[ToloNews] Officials from the Ministry of Education have announced the printing of eight million textbooks to address the challenges faced by students in the country.
Habibullah Agha, acting Minister of Education, during a meeting with the head of education and tribal elders of Khost province ... across the border from Miranshah, within commuting distance of Haqqani hangouts such as Datta Khel and probably within sight of Mordor. Khost is populated by six different tribes of Pashtuns, the largest probably being the Khostwal, from which it takes its name... , stated that the Islamic Emirate is committed to the pursuit of modern sciences.
The acting Minister of Education said that some groups are spreading negative propaganda, claiming that the officials of the Islamic Emirate have neglected the education sector.
He further mentioned efforts to promote balanced education in the country and also spoke about changes to the curriculum.
Habibullah Agha said: "This is enemy propaganda; do not listen to or heed it. You can see for yourselves how we are focused on modern sciences. Modern sciences are essential for our lives."
Meanwhile,
...back at the revival hall, the SWAT team had finally arrived... some teachers say that to strengthen the curriculum, certain religious and modern science subjects should be added to the syllabus.
"Alongside the addition of religious topics, scientific subjects like biology and other fields have also been expanded, which makes us happy, and we support these efforts," said Homayoun Pazhman, a teacher. NO! Mo didn't have Modern Science and neither should you!
"If the Islamic Emirate takes responsibility in this regard and strengthens the Ministry of Education and Higher Education, it will help Afghanistan stand on its own feet in all aspects," Mohammad Naeem Sajid, a teacher, told TOLOnews.
Previously, some students from public schools had complained about a shortage of textbooks.
#3
"In an Ummah of Islamist kooks,
One kid's hardly hitting the books!
One lover of science
Has built an appliance...
To modernise Muslims!" [cue spooks]
Too much Tenet last might. And, boy, are my eyes well-rested.
[IsraelTimes] Army stresses no civilian movement allowed south of Litani River as some return to villages where troops still deployed; soldiers detain 4 Hezbollah members who approached them
The Israel Defense Forces said Wednesday that any Hezbollah violation of the ceasefire agreement in Leb ...an Iranian satrapy until recently ruled by Hassan Nasrallah situated on the eastern Mediterranean, conveniently adjacent to Israel. Formerly inhabited by hardy Phoenecian traders, its official language is now Arabic, with the usual unpleasant side effects. 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. The Lebs maintain a precarious sectarian balance among Shiites, Sunnis, and about a dozen flavors of Christians, plus Armenians, Georgians, and who knows what else? It is the 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. The Lebs have the curious habit of periodically murdering their heads of state or prime ministers... "will be answered with fire," after troops fired warning shots at people trying to approach several southern Lebanon villages on the first day of the ceasefire between the sides.
Defense Minister Israel Katz ordered "forceful action" to keep Hezbollah members from returning to villages near the border while the deal with Lebanon was being implemented.
IDF Spokesman Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari said at a presser: "The IDF’s mission is to enforce the agreement. The IDF is determined, and any violation will be answered with fire."
Several suspects were hit by fire in Meiss al-Jabal, according to the IDF, which said it had shifted from active fighting in Lebanon to focusing on enforcing the agreement.
In the evening, the military said that troops had "killed turbans today," without elaborating or stating whether it was the same incident.
Meanwhile,
...back at the barn, Bossy's udder had begun to ache... the IDF said it had detained four Hezbollah members who approached troops in southern Lebanon and questioned them in the area.
The military said it was working to prevent people from reaching areas where troops are still positioned in southern Lebanon, and several routes to villages had been blocked.
Channel 12 reported Wednesday that the IDF also recently thwarted efforts by Hezbollah to develop chemical weapons
...have not been used since WWI except for in Iraq, by the late, unlamented Saddam Hussein and in Syria, but really, honest, not by the Syrian government. And in Germany in WWII, but that was against civilians. Lots of them, just one of many reasons Hitler's also late and unlamented... The unsourced report didn’t specify when the Israeli operation took place but says the chemical weapons are believed to have been slated for use by Hezbollah’s elite Radwan Force during an invasion of northern Israel.
Israeli Air Force planes were still patrolling the skies and troops were still in positions in southern Lebanon. Overall, the calm appeared to hold, with rocket and drone fire on Israel halting since the early hours of the morning.
Earlier, the IDF said it fired warning shots at several vehicles in Lebanon that approached an area on the border where it was still prohibiting movement. The incident took place in the village of Kafr Kila, just across the border from the Israeli town of Metula, according to local authorities.
According to the IDF, the cars drove away after the warning shots.
The IDF’s Arabic-language front man subsequently warned Lebanese civilians to hold off on returning to villages in southern Lebanon.
"For your safety and the safety of your family, you are prohibited from moving south toward the villages that the IDF has ordered to be evacuated or toward IDF forces in the area," he said, adding that from 5 p.m. until 7 a.m. Thursday, "it is absolutely forbidden" to cross the Litani River in a southbound direction. Those who are south of the Litani must remain where they are, he said.
"We remind you that the IDF is still deployed in its positions in southern Lebanon in accordance with the terms of the ceasefire agreement, and our forces will deal firmly with any movement that violates this agreement," Adraee added.
In a similar vein, Hagari said that IDF troops were still positioned in southern Lebanon "in the villages and areas from which there will be a gradual withdrawal, in accordance with the agreement."
"Air Force planes continue to fly over Lebanon’s skies, collecting intelligence and are prepared to operate wherever necessary," he said, adding that in the coming weeks, the IDF will "shape" its defenses on the northern border and "implement lessons from the past."
The military published a map of areas in southern Lebanon that are currently off-limits for Lebanese civilians amid the gradual handover to the Lebanese Armed Forces.
"We are stationed and operating in this area. Armed operatives in the area marked on the map is a violation [of the ceasefire], and any armed operative will be eliminated or detained," Hagari said.
Addressing Lebanese civilians, Hagari said: "As you saw throughout the war, we are doing what we say. For your safety, we call on you not to approach the area where our forces are. The ceasefire agreement is built in a gradual way, and we will update when you can return."
The IDF has 60 days to withdraw under the deal, which seeks to end 14 months of Hezbollah-initiated fighting. During that time, the Lebanese army is to gradually take responsibility for southern Lebanon and an American-led committee will be established to adjudicate complaints regarding potential ceasefire violations, the IDF said.
Hezbollah forces will leave southern Lebanon, and its military infrastructure will be dismantled. The US has also reportedly provided a side letter specifying Israel’s rights to respond to any violations of the ceasefire.
A copy of the ceasefire deal was not published before it came into effect.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said in a statement Wednesday that he and Katz had instructed the IDF to "not allow the [Lebanese] population to enter the area of the villages near the border in southern Lebanon."
The IDF assessed that its enforcement of the ceasefire could potentially lead to several days of fighting with the terror group in the future.
Lebanon’s army said, meanwhile, that it had begun "reinforcing its presence in the South Litani sector and extending the state’s authority in coordination with the United Nations ...a formerly good idea gone bad... Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL)."
An Israeli security official said Israeli forces remained in their positions hours after the ceasefire began and would only gradually withdraw.
He said the pace of the withdrawal and the scheduled return of Lebanese civilians to their homes would depend on whether the deal is implemented and enforced by all sides. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he wasn’t authorized to discuss the deal and its implementation with the media.
Both Israel and the Lebanese army have warned residents of the southern villages to wait until IDF troops withdraw before returning. However,
man does not live by words alone, despite the fact that sometimes he has to eat them... the AFP news agency reported that tens of thousands of residents had headed back to their hometowns in the hours after the truce took effect.
Katz said Hezbollah members must be prevented from reaching areas in southern Lebanon where the IDF is still prohibiting movement, "and if they endanger the IDF troops, they must be hit."
Despite the danger, several videos were uploaded throughout the morning that appeared to show people returning home.
A short video apparently taken by a Lebanese man claiming to have returned to Kafr Kila showed widespread destruction, though no Israeli military presence could be seen.
Another clip posted to social media showed that Lebanese had reached the border wall between Kafr Kila and the Israeli community of Metula.
Live television footage also showed people walking around in the town of Khiam, in close range of an IDF tank.
Videos showed an Israeli flag being burned in a village after locals returned to previously evacuated areas. In the clips, a man can be seen removing the flag hung on a watchtower, before it was set on fire.
On the highway linking Beirut with south Lebanon, thousands of people drove south with their belongings and mattresses tied on top of their cars. Traffic was gridlocked at the northern entrance of the port city of Sidon.
"This is a moment of victory, pride, and honor for us, the Shiite sect, and for all of Lebanon," said Hussein Sweidan, a resident returning to the port city of Tyre. He said he saw the ceasefire as a victory for Hezbollah.
Sporadic celebratory gunfire was heard at a main roundabout in the city, as people returning honked the horns of their cars and residents cheered.
Lebanon’s caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati appealed to Israel to fully commit to the ceasefire and "withdraw from all the regions and positions it occupied."
"I hope this will be a new page for Lebanon, I hope the coming days will lead to the election of a president," Mikati said.
Parliament 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... , who negotiated the truce on behalf of Hezbollah, urged displaced residents to return home, despite the official instructions from the Israeli and Lebanese armies.
"Return to your land and your birthplace," he said.
Berri called the last months of war "the most dangerous" in the history of Lebanon — apparently outstripping the civil war from 1975 to 1990 that nearly destroyed the entire country — but praised the Lebanese people for showing unity and urged the swift election of a president.
In Israel, the mood was far more subdued, with many concerned that the deal did not go far enough to rein in Hezbollah and that it did not address Gazoo
...Hellhole adjunct to Israel and Egypt's Sinai Peninsula, inhabited by Gazooks. The place was acquired in the wake of the 1967 War and then presented to Paleostinian control in 2006 by Ariel Sharon, who had entered his dotage. It is currently ruled with a rusty iron fist by Hamas with about the living conditions you'd expect. It periodically attacks the Hated Zionist Entity whenever Iran needs a ruckus created or the hard boyz get bored, getting thumped by the IDF in return. The ruling turbans then wave the bloody shirt and holler loudly about oppression and disproportionate response... and the hostages still held there.
"I think it is still not safe to return to our homes because Hezbollah is still close to us," said Eliyahu Maman, an Israeli displaced from the northern city of Kiryat Shmona, which is not far from the border with Lebanon and was hit hard by rockets fired from Lebanon.
#1
Day One: Israel says Hezbollah cease-fire violated, fires on south Lebanon
Israel said on Thursday that its cease-fire with Hezbollah was breached hours after Lebanese security sources said Israeli tanks attacked six areas of southern Lebanon, calling into question a truce reached after more than a year of fighting.
A cease-fire between Israel and the Lebanese armed group Hezbollah took effect on Wednesday under a deal brokered by the U.S. and France, intended to allow people in both countries to start returning to homes in border areas shattered by 14 months of fighting.
The Israeli military said the cease-fire was violated after what it called suspects, some in vehicles, arrived at several areas in the southern zone.
Hezbollah lawmaker Hassan Fadlallah accused Israel of attacking people returning to their villages in south Lebanon. The Israeli military has urged residents of towns along the border strip not to return yet for their own safety.
Israeli tank fire hit six areas within that border strip on Thursday morning, striking Markaba, Wazzani and Kfarchouba, Khiyam, Taybe and the agricultural plains around Marjayoun, state media and Lebanese security sources said.
Posted by: Frank G ||
11/28/2024 9:44
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[IsraelTimes] Speaker of Palestinian National Council briefly served as interim PA president after Yasser Arafat’s death
Paleostinian Authority President the ineffectual Mahmoud Abbas ...aka Abu Mazen, a graduate of the prestigious unaccredited Patrice Lumumba University in Moscow with a doctorate in Holocaust Denial. While no Yasser Arafat, he has his own brand of evil, just a little more lowercase....> declared Wednesday that if the presidency were to become vacant, he would be temporarily replaced by Rawhi Fattouh, the former speaker of the Paleostinian Legislative Council, who also served as interim PA chief following the death of Yasser Arafat, the administrative body announced.
A statement posted to the PA’s official Wafa news site said that in such an event, Fattouh will serve as interim president for no more than 90 days, during which presidential elections will be held. But if it is not possible to hold elections, the Paleostinian Central Council can grant a one-time extension to the interim president’s term.
The 89-year-old Abbas has served as PA president since 2005. Generally unpopular among Paleostinians, Abbas has long been criticized for his administration’s corruption and his refusal to hold elections.
Born in southern Gazoo
...Hellhole adjunct to Israel and Egypt's Sinai Peninsula, inhabited by Gazooks. The place was acquired in the wake of the 1967 War and then presented to Paleostinian control in 2006 by Ariel Sharon, who had entered his dotage. It is currently ruled with a rusty iron fist by Hamas with about the living conditions you'd expect. It periodically attacks the Hated Zionist Entity whenever Iran needs a ruckus created or the hard boyz get bored, getting thumped by the IDF in return. The ruling turbans then wave the bloody shirt and holler loudly about oppression and disproportionate response... ’s Rafah in 1950, Fattouh has spent his adult life as part of the Paleostinian national movement.
Following the 1967 Six Day War, Fattouh moved to Jordan to join "al-Asifah," the armed wing of Fatah, the main political party of the Paleostinian national movement at the time, and afterward received military training in Iraq, according to a profile by the European Council of Foreign Relations.
Since 1983, he has been a member of the Paleostinian National Council, the PA’s legislative body, and was elected as its speaker in 2020. He was appointed to the position of PA agriculture minister in 2003.
In 2008, he was caught trying to smuggle 3,000 cell phones into Israel from Jordan with the help of his Israeli-issued VIP pass.
In January 2023, then-defense minister Yoav Gallant revoked his entry permit along with those of two other PA officials because they visited a former Paleostinian prisoner who was released after serving a 40-year sentence for murdering an Israeli soldier.
[IsraelTimes] Shipment on way to terror operatives in Jenin included claymores, RPGs and rockets; Defense Ministry announces plans to build fence along Jordanian border
The Shin Bet recently foiled an attempt by 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... to smuggle large amounts of advanced weapons, including rockets, to terror operatives in the West Bank for use in attacks on Israeli targets, the security agency revealed Wednesday.
In a joint operation, the Shin Bet and the Israel Defense Forces captured a shipment of advanced weapons destined for terror operatives in the Jenin area, the organization said in a statement.
Later, a site where a large number of weapons from Iran had been buried was uncovered, the statement added.
The Shin Bet did not provide further details on where the weapons were hidden or where the shipment was captured.
Among the weapons captured were 40 "quality" claymore-type bombs and 33 makeshift claymores, along with remote detonation systems; six RPG launchers and 24 RPGs; three 107mm rockets; two 60mm mortar launchers and 20 mortars; six M16 assault rifles and one M4 rifle; seven sniper rifles; and 37 handguns.
According to the Shin Bet, two units of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps’ special forces — Unit 4000 and Unit 18840 — were responsible for the plot.
Unit 4000 is the special operations division of the IRGC’s Intelligence Organization, headed by Jawad Ghafari; Unit 18840 is the special operations unit of the IRGC’s Quds Force in Syria, which is subordinate to the head of Iran’s clandestine Unit 840, Asghar Bakri.
The Shin Bet said it had identified renewed attempts to smuggle advanced weapons into the West Bank in recent months.
"The seized weapons are part of an ongoing Iranian campaign to destabilize security in the region, by arming terror cells in Judea and Samaria whose goal is to carry out attacks against Israeli citizens and IDF troops," a statement from the agency read.
The Shin Bet carried out similar operations intercepting Iranian weapons on their way to the West Bank in March as well as in August of last year.
Weapons smuggling is a constant challenge for Israel along its long, porous eastern border with Jordan. Unlike Israel’s other frontiers — with Egypt, Leb ...an Iranian satrapy until recently ruled by Hassan Nasrallah situated on the eastern Mediterranean, conveniently adjacent to Israel. Formerly inhabited by hardy Phoenecian traders, its official language is now Arabic, with the usual unpleasant side effects. 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. The Lebs maintain a precarious sectarian balance among Shiites, Sunnis, and about a dozen flavors of Christians, plus Armenians, Georgians, and who knows what else? It is the 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. The Lebs have the curious habit of periodically murdering their heads of state or prime ministers... and Syria — the border with Jordan is largely open, often without significant fencing, and guarding is limited, making it an easy channel for large-scale smuggling.
[IsraelTimes] Syrian rebels in the last opposition enclave in northern Syria have launched a wide-scale military operation against the Syrian army and seized territory in the first such advance in years, army and rebel sources say.
The rebel offensive has overrun at least 10 areas under the control of Syrian President Bashir al-Assad in northwestern Aleppo province, says a source in the operations room run by a coalition of bully boy groups led by the turban Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, formerly al-Nusra, before that it was called something else ...al-Qaeda's Syrian affiliate, from which sprang the Islamic State... The land incursion is the first such territorial advance since March 2020 when Russia, which backs Assad, and The Sick Man of Europe Turkey ...the only place on the face of the earth that misses the Ottoman Empire... , which supports the rebels, agreed to a ceasefire that led to military action halting in Syria’s last major rebel stronghold in the country’s northwest.
Rebels advanced almost 10 km (6 miles) from the outskirts of Aleppo city and a few kilometres away from Nubl and Zahra, two Shi’ite towns where Leb ...an Iranian satrapy until recently ruled by Hassan Nasrallah situated on the eastern Mediterranean, conveniently adjacent to Israel. Formerly inhabited by hardy Phoenecian traders, its official language is now Arabic, with the usual unpleasant side effects. 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. The Lebs maintain a precarious sectarian balance among Shiites, Sunnis, and about a dozen flavors of Christians, plus Armenians, Georgians, and who knows what else? It is the 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. The Lebs have the curious habit of periodically murdering their heads of state or prime ministers... ’s Iran-backed Hezbollah has a strong militia presence, an army source says.
They have attacked al-Nayrab airport east of Aleppo, where pro-Iranian militias have outposts.
Rebels say the campaign was in response to stepped-up strikes in recent weeks against civilians by the Russian and Syrian air force on areas in southern Idlib, and to preempt any attacks by the Syrian army, which was building up troops near front lines with rebels.
The army pounded areas near rebel-held Idlib city and the cities of Ariha and Sarmada along with other areas in southern Idlib province, according to an army source.
That’s all very well, but I hope at some point which particular rebels they are will be identified. Al Nusra/Hayat Tahrir al Sham is a strong possibility, but there are other possibilities as well. Update from the Times of Israel at 10:40 a.m. ET:
The offensive was launched the same day the ceasefire began between Syrian ally Hezbollah and Israel. The attack was the biggest since March 2020 when Russia, which backs Syrian President Bashar Assad, and Turkey, which supports the rebels, agreed to a ceasefire that ended years of fighting that uprooted millions of Syrians opposed to Assad’s rule.
Syria’s armed forces said Thursday the offensive was led by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, formerly al-Nusra, before that it was called something else ...al-Qaeda's Syrian affiliate, from which sprang the Islamic State... , or HTS, which controls much of northwest Syria, and is a violation of a de-escalation agreement. It said the attacks are ongoing and have targeted a number of villages and military bases.
HTS, which is listed as a terrorist organization by the United States and Turkey, has long been targeted by Syrian government and Russian forces. Formerly known as the al-Nusra ...formally Jabhat an-Nusrah li-Ahli al-Sham (Support Front for the People of the Levant), also known as al-Qaeda in the Levant. They aim to establish a pan-Arab caliphate. Not the same one as the Islamic State, though .. ... Front, the Syrian branch of al-Qaeda, HTS later changed its name several times and distanced itself from al-Qaeda.
The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said clashes between the army and the rebels killed more than 130 combatants in the worst fighting in the country’s northwest in years, as the government also reported fierce battles.
The toll “in battles ongoing for the past 24 hours has risen to 132, including 65 fighters from HTS,” 18 from allied factions “and 49 members of regime forces,” said the Observatory, which relies on a network of sources inside Syria.
The toll from the monitor, which has been accused of inflating regime losses in the past, could not be verified.
In its first statement since the surprise campaign, the Syrian army said it had inflicted heavy losses on “terrorists” who had launched a “large attack on a wide front.”
The army said it was cooperating with Russia and unnamed “friendly forces” to regain ground and restore the situation to what it was.
Opposition factions launched the offensive early Wednesday and claimed in a series of statements on social media that they had wrested control of over 15 villages from government forces, capturing a military base and hardware, and taking a number of soldiers hostage.
The opposition fighters said their offensive will allow the return of thousands of displaced people who were forced to flee government bombardment in recent weeks.
The offensive follows weeks of simmering violence in the area, where activists said government and allied Russian forces have stepped up their bombardment of parts of the last remaining stronghold of the opposition.
It also comes as Iran-linked groups, such as Hezbollah, who had backed Syrian government forces since 2015, have been preoccupied with their own war against Israel.
Russia, along with Iran, backed Syrian government forces soon after the anti-government protests in 2011 turned into a war. Turkey has backed an array of opposition forces and established military presence in parts of northwestern Syria. Meanwhile, the United States has supported Syrian Kurdish forces fighting Islamic State largely in the east of the country.
Turkish security sources said on Thursday that the rebels initially launched a limited operation after attacks by Syrian government forces, and expanded the operation after government forces abandoned their positions.
The Turkish sources said that the rebels’ movements remained within the boundaries of a de-escalation zone in Idlib, which was agreed on in 2019 by Russia, Iran and Turkey with the aim of reducing hostilities between the rebels and government forces.
Unnamed defense ministry officials quoted in the state-run Anadolu Agency said Thursday the Turkish military had taken “all kinds of measures” to protect its troops in Syria.
Syria’s civil war has killed more than 500,000 people, displaced millions and battered the country’s infrastructure and industry.
The northwestern region is subject to a ceasefire — repeatedly violated but still largely holding — brokered by Turkey and Damascus ally Russia after a Syrian government offensive in March 2020.
[IsraelTimes] Jerusalem will challenge court’s action against Israeli nationals as contravening the Oslo Accords; PMO announces Netanyahu met with US senator to discuss steps against ICC
[IsraelTimes] Hochstein says Israel can insist on buffer zone, but Lebanon will never agree to Israel occupying the country’s south, meaning Hezbollah cross-border attacks would resume
The US architect of the Israel-Hezbollah ceasefire on Wednesday dismissed as "fantasy" the notion that Jerusalem could have secured a better deal in which it would have been able to maintain a buffer zone inside Leb ...an Iranian satrapy until recently ruled by Hassan Nasrallah situated on the eastern Mediterranean, conveniently adjacent to Israel. Formerly inhabited by hardy Phoenecian traders, its official language is now Arabic, with the usual unpleasant side effects. 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. The Lebs maintain a precarious sectarian balance among Shiites, Sunnis, and about a dozen flavors of Christians, plus Armenians, Georgians, and who knows what else? It is the 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. The Lebs have the curious habit of periodically murdering their heads of state or prime ministers... to better defend against potential attacks from the Iran-backed terror group.
