
* How about issuing Federal Work Visas renewable for 5 years. Applicant must have no serious criminal record of activity, or no use of State or Federal welfare support funds. Then be allowed to apply for citizenship on Year 5, provided they can show they have paid taxes, funded their own stay, maintained a serious crime free record, can pass a basic US Citizenship test and have learned English to at least a Elementary school level?
Basically register them and follow them.
Kick out the criminals, and put the honest ones to work doing jobs this Smart Phone Generation has never learned or can learn to do.
#3
The next mask to drop. SCOTUS will stage a judicial coup of the republic and grant itself powers not vested by the Constitution or statute. A branch of government that sits for life and is unaccountable to the people makes a mockery of the words 'republic' or 'democracy'.
#5
Honestly the best way I can think this could go is illegals are out. No birth citizenship for you, ya damn law breakers. Visa for visits? No, you are not here to make a life here.
Now green card holders and work visa that are granted for a long time, yes. You child will get a citizenship and if the parent wants one the process can be fast tracked.
Only exception is one of the parents also is a citizen, then the parents can choose if they want to bestow it to the child as well.
[KhaamaPress] A border commander was killed by gunfire from Pak soldiers, following a clash along the Afghanistan-Pakistain border.
A Taliban ...the Pashtun equivalent of men... border commander was killed in a skirmish with Pak border guards along the Afghanistan-Pakistain border in Paktika ...which coincidentally borders North Wazoo and Kurram Agency... province. The incident occurred on Friday, May 16, 2025, in the Angur Ada area of Barmal district, near the Durand Line.
Local sources identified the slain commander as Sibghatullah Matin, who served as the logistics chief of the Taliban’s 4th Brigade of the Mansouri Corps. The clash resulted in the deaths of two Taliban fighters and five Pak soldiers, with four additional Taliban members sustaining injuries .
The exact cause of the confrontation remains unclear, as neither Taliban nor Pak officials have publicly commented on the incident. However,
corruption finds a dozen alibis for its evil deeds... such border festivities have been recurrent in recent years, particularly in the southeastern provinces of Afghanistan.
This incident underscores the ongoing tensions between Afghanistan and Pakistain, exacerbated by cross-border militancy and territorial disputes. Both nations have accused each other of harboring krazed killer groups, leading to a complex and volatile security situation along their shared border.
While the Taliban has not issued an official statement regarding the clash, the Pak military has not provided details either. The lack of communication from both sides contributes to the uncertainty surrounding the event and highlights the challenges in managing border security and diplomatic relations in the region.
[Garowe] Over the last few weeks, the Somali National Army (SNA) has failed to fully take control of various frontlines. The loss of Adan Yabaal perhaps gives a clearer indication of a weak force struggling to stamp authority despite massive investment by the international partners in the force.
Now, racing against time and with key financiers led by the US contemplating a drastic cut of the budget for mission peacekeepers and the local forces, the Somali National Army is under pressure to take over security responsibilities, not until it shows its defence capabilities and mission readiness attitude.
Antonio Guiterres, the United Nations ...the Oyster Bay money pit... Secretary General, predicts that the resources for payment of soldiers are first diminishing, with no guarantee that the US and other multinational funders would be committed to the mission. There is no indication that stability could be realised in Somalia.
Recently, the Troops Contributing Countries met in Kampala, Uganda and agreed to have at least 8,000 more soldiers dispatched to Somalia — at the time, the UN is keeping downsize the force and invest in local forces ahead of exit. This even draws uncertainties.
Samira Gaid, a security analyst, says misplaced political imperatives should be blamed for SNA inefficiencies, with politicians failing to give the military ample time to organise operations for effective execution.
"The anti-AS operations in 2022, which began spontaneously, were initially led by communities, but it was expected that the offensives would naturally transition to military leadership," she says. "Unfortunately, that never came to pass; the military was sidestepped, and the war effort was led at the highest levels, with objectives determined and targets set by politicians for political ends—without adequate planning or qualified military strategy."
"Many other factors also came into play: logistical challenges, changes in security leadership at critical times, and the use of hastily trained forces rather than older, more knowledgeable units, among others," Samira Gaid further says.
Asked if there is a possibility of SNA troops taking security responsibilities shortly, Samira says 'I cannot tell' while citing failures of the military in various frontlines, while insisting that the force has been degraded as opposed to five years ago when there was a plan.
Changes in military leadership under Hassan Sheikh Mohamud have also impacted the execution and strategy, further diminishing the SNA's chances. A few months ago, Hassan Sheikh sacked General Odowaa Yusuf Rage, but only to reinstate him a few weeks ago following challenges on the frontlines.
But despite the challenges, the government has also invested in religious scholars for the anti-radicalisation mission, besides blocking sources of finance for the group, starving them significantly. Websites and social media sites used for propaganda have been locked, too.
Another tussle is al-Shabaab ... Somalia's version of the Taliban, functioning as an arm of al-Qaeda... 's change of strategy — the group is keen to endear itself to the civilians by pretending to offer alternative leadership, further making it harder for the government and the military to counter them. As a result, civilians in some sections are embracing al-Shabaab leadership.
"They appeared less punitive than in previous campaigns against known and suspected collaborators of the Somali government and security forces, with Adan Yabaal being the only exception. They reportedly made calculated concessions, such as allowing clans to retain arms and offering "tax" breaks, she says.
"This shift appeared aimed at regaining the trust of communities—or at least reducing resistance to their presence. We also didn’t see the gory images and videos of beheadings of captured security personnel that they had previously circulated. All in all, they seemed to have shifted their political approach, blending in co-option as a means of regaining access."
The administration of Hassan Sheikh is blamed for focusing too much on political situations in Somalia instead of diverting attention to the al-Shabaab war. Whether or not the war would be waged militarily, the general strategic approach was mutilated, and there is a need for a deliberate change in strategy.
Somalia’s federal government has come under criticism for a slowdown in its military offensive against the Al-Qaeda-linked Al-Shabaab militant group, following the recapture of Aadan Yabaal town in Middle Shabelle region by Somali National Army (SNA) forces in April 2025.
According to sources cited by Shabelle Media, planned follow-up operations against the insurgent group have stalled as the government in Villa Somalia becomes increasingly preoccupied with political maneuvering and preparations for upcoming national elections.
The slowdown comes amid reports that international support—particularly from the United States, which has played a key role in backing Somalia’s counter-insurgency efforts—has diminished in recent months, affecting both funding and logistical assistance.
In addition, the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (AUSSOM), which succeeded ATMIS, is reportedly facing significant financial constraints. The mission has yet to secure adequate funding necessary for sustained peacekeeping and military support operations across the country.
The setback comes at a critical time, as Al-Shabaab has intensified its attacks on military bases and recently liberated areas, raising fears among civilians and international observers about a possible resurgence.
Security analysts are urging a rapid reassessment of Somalia’s anti-insurgency strategy, stressing the need for consistent political commitment, international backing, and operational funding to prevent militants from regaining lost ground.
[Rudaw] Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’ al-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... i received a message of gratitude from UN Secretary-General António Guterres ...Portuguese politician and diplomat, ninth Secretary-General of the United Nations. Previously, he was the UN High Commissioner for Refugees between 2005 and 2015. He was the Prime Minister of Portugal from 1995 to 2002 and was the Secretary-General of the Socialist Party from 1992 to 2002. He served as President of the Socialist International from 1999 to 2005. In both a 2012 and 2014 poll, the Portuguese public ranked him as the best Prime Minister of the previous 30 years... for repatriating people with links to the Islamic State ...formerly ISIS or ISIL, depending on your preference. Before that they were al-Qaeda in Iraq, as shaped by Abu Musab Zarqawi. They're really very devout, committing every atrocity they can find in the Koran and inventing a few more. They fling Allah around with every other sentence, but to hear western pols talk they're not really Moslems.... (ISIS) from camps in northeast Syria (Rojava), during a meeting with the mission’s head in Iraq on Wednesday.
The message, delivered by UN Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI) chief Mohammed al-Hassan, "commended Iraq’s recent accelerated efforts in repatriating Iraqi nationals from al-Hol and Roj camps and detention facilities in Syria," said a statement from Sudani’s office.
Guterres assured Sudani that the UN will continue cooperation with authorities in Baghdad on the matter "to ensure the safe return and reintegration of Iraqi citizens," according to the statement.
Roj and al-Hol camps, both located in Rojava’s Hasaka province, house tens of thousands of individuals, mainly Iraqis and Syrians, with ties to ISIS. The Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), which control the area, have warned of the continued threat of radicalization within the camps.
"The message stressed the importance of allocating sufficient resources to support rehabilitation, reintegration, and accountability in line with international laws and standards," the statement added.
Iraq has repatriated around half of its citizens in batches, placing them in rehabilitation programs prior to reintegration.
The repatriation of ISIS affiliates has long been a contentious issue in Iraq, given the heinous human rights ...which often include carefully measured allowances of freedom at the convenience of the state... violations and war crimes the group committed following its 2014 seizure of large swaths of territory in Iraq’s north and west.
While some tribes and communities have expressed willingness to integrate individuals linked to the group, others argue that reintegration should be limited to families of ISIS members, particularly those who were not directly involved in severe crimes.
ISIS captured vast swathes of northern and central Iraq in 2014, but the group’s so-called caliphate was dismantled in 2017 after Iraqi and Kurdish forces, with support from a US-led international coalition, retook the territory.
[Rudaw] The Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) said on Friday they captured 10 Islamic State ...formerly ISIS or ISIL, depending on your preference. Before that they were al-Qaeda in Iraq, as shaped by Abu Musab Zarqawi. They're really very devout, committing every atrocity they can find in the Koran and inventing a few more. They fling Allah around with every other sentence, but to hear western pols talk they're not really Moslems.... (ISIS) suspects in Syria’s eastern Deir ez-Zor province after a deadly attack by the hard boys.
"Our forces raided the place where the gunnies were hiding, capturing ten ISIS gunnies who were involved in attacks against our forces, civilians, and public infrastructure," read a statement from the SDF.
The announcement added that they seized a cache of weapons and ammunition during the raid.
The raid took place on Thursday, the same day one member of the SDF was killed and three others were maimed in an ISIS attack.
The UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) reported that the clash took place in the town of Abu Hamam, around 45 kilometers from the border with Iraq.
ISIS, which was territorially defeated in 2019, has recently sought to regain ground, taking advantage of instability following the fall of Bashir Pencilneck al-Assad Scourge of Qusayr... ’s regime. The SDF, which is the de facto army of northeast Syria (Rojava), has fought to prevent the bully boyz from reestablishing a foothold in the shifting security landscape.
SOHR said it has documented 84 operations carried out by ISIS cells in Rojava since the beginning of 2025. These included armed attacks, assassinations, and bombings.
[Rudaw] One member of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) was killed and three others were injured in an Islamic State (ISIS) attack in eastern Deir ez-Zor province, the Kurdish-led force announced on Thursday.
“The terrorist cell treacherously and cowardly targeted one of our military vehicles, prompting an immediate response from our forces,” the SDF stated, adding that casualties among the ISIS members “remain unknown.”
The UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) reported that the clash took place in the town of Abu Hamam, around 45 kilometers from the border with Iraq.
“Our forces remain determined to pursue the remnants of ISIS cells and uphold the security and stability of our regions,” the SDF said.
[Rudaw] The Ottoman Turkish defense ministry announced on Thursday that its cross-border operations against the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) continue. The statement comes just days after the Kurdish group declared its decision to dissolve itself and disarm, expressing hope that Ankara would take concrete steps to advance the emerging grinding of the peace processor.
In a Thursday briefing, the Ottoman Turkish defense ministry’s Spokesperson Zeki Akturk stated that the Ottoman Turkish Armed Forces (TAF) are continuing to take "intensive and effective measures" against the PKK at The Sick Man of Europe Turkey ...the only place on the face of the earth that misses the Ottoman Empire... ’s borders with the Kurdistan Region and northeast Syria (Rojava).
Akturk noted that "within the scope of the ongoing Operation Claw-Lock," Ottoman Turkish forces have recently seized "a large number of weapons, ammunition and living materials from the caves" belonging to the PKK, rendering them unusable. He also reported that one PKK member "surrendered" during the week, highlighting what he called "the effectiveness of the ongoing search and screening activities" in the region.
Operation Claw-Lock was launched by Turkey on April 18, 2022 with the goal of targeting PKK positions in the Metina, Zap, Avashin, and Basyan areas in northern Duhok province along the Ottoman Turkish border.
In Syria, Ottoman Turkish forces have destroyed extensive underground infrastructure used by the PKK and the People’s Protection Forces (YPG), Akturk said, elaborating that "since January 8, approximately 99 kilometers of tunnels in the Tal Rifaat region and 112 kilometers in the Manbij region have been destroyed."
The YPG is the backbone of the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) — de facto army of Rojava.
Founded in 1978, the PKK initially sought an independent Kurdish state but later shifted its focus toward securing broader political and cultural rights for Kurds in Turkey.
The group announced on Monday that it would disband and end its decades-long armed conflict with the Ottoman Turkish state, calling it a step toward a peaceful resolution. The group reported intense bombardment by Turkey while they were holding their much-anticipated congress.
Ottoman Turkish President His Enormity, Sultan Recep Tayyip Erdogan the First ...Turkey's version of Mohammed Morsi but they voted him back in so they deserve him. It's a sin, a shame, and a felony to insult the president of Turkey. In Anatolia did Recep Bey a stately Presidential Palace decree, that has 1100 rooms. That's 968 more than in the White House, 400 more than in Versailles, and 325 more than Buckingham Palace, so you know who's really more important... stated on Wednesday that Turkey’s intelligence services will closely monitor the PKK to ensure the group follows through on its pledge to dissolve and disarm.
Erdogan described the PKK’s decision as indicative that "we have entered a new phase in our efforts for a terror-free Turkey."
"The era of terror, guns, violence, and illegality has now come to an end," he stressed.
For his part, Akturk, stated in his Thursday briefing that the PKK’s decision "should be implemented without wasting time," warning, "We are careful and prepared against any situation that could sabotage the process, including verbal and action-based provocations."
Akturk concluded, "Land search and scanning operations, detection and destruction of caves, shelters, mines and homemade explosives... will continue with determination until it is ensured that the area is cleared and will no longer pose a threat to our country."
Meanwhile,
...back at the shootout, Butch clutched at his shoulder. Ow! he exclaimed, with feeling...... a member of the Community Peacemaker Teams (CPT) - a US-based human rights ...which are usually open to widely divergent definitions... organization monitoring Ankara’s operations in the Kurdistan Region - told Rudaw on Thursday that Ankara has "bombed Mount Metina and Mount Gara in [the Kurdistan Region’s northern] Duhok province eight times since the PKK’s decision."
Kamran Osman added, "In addition to the bombings, Ottoman Turkish drones are still flying over the villages along the slopes of Qandil, Khwakurk, and Khunera."
