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Today: 46 articles and 111 comments as of 10:36.
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Area: WoT Operations    Non-WoT    Opinion    Local News    Politix   
Libyan Army Brigade ‘Tariq Bin Ziyad’ along with security agencies in Benghazi seized 93kg of crystal meth
Today's Headlines
Headline Comments [Views]
Page 2: WoT Background
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1 09:25 Super Hose [1808] 
9 23:18 Besoeker [1871] 
2 09:34 Super Hose [1839] 
1 09:35 Super Hose [1767] 
2 06:43 MikeKozlowski [1769] 
4 09:48 Super Hose [1785] 
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8 13:32 Grom the Affective [1775]
6 20:56 trailing wife [1807]
8 13:54 Besoeker [1759]
1 10:42 EMS Artifact [1762]
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Page 4: Opinion
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Page 6: Politix
2 21:31 DarthVader [1808]
10 19:35 Knuckles Grundy1702 [1848]
Africa North
A non-aggression pact is said to have been reached between the Malian junta and JNIM terrorists in the Dogon country

Translated Text:

🇲🇱 Mali – Dogon Country
A non-aggression pact is said to have been reached between the Malian junta and JNIM terrorists in the Dogon country, particularly in #Bandiagara.

In the lead-up to this agreement, Russian mercenaries from the Africa Corps are reported to have withdrawn from the area and suspended all ground and air operations in the region.

Posted by: badanov || 02/21/2026 00:00 || Comments || Link || [1786 views] Top|| File under: al-Qaeda


Misrata at a Crossroads: Anti-ISIS Stronghold or Libya’s Kandahar?
[LibyaReview] Misrata is facing a new and sensitive security challenge after a series of rapid developments brought the issue of detainees linked to extremist groups back into focus, exposing the growing overlap between public pressure, political positioning, and armed influence on the ground.

Protests erupted outside the headquarters of the General Intelligence Service in the city, where demonstrators — including local residents and individuals affiliated with the Benghazi Shura Council — gathered alongside prominent lawyer Fathi Terbil. The protesters called for the release of detainees held on charges related to terrorism, following the arrest of Abrik al-Mazik.

Al-Mazik is considered a key figure linked to the Ajdabiya Revolutionaries Shura Council and is believed to have participated in fighting against forces aligned with the Libyan National Army in the “Oil Crescent” region between 2014 and 2016 — a period defined by intense conflict and the expansion of armed extremist groups.

But the protests were only the beginning.

In a significant escalation, an armed group affiliated with the 63rd Infantry Brigade — aligned with Abdul Salam al-Zoubi, a senior defense official within the Government of National Unity — moved to seize control of a General Intelligence compound in Misrata. The development has raised serious concerns over the balance of power between state institutions and armed factions, and whether critical security decisions are being shaped through formal channels or force on the ground.

At the heart of the issue lies a broader and more politically charged question: who ultimately controls sensitive security files in Libya, particularly those tied to extremism?

Observers warn that decisions related to detainees accused of involvement in extremist networks must remain within judicial and legal frameworks. Any deviation, they argue, risks undermining institutional authority and opening the door to further instability — not just in Misrata, but across the country.
More at the link
Posted by: badanov || 02/21/2026 00:00 || Comments || Link || [1781 views] Top|| File under: Islamic State


Syria's chaos accelerates evacuation of hundreds of ISIS elites to bolster Sahel militias

Translated Text:

Syria's Chaos Accelerates "Evacuation" of Hundreds of ISIS Elites to Bolster Sahel Militias

Recent Western and UN intelligence assessments, relayed by news agencies, revealed that the latest field disruptions in Syria have transformed the relocation of foreign fighters in the "ISIS" organization toward Africa from an individual option into an "accelerated strategic evacuation operation."

Sources warn that the arrival of these "experts" will trigger a dangerous qualitative shift in the organization's capabilities in the Sahel region, which has become its new global stronghold.