During a round of interviews hours after the ceasefire came into place, US special envoy Amos Hochstein was presented with criticism voiced by former prime minister Naftali Bennett, who said the agreement’s lack of planned buffer zone in Lebanon will allow Hezbollah to rebuild homes along the border that the terror group can use as a staging point for a future invasion of Israel’s north and as launchpads for the many anti-tank missiles it still has in stock.
"Yes, there are fantasy deals that are utopia where you get a ceasefire agreement with a security zone, but those won’t ever happen," Hochstein responded to Channel 12.
The senior adviser to US President Joe The Big Guy Biden ...46th president of the U.S. Old, boring, a plagiarist, fond of hair sniffing and grabbing the protruding parts of women, and not whatcha call brilliant.... maintained that a buffer zone would require Israel to remain in Lebanon as an occupying force — something that no sovereign country would accept.
"If you choose to have a dead zone or a demilitarized zone, then you are there as an occupier, and you are not there in agreement; which means that while you may have two, three, four or five kilometers inside Lebanon, there won’t be an agreement to stop [Hezbollah from] shooting at Israel from longer ranges," Hochstein said.
Some supporters of the buffer zone idea have not said that the IDF need not occupy southern Lebanon in order for it to be upheld and that other forces could be tasked with doing so.
The deal brokered by the US managed to secure such a commitment from Hezbollah to stop its rocket fire while also empowering the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) to prevent the terror group from rebuilding its infrastructure, the US envoy explained.
Skeptics of the deal have questioned whether the LAF will be capable of standing up to Hezbollah, given that it has been unable to do so to date, but US officials argue that Western and Arab allies have now agreed to boost the LAF financially while providing it with more equipment and training.
Hochstein has also touted the ceasefire deal’s boosting of an existing enforcement mechanism that was utterly ineffective in preventing Hezbollah’s rearmament after the 2006 Second Lebanon War. The US and La Belle France will be taking charge of the tripartite enforcement committee that previously only included Israel, Lebanon and the UNIFIL observer force.
From here on out, the committee will be able to respond in real-time to complaints of violations to UN Security Council Resolution 1701, which required Hezbollah to disarm and retreat beyond the Litani River, which is some 18 miles north of the Israel-Lebanon border.
Also new under the deal is the LAF’s agreement to immediately deploy across south Lebanon, gradually replacing Israeli troops over the next two months in order to ensure that Hezbollah is unable to refill the vacuum, as it did after the Second Lebanon War.
The international community will also be involved in rebuilding south Lebanon, rather than abandoning the country immediately after the war as it did in 2006 when Hezbollah was the only force offering to assist in the effort, allowing it to maintain its foothold in those border towns, Hochstein explained.
Asked by Channel 12 why he thought the deal came into fruition now, Hochstein credited the gains Israel has made on the battlefield over the past two months, which convinced Hezbollah to "delink" from the ongoing Gazoo
...Hellhole adjunct to Israel and Egypt's Sinai Peninsula, inhabited by Gazooks. The place was acquired in the wake of the 1967 War and then presented to Paleostinian control in 2006 by Ariel Sharon, who had entered his dotage. It is currently ruled with a rusty iron fist by Hamas with about the living conditions you'd expect. It periodically attacks the Hated Zionist Entity whenever Iran needs a ruckus created or the hard boyz get bored, getting thumped by the IDF in return. The ruling turbans then wave the bloody shirt and holler loudly about oppression and disproportionate response... war after refusing to do so for over a year.
After roughly a year of near-daily Hezbollah cross-border attacks, which began unprovoked hours after Hamas ..a regional Iranian catspaw,... ’s October 7 onslaught, Israel significantly intensified its retaliatory strikes in September, killing almost all of Hezbollah’s military and politicians before launching a ground invasion that dismantled much of the terror group’s infrastructure throughout southern Lebanon. The IDF attacks peaked with a mass detonation of Hezbollah communications devices that injured thousands of its operatives.
As for whether Israel should’ve continued in its efforts to continue degrading Hezbollah militarily while the terror group is at one of its weakest points ever, Hochstein told Channel 12, "At some point, you have to get to a deal itself."
During a briefing with Jewish American community leaders earlier in the day, Hochstein pointed out that Israel had never established a war aim of fully dismantling Hezbollah. Israel’s stated goal for the northern front was to allow the tens of thousands of residents to return to their homes near the Blue Line, which wouldn’t have been possible without a deal, he said.
Hochstein was pressed on reports that he had also given Israel an "It’s now or never" ultimatum that ultimately convinced Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to agree to a deal.
He denied having made such comments but said he did acknowledge having told Netanyahu earlier this month that the window of opportunity to reach a deal was shutting and likely wouldn’t open until after the next administration gets settled into office in March or April of next year. Or January 20th, since everyone's been named
Hochstein was also asked in a subsequent Channel 13 interview about claims from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office that the US pressured Israel to agree to the deal with Lebanon by threatening not to veto a resolution calling for an immediate ceasefire along the Blue Line and threatening to withhold weapons shipments from Israel.
"There were no demands by the United States related to weapons or a veto at the UN. There were no threats whatsoever... Those ideas never came up in discussions at any point," he said.
"I have known Prime Minister Netanyahu and the government of Israel for a very long time. I have never known them to cave into deals that they thought threatened the security of Israel," Hochstein maintained.
Earlier in the evening, Netanyahu’s office issued a statement criticizing Hochstein for comments made in another interview with CNBC in which he characterized the ceasefire in Lebanon as "permanent."
"Contrary to what was attributed to Hochstein, fighting can restart at any moment, as we saw today," said premier’s spokesperson hours after IDF troops fired warning shots at people trying to approach several southern Lebanon villages on the first day of the ceasefire Israel and Hezbollah.
"Israel will act firmly against any violation of the ceasefire, and is prepared militarily for any scenario," the Netanyahu aide added in a statement.
Hochstein’s characterization of the deal was the same as the one used by Biden when he announced the ceasefire on Tuesday.
Netanyahu’s office apparently preferred criticizing the Biden aide, rather than the president himself, as it seeks to contend with frustration over the deal from the premier’s hardline base, which polls suggest overwhelmingly oppose the ceasefire and want Israel to continue fighting against Hezbollah.
[IsraelTimes] Unclear if billionaire Elon Musk, a close Trump ally who previously challenged Meta CEO to cage match fight, also attended meal, though he has frequently been present at resort.
Mark Zuckerberg ...the Peewee Herman clone who owns Facebook. He's got more money than Croesus and thinks he should be regulated by the government because it does such a nifty job with all the other stuff it regulates.... joined Donald Trump ...The tack in the backside of the Democratic Party... for dinner at his Mar-a-Lago estate Wednesday, with an advisor to the president-elect saying the tech billionaire "wants to support the national renewal of America."
The 40-year-old chief executive of Meta — which owns Facebook, Instagram and Whatsapp — has been carefully trying to mend ties with Trump.
Both men have had a strained relationship over the years, with Facebook being among social media networks that banned Trump after the attack on the US Capitol on January 6, 2021.
But on Wednesday, a Meta spokesperson said: "Mark was grateful for the invitation to join President Trump for dinner and the opportunity to meet with members of his team about the incoming Administration."
In a statement, the spokesperson added that it was an important time for the future of American innovation.
It was not immediately clear if billionaire Elon Musk, a close Trump ally who previously challenged Zuckerberg to a cage match fight, also attended the dinner, though he has frequently been present at Mar-a-Lago since the election.
#2
On the plus side, all you have to do is show up with a McDonald's bag and you're good to go.
Posted by: ed in texas ||
11/28/2024 8:47
Comments ||
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#3
It gets worse for Zuck.
CEO Mark Zuckerberg and his wife, Priscilla Chan, who in 2020 gave $350 million to the Center for Tech and Civic Life, a small Chicago-based nonprofit for Ballot Drop Boxes decided to visit Pres Trump. Zuckerberg knows what is coming and its not going to be pretty. Release the communications between Facebook, Obama, Rice, Hillary, Biden, with WH officials. You know its coming.
#7
I wonder if this meeting was just something Trump set up to subtly intimidate Zuckerberg.
Something Kings and Emperors did back in the day was to invite their enemies to a meeting, act politely, praise them, get them relaxed and then just mention 'something' in passing before they left that would insure that the 'new friend' would understand that any infraction WOULD be met with their devastation.
Posted by: Mullah Richard ||
11/28/2024 18:39
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[IsraelTimes] Biden aides reject claims that transfer of JDAMs has anything to do with Israel agreeing to Lebanon ceasefire, adding that it is one of many sales that are regularly being advanced
The Biden administration is advancing a $680 million weapon package to Israel, a US official confirmed to The Times of Israel on Wednesday, while insisting that the arms sale was not tied to the ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah, which went into effect hours earlier.
Uh huh. Even I’m not that gullible.
The Financial Times broke the story on the sale of thousands of joint direct attack munition kits (JDAMs), just hours after Biden administration officials briefing news hounds on the ceasefire denied reports that Washington had agreed to transfer additional lethal weapons to Israel in exchange for Jerusalem signing onto the Leb ...an Iranian satrapy until recently ruled by Hassan Nasrallah situated on the eastern Mediterranean, conveniently adjacent to Israel. Formerly inhabited by hardy Phoenecian traders, its official language is now Arabic, with the usual unpleasant side effects. 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. The Lebs maintain a precarious sectarian balance among Shiites, Sunnis, and about a dozen flavors of Christians, plus Armenians, Georgians, and who knows what else? It is the 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. The Lebs have the curious habit of periodically murdering their heads of state or prime ministers... deal.
The US official speaking to The Times of Israel on Wednesday stood by this assertion, explaining the JDAM sale has been in the works for several months and is just one of countless weapon shipments green-lit since Hamas ..always the voice of sweet reason... ’s October 7 onslaught, including ones in recent weeks before the Lebanon ceasefire was signed.
Lie better, guys.
"There are constantly packages being advanced through various stages. This has nothing to do with the ceasefire in Lebanon," the US official said.
"This case has been in the pipeline for some time now.
No doubt that is true.
Deliveries aren’t expected to start for at least a year, and this should be viewed in the context of long-term support for Israel’s defense and not tied to the ceasefire yesterday or any specific current activity," said another US official.
Slow walk, misfile the paperwork, await signatures of people — like President Biden — who are temporarily out of the office… lots of ways to keep things in the pipeline that should have squirted out long since, when the the party of the second part is feeling hostile.
The State Department declined to confirm the advancement of the JDAMs sale but did say that US support for Israel’s security against Iran-backed threats is "unwavering"
…yeah, yeah — y’all keep saying that with the conviction of an off-off-off-Broadway actor…
and that no country can be expected to tolerate the threats Israel is facing.
And yet you and your president expect Israel to do exactly that, with your demands that Israel sign truces and stop picking on those poor human shields behind which Hamas and Hezbollah hide.
The statement from the State Department said all weapon transfers are carried out in line with US law, which bars their use in the perpetration of war crimes or by countries that block the delivery of humanitarian aid to civilians.
Neither of which can be ascribed to Israel, though you do so anyway. Unwaveringly.
"We have made clear that Israel must comply with international humanitarian law, has a moral obligation and strategic imperative to protect civilians, investigate allegations of any wrongdoing, and ensure accountability for any abuses or violations of international human rights ...which are usually entirely different from personal liberty... law or international humanitarian law," the State Department says.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu claimed yesterday that the US has been delaying weapon shipments to Israel — setbacks that would end soon, he said, not so subtly referencing the January 20 inauguration of President-elect Donald Trump ...Perhaps no man has ever had as much fun being president of the US... The Biden administration immediately denied Netanyahu’s claims, saying the only shipment that has been withheld is a package of 2,000-lb bombs that Washington is concerned would be used in densely populated areas.
Hebrew media reports in recent days quoted unnamed Netanyahu associates claiming that the Biden administration pledged to release withheld weapon shipments in exchange for Israel agreeing to a ceasefire in Lebanon. Other aides to the premier have highlighted that the return of Donald Trump to the White House would also ensure an end to the alleged delay of weapons shipments.
US special envoy Amos Hochstein, who was the chief mediator of the Lebanon ceasefire, said Wednesday that claims by Netanyahu’s office that the US had threatened to advance a UN Security Council resolution calling for an immediate ceasefire if Israel rejected the US-brokered deal were also false.
[IsraelTimes] A recent Israeli drone strike in Gaza City killed Murad al-Rajoub, a Hamas terrorist behind a 2002 bombing attack in Beersheba, the military says.
Israeli authorities say Al-Rajoub was one of two Hamas terrorists behind the May 2002 attack, in which 10 civilians were wounded. He had been sentenced to 38 years before being released and deported to Gaza in a 2011 deal in which Israel exchanged 1,027 terror convicts for captive IDF soldier Gilad Shalit.
According to Palestinian media, al-Rajoub was killed in a strike on Friday, along with three other Palestinians.
Meanwhile, the IDF says it is continuing an offensive against Hamas in the Strip’s far northern towns of Beit Lahiya and Jabalia.
Fighter jets struck dozens of Hamas weapon depots, buildings used by the terror group, and other infrastructure in the area overnight, according to the military.
The IDF says that many of the targets were located based on intelligence obtained from detained terror operatives who were interrogated.
[IsraelTimes] Overnight, troops of the Givati Brigade’s reconnaissance unit raided a former school in northern Gaza’s Jabalia, where the IDF says it had intelligence of Hamas operatives gathered there.
The operation comes as the IDF says the 162nd Division expanded its offensive in the far north of the Strip.
Many gunmen were killed in close-quarters combat and in airstrikes during the operation at the al-Harthani School, according to the military.
The former school was serving as a shelter for displaced Palestinians.
Separately, the IDF says that Hamas operatives launched anti-tank projectiles at troops from within the Indonesian Hospital in Beit Lahiya overnight.
Troops also enabled thousands of civilians to evacuate from the areas of fighting over the past day, the military says, adding that among them several terror operatives were detained and taken to Israel for interrogation.
[X] Hamas gunnies dying tired:
כוחות אוגדה 162 הרחיבו הלילה את הפעילות במרחב ג'באליה ובית להיא.
במהלך מבצע חטיבתי כוחות שב״כ ולוחמי סיירת גבעתי ושריון, פשטו על המבנה ששימש בעבר כבית הספר ״אל חארתני״, זאת בעקבות מידע מודיעיני בדבר המצאות מחבלים במרחב>> pic.twitter.com/crb89gtICO
#1
Footage from Jabaliya: Terrorist shot dead while preparing to launch rocket at Israel During operations this week, the IDF identified and documented a Hamas terrorist who was attempting to launch rockets towards Israeli territory. The terrorist was operating from a structure located near a weapons warehouse, where additional terrorists were barricaded.
The forces quickly acted alongside the brigade's fire team, eliminating the terrorists and destroying the weapons warehouse and the rockets.
[TheConservativeWoman] ISRAEL is on the front line in the fight against the Islamists. But now we share that front line. The Islamists go first for the Saturday people and then the Sunday people.
The Islamists go first for the Saturday people and then the Sunday people.
The violent mostly peaceful organised mass attack by Moslems —mostly Moroccans with an admixture of assorted non-Moroccan Arabs as well as Turks — against Jewish and Israeli fans of the Maccabi Tel Aviv football club in Amsterdam two weeks ago is another expression of the anti-Israel/anti-Semitic sentiment infecting our own country, using the Israel/Paleostine issue as the ’acceptable’ excuse for anti-Semitic hatred and rage. So too was the weekend’s violent mostly peaceful Paleostinian protest in Montreal. Emboldened by the Canadian Prime Minister’s announcement that he would arrest Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu for alleged war crimes (thereby siding with 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 opposing the United States), the protesters descended into violence and anarchy, chanting for Israel’s demise, threatening a new Holocaust of Jews, and throwing Hitler ...late Fuehrer of Germany, founder of the Third Reich, currently communing with his pals Himmler and Heydrich. He is reincarnated every few days, sometimes every few hour if it's an election year, as a politician somebody doesn't like... salutes at bystanding Jews. It left Montreal’s Jewish community shaken and fearful for their safety; their leaders comparing it to historical anti-Semitic attacks.
Amsterdam was a planned attack, with rioters travelling from outside the city to join in. The full-scale violence began after the match, co-ordinated by Moslem taxi drivers who had mapped out the hotels where the Maccabi supporters were staying, and gave a running commentary on the locations of the Maccabi supporters during the attacks. There are reports of police collusion and participation in the attacks. Ayaan Hirsi Ali, who is a former Dutch politician, has talked about the takeover of Amsterdam’s internal security apparatus: ’Today, a large part of the Amsterdam police force is made up of second-generation migrants colonists from North Africa and the Middle East.’
One of the fans who was attacked said: ’The Dutch chief of police says officers are human being[s] and they can enforce the law however they want. He gave a legal right to the police not to protect us.’ Regarding the Moslem attackers, he added: ’They want to apply the Sharia law all over Europe. They will kill us, you, everyone. We know this, and Europa ...the land mass occupying the space between the English Channel and the Urals, also known as Moslem Lebensraum... needs to as well.’
The Israeli government sent planes to the Netherlands to take Israeli citizens home. Local Jews organised transport to the airport as taxis were not deemed safe for Israelis.
Around the same time as the Amsterdam attacks, Belgian police arrested six suspects who were allegedly planning an Amsterdam-inspired ’Jew hunt’ in Antwerp, and teenagers in a Jewish youth football team were attacked by a knife-wielding pro-Paleostine mob in Berlin — ’hunted down’ by Arab youths. The Berlin police chief has admitted Berlin is not safe for ’openly gay’ or Jewish people: ’Unfortunately, there are certain neighbourhoods where the majority of people are of Arab descent, who also have sympathies for terrorist groups.’
How many police chiefs in the UK would openly admit to such ’no-go’ zones here, or that dozens of Sharia courts are allowed to operate freely and give out ’Islamic’ judgments to Moslems living in UK communities?
Internationally, inflammatory pronouncements such as that from UNICEF that the Israeli UNRWA ban ’means a new way has been found to kill children’, or the announcement that Canada is reaching out to ’allies’ in its quest to recognise a Paleostinian state, can only give further encouragement to jihadists. The UN has voted to stop Israel defending certain parts of its own territory, and to force it to withdraw entirely from key areas that serve to make its country defendable against its enemies and direct attack. The thinking appears to be that Israel should not be allowed to fight back.
Perversely October 7 was the trigger that released this new anti-Semitic onslaught against all Jewry, and all those who stand in defence of Israel and its legitimate place in history, in what must be one of the most egregious act of victim-blaming in history.
In March this year I wrote: ’How much longer will it be before I will need to go to Israel to look a Jew in the eye, because there are none left in the UK?’ As the year has progressed, I have seen nothing to change that view. Indeed, after the installation of the Labour government of Two-Tier Keir Starmer and election of several independent Moslem Vote MPs, my fear increased. Now, with the Prime Minister Starmer’s shocking backing for the International Criminal Court’s (ICC) arrest warrant for Israeli PM Netanyahu and former Defence Minister Yoav Gallant, it has doubled. It can but give direct encouragement to Hamas ..not a terrorist organization, even though it kidnaps people, holds hostages, and tries to negotiate by executing them,... in particular and Islamist ambitions in general.
UK politicians have also given credence to the lie that Israel is now the unwarranted aggressor in its conflict with Hamas, recently voting at the UN Security Council to impose a ceasefire on Israel (vetoed by the US) with no dependent clause for Hamas to release the hostages it kidnapped on October 7. This is despite clear evidence that the former head of UNRWA repeatedly met and expressed unity with Hamas and Islamic Jihad ...created after many members of the Egyptian Moslem Brotherhood decided the organization was becoming too moderate. Operations were conducted out of Egypt until 1981 when the group was exiled after the assassination of President Anwar Sadat. They worked out of Gaza until they were exiled to Lebanon in 1987, where they clove tightly to Hezbollah. In 1989 they moved to Damascus, where they remain a subsidiary of Hezbollah... leaders and let them influence UNRWA operations; that UNRWA employees took part in the October 7 atrocities; and despite that Hamas-originated inflated casualty numbers and Israel deliberately starving Gazooks are based on on lies and propaganda — in a word, faked.
What happened in Amsterdam on November 7 and in Montreal this weekend is a warning of what could come to Britannia in the not-too-distant future. Is this what we want in this country? Do we stand aside as Israel-haters continue to pack our streets, populate social media with anti-Semitic and hate-inciting bile, and whose representatives sit in Parliament and local councils and undermine police neutrality?
At the start of the Second World War the Dutch Jewish population was around 150,000. Three-quarters of them were murdered in Hitler’s extermination programme. The current core Jewish population is 30,000. The new Nazis of fashionable anti-Semitism — the fundamental Islamists in our midst, the woke, the intellectually deceived, and the purely ignorant — act as though they would like to continue the work of 1930s and 1940s Nazis across Europe and in the UK. For UK and European Jews, surely all roads must now lead to Israel. But where do the rest of us go, once the Saturday people have departed, and it’s the turn of the Sunday people?
Happy Thanksgiving to all, including to the Radical Left Lunatics who have worked so hard to destroy our Country, but who have miserably failed, and will always fail, because their ideas and policies are so hopelessly bad that the great people of our Nation just gave a landslide…
[FoxNews] Some North Carolina residents struggling to rebuild homes due to government regulations or lack of funds
As the holiday season begins, residents of western North Carolina who lost everything during Hurricane Helene want their fellow Americans to keep them in mind.
Some people in hard-hit areas like Swannanoa and Burnsville, or in hard-to-reach places nestled in the Appalachian Mountains, are still living in tents or RVs where their homes once stood.
"We've been delivering campers," Robert Pearson, a member of the Louisiana-based rescue organization Cajun Navy 2016, told Fox News Digital. "We delivered one just an hour before we're doing this interview, and we've got two more we're going to deliver this afternoon. But people have been donating campers to us, and we've been doing whatever we can to try to help. We have a list of people that need help."
Cajun Navy 2016 is a group of civilian volunteers that formed after Hurricane Katrina to help those in need during and after disasters. They have had volunteers on the ground, including Pearson, since Sept. 27, the day Helene struck the North Carolina mountains.
When we first got here, it was just utter chaos. There was a complete infrastructure failure. There were no phones, no electric, no water," Pearson said. "And I'll be honest with you, nobody knew what to do. We had wound up in a little town called Clyde, and they had their fire department destroyed. Like, just one whole section of town just had gotten wiped out there. And we stayed there."
The town of Montreat offered Cajun Navy 2016 a building to house 30 beds, and when volunteers filled all 30 beds, Montreat gave them another building for more beds, Pearson said.