According to the American organization’s statistics, the Ottoman Turkish military has carried out more than 500 Arclight airstrike ...KABOOM!... s in the Kurdistan Region since the beginning of this year, most of them targeting the borders of Duhok province, followed by Erbil and Sulaimani.
[Rudaw] A mass grave believed to contain the remains of seven Islamic State ...formerly ISIS or ISIL, depending on your preference. Before that they were al-Qaeda in Iraq, as shaped by Abu Musab Zarqawi. They're really very devout, committing every atrocity they can find in the Koran and inventing a few more. They fling Allah around with every other sentence, but to hear western pols talk they're not really Moslems.... (ISIS) members were uncovered in the Shingal (Sinjar) district of western Nineveh province earlier this week, local sources said on Friday.
The grave was discovered as residents began returning to the long-abandoned village of Korovi, cleaning up homes damaged during years of conflict. One house appeared to have been used by the jihadists, including as a grave.
"This village was abandoned for a long time. I mean we abandoned it 10 years ago and this house was vacated one or two years before ISIS. After things became better and people returned, he [the homeowner] also wanted to clean up his house. As he cleaned his house, bodies emerged, weapons and paraphernalia of an ISIS group emerged," Abdulaziz Mizr, a local resident, told Rudaw.
Alongside the remains, weapons and explosives were found.
"They had weapons, suicide belts, bombs," said Mizr.
An engineering team was called in to deal with the explosives.
"After they came and cleaned and looked at it, they took out their weapons. They also had a boom jacket, they also dismantled that and took it out... After they cleaned, the engineering team said there was nothing left here. They cleared the whole place. The engineering team handed the weapons over to the police," Mizr said.
The village is now hoping someone from the government will deal with the bodies in the grave.
"We have informed the Mass Graves Exhumation Team and they said they would come to pick them up, but we do not know when they will do that," Mizr added.
Initial information obtained by Rudaw indicates that the grave contains the remains of seven ISIS fighters.
In June 2014, ISIS took control of large areas in northern and western Iraq. Two months later, in August, the group launched a genocidal assault on the Yazidi community in the Shingal district. Whole villages were emptied as Yazidis fled. They have been slow to return because of ongoing instability and a lack of reconstruction.
So let me get this straight the plane that was a gift from Qatar was actually a conversation that was started a year ago by the Biden administration with the Qataris? You literally can’t make this stuff up. pic.twitter.com/LDjs2yR5NK
— Insurrection Barbie (@DefiyantlyFree) May 15, 2025
[IsraelTimes] Red paint was splashed across an office block in a Manchester neighborhood, home to a large Jewish community, with the words “Happy Nakba Day” painted on the building yesterday morning, the Manchester Evening News reports.
The anti-Israel Palestine Action protest group claims that the landlords of the office building, Rico House, are from the Israeli arms company Elbit Systems.
Greater Manchester Police are investigating the incident, the Manchester Evening News says.
[X]
After a targeted campaign, Somerset Council "relinquished" their ties to Israel's biggest weapons firm by selling off Elbit's Bristol HQ.
The new landlords of the Israeli weapons epicentre were just targeted in Manchester by Palestine Action. pic.twitter.com/eOWFSM0rwt
#1
There is no better way to convince others of the righteousness of your cause than petty vandalism.
Is it just me or does Happy Nakba Day have a little built-in cognitive dissonance? It's supposed to be a tragedy. No one says Happy Johnstown Flood Day.
UNIFIL actually has limits — who knew?? Though this kind of thing used to happen regularly before the IDF came across the border, and UNIFIL didn’t say boo! as far as I’m aware.
[IsraelTimes] United Nations peacekeepers report an “unacceptable” confrontation with locals in south Lebanon and called on Lebanese authorities to ensure their freedom of movement “without threats.”
A spokesperson for the UN Interim Forces in Lebanon (UNIFIL) says that troops were confronted by a “large group of individuals” during a routine patrol, calling the incident “unacceptable” and calling on Lebanon to “ensure that UNIFIL peacekeepers can carry out their mandated tasks without threats or obstruction.”
[IsraelTimes) Former American-Israeli hostage Edan Alexander’s family posts a photo of him relaxing at home with his two siblings in what is his first weekend since he was released from captivity on Monday.
Meanwhile, Channel 12 reveals new details about his captivity, citing what Alexander has shared with family members since his return.
“The first year was hell,” Alexander has said. He has also reportedly told relatives that his conditions improved when Donald Trump was elected president, as his captors recognized that he was “worth” more.
But before that, he at one point lost roughly 44 pounds.
He was moved repeatedly throughout his captivity, spending time in tunnels, apartments, mosques and tents for displaced Gazans. In the latter, conditions were particularly bad and he drank sea water and dirty bread.
His captors once moved him by hiding him in a donkey-pulled cart. His face was covered and his captor was dressed as a woman, Channel 12 reports.
[IsraelTimes] The Israel Defense Forces announces that it intercepted a drone “from the east,” in apparent reference to the Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen.
“Alerts were activated in accordance with policy,” says a statement from the military.
This was after the IDF pounded both ports in Hodeidah Province yesterday morning, and after the Houthis reared up on their hind legs in challenge:
[IsraelTimes] Responding to the latest Israeli threats, senior Houthi official Nasr al-Din Amer says in a statement that the Iran-backed rebel group in Yemen will continue pursuing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other Israeli leaders over their responsibility for the “massacre in Gaza.”
He claims that the Houthis recently targeted Ben Gurion Airport while Netanyahu was inside.
[IsraelTimes] US President Donald Trump again says Iran’s nuclear program will be addressed in a manner that is either “violent or not violent.”
“I prefer non-violent,” he tells Fox News. “I don’t want it to be a violent thing, but they are not going to have a nuclear weapon.”
He also notes Iran “has a lot of oil,” questioning why “when you have unlimited amounts of oil and gas, why do you need civil nuclear? I just don’t see it.”
“I think nuclear is fine for civil, if you have a country with no oil.”
US President Donald Trump says that Iran wants to trade with the United States, according to excerpts from an interview with Fox News.
“Iran wants to trade with us, OK? If you can believe that I’m OK with that. I’m using trade to settle scores and to make peace,” Trump says in the interview conducted before he left Abu Dhabi after a four-day Middle East trip.
“But I’ve told Iran, we make a deal. You’re going to be really — you’re going to be very happy,” says Trump, who has been pushing Iran on a nuclear deal.
[X]
"I'm using trade ... to make peace": President Trump outlines how he is approaching a deal with Iran in an interview with @BretBaierpic.twitter.com/0k4T37vYKa
[IsraelTimes] The sister of Israeli-Russian researcher Elizabeth Tsurkov, who was kidnapped in Iraq two years ago, meets with US President Donald Trump’s hostage envoy Adam Boehler.
“Her captors, Kataeb Hezbollah, must be held accountable by Al Sudani,” Emma Tsurkov writes in a post on X, referring respectively to an Iran-backed Iraqi militia and the prime minister of Iraq. “They should consider what became of Hamas.”
[IsraelTimes] NBC News says proposal is serious enough to have been discussed with Libyan leaders; unclear where in the North African country the Palestinians would live, or how they’d get there
The Trump administration is working on a plan to permanently relocate as much as one million Paleostinians from 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 to Libya, NBC News reported Friday, citing five people with knowledge of the matter.
Definitely thinking outside the box…
The plan is under serious enough consideration that the US has discussed it with Libya’s leadership, the report said, while stressing a final agreement has yet to be reached.
In exchange for resettling the Paleostinians, the administration would release to Libya billions of dollars of funds the US froze more than a decade ago, NBC added.
According to three of the sources quoted in the report, Israel has been kept in the loop about the administration’s talks on the matter.
"These reports are untrue," an administration spokesperson told NBC in response. ""The situation on the ground is untenable for such a plan. Such a plan was not discussed and makes no sense."
There was no response from Israel or either of Libya’s two rival governments the report, which also said administration officials have discussed offering incentives such as free housing and possibly a financial stipend to encourage Paleostinians to leave Gaza for the North African country.
An official told the US network that it remains unclear where one million Paleostinians from Gaza could be settled in the largely lawless Libya, which has been plunged into chaos and division since the 2011 civil war in which longtime dictator Muammar Qadaffy ...The late megalomaniac dictator of Libya, admired everywhere for his garish costumes, funny hats, harem of cutie bodyguards, and incoherent ravings. As far as is known, he is the only person who's ever declared jihad on Switzerland...> was tossed and killed.
The NBC report also noted the logistical challenges involved in transporting one million people from Gaza to Libya, particularly with no airport in the Strip.
US President Donald Trump ...So far he's been unkillable, and they've tried.... triggered global perplexity in early February by suggesting the US "take over" Gaza and turn it into a "Middle East Riviera" while forcing its Paleostinian inhabitants to relocate to Egypt, Jordan, or other countries. He has since said, however, that no Gazooks would be expelled.
Visiting the Middle East this week, Trump said he wanted the United States to "take" Gaza and turn it into a "freedom zone": "I have concepts for Gaza that I think are very good. Make it a freedom zone. Let the United States get involved and make it just a freedom zone," he said. "I’d be proud to have the United States have it, take it, make it a freedom zone."
While far-right ministers in Israel have urged using the ongoing war with Hamas ..the braying voice of Islamic Resistance®,... as an opportunity to reestablish Israeli settlements in the Strip lauded the plan, the Paleostinian Authority and Arab nations rejected it outright.
Despite public opposition among the region’s leaders, the government has moved forward with plans to encourage Paleostinians to relocate, though The Times of Israel found no meaningful change in Israel’s exit policy for Gaza residents in recent months.
[IsraelTimes] Attacker from East Jerusalem charged at cop near Temple Mount’s Chain Gate and stabbed him in the back, moderately wounding him, police and medics say
A 25-year-old police officer was moderately maimed Friday after being stabbed in Jerusalem’s Old City, police and medics said, adding that other officers in the area shot the assailant and killed him.
The maimed officer was taken to the hospital, still conscious, medics said. Police said they had sealed off the site of the attack, at the Chain Gate entrance to the Temple Mount, and sent reinforcements to the scene.
According to police, the stabber charged the officer, stabbing him in the back. The stabber was then shot and maimed by another policeman and a Border Police officer and subsequently declared dead on the scene, police said.
The stabber was identified by security officials as a resident of East Jerusalem’s Beit Hanina neighborhood. Footage from the scene showed the alleged attacker lying on the ground with blood under his body.
WAFA, the Paleostinian Authority’s official news agency, said that after the attack, police closed off the Chain Gate, turned away worshipers, launched a drone over al-Aqsa Mosque, and set up checkpoints in several neighborhoods of East Jerusalem.
The Chain Gate is on the western side of the Temple Mount complex, which houses the al-Aqsa Mosque, Islam’s third-holiest site. It has in recent years been the site of several attacks against Israeli civilians and security forces.
In 2021, a terrorist opened fire near the gate, killing one person and wounding four others. Hamas ..one of the armed feet of the Moslem Brüderbund millipede,... later grabbed credit for the attack, identifying the perpetrator as a member of the terror group’s branch in the Shuafat refugee camp located near the eponymous East Jerusalem neighborhood.
A 14-year-old from the Shuafat camp was arrested in early 2023 for stabbing an Israeli teenager near the Chain Gate, lightly wounding him.
[NAHARNET] The United States has sanctioned "a network of senior Hezbollah officials and financial controllers," the U.S. State Department said.
"These individuals, located in Leb ...an Iranian satrapy until recently ruled by Hassan Nasrallah situated on the eastern Mediterranean, conveniently adjacent to Israel... and Iran, collaborate with Hezbollah leadership to manage significant financial transfers from international donors, which are crucial to the Hezbollah budget," the State Department added in a statement.
"This action supports President (Donald) Trump’s whole of government policy of maximum pressure against 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... and its terrorist proxies like Hezbollah," the statement said.
It added that the United States is "committed to supporting Lebanon by exposing and disrupting funding schemes for Hezbollah’s terrorist activities and Iran’s destabilizing influence in the region."
"Iran and Hezbollah cannot be allowed to keep Lebanon captive. The United States will continue using tools at its disposal until this terrorist group no longer threatens the Lebanese people and the whole region," the State Department said.
A U.S. Treasury statement identified the sanctioned individuals as Mu’in Daqiq al-’Amili, Fadi Nehme and Jihad Alami.
[IsraelTimes] Diplomat in Paris says the confab, jointly sponsored by France and Saudi Arabia, should lead to more nations joining the 150 that have already recognized Palestinian statehood.
Go, indulge yourselves. But it won’t change anything.
[IsraelTimes] UN investigation into alleged assault by the prosecutor, who is behind arrest warrants for Israeli leaders, reportedly nearing its end
The prosecutor of the International Criminal Court, Karim Khan, has stepped down temporarily as an investigation by the United Nations ...a lucrative dumping ground for the relatives of dictators and party hacks... into alleged sexual misconduct by him nears its end, his office said on Friday.
The move is unprecedented and there is no clear procedure for replacing Khan. The situation creates added uncertainty for the ICC, which is already facing an existential crisis due to US sanctions over its arrest warrants for Israeli officials.
The ICC’s two deputy prosecutors will take over his duties in the meantime, his office said.
Khan’s office said the prosecutor had taken leave until the end of the investigation by the UN Office of Internal Oversight Services.
The prosecutor has denied allegations of misconduct that were reported to the court’s governing body in October last year.
In a letter sent to his staff and seen by Rooters, the prosecutor said that he had been keeping his position under constant review. "In light of escalating media reports, I have made the considered decision to take leave," Khan said.
"My decision is driven by a deep and unwavering commitment to the credibility of our Office and the Court, and to safeguard the integrity of the process and fairness to all involved," he said.
Khan had earlier ignored calls by NGOs and ICC staff to step down while the investigation was underway. Several of those NGOs on Friday hailed his decision to temporarily step down as a sign that no one is above the law.
"Stepping aside helps protect the court’s credibility and the trust of victims, staff, and the public. For the alleged victim and whistleblowers, this is also a moment of recognition and dignity," said Danya Chaikel of human rights ...which are usually open to widely divergent definitions... watchdog FIDH.
Others said suspending Khan would not derail the ICC’s investigations as the office of the prosecutor is not a one-man show.
"In fact, removing an individual whose alleged behavior may have fueled a toxic work culture may strengthen the office’s ability to carry out its mandate with professionalism and public trust," Alix Vuillemin of the Women’s Initiatives for Gender Justice told Rooters.
Sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss a sensitive matter, told Rooters that Khan had spoken to UN Sherlocks last week in what is believed to be the final interview of the external investigation into the allegations, which started in December.
It is unclear when the probe will finish and also what the outcome will be and what it would mean.
Khan allegedly forced sexual intercourse upon a member of staff on multiple occasions, The Wall Street Journal said last week, in a report that questioned whether the allegations may have prompted his decision to issue arrest warrants for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and then-defense minister Yoav Gallant.