From Hundreds Besieged to Thousands Empowered..
Assessments by counterterrorism experts and specialized research centers indicate that the primary driver for this movement is the vast disparity in the field situation between the two fronts:

- In Syria, which had already turned into a hostile environment before the recent events, Estimates pointed to the presence of between 200 and 500 seasoned foreign elements (non-Syrians and non-Iraqis) hunkered down in isolated pockets in the Syrian Badia. These represent a remaining "ideological and technical elite," but they are now security-exposed and facing the risk of annihilation or capture amid the current chaos.

- In contrast, in the Sahel, which has become an attractive environment, these individuals are heading to bolster an already existing striking force. UN and U.S. (AFRICOM) reports estimate that the combined strength of the organization's two main branches in the region ("Islamic State West Africa Province" ISWAP and "Islamic State in the Greater Sahara" ISGS) currently ranges between 3,500 and 5,000 active fighters, controlling vast geographical areas following the withdrawal of international forces.

The Expected Impact: A "Qualitative Leap," Not Quantitative..
Security analysts emphasize that the danger does not lie in adding a few hundred to the thousands already in the Sahel, but in the "quality" of those arriving.

According to a recent report by the monitoring team affiliated with the International Security Council, the arrival of battle-hardened experts from the Levant battlefields means transferring advanced techniques in:

1. Manufacturing and using highly explosive and complex improvised explosive devices (IEDs).
2. Tactics for employing commercial drones in reconnaissance and attacks, which has recently been observed in Mali.
3. Managing complex operations and storming fortified prisons.
4. Strengthening the organization's legal and media infrastructure to boost local recruitment.

Smuggling Maps and Transit Routes..
European and African intelligence agencies have detected the activation of complex, transcontinental smuggling networks to secure the arrival of these elements, identifying two main routes:

- The "Libyan Corridor," the fastest and most active route, considered the current preferred path.
It begins with smuggling the elements (individually or in small groups) from northern Syria to Turkey, then via organized crime networks by sea or air to Libya. The elements are assembled in security-lax southern Libya (Fezzan region), before local smugglers transport them across rugged desert trails to breach the northern borders of Niger or Chad, reaching the tri-border area (Mali-Niger-Burkina Faso).

- The "Horn of Africa" route (the complex alternative):
A longer and more logistically costly journey. It involves moving the elements through smuggling networks from Iraq to Iran, then to war-torn Yemen. From Yemen's coasts, they are smuggled by boat across the Gulf of Aden to Somalia's shores (where a small branch of the organization is active), from there beginning a grueling and perilous overland journey across the African continent toward the west.
Posted by: badanov || 02/21/2026 00:00 || Comments || Link || [1774 views] Top|| File under: Islamic State


Arabia
Fox News, News Nation refute NYT report that US evacuated troops from Mideast bases
[IsraelTimes] Hundreds of US troops have been evacuated from Al Udeid base in Qatar, The New York Times reports, citing unnamed Pentagon officials.

Troops have also been evacuated from bases in Bahrain that house the Navy’s 5th Fleet, NYT says, adding that there are no longer any American troops at bases Iraq, Syria, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Jordan and the United Arab Emirates.

Shortly after the NYT story is published, though, Fox News says the reporting is false, citing an unnamed, well-placed US official.

News Nation also says CENTCOM flatly denies the NYT report.

The move would seen as a precautionary step ahead of a potential US strike on Iran, as Tehran is likely to retaliate to such an attack by targeting US personnel in the region.
Posted by: trailing wife || 02/21/2026 2026-02-21 03:54 || Comments || Link || [1808 views] Top|| File under: Govt of Iran Proxies

#1  I would support a removal of all the admin personnel to make room for more bearded warfighters and their sleeves of dip.
Posted by: Super Hose || 02/21/2026 9:25 Comments || Top||


Saudis could have uranium enrichment with weapons potential under proposed deal with US, experts warn
[IsraelTimes] Deal could be worth billions and give US nuclear industry an edge, congressional document says, but analysts fear Riyadh could use infrastructure for nuclear arms program
Posted by: trailing wife || 02/21/2026 00:00 || Comments || Link || [1769 views] Top|| File under: Govt of Saudi Arabia

#1  Or they could simply purchase devices from Pakistan as they have discussed
Posted by: Gloluns Turkeyneck4904 || 02/21/2026 2:41 Comments || Top||

#2  They've had the missiles for decades, and it's always been assumed that all they had to do was tell the Pakis to hand over a couple of those warheads that they paid for.