People are still without cars, heating or internet in some places.
"Just looking at it in person [versus] seeing the pictures, it's just hard to imagine how bad it is. … I went through Katrina, and this is Katrina-like to me," Pearson said. "The damage is every bit as bad. It's just different because it's in the mountains, 100 yards this way, everything's fine. But 20 miles down this river, it's just utter chaos."
Some can't rebuild due to government regulations; others can rebuild but don't have the money. Some are still without vehicles, and others have not found new work after losing their jobs. Bridges across towns and counties were destroyed and will take time to replace.
Pearson recalled delivering a camper to one family after their house was damaged by about 18 inches of flooding during Helene.
"So, definitely salvageable. Everything could be fixed. But they got this big sticker on the door that says the house has to be razed," Pearson said. "So … there was a mortgage on the house. It's not covered by homeowner's insurance because the river took it out. They didn't have flood insurance because it wasn't a flood zone. … They owe a mortgage. They don't have a house they can live in. What are they going to do? I don't have an answer for that."
Pearson delivered another camper to a family of five, including three children, who lost their house in a mudslide.
"I don't think they had insurance. This was a 200-year-old home that had been handed down to the family for years and years. They're just not well-off people, but great people. And they're running off of generators because they don't have a house to hook [a] power pole to," Pearson said.
Counties that were dependent on the fall tourism season lost millions of dollars in revenue. Buncombe County officials are estimating a 70% loss in revenue for businesses reliant on tourism and hospitality in the final quarter of 2024, according to WFAE.
Volunteer organizations like Samaritan's Purse, as well as churches and ministries from across the United States, still have boots on the ground in various towns around western North Carolina. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) also has employees still deployed in the area.
FEMA recently came under fire after former supervisor Marn'i Washington instructed the agency’s relief workers to avoid reaching out to homeowners in Florida who had Trump signs displayed outside their homes after Hurricane Milton, which struck the U.S. about two weeks after Helene. Washington appeared on "Fox News @ Night" on Nov. 14 and said she was "simply executing" orders from her superiors to avoid political encounters that could be hostile.
FEMA did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital when asked to comment for this story.
In North Carolina, FEMA has so far approved "$722 million to support survivors with housing repairs, personal property replacement and other essential recovery efforts" and $1.1 billion for debris removal and other emergency protective services, according to a press release from the agency. FEMA has also deployed more than 4,800 personnel to the affected areas.
Americans from across the country have been donating everything from RVs to cars to tree-cutting and roof repair services to those in need. But what western North Carolina needs most now is money, according to those in the area.
Coree Loffink, a resident of Bakersville, told Fox News Digital that locals are struggling to get their day-to-day necessities because some large grocery stores are still closed and certain roads remain inaccessible.
"A lot of people are still living out of campers or looking for campers to live out of because they're … living out of their cars or living in neighbors' houses," Loffink said. "But yesterday is going to be our last day of warm weather after this. … The high next week on Tuesday is 28 degrees, the low is like 14. So it is going to be a struggle for having heating sources out here."
Even two months after Helene, while many roads and properties look better than they did after Sept. 27, "there's still so much struggle and so much personal struggle and individual struggle from family to family," Loffink said.
"It's going to be a problem here for at least a few years for rebuilding, you know, creating jobs, just people trying to figure out their lives." she said. "Do they want to stay? Do they want to go? If they stay, they have to try and rebuild. It's just there's a lot of complicated and stressful things that have popped up since the hurricane for families here."
Loffink said it's been hard to drive by the same destruction every day that cost some people their lives.
"There's people out here who just cry every day because it's so upsetting," Loffink said. "I mean, you drive down Green Mountain and you see all the destruction out there. … There are some houses, and they got completely washed away in the Green River, and there's a cross there. Those families did not make it, and it's really unfortunate, but they had nowhere to go. And you still [are] going to see that stuff every day when you're driving around."
Volunteers are organizing hot Thanksgiving meals or delivering boxes of Thanksgiving food directly to people to cook themselves at home.
An Asheville-based charity called Chances for Children Carolinas, which was created by a group of children as a Destination Imagination Club service project to help other children receive scholarships for extracurricular activities, partnered with Grateful Village to host a holiday fundraiser for Helene survivors.
Volunteers with Chances for Children Carolinas organized a holiday pop-up store with donated giftable items that locals could purchase with vouchers, and 100% of the proceeds go directly back to families in need in western North Carolina.
Founder Mary Hudson Harrelson and her mother, Anna Harrelson, said they wanted to create a way for people who lost everything to purchase gifts with dignity rather than collect free donations. Harrelson described the people of western North Carolina as resilient and said even those who have lost homes and vehicles are still volunteering to help their neighbors.
Chances for Children Carolinas is collecting monetary donations through its website, chancesforchildrencarolinas.com, which they put directly into the hands of those in need who apply for assistance.
#2
Getting arrested is considerably more than that lot are accustomed to. Think DA Alvin Bragg will actually prosecute them instead of his usual habit of setting them free without even a warning?
"In Denmark there has been a large-scale failure of the mobile network. Customers had reported problems to the country's largest telephone company, TDC. TDC announced that emergency call 112 could also be affected. The Danish police are increasingly present on the streets in areas with an emergency call failure, Danish media reported."
"There were also major failures in many rail connections in Denmark. Trains have occasionally stopped on the open track. The operator Banedanmark had temporarily ceased operations. There were problems with the digital signal system, a message said, which the company shared on the X online platform."
"So far it is unclear whether the parallel failures of the mobile network and the rail system are related. "
BREAKING: Footage just got released of a Maricopa County election worker stealing a security access key. All voting machines & equipment had to be reprogrammed because the stolen items gave access to everything.
The more I dug into @Greta Thunberg's story, the more I realized that something stinks here. It's no COINCIDENCE that her first appearance was on August 20, 2018, with a sit-in protest in front of the Swedish Parliament, followed COINCIDENTALLY four days later by the release of a… pic.twitter.com/O1NGFyQFFV
… COINCIDENTALLY four days later by the release of a book she co-authored with her mother.
But that's not all - the PR machine for her was already in full swing on August 20, thanks to a man named Ingmar Rentzhog, who financed and drove the campaign through his company,
@WeDontHaveTime
. And guess what? Rentzhog is also COINCIDENTALLY the chairman of the think tank "Global Challenge" (
@ChallengesFnd
), which is now COINCIDENTALLY fully financed by a billionaire named Kristine Person, a member of the Swedish Social Democratic Workers' Party and former minister in the government under Stefan Löfven.
And if that's not enough, Rentzhog purely COINCIDENTALLY happened to walk by the Swedish Parliament on August 20 and encounter Greta during her sit-in protest, taking a photograph of her. But wait, there's more - Rentzhog and Gretas mother had already met before at a climate conference on May 4, 2018, which is COINCIDENTALLY the exact date when Rentzhog became CEO of the aforementioned think tank.
And here's something interesting - both Kristine Person and Stefan Löfven happen to be members of Klaus Schwab's
@WEF
. It's amazing how all these connections seem to come full circle, isn't it?
It's clear to me that something fishy is going on behind the scenes here. These people are manipulating the public and abusing their power for their own political gain. We need to be aware of their tactics and warn everybody we know about the Great Reset and the Fourth Industrial Revolution.
Since the beginning of the war, 176 senior Hezbollah commanders have been eliminated, with the most senior being Hassan Nasrallah, the leader of Hezbollah. Among the senior figures eliminated are members of the Jihad Council: Fouad Shakar (head of strategic arrays), Ibrahim Aqil… pic.twitter.com/60TuaBlXtE
[ToSD] Russian nationals are showing up at the southern border of the United States to request asylum — and they aren’t being allowed in.
Russians are currently leaving their homeland by the thousands, motivated by the country’s economy, politics and war against Ukraine. The number of Russian exiles since 2022 is in the hundreds of thousands and likely in excess of a million, according to media reports from all over the world. But I was told by a guy who talks to people that Russia was Nirvana?
Those trying to enter the U.S. have hit a literal and figurative wall, says a local attorney representing hundreds of Russians.
He said that the Biden administration is refusing entry, even after the administration’s promise that the U.S. would welcome those fleeing the war and their participation in it.
"[Immigration and Customs Enforcement] has detained virtually all Russian-speaking adults requesting asylum at a port of entry to the United States," said Bonsall-based lawyer Curtis Morrison.
"Basically, ICE has made a decision to blanket-detain all migrants who are Russian asylum seekers, even after their asylum claims have been granted, in violation of their previous policy called the 2009 Parole Directive.
"That’s the focus of our lawsuit."
The lawsuit was filed against ICE, the Department of Homeland Security and U.S. Customs and Border Protection.
He said they may not actually be Russian.
"They may not even be from Russia but a country next to Russia, or maybe speak Russian," Morrison said.
"We don’t know why ICE implemented this policy, but there’s definitely something up with the Biden administration deciding to treat Russians differently ... ICE has detained virtually all Russian-speaking adults requesting asylum at a port of entry to the United States," he added.
[Townhall - Kurt Schlichter] It is right and proper to be thankful at Thanksgiving, particularly when our country has just avoided a communist nightmare of epic proportions. Take a moment to sit back and think about how bad it would be right now if we were going to have another four years of leftist rule, probably followed by leftist rule in perpetuity, as these bastards would’ve solidified their hold on power so that we could never hope to rule ourselves again. You know that was their intent because that’s exactly what they said Trump would do, and they always accuse us of doing what they are doing or intend to do. The best case, and it’s a pretty terrible case, would have been us wrenching back our freedom through some sort of rebellion against their anti-constitutional tyranny. When civil war is the best-case scenario, you’ve got a bad set of scenario options. Conservatives never look on the bright side, but this time we should. Be thankful we missed out on all that. Be thankful we reelected Donald Trump.
But Donald Trump didn’t win the election building a conservative coalition. He built a coalition that averaged out to the center of American politics 20 years ago before the left went completely insane.
That means we conservatives are not the coalition but simply a part of the coalition. And that means we’re not always going to get what we want. Oh, I don’t like it. I don’t like it much at all, except for the fact that it allowed us to beat Harris and her coterie of communist cadres. I like that a lot. I’m very thankful for it.
So, stop dooming about what was inevitable and what is necessary. Yes, we’ve got to push Trump to be as conservative as we can. It’s not unusual for competing coalition elements to push their own agenda. Factions compete — that’s why they are factions. But let’s not freak out and cry and run around like a little female-identifying child because Donald Trump must manage a coalition that consists of much more than just us. Be thankful that our problem is that his administration is conservative, but not quite as conservative as we’d like it to be, as opposed to something that would make Karl Marx turgid.
So, enjoy your Thanksgiving. And let me throw this hand grenade down the hall: Thanksgiving is the worst meal of the year because Thanksgiving food is the worst food there is. Turkey? What the hell is that? Stuffing is like eating rosemary-infused pillow filling. Don’t even get me started on yams.
Happy Thanksgiving.
Posted by: Bobby ||
11/28/2024
08:32 ||
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[Red State] The Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals has made a new ruling in the case involving the state of Texas defending itself against the illegal alien horde invited to storm the U.S.-Mexico border by the Biden administration over the past four years--and it's a win for Governor Greg Abbott.
In Wednesday's decision, the court states a few things. Not only does Texas have the right to protect its land at Eagle Pass, the CBP's argument that it needed to cut the razor wire in that area to fully do its job of deterring illegals from entering the country just didn't stand up to scrutiny or wasn't backed up by testimony.
Another part of the case, involving Texas taking over a border area known as Shelby Park, was considered by the court, and it dismissed the government's argument that Texas' actions led to two illegals drowning.
Finally, the ruling bars CBP from cutting/removing razor wire at Eagle Pass going forward.
Wednesday’s 2-1 decision by the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals clears the way for Texas to pursue a lawsuit accusing the Biden administration of trespassing without having to remove the fencing.
It also reversed a federal judge's November 2023 refusal to grant a preliminary injunction to Texas as the state resisted federal efforts to remove fencing along the Rio Grande in the vicinity of Eagle Pass, Texas.
Circuit Judge Kyle Duncan, a Trump appointee during the president-elect's first term, wrote for Wednesday's majority that Texas was trying only to safeguard its own property, not "regulate" U.S. Border Patrol, and was likely to succeed in its trespass claims.
Duncan said the federal government waived its sovereign immunity and rejected its concerns that a ruling by Texas would impede the enforcement of immigration law and undermine the government's relationship with Mexico.
He said the public interest "supports clear protections for property rights from government intrusion and control" and ensuring that federal immigration law enforcement does not "unnecessarily intrude into the rights of countless property owners."
Posted by: Bobby ||
11/28/2024
08:24 ||
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[11149 views]
Top|| File under: Tin Hat Dictators, Presidents for Life, & Kleptocrats
[ZERO] Did Trump solve the border crisis two months before even being sworn in as the 47th president?
Two days after surprising markets - and sending the peso plummeting - by announcing he would enact 25% import duties on Mexican goods if the country doesn't stop the flow of drugs and migrants across the border.
tariffs on Mexican goods in response to the flood of drugs across the porous southern border, best known for allowing millions of illegal immigrants to enter the US in the past four ears, Trump's unexpected gambit may have already paid off.
In a post on Truth Social network, Trump announced that after a "wonderful" conversation with Mexican president Claudia Sheinbaum, she "agreed to stop Migration through Mexico, and into the United States, effectively closing our Southern Border."
If confirmed, this would be the second time Trump has managed to convince Mexico to suspend migrants from crossing its territory to enter the US. Back in 2018, former President Andrés Manuel López Obrador - a charismatic, old-school politician - developed a chummy relationship with Trump. The two were eventually able to strike a bargain in which Mexico helped keep migrants away from the border - and received other countries' deported migrants - and Trump backed down on similar threats.
While Sheinbaum, who took office Oct. 1, has been seen as a stern leftist ideologue trained in radical student protest movements, and appeared less willing to pacify or mollify Trump, it seems she too has capitulated just 48 hours after Trump unveiled what was coming.
It will be interesting to see how much is actually accomplished — as opposed to promised in the hope that he’ll be distracted and forget — by the time he is finally sworn in to office in January.
Courtesy of Skidmark, the Daily Mail’s take on the story.
[IsraelTimes] US President-elect Donald Trump says Mexico’s leader had agreed to “stop” migration during a conversation between the pair, “effectively closing” the border between their countries.
Claudia Sheinbaum, who posted earlier on X about the call, said the pair had discussed Mexico’s migration “strategy” but made no reference to closing the border.
She worked quickly to respond to Trump’s claim, saying the country did not plan to close its border.
“Mexico’s position is not to close borders, but to build bridges between governments and communities,” the Mexican president writes on X.
Well then. Interesting times for all involved… possibly more interesting for Mexico than her president intended. But some need to pee on the electric fence. (Thanks for that image, Fred — not something I ever expected to hold in my brain.
#3
Trump's not going to be distracted. Will send in SF to deal with the Cartels if necessary.
Posted by: Regular joe ||
11/28/2024 12:12
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#4
It's one thing if the cartels stay on their side of the border killing their own people. Not out problem.
When they cross the border and shoot at Border Patrol or local Law Enforcement, it's effectively an invasion by a non governmental military force and should be dealt accordingly.
[ZeroHedge] Texas is leading a new lawsuit with 10 other red states against BlackRock, Vanguard and State Street for allegedly breaking antitrust law by colluding to suppress coal - causing electricity prices to spike.
"Competitive markets — not the dictates of far-flung asset managers — should determine the price Americans pay for electricity," wrote Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton in the complaint.
The Republican-led states, including West Virginia and Montana, are asking the court to bar the three largest US investment firms from using their stock in coal companies to vote on shareholder resolutions and take other steps in a way that restrains output and limits market competition. -Bloomberg
The complaint, filed in Tyler, Texas, is one of the highest profile lawsuits targeting companies that promote environmental, social and governance goals, or ESH.
"Over several years, the three asset managers acquired substantial stockholdings in every significant publicly held coal producer in the United States, thereby gaining the power to control the policies of the coal companies. Using their combined influence over the coal market, the investment cartel collectively announced in 2021 their commitment to weaponize their shares to pressure the coal companies to accommodate "green energy" goals," the complaint continues.
"Blackrock, Vanguard, and State Street utilized the Climate Action 100 and the Net Zero Asset Managers Initiative to signal their mutual intent to reduce the output of thermal coal, which predictably increased the cost of electricity for Americans across the United States."
The 'cartel' is accused of "deliberately and artificially constricting supply," which "increased prices and enabled investment companies to produce extraordinary revenue gains."
The other states involved in the lawsuit are Alabama, Arkansas, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, West Virginia and Wyoming.
"Texas will not tolerate the illegal weaponization of the financial industry in service of a destructive, politicized 'environmental' agenda. BlackRock, Vanguard, and State Street formed a cartel to rig the coal market, artificially reduce the energy supply, and raise prices," said Paxton in a statement. "Their conspiracy has harmed American energy production and hurt consumers. This is a stunning violation of State and federal law."
The lawsuit follows years of investigation by GOP officials, who have taken aim at Wall Street's efforts to force a green agenda.
Specifically, the lawsuit accuses BlackRock, Vanguard and State Street of using their shareholdings in Peabody Energy Corp, Arch Resources, Inc. and others to press management to cut their carbon emissions starting in 2021 - at the height of the ESG boom, Bloomberg reports.
The firms also joined activist groups such as Climate Action 100+ and the Net Zero Asset Managers Initiative in which they formed "a syndicate and agreed to use their collective holdings of publicly traded coal companies to induce industry-wide output reductions."
The suit repeatedly refers to allegations that BlackRock, Vanguard and State Street have the power through their large shareholdings to constrain the supply of coal, which significantly diminishes competition in the market and produces “cartel-level profits” for the firms.
Climate-finance coalitions are “voluntary associations and therefore don’t include any form of collusion and coercion, so it’s hard to see a legal basis for this claim,” said Lisa Sachs, director of sustainable investment at Columbia University Law School. But “coal-financed politicians are now using the bully pulpit to scare financial institutions, which won’t in any way benefit the coal sector and will harm the constituents these AGs purport to represent.” -Bloomberg
That said, the firms have since reversed course - with State Street announcing in February that it quit Climate Action 100+ because its requirements were inconsistent with the firm's "independent approach" to shareholder voting. Vanguard left the Net Zero Asset Managers Initiative in 2022, however BlackRock and State Street remain members of the group.
Plaintiffs in the Texas lawsuit acknowledge the departures, but say that they don't "change the reality that defendants’ holdings threaten to substantially reduce competition in violation of Section 7 of the Clayton Act."
The case is Texas v. BlackRock, 24-cv-00437, US District Court, Eastern District of Texas (Tyler).
[FoxNews] The US national debt is more than $36 trillion
Business magnate Elon Musk, who has been sounding the alarm about America's gargantuan, ever-expanding national debt, claimed that many people are unaware of the problem.
"A significant % of people don’t even know that there is such a thing as a national debt!" Musk declared in a post on X.
"Those that do often don’t know how big it is or that our interest payments now exceed what we spend on our military. Only a small % understand that government overspending causes inflation," he added.
The national debt has soared past $36 trillion.
"America is going bankrupt fast," Musk warned in another post.
"The excess government spending is what causes inflation! ALL government spending is taxation. This is a very important concept to appreciate. It is either direct taxation, like income tax, or indirect via inflation due to increasing the money supply," he asserted in a tweet earlier this month.
[JustTheNews] Fox News said it was "pleased" with the judge's decision, stating that the ruling, along with other rulings in recent cases against the company, were "preserving the press freedoms of the First Amendment."
A federal judge on Wednesday dismissed January 6 defendant Ray Epps' year-long defamation lawsuit against Fox News, ruling that Epps failed to "state a claim."
Epps, who some conservatives had speculated was an undercover FBI agent sent by the bureau to stoke the January 6 riot in 2021, filed the lawsuit last year, claiming that an indictment from the Justice Department might not have surfaced against him if it wasn't for Fox's coverage.
The January 6 defendant also argued that Fox News and former host Tucker Carlson engaged in a "years-long campaign spreading falsehoods about Epps." Those falsehoods, the original complaint alleged, had destroyed the lives of Epps and his wife, per NBC News. "I'm not getting any more payments from...err...nevermind"
U.S. District Court Judge Jennifer Hall on Wednesday agreed with Fox News' argument that Epps failed to "state a claim."
Fox told CNN it was "pleased" with the judge's decision, stating that the ruling, along with other rulings in recent cases against the company, were "preserving the press freedoms of the First Amendment."
Epps was sentenced in January to one-year probation for his participation in the riot, after pleading guilty to a single charge of engaging in disorderly or disruptive conduct in a restricted building or grounds.
The FBI has denied any ties to Epps, stating that he has never been an asset of the bureau. What about a subsidiary "consultant"?
[JustTheNews] Pete Hegseth, a veteran awarded with two Bronze Star medals for combat, if confirmed as Defense Secretary, appears poised to target years of DEI initiatives that have been ingrained in Pentagon leadership.
At a time when multiple regional crises are threatening to spiral out of control, Donald Trump’s nominee for Defense Secretary is preparing to target diversity and equity initiatives in the military that he believes have left the force less prepared and less lethal.
In recent years, the Pentagon has faced scrutiny over Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, or DEI, initiatives as well as instances of gender and race ideology being espoused or supported by service members.
Pete Hegseth, if confirmed, appears poised to target years of DEI initiatives that have been ingrained in Pentagon leadership.
“The dumbest phrase on planet Earth in the military is 'our diversity is our strength,’” Hegseth summed up his view in a recent appearance on "The Shawn Ryan Show,” podcast, and specifically pinpointed a turning point in the Obama administration.
“You saw the trans stuff come in at the end,” Hegseth said. “You saw the women in combat…Because they looked around at the bureaucracies that they controlled in Washington, and the one that they didn’t control – Obama spent a disproportionate amount of time focusing on the Pentagon. They were skeptical of leadership and eventually brought in political appointees and generals who would do their bidding the way they wanted.”
Hegseth explained this changed the entire “ethos” of the organization.
ADOPTING DEI INITIATIVES
“The Army that I enlisted in, or the Army I swore an oath to in 2001, and was commissioned in 2003, looks a lot different than the Army of today because we are focused [now] on a lot of the wrong things,” he said.
Hegeseth identified current Chairman of the Joint Chiefs, CQ Brown, as an example of how career military officials have adopted DEI initiates wholesale. In fall 2020, when Brown was still the Chief of Staff for the Air Force, he highlighted diversity as a key factor in promotions and recruiting.
He also oversaw the establishment of a diversity office in the Air Force and the branch’s inspector general conducted a “Racial Disparity Review” of the workforce.