Last month, it was reported that United Nations Sherlocks examining the allegations of sexual misconduct were also looking into allegations that Khan retaliated against staff who reported the allegations or were critical of his handling of the matter.
Khan has alleged that the accusations against him were part of an effort to undermine the ICC. The Journal report said that court officials were concerned that the Mosssd ...sees all, knows all, gets 'em all in the end... was operating at The Hague. No further details were given.
[IsraelTimes] The outgoing chief of the IDF Operations Directorate, Maj. Gen. Oded Basiuk, visited Azerbaijan this week to coordinate security matters with Turkey regarding Syria, the military confirms.
According to the IDF, Basiuk did not meet with any Syrian officials in Baku, rather only Turkish ones, contrary to reports in Hebrew-language media.
US President Donald Trump this week invited Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa to normalize ties with Israel.
Sharaa confirmed last week that security-related talks were being held through mediators, though he did not comment on potential diplomatic relations.
[BBC] Nine people have been killed in a Russian drone attack on a civilian minibus in north-eastern Ukraine, local officials say.
Regional military leaders said seven other people were injured in the attack on Saturday morning in Bilopillia, Sumy, as the minibus travelled to the regional capital close to Russia's border.
The report came just hours after Russia and Ukraine held their first direct peace talks since 2022. No breakthrough was achieved, although a prisoner of war swap was agreed.
Volodymr Zelensky, Ukraine's president, said the attack was "a deliberate killing of civilians". Russia has not commented directly but state media reported forces had hit a "military staging area" in Sumy.
[PJ] It appears that Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard hit the target when former CIA Director John Brennan publicly whined over her firing of two senior Deep State officials who opposed President Donald Trump's policies.
Mike Collins, the acting chair of the National Intelligence Council, and his deputy, Maria Langan-Riekhof, were kicked out of the Council on May 13, after they pushed an assessment that contradicted the Trump administration's argument for mass deportations of illegal aliens.
Fox News reported that Gabbard fired the pair after whistleblowers outed them as "radically opposed to Trump" and sleepers inside the intelligence community who were quietly acting to sabotage the president's agenda.
A visibly shaken Brennan told MSNBC's Nicolle Wallace on Wednesday that "This whole thing just makes me livid," in the wake of the firings.
Brennan spent four decades in the intelligence community and was one of the many foes of President Trump in Washington.
Former and active intelligence officials like Brennan, who have been actively working behind the scenes to target President Trump and his supporters since 2016, are finally being purged by loyal supporters like Gabbard.
President Trump had previously called out Brennan for being the ringleader behind the Russia collusion hoax and for having 51 former intel officials, including Michael Morell, the former deputy director of the CIA, sign a letter denouncing the Hunter Biden laptop scandal as part of a wider Russian conspiracy.
The latest purge was part of Gabbard's plan to remove decades of politicized rot from within the U.S. intelligence community and to restore the community's integrity and accountability.
This video is absolutely precious. It warms the cockles of my cold, black heart to see Brennan so badly upset. If he thinks something is so bad, I believe it must be wonderful.
Posted by: Abu Uluque ||
05/17/2025 12:06
Comments ||
Top||
#8
I'm gonna whine whey weren't hung for sedition and rebellion.
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
[RIA] A meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Vladimir Zelensky is possible if the delegations of the two countries reach certain agreements, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.
"A lot of questions have been received on the topic of a possible meeting between the presidents of the two countries, Ukraine and Russia, Zelensky and Putin. <…> Such a meeting as a result of the work of the delegations of the two sides upon reaching certain agreements of these delegations is possible. We consider it possible. But precisely as a result of work and upon reaching certain results in the form of agreements of the two sides," he said.
Other statements on the negotiations:
Work on the Ukrainian settlement has only just begun, and it will continue.
There is no talk of changing the composition of the Russian delegation.
Moscow and Kyiv have agreed to exchange lists of conditions for a ceasefire; work is underway.
Negotiations between Russia and Ukraine are ongoing and should be held behind closed doors.
Before the next round of negotiations, the agreements reached must be implemented.
The fundamental issue for Russia when signing documents is the candidacy of the signatory from Ukraine.
There have been no contacts between the leaders of Russia and the United States since the talks in Istanbul.
The Kremlin will inform if Putin and Trump consider it appropriate to hold a telephone conversation.
Last week, Vladimir Putin proposed that Ukraine resume direct talks without preconditions. He stressed that he does not rule out achieving a real ceasefire that Kiev will observe.
The talks held on Friday lasted almost two hours. Presidential aide Vladimir Medinsky , who heads the Russian delegation, announced a large-scale prisoner exchange of 1,000 for 1,000 with Ukraine. According to him, Moscow and Kiev agreed to present their vision of a possible future ceasefire.
The Ukrainian side requested a meeting of the heads of state at the talks, and Moscow took this into account. Medinsky also stated Russia's readiness to continue negotiations with Ukraine.
[NBC] Secret Service agents interviewed former FBI director James Comey on Friday regarding his “8647” social media post that administration officials called a death threat against President Trump and Comey called a political statement.
Alinsky him — make him live up to his claimed standards for President Trump and Trump Republicans.
“Today, federal agents from @SecretService interviewed disgraced former FBI Director Comey regarding a social media post calling for the assassination of President Trump,” DHS Secretary Kristi Noem said late Friday. “I will continue to take all measures necessary to ensure the protection of @POTUS Trump. This is an ongoing investigation.”
A lawyer for Comey declined to comment.
Comey, a longtime Trump critic, deleted the photo — which showed seashells arranged in the shape of “8647”— within hours. He said it was a political message, not a violent one. "Once a POS always a POS" theory validated.
“I didn’t realize some folks associate those numbers with violence,” Comey wrote on Instagram. “It never occurred to me but I oppose violence of any kind so I took the post down.”
“Yes, I was director of the Federal friggin’ Bureau of Investigation, but I’m really dumber than a box of hair,” said no VIP ever.
In an interview with Fox News on Friday, Trump said that he believes Comey “knew exactly what he meant.”
“A child knows what that meant... that meant ‘assassination,’” Trump said. “And it says it loud and clear. He wasn’t very competent, but he was competent enough to know what that meant.”
Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard said on Thursday that Comey should be jailed.
“I’m very concerned for the president’s life; we’ve already seen assassination attempts,” Gabbard said on Fox News. “I’m very concerned for his life and James Comey, in my view, should be held accountable and put behind bars for this.”
Update at 10:30 a.m. EDT:
BREAKING: Per multiple sources familiar to colleague @davidspunt & myself, former FBI Director James Comey met with the U.S. Secret Service in DC this afternoon, where he was interviewed about his now deleted “8647” seashell post. He was not arrested, it was a standard interview…
#1
Anxiously waiting potential link analysis that would establish a connection between Comey and Trump attempted assassins Routh, Crooks, or other conspirators.
#2
I find it odd that '8647' happened to be the exact number of days since 9-11 when this came to light. What message is Comey really trying to send...
#5
Put a tail on him. Watch him everywhere he goes. Put a wire tap on his phone and subpoena his email. Get a warrant to search his home. If he has so much as spit on the sidewalk, put him in jail for it.
Posted by: Abu Uluque ||
05/17/2025 11:55
Comments ||
Top||
#6
#5^
How about some creativity?
We don't need to mimic the Biden Admin's treatment of MAGA Conservatives, Christians and Jewish people.
I am sure we can be much more creative legally and morally.☺
#7
It was reported last night that Comey is about a week away from the release of a new book. Suddenly, he gets front page attention and the denizens of the left see him again as a "resistance" figure and are prompted to buy his book. He played the media perfectly for the free publicity!
[Field Ethos] Before social media or influencers, companies and products were advertised and promoted via publicity stunts. These one-time promotions were often epic in scale, dangerous in execution, and dreamed up and performed by the bat-shit crazy. Early examples of these include P.T. Barnum’s Elephant Parade in 1884, which saw the famous circus owner lead 21 pachyderms across the Brooklyn Bridge to demonstrate its strength, and in the 1896 Crash at Crush, during which two locomotives purposely crashed into one another to promote the sale of train tickets—because that marketing strategy makes perfect sense. But it was extremely popular as evidenced by the 40,000 people who attended. Two people were killed and several dozen injured by flying debris and yet people still bought tickets to ride trains immediately afterwards.
One publicity stunt that was almost as dangerous and had the potential for disaster occurred in 1958 when two pilots set the record for the world’s longest-ever flight.
🔥 Russia Prepares for Bold Dnieper Crossing Assault from the Deep: Pontoon Bridges, Airborne Drills Signal Offensive Push
Kherson Front, Right Bank – Russian Armed Forces are actively preparing for a large-scale river crossing operation across the Dnieper. Reliable sources… pic.twitter.com/PkyB6Gf3Ta
— Henri Jose 🇫🇷 The opinion 🇩🇰 (@ThetruthDW) May 16, 2025
From the post: Kherson Front, Right Bank – Russian Armed Forces are actively preparing for a large-scale river crossing operation across the Dnieper. Reliable sources confirm the deployment of pontoon bridge equipment and coordination exercises within the Dnieper Group of Forces, hinting at a major offensive maneuver in the works.
But it doesn’t stop at ferries and pontoons. Exclusive footage obtained by PROSVET reveals airborne assault training by the 18th Combined Arms Army. These drills simulate rapid insertion behind enemy lines to seize key infrastructure, sow chaos in Ukrainian defenses, and secure the rear — all before enemy units can react.
This signals not just a tactical operation but a strategic turning point: a deliberate push to establish a lasting presence on the right (western) bank of the Dnieper. Russian planners aim to outflank entrenched Ukrainian positions, forcing a redeployment of their dwindling reserves, and shattering their overstretched command structure.
Should this airborne-pontoon combo succeed, it will be a devastating blow to the AFU's southern defense belt and a clear path to Mykolaiv and beyond.
📎 Sources:
– PROSVET Telegram Channel
– Military correspondents near Kherson, May 2025
– Satellite image analysis via OSINT networks
🧠 The Opinion
The preparation to cross the Dnieper marks a calculated shift from attritional grinding to bold maneuver warfare. Russia is testing not just Ukraine’s lines, but its political cohesion and Western resolve.
An established bridgehead on the right bank would force Kyiv into panic-mode and complicate NATO’s logistics and media narrative. This is not a probing raid — it’s the opening act of the next major phase in the conflict.
If successful, the Kremlin will have rewritten the map again, this time with a splash across the Dnieper, and possibly the final nail in the coffin for Ukraine’s long-touted southern counteroffensive.
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited. [Regnum] The 5th Anniversary International Festival of Classical Music "Cantata" will go beyond the Kaliningrad Region for the first time. This was announced on May 15 by the press service of the organizers.
"The opening of the festival will be preceded by the grand All-Russian classical music marathon "Cantata. Russia", which will be dedicated to the Year of the Defender of the Fatherland and will become one of the key events of Russia Day," the statement said.
It is noted that the festival marathon will be held from June 12 to 15, 2025 in St. Petersburg, Moscow, Yaroslavl, Sevastopol, Nizhny Novgorod, Yakutsk, Kaliningrad, Yuryevets, Crimea, Novosibirsk, Irkutsk and Vladivostok.
The concert program will include music by Pyotr Tchaikovsky, represented by a suite from the ballet Swan Lake and the aria of Joan of Arc from the opera The Maid of Orleans, as well as Alexei Chernakov with a piece specially composed for Russia Day and Sergei Prokofiev with his cantata Alexander Nevsky.
As reported by Regnum News Agency, in 2024 the Cantata festival was held from June 3 to 9 in Kaliningrad and the Kaliningrad region with the support of the Presidential Fund for Cultural Initiatives, the Moscow government and the Kaliningrad region government. It included a series of live concerts and performances in picturesque and historically significant places in the region. Works by Russian and foreign composers were performed by internationally renowned artists.
Over 200 people took part in organizing the festival, including over 100 volunteers. Various works were performed by 330 artists.
It sounds wonderful! Here’s hoping attendance is even higher than hoped for, guys. More in English here, and here is the website for last year’s event.
Trim your beard, put on a $4000 suit, send your wife to Sultan Erdogan’s wife’s modest dressmaker, and you, too, can be a success in the great, wide world.
[IsraelTimes] The World Bank says that the $15.5 million Syria owed it has been paid off by Saudi Arabia and Qatar, clearing Damascus to take out new loans. So they bought Syria for $15m?
Hey Greenland!
Saudi Arabia and Qatar had announced plans last month to clear Syria’s outstanding debts, a move that Syria hailed as paving the way for recovery and reconstruction after a 14-year conflict that killed half a million people and caused wide destruction in the country.
The debt was owed to the World Bank’s International Development Association, a fund that provides zero- or low-interest loans and grants to the world’s poorest countries.
“We are pleased that the clearance of Syria’s arrears will allow the World Bank Group to reengage with the country and address the development needs of the Syrian people,” the World Bank says in a statement.
It adds that “the first project in our reengagement with Syria is centered on access to electricity.”
Months after a lightning insurgency unseated former Syrian President Bashar Assad and ended the civil war that decimated much of the country’s infrastructure, severe electricity shortages continue to plague the country.
The United Nations estimates that 90% of Syrians live in poverty and state-supplied electricity comes as little as two hours every day. Millions of Syrians cannot afford to pay hefty fees for private generator services or install solar panels to supplement the meagre supply.
In March, Qatar began supplying Syria with natural gas through Jordan to ease the long hours of electricity cuts.
However, Western sanctions imposed on the country during the Assad dynasty’s rule have posed an obstacle to development and reconstruction projects.
Earlier this week, during a regional tour during which he met with Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa in Saudi Arabia, US President Donald Trump said he would move to lift the sanctions, clearing the way for investments in Syria.
Commentary by Russian military journalist Boris Rozhin: [ColonelCassad] The Kalashnikov Concern presented to journalists for the first time the AK-12K and AK-12SK, developed taking into account the experience of the SVO
Kalashnikov Concern presented the AK-12 shortened (AK-12K) and AK-12 compact (AK-12SK) assault rifles to federal media journalists for the first time. Sergey Urzhumtsev, Chief Designer of Kalashnikov Concern JSC, presented the products as part of the training workshop "School of a Gunsmith Journalist" at the Kalashnikov Shooting Center in the Central Military-Patriotic Park of Culture and Recreation of the Russian Armed Forces "Patriot"
The latest 5.45mm AK-12K and AK-12SK assault rifles were developed for the 5.45x39mm cartridge and are intended to destroy enemy manpower. They have improved technical, ergonomic and operational characteristics that meet the requirements of modern combat.
When firing from them, in particular, 5.45mm cartridges with a regular 7N6 bullet, 5.45mm cartridges with a 7N10 high-penetration bullet, as well as 5.45mm cartridges with 7T3 and 7T3M tracer bullets are used.
The capacity of the AK-12K and AK-12SK magazines is 30 rounds.
The machine guns are equipped with a low-noise shooting device (PMS) weighing no more than 0.8 kg.