And with the NPT circling the drain, now's the time to do it. A nuclear armed KSA will help keep the locals well behaved and the Iranians from getting any ideas of rebuilding again if the upcoming festivities don't knock them down.

Nike
Posted by: MikeKozlowski || 02/21/2026 6:43 Comments || Top||


Al-Qaeda’s 'new normal' in Yemen: strategic continuity despite a leadership change
by Luca Nevola
Senior Analyst, Yemen and the Gulf

and

Sherwan Hindreen Ali
Middle East Research Manager

Key takeaways
Since assuming leadership of al-Qaeda’s Yemeni branch, AQAP, Saad Bin Atif al-Awlaqi has largely maintained the group’s strategic direction: pragmatic Houthi engagement and low-level, anti-STC insurgency.

Despite counter-terrorism gains by the STC, AQAP remains resilient, with increasingly bold attacks and evolving capabilities that have resulted in cyclical flare-ups between the two groups.

Direct hostilities between AQAP and the Houthis ceased in July 2022 and have not resumed. Indicators of cooperation — including drone use, prisoner exchanges, and shared smuggling networks — have increased steadily.

The new AQAP leadership appears more attuned to local communities and actively encourages tensions between local tribes and counter-terrorism forces.
AQAP has been intermarrying with the local tribes since they first moved there somewhere around 9/11. One would hope they’d be attuned to their tribal in-laws and cousins.
More at the link
Posted by: badanov || 02/21/2026 00:00 || Comments || Link || [1758 views] Top|| File under: al-Qaeda


Europe
Netherlands has no plan to repatriate nationals with ISIS ties: Spox
[Rudaw] The Dutch government has no plans to repatriate nationals with alleged Islamic State (ISIS) ties from Syria and Iraq, state media reported on Wednesday.

“The government’s position is that the prosecution of individuals who have traveled abroad and the enforcement of prison sentences should take place in the region,” the Netherlands’ main public broadcaster, NOS, cited a foreign ministry spokesperson as saying.

“Despite the changing situation in Syria and Iraq, there are currently no plans to bring back individuals who have traveled abroad and have a Dutch connection. If there are requests for repatriation, the cabinet will weigh all circumstances and factors in each individual case, taking into account, among other things, national security," the spokesperson added.

The statement follows the transfer of more than 5,700 ISIS prisoners from Kurdish-held areas of Syria to Iraq. The operation was supervised by the US army and was triggered by weeks of clashes between Syrian government forces and the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF).

The Dutch government’s position also comes as the interim government in Damascus is relocating the last group of families with alleged ISIS ties from the notorious al-Hol camp in Hasaka province to another camp in Aleppo. Al-Hol held more than 25,000 individuals before the SDF withdrew as the Syrian army advanced last month.

More than 30 Australian nationals were allowed to leave the SDF-run Roj camp in Hasaka province earlier this week after their families traveled from Australia to pick them up. However, a lack of coordination with Damascus and Australia's refusal to take them back forced the individuals to return to the camp.
Posted by: trailing wife || 02/21/2026 2026-02-21 01:33 || Comments || Link || [1767 views] Top|| File under: Islamic State

#1  Syria can keep ours as well.
Posted by: Super Hose || 02/21/2026 9:35 Comments || Top||


International-UN-NGOs
Over 100 Holocaust Scholars Protest Misuse of the Word
[WymanInstitute] The "Lemkin Institute for Genocide Prevention" is using the name of the late Raphael Lemkin without the family’s authorization, according to family member Joseph Lemkin. The institute has been falsely accusing Israel of committing genocide in Gaza.

"Israel’s counter-terror campaign in Gaza is not genocidal, either in intentions or actions," the scholars noted in their letter to Joseph Lemkin. "The civilian deaths there are the result of Hamas embedding itself in residential areas and using the population as human shields."
THAT is the money quote right there. The civilian deaths were Hamas' fault.
Either the people who say it are not using the word right or deliberately misusing it.
Always point out that Hamas intended genocide on Oct 7.