This reputation elicited anxiety among senior Defense Department officials that the incoming president and his new Secretary of Defense would move to dismiss Brown before his term as the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs officially expires. This would mark an about face for Trump, who originally nominated Brown to lead the Air Force in 2020.
Critics say the focus on DEI at the Pentagon has undermined the world’s premier fighting force, weakening it at a time when it may be needed more than ever.
“[It’s] engineering the leadership of the Pentagon, really, as far back as the 1960s has been trying to engineer the racial composition of the United States military, and that's come at a cost for professional standards,” William Thibeau of The American Military Project at the Claremont Institute told the John Solomon Reports podcast.
“We just found army internal data earlier this year that indicated the proportion of white recruits is that its lowest ever. The issue is, is that more diverse populations in America have not joined at an increasing share,” Thibeau said. “So what you have is a generational crisis of strength at a time when the U.S. military might be asked to fight three wars in the Middle East, Europe and the Pacific at one time, and we don't have the people to fight or deter even one of those conflicts.”
Though initial efforts at affirmative action the military in the wake of the Civil Rights Act began in the 1960s, modern DEI initiatives were justified by the final report of the Army Diversity Task force.
This 2008 report, finalized in the waning George W. Bush administration, laid out the reasons why diversity must be prioritized in the military ranks. It argued that diversifying the ranks would lead to more talent acquisition, reduce racial tensions, and would better equip the force to represent the nation, according to Thibeau.
"DIVERSITY"
Most recently, the DOD’s Strategic Management Plan for Fiscal Years 2022–2026, promulgated by Biden-appointed Deputy Secretary Kathleen Hicks, explicitly calls for DEIA (Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility) to be prioritized throughout the department.
The report outlined efforts over several years by the Pentagon “institutionalize DEI” based on recommendations generated from departmental reviews. The goal of these efforts were explicitly defined: “This will help institutionalize the advancement of DEIA and the value of diversity to the Department’s mission.”
Thibeau believes cutting back on the top heavy bureaucracy and specifically removing DEI in recruiting and promotion decisions will go a long way to restoring the military. He says the Joint Chiefs, now headed by Brown, should be the target of cuts.
“The Joint Staff, those six or so generals and admirals, are meant to provide advice and consent to the President. They're not supposed to be decision makers, but they're a 4,000 person bureaucracy in the Pentagon, almost immune to accountability,” he said. “Let's get them out of the decision making process, especially when it comes to what software, what what submarines, we buy. And then let's empower the war fighting commands to buy and procure things.”
Thibeau also said removing military leaders that promoted “race quotas” and diversity initiatives should be prioritized.
“I think the Trump administration, the Hegseth Pentagon, should ask serious questions if generals and admirals who implemented those policies can continue to lead in good faith, because it's not just a question of following political orders, it is a question of embodying the principles of DEI as an ideology that became part of these officers mandate in uniform,” he said.
[JustTheNews] The governor and Homan met with OLS officers in Eagle Pass and Edinburg, Texas.
On Tuesday, Gov. Greg Abbott and incoming border czar Tom Homan met and served meals to Texas Army and Air National Guard soldiers and Texas Department of Public Safety troopers (DPS) stationed along the border during Thanksgiving working through Abbott’s border security mission, Operation Lone Star.
The governor and Homan met with OLS officers in Eagle Pass and Edinburg, Texas. They were joined by National Border Patrol Council President Paul Perez, DPS Director Steve McCraw, Adjutant General Thomas Suelzer and Texas Border Czar Mike Banks.
At the event in Edinburg, Abbott said their deployment to the border “was truly unprecedented. Things that have happened in the last four years have never before happened in the history of the United States of America.” The troops were providing “an unprecedented response to an unprecedented threat,” referring to the greatest number of illegal border crossers reported in U.S. history under the Biden administration.
He described the violent crimes committed against Americans by illegal border crossers, including children being assaulted and murdered and the “countless others whose homes have been invaded, whose lives have been destroyed.”
The border crisis was unprecedented for all Americans, for “our own country [due to the loss] of our very own border,” he said.
Speaking to the troops, he said, “some of you have served in foreign lands across the entire world working to ensure American’s safety both now and as well as for our future.”Now, their service along the Texas border was critical “to preserve the safety and sovereignty and security of your very own states, your very own country, your very own border. You make Texas proud.”
However, OLS wasn’t on its own anymore, he said. “The good news is help is on the way, like nothing we’ve seen before. The calvary is coming,” referring to President-elect Donald Trump and his new border czar, Tom Homan.
“President Trump is going to be the greatest president we’ve ever had, and we’re coming back,” Homan said. “When Trump was in office, we had your six,” he told the troops. “This administration didn’t.” He also said South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem, who was nominated to be Trump’s secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, “gets it. She understands it. She has some good ideas” about border security he said, adding that he was looking forward to working with her and to her Senate confirmation.
He also reiterated that it was necessary to implement a mass deportation plan in response to a massive illegal immigration plan implemented by the Biden administration. “We’re going to have an interior deportation operation,” he continued, referring to a targeted removal plan he previously explained to The Center Square. It prioritizes removing violent criminals and those with existing removal orders and finding 300,000 unaccounted for unaccompanied minors who were brought into the country under the administration, he said.
“You can’t have millions of people illegally cross the border, which is a crime, make an asylum claim, be given due process and a judge says they must go home, and not send them home. You have to have a massive deportation process,” he said.
He also expressed alarm about the more than two million known gotaways, first reported by The Center Square. Gotaways is the official U.S. Customs and Border Protection term to describe those who illegally enter the country, don’t make asylum claims and intentionally evade capture.
“People who paid more to get away,” Homan said, referring to illegal border crossers paying coyotes to guide them into the country to circumvent Border Patrol checkpoints. “They didn’t claim asylum, they didn’t want to be vetted,” he said, “and we have no idea who or where they are. This is the biggest national security threat our country has faced since 9/11 and Trump is going to shut down the border.”
Vladimir Putin says a Russian overnight missile and drone attack on Ukraine's power grid is a response to Ukraine's use of long-range US and UK weapons inside Russia
The Russian leader also threatens to target Kyiv's "decision-making centres" with Russia's new ballistic missile
The BBC's Sarah Rainsford says his claim of responding to the use of long-range Western weapons is deliberately misleading - the last big attack was before such weapons were deployed
Ukraine reports no fatalities after the attack, but more than a million Ukrainians have been left without power as 12 targets were struck
Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky has described the attack as a "vile escalation"
This is the second attack on the country's energy system this month, writes the BBC's Paul Adams in Ukraine, with temperatures falling
[Breitbart] The government of Paraguay announced on Tuesday that, with the help of the United States, it had identified Chinese state-sponsored hackers who infiltrated the nation’s government networks.
The Paraguayan technology minister made the announcement in a joint statement with the U.S. Embassy in Asunción following a joint cybersecurity review of Paraguayan government networks conducted by local officials and the U.S. Southern Command (SOUTHCOM).
The review found that Flax Typhoon, a hacker group linked to the Chinese communist regime, had infiltrated the Paraguayan government’s systems.
“Recent breaches of private telecommunications infrastructure in the United States demonstrate the importance of cooperation and strengthening of critical infrastructure, especially in the cyber and communications domains, to reduce vulnerabilities,” the U.S. Embassy in Asunción said.
The Paraguayan Technology Ministry explained that the joint review was part of a series of initiatives aimed at “strengthening Paraguay’s digital security, improving cyber defenses and mitigating potential damage from external threats,” highlighting the importance of cooperation for the strengthening of critical infrastructure.
“Paraguay, like every country, faces a variety of cybersecurity challenges, which is why the government of Paraguay reaffirms its commitment to work closely with international partners, such as the United States, to face the global challenges of cyberspace and protect its digital assets,” the Paraguayan Technology Ministry stated.
According to information published by Microsoft in 2023, the Chinese regime-linked Flax Typhoon hacking group has been active since mid-2021 and, at the time, had almost exclusively targeted Taiwanese government agencies, manufacturing, and IT organizations to engage in espionage. The group made minimal use of malware and instead relied on tools built into the company’s operating systems, along with some normally benign software to quietly remain in the Taiwanese networks.
While the group mainly targeted Taiwanese infrastructure, other victims were detected in Southeast Asia, as well as in North America and Africa. Microsoft explained that the group exploits known vulnerabilities to gain initial access to the targeted systems — only using malware to gain further access to the compromised networks if needed.
In September, an FBI operation dismantled a massive Chinese botnet that Flax Typhoon built by compromising over 260,000 devices in the United States and worldwide.
The U.S. Justice Department explained that the Chinese hackers had infected numerous types of consumer-grade devices such as network routers, internet protocol cameras, video recorders, and network-attached storage (NAS) devices. The hackers’ malware connected the devices into a botnet allegedly used to conduct malicious cyber activity disguised as regular internet traffic from the infected consumer devices. The FBI operation allowed U.S. authorities to take control of the malicious infrastructure and disabled the hackers from using the infected devices.
The Justice Department further explained that, during the course of the operation, there was an attempt to interfere with the FBI’s actions through an unsuccessful distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attack against the operational infrastructure used by the Bureau in the operation.
A DDoS is a type of cyber-attack where a server or network is flooded by an excessive surge of traffic that can overwhelm or outright crash the targets, rendering them inaccessible for the duration of the attack.
“The Justice Department is zeroing in on the Chinese government backed hacking groups that target the devices of innocent Americans and pose a serious threat to our national security,” Attorney General Merrick Garland said at the time.
“As we did earlier this year, the Justice Department has again destroyed a botnet used by PRC-backed hackers to infiltrate consumer devices here in the United States and around the world. We will continue to aggressively counter the threat that China’s state- sponsored hacking groups pose to the American people,” he continued.
Last week, the FBI informed that an investigation found a “broad and significant” cyberespionage campaign mounted by the Chinese communist regime in Beijing aimed at stealing information from Americans politicians and government workers.
While the FBI did not identify individuals that the Chinese hackers targeted, it explained that most of them “are primarily involved in government or political activity,” adding that the hackers sought to copy “certain information that was subject to U.S. law enforcement requests pursuant to court orders.”
[Breitbart] Elon Musk, co-head of President-Elect Donald Trump’s Department of Government Efficiency, told Alexander Vindman, who sparked the first impeachment of Trump, that he “committed treason” and “will pay,” after Vindman accused him of being controlled by Russian President Vladimir Putin and a “national security threat.”
Vindman smeared Musk during an interview on MSNBC on Wednesday, saying:
Clearly, Putin has a type. He likes narcissists and egomaniacs that he knows as a case officer he could easily pander to and manipulate to do his dirty work. We are under attack. Russia has been using different levers, whether that’s corruption networks. In this case, it’s it’s influencers like Donald Trump, like Elon Musk, to really kind of sow discord, and it’s particularly troubling with Elon Musk in this case, because Elon Musk has access to state secrets. He has top secret security clearance. It’s possible that some of that is seeping through. Putin has been very effective in playing both Trump and Elon, and he’s been using the richest man in the world to do his bidding in this. In some cases, that’s encouraging him probably to support Donald Trump. That’s not speculation. We see how far in Elon is gone, and then using Twitter as a distance disinformation platform. So this is not some sort of far off distant threat, this is a, it’s going to impact our elections, it’s a national security threat.
Musk responded Wednesday, “Vindman is on the payroll of Ukrainian oligarchs and has committed treason against the United States, for which he will pay the appropriate penalty.”
I’m not sure about treason, always a difficult charge, but the man absolutely is guilty of gross insubordination as a military officer. I vote for a fair court martial, followed by reduction in rank and a dishonourable discharge. Any jail term deemed appropriate by the court would not go amiss, but may be overkill — I know nothing about such things.
#1
Article 92 outlaws disobeying a lawful order.
The maximum punishment is a bad-conduct discharge, forfeiture of all pay and allowances, and up to six months in confinement
#5
That’s why we cover both the Russian perspective AND the Ukrainian perspective, Penguin dear.
But the issue of Lt. Col. Vindman, Ret’d is that he had no business listening in on a phone call between the president and another head of state, and he definitely had no business tattling his disagreement with the content of that conversation where it would do the most harm, just because of personal spite — his and others. His job was ever only advice, not consent. He is emblematic of an entire class of federal bureaucrats who mistake themselves for rulers instead of servant. That the triggering event involved Ukraine is incidental to the affair.
[Breitbart] President-elect Donald Trump is being honored with a larger-than-life two-story tall bronze statue, which is being shaped to capture his iconic defiance in the wake of the assassination attempt on his life in Butler, Pennsylvania, last July.
Breitbart News has obtained exclusive photos of the statue, which is still under construction. Backers behind the project hope to unveil the finished product at Trump’s inauguration.
Crypto investors with the project $PATRIOT commissioned Ohio artist Alan Cottrill to create the bronze statue after Trump was nearly assassinated in Butler, Pennsylvania, on July 13, 2024. Trump’s pro-crypto policies also helped motivate backers to support the project, Breitbart News has learned.
Cottrill is working to capture Trump’s courage and defiance immediately after being shot. In iconic fashion, Trump rose with a bloodied face and pumped his fist as he repeatedly shouted, “Fight!” to his supporters before U.S. Secret Service agents rushed him off stage.
Cottrill, who also created the Thomas Edison statue in Statuary Hall in the U.S. Capitol, said in a statement shared with Breitbart News that this is the largest figure he has ever set out to create.
“I’ve sculpted and cast 400 life size or larger bronze statues across America and the Patriot Statue is our largest single figure to date,” he said.
Along with forging the Edison statue in 2016, Cottrill has also fashioned statues of several other presidents for universities and museums.
“The Patriot Statue of Donald J. Trump was our largest and most controversial undertaking, especially considering the scale and relevance of the event in Butler that took place,” Cottrill said.
Dustin Stockton, who helped lead the project, detailed the process that Cottrill is undertaking to forge the statue.
First, Cottrill sculpts a clay mold, and then individual bronze pieces are shaped based on the mold. The bronze pieces are then welded together and buffed out, creating the final product. Stockton estimated the statue would be completed by the New Year.
“The statue had to be Trumpian. It had to be larger than life and over the top,” Stockton told Breitbart News.
He noted that he has spoken with several members of the Inaugural Committee about the logistics of unveiling it at the inauguration.
After the unveiling, the statue will embark on a year-long cross-country tour on the back of an 18-wheeler with a crane, Stockton said.
Once the tour is completed, those involved with the project hope the statue can be displayed in Butler before ultimately being placed forever at the eventual Trump Presidential Library.
“It’s been one hell of a ride the last decade; the PATRIOT project, statue, and tour is our way of claiming how these incredible times are remembered by history,” Stockton said.
[Breitbart] *throws up in mouth a little bit*
Rep. Katie Porter (D-CA) has filed a restraining order against her ex-boyfriend, alleging months of “persistent abuse and harassment” in the form of repeatedly contacting her family, staff, and fellow lawmakers and causing “significant fear for [her] personal safety and well-being.”
Court documents obtained by Politico revealed that Porter, who is set to vacate her House seat in January after running a failed campaign for U.S. Senate, has been granted a temporary restraining order against her ex, Julian Willis, until the next hearing in December.
Referencing “defamatory” claims allegedly made by Willis — including one that Porter had genital herpes, which she proved false by submitting test results to the court — the congresswoman said he is aiming to do “significant harm” to her public image.
Willis, 55, who dated Porter, 50, for a number of years and lived in her home until she told him to get out in late August, is also accused of contacting her children and ex-husband.
Posted by: Frank G ||
11/28/2024
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#1
....Wonder if this was before or after she wore the Batgirl outfit.
[Breitbart] The state of Illinois has the worst public employee pension shortfall in the country, even worse than the more populous California. In fact, the Illinois shortfall amounts to more than the shortfalls of about 36 other states combined.
At a shortfall of $172 billion, Illinois’ deficit for fully covering its pension promises to public sector employees is worse than the $140 billion shortfall in California, worse than the $90 some billion shortfall in New Jersey, and worse than the deficits of between $30 billion and $80 billion seen in Texas, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and Kentucky.
As Wirepoints notes, Illinois is a dark blot of red ink and irresponsibility on the Midwest map compared to its neighbors. None of the six surrounding states bordering Illinois have anywhere near the pension bomb Illinois has. Kentucky comes in next worst at $34 billion, but that deficit isn’t even a third of what Illinois totals. Next comes Missouri at $13 billion, then Indiana at $11 billion, Michigan at $8 billion, Wisconsin at $4 billion, and Iowa at a mere $2 billion. But even with that adding up to $72 billion, all six surrounding states still total $100 billion less than the massive shortfall in Illinois.
The problem, of course, is in politics. Both Republicans and Democrats in the state have played favoritism with the public employee unions by offering a never-ending hike in benefits and goodies despite the current promises already being out of reach financially. But Illinois has an even greater problem because the gravy train nature of the pensions is actually enshrined in the state constitution.
The disastrous clause added to the state constitution during the 1970 Constitutional Convention maintains that it is actually unconstitutional to cut any part of a public pension. Meaning, no adjustments can ever be made to public pensions no matter how bad the debt bomb gets.
The provision rules that public pensions are an “enforceable contractual relationship, the benefits of which shall not be diminished or impaired.” This puts any possibility of reforms or adjustments out of reach for policy makers and legislators. Consequently, as each new legislature added more and more benefits and higher compensation, the time bomb was set off.
Illinois has been fully controlled by the Democrat Party with a super majority for two decades. And the liberal Republicans who had some small semblance of power before that were no better on the issue.
To further display how bad Illinois’ pension mess is, Fitch Ratings recently calculated the pension debts of the 50 states as a portion of the state’s economy. And, once again, Illinois soared above the rest for its worst-case situation.
Illinois’ pension bomb is 19 percent of its economy, far above the 15 percent in Connecticut and the 14 percent in Kentucky, the next two worst states. Also, compared to the bordering states, Illinois stands out by drowning in a sea of red ink. Compared to its 19 percent pension crisis, Missouri’s and Indiana’s figure in at around 3% each, while Michigan, Wisconsin, and Iowa only reach up to one percent of their economies.
#2
Need a law regulating the structure of State bankruptcy.
That is the only way to save States like Illinois. I can't understand how people holding State of Illinois bonds must feel but I bet it isn't very good.
Posted by: Lord Garth ||
11/28/2024 14:30
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#3
I would have guessed California kind as a default.
Posted by: Super Hose ||
11/28/2024 15:05
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[JustTheNews] Former federal prosecutor Joe diGenova says there is “no doubt” there was a conspiracy to take down President-elect Donald Trump and violate his civil rights. “The President of the United States Barack Obama authorized the FBI to investigate [the Russia collusion theory] knowing that it was false,” he explains. “Barack Obama should get the first grand jury subpoena. There needs to be a grand jury, there needs to be a special counsel. The grand jury needs to be in the southern district of Florida where the Mar-a-Lago raid occurred because that was one of the ultimate outcomes of the beginning of that conspiracy to violate Donald Trump’s civil rights.”
[KhaamaPress] The Federation for Immigration Reform in the U.S. has reported a significant increase in the number of Afghan migrants colonists crossing a key immigration passage at the Panama-Colombia border in their attempt to reach the U.S.
According to the report, which was published on Tuesday, November 26, the number of Afghan migrants colonists has increased from 98 individuals between 2010 and 2020 to 8,294 individuals between 2021 and 2024.
This sharp increase in migration to the United States has occurred during the period of Taliban ...Arabic for students... rule in Afghanistan.
Following the return of the Taliban to power in August 2021, international reports indicate that over eight million people have fled Afghanistan. This unprecedented "mass migration" has been described as a major humanitarian crisis.
The Federation for Immigration Reform in the U.S. also highlighted the trend of increased migration through the Darien Gap over the past four years (2021-2024) compared to the previous decade (2010-2020).
The report particularly expressed concern about migrants colonists from Afghanistan and China. There has been increased concern about Afghan migrants colonists in the U.S. after American forces thwarted a terrorist attack by an Afghan national during the U.S. elections.
Some U.S. senators are worried that the Chinese government might be using migrants colonists as a means of espionage within the country.
The rise in Afghan migration can be seen as part of a broader trend of displacement caused by conflict, political instability, and economic hardship in many regions of the world. As the number of Afghan refugees continues to grow, the international community faces a pressing challenge in providing adequate support and ensuring that migrants colonists are treated with dignity and respect.
The issue also raises important questions about migration policies and security concerns, particularly in the U.S., where the increasing number of migrants colonists from countries like Afghanistan and China has prompted discussions about national security.
[KhaamaPress] Ahmad Masoumifar, the head of Iran’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs representative office, has warned that by the end of this year, 2.5 million undocumented Afghan migrants will be expelled from Iran.
According to the state-run news agency IRNA, the reduction in the entry of illegal Afghan migrants into Iran has been significant.
He emphasized that the deportation of unauthorized nationals does not require an agreement with any country and that, based on decisions made within the Iranian system, Afghan nationals without legal documentation must leave Iran.
The Iranian official also stated, “If their return is voluntary, that is preferred; otherwise, the relevant authorities will take action.”
The report mentioned that the de facto administration also understands this situation and it is natural for them not to defend individuals who have entered Iran illegally and remained there.
In recent months, the process of expelling Afghan migrants from Iran has intensified.
According to statistics from the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), currently, 4.5 million Afghan migrants, both with legal migration documents, long-term visas, or no legal documentation, are living in Iran.
The Iranian government’s decision to expel undocumented Afghan migrants has sparked significant concerns about the well-being of those affected. Many fear the hardship they will face upon their return to Afghanistan, which remains in a state of instability and economic difficulty.
[KhaamaPress] The Greek Coast Guard has reported that eight refugees, including six children and two women, have drowned after a boat sank near the island of "Samos."
International media outlets, citing the Greek Coast Guard on Monday, November 25, reported that 36 survivors from the boat were rescued.
The report indicated that strong winds have hindered the search operations for potential additional survivors.
It is still unclear how many people were on board the boat at the time of the sinking.
The island of Samos, located near The Sick Man of Europe Turkey ...the only place on the face of the earth that misses the Ottoman Empire... , is one of the key entry points to the European Union ...the successor to the Holy Roman Empire, only without the Hapsburgs and the nifty uniforms and the dancing... Meanwhile,
...back at the mall, Clarissa spent the day shopping for new underwear. Tonight was going to be a special occasion... the number of illegal migrants colonists arriving from Samos has increased in recent months.
Previously, the United Nations ...an organization conceived in the belief that we're just one big happy world, with the sort of results you'd expect from such nonsense... High Commissioner for Refugees had stated that in 2024, Afghan refugees would make up the second-largest group of asylum seekers after Syrians.
According to the UN, in 2024, a total of 28,352 refugees arrived in Greece by sea, with 25% of them coming from Afghanistan.