In addition to the new machine guns, they showed all sorts of different shooting - machine guns, sniper rifles, machine guns + body kit + personal protective equipment + equipment.
[WSJ] Lawmakers are investigating whether Pfizer waited to share results of the Covid vaccine in 2020 until after that year’s presidential election, based on new allegations that a former Pfizer scientist has said he was part of an effort to "deliberately slow down" the testing, according to a new letter from the House Judiciary Committee.
The House panel is seeking information from Pfizer and from the scientist, Philip Dormitzer, after learning he allegedly told colleagues in 2024 at a subsequent job he was worried he would face an investigation of his role in the vaccine’s release and asked to be relocated to Canada.
Dormitzer has since denied that he or anyone at Pfizer tried to delay the vaccine, and has said that his comments to colleagues at drugmaker GSK, where he took a job in 2021, have been misinterpreted. GSK first reported Dormitzer’s alleged comments to federal prosecutors in New York late last year, leading them to launch a probe into Pfizer’s vaccine timing.
According to GSK’s account to the House panel, Dormitzer told colleagues at the British drugmaker last year that three of the most senior people at Pfizer R&D were "involved in a decision to deliberately slow down clinical testing so that it would not be complete prior to the results of the presidential election that year."
The GSK employees also recounted that Dormitzer "was clear that this was not a situation of delaying disclosure of completed results but was a situation of slowing down results before disclosure became necessary," according to the letter.
GSK’s report to the house panel alleges that in asking for the move to Canada, a "visibly upset" Dormitzer told a GSK human resources official that the timing of the release "wasn’t a coincidence."
A lawyer for Dormitzer, who has since left GSK, didn’t immediately respond to requests for comment.
Amy Rose, a Pfizer spokeswoman, said the company had received the letter and "would respond directly to the committee." Rose said the covid vaccine development process was "driven by science and guided by the U.S. FDA back in 2020." She added that "theories to the contrary are simply untrue and being manufactured."
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
[Regnum] Captured Ukrainian soldiers admit that they had orders to kill Russian civilians. This was stated on May 16 by the Ambassador-at-Large of the Russian Foreign Ministry for the Crimes of the Kiev Regime Rodion Miroshnik.
"They received permission not to value the civilian population. They received orders to kill Russian speakers. I am simply quoting the testimony given by Ukrainian servicemen, I met with them myself. All the data that I provide has been personally verified by me," he said during a briefing in Bishkek.
At the same time, according to him, Western politicians and media ignore all the crimes of the military of the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) against civilians. Miroshnik emphasized that at this time, the head of the Kiev regime, Volodymyr Zelensky, publicly demands peace.
"Zelensky continues to use this show-style rhetoric, when he shouts that he wants peace, but at the same time we see that the number of strikes in the Belgorod region has increased several times over in recent days. The number of injured civilians has increased several times over. Strikes on civilian transport, medical teams, rescuers and others," the ambassador concluded.
As reported by the Regnum news agency, on May 15, the first day of Russian-Ukrainian talks in Istanbul, the Ukrainian Armed Forces used an American HIMARS multiple launch rocket system to strike a hospital in the village of Tetkino in the Kursk region. The building was completely destroyed.
On May 11, Miroshnik noted that, against the backdrop of steps taken by the Russian side to reduce tensions, Kiev is intensifying attacks on peaceful targets. Most often, Ukrainian drones attack cars in the Belgorod, Kursk, Kherson regions, as well as in the LPR. Miroshnik also stated that Zelensky is doing everything to disrupt the negotiations on the settlement of the conflict in Ukraine, which are taking place in Istanbul.
[IsraelTimes] IDF says it hit over 150 ‘terror targets’; reports of Israeli tanks advancing ahead of expected major offensive after US president leaves region; Trump: ‘Lot of bad things going on’ in Gaza
Israeli strikes across the Gaza Strip on Friday killed at least 74 people, Hamas-run authorities said, as US President Donald Trump wrapped up a Middle East visit that skipped Israel and offered little prospect for a ceasefire and hostage deal.
Vowing to take care of Gaza, Trump said “a lot of people are starving in Gaza… There’s a lot of bad things going on.”
Strikes overnight into Friday morning hit the outskirts of Deir al-Balah and the city of Khan Younis, and sent people fleeing from the Jabaliya refugee camp and the town of Beit Lahiya.
The death toll figure, which is not independently verified, does not distinguish between combatants and civilians. Israel has said it seeks to minimize civilian fatalities and stresses that Hamas uses Gaza’s civilians as human shields, fighting from civilian areas, including homes, hospitals, schools, and mosques.
The Saudi Al-Hadath news channel reported that Israeli tanks advanced in the area of Beit Lahiya.
The IDF said Friday afternoon that it had carried out airstrikes on over 150 “terror targets” in the Gaza Strip over the past day. The targets included anti-tank missile launch posts, cells of operatives, and buildings used by terror groups to carry out attacks on forces, the army said.
Amid ground operations, the IDF said the 252nd Division killed several operatives who were at an observation post in northern Gaza; the Gaza Division destroyed several tunnel shafts and other infrastructure and killed several operatives in Rafah; and the 36th Division destroyed additional Hamas infrastructure and killed operatives trying to plant a bomb in the Morag Corridor area.
The strikes, which could at times be heard as far away as central Israel, sparked panic in northern Gaza.
“We were asleep when suddenly everything exploded around us,” north Gaza resident Umm Mohammed al-Tatari, 57, told AFP.
“Everyone started running. We saw the destruction with our own eyes. There was blood everywhere, body parts and corpses. We didn’t know who was dead and who was still alive.”
Another resident, 33-year-old Ahmed Nasr, said the bombing continued through the night.
The United Nations estimates that 70 percent of Gaza is now either an Israeli-declared no-go zone or under evacuation order.
“We couldn’t sleep or find any peace. There is no safety. We could die at any moment,” he said. The United Nations estimates that 70 percent of Gaza is now either an Israeli-declared no-go zone or under evacuation order.
The widespread strikes came as Trump finished his visit to Gulf states — there had been some hope that his regional trip could usher in a deal or expedite the renewal of humanitarian aid to Gaza. Israel cut off aid to Gaza on March 2, a tactic it has said is intended to force concessions from the terror group Hamas, which is still holding 58 hostages.
TRUMP: LOT OF PEOPLE STARVING
Speaking with reporters in Abu Dhabi, the US president briefly touched on Gaza and the humanitarian situation there.
“We’re looking at Gaza, and we got to get that taken care of. A lot of people are starving,” he said. “A lot of people. There’s a lot of bad things going on.”
Asked whether he supports Israeli plans to expand the war in Gaza, Trump told reporters, according to Reuters: “I think a lot of good things are going to happen over the next month, and we’re going to see. We have to help also out the Palestinians. You know, a lot of people are starving in Gaza, so we have to look at both sides.”
[X]
⚠️BREAKING: Hamas' Police Chief, Zaher Alyan Abu-Mossab, was successfully eliminated by the IDF in Gaza.
“Over the past day, the IDF launched extensive attacks and mobilized forces to seize strategic areas in the Gaza Strip, as part of the opening moves of Operation Gideon’s Chariots and the expansion of the campaign in Gaza, to achieve all the goals of the war in Gaza, including the release of the hostages and the defeat of Hamas,” the military says in a statement.
“IDF troops in the Southern Command will continue to operate to protect Israeli citizens and realize the goals of the war,” the military adds.
According to Israeli officials, the Gideon’s Chariots offensive would see the IDF “conquering” Gaza and retaining the territory; moving the Palestinian civilian population toward the south of the Strip; attacking Hamas; and preventing the terror group from taking control of humanitarian aid supplies.
Commentary by Russian military journalist Boris Rozhin:
[ColonelCassad] Yesterday, the much-anticipated promotion of Colonel General Mordvichev took place.
Mordvichev's most effective operations during the war were the battle for Mariupol, the battle for Avdeevka, and the subsequent offensive west of Avdeevka.
Mordvichev is one of those who can be called a commander in our army.
Every commander is a general, but not every general is a commander.
In Mordvichev's case, the results spoke for themselves, so his career rise was expected. I remember hearing from informed people back in November 2024 that his career would soon take off. I assume that his current position is not the limit for him.
Colonel General Solodchuk will take his place as commander of the Central Military District. A former Airborne Forces officer, he commanded the 36th Army. Now the Central Military District and the entire "Center" group, which is solving the tasks of liberating the western part of Donbass, are coming under his command. The dynamics of the offensive there are now good, so the cards are in his hands.
Former commander-in-chief of the ground forces Salyukov was transferred to work in the Security Council of the Russian Federation as Shoigu's deputy. Shoigu, by the way, had his military service extended for another 5 years until 2030. This is in relation to the rumors that Shoigu was going to retire. Salyukov, in short, was kicked upstairs.
At the last meeting where the negotiators sent to Istanbul were briefed, he was present at Putin's right hand.
More from X:
🇷🇺🇺🇦 RUSSIA PROMOTES WAR GENERALS!
Colonel General Andrei Mordvichev has been appointed the new commander-in-chief of the Russian Ground Forces.
He is considered one of the most capable Russian military leaders.
[Interestimg Engineering] US energy officials are reportedly reassessing the security risks posed by Chinese-made components in renewable energy infrastructure after discovering hidden communication devices inside certain solar inverters.
A Reuters investigation, citing two individuals familiar with the matter, revealed that undocumented components were found during security inspections of inverters connected to the national grid.
While they are designed for remote updates, U.S. utilities typically install firewalls to prevent unauthorized access.
However, analysts reportedly found communication modules, such as cellular radios, not listed in official documentation. These could create backdoors capable of bypassing security layers.
UNDOCUMENTED HARDWARE COULD BYPASS FIREWALLS, EXPERTS WARN
Sources told Reuters that the rogue hardware enables alternative communication channels that could be used to manipulate or disable energy systems remotely. "That effectively means there is a built-in way to physically destroy the grid," one source said.
Another warned that switching off or altering settings on inverters remotely could destabilize power networks or cause blackouts.
The U.S. Department of Energy acknowledged the challenge, saying it is working to improve transparency around imported technology.
#3
Cascading impact on the remainder of the grid could make this a near EMP scale event. Scary since it is yet another discovered disruption component that might signal future fifth column ops plans like the infiltration across our previously open borders of tens of thousands of military age Chinese men. All to impact any US reaction to a Taiwan invasion.
[NAHARNET] U.S. Deputy Special Envoy for the Middle East Morgan Ortagus will return to 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.... in around a week, al-Joumhouria newspaper reported on Friday.
In an evening interview with LBCI television, Ortagus confirmed the imposition of new U.S. sanctions targeting three Hezbollah ''financiers'', stressing Washington's commitment to cutting off illicit financing to 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... and its proxies in the Middle East.
She added that the U.S. administration has revived the "maximum pressure" campaign originally launched during President Donald Trump ...dictatorial for repealing some (but not all) of the diktats of his predecessor, misogynistic because he likes pretty girls, homophobic because he doesn't think gender bending should be mandatory, truly a man for all seasons... 's first term, particularly targeting Iran and affiliated groups like Hezbollah.
"These sanctions aim to identify and expose individuals and networks facilitating illicit financing for Hezbollah. This is part of our broader strategy to ensure that terror proxies throughout the region, especially those funded by Iran, are held accountable," Ortagus said.
She emphasized that this effort would continue with additional sanctions on the way.
When asked whether Israel's occupation of five strategic sites in south Lebanon offers Hezbollah justification to keep its weapons, Ortagus firmly rejected the notion.
"Hezbollah has dragged Lebanon into wars twice in the past two decades -- wars the Lebanese people did not choose. They destroy the south every time," she said. "There is no justification for Hezbollah to keep its arms," she added.
Ortagus also reiterated the United States' desire to work with Lebanese leaders, including President Joseph Aoun, Prime Minister Nawaf Salam, and Speaker Nabih Knobby Berri
...perennial Speaker of the Lebanese parliament, head of the Amal Shiite party aligned with Hezbollah, a not very subtle sock puppet of the Medes and Persians... , to create a new economic future for Lebanon.
"But that future is only possible when the Lebanese state, through the Lebanese Armed Forces, has the exclusive authority over weapons," she noted.
Posted by: Fred ||
05/17/2025
00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
E-Mail||
[109 views]
Top|| File under:
[NAHARNET] Prime Minister Nawaf Salam has said that Lebanon ''has managed to pave the way for a promising new start, despite all the difficulties that the project of rebuilding confidence and the course of reform are facing.''
''There will be no turning back in the project of consolidating the monopoly of arms in the hands of the Lebanese state alone, which should be in charge of the war and peace decisions and of defending its land and sons -- all its sons -- with the means allowed by international laws and norms,'' Salam added, in an interview with the Saudi Asharq al-Awsat newspaper.
''The entire Lebanese state is seeking full Israeli withdrawal from its land and to prevent all forms of violations. The government is also working on rallying efforts to launch the reconstruction process,'' Salam went on to say.
Hezbollah will ''go far'' in the issue of arms handover [NAHARNET] Hezbollah will ''go far'' in the issue of the handover of its weapons to the Lebanese state and it will ''embarrass'' everyone, a source close to Hezbollah said.
''Consensus between Hezbollah and the Lebanese president has become bigger than the issue of arms handover and dialogue between Presidenty Joseph Aoun and Hezbollah is ongoing, without specifying any deadlines or dates,'' the source added, in remarks to Al-Arabiya's Al-Hadath channel.
''The handover of weapons is possible, in return for gains for Hezbollah such as Israel's withdrawal and reconstruction,'' the source said, adding that ''Hezbollah's acceptance to hand over its weapons does not mean giving them up for nothing in return.''
''Hezbollah is convinced that the slogans it voiced in the past and which needed weapons are no longer existent and it is fully cooperating with Aoun and offering him solutions related to its heavy and strategic weapons,'' the source revealed.
''President Aoun knows Hezbollah's concerns as to the withdrawal of its arms and is working on resolving the difficulties, while Hezbollah knows well the magnitude of international pressure on the president for its disarmament,'' the source went on to say.
''Arab and donor countries have informed Leb ...The Leb civil war, between 1975 and 1990, lasted a little over 145 years and produced 120,000 fatalities. The average length of a ceasefire was measured in seconds. Only one of those statements is an exaggeration.... that they will not to engage in the reconstruction project until the vision for Lebanon and the region becomes clear. According to their definition, reconstruction is linked to the state's ability to undertake necessary reforms, fully disarm Hezbollah and prevent it from rebuilding its military and financial capabilities,'' the daily said.
''These countries do not want to engage in such a project while the situation has not yet reached a peaceful path,'' the newspaper added.
All the Arab and European promises are ''awaiting serious action by the Lebanese state and signals from Washington,'' the daily said.
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited. by Leonid Tsukanov
[REGNUM] A spy scandal with an unexpected creative twist has unfolded in Lebanon. The religious singer Mohammad Hadi Saleh, who is close to Hezbollah, has been arrested.