It’s absolutely deliberate, the latest effort since the 1972 Oil Crisis to get the world to consider Israel an untouchable nation, beyond the pale. An interesting point is that the so-called Gaza genocide has resulted in more living Gazans at the end of it than there were at the beginning, according to official Gaza government statistics, meaning Hamas propaganda, increasing from 1,997,328 in 2022 to 2,050,000 in 2025, or a net increase of 2.64%. And of course there’s the numbers of reported deaths, compared to the usual millions and percentages: 2/3rds of Europe’s Jews killed by the Nazis and 90% of Europe’s Roma gypsies, an estimated 7.5%-11.3% of Ukraine’s peasants deliberately starved to death during the Holodomor at the leading edge of Stalin’s Great Famine. Compare that to Hamas’s claim of 78,000 dead since 10/7/2023, or less than 0.4% of the population, which includes militant and civilian war deaths plus the baseline natural death rate.
The 114 signatories on the letter include prominent genocide scholars, department chairs, and leaders of Holocaust-related organizations from Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, the Czech Republic, Finland, France, Germany, Great Britain, Israel, New Zealand, Poland, Romania, Switzerland, and the United States.

"The false accusation of genocide in Gaza is nothing less than Holocaust-inversion," said Dr. Rafael Medoff, historian and director of the David S. Wyman Institute for Holocaust Studies, in Washington DC, which organized the petition. "The fact that extremists are exploiting Lemkin’s name to do so adds insult to injury."
Perhaps only extremists are using the Lemkin name, but plenty of nonextremists make the claim without the reference: genocide is being cried out by leading thinkers the hallowed halls of Harvard, Princeton, Yale, Oxford, Cambridge, UCLA, the UN, the EU, until recently Oxfam — really the list of universities, international organizations, and NGOs is endless. It will be interesting to see how many of them are sucking up funds from China and/or Qatar, inclining them toward that mindset.





Posted by: Jairong+Scourge+of+the+Gepids2435 || 02/21/2026 00:00 || Comments || Link || [1773 views] Top|| File under: Hamas

#1  Leftists hawking the same tired Islamo leftist mixtape out of their beat up suitcase.
Posted by: Super Hose || 02/21/2026 9:30 Comments || Top||

#2  Perhaps only extremists are outraged.
Posted by: Skidmark || 02/21/2026 11:35 Comments || Top||


Israel-Palestine-Jordan
Tucker Carlson doubles down on claim that producers were inappropriately interrogated at Ben Gurion
[IsraelTimes] The right-wing commentator Tucker Carlson doubles down on his claims that his staff was interrogated at Israel’s airport during a visit on Wednesday.

Carlson came to Israel to interview US Ambassador Mike Huckabee. Carlson did not leave the airport during the visit, but alleged that his producers were subject to hostile interrogation.

Huckabee and the Israel Airports Authority firmly rejected the claim.

Carlson releases his interview with Huckabee. During the introduction, he says Israeli officials held their passports and that his two producers were “called into rooms and given the third degree.”

Carlson says security asked questions, including, “What did you say to the US ambassador? What did he say back to you? What are your politics like?”

“They’re doing like an intel op and humiliation exercise on my producer. This isn’t security,” he says.

“The interrogator is holding his passport in his hand as he’s asking these questions,” he says. “Some thug is demanding details of that conversation.”

“It’s a police state, it’s a surveillance state. You go to Israel, and they put software on your phone. Everybody knows this. They’re constantly spying on you,” he says. There is no evidence that Israel installs spy software on visitors’ phones.

It is standard for Israeli airport staff to ask visitors questions while viewing their passports.

Carlson says footage leaked to the media yesterday with the goal of discrediting his claim of mistreatment, was just him agreeing to his driver’s request to take a photo with him. It took place before his producers were detained, he says.