The growing number of Afghan refugees making the perilous journey to Europa ...the land mass occupying the space between the English Channel and the Urals, also known as Moslem Lebensraum... highlights the ongoing crisis and instability in Afghanistan, which continues to push people to seek safety elsewhere.
The tragic deaths near Samos are a stark reminder of the dangerous routes many
…which should be enough to have him reconsider his choices…
[KhaamaPress] Rooters reported that Donald Trump ...So far he's been unkillable, and they've tried.... ’s team, the elected president of the United States, is discussing the possibility of reviving direct negotiations with Kim Pudge Jong-un ...the overweight, pouty-looking hereditary potentate of North Korea. Pudge appears to believe in his own divinity, but has yet to produce any loaves and fishes, so his subjects remain malnourished... , the leader of North Korea ...hereditary Communist monarchy distinguished by its truculence and periodic acts of violence. Distinguishing features include Songun (Army First) policy, which involves feeding the army before anyone but the Dear Leadership, and Juche, which is Kim Jong Il's personal interpretation of Marxism-Leninism, which he told everybody was brilliant. In 1950 the industrialized North invaded agrarian South Korea. Twenty-one countries of the United Nations eventually contributed to the UN force opposing the invasion, with the United States providing around 90% of the military personnel. Seventy years later the economic results are in and it doesn't look good for Juche... On Tuesday, November 26, Rooters reported that many people in Trump’s team believe direct talks with Kim Jong-un are the best way to improve relations.
According to the report, discussions among Trump’s close circle on this issue are ongoing, but Trump has not yet made a final decision.
During his first term as president, Trump initiated direct negotiations with Kim Jong-un, the leader of North Korea. He met with Kim several times, including a historic handshake and dialogue at the border between North and South Korea.
After Trump’s defeat to Joe The Big Guy Biden ...46th president of the U.S. Old, boring, a plagiarist, fond of hair sniffing and grabbing the protruding parts of women, and not whatcha call brilliant.... in the 2020 election, direct talks with North Korea were halted, and North Korea signed a strategic pact with Russia.
Earlier, Trump appointed Alex Wong, one of the key figures in advancing direct talks with North Korea during his first term, as his deputy national security advisor.
The potential revival of talks with North Korea reflects Trump’s ongoing interest in engaging with Kim Jong-un despite the challenges faced during his previous term. Direct diplomacy, which was a hallmark of Trump’s approach to North Korea, had gained some attention and support for its potential to ease tensions.
As the situation develops, it remains to be seen whether Trump will proceed with this initiative or whether his administration will focus on other diplomatic strategies. Regardless of the outcome, the implications for U.S. foreign policy and relations with North Korea will be significant in the coming years.
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
[Regnum] Former SHABAS (Israel Prison Service) officer Shalom Nagar, who carried out the death sentence of a Nazi criminal, has died at the age of 86.This was reported on November 27 by The Jerusalem Post.
Shalom Nagar was born in Yemen and immigrated to Israel with his brother in 1949. He served as a paratrooper in the Israeli army and after completing his service became a prison guard in the city of Ramla. It was Shalom Nagar who was chosen by a prison officer to carry out the death sentence of SS-Obersturmbannführer Eichmann in 1962.
Eichmann was a key figure in the management and logistics of transporting Jewish deportees to ghettos and concentration camps. He has been called one of the architects of the Holocaust. After World War II, Eichmann, hiding his SS affiliation, managed to emigrate to Argentina and lived under the name Ricardo Klement. In 1960, Israeli intelligence detained him and managed to bring him out of Argentina for trial.
In Jerusalem in 1961, a trial began, as a result of which Eichmann was charged with 15 charges, including war crimes and crimes against humanity, and sentenced to death. The sentence was carried out in 1962, and the Nazi's ashes were scattered at sea. According to the publication, this was the first trial in history to be broadcast on television, and the only official execution in Israel.
The identity of the executioner who carried out the sentence was kept a closely guarded secret.
"I had dreams where I always felt like Eichmann was stalking me. This went on for a year. Then it all stopped, as if nothing had happened. I kept the secret for 30 years," said Shalom Nagar. He worked in the Israeli prison system until 1986, and after retiring, he turned to religion.
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited. by Kirill Semenov
[REGNUM] On November 26, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced that his security cabinet had approved a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah.
The prime minister did not elaborate on the terms of the ceasefire or the date it would come into effect. He said the duration of the ceasefire would depend on how events unfold in Lebanon. " We will ensure compliance with the agreement and respond harshly to any violations. We will continue to work together until victory," he said.
Netanyahu stressed that Hezbollah is no longer "the same" as it was before the war: "We have set them back decades." He also promised to focus on confronting Iran and continuing the war with Hamas.
Obviously, this decision was not easy for the head of the Israeli cabinet, which was under external pressure. It was the administration of US President Joe Biden that finally managed to convince Netanyahu to agree to a truce.
Although it was much easier to do this than in Gaza. Many in Israel understood that the war in Lebanon was reaching a dead end, and new major successes were unlikely to be forthcoming, so now was the very chance to put an end to it, even if not quite a victorious one. At the very least, there was a reason to declare success.
However, it should be noted that there were certainly no fewer opponents of this decision in Israel from the very beginning than supporters. Many are not talking about success, but about “giving up the game” and even “capitulation.”
But Israel appeared to be forced to the negotiating table after Washington warned that its failure to reach an agreement would prompt the United States to renounce its veto over a UN Security Council resolution that would have demanded a ceasefire on far less favorable terms and with international legal consequences for Tel Aviv if it refused to comply.
The hardening of the US position was prompted by fears of a regional escalation that threatened to draw Iran, Hezbollah's main ally, into the conflict. So the White House has recently made efforts to persuade Netanyahu's government to accept the deal. France has joined the Americans, and President Emmanuel Macron has stepped up contacts with Lebanese political forces over which Paris retains influence.
"Today's agreement will end the fighting in Lebanon and secure Israel from the threat posed by Hezbollah and other terrorist organizations operating from Lebanon. This agreement will create the conditions for the restoration of lasting calm and allow residents of both countries to safely return to their homes on both sides of the Blue Line," the US-French joint statement on the deal said.
Paris and Washington also said they would work with Israel and Lebanon to ensure the agreements are fully implemented and respected, and would "lead and support international efforts to build the capacity of the Lebanese armed forces" and "economic development throughout Lebanon to promote stability and prosperity."
Iran, in turn, has also signaled that it is ready to conclude a ceasefire and will push Hezbollah to do so. In return for acceptable ceasefire conditions, Tehran has likely decided to postpone or even abandon a retaliatory strike against Israel.
Tehran also did not object to “separating the fronts” of Lebanon and Gaza for the sake of a deal that would not only allow interaction with the new American administration of Donald Trump to begin on a positive note, but would also be able to reduce the risks of Hezbollah losing its influence in Lebanon, which would preserve not only its military potential, but also its future on the Lebanese political scene.
The Party of God, its Lebanese partners, and its rivals supported the cessation of hostilities and, in fact, pushed the movement to accept the agreement. It was not without “blackmail and threats.” The decision was no less difficult for Hezbollah than for Israel. Finally, Lebanese Deputy Parliament Speaker Elias Bou Saab said that the ceasefire was approved in Beirut after Hezbollah authorized its ally from the Shiite Amal Party and Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri to conduct the negotiations.
However, Hezbollah has already made reservations that would allow the movement to withdraw from the ceasefire. They said they had not seen the text of the final version of the ceasefire agreement with Israel.
“After reviewing the agreement signed by the enemy (Israeli – Ed.) government, we will see if there is a correspondence between what we stated and what the Lebanese officials agreed on,” the movement reported.
The pre-approved agreement is in line with UN Security Council Resolution 1701, which ended the 36-day war between Israel and Hezbollah in 2006 but was never fully implemented. In fact, the resolution's lack of new input and retention of the old name without adding any plus signs to its numbers allows Hezbollah to save face.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) is now expected to withdraw its troops entirely from southern Lebanon. Hezbollah is also expected to withdraw its units and heavy weapons north of the Litani River, about 25 kilometers from the border.
During the 60-day transition period, the Lebanese army will be deployed in the border area along with UN peacekeeping forces. All border disputes over the Blue Line, which serves as the border, will be discussed after 60 days and after the withdrawal of Israeli and Hezbollah troops.
The implementation of the agreement will be monitored by a US-led oversight mechanism, which will act as an arbitrator in case of violations. Although the guarantor clause is not formally part of the deal, it is reportedly intended to ensure Israel has a free hand if Hezbollah is found to be maintaining or reintroducing forces south of the Litani.
PYRRHIC VICTORY
Of course, such an outcome can be declared a success for Israel. But it is obvious to many that this is not a victory, but only a temporary respite that both Hezbollah and the IDF are using. The latter is also extremely important. The IDF is extremely exhausted, and this is directly called one of the weights on the scale that tipped Netanyahu toward a truce.
"Israel will welcome the chance to rest its tired ground forces and reservists, and to repair equipment, replenish ammunition and stock up on supplies. It will also welcome the direct involvement of the US, its main ally, in mediating breaches," The Guardian writes.
Israel's success can also be seen in Hezbollah's rejection of the demand that a ceasefire in Lebanon be synchronized with and dependent on a suspension of hostilities in the Gaza Strip. However, this possibility cannot be discounted. Even if a ceasefire is established in Lebanon, the lack of progress in Gaza on a ceasefire could lead to the collapse of the agreements.
There are serious doubts that Israel is really interested in achieving peace in Palestine. In fact, a new Zionist project of creating Jewish settlements and permanent occupation of the enclave is currently being openly discussed in the country.
While it is not the official position of Israel's leadership, senior defense officials recently told Haaretz that the government intends to annex large swaths of Gaza rather than negotiate an end to the war.
On the other hand, despite its apparent success in “disengaging” the Gaza and Lebanon fronts, before the deal was accepted, it provoked ire from the most radical wing of Netanyahu’s coalition.
Thus, the far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir on Monday called the deal a “historic mistake” that failed to achieve the main goal of the war: the return of displaced Israelis to their homes in the north. Ben Gvir was also the “breakwater” against which all attempts to reach a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip were broken. But this time, his efforts did not lead to results.
Mayors of Israel's northernmost communities were also outraged by reports that Netanyahu's government intended to approve the deal, with one calling it a "surrender agreement" and a "disgrace of historic proportions."
National Unity Party leader Benny Gantz also spoke out against the deal, saying that “the current withdrawal of troops and the dynamics created create difficulties for us and will facilitate the reorganization of Hezbollah.”
Former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett also said the agreement "does not address any of the three threats that the people of the north face, as reported," referring to possible Hezbollah infiltration, direct ATGM and close-in strikes, and deep-launch rocket fire.
He said this is possible because the agreements do not include the creation of a buffer zone where Hezbollah and the Lebanese government are prohibited from rebuilding homes and buildings that could be used as shelters for rocket attacks or as undetected staging areas for sabotage groups.
Thus, Israel fears that Hezbollah will use the time allotted for the ceasefire to regroup and recuperate. It is not possible to expect the “Party of God” to voluntarily disarm, as Resolution 1701 envisaged, so it will continue to be an existential threat to Israel.
Hezbollah has retained its military potential, having lost 1,660 fighters since October 8, 2023, including those killed in Syria, which is generally not so critical for the movement. And the high-profile raid of the IDF's 91st Division on the Litani River on the eve of the approval of the deal should be viewed as a significant event only with a big caveat.
Israeli forces reached the river where it comes closest to the Blue Line in the Golan Heights. The distance from the border to the river in this section is only 3 km, not the average 20-25 km along its course in the south.
That is, in military terms, Israel's successes in the current war are the least tangible compared to past large-scale clashes, despite the killing of Hezbollah's top leadership.
In the first Lebanon war in 1982, the Israelis were able to reach Beirut. In the second, they reached the Litani River at a distance of 25 km from the border. In the third, they managed to penetrate only 3 km, and only in one small area on the Golan Heights side.
HEZBOLLAH AND IRAN NOT READY TO ADMIT DEFEAT
It is clear that the Party of God could have continued to hold back the IDF's attempts to advance into Lebanon, but the barbaric bombing of Lebanese cities by the Israeli Air Force, in which civilians were killed every day, increased the pressure on Hezbollah from the country's population and political forces.
Thus, in Lebanon, about 100,000 residential buildings were destroyed, 37 towns and villages were turned into ruins, more than 3,000 civilians were killed, and 1.2 million Lebanese became refugees and internally displaced persons.
Naturally, not only Hezbollah's political opponents, but also its partners did not want Lebanon to turn into dead ruins like Gaza, where women and children suffered the most, and every day hundreds of residents were buried under the rubble of their homes, which became mass graves.
The IDF used this strategy, essentially taking the entire population of Lebanon hostage. The “suspicion” that a Hezbollah functionary was hiding in a multi-story building was enough to destroy not only that building and all its inhabitants, but also an entire neighborhood and its entire population.
At the same time, Israel did not divide the members of the “Party of God” into civilians and soldiers, and killed Lebanese day after day in the expectation that Hezbollah would be forced sooner or later to agree to Israeli demands, transmitted with the help of the United States.
Hezbollah now faces a difficult choice, since full compliance with these demands could deprive it of its future. However, an important positive outcome for it in the current phase of the conflict is that it was able to fight off a much more powerful enemy with the most modern weapons.
In addition, the movement demonstrated particular resilience. The loss of virtually all of its leadership did not lead to its collapse or loss of combat capabilities. The "Party of God" fully retained its missile potential and continued to strike Israel, including Tel Aviv, until the very end.
"The first result of this agreement is that the resistance remains and that its capabilities, as recent months have shown, are not linked to its location south or north of the [Litani] River," Lebanese outlet Al-Akhbar reported.
In other words, it is a question of Hezbollah not having a problem returning to the south and attacking Israel if the situation changes. In fact, the Israelis are afraid that the sword that remains in the hands of the Party of God has only been lowered and can once again be brought down on the northern regions of the country.
The main problems of Hezbollah and Iran in the current conditions are now aid to Hamas and the need to restore the authority of the "Party of God" in Lebanon. Hezbollah dragged Lebanon into its war under the slogans of supporting Gaza, brought death and destruction to the country, but did not achieve its goal: a truce was concluded only in Lebanon, while Hamas and Palestine remain under attack. And was it worth starting a campaign because of this?
At the same time, from a military point of view, it was justified in any case. The fact that Hamas was able to survive and continues to resist to this day is a great merit of Hezbollah. It did not allow Israel to throw all its forces at Gaza, pulling the most combat-ready units to the north. But for many Lebanese, this is small consolation, especially since the future of Gaza remains uncertain.
Therefore, there are big risks that the current ceasefire will be just a short respite in a big war. The new Trump administration, of course, would like everything to end there. Iran, which is ready to resume dialogue with the Republicans, wants the same.
But there are many factors that could bury these intentions. And the main one is Netanyahu and his determination to crush Gaza at any cost, regardless of civilian casualties.
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited. by Denis Davydov
[REGNUM] The 120mm mortar shells of the Ukrainian Armed Forces turned out to be defective in huge quantities and do not fly anywhere. Sometimes they even get stuck in the mortar barrel, to the delight of the crew. The epic video was posted online by Ukrainian investigative journalist Yuriy Nikolov, after which an impressive scandal began around the Ministry of Defense, which placed an order for production at the plant of the state company "Ukrainian Defense Industry".
After a series of publications in the media and hysterical statements by politicians, the military department nevertheless convened a meeting, recalled a batch of 100,000 mines (which would have been enough for six months of economical use) and ordered an inspection of the manufacturing plant. New production and sending of a batch of shells to the military will take another two to three months. However, as the editor-in-chief of the publication "Censor.net" Yuri Butusov claims , other batches have already been sent to the troops, and the scale of the catastrophe is difficult to assess.
Moreover, several batches of 82 mm caliber mines from the same manufacturer were recalled from the troops in November.
The situation is made especially piquant by the fact that the production of these munitions was pompously presented in February last year as a joint project "with a member country of the North Atlantic Alliance." "120-mm mines are manufactured using modern technologies. Production capacities are dispersed, in particular, part of them are located in one of the European countries," the state concern "Ukroboronprom" reported on this matter.
Now it turns out that they fall apart in the hands, work abnormally, deviate from the aiming point by hundreds of meters, fall on the flight path at a distance of 10-150 meters from the mortar. In one part of 17 shots, nine mines did not reach the target up to 600 meters, seven did not explode (three did not leave the barrel at all) and only one mine hit the target.
And according to Butusov, Ukraine allocated 24 billion dollars for production.
But that's not all.
In February 2024, the Ukrainian Defense Procurement Agency advanced almost $1.2 billion to supply 152/122mm ammunition. According to the "opposition," there are problems with them, too. The scandal-mongering MP from "European Solidarity" Oleksiy Goncharenko said that "one defense enterprise was supposed to supply 250,000 122mm rounds by the end of the year, starting in May, and another 50,000. Of the entire batch, only the second enterprise was able to supply 20,000. Or maybe there is something there that we don't know about? What should we do now? We don't have the ammunition that we need right now to defend Pokrovsk, Kupyansk, etc. What is the Defense Minister doing?"
And he immediately registered a draft resolution proposing to dismiss Minister Rustem Umerov - on November 26 it already appeared on the Verkhovna Rada website. The ministry is weakly kicking in response - in the confusion its head slipped away to Seoul with his delegation . In the capital of South Korea, Umerov is negotiating military aid to Kiev, demonstrating that he has no time to deal with all sorts of trifles.
The interdepartmental commission that was created included representatives from the Ministry of Defense, the Ministry of Strategic Industry, and the defense sector, and it spent several weeks in a closed session investigating the causes of the problem. "I cannot disclose the details, but in general it was found that the main reasons were the drop in temperature and increased humidity. In dry weather conditions, these mines did not malfunction," Fedir Venislavsky, a member of the Verkhovna Rada Defense Committee, told the press .
He carefully avoids accusations against the manufacturing plant, saying, let law enforcement say such serious things, especially since the State Bureau of Investigation has already opened a criminal case. And Venislavsky is skeptical about the dismissal of the Minister of Defense. What does Umerov have to do with it? All this is more the competence of the Ministry for Strategic Industries, since the enterprises are part of its structure.
However, the freelance adviser to the President of Ukraine on strategic issues, Alexander Kamyshin , who headed the Ministry of Strategic Industry until September 2024, is keeping a mysterious silence. They promised to bring imported mines to the army as a replacement, and then, apparently, they set a course to winding down the scandal and "covering up the ends." The military is already accused of improperly storing ammunition, due to which "the gunpowder simply got damp."
Too much money has already been written off and spent.
But the fact that Umerov and Kamyshin knew everything and understood it perfectly is evidenced by the Ukrainian weapons supply system itself. At the very beginning, the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine says what weapons it needs, and the Ministry of Defense informs the Defense Procurement Agency (DPA) how much and what needs to be contracted. The military representative from the Main Directorate for Technical Evaluation and Quality Control of Armaments and Military Equipment of the Ministry of Defense evaluates directly at the plant whether weapons can be made there or not.
If the conclusion is positive, the JSC concludes a contract and gives an advance payment for the launch of production, and the military representative controls the quality and quantity. Without his signature, there will be no payment. And if the complaints came directly from the troops, this means that at all previous stages, crooked mines were missed deliberately.
The fact is that back in the winter of 2023-2024, the Ministry of Defense and the Ministry of Strategic Industry agreed among themselves that they would implement Zelensky's brilliant idea of increasing weapons production in Ukraine instead of purchasing them abroad to their mutual benefit. A sweet order was placed at the enterprise with the task of producing various ammunition, including the production of 120mm mine rounds in the amount of 300 thousand with the possibility of increasing the volume to 370 thousand per year.
The military representative on the spot issued a conclusion that the plant does not know how to make the right fuses and does not have the necessary gunpowder (it must be said that no one in Ukraine has them, and there are no methods for checking foreign products). However, all this was removed from the contract documents, and the fuses were brought from the warehouses of the Logistics Forces Command of the Armed Forces of Ukraine - what they had. And there were non-standard ones, triggered "only during the assembly of the second charge."
Nevertheless, on February 9, 2023, AOZ received an even more optimistic conclusion from the military representative - taking into account the workload, the plant can produce 670 thousand mines per year! And the contract was signed, including for 43 billion UAH, which Zelensky took from local budgets and redirected to the state budget for the production of weapons.
That is, local communities have simply been brazenly robbed and will be robbed again, since those responsible must get imported replacements for defective products from underground. And since the scandal has come to light, foreign suppliers will gladly raise prices. They know very well that Ukraine has no alternative. Sources for the publication "Zerkalo Nedeli" claim that the Ukrainian Armed Forces are currently using up to 20 thousand mines per month in a very economical mode.
"The manufacturing company will eliminate all problems at its own expense and supply a completely new batch of mines instead of those mines that have such defects. They will undergo stricter control - this particular batch and from this manufacturer - in order to avoid any problems in the future," MP Venislavsky reassures everyone.
The ruling party he represents has remained remarkably calm in the face of the critical problem of ammunition shortages. And this is not surprising, since in the conditions of the destruction of almost all sectors of the economy, the main money revolves in the orbit of the Ministry of Defense. The minister is its manager, and his department is constantly embroiled in scandals due to brazen theft.
Literally at the beginning of this year, violations of more than 10 billion hryvnias were revealed in the Ministry of Defense in just 4 months. Former Deputy Minister of Defense Vyacheslav Shapovalov , who was responsible for logistics, purchased billions of hryvnias worth of “defective” bulletproof vests and winter jackets for servicemen. The troops ordered the famous eggs for 17 hryvnias each, and the head of the Ministry of Defense department and his accomplices were caught stealing 1.5 billion hryvnias from the purchase of shells.
In September 2024, the SBU and the National Police detained the head of the Finance Department of the Ministry of Defense and two of his accomplices who demanded bribes for the accrual of social benefits for wounded soldiers of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. The employees of the TCC, reporting to the General Staff at the final point, are maintained at the expense of the Ministry of Defense: provision of personnel, transport, material and technical resources. That is, the shaft of cash collected from victims caught on the street is also concentrated there, at the top. Investments must be worked off.
So when someone from the current Ukrainian elite talks about a "war for survival" (or, as the famous volunteer Maria Berlinskaya said , " so that our tribe survives "), then all this is very serious. This tribe will do everything to survive, even if no one else survives from those who actually pay for this war with their lives and future.
[COFutures] First Death in U.S. Resulting in a Criminal Indictment
C/O Futures Narcotics Research Note Series
Pamela Ligouri Bunker and Robert J. Bunker
A Stevenson Ranch resident, aged 22, died of an overdose of protonitazene on 19 April 2024 when he ingested counterfeit pink K-56 pills (i.e. oxycodone). He was sold the pills by Benjamin Anthony Collins (aka “BenzThaKidd”), homeless man aged 21, in what has become the first death in the U.S. resulting in a criminal indictment related to protonitazene.