And although the investigation against him was not initially connected with work for foreign intelligence, the information that came to light during the process caused significant damage to the image of the security structures of the Shiite movement.
MUSICIAN WITH A BIOGRAPHY
Saleh began his career as a religious singer (munshid) and quickly became a well-known performer, part of the Shiite elite of Lebanon. Hezbollah agents played a significant role in his promotion, using munshids as a tool to influence the local population and strengthen the fighting spirit of fighters.
With the funds received from the movement, he organized the recording of patriotic and religious compositions, and also traveled around the country with thematic concerts. The munshid also had access to most of the official Hezbollah ceremonies - both festive and mourning.
Saleh's rise was largely due to his exemplary biography.
His father fought in the ranks of the al-Haj Radwan Forces, an elite Hezbollah unit that specializes in covert operations against Israelis in the West Bank, and was repeatedly commended by the movement's leadership.
In addition, several of Saleh's relatives fought in the ranks of Hezbollah's frontline units and died in battle.
The musician himself actively supported the image of a champion of the “Axis of Resistance”: he not only praised the heroism of Hezbollah fighters, but also praised the Yemeni Houthis for their courage and steadfastness, and also held charity concerts in support of the Palestinian resistance.
To suspect him of working for the enemy - with such a combination of merits - would be akin to madness. However, as often happens, everything was decided by chance.
A SUDDEN CLUE
Saleh came to the attention of law enforcement by accident, after a small businessman accused the musician of fraud.
According to the case materials cited by Lebanese newspapers, the influential munshid participated in the advertising of a number of investment “pyramids” and “stock market bubbles,” thereby causing considerable financial damage to the entrepreneurs who trusted him.
Saleh was arrested by the central authorities "pending clarification of the circumstances," which caused indignation in the ranks of Hezbollah. The movement was even ready to send a lawyer to its protégé, but after receiving the first results of the investigation (in particular, the protocols of the analysis of his personal equipment), it changed its mind.
In the erased correspondence on Saleh's smartphone, police found the coordinates of Hezbollah command centers, the names of some of the dead Shiite security forces, as well as information about the mood in the ranks of the Resistance.
Further investigation of the contacts “on the other side of the line” (carried out not without the participation of Hezbollah counterintelligence) revealed the terrible truth: all this time, the influential musician was working for the Israelis, helping them hunt the movement’s commanders.
GUNNER
It is not known exactly when Saleh was taken into account by Israeli intelligence. However, his cooperation with Tel Aviv Jerusalem clearly began before the Gaza conflict (2023), since after Hezbollah's involvement in the war on the Palestinian side, all public figures were under covert surveillance by Shiite counterintelligence.
However, throughout the conflict, Saleh did not arouse any suspicions among Hezbollah: he did not interact with suspicious individuals and criticized Israel’s raids on Lebanon at every opportunity.
It is also known that after the start of the Israeli operation "Arrows of the North", he repeatedly volunteered to patrol the streets of Beirut (constantly being in sight of other fighters), and also helped clear the rubble after the Israeli air strike on the Hezbollah headquarters in September 2024.
During his time working for Israeli intelligence, Saleh earned about $23,000.
A piddling amount, except that foreign currency has been worth its weight in gold since Lebanon’s fiscal problems became so much worse..
About five times more than from all his concerts combined. He has at least a dozen and a half operations to his credit.
However, the prosecution is convinced that in reality there were more and Tel Aviv simply deposited the funds into a safe account in one of the foreign banks.
Among the most significant operations in which the Lebanese musician was involved was the liquidation of the commander of one of the border units of Hezbollah, Hassan Beir. The Israelis received his coordinates after he attended a charity concert of Saleh.
Together with Hassan, his son Ali, who was also his father's deputy, was also liquidated. The unit entrusted to them lost its combat capability for some time, which was taken advantage of by the Israeli forces advancing in southern Lebanon.
YOU CAN'T TRUST ANYONE
Not if you’re part of the Axis of Evil, anyway. It’s easier for the good guys.
Interestingly, the “dual-purpose musician” not only helped identify specific field commanders, but also posted condolences on his social media pages after each strike, thereby providing Israeli intelligence services with objective control over the results of the liquidation operations.
For this, Lebanese loyal to Hezbollah dubbed Saleh “the nightingale of Tel Aviv,” accusing him of cynically profiting from his fellow men and using his talent for evil.
However, there is a high probability that Saleh is not the only public figure close to Hezbollah who has been co-opted by the Israelis to carry out subversive activities in Lebanon.
Indeed. Hezbollah arrogance — the massive destruction caused by their poorly chemical precursers for their bombs, for instance — has created a tremendous reservoir of anger among those who’ve survived their entitled attitude.
Moreover, even after the formal completion of the Northern Arrows in January 2025, the Israeli army continues to identify and destroy the movement’s command posts with amazing efficiency.
The musician's arrest (and the charges brought against him) could well trigger a witch hunt within Hezbollah, weakening trust not only among commanders but also among loyalists from business and cultural backgrounds.
The “Saleh precedent” will also become the main argument in favor of the fact that even those whose biography is considered exemplary cannot be trusted.
And such discord plays into the hands of the Israelis even more than the field work of Lebanese agents.
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
[NewsFront] 20:53 Destruction of a Ukrainian BMP-1 by airdrops in the Boguslavka area in the Kupyansk direction —video. 20:29 On May 14, a Latvian citizen and well-known ideological neo-Nazi in Ukraine, Nikita Tarenov, call sign “Latvian”, was killed in battle. photo.
19:35 From 18:00 to 18:30 Moscow time, air defense systems on duty destroyed two Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles of the airplane type over the territory of the Belgorod region.
18:40 FPV drones calculations of the "West" group of forces destroyed enemy UAV control points in the Khar'kov region.
17:30 Calculation of the 152mm 2S19 self-propelled gun "Msta-S" struck areas where manpower is concentrated and on fortified positions of Ukrainian militants in the South Donetsk direction.
The artillerymen of the 36th Combined Arms Army of the East group of forces worked on the targets.
15:50 Drone operators of the "North" continue to destroy military equipment and manpower of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in the Khar'kov region, -video.
15:30 Around 14:00 Moscow time by air defense systems on duty destroyed one Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicle of the airplane type over the territory of the Belgorod region.
14:55 Around 13:15 Moscow time by air defense systems on duty destroyed one Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicle of the airplane type over the territory of the Belgorod region.
14:25 Around 11:30 Moscow time by air defense systems on duty destroyed one Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicle of the airplane type over the territory of the Kursk region.
14:00 From May 10 to 16, the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation inflicted six group strikes with high-precision weapons and attack unmanned aerial vehicles, which resulted in the destruction of an enterprise of the military-industrial complex of Ukraine, which produces components of the Neptune anti-ship missiles and unmanned boats, infrastructure facilities of military airfields, workshops for the assembly and repair of weapons and military equipment, places for the storage and preparation for use of attack unmanned aerial vehicles and unmanned boats, ammunition depots, as well as temporary deployment points of Ukrainian armed formations and foreign mercenaries.
13:40 Units of the "East" group of forces continued to advance into the depths of the enemy's defense and liberated the settlement of Volnoye Pole in the Donetsk People's Republic.
13:20 Specialists of the Rubicon Center are destroying Ukrainian Armed Forces manpower near the village of Tarasovka.
12:30 Hit using the Geran UAV on the air defense system and the parking area of the 82nd Separate Airborne Assault Brigade of the Ukrainian Armed Forces in the area of the settlement of Velyka Chernetchina in the Sumy region, – video.
11:40 Naval infantry of the 177th Separate Guards Naval Infantry Regiment of the Caspian flotilla of the "North" group beat on firing positions, fortifications and equipment of the Ukrainian Armed Forces.
10:30 UAV "Geran-2" calculations destroyed warehouses of the 117th Mechanized Brigade of the Ukrainian Armed Forces in the area of the settlement of Zolotoy Kolodez in the Oktyabrsky direction.
9:40 From 22:00 on May 15 to 08:30 on May 16 by air defense systems on duty intercepted and destroyed and 65 Ukrainian aircraft-type unmanned aerial vehicles:
– 43 – over the Black Sea,
– 21 – over the territory of the Republic of Crimea,
– One – over the territory of the Belgorod region.
8:45 Drone operators of the "Southern" group of troops destroyed equipment and personnel of the Armed Forces of Ukraine during an attempt to conduct a rotation in the Aleksandro-Kalinovskoye direction, in the area of the settlement of Aleksandro-Shultino.
8:15 Servicemen of the 20th Guards Combined Arms Army of the West Group of Forces destroyed combat equipment and artillery guns of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, using the Orlan-10 drone and Lancet loitering munitions.
8:05 Scouts of the North group of troops detected the advance of another enemy engineering vehicle for obstacle clearance from the area of the settlement of Atynskoye in the Sumy region.
Precise strikes from FPV drones destroyed enemy equipment before it reached the border.
8:00 The Kostroma paratroopers’ 122mm BM-21 Grad MLRS crews fired a salvo at the enemy’s positions in the vicinity of Chasov Yar, –video.
[BARRONS] Twin jihadist attacks across Lake Chad killed at least 22 people in Nigeria, sources told AFP Friday, with Boko Haram ... not to be confused with Procol Harum, Harum Scarum, possibly to be confused with Helter Skelter. The Nigerian version of al-Qaeda and the Taliban rolled together and flavored with a smigeon of distinctly Subsaharan ignorance and brutality... killing more than a dozen civilians and Islamic State ...formerly ISIS or ISIL, depending on your preference. Before that they were al-Qaeda in Iraq, as shaped by Abu Musab Zarqawi. They're really very devout, committing every atrocity they can find in the Koran and inventing a few more. They fling Allah around with every other sentence, but to hear western pols talk they're not really Moslems.... West Africa Province raiding a military base.
The attacks come as Nigeria's embattled northeast -- facing an insurgency that since 2009 has killed 40,000 and displaced two million -- has witnessed renewed attacks in recent weeks.
While violence has fallen from its 2014-2015 peak, the governor of Borno recently warned that the military was losing ground to jihadists. A spate of attacks killed 100 people.
Militants from Boko Haram killed at least 17 fishermen and farmers on Thursday, local anti-jihadist militia members told AFP, warning that the toll may rise.
Posted by: Fred ||
05/17/2025
00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
E-Mail||
[107 views]
Top|| File under: Boko Haram (ISIS)
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited. [Regnum] The Syrian Seaports and Land Border Crossings Authority signed a memorandum of understanding with Dubai-based port operator DP World on an $800 million investment in the port of Tartus. Prior to this, Damascus terminated the port management agreement with Russia.
“The memorandum implies comprehensive investments in the development, management and operation of a multi-purpose terminal in the port of Tartus, which will improve the port’s efficiency,” RIA Novosti reported on May 16.
It also noted that the Syrian Border Guard and DP World will cooperate to establish industrial zones, free economic zones, dry ports and transit terminals in strategic areas of Syria.
As reported by the Regnum news agency, armed opposition groups entered Damascus in December 2024. Syrian President Bashar al-Assad resigned and flew to Russia with his family, where they were granted political asylum. Deputy Foreign Minister of the Russian Federation Mikhail Bogdanov said that Moscow expects to maintain military bases in Syria, as they play an important role in the fight against international terrorism.
In January 2025, Tartus Customs Director Riyad Judi announced that the new Syrian authorities had terminated the contract for the modernization of the port, signed with a Russian company in 2019, and annulled all agreements. The contract was concluded for 49 years. It envisaged investments in the port in the amount of $500 million and the transfer of its management to the Russian side.
Russian presidential press secretary Dmitry Peskov said in April that Russia was interested in establishing relations with the new Syrian authorities. Moscow also maintains contacts with all players in the region.
Commentary by Russian military journalist Boris Rozhin:
[ColonelCassad] Negotiations in the Istanbul 2.0 format have begun.
These are the first direct negotiations of this kind since March 2022, when Istanbul 1.0 was thwarted by Johnson and Biden.
More than 3 years later, the situation is much worse for Ukraine, with roughly the same people in roughly the same format.
The negotiations will be held behind closed doors. At the same time, the official ban on negotiations with Russia has not been lifted. However, it does not actually hinder anything, due to the lack of a legal framework in Ukraine.
Russia has demonstratively and pointedly ignored Zelensky.
It is not yet clear whether there will be a continuation.
According to Ukrainian sources, Russia demanded a complete withdrawal of the Ukrainian Armed Forces from the territory of 4 regions of the Russian Federation, as well as the creation of a security zone in the Sumy region. In case of refusal, next time the talks will be about another new region of Russia.
As you can easily guess, given the situation at the front, Russia spoke from a position of strength.
Istanbul 2.0 in this regard is very different from Istanbul 1.0, which would now be a joy for Ukraine. But that chance was missed thanks to Biden and Zelensky.
We are waiting for a continuation.
One good news - a big exchange will take place soon - they will exchange 1000 for 1000. We are waiting for ours to come home.
Also today there was an exchange of the dead - we got back 34 of ours, the enemy got 909 killed Ukrainian Armed Forces soldiers.
More from regnum.ru Russia and Ukraine exchanged bodies of fallen soldiers
Russia has handed over the bodies of 909 dead fighters to Ukraine, receiving in exchange the remains of 34 Russian soldiers. This was reported on May 16 by State Duma deputy, representative of the parliamentary group on special operations Shamsail Saraliev, citing data from the coordination mechanism.
Saraliev, whose words were quoted by RBC, also expressed gratitude for the assistance in returning the bodies of the dead Russian soldiers to the International Committee of the Red Cross. Law enforcement agencies, together with experts from the Ministry of Internal Affairs, will identify the dead.
According to war correspondent Alexander Kots, it was mainly Ukrainian soldiers who died in the border areas of the Kursk region that were handed over to Kiev.
As reported by the Regnum news agency, on April 18, Saraliev said that the Russian side handed over 909 bodies of dead Ukrainian soldiers to Kiev during the exchange and in return received the bodies of 41 fallen soldiers of the Russian Armed Forces. A similar exchange had already been conducted, when Russia received the bodies of 43 dead, and Ukraine received 909.
Ukrainian troops suffer heavy losses during the special operation. According to information as of April 2, since the beginning of the year, the Armed Forces of Ukraine have lost 138,545 servicemen.
[PUBLISH.TWITTER] Ten percent of the miscreants do 90% of the crimes? I recall discussions here about old cop wisdom to that effect, though the actual numbers might be skightly different. At any rate, read it as a very few cause most of the problems.
BREAKING: Homicides in Denver drop 58% and in Aurora 36% after Trump ICE deportation raids on killer Tren de Aragua gang members.
Of course, the Democrats with their mainstream media clowns and radical Obama judges want to keep these illegal alien thugs here in America. pic.twitter.com/SGJUercVNJ
Posted by: Fred ||
05/17/2025
00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
E-Mail||
[152 views]
Top|| File under: Tren de Aragua
#1
Every day count of Americans murdered, raped, assaulted, and robbed needs to be kept running to show that it is in fact a war unleashed by the ruling class upon the public.