This novel synthetic opioid is three times more powerful than fentanyl, almost unknown on America’s streets, and is being sourced from China. It is being cut (mixed) with other narcotics to make them more potent and cheaper to produce. It exists in the nitazene family of drugs developed in the 1950s as a replacement for morphine but these were not approved for use due to their dangerous effects which can include almost immediate death.
This drug family, known as ‘Frankenstein opioids,’ also includes isotonitazene which is more common and has been appearing on America’s streets since 2019.
[KhaamaPress] Following the detention of undocumented migrants colonists in The Sick Man of Europe Turkey ...the occupiers of Greek Asia Minor... , local media reported the arrest of 59 Afghan migrants colonists within the country. Among those detained was one individual from Pakistain.
According to Ottoman Turkish media, these individuals were arrested by police in the Dogubayazit district of Agri Province while being transported from one location to another in a vehicle.
Ottoman Turkish police stated that the arrests occurred precisely during the migrants colonists’ movement and confirmed that four others were also detained on charges of human trafficking.
The detention of Afghan migrants colonists in Turkey is not a new phenomenon. Ottoman Turkish authorities have previously arrested undocumented Afghan migrants colonists from various parts of the country and subsequently transferred them to deportation centers.
This comes as many Afghan youths, driven by poverty and unemployment in their homeland, are compelled to undertake perilous journeys of illegal migration.
The continued arrest of Afghan migrants colonists highlights the urgent need for coordinated international efforts to address the root causes of migration. Economic instability and security challenges in Afghanistan remain critical factors pushing individuals to seek refuge abroad.
Commentary by Russian military journalist is in italics.
[ColonelCassad] The character in the video reports that in Dzerzhinsk, in one of the Ukrainian Armed Forces brigades, losses in 10 days amounted to "minus 500". Some simply disappeared.
UAV company commander Andrey Onistrat on the losses of the Ukrainian Armed Forces in Toretsk:
I arrive in Toretsk as part of the 150th Brigade. I am going to interact with the 95th Brigade, which we are replacing. This has been going on for a long time, we can talk about it. On the first evening, I arrive in Toretsk, drive around all the points. He shows "here is one point, here is the second point, here is the third, here is this, here is this, here is this". From there I go to the Delta situation center and listen to the duty officer's report that up to 150 people [Russian Armed Forces fighters] have entered Toretsk, behind our lines.
That is, it is clear that Toretsk is long, well, it is like Manhattan, and our LBS is physically located there at the very top, near Gorlovka. And at that moment, and there are already 150 people [Russian Armed Forces fighters] sitting here, and the 95th couldn’t handle it, that is, it’s a known fact, and at that moment we receive the task of withdrawing and replacing the 95th [brigade] to the LBS. That is, past the already captured territories.
The first day — 4 armored vehicles, minus 40 people. They disappeared. Disappeared. Not only were they not accompanied, but they disappeared. On the second day, the situation repeats itself. I talk to the brigade commander, I say, “go listen to the situation in the situation center, you can see everything there, dots, people, how many people came in.” [Well, that is, 40 people went and didn’t come back?] No, they didn’t come back, they disappeared! [And the next day, the same 40 of our people?] Yes! Well, I don’t know if it was 40, I wasn’t at the command post when they were sent, but... In short, 10 days — minus 500 people. Just minus 500!
The losses of the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) in Dzerzhinsk (Ukrainian name — Toretsk) over 10 days amounted to 500 fighters. This was stated on November 27 by the commander of the drone company Andriy Onistrat.
According to him, the fighters disappeared during the period when the 95th brigade was replaced by the 150th. At that time, about 150 Russian soldiers entered the rear.
"Four armored vehicles, minus 40 people. They disappeared. Not only were they not accompanied. And they disappeared," the commander was quoted as saying by the publication "Strana.ua".
The situation repeated itself over the course of 10 days. As a result, the Ukrainian army lost 500 people.
As reported by the Regnum news agency, fighters from the nationalist Azov battalion (an organization recognized as terrorist and extremist, banned in Russia) near Dzerzhinsk began to probe Russian forward positions by dropping explosives from drones. The company commander of the 56th separate special forces battalion (OSPN) of the 51st Army, call sign Shmel, noted that the battalion's fighters have stopped throwing drones around. Now they do not send the "bird" one way, but drop explosives from it onto positions and fly the UAVs back.
On November 4, Ukrainian troops began evacuating civilians from the town of Konstantinovka in the part of the DPR controlled by the Kiev regime. It is less than 10 km from Dzerzhinsk, where Russian troops are gradually liberating house by house. Ukrainian Armed Forces soldiers noted that for the Ukrainian side, a breakthrough by the Russian Armed Forces in Dzerzhinsk would have “catastrophic” consequences.
On October 27, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced that Russian troops had liberated two-thirds of Dzerzhinsk. According to The New York Times, the advance of the Russian Armed Forces in the city area could cut off Ukrainian positions from logistics routes, which would lead to a collapse of the defense.
[IsraelTimes] The IDF says it foiled an attempt to smuggle weapons into Israel from Egypt earlier today, using a drone.
The drone had been identified crossing the border from Egypt into Israel, before it was downed by troops of the Border Defense Corps’ Caracal Battalion.
Troops at the scene found that the drone was ferrying four rifles, five magazines and hundreds of bullets, the military adds.
[IsraelTimes] Nearly 3,000 homes and buildings in Israel were damaged over the last 14 months of war with Hezbollah, Army Radio reports, citing official figures.
The tally of 2,874 structures includes 841 that will need to be completely rebuilt, according to the report.
In Kiryat Shmona alone, 382 buildings suffered damage, while the nearby kibbutz of Manara and the Western Galilee towns of Nahariya and Shlomi also took significant hits.
Israeli authorities have previously estimated property damage to be at least NIS 1 billion ($273 million).
About 55,000 acres of forestry, nature reserve, parks and open lands in northern Israel and the Golan Heights have been burnt down since the start of the war, Israeli authorities say.
Long. Informative. Something to read with your hurried morning coffee before you start all the Thanksgiving things — if you’re hosting — or to enjoy over your leisurely breakfast if someone else has the responsibility. ;-)
[JustTheNews] Part of President-elect Donald’s Trump plan to rein in censorship, which he disclosed on Nov. 9, involves tweaking section 230 of the Communications Decency Act of 1996.
Section 230 gives social media companies liability immunity for user posts, though Trump wants it to apply only to those with “high standards of neutrality,” not just those who appear to routinely take down posts that lean conservative.
Without calling out by name Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube or a legacy media, Trump referred to “a sinister group of deep-state bureaucrats, Silicon Valley tyrants, left-wing activists and depraved corporate news media.”
Coinciding with Trump’s bold plan, Just the News has launched a four-part series exploring the media watchdogs who censor.
In the first part of this the series, we explored the Trusted News Initiative. In this second installment, we look at NewsGuard.
NEWSGUARD
Unlike the other media watchdogs in this series, NewsGuard is a for-profit company, making money in a variety of ways that include licensing its ratings, dubbed “Nutrition Labels,” that search engines and Internet Service Providers, or ISPs, use to warn users against news sources NewsGuard deems unreliable.
For $4.95 a month, consumers can attach NewsGuard’s nutrition labels to all of their Internet search results, allegedly so that they’ll know if what they are reading is true or not, based on the opinions of the dozens of researcher/journalists the company employs.
NewsGuard discloses who those journalists are and their credentials in a bio page.
In the five years since its founding, NewsGuard has ingrained itself into schools, libraries and hospitals, and it has struck contracts with the Defense Department (though the company told Just the News it does not currently generate revenue from the government).
Among its products is BrandGuard, used by advertisers and the agencies that represent them, to ensure their ads don’t appear alongside news stories and at media outlets to which NewsGuard assigns a low rating.
Thus, it wields unusual power for such a young company, given that media outlets that get a low grade will most likley suffer a decline in traffic and advertising revenue.
Its claim of nonpartisanship, though, appears dubious, given its team of human fact-checkers rarely deviate from the legacy media’s approved narrative, and outlets that stray – often conservative ones – are more often than legacy ones given lower marks.
Thus, right-leaning outlets such as Breitbart News and the Daily Wire score Nutrition Labels of just 49.5%, while The Washington Post scores 100%.
That perfect rating stands in contrast to the august newspaper insisted for months – until after the election – that first son Hunter Biden’s laptop was fake; appeared to frame stories to insinuate that Trump was acting as an agent for Russia during his first term as president; and dismissed the possibility that COVID-19 leaked from a lab in Wuhan, China. All these turned out to be false.
Insiders at multiple media outlets told Just the News that many companies arbitrarily choose a 70% NewsGuard rating as a minimum threshold before they’ll consider buying an ad, notably just above the 69.5% rating it gives to Fox News. NewsGuard, though, told Just the News that 60% is a more common threshold.
The Nutrition Labels are based on several categories including: false or misleading content; how an outlet gathers and presents news responsibly; effective practices for correcting errors; avoiding deceptive headlines; the disclosures of ownership and financing, potential conflicts of interest; whether advertising is clearly labeled; whether the names of an outlet's content creators are disclosed and their biographies are provided; and how an outlet handles the difference between news and opinion responsibly.
The New York Times lost 12.5 points in that latter category, depriving it of a perfect score.
“It’s nuts. They hold different outlets to different standards,” said one media executive who has dealt with NewsGuard. Indeed, media insiders pointed out that while the Daily Beast was penalized for reporting that Biden’s laptop was likely fake, more traditional outlets like The Post and The New York Times were not.
“It’s not an unbiased tool. It’s arbitrary categories with arbitrary weighting from people who think they know best because they were once journalists,” the media insider also said. “It’s terrible to begin with, and a shame it ever got traction.”
Just the News asked NewsGuard why, if the disclosure of financing is important, does it not take into account revenue from advertisers, given how often media companies are accused of bias in favor of pharmaceutical companies, for example, because they are the nation’s largest buyer of ads.
NewsGuard replied: “Simply receiving some ads from an industry that a site also covers, among many other ads from other industries, would not cause a site to lose points.”
NewsGuard told Just The News that it employs 40 "analysts" to rate news outlets. It wouldn’t say whether more are Democrats or Republicans, though an insider familiar with the situation estimates 65% lean left.
NewsGuard also argues many conservative outlets score higher than liberal ones, using as an example Fox News' 69.5% compared to MSNBC's 49.5%.
BULLYING AS A BUSINESS MODEL
NewsGuard also pointed out that co-CEO Gordon Crovitz is a long-time conservative writer for The Wall Street Journal, the Heritage Foundation and Regnery Publishing.
If a media outlet scores poorly, NewsGuard will tell it what to do to raise its rating.
Sometimes the advice is ambiguous. One media executive told Just the News that his outlet was informed that NewsGuard was “uncomfortable” with some of their opinion pieces.
“Who are they to say to say what our audience and advertisers should be comfortable with?” said the executive, who chose to remain unnamed. “It’s like they saw a space to launch a company to bully conservative news sites and promote the ones they like. They don’t look at every story, they pull out the ones they disagree with to downgrade your newsroom.”
NewsGuard said its criteria is based on “apolitical criteria of journalistic practice,” and that it was founded as “an alternative to government censorship or the continued dominance of the secret ratings of news publishers by the social media companies and left-wing advocacy groups.”
But conservatives don’t buy it, hence a House Judiciary Committee report criticized the company for its stories that correctly reported that a Gaza hospital explosion was due to a misfired Hamas rocket but not penalizing outlets that falsely reported that Biden’s laptop was "Russian disinformation." (NewsGuard penalized the Daily Beast until it corrected its reporting, two months after The New York Times and Washington Post, which were not penalized, corrected theirs).
One interesting aside is that retired General Michael Hayden, who in 2020 along with 50 other former security operatives signed the now-infamous and debunked statement positing the Biden laptop as fake, serves as an "advisor" to the board of NewsGuard. A congressional report indicated that the statement was drafted and circulated by then Biden campaign staffer Antony Blinken.
GLOBAL ALLIANCE FOR RESPONSIBLE MEDIA
Republicans also held a hearing on July 10 to explore possibe collusion in the Global Alliance for Responsible Media, another watchdog accused of censorship that was sued by X (formerly Twitter) and Rumble in August and folded a few days later.
At the hearing this summer, the Daily Wire’s Ben Shapiro testified that NewsGuard “has penalized us openly for being a conservative site. When we mention that we are actually honest about our bias, what they said is, ‘Well, that means you are not objective,’ as opposed to other outlets which claim to be objective but actually are biased toward the left.”
As first reported by Newsmax, on Nov. 13, FCC Commissioner Brendan Carr wrote a letter about NewsGuard to the CEOs of Alphabet (the parent company of Google and YouTube); Meta (the parent of Facebook and Instagram); Microsoft; and Apple.
Just as Trump referenced how tech companies risk liability protection under Section 230 if they don’t act in good faith by allowing diverse viewpoints, so does Carr, whom Trump has picked to lead the agency.
But the major point of his letter, reviewed by Just the News, is to seek intel on how the four major tech companies employ “the Orwellian named NewsGuard,” as Carr put it.
“NewsGuard has consistently rated official propaganda from the Communist Party of China as more credible than American publications,” writes Carr, pointing to a report from the conservative Media Research Center. The report includes that NewsGuard co-founder and co-CEO Steven Brill went on CNBC in 2020 to claim the laptop story was probably a Russian hoax.
Commentary by Russian military journalist Boris Rozhin:
[ColonelCassad] A truce has begun on the border between Lebanon and Israel. Some Lebanese residents have begun to return to their homes. According to the agreement, Israel must withdraw its troops from Lebanese territory, which in fact leads to a repeat of the results of Operation Cast Lead, about which the Nazis from the Netanyahu government were already bubbling yesterday.
Nazis?? Not even pretending a little bit, Mr. Rozhin.
Despite its losses, Hezbollah was not defeated and, up until the truce, was shelling Israel on a daily basis, although Israel declared it "defeated" back in September.
Iran also welcomed the concluded truce. Hezbollah will be able to restore its strength for the next rounds,
…it will be interesting to see what happens when they try…
and shelling of Israel will be able to continue from Iraq and Yemen.
Before leaving, the Biden administration will also try to achieve a truce in Gaza, where Hamas continues to resist.
More from Boris Rozhin: On the ceasefire in Lebanon
1. A declared truce for 60 days. If no new agreements are reached, then formally both sides may continue exchanging blows in late January-early February. In 2 months, Israel will receive new packages of ammunition and air defense missiles, and Hezbollah will receive new missiles and drones from Iran. Plus, it will recruit additional personnel in southern Lebanon. "Come and die for Tehran!"
2. It would be easy to break this agreement by accusing the other side of violating the agreement. The potential for this is more than great, especially given the general impotence of the Lebanese army. Plus, Israel can wait until Trump comes to the White House, who can stand up for Israel much more strongly, which is what the Netanyahu regime hopes for.
3. Of course, both the IDF and Hezbollah will lick their wounds and prepare for the next round of confrontation, just as Israel's failure in 2006 was just a lost battle in an endless war.
4. Both the Netanyahu regime and Hezbollah have been weakened by this round - Netanyahu's seat inside Israel continues to wobble, and he has already lost some of his external legitimacy. Hezbollah has lost some of its leaders and will need to strengthen its control inside Lebanon, where it is effectively an integrated structure within the Lebanese state. This control may be challenged. Overall, the round ended without a clear victory for either side, but Hezbollah won morally, having endured a very intense conflict with a much stronger adversary, backed by the United States.
5. Hamas has spoken out about the ceasefire in Lebanon.
"We highly appreciate the key role played by the Islamic Resistance in Lebanon in supporting the Gaza Strip and the Palestinian Resistance, as well as the enormous sacrifices made by Hezbollah and its leadership, led by Secretary General Shahid Sayyid Hassan Nasrallah. We appreciate the steadfastness of the brotherly Lebanese people and their constant solidarity with the Palestinian people in the face of the occupation and its brutal aggression, and we pray to Almighty God to protect Lebanon and its people from all evil and harm.
The enemy's acceptance of the agreement with Lebanon without fulfilling its conditions is an important milestone in destroying Netanyahu's illusions about changing the map of the Middle East by force, as well as his illusions about defeating or disarming the Resistance forces.
We affirm that this agreement would not have been possible without the steadfastness of the Resistance and the rallying of popular support around it, and we are confident of the Resistance axis' constant support for our people and its support for its struggle by all possible means.
As we follow the implementation of this agreement in Lebanon, we pledge our commitment to cooperate with any efforts to achieve a ceasefire in Gaza and are interested in ending the aggression against our people within the parameters of ending the aggression against Gaza that we have agreed upon at the national level, namely: a ceasefire, the withdrawal of the occupying forces, the return of the displaced persons, and a real and complete agreement on the exchange of prisoners.
We praise and are proud of the epic of resilience and pride that our people in the Gaza Strip have demonstrated for more than a year, and we stand with them as they write with their blood and sacrifices bright pages in the history of our people’s ongoing struggle, and we stand with them as one in the trenches of defending our land and confronting the enemy’s plans, and we are loyal to them until the aggression ends.
We call upon the brotherly Arab and Islamic states and the forces of the free world to take serious and effective action against Washington and the Zionist occupation to stop its brutal aggression against our Palestinian people and to put an end to the ongoing war of annihilation in the Gaza Strip.
We reaffirm that our Palestinian people and their valiant resistance will remain true to their national principles and legitimate rights and will defend their land and sanctuaries until the occupation is defeated and eliminated and an independent Palestinian state is established with its capital in Al-Quds (Jerusalem)."
In short, attempts to drive a wedge between Hamas and Hezbollah over the ceasefire have failed. Hamas' demands for withdrawal have not changed, and the fighting in Gaza continues.
Y’all continue believing all that, do. It makes it so much more fun for us.
“Victory from God almighty was the ally of the righteous cause,” a statement from the Iran-backed group said, adding that its fighters “will remain in total readiness to deal with the Israeli enemy’s ambitions and its attacks.”
There is “full cooperation” with the Lebanese state over strengthening the army’s deployment in south Lebanon, Fadlallah tells AFP. He adds that the group has “no visible weapons or bases” there.
Fadlallah also dismisses the part of the ceasefire agreement requiring the Lebanese army to control access to southern Lebanon until Israeli troops withdraw, saying that “nobody can make residents leave their villages.”
#4
Sadat built an entire 6th of October City in Giza governorate, Greater Cairo, to commemorate Egypt’s great victory in the Yom Kippur War. Mr. Wife’s erstwhile employer has a factory there, but for some reason the city was never populated as intended. Which makes me wonder about the new city President el Sisi has been building for Cairo overflow population.
⭕️70% of Hezbollah’s UAV stockpile and most of the cruise missile inventory of Hezbollah’s Aerial Unit (127) were destroyed yesterday.
As part of the IDF's operational activity in Lebanon, IAF fighter jets launched a comprehensive strike last night, prior to the ceasefire… pic.twitter.com/4AZvM6MgDl
… As part of the IDF's operational activity in Lebanon, IAF fighter jets launched a comprehensive strike last night, prior to the ceasefire coming into effect, to dismantle Hezbollah’s Aerial Unit’s terrorist infrastructure, which was systematically entrenched within civilian villages and buildings. The targets struck included:
-150+ UAV Launching Positions
-Approx. 30 of the Unit’s Command Centers
-Approx. 20 Weapons Storage Facilities Containing UAVs and Cruise Missiles
-Approx. 4 UAV and Cruise Missile Manufacturing Workshops
Wow. Just wow!
What the IDF accomplished yesterday will go down in history!
Last night, the IDF destroyed the secret underground base of Hezbollah for the production of missiles. Hezbollah assumed the IDF had no info on this facility. The IDF used 100 bombs, among them bunker… pic.twitter.com/bQVqRiSvi7
In the hours before a ceasefire with Hezbollah came into effect early Wednesday, Israeli fighter jets destroyed the terror group’s largest underground precision-guided missile manufacturing site in Leb, the Israel Defense Forces said.
The military released footage of the Arclight airstrike ...KABOOM!... s from the night before on the site, which was hidden in a subterranean complex that stretched for 1.4 kilometers (less than a mile) near the town of Janta in eastern Lebanon’s Beqaa Valley, very close to the Syrian border.
Fighter jets pounded the location for over four hours, according to the military, dealing "a blow to the Hezbollah terror organization’s ability to produce weapons."
Before the massive bombardment of the missile site, planes struck the surrounding area, including a central Hezbollah Radwan Force base, the IDF said in its statement. The military estimated that dozens of operatives were killed in the strike on the Radwan base.
The missile manufacturing plant was built several years ago with Iranian support, the IDF said. It was used by Hezbollah to build precision surface-to-surface missiles and other weapons, as well as to store the guided missiles. The IDF said that Iranian operatives also worked at the facility alongside Hezbollah. Its proximity to Syria allowed Hezbollah to smuggle into Lebanon thousands of components to build the precision missiles, as well as for operatives to travel between Syria and Lebanon, according to the statement.
"This was Hezbollah’s most strategically significant production facility in Lebanon targeted during the war. The strike was made possible by a precise intelligence file that was collected and built over the years," the IDF said.
IDF front man Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari, in a live presser Wednesday evening, also remarked on the attack, saying Israel had been monitoring the site "for a long time."
*Snicker*
They see you when you’re sleeping
They know when you’re awake
They know if you’ve been bad or good…
He said the complex was divided into different spaces, each of which produced a different part for the precision surface-to-surface missiles.
Preventing Hezbollah from obtaining precision-guided missiles has been a central plank of Israel’s to disrupt Iran’s weapons supply to the terror group.
Waves of IDF strikes until 4 a.m. Wednesday
[IsraelTimes] Several waves of strikes, targeting over 300 Hezbollah sites, were carried out from around 5 p.m. on Tuesday into the night, right up until the ceasefire took effect at 4 a.m.
One of the strikes in the Beqaa Valley, close to the Syrian border, targeted an underground Hezbollah precision-guided missile manufacturing and storage site, the military said.
The IDF said it spent four hours bombing the underground kilometer-long site, which contained machinery used to build precision-guided missiles, as well as depots to store them. An adjacent Radwan Force base was also struck, and the military estimated that several dozen Hezbollah operatives were killed.
Another strike shortly after midnight hit a border crossing between Syria and Leb ...an Iranian satrapy until recently ruled by Hassan Nasrallah situated on the eastern Mediterranean, conveniently adjacent to Israel. Formerly inhabited by hardy Phoenecian traders, its official language is now Arabic, with the usual unpleasant side effects. 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. The Lebs maintain a precarious sectarian balance among Shiites, Sunnis, and about a dozen flavors of Christians, plus Armenians, Georgians, and who knows what else? It is the 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. The Lebs have the curious habit of periodically murdering their heads of state or prime ministers... , which the IDF said was used by Hezbollah to smuggle weapons. Syrian media reported six dead in the strike.