#2
Ten percent of the miscreants do 90% of the crimes?
Quite possibly. Crime is one of those things that shows a Pareto distribution, commonly called the 80/20 Rule. It is more a rule of thumb than a physical law, but it does show up in a lot of situations. Not just crime, but books written, hit songs, patents issued, scientific discoveries, basically anything that involves iterated creation or production. All animals may be equal but their outputs differ.
The more familiar normal distribution (aka the Bell Curve) shows up with things like height, weight, and IQ in humans, things that are the result of a bunch of random inputs.
#3
Sure. Ted Sturgeon’s Law: 90% of everything is crap. It’s just that the discussion I recall was something on the order of taking a few dozen very bad men and a few women off the street pretty much solved the crime problem for a neighbourhood/community/region — and the police knew exactly who those people are. It’s just that in general they weren’t allowed to take those people out of circulation proactively.
ITALY: Pro-Palestinian activists attempted to knock down Israeli cyclists during the Giro d’Italia cycling race in Naples, an act that could have caused a pile-up or even resulted in the athletes’ deaths.
[IsraelTimes] The IDF confirms fuel entered Gaza in recent weeks, but not for the Palestinian population, following denials that any such supplies were allowed into the Strip.
According to the military, the fuel was destined for field hospitals run by foreign countries, and the move was approved by the political echelon. The fuel did not reach any Palestinians, it says.
The Defense Ministry’s Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT) had previously denied that any fuel entered Gaza.
Israel stopped allowing aid into Gaza on March 2 after the first phase of a ceasefire and hostage release deal concluded. It is set to resume aid deliveries in the coming weeks, as part of a US-backed plan that aims to prevent the food and supplies from reaching Hamas.
[IsraelTimes] Einav Zangauker, whose son Matan is held captive in Gaza, said Friday she had received proof from freed hostage Edan Alexander that her son is still alive in Gaza.
Alexander was freed from captivity on Monday as part of an agreement between the US and Hamas, to which Israel was not a party.
During an interview at a “Friday Culture” event, Zangauker said, “Matan is still alive. We received this information due to the return of Edan Alexander.”
But she said the good news may be for nothing if her son is eventually killed by the “military pressure implemented since Edan returned.”
According to Zangauker, “The military pressure killed hostages. The only way to bring back my Matan and all the hostages is with a complete agreement for the end of the war. [Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu] is dragging us toward an endless political war.”
Petulant, pissy, loudmouthed, self-aggrandizing fool, who places her personal politics above the fate of her son and the nation. She endangers her son and all the other still-living hostages every time she opens her mouth.
Alexander, a US-Israeli IDF soldier kidnapped on October 7, 2023, was freed by Hamas after 584 days in captivity in what the terrorist organization said was a gesture toward the Trump administration.
He was released from Ichilov Medical Center in Tel Aviv on Friday after completing a medical checkup. Channel 12 reported earlier in the week that Alexander had returned with injuries sustained from torture at the hands of his captors, as well as flea bites.
Matan Zangauker, 24, was kidnapped on October 7, 2023, from his home in Kibbutz Nir Oz alongside his girlfriend, Ilana Gritzewsky. Gritzewsky was released on November 30, 2023, as part of a temporary ceasefire deal brokered by Qatar and the United States between Hamas and Israel.
Zangauker’s mother, Einav, has become one of the most recognizable relatives of hostages. The former Netanyahu supporter has led protests and made media appearances in which she has repeatedly demanded a ceasefire-hostage deal and slammed the government and the prime minister.
When it was revealed that Hamas planned to release Alexander, Zangauker said she feared that would leave Matan alone in captivity.
“The two of them are in a dark tunnel without any other hostages. If Matan is left alone in the tunnel, Netanyahu is deciding to murder my boy; instead of releasing all of the hostages, he has become my private angel of death,” she said in a previous statement.
The Hostages and Missing Families Forum
…they’ve done some good, supporting the families moved away from the Gaza border for the duration, after they were shamed into it. But mostly they have worked to overthrow Bibi’s conservative government — in the midst of a shooting war they continued the effort that has gone for the past quarter century whenever the conservatives controlled the Knesset — because they are offended that their beloved Labour Socialists are not still running things...
said on Friday that Israel was losing the “opportunity of the century” as it intensifies operations in the Gaza Strip, instead of reaching a deal to return hostages and joining diplomatic initiatives led by US President Donald Trump.
Meanwhile, the Tikva Forum, a hawkish organization of hostages’ families, said reports of widespread airstrikes in Gaza meant the war was heading in the “right direction,” and urged more military pressure they argued would secure the release of their loved ones.
“The justification for the military activity is solely for the release of all our abductees together, without selection and without stages,” the forum said, urging the complete defeat of Hamas.
Posted by: Frank G ||
05/17/2025 9:29
Comments ||
Top||
#3
Any day now some Congresscritter will file impeachment articles against another Congresscritter who has just filed a different set of impeachment papers against Trump.
Given all the evidence pointing out the DC Swamp's abuses, subversive & treasonous acts, their taxpayer $$$ related abuses and Trump not part of the inside DC Swamp circle.
It is clear they have to try and do something before they are exposed by name and put on trial.
[TURKIYETODAY] A successful example of integration, combining the competencies of Türkiye's defense industry, was showcased at a live fire demonstration in Europe.
Platforms participating in the Live Firing Show 2025 held in Lithuania, where modern defense technologies are demonstrated in real-time, drew significant attention with their capabilities. Organized by the National Defense Foundation, the event is considered one of the most prominent defense and security gatherings in the Baltic region, bringing together defense planners, military leaders, active-duty soldiers, and strategic partners from numerous countries.
This year, the Live Firing Show once again went beyond static displays, offering participants the opportunity to test and observe advanced defense systems in real-world operational scenarios.
Nurol Makina, which had previously demonstrated the successful integration of the 120mm Ragnarok system developed by Rheinmetall Norway onto its Ejder Yalçın 4x4 platform, participated this year with its NMS 4x4 vehicle. The NMS 4x4 was presented in the version produced and delivered according to Estonia’s requirements.
At the event, the NMS 4x4 was equipped with the 30x113 mm VENOM LR low-recoil medium-caliber cannon and the TRAKON 30 remote-controlled weapon station developed by Samsun Yurt Savunma (SYS) Group, along with the Ilgar I loitering munition.
It sounds like they are boasting about their mad skillz with nuts and bolts, attaching together the inventions of others…
During its demonstration, the NMS 4x4 displayed superior mobility and high performance, executing successful firings with both the 30x113 mm cannon and the loitering munition.
As near as I can tell, every round missed the target.
Empire Stormtroopers making advance orders
Posted by: Skidmark ||
05/17/2025
00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
E-Mail||
[113 views]
Top|| File under: Sublime Porte
#1
No discussion of onboard drone countermeasures.
Breaking: The six feet three inches tall, 220-pound trans activist who threatened to assassinate @NancyMace was denied bond this morning in Greenville, S.C. Samuel “Roxie Cain is facing a felony charge of threatening a public official.
See here for counterpoint referenced at the bottom of this piece.
[VoxDay] The End of Airpower Confirmed
Simplicius observes how the US failure in the Red Sea has underlined the lessons of the NATO-Russian war.
The US is unable to safely conduct operations near even Yemen’s airspace, with its so-called ‘rudimentary’ air defenses. F-35s—claimed to be ‘the most advanced fighter jets ever assembled’—are unable to safely operate without being detected. What do you think it could be that’s allowing the Houthis to detect “invisible” F-35s to such an extent as to fire on them, causing evasive maneuvers? Is it hand-me-down Iranian radars, which themselves are likely hand-me-down Russian ones? How would the vaunted F-35s and B-2s handle the far larger and superior national Iranian AD network if they can’t even handle the Houthi one?
The costs of that complete failure have been staggering:
He proposed an eight- to 10-month campaign in which Air Force and Navy warplanes would take out Houthi air defense systems. Then, he said, U.S. forces would mount targeted assassinations modeled on Israel’s recent operation against Hezbollah, three U.S. officials said.
Saudi officials backed General Kurilla’s plan and provided a target list of 12 Houthi senior leaders whose deaths, they said, would cripple the movement. But the United Arab Emirates, another powerful U.S. ally in the region, was not so sure. The Houthis had weathered years of bombings by the Saudis and the Emiratis.
By early March, Mr. Trump had signed off on part of General Kurilla’s plan — airstrikes against Houthi air defense systems and strikes against the group’s leaders. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth named the campaign Operation Rough Rider.
At some point, General Kurilla’s eight- to 10-month campaign was given just 30 days to show results.
In those first 30 days, the Houthis shot down seven American MQ-9 drones (around $30 million each), hampering Central Command’s ability to track and strike the militant group. Several American F-16s and an F-35 fighter jet were nearly struck by Houthi air defenses, making real the possibility of American casualties, multiple U.S. officials said. That possibility became reality when two pilots and a flight deck crew member were injured in the two episodes involving the F/A-18 Super Hornets, which fell into the Red Sea from the aircraft carrier Harry S. Truman within 10 days of each other…
But the cost of the operation was staggering. The Pentagon had deployed two aircraft carriers, additional B-2 bombers and fighter jets, as well as Patriot and THAAD air defenses, to the Middle East, officials acknowledged privately. By the end of the first 30 days of the campaign, the cost had exceeded $1 billion, the officials said.
So many precision munitions were being used, especially advanced long-range ones, that some Pentagon contingency planners were growing increasingly concerned about overall stocks and the implications for any situation in which the United States might have to ward off an attempted invasion of Taiwan by China.
And through it all, the Houthis were still shooting at vessels and drones, fortifying their bunkers and moving weapons stockpiles underground.
Airpower as it has been conventionally understood is over. Anti-air defenses are only going to improve, given the pressures created by drone warfare, and what can shoot down a tiny, agile drone is usually going to be able to take down a much larger, much less agile jetfighter.
And yet the Houthis did not manage to shoot down the Israelis on their bombing runs, admittedly fewer though they were. Neither did Iran, nor Syria, which suggests a flaw somewhere in the analysis — not that I have any idea where…
#2
Tanks are obsolete. Aircraft carriers are obsolete. It's all repetitive dialogue. Things enter the combat space, evolution occurs, measures are met by counter measures to include not just technology but application and employments. The limitation with air power is that it does not occupy ground space. If the other guy is the one still standing with a weapon on that hill, he controls the hill.
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
[Korrespondent] ZSU repel Russian attacks in eastern and southern Ukraine.
A third of all Russian attacks have been concentrated on Pokrovskoe, where six military clashes are currently ongoing.
Since the beginning of the current day and as of 16:00, 61 combat clashes have occurred on the front, which is significantly less than the figure on Thursday . This was reported by the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in an operational report on Friday, May 16.
Thus, in the Kharkov direction, two attacks by Russians near Vovchansk have been repelled. At present, another enemy attack is ongoing.
In the Kupyansk direction, Russian occupiers twice attempted to break through the defense of the Ukrainian Armed Forces in the direction of Kolesnikovka and Novoosinove.
In the Liman direction, the invading army carried out four attacks near the settlement of Kolodyagi and in the direction of Olgovka, Ridkodub and Zelenaya Dolina. One battle continues to this day.
In the Seversky direction, one enemy assault was repelled in the Verkhnekamyansky area.
In the Kramatorsk direction, one attack in the area of Chasovy Yar has been stopped. Near Kurdyumovka, one combat clash is still ongoing.
In the Toretsk direction, the enemy carried out 11 assaults in the Toretsk area and in the direction of Dilievka, Katerinovka and Novospasskoye. Six battles are still ongoing.
In the Pokrovsk direction, Russian invaders carried out 21 attacks in the areas of the settlements of Elizavetovka, Lisovka, Udachnoye, Novoaleksandrovka, Zaporozhye, Troitskoye, Bogdanovka, Andreyevka and in the direction of the settlements of Staraya Nikolaevka, Novaya Poltavka. The defense forces repelled 15 assaults. Six battles are still ongoing.
In the Novopavlovsk direction, the enemy attacked in the areas of Constantinople, Shevchenko, Novosilka and in the direction of Bogatyr and Zelenoye Pole. The Ukrainian Armed Forces successfully repelled nine assaults, and two more attacks are still ongoing.
In the Orekhov direction, the enemy advanced four times in the areas of the settlements of Shcherbaki and Malye Shcherbaki.
Seven armed clashes took place in the Kursk direction .
Let us recall that on May 15, 165 battles took place on the front in 24 hours , almost half of which were in the Pokrovsky direction.
Over the past 24 hours, Russia has lost 1,100 fighters killed and wounded. The total number of Russian losses is approaching 1 million people.
Pakistani-born Muslim ex-Labour MP Chaudhry Sarwar demands laws to criminalise disrespect of Islam and Mohammed. This isn’t free speech. It’s a bid to import Pakistan’s blasphemy laws to Britain. #WakeUpAndSmellTheJihadpic.twitter.com/mLI2Ba3qFM
There is (was?) also a governor of Pakistani Punjab by that name. This is our first encounter with the former MP. At any rate, the MP is just demanding a formal law to make de jure the currently existing de facto situation in formerly great Britain.
[THEDEFENSEPOST] A jihadist raid on a military base in northeast Nigeria
... a particularly crimson stretch of Islam's bloody border... near the border with Cameroon ...a long, narrow country that fills the space between Nigeria and Chad on the northeast, CAR to the southeast. Prior to incursions by Boko Haram nothing ever happened there... killed five troops from a multinational coalition Friday, two military sources told AFP.
Fighters from the Islamic State ...formerly ISIS or ISIL, depending on your preference. Before that they were al-Qaeda in Iraq, as shaped by Abu Musab Zarqawi. They're really very devout, committing every atrocity they can find in the Koran and inventing a few more. They fling Allah around with every other sentence, but to hear western pols talk they're not really Moslems.... West Africa Province (ISWAP) stormed the Multinational Joint Task Force (MNJTF) base housing Nigerian and Cameroonian troops in the town of Wulgo in a pre-dawn attack, engaging troops in a shootout, the two sources said.
''Four Nigerian soldiers and a Cameroonian soldier were killed in the fighting,'' a Nigerian military source said.
''Nine of the bully boyz were also killed,'' the officer said.
The forces of Evil forced the troops to abandon the base after overwhelming them, said a second officer, who gave the same toll.
The attack came two months after a similar raid on the same base killed 25 Cameroonian soldiers.
Posted by: Fred ||
05/17/2025
00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
E-Mail||
[113 views]
Top|| File under: ISWAP
[IsraelTimes] Syria plans to print a newly designed currency in the UAE and Germany instead of Russia, three sources say, reflecting rapidly improving ties with Gulf Arab and Western states as a move to loosen US sanctions offers Damascus new opportunities.
In another sign of deepening ties between Syria’s new rulers and the UAE, Damascus on Thursday signed an $800 million initial deal with the UAE’s DP World to develop Tartus port — the first such deal since US President Donald Trump’s surprise announcement on Tuesday that US sanctions on Syria would be lifted.
Syrian authorities began exploring the possibility of printing currency in Germany and the UAE earlier this year, and the efforts gained steam after the European Union eased some of its sanctions on Damascus in February.
The redesign will remove former Syrian strongman Bashar al-Assad’s face from one of the Syrian pound’s purple-hued denominations that remain in circulation.
Syria’s new rulers are trying to move quickly to revamp an economy in tatters after 13 years of war. It has recently been further hampered by a banknote shortage.
One of Assad’s key backers, Russia, printed Syria’s currency during more than a decade of civil war after the EU imposed sanctions that led to the termination of a contract with a European firm.
[IsraelTimes] The man who stabbed and partially blinded novelist Salman Rushdie onstage at a Western New York arts institute in 2022 was sentenced to 25 years in prison on Friday for an attack that also maimed a second man, the district attorney says.
Rushdie, 77, has faced death threats since the 1988 publication of his novel "The Satanic Verses," which Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, then Iran’s supreme leader, denounced as blasphemous, leading to a call for Rushdie’s death, an edict known as a fatwa.
Hadi Matar, 27, a US citizen from Fairview, New Jersey, was found guilty in February of attacking the author in the Chautauqua County Court in Mayville, New York. He faced a maximum sentence of 25 years in prison on the attempted murder charge.
Video that captured the assault shows Matar rushing the Chautauqua Institution’s stage as Rushdie was being introduced to the audience for a talk about keeping writers safe from harm. Some of the video was shown to the jury during the seven days of testimony.
"He’s traumatized. He has nightmares about what he experienced," Chautauqua County District Attorney Jason Schmidt says after the sentencing hearing, referring to what Rushdie suffered.
"Obviously this is a major setback for an individual who was starting to emerge in his very later years of life into society after going into hiding after the fatwa."
Also hurt in the attack was Henry Reese, co-founder of Pittsburgh’s City of Asylum, a nonprofit that helps exiled writers. He was conducting the talk with Rushdie that morning.
Schmidt said Matar was sentenced to 25 years in prison for the second degree attempted murder charge stemming from the attack against Rushdie and seven years for a second degree assault charged for the stabbing of Reese. The sentences will run concurrently.
Rushdie, an atheist born into a Moslem Kashmiri family in India, was stabbed with a knife multiple times in the head, neck, torso and left hand. The attack blinded his right eye and damaged his liver and intestines, requiring emergency surgery and months of recovery.
Matar did not testify at his trial. His defense lawyers told jurors that the prosecutors had failed to prove beyond a reasonable doubt the necessary criminal intent to kill needed for a conviction of attempted murder, and argued that he should have been charged with assault.
Matar’s attorney Nathaniel Barone said his client will file an appeal.
"I know if he had the opportunity, he would not be sitting where he’s sitting today. And if he could change things, he would," Barone said.
Matar also faces federal charges brought by prosecutors in the U.S. attorney’s office in Western New York, accusing him of attempting to murder Rushdie as an act of terrorism. Prosecutors accuse him of providing material support to Leb ...Formerly inhabited by hardy Phoenecian traders, its official language is now Arabic, with the usual unpleasant side effects.... ’s bully boy Hezbollah group, which the US. has designated as a terrorist organization.
Matar is due to face those charges at a separate trial in Buffalo.
Hadi Matar, 27, stood quietly as the judge pronounced the sentence. He did not deny attacking Rushdie, and when he was invited to address the court before being sentenced, Matar got in a few last insults at the writer. He said he believed in freedom of speech but called Rushdie “a hypocrite.”
“Salman Rushdie wants to disrespect other people,” said Matar, clad in white-striped jail clothing and wearing handcuffs. “He wants to be a bully, he wants to bully other people. I don’t agree with that.”
Video of the assault, captured by the venue’s cameras and played at trial, shows Matar approaching the seated Rushdie from behind and reaching around him to stab at his torso with a knife. As the audience gasps and screams, Rushdie is seen raising his arms and rising from his seat, walking and stumbling for a few steps with Matar hanging on, swinging and stabbing until they both fall and are surrounded by onlookers who rush in to separate them.
A jury found Matar guilty of attempted murder and assault in February after deliberating for less than two hours.
Judge David Foley told Matar that he thought it was notable that he had chosen to try and kill Rushdie at the Chautauqua Institution, a summer retreat that prides itself on the free exchange of ideas.
“We all have the right to have our own ideals; we all have the right to carry them,” Foley said. “But when you interfere with someone else’s ability to do that by committing a violent act, in the United States of America, that has to be an answerable crime.”
Matar’s lawyer, Nathaniel Barone, had asked the judge for a sentence of around 12 years, citing his lack of a previous criminal record.
Matar next faces a US federal trial on terrorism-related charges. While the first, state-level trial focused mostly on the details of the knife attack itself, the next one is expected to delve into the more complicated issue of motive. He has pleaded not guilty. If convicted of the federal charges, Matar faces a maximum penalty of life in prison.
Authorities said Matar, a dual American-Lebanese citizen, was attempting to carry out a decades-old fatwa, or Islamic legal ruling, when he traveled from his home in Fairview, New Jersey, to target Rushdie at the summer retreat about 70 miles (110 kilometers) southwest of Buffalo.
Matar believed the fatwa that called for Rushdie’s death, first issued by Iran’s then-Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini in 1989, was backed by Iran’s Lebanese proxy Hezbollah and endorsed in a 2006 speech by the group’s slain chief Hassan Nasrallah, according to US federal prosecutors.
Khomeini had issued the fatwa after the publication of Rushdie’s novel, “The Satanic Verses,” which some Muslims consider blasphemous. Rushdie spent years in hiding, but after Iran announced it would not enforce the decree, he traveled freely over the past quarter century.
[FoxWeather] A mesmerizing scene unfolded Wednesday in Nebraska as a large wall of dust quickly formed over a field.
The sight seemed to stretch endlessly in Grant, Nebraska. Video footage from James Vak showed the size of the dust storm.
The National Weather Service initially warned of wind gusts reaching up to 70 mph, which helped form this enormous cloud of dust along the dry landscape.
According to the NWS, a dust storm can spread for miles, but usually only lasts for a few minutes. It is not advised to drive into a dust storm if you can avoid it because visibility is drastically reduced.
Dust storms have been known to cause massive pileups from traffic collisions.
The Dust Bowl was a period of severe dust storms that greatly damaged the ecology and agriculture of the American and Canadian prairies during the 1930s.
#1
I made the mistake of driving into a dust storm on I-10 in 1967. I wondered why all the other drivers in my lane parked on the shoulder. 15 minutes later I was out of the dust and discovered the car's windshield had been sand blasted and the leading edge of the hood had its paint removed to the bare metal. Live & learn.
#BREAKING For the Third day in a row, protestors in Libyan capital Tripoli call for a new government chanting “The Libyan people have had enough! No one wants you anymore “Dbaiba” pic.twitter.com/COaPdAa1u8
[CNN] The 10 escaped inmates have been identified as Corey Boyd, Dkenan Dennis, Jermaine Donald, Derrick Groves, Antoine Massey, Robert Moody, Kendell Myles, Gary Price, Leo Tate and Lenton Vanburen, CNN affiliate WVUE reported.
Online records show the inmates face a wide array of charges. Several have been charged with murder. Other charges include aggravated assault with a firearm and false imprisonment with a weapon.
Officials initially reported that 11 people had escaped the facility, but later said it was a miscount and 10 had escaped. The inmate had been moved to a different cell, but it had not been updated in the system, Hutson said.
One of the escapees, Myles, was captured after deputies found him hiding under a car at a hotel parking garage, according to the Orleans Parish Sheriff’s Office. Myles ran away when troopers tried to make contact with him, but he was quickly apprehended, Louisiana State Police said.
#2
Even by New Orleans standards, which is saying something, this is a colossal screwup. The elected official responsible for the jail has no prior background in law enforcement, and it shows.
Posted by: Matt ||
05/17/2025 8:49
Comments ||
Top||
[NAHARNET] The army on Friday announced that it has so far arrested 86 people who were involved in firing weapons in the air in connection with the municipal and mayoral elections, while also seizing arms and ammunition.
In a statement, the army vowed that it will not be lenient in pursuing and arresting anyone involved in illegal shootings, warning that the practice puts the lives of others in danger.
''The deployed military units have started taking exceptional security measures on the occasion of the third round of municipal and mayoral elections that will be held Sunday in the Beirut, Bekaa and Baalbek-Hermel governorates, including sudden checkpoints and patrols, in coordination with the other security agencies,'' the army added.
Parliament on Thursday approved an urgent draft law doubling the penalty of illegal shooting into the air. The development came days after dozens of people were arrested for firing into the air during the country's municipal elections.
Celebratory gunfire that erupted Sunday in the wake of north Leb ...The Leb civil war, between 1975 and 1990, lasted a little over 145 years and produced 120,000 fatalities. The average length of a ceasefire was measured in seconds. Only one of those statements is an exaggeration.... 's municipal elections had maimed several people, including LBCI news hound Nada Andraous, and a child who was critically maimed.
Whether it's joy, political passion or grief, for many Lebanese, there's only one way to show it: by lifting a gun and firing off rounds into the air.
Posted by: Fred ||
05/17/2025
00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
E-Mail||
[92 views]
Top|| File under:
[HodhodYemenNews] The Israeli occupation launched fresh aggression on Yemen early Friday, targeting critical infrastructure in Yemen’s western province of Hodeidah.
According to local sources in the province, Israeli strikes hit both the al-Salif Port and the al-Hodeidah Port, both in the province.
One killed, nine injured in Israeli airstrikes on Yemen’s Hodeidah
[HodhodYemenNews] At least one person was killed and nine others were injured when Israeli warplanes launched airstrikes on Yemen’s western province of Hodeidah on Friday, the Health Ministry in Sana’a reported.
in a statement, the Ministry explained that one citizen was killed and three others were injured in the Zionist aggression on the Port of Salif. Additionally, six citizens were injured in the Zionist attack on the Port of Hodeidah. This is a preliminary toll.
The Ministry condemned in the strongest terms the blatant Israeli aggression on Yemen, which targeted vital civilian facilities and infrastructure, considering it a full-fledged war crime that violates all international and humanitarian laws, norms, and conventions.
Israeli fighter jets carried out a wave of Arclight airstrike ...KABOOM!... s in Yemen ...an area of the Arabian Peninsula sometimes mistaken for a country. It is populated by more antagonistic tribes and factions than you can keep track of... on Friday afternoon, targeting two 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... -controlled ports in the west of the country, and threatened to kill the terror group’s leader, in response to the Iran-backed group’s ongoing missile and drone attacks on Israel.
Israel had waited until the end of US President Donald Trump ...His ancestors didn't own any slaves... ’s visit to the region before launching its reprisal strikes on the Houthis.
Decidedly thoughtful and respectful, and then they smacked down the hammer hard.
Since the Israel Defense Force’s last strike on Yemen, on May 6, the Houthis launched at least seven missiles and two drones at Israel, the latest of them on Thursday night.
Fifteen fighter jets were involved in the strike on Friday, dropping some 35 munitions on the Hodeidah and Salif ports, destroying infrastructure, the military said. IAF refuelers and spy planes also participated in the operation.
Fifteen fighter jets were involved in the strike on Friday, dropping some 35 munitions on the Hodeidah and Salif ports, destroying infrastructure, the military said. IAF refuelers and spy planes also participated in the operation.
Earlier this week, the IDF issued two evacuation warnings for the two ports in western Yemen, along with a third port, Ras Isa, the latter of which was not targeted on Friday.
"These ports are used for the transfer of weapons and are another example of the cynical exploitation of civilian infrastructure by the Houthi terror regime to advance terror," the military said in a statement.
The two ports have been targeted by the Israeli Air Force before, as was Yemen’s Sanaa International Airport on May 6.
🤬l'armée de l'air israélienne (FDI) a mené une série de frappes aériennes sur les ports de Salif et de Hodeida, dans la province de Hodeida, sur la côte ouest du Yémen contrôlée par les Houthis du mouvement Ansar Allah, a rapporté la chaîne de télévision yéménite Al Masirah. pic.twitter.com/no8tzpyZmv
— Bien mal a qui ne profite jamais, ne l'oubliez pas (@tom548406612159) May 16, 2025
The IDF said the strikes are intended to “deepen the damage to the Houthis’ terror capabilities,” and “neutralize” the ports, to prevent the group from bringing in more Iranian weapons and to harm the group economically.
The military estimated it would take the Houthis about a month to restore the ports. Until then, it would be unable to dock ships longer than 80 meters there.
“In light of the Houthi terror regime’s use of these ports for terror purposes, the IDF reiterates its warning to those present at the ports to distance themselves and evacuate the area,” the military said.
Defense Minister Israel Katz, in a statement, threatened to eliminate Houthi leader Abdul-Malik al-Houthi if the Iran-backed group continues to fire on Israel.
“The IDF now struck and severely damaged the ports in Yemen that are under the control of the Houthi terror group. The airport in Sanaa also remains destroyed,” Katz said.
“As we said, if the Houthis continue to fire missiles on Israel, they will suffer painful blows, and we will also strike the terror chief, just as we did to Deif and the Sinwars in Gaza, to Nasrallah in Beirut and to Haniyeh in Tehran,” he said, referring to the leaders of Hamas and Hezbollah that Israel has assassinated (it is not yet confirmed that Hamas Gaza leader Muhammad Sinwar, brother of slain Hamas chief Yahya Sinwar, was killed in this week’s strike that targeted him).
Death confirmed. See today’s report of the festivities in Gaza.
“We will hunt down and eliminate Abdul-Malik al-Houthi in Yemen as well. We will defend ourselves by our own strength against any enemy,” Katz added.
Since March 18, when the IDF resumed its offensive against Hamas in the Gaza Strip, the Houthis have launched 34 ballistic missiles and at least 10 drones at Israel. Several of the missiles have fallen short.
[IsraelTimes] Teen hid money, photographed sites and printed inciting flyers in exchange for money, officials say
Police and the Shin Bet security service said Friday they’d arrested a 16-year-old this month for allegedly carrying out activities on behalf of 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... that harmed national security, in exchange for money.
Authorities said in a statement that the teen, a resident of the Judean foothills area, was asked by his Iranian handlers to purchase a new phone and download an application where they could communicate. The suspect carried out tasks including hiding money, photographing certain locations and printing inciting flyers. Police said that when the suspect traveled abroad, the agents suggested a meeting, but they did not confirm whether the meeting took place.
According to the statement, the suspect at one point informed Israeli authorities that he was in contact with the Iranian agents, but then continued his activities. SMART
A security source recommended that "parents brief teenagers about the dangers of using the internet and maintaining contact with strangers who approach them with requests for information or offers to carry out activities and tasks in exchange for monetary compensation."