Among the 300 Hezbollah sites struck on the day before the ceasefire, 42 were in Beirut, 48 were in the Beqaa Valley, and 150 were in southern Lebanon, according to the military.
The IDF said targets included 15 sites used by the terror group for the management and storage of funds, 64 command centers, 65 buildings used for military purposes, and 42 weapon depots.
The IDF said that another strike on Tuesday in Beirut killed Jafar Ali Samaha, the operations chief of Hezbollah’s aerial forces, known as Unit 127, which is responsible for drone and cruise missile attacks on Israel.
Throughout the war, the IDF said that it struck over 150 drone launch sites, some 20 depots where drones and cruise missiles were stored, and four manufacturing plants belonging to Unit 127. The military has estimated that 70 percent of Hezbollah’s drone and cruise missile stockpile have been destroyed.
During the entire conflict, the military said, over 12,500 Hezbollah sites in Lebanon were struck, including 360 in Beirut’s southern suburbs. In the 2006 Second Lebanon War, for comparison, some 140 sites were struck in Beirut’s southern suburbs.
In September, the commander of the aerial forces, Muhammad Hussein Sarour, was killed in Beirut. Other top commanders in the unit have also been killed, including Samaha on Tuesday.
Amid the fighting, hundreds of explosive-laden drones launched by Hezbollah at Israel were intercepted, according to the IDF. Numerous drones have also impacted Israel, causing casualties and damage.
Hezbollah began firing into Israel the day after Hamas ..a contraction of the Arabic words for "frothing at the mouth",... ’s October 7, 2023, onslaught in southern Israel, in support of its fellow Iran-backed terror group, drawing Israeli reprisals and leading to the displacement of some 60,000 residents of northern Israel.
Fighting intensified in late September, with Israel killing much of Hezbollah’s leadership and launching a limited ground incursion on October 1 that has seen soldiers search villages for rockets and other arms held by the terror group, and tackle its terror tunnels and other infrastructure.
Hezbollah believes the number of its fighters killed during 14 months of hostilities could reach several thousand, with the vast majority killed since Israel went on the offensive in September, three sources familiar with its operations say, citing previously unreported internal estimates.
One source says the Iran-backed terror group may have lost up to 4,000 people — well over 10 times the number killed in its month-long 2006 war with Israel. So far, Lebanese authorities have said some 3,800 people were killed in the current hostilities, without distinguishing fighters from civilians.
The IDF has estimated that Israeli forces killed some 3,000 Hezbollah operatives.
[Breitbart] A whistleblower who worked at the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) says President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris’s administration has created a “white glove delivery service” that sees hundreds of migrant children funneled into the hands of criminals, traffickers, and cartel members throughout the United States.
During testimony this month before two subcommittees of the House Homeland Security Committee, Tara Lee Rodas detailed the process by which the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) takes custody of Unaccompanied Alien Children (UAC) at the southern border before they are handed over to HHS custody, which then places them with adult sponsors in the U.S.
Rodas worked at HHS in 2021 before blowing the whistle on the UAC program. Since Biden and Harris took office, more than 530,000 UACs have been encountered at the southern border — the majority of whom are teenagers.
“Today, as we speak, children are preparing to work grueling overnight shifts in slaughterhouses, restaurants, and factories,” Rodas said:
Some children may die today in jobs they don’t have the knowledge or skills to do in order to repay never-ending debts to their smugglers and traffickers. Today, children are being sold for sex. Some children, girls and boys, will get sexually transmitted diseases. Some girls – as young as 12, 11, or even 10 years old – will give birth to children of their own. Forced labor and prostitution among underage migrants have more than tripled under [the current Administration]. Today, desperate children will call hotlines, to report they are being abused, neglected, and trafficked. [Emphasis added]
For at least a decade, HHS has been responsible for the suffering of countless children. This assessment is based solely on the information currently available; however, it has been established that the unknown factors significantly outweigh what is known. This must change. [Emphasis added]
According to Rodas, under Biden and Harris, “child trafficking has evolved into an international syndicate of gangs and cartels that is highly organized and very efficient” and HHS “has a 10-year demonstrated record of losing children to sponsors who traffick, exploit, and harm children in unthinkable ways.”
Rodas continued:
Sadly, due to the failed open border policies of the Biden-Harris Administration, we have delivered these unaccompanied children to criminals, traffickers and members of transnational criminal organizations who are using the UAC program as a white glove delivery service of children. These criminal sponsors are defrauding the U.S. government by using the UAC program as the logistical chain of their child trafficking operation. [Emphasis added]
Retired Border Patrol Deputy Agent in Charge J.J. Carrell revealed insider DHS knowledge about the role non-governmental organizations (NGOs) play in the UAC program and how they make billions aiding the federal government with the resettlement of migrant children across the U.S.
Catholic Charities, Lutheran Family Services, and Jewish Family Services are the main NGOs facilitating the UAC program, Carrell said:
I spoke to a gentleman who works in DHS, he actually sends the electronic fund transfers and I asked him, ‘Sir, tell me, who are you responsible for and how much is the largest check you’ve cut?’ He said, ‘I’m over Jewish Family Services and I cut a check for $600 million.’ And I said, ‘Is that for like three years?’ and he told me, ‘J.J., get in the game, that’s two or three months and it’s renewable.’ That’s one NGO. And I said, ‘Well, Catholic Charities is bigger than Jewish Family Services.’ He said, ‘Yes, they get the same or more.’ [Emphasis added]
You’re talking about billions upon billions of dollars given to NGOs to further the trafficking of all, of everyone crossing the border, including children. [Emphasis added]
Rodas said President-Elect Donald Trump’s nominee to lead HHS, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., is “aware of this crisis and his talented team is discussing solutions to end this crisis.”
“In the new Administration, there are simple fixes that Border Czar Tom Homan, HHS Secretary Robert Kennedy, Jr., DHS Secretary Kristi Noem, Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, and others can do to defend and protect children,” Rodas said.
#1
You remember those midnight flights of kids to various places in the U.S.? Some directly from foreign countries? They would land in the wee hours of the morning and be driven off in busses?
[IsraelTimes] A number of US President-elect Donald Trump ...They hit him with slander, they impeached him twice. Nancy Pelosi tore up his State of the Union address on national TV. They stole an election and put his adherents in jail. They vilified him. They couldn't crucify him, so they shot him. Still, they can't keep him down... ’s most prominent cabinet picks and appointees have been targeted by bomb threats and "swatting attacks," Trump’s transition team says. The FBI says it’s investigating.
"Last night and this morning, several of President Trump’s cabinet nominees and administration appointees were targeted in violent mostly peaceful, unAmerican threats to their lives and those who live with them," Trump transition spokesperson Karoline Leavitt says in a statement.
She says the attacks ranged from bomb threats to swatting, in which attackers initiate an emergency law enforcement response against a target victim under false pretenses. The tactic has become a popular one in recent years.
"In response, law enforcement and other authorities acted quickly to ensure the safety of those who were targeted. President Trump and the entire Transition team are grateful for their swift action," Leavitt says.
Among those targeted were New York Representative Elise Stefanik, Trump’s pick to serve as the next ambassador to the United Nations ...an organization originally established to war on dictatorships which was promptly infiltrated by dictatorships and is now held in thrall to dictatorships... , Matt Gaetz, Trump’s initial pick to serve as attorney general, and former New York congressman Lee Zeldin, who has been tapped to lead the Environmental Protection Agency.
Susie Wiles, Trump’s incoming chief of staff, and Pam Bondi, the former Florida Attorney General whom Trump has chosen as Gaetz’s replacement, were also targeted, according to a law enforcement official who spoke on condition of anonymity amid the ongoing investigation. Wiles and Bondi did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Zeldin says in a social media post that he and his family had been threatened.
"A pipe bomb threat targeting me and my family at our home today was sent in with a pro-Paleostinian themed message," he writes on X. "My family and I were not home at the time and are safe. We are working with law enforcement to learn more as this situation develops."
Police in Suffolk County, Long Island, say emergency officers responded to a bomb threat this morning at an address listed in public records as Zeldin’s home and were checking the property.
[IsraelTimes] A senior Hezbollah official who survived an apparent assassination attempt last month is seen in pictures shared by Lebanese media touring openly in public after the declaration of a ceasefire.
Hezbollah Liaison and Coordination Unit chief Wafiq Safa survived a rare strike in central Beirut on October 10, according to reports, though claims at the time described him as badly injured.
In pictures circulating today, Safa is seen without any visible ailments, smiling while standing with two others in a cemetery.
A minaret in the background appears to match one in the Ghobeiry section of Beirut.
Safa was sanctioned in 2019 by the US Treasury Department, which described him as Hezbollah’s interlocutor to the Lebanese security forces.
“As the head of Hezbollah’s security apparatus, which is directly linked to Secretary General Hassan Nasrallah, Safa has exploited Lebanon’s ports and border crossings to smuggle contraband and facilitate travel on behalf of Hezbollah, undermining the security and safety of the Lebanese people, while also draining valuable import duties and revenue away from the Lebanese government,” the Treasury Department wrote at the time.
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
[Newsfront] 23:57 Official summary of the DPR Representative Office in the JCCC from 00:00 11/27/2024 to 00:00 11/28/2024.
A total of 11 facts of armed attacks by the Ukrainian Armed Forces were recorded by the DPR Representative Office in the JCCC over the past day.
There were no reports of civilian casualties.
DAMAGED:
No damage to residential buildings or civil infrastructure facilities was recorded.
A total of 11 artillery attacks in the Gorlovka direction.
A total of 34 units of various ammunition were fired.
21:00 Calculation of the Tor-M2 anti-aircraft missile system of the Center group of forces covered actions of motorized rifle and tank units against enemy reconnaissance drones in the Krasnoarmeysk direction.
19:57 Russian troops were able to cross the Oskolgain a foothold on the outskirts of Dvurechnaya, reported war correspondent Timofey Ermakov.
19:12 UAV operators of the North group of troops destroyed another Ukrainian Armed Forces vehicle in the Khar'kov region. A camouflaged Ukrainian Armed Forces vehicle was identified in a wooded area using a reconnaissance drone. The objective control footage shows a precise strike by an FPV drone on a Ukrainian Armed Forces vehicle and its fire.
18:50 The Russian army is launching massive strikes on the positions of the Ukrainian garrison in Kurakhovo–video.
18:08 The situation along the entire line of combat contact with the Russian Federation remains difficult for the Ukrainian Armed Forces, the Ukrainian General Staff admitted.
Earlier, the British Broadcasting Corporation BBC reported that the eastern front in the combat zone could “collapse” if the Russian Armed Forces maintain the current pace of advance.
16:50 Russian Armed Forces advance towards Sudzha in Kursk Region –map.
16:50 Calculation of the ATGM "Kornet" of the Crimean paratroopers destroyed a group of enemy infantry fighting vehicles in the border area of the Kursk region.
15:59 Enemy reports: "Kurakhovskoye direction. The Russian Armed Forces are regrouping before storming Starye Terny, which controls the Kurakovskoye Reservoir dam from the north.
On the southern flank, the Russians are trying to block the exit routes from the city by moving west and northwest.
Elizavetovka is holding on with its last strength, most of the settlement is in the gray zone, the Russian Armed Forces are constantly storming with armor and landing as far as possible to gain a foothold in the ruins.
Their advance is also recorded in the southeast from Trudovoye in the direction of Veselaya Roshcha.
The neck of this bag becomes even narrower and all escape routes are under close fire control of the enemy."
14:59 The Russian Armed Forces have made significant progress in several areas in the DPR and Khar'kov region, according to a map of Deep State.
13:55 Ukrainian channels confirm the fall of the settlement of Kopanki in the Khar'kov region. In addition, it is reported that the Russian Armed Forces have reached the outskirts of the settlement of Zeleny Gai.
13:35 The Russian Armed Forces occupied the southern part of the village of Lysovka in the Pokrovsky direction
13:12 In the Pokrovsk-Kurakhovskoye direction, Russian attack aircraft advanced in the Lysovka area in the direction of Dachenskoye.
As in Kurakhovo, and in a number of other areas, the enemy, having limited forces and means, tries to counterattack. In most cases, this results in burned armored vehicles, losses and retreats to the starting positions for the Ukrainian Armed Forces.
12:49 Russian troops have come very close to the village of Pushkino in the Selidovsky district.
12:10 The Russian Armed Forces may begin an offensive on the southeastern part of the Dnipropetrovsk region, — ISW.
Analysts note that this could help the Russian Armed Forces achieve their strategic goal – the complete liberation of the DPR.
11:54 Enemy reports: "Russian Armed Forces are advancing in Donbas, encircling Velyka Novosilka. Tactical successes of Russian troops in the west of Donetsk Oblast pose a threat to the supply lines of the Armed Forces of Ukraine leading to Dnipropetrovsk and Zaporizhia Oblasts."
11:21 The Russian Armed Forces have taken control of the supply lines of the Ukrainian Armed Forces garrison in Velyka Novosyolka in the DPR, Vladimir Rogov reported.
10:49 Supercam UAV crews of the West group of forces around the clock carry out control over the enemy, and also adjust the fire of artillery and tank units on the positions of the Ukrainian Armed Forces.
10:15 Ukrainian resources confirm new successes of the Russian Armed Forces beyond Oskol. Deep State reported on the advancement of the Russian Armed Forces and the expansion of the bridgehead beyond Oskol. The Ukrainian channel classifies the settlement of Novomlynsk as a "gray zone".
10:04 The Ukrainian Armed Forces have reinforced their group with foreign legion fighters in the largest fortified area, the Chasovoyarsk refractory plant, the security forces reported.
09:57 The Russian Armed Forces have advanced in three areas in the Khar'kov region: in the area of Kolesnikovka, Kruglyakovka and Dvurechnaya. The advance of Russian troops in this direction has been recorded for the third day in a row.
09:30 Ukrainian Armed Forces personnel in Kurakhovo are attempting to leave their positions on the western outskirts of the city en masse. According to security forces, the fugitives are "desperately trying to get out along the only accessible, but exposed road."
09:17 Special forces of the Russian National Guard destroyed five Ukrainian Armed Forces personnel in a forest in the Kursk region –video.
09:05 UAV calculation of the group commander "Aida" of the special forces "Akhmat" revealed servicemen in NATO uniforms in one of the forest plantations northeast of Sudzha in the Kursk region.
08:57 Servicemen of the Black Sea Fleet Naval Infantry Brigade of the North Forces Group captured Ukrainian Armed Forces bunkers in the border area of the Kursk Region.frames– work to support combat operations in the areas of responsibility of the naval infantry unit.
08:31 Volunteers of the BARS-32 detachment of the Dnepr group are conducting an active defense at a distance of up to a kilometer from the positions of the Ukrainian Armed Forces in the Zaporizhia region, preventing their sorties, said the company commander with the call sign "Melnik" -video.
08:14 Footage of defeat of enemy infantry and various equipment in one of the directions of the front line.
08:08 Russian intelligence discovered launch area of the Ukrainian Armed Forces' Grom-2 OTRK. The launcher was destroyed by a precise strike from the Iskander OTRK.
08:04 A reconnaissance drone of the “South” group shot down a Ukrainian copter-bomber near Novgorodskoye in the DPR, preventing the latter from carrying out a bombing run –video.
08:00 Enemy reports: "The Russian Armed Forces have taken control of Novoselidovka and Petrovka, and have also advanced near Novomlynsk, Zhelty, Pustynka, Pushkino, Razdolnoye, Razliv, Vesyoly Gai, Rovnopol, Solntsevka, Kruglyakovka, Berestki and Kurakhovo."
Worth noting, korrespondent.net has compiled its Invasion of Ukraine series into separate months, beginning May 9th, 2023. Linked in the title.
[Korrespondent] 22:40 Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov held meetings with top officials of South Korea during his visit to Seoul. He reported on the facts of the participation of a 12,000-strong contingent of DPRK troops in the war on the side of Russia.
"The DPRK troops not only provide equipment and people, but also actively support strikes on Ukraine's energy infrastructure," Umerov said.
22.10 Special Operations Forces fighters in the Kursk region of the Russian Federation captured several dozen servicemen of the 810th Marine Brigade. This happened on November 27, when Russia celebrates Marine Corps Day.
21.55 US President Joe Biden may not have time to provide Ukraine with the promised multi-billion dollar aid. He does not have enough time before Donald Trump's inauguration. The Wall Street Journal writes about this. The Pentagon has already reached the monthly limit for sending weapons to Ukraine and is now facing logistical problems in delivering weapons to the Ukrainian Armed Forces.
21:40 President Volodymyr Zelensky heard a report from Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Oleksandr Syrsky on the situation at the front. The hottest areas remain Donetsk. First of all, this is the Kurakhivske direction.
21.19 Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy held a telephone conversation with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte. The parties discussed strengthening Ukraine's air defense. Ukraine handed over to its partners a list of air defense systems in service in the Alliance countries.
20:55 US President-elect Donald Trump has chosen retired General Keith Kellogg to serve as his special representative for the settlement of Russia's war against Ukraine.
"Together, we will secure peace through strength and make America and the world safe again!" the politician said.
20:35 President Volodymyr Zelenskyy expects a report on the negotiations from Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov after his return from South Korea. According to the head of state, the range of issues concerns Russia's involvement of North Korea in the war against Ukraine.
20:10 The United States believes that Ukraine needs to lower the mobilization age to 18 years. This was reported by Reuters, citing an unnamed senior representative of the US presidential administration.
He argues that Ukraine is not mobilizing and training enough soldiers for the war with Russia. Therefore, according to the official, the ranks of personnel need to be replenished.
19.55 Since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion, 41 generals have been dismissed from the Ukrainian Armed Forces for health reasons. This was reported by the Main Communications Directorate of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. The data covers the period from February 24, 2022 to August 1, 2024.
18.54 The Russian army has significantly increased shelling of Kupyansk in the Kharkiv region, using various types of weapons. This was reported by the head of the Kupyansk city military administration, Andrey Besedin.
17.45. Since the beginning of the current day, 102 combat clashes have occurred on the front. This was reported in the evening by the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. In the Pokrovsk direction, the Russian army made 24 attempts to push the Ukrainian defenders from their positions.
17.18. Russians attacked a civilian car in the Zaporizhia region from an FPV drone. Two people were injured. This was reported by the head of the Zaporizhia OVA Ivan Fedorov. It is noted that the occupiers also fired at a car with two civilian men who were moving along the road in the Vasilievsky district. The driver and passenger of the car were injured and hospitalized.
16.45. National Guard fighters stopped an attempt by Russian occupiers to advance in the Zaporizhia direction. The video was published by the commander of the National Guard Oleksandr Pivnenko. According to him, the Russians tried to attack the positions of the National Guard with a group of infantry, but their actions were detected in advance by Spartan aerial reconnaissance.
16.23 In the Kherson region, in the area of the Antonovsky Bridge, Russian troops are practicing forcing actions with small groups of infantry. This was stated by the spokesman for the Defense Forces of the South, Vladislav Voloshin.
15.34 The Russian army is experiencing serious problems with medical care at all levels. This was reported by the British Ministry of Defense. Significant delays in the evacuation of wounded Russian soldiers are recorded. As a result, mortality rates are high.
14.20 The occupiers are using mines in the occupied Bakhmut of the Donetsk region for military purposes. They are setting up warehouses and hospitals there. This was stated by the spokesman for the Operational-Strategic Group of Forces Khortitsa Nazar Voloshin on the air of the telethon. According to him, Bakhmut is the first point for the temporary deployment of the 98th Airborne Division and the 3rd Army Corps of the Russian Federation.
12:58 In the Zaporizhia region, a Russian drone attacked a car that was transporting bread to frontline communities. This was reported on November 27 by the head of the Zaporizhia OVA Ivan Fedorov.
12.47 Russian troops once again shelled the Dniprovskyi district of Kherson. A 70-year-old woman was injured.
10.54 A Ukrainian delegation headed by Defense Minister Rustem Umerov is on a visit to South Korea. Ukrainian representatives will meet with the country's President Yun Sok-yul and Defense Minister Kim Jong-hyun.
10.35. Over the past 24 hours, 224 combat clashes have been recorded at the front. Yesterday, aviation, missile forces and artillery of the Defense Forces carried out nine strikes on areas of concentration of enemy personnel and military equipment. This was reported by the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine on November 27.
9.45. Damage was recorded in the Kiev region as a result of falling debris from downed Russian drones. This was reported by the head of the Kiev Regional State Administration Ruslan Kravchenko. According to him, there are no casualties among the population. No critical or residential infrastructure was hit. At the same time, as a result of falling debris from downed targets in one of the populated areas, the blast wave damaged the glazing of 18 apartments and three office spaces in three multi-story buildings. In addition, in two districts, windows, doors and roofs in four private houses, four outbuildings and a garage were damaged.
9.30. Russian troops launched 89 drones at Ukraine. Air defense shot down 36 drones, another 48 were lost. This was reported by the Ukrainian Air Force. Enemy UAVs were shot down in the Kiev, Chernihiv, Sumy, Kharkiv, Poltava, Zhytomyr, Khmelnytskyi and Nikolaev regions.
08:47 Russians have occupied Novoselidovka in the Kurakhovsky direction and Petrovka in the Pokrovsky direction of the Donetsk region. Enemy advances have also been recorded around Novomlynsk and in Kruglyakovka in the Kharkiv region. This is reported by DeepState analysts.
08:25 The new ballistic missile that Russia recently used to attack the Dnieper had several warheads, but no explosives, and therefore caused little damage. This was reported by Reuters, citing two high-ranking sources in the Ukrainian government.
07:58 US President Joe Biden has called on Congress to allocate an additional $24 billion to increase military support for Ukraine. The White House Office of Management and Budget has proposed including this financial assistance in the package of solutions to avoid a cut-off in funding by the next presidential administration.
[KhaamaPress] The Ministry of Public Health of Afghanistan has announced that the necessary budget for implementing the measles vaccination campaign for the next year has been secured.
On Tuesday, November 26, Noor Jalal Jalali, the acting head of the Ministry of Public Health, held an online meeting with representatives from the World Health Organization (WHO), Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization (GAVI ), UNICEF, and other vaccination partners.
The Ministry emphasized that the nationwide measles vaccination campaign will begin next year across the country.
Previously, the World Health Organization expressed concern over the increase in measles cases in Afghanistan, noting that the number of cases this year has surpassed the previous year’s figures.
According to WHO statistics, at least 160 deaths related to measles have been reported in Afghanistan in 2024.