Over the past two years, Iranian intelligence operatives have ramped up their efforts to recruit ordinary Israelis as spies in exchange for money. There have been several recent cases in which Iran was revealed to have recruited Israelis to conduct various activities, from spreading propaganda and photographing sensitive sites to arson and even the attempted liquidation of bigwigs.
Late last month, a man was handed a 10-year prison sentence for contacts with Iranian agents that included discussions of a plot to assassinate Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
In March, the State Attorney’s Office filed an indictment at the Beersheba District Court on charges of treason against Eduard Yusupov, a 65-year-old resident of Netivot, for having allegedly conducted spying activities on behalf of Iran.
In January, prosecutors charged two IDF reservists serving in an air defense unit with spying for Iran.
Last December, police arrested nearly 30 Israelis, mostly Jewish citizens, for espionage activities on behalf of the Islamic Theocratic Republic.
In most cases, the suspects began by carrying out small, innocuous tasks that gradually grew into more serious offenses, like intelligence gathering and liquidation plots.
In October 2024, seven Israelis were arrested for allegedly photographing and collecting information on IDF bases and facilities, including the Nevatim and Ramat David air bases, which were targeted by both Iran and Hezbollah in 2024.
Police have cautioned Israeli citizens and residents against "engaging in contact with foreign operatives and carrying out tasks for them," and have vowed to take harsh legal action against those involved in such activities.
He definitely has severe faults, but at least he’s working to pull the Democratic party back from the brink in the hope of keeping one of those icky Republlicans from winning the race.
[IsraelTimes] Former governor makes combating antisemitism a focus of campaign in visits to synagogues, frames next month’s primary as a choice between the party’s centrists and leftists
Former New York State governor Andrew Sonny Cuomo took to the stage of Congregation Kehilath Jeshurun in Manhattan on Saturday, making his campaign pitch to the Jewish community from beneath the synagogue’s towering marble facade and vibrant stained glass window.
Cuomo, wearing a black kippah and a yellow ribbon in support of Israeli 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... , greeted the crowd with "Shabbat shalom," then apologized.
"I’m sorry for the pain and anguish you felt on October 7 and every day since. I’m sorry for any antisemitism you have experienced," he said. "I’m sorry for my mistaken assumption that widespread antisemitism could never happen again in a modern, sophisticated, educated society and certainly not in New York City."
The speech, one of several appearances Cuomo has made at New York City synagogues in recent weeks, came as Cuomo vies for Jewish votes ahead of the city’s mayoral primary on June 24. Polls show Cuomo is leading a crowded field in the primary, which will likely decide the winner of November’s general election in the mostly Democratic city.
Jewish issues have played a significant role in the campaign given the way news about Israel and Gaza has dominated headlines and activist spaces over the past year-plus, and due to the host of issues at play for Jews, such as hate crimes, street protests and yeshivas.
The yeshiva voters plump for the Republican party, so Governor Cuomo isn’t much concerned about their issue.
Cuomo has made combating antisemitism and support for the Jewish community a focus of his campaign, an effort he said was motivated by his longtime connections to the community, and the politics of the moment.
"The Jewish community is important to me first on a personal level," Cuomo told The Times of Israel in a Wednesday interview. "They are literally members of my family, they’re an important part of New York and they are under stress right now with the scourge of antisemitism."
Cuomo framed the vote as a choice between the mainstream Democratic Party and the far-left Democratic Socialists of America (DSA).
Within the Democratic Party, certainly.
Cuomo’s leading challenger, State Assemblymember Zohran Mamdani, is a DSA member who has alarmed Jews with his harsh rhetoric against Israel, such as his criticism of Israel the day after the October 2023 Hamas ..always the voice of sweet reason... invasion. The New York branch of the DSA backed a widely criticized anti-Israel rally in Times Square the same day, and boycotting Israel is one of the party’s central planks.
New York’s Democratic party leadership, including Mayor Eric Adams ...Hizonner da Mare of Noo Yawk. As a Manchurian candidate, Hizonner was all in favor of law and order and that kind of stuff. Once in office, a bunch of his friends found cushy jobs with the city, the windows kept getting broken, and Soros-funded DA Alvin Bragg remained right where he was. Most people comfort themselves with the thought that he's not Bill di Blasio but that's pretty small comfort with kids who actually go to school getting bumped off while standing in front of them. But he's a Dem, so the rubes will vote for him next election too, so he's what they deserve... and Governor Kathy Hochul, have remained staunchly supportive of Israel and the Jewish community. Adams, who shares a centrist base with Cuomo and has long ties to Jewish communities, is running as an independent for his reelection campaign.
Hizzoner won’t go so far as to actually become a Republican (ick!), but the Biden-Harris administration worked to drive him out of their party once he objected to being flooded with illegals bussed up from Texas and Florida.
"You have a schism in the Democratic party right now and this election is in many ways a litmus test of that," Cuomo said.
"I don’t consider them Democrats ...every time you hear the phrase white people, white supremacy,white anything but paint, you're listening to a Democrat. Ask him/her/it to reimagine something for you; they do that a lot, though not well. They can hear a dog whistle a mile or two away. They invented the spoils system and Tammany Hall, and inspired the addition of the word (Thomas) Nasty to the English language. They want to stop continental drift and repeal the law of unintended side effects... , I consider them socialists," Cuomo said of the DSA. "They support BDS, they pledge never to visit Israel. That’s not what I believe is the fundamental relationship between Israel and the Democratic party. As a Democrat, I think it’s synonymous that you support Israel."
"My position is 100% supportive of Israel and it’s a more right issue now because you do have two camps within the Democratic party," he said.
Last year’s primary for New York’s 16th Congressional District covering Westchester County and a sliver of the Bronx was similarly seen as a referendum between the two Democratic party camps. That race pitted centrist pro-Israel George Latimer against Jamaal Firebug Bowman ...sleazy Dem politician and educator, former U.S. representative for New York's safe 16th congressional district since 2021. On September 30, 2023, while House Dems were desperately attempting to delay a vote that avoided shutting the government down so they could blame it on the Pubs, Bowman pulled a fire alarm in the Cannon House Office Building, causing the building to be evacuated. Bowman told reporters he thought it was a doorknob or something. Capitol Police released a statement saying they were investigating the fire alarm incident, and maybe a few rubes somewhere expected something to come of it. Republicans introduced a motion to expel Bowman from the House but that evaporated too. Bowman issued a statement saying they were Nazis. Bowman is a member of The Squad, a faction of like-minded subversives... , a progressive critic of Israel who repeatedly attacked the pro-Israel lobby during his campaign. Latimer won the vote in a stinging defeat for the progressive anti-Israel camp.
Some of the same players are involved in the city’s mayoral race. Bowman criticized Cuomo during an endorsement of Mamdani this week, and a campaign that rallied Jewish constituents for the Westchester race led to a drive focused on the mayoral primary. In both races, organizers told Jewish voters, "Antisemitism is on the ballot."
Jews are targeted in hate crimes more than all other groups combined in New York City, accounting for 62% of all bias incidents reported to police in the first quarter of 2025, according to the mayor’s office. Jews make up around 10% of the city population.
"I’m just astonished and saddened and sickened by where we are, not just what is happening with these incidents, but the lack of outrage by elected officials," Cuomo said. "I would’ve never imagined this was possible and I want to fight it with everything I can."
In addition to speaking at synagogues, Cuomo has met with Jewish community leaders and outlined his plans for combating antisemitism. Those plans include codifying the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s working definition of antisemitism, which covers some forms of Israel criticism, into the city’s Human Rights Law; proposing a city masking law to combat antisemitic crimes; and introducing school curriculum on antisemitism and New York’s Jewish history.
Codifying the IHRA definition will allow for enforcement against anti-Jewish discrimination, Cuomo said.
Since the start of the Gaza war, hundreds of anti-Israel protests that feature eliminationist rhetoric toward Israel, support for terrorism, property destruction and antisemitism have unnerved Jewish New Yorkers.
"You can be pro-Paleostinian and you have a right to your opinion and you have a right to demonstrate, but you have no right to destroy public property or private property, or harass or disparage another individual based on race or religion and that’s a legal violation. I will enforce the law," he said.
Hear that, Harvard?
Cuomo has a long record of supporting Israel and the Jewish community as governor to lean on in his campaign, such as passing an anti-BDS bill in 2016, his many visits to Israel, support for business ties between Israel and New York, and legislation aimed at combating antisemitism, including a 2020 bill named for the victim of an antisemitic murder in Monsey, New York. Cuomo was governor from 2011 to 2021, when he resigned amid sexual harassment allegations.
The city is home to an array of Jewish communities, from secular leftists to conservative Orthodox, and political leanings on Israel, antisemitism and other domestic issues vary between different Jewish communities. Cuomo drew the ire of many in the Orthodox and Hasidic communities for his role imposing restrictions on gatherings during the COVID pandemic while he was governor.
Cuomo said he has been having conversations with the Hasidic and Orthodox communities about that controversy. This week, he met with Agudath Israel of America, an ultra-Orthodox umbrella group that sued him over the restrictions in 2020.
Cuomo said that he had been advised to keep restrictions in place due to a virus mutation.
"In retrospect, you can argue that the virus didn’t mutate and we could’ve lifted restrictions sooner," he told The Times of Israel. "I did err on the side of caution because the alternative was apocalyptic. We discussed that issue and I think we resolved that."
Orthodox communities tend to be more conservative, but many members in New York are registered Democrats who can vote in the upcoming primary.
Cuomo has taken fire for his campaign from critics such New York City Comptroller Brad Lander, the city’s highest-ranking Jewish elected official and another primary candidate. Lander defines himself as a progressive Zionist and places around third in polls. New York City uses a ranked-choice voting system that complicates predictions about the election outcome.
After Cuomo criticized Lander in a speech at the West Side Institutional Synagogue last month, Lander cursed Cuomo in Yiddish and attacked his record on Jewish issues. Weeks later, Lander responded in a speech at the same location, saying that Cuomo was weaponizing antisemitism for political points, and that using antisemitism as a political wedge was dangerous for Jews.
"He stood up in this synagogue and called all his opponents — including the highest-ranking Jewish official in New York City — antisemitic, with absolutely zero basis. Why? Not to help us. To help himself," Lander said.
Despite some tensions, Cuomo’s message has found an audience with many Jewish New Yorkers.
At the speech on Saturday, congregants filled the pews, stood along the walls, and applauded throughout as Cuomo spoke out against BDS and equated anti-Zionism with antisemitism.
After Cuomo left the stage, a crowd clustered around him. A mother introduced him to her children, an adolescent boy asked him for advice about getting into politics and an elderly man said, "You’re our best hope."
🚨BREAKING: R.Kelly's attorney announced that Diddy is going to expose names of other celebrities involved. She claims she spoke with R. Kelly and he told her that Celebrities have stopped taking Diddy's calls to prevent implicating themselves. pic.twitter.com/fwc6d8YDG9
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.
...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 
...mindless ferocity in a turban...
...mindless ferocity in a turban...
...The Hero of Butler, Pennsylvania...
...the Pashtun equivalent of men...
... Somalia's version of the Taliban, functioning as an arm of al-Qaeda...
...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...
...formerly ISIS or ISIL, depending on your preference. Before that they were al-Qaeda in Iraq, as shaped by Abu Musab Zarqawi. They're really very devout, committing every atrocity they can find in the Koran and inventing a few more. They fling 
...Turkey's version of Mohammed Morsi but they voted him back in so they deserve him. It's a sin, a shame, and a felony to insult the president of Turkey. In Anatolia did Recep Bey a stately Presidential Palace decree, that has 1100 rooms. That's 968 more than in the White House, 400 more than in Versailles, and 325 more than Buckingham Palace, so you know who's really more important...
...formerly ISIS or ISIL, depending on your preference. Before that they were al-Qaeda in Iraq, as shaped by Abu Musab Zarqawi. They're really very devout, committing every atrocity they can find in the Koran and inventing a few more. They fling 
..the braying voice of Islamic Resistance®,...
..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...
...sees all, knows all, gets 'em all in the end...
[Regnum] The 5th Anniversary International Festival of Classical Music "Cantata" will go beyond the Kaliningrad Region for the first time. This was announced on May 15 by the press service of the organizers.
[IsraelTimes] The World Bank says that the $15.5 million Syria owed it has been paid off by Saudi Arabia and Qatar, clearing Damascus to take out new loans.
[ColonelCassad] The 
[WSJ] Lawmakers are investigating whether 
Dozens said killed in heavy Israeli strikes across Gaza; Trump: ‘People are starving’
...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....
[NAHARNET] Prime Minister 
[NAHARNET] Hezbollah will ''go far'' in the issue of the handover of its weapons to the Lebanese state and it will ''embarrass'' everyone, a source close to Hezbollah said.
...The Leb civil war, between 1975 and 1990, lasted a little over 145 years and produced 120,000 fatalities. The average length of a ceasefire was measured in seconds. Only one of those statements is an exaggeration....
... not to be confused with Procol Harum, Harum Scarum, possibly to be confused with Helter Skelter. The Nigerian version of al-Qaeda and the Taliban rolled together and flavored with a smigeon of distinctly Subsaharan ignorance and brutality...
[Regnum] The Syrian Seaports and Land Border Crossings Authority signed a memorandum of understanding with Dubai-based port operator 
[IsraelTimes] The IDF confirms fuel entered Gaza in recent weeks, but not for the Palestinian population, following denials that any such supplies were allowed into the Strip.
[TURKIYETODAY] A successful example of integration, combining the competencies of Türkiye's defense industry, was showcased at a live fire demonstration in Europe.
...formerly ISIS or ISIL, depending on your preference. Before that they were al-Qaeda in Iraq, as shaped by Abu Musab Zarqawi. They're really very devout, committing every atrocity they can find in the Koran and inventing a few more. They fling 
[IsraelTimes] The man who stabbed and partially blinded novelist Salman Rushdie onstage at a Western New York arts institute in 2022 was sentenced to 25 years in prison on Friday for an attack that also 
...Formerly inhabited by hardy Phoenecian traders, its official language is now Arabic, with the usual unpleasant side effects....
[CNN] The 10 escaped inmates have been identified as Corey Boyd, Dkenan Dennis, Jermaine Donald, Derrick Groves, Antoine Massey, Robert Moody, Kendell Myles, Gary Price, Leo Tate and Lenton Vanburen, CNN affiliate WVUE reported.
[NAHARNET] The army on Friday announced that it has so far arrested 86 people who were involved in firing weapons in the air in connection with the municipal and mayoral elections, while also seizing arms and ammunition.
...The Leb civil war, between 1975 and 1990, lasted a little over 145 years and produced 120,000 fatalities. The average length of a ceasefire was measured in seconds. Only one of those statements is an exaggeration....
...a Zaidi Shia insurgent group operating in Yemen. They have also been referred to as the 
...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 
...sleazy Dem politician and 