Humanitarian organizations have repeatedly expressed concern over the lack of access to healthcare services for Afghan citizens, especially in rural areas.
The WHO reported that, as of the start of 2024, a total of 36,618 measles cases have been registered in Afghanistan.
While the government’s efforts to address the measles outbreak through vaccination are promising, addressing the larger issue of healthcare access—particularly in remote areas—remains a significant challenge.
The success of the vaccination campaign will depend not only on local government efforts but also on continued international support and collaboration with organizations like WHO and UNICEF to ensure that vaccines reach every corner of Afghanistan.
[LegalInsurrection] California Allegedly Threatens Police Officers Over Deportation Compliance?
CA mayor: The State of California “is threatening to take pensions and charge police officers with felonies if they comply with federal deportation laws.”
Bill Wells, the mayor of El Cajon, California, claimed in a Monday post on X that the State of California “is threatening to take pensions and charge police officers with felonies if they comply with federal deportation laws. While the Trump administration is working to enforce immigration laws, California seems intent on blocking these efforts.”
Wells makes it clear that El Cajon, a city of approximately 100,000 people located 17 miles east of San Diego, is not a sanctuary city and that his police officers “are being put in an impossible position.” He wrote:
If they comply with federal immigration authorities, they risk felony charges and losing their hard-earned pensions.
This is unacceptable. No officer should have to choose between doing their duty and jeopardizing their future.
As Mayor of El Cajon, I’m doing everything in my power to protect our officers and stand against these dangerous policies.
If these disturbing claims are true, then the battle lines are already drawn for the first major showdown between U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and sanctuary state/city leaders. Defiance of this magnitude from the government of the largest sanctuary state in the country would have sweeping implications for President-elect Donald Trump’s planned mass deportation agenda.
For obvious reasons, there are no references on the internet to this reported ultimatum (or perhaps more appropriately, this reported shakedown). However, in 2017, SB 54, now known as the California Values Act, was signed into law. The law “prohibits state and local law enforcement agencies from using money or personnel to investigate, interrogate, detain, detect, or arrest people for immigration enforcement purposes.” According to the group “ICE out of California,” this law specifically prohibits state and local law enforcement agencies (excluding prisons) from engaging in the following actions:
Immigration holds
Making arrests on civil immigration warrants
287(g)
Asking about immigration status or using immigration agents as interpreters
Sharing personal info with ICE (e.g., work, home addresses)
Notifying ICE of release dates
Transfers to ICE
Local arrests for “criminal” violations of immigration law
ICE interviews in jail and prison
Joint Task forces
Databases
Unsurprisingly, the page conspicuously states, “In all cases, local law enforcement agencies can adopt policies that provide more protections.” [Emphasis added.]
I am not a lawyer, but the Supremacy Clause of the Constitution essentially tells us that federal law supersedes state and local law. Article VI, Clause 2 states:
This Constitution, and the Laws of the United States which shall be made in Pursuance thereof; and all Treaties made, or which shall be made, under the Authority of the United States, shall be the supreme Law of the Land; and the Judges in every State shall be bound thereby, any Thing in the Constitution or Laws of any State to the Contrary notwithstanding.
And 8 U.S.C. § 1324 – (Unannotated Title 8. Aliens and Nationality § 1324) clearly states there are criminal penalties for bringing in and harboring aliens.
Again, if this story is true, then the State of California is engaging in financial blackmail against police officers
#2
It only takes 2/3rds of the Senate for approval of Treaties or their revisions. I could see the coastal counties from LA to SanFran returned to Mexico under the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo. Keep the San Diego corridor. It'll make for a longer wall, but it will be worth it.
#4
Put the state officials in jail and keep them there until SCOTUS rules the state law to be in violation of the US Constitution. Then keep the state officials in jail a little longer.
Posted by: Abu Uluque ||
11/28/2024 12:28
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[JustTheNews] Police conducted a “controlled explosion” Friday after finding a suspicious package near the U.S. Embassy in London and blocked off the area for further investigation.
The embassy in the British capital, built in 2018 near the Thames River, is considered one of the most modern and secure diplomatic compounds in the world and faced no known further threats, officials said.
"We can confirm that the 'loud bang' reported in the area a short time ago was a controlled explosion carried out by officers," London's Metropolitan Police said in a statement posted on its official X account.
“Cordons are in place in the area as a precaution while officers investigate a suspect package,” it added.
The embassy said on X that authorties had closed a road near the building out of "an abundance of caution."
The power of purchasing polls. If Mr. Plouffe really was surprised at the difference, he’s in the wrong profession. Video and transcript can be seen at the link.
[RealClearPolitics] During a "Pod Save America" discussion with leading Harris campaign staffers, Obama 2008 campaign manager and senior advisor to the Harris campaign David Plouffe revealed that their internal polls never showed Harris with a lead and they were surprised to see public polls that did.
He described the first part of the race, "Biden-Trump 1.0," as "catastrophic," but when Harris took over they had some guarded optimism: "I don’t know how optimistic we were, but we thought, okay, this is tied, and if a couple of things break our way..."
"I think it surprised people because there was these public polls that came out in late September, early October, showing us with leads that we never saw," he said. "It was just basically a race that in the battlegrounds was 46-47, 47-48."
"We started behind. She was able to climb out. I think even after the debate, we might have gained, what, 0.5-1? It wasn’t a race that moved a lot."
"When you think about our own internal analytics, you know, if you have Wisconsin at 47-47, or Pennsylvania 48-47 Trump, let’s say, which I think is where we had it at the end, you know, you’ve got to have undecideds break your way more than your opponents, and you’ve got to get a little benefit from turnout, which we weren’t able to do," he said.
#1
...Proof - if any more was needed - that the polling companies are either incompetent or 'bent', to use a wonderful term from our Cousins across the pond.
Where are those Somali pirates?
[ZeroHedge] For much of the past three years, tankers carrying Russian crude oil - usually in violation of western embargo - skirted western sanctions and oversight by engaged in so-called Ship-to-Ship (STS) transfers somewhere in the open sea far from prying eyes and even further from hostile coast guard supervision.
The practice, usually carried out in secret with digital tracking beacons switched off or falsified, can help to obscure the origins of the oil, helping to beat sanctions. It also creates another layer of separation between the buyers and sellers of cargoes.
Of course, to keep STS as a viable option, the places where it takes place have to change periodically. And as Bloomberg reports, the secret switching of Russian fuel cargoes between tankers at sea has migrated to new hotspots off the coast of Greece after the European country used naval drills to try and block the activity in one location.
About 1 million barrels a month of diesel, fuel oil and other petroleum products has been getting flipped near the islands of Lesbos and Chios in the Aegean Sea, according to data from analytics firm Vortexa.
The area only became popular after Greece’s navy carried out drills around the Laconian Gulf, previously the No. 1 site for the practice in Europe.
A recent surge in ship-to-ship transfers involving Russian oil and fuel in and around Europe has raised environmental concerns because of question marks over the safety and insurance of the vessels involved. Not only that, but the fact that the activity has been soaring confirms that nobody takes the threat of western sanctions seriously any more.
Ship-to-ship switching is still happening close by the Laconian Gulf, but at a much-reduced rate since Greece’s naval drills began. The maneuvers left a narrow stretch of water unaffected and it’s in that location that they’re still taking place.
The transfers have also become regular off the Italian port of Augusta since May, when the Greek navy began its exercises. On November 14, the drills were extended until mid-March.
While the recent crackdown on Russian STS may have delayed the activity, it certainly won't stop it. And in any event, it pales in comparison to the unprecedented STS activity taking place 40 miles east off the Malaysian peninsula which is the "the world’s largest gathering point for dark fleet tankers"...
... and where millions of barrels Iranian oil are transferred to ships heading to China every day in violation of multiple western sanctions, keeping China's economy humming (see "The Clandestine Oil Shipping Hub Funneling Iranian Crude to China").
[KhaamaPress] The United Nations ...an idea whose time has gone... Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) reports that opium production in Afghanistan is still 93% lower than in 2022, but it has increased by about 30% in 2024.
In its latest report, published on Wednesday, November 27, the UNODC notes that the level of opium production in Afghanistan has remained low for the second consecutive year.
According to the report, opium production in Afghanistan dropped by 93% after the Taliban ...mindless ferocity in a turban... imposed a ban on poppy cultivation. However,
a woman is only as old as she admits... production in 2024 has increased by 30% compared to 2023.
The UN report shows that opium production in 2024 reached 433 tons, marking a 30% increase in production volume. Additionally, 12,800 hectares of land were used for poppy cultivation this year, representing a 19% increase in the area cultivated compared to 2023.
The value of the opium produced in 2024 is estimated at $260 million, reflecting a 130% increase from the previous year.
Ghada Fathi Waly, Executive Director of the UNODC, stated that "international efforts must be coordinated to ensure that this reduction does not lead to the production of other dangerous drugs like methamphetamine within Afghanistan or the region."
She also emphasized the need to support rural communities dependent on poppy cultivation by investing in infrastructure, agricultural resources, and sustainable livelihoods to provide legal and economic alternatives.
The increase in opium production in 2024 is concerning, especially in the context of international efforts to combat drug trafficking and addiction. The rise in opium value also suggests that the country’s drug trade remains a major challenge.
To effectively reduce opium production, there must be long-term solutions that address both the economic needs of farmers and the broader regional impact of drug production. Investment in legal alternatives and infrastructure could help transition rural communities away from illicit crop cultivation.
To effectively reduce opium production in Afghanistan, the local Taliban must stop acting as enforcers for the drug barons, requiring the farmers to plant what they’re given. And that won’t happen as long as the Taliban need money, so…
But at the moment the response of the Taliban is, “Nuh uh — we aren’t either, and you’re all big poopyheads.”
[ToloNews] The Ministry of Interior has rejected the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) report stating a 30% increase in opium cultivation in Afghanistan, calling it far from reality.
In response to the report, the ministry stated that the Islamic Emirate has made every effort to eradicate drugs.
Abdul Mateen Qani, the spokesperson for the Ministry of Interior, said in a statement that combating this phenomenon is among the ministry's top priorities and that banning the cultivation and production of narcotics in Afghanistan is a fundamental policy of the Islamic Emirate.
The statement added that according to the ministry's assessments of drug cultivation and production in Afghanistan, a significant reduction has been observed over the past year compared to previous years.
"This message is based on political confrontation with Afghanistan's interim government. When governance is based on the implementation of Sharia, the cultivation and planting of narcotics are prohibited. I hope these confrontations are resolved through dialogue," said Mohammad Zalmay Afghanyar, a political analyst.
"Last year, the cultivation, planting, and trafficking of drugs significantly decreased because some UN offices were cooperating with the Islamic Emirate," said Jannat Faheem Chakari, another political analyst.
Meanwhile, the Deputy Interior Minister for Counter Narcotics rejected the report, stating that drug cultivation in Afghanistan has been eradicated.
Abdul Haq Akhund, Deputy Interior Minister for Counter Narcotics, said: "We strongly reject this report published by the United Nations. We have repeatedly held meetings with them and proven that opium cultivation does not exist anywhere in Afghanistan."
The leader of the Islamic Emirate issued a decree on the 14th of Hamal 1401 (April 2022) prohibiting poppy cultivation and narcotics production across the country.
Linked article is available only through a VPN
[EngMilRu] The Armed Forces of the Russian Federation continue the special military operation.
In Kharkov direction, the Sever Group of Forces hit formations of the 92nd Air Assault Brigade of the AFU and 5th Border Detachment of the Ukrainian border police near Liptsy, Kazachya Lopan, and Slatino (Kharkov region).
The AFU losses amounted to up to 60 troops, four motor vehicles, and a 122mm D-30 howitzer. One ammunition depot was wiped out.
The Zapad Group of Forces improved the tactical situation and inflicted losses on manpower and hardware of 43rd, 53rd, 60th, 63rd, 67th Mechanised brigades of the AFU, and 119th Territorial Defence Brigade near Novoosinovo, Bezmyatezhnoye (Kharkov region), Kirovsk, Ivanovka, Krasny Liman (Donetsk People's Republic), and Serebryansky forestry.
Russian units repelled four counter-attacks launched by assault groups of the 14th, 116th Mechanised brigades, 3rd Tank Brigade of the AFU, and 1st National Guard Brigade.
The AFU losses amounted to up to 450 troops, three U.S.-made M-113 armoured personnel carriers, a Kozak armoured fighting vehicle, four motor vehicles, a 155mm M-198 howitzer and a 105mm M-119 gun made in the USA. Two Anklav-N electronic warfare stations and four ammunition depots were eliminated.
The Yug Group of Forces improved the tactical situation along the front line and hit formations of the 28th, 54th Mechanised brigades, 56th Motorised Infantry Brigade of the AFU, and 37th Naval Infantry Brigade near Konstantinovka, Kramatorsk, Andreyevka, and Slavyansk (Donetsk People's Republic).
Three counterattacks launched by units of the AFU 24th Mechanised Brigade and 76th Air Assault Brigade were repelled. The AFU losses amounted to more than 400 troops, two motor vehicles, and two U.S.-made 105mm M-119 guns. One missile and artillery depot was destroyed.
As a result of successful actions, the Tsentr Group of Forces liberated Novoya Ilinka (Donetsk People's Republic) and defeated manpower and hardware of the 151st Mechanised Brigade of the AFU, 38th Naval Infantry Brigade, and 132nd Territorial Defence Brigade near Dzerzhinsk, Shcherbinovka, Leonidovka, and Dimitrov (Donetsk People's Republic).
Russian units repelled ten counterattacks launched by assault groups of the 53rd, 100th, 151st Mechanised brigades, 59th Motorised Infantry Brigade, 25th Airborne Brigade, 49th Assault Battalion of the AFU, 35th Naval Infantry Brigade, and Lyut Assault Brigade of the National Police of Ukraine.
The enemy lost up to 415 troops, seven motor vehicles, a 152mm D-20 gun, and a 122mm D-30 howitzer.
The Vostok Group of Forces continued advancing to the depth of the enemy's defences and inflicted losses on formations of the 32nd Mechanised Brigade, 128th Mountain Assault Brigade of the AFU, and 241st Territorial Defence Brigade near Volnoye Pole, Komar (Donetsk People's Republic), and Temirovka (Zaporozhye region).
Three counter-attacks launched by assault groups of the 23rd Mechanised Brigade and 110th Territorial Defence Brigade were repelled.
The AFU losses amounted to up to 145 troops, two tanks, a U.S.-made MaxxPro armoured fighting vehicle, three motor vehicles, and a 152mm 2S3 Akatsiya self-propelled artillery system.
The Dnepr Group of Forces inflicted losses on manpower and hardware of the 110th Mechanised Brigade of the AFU and 118th Territorial Defence Brigade close to Novoyakovlevka and Malaya Tokmachka (Zaporozhye region).
The AFU losses amounted to up to 65 troops, three motor vehicles, and a 122mm D-30 howitzer. A Bukovel-AD electronic warfare station was eliminated.
Operational-Tactical Aviation, attack unmanned aerial vehicles, and Missile Troops and Artillery of the Russian Groups of Forces delivered strikes at infrastructure of military airfields, as well as engaged clusters of enemy manpower and military hardware in 144 areas.
Air defence units shot down 54 fixed-wing unmanned aerial vehicles.
In total, since the beginning of the special military operation, 649 aircraft, 283 helicopters, 36,773 unmanned aerial vehicles, 586 anti-aircraft missile systems, 19,515 tanks and other armoured fighting vehicles, 1,492 MLRS combat vehicles, 18,631 field artillery guns and mortars, and 28,762 units of support military vehicles have been neutralised.
Over the past 24 hours, Energodar and surrounding areas of the Zaporozhye NPP were attacked six times by copter-type unmanned aerial vehicles and shelled twice by tube artillery.
All unmanned aerial vehicles were either destroyed by air defence units or suppressed by electronic warfare assets. As a result of the provocation, there are no casualties and damage.
At the moment, the staff of the Zaporozhye NPP continues to work as usual, the radiological level around the NPP's facilities is normal.
[IsraelTimes] British Foreign Secretary David Lammy says he will continue to talk and meet with Benjamin Netanyahu after the International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant against the Israeli prime minister for alleged war crimes in Gaza.
Lammy tells parliament’s foreign affairs select committee he will comply with the ICC’s request to arrest Netanyahu if he enters Britain, insisting he has no choice to ignore the order.
But Lammy says he will continue to talk to Netanyahu and other senior Israeli government officials about issues such as seeking a ceasefire with Hamas in Gaza and the importance of getting aid into the Palestinian territory.
“I do believe they are important matters that require engagement from those of us in government,” Lammy says. “I can’t see circumstances under which I would not be speaking to the elected representatives of the Israeli government.”
#2
There's very little reason for a jew to travel to England these days. Then there's the whole Diplomatic Immunity issue, which is going to be a rock that they'll wish they hadn't turned over.
Posted by: ed in texas ||
11/28/2024 8:40
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Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
[Korrespondent] Ukrainian Armed Forces repel Russian attacks.
In the Pokrovsk direction, the Russian army made 24 attempts to push the Ukrainian defenders from their positions.
There have been 102 combat clashes on the front since the beginning of the current day. This was reported by the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine on the evening of November 27.
It is noted that today, areas of the settlements of Popovka and Dmitrovka in the Sumy region suffered from artillery shelling from Russian territory.
In the Kharkov direction, Russian occupiers attempted to storm the defensive lines of Ukrainian forces in the areas of Vovchansk and Tykhoye four times; the attacks were repelled.
In the Kupyansk direction, the enemy has actively attacked our units' positions in the areas of Kolesnikovka, Zagryzovo, Zelenyi Gai and Kruglyakovka seven times. Ukrainian soldiers are steadfastly holding the line, three combat clashes are still ongoing.
In the Liman direction, the Russian army carried out four attacks on Ukrainian positions near Grekovka, Novoegorovka and Torskoye.
In the Kramatorsk direction, the invaders carried out one assault action in the direction of the Defense Forces positions near Belaya Gora.
In the Toretsk direction, the occupiers tried five times to displace Ukrainian units from their positions in the Toretsk area. Two attacks were repelled, three clashes continue.
In the Pokrovsk direction, the Russian army made 24 attempts to push the Ukrainian defenders from their positions in the areas of Mirolyubovka, Promin, Lisovka, Dachensky, Zhelty and Chumatsky. The defense forces are holding off the pressure, repelling 11 attacks. The enemy's losses are being clarified.
In the Kurakhovsky direction, fighting continues near Solntsevka, Berestki, Kurakhovo, Dalnee, Yelizavetovka, Antonovka and Ganovka. According to updated information, 21 Russian attacks have been repelled today, six clashes are ongoing.
In the Vremevsky direction, two attacks by the invaders are continuing; today, the enemy has made 13 attempts to advance near Trudovoye, Konstantinopolskoye, Razliv, Razdolnoye, Sukhi Yal and Novodarovka.
In the Dnieper direction, the occupiers tried three times to drive Ukrainian soldiers from their positions, but to no avail.
In the Kursk region, Ukrainian defenders have repelled 11 attacks by invaders, three clashes are ongoing.
In the Seversky, Gulyai-Polye and Orekhov directions, the occupiers continue to shell the positions of the Defense Forces and civilian infrastructure.
Let us recall that, according to the spokesman for the Southern Defense Forces, Vladislav Voloshin, Russian troops are amassing forces in the area of the Kinburn Spit to maintain defense and prevent Ukrainian troops from crossing the Dnieper.
[IsraelTimes] Overnight, IDF soldiers entered the West Bank town of Idhna to demolish the home of Muhannad Ala’sawdeh, a Palestinian who killed three police officers in a September shooting attack, the army says.
On September 1, Ala’sawdeh opened fire at a police car on Route 35 near the Idhna-Tarqumiyah junction, just east of a checkpoint between the West Bank and Israel, before fleeing the scene. He was later killed in an exchange of fire with troops in Hebron.
Ch. Insp. Arik Ben Eliyahu, Command Sgt. Maj. Hadas Branch, and First Sgt. Roni Shakuri were killed in the attack.
As a matter of policy, Israel demolishes the homes of Palestinians accused of carrying out deadly terror attacks
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.
...an Iranian satrapy until recently ruled by Hassan Nasrallah situated on the eastern Mediterranean, conveniently adjacent to Israel. Formerly inhabited by hardy Phoenecian traders, its official language is now Arabic, with the usual unpleasant side effects. 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. The Lebs maintain a precarious sectarian balance among Shiites, Sunnis, and about a dozen flavors of Christians, plus Armenians, Georgians, and who knows what else? It is the 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. The Lebs have the curious habit of periodically murdering their heads of state or prime ministers...
...an Iranian satrapy until recently ruled by Hassan Nasrallah situated on the eastern Mediterranean, conveniently adjacent to Israel. Formerly inhabited by hardy Phoenecian traders, its official language is now Arabic, with the usual unpleasant side effects. 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. The Lebs maintain a precarious sectarian balance among Shiites, Sunnis, and about a dozen flavors of Christians, plus Armenians, Georgians, and who knows what else? It is the 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. The Lebs have the curious habit of periodically murdering their heads of state or prime ministers...
...al-Qaeda's Syrian affiliate, from which sprang the Islamic State...
..a regional Iranian catspaw,...
...the Peewee Herman clone who owns Facebook. He's got more money than Croesus and thinks he should be regulated by the government because it does such a nifty job with all the other stuff it regulates....
..always the voice of sweet reason...
...late Fuehrer of Germany, founder of the Third Reich, currently communing with his pals Himmler and Heydrich. He is reincarnated every few days, sometimes every few hour if it's an election year, as a politician somebody doesn't like...
There is so much to be thankful for this year — not least the fellowship to be found here. May next Thanksgiving bring even more to be grateful for!
[LI] 
But Donald Trump didn’t win the election building a conservative coalition. He built a coalition that averaged out to the center of American politics 20 years ago before the left went completely insane. 
[Red State] The Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals has made a new ruling in the case involving the state of Texas defending itself against the illegal alien horde invited to storm the U.S.-Mexico border by the Biden administration over the past four years--and it's a win for Governor Greg Abbott.
[Breitbart] 
...Arabic for 
...the only place on the face of the earth that misses the Ottoman Empire...
...46th president of the U.S. Old, boring, a plagiarist, fond of hair sniffing and grabbing the protruding parts of women, and not whatcha call 
...the occupiers of Greek Asia Minor...
..a contraction of the Arabic words for "frothing at the mouth",...
...They hit him with slander, they impeached him twice. Nancy Pelosi tore up his State of the Union address on national TV. They stole an election and put his adherents in jail. They vilified him. They couldn't crucify him, so they shot him. Still, they can't keep him down...
...mindless ferocity in a turban...