Carlson takes issue with Huckabee siding with the Israeli government in the debate over whether he was mistreated, without even checking with him, arguing that a US ambassador should first and foremost seek to serve the citizens of the country they represent.

He later claims that Israel knowingly bombed the USS Liberty in 1967, a common conspiracy theory on the right, claims Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu threatened his family “because he believes in blood guilt,” and calls Israel “probably the most violent country on earth.”

Facebook Reel excerpts from the video: Ambassador Huckabee challenges Mr.Carlson’s take on
varios Israel-related topics.
Reel 1
Reel 2
Reel 3
Reel 4
and a refutation reel

What plain vanilla Jew-hate looks like:
Posted by: trailing wife || 02/21/2026 2026-02-21 03:54 || Comments || Link || [1871 views] Top|| File under:

#1  Lips
Posted by: Grom the Affective || 02/21/2026 4:55 Comments || Top||

#2  Powerline Week in Pictures has a nice meme of
"Tucker Thunberg". Can't directly link.

The Bee offers him up as well.
Posted by: Procopius2k || 02/21/2026 7:39 Comments || Top||

#3  He’s working himself into a frenzy. It won’t end well.
Posted by: Remoteman || 02/21/2026 11:57 Comments || Top||

#4  I recommend Tucker depart public life, retire, and spend more time with his lovely family.
Posted by: Besoeker || 02/21/2026 12:40 Comments || Top||

#5  Today:

Tucker Carlson apologizes for falsely saying Israel’s President Herzog visited Epstein’s island

In a two-minute video uploaded to X, Carlson says he received a long letter from Herzog’s office vehemently denying that the Israeli president has ever been in contact with Epstein, let alone attended one of his parties, which trafficked underage women were known to frequent.

“They didn’t know each other, they never emailed with each other, never been in the same room. They had no relationship of any kind,” Carlson says the letter from Herzog’s camp stated.

Huckabee had earlier posted similar remarks from Herzog’s office.

“And so for that reason, we are taking it seriously. There is nothing worse than impugning the reputation of an innocent man,” Carlson says.

“So I just want to say clearly I’m sorry to imply that I knew something I didn’t know — of course I didn’t know that Isaac Herzog was on that island. I was referring to that email and the protest against him. But I don’t know that, and I didn’t mean to suggest that I do know that.”

Posted by: trailing wife || 02/21/2026 21:44 Comments || Top||

#6  It would be awfully nice if he were to acknowledge that he would apologize for impugning the reputation of the innocent country of Israel and the innocent Jews — but he won’t.
Posted by: trailing wife || 02/21/2026 21:47 Comments || Top||

#7  I dislike talking heads as a species, but never have I seen one make himself so toxic so quickly as Tucker Carlson.
Posted by: Knuckles Grundy1702 || 02/21/2026 22:07 Comments || Top||

#8  ^ True, but even when I agree with Hannity or Levin, I can't stand 'em
Posted by: Frank G || 02/21/2026 22:39 Comments || Top||

#9  /\ Ditto.
Posted by: Besoeker || 02/21/2026 23:18 Comments || Top||


China bans new investments in Israel by Chinese citizens and companies
Probably best for all involved, especially on the Israeli side.
[MonthlyReview] A Chinese investment fund has revealed that the Beijing government has imposed a ban on all new investment in Israeli-occupied lands due to the regime’s brutal aggression against the besieged Gaza Strip.

The news emerged in Israeli media outlets amid a lawsuit filed by members of Kibbutz Hanita against Ballet Vision, a Chinese-controlled fund that holds an 80% stake in Hanita Lenses, an intraocular lens manufacturing plant located in the northern part of the occupied lands near the Lebanese border.

Israeli settlers from the kibbutz have filed a lawsuit against the fund, which controls 80 percent of an intraocular lens plant located in the northern settlement.

A lawsuit filed in the Tel Aviv district court shows the kibbutz is seeking approximately $11 million, accusing the fund of failing to exercise an option to purchase their remaining shares, as stipulated in a prior agreement.

According to a response letter from Ballet attached to the lawsuit, the Chinese government has classified Israeli-occupied lands as a “high-risk area” or “red category” due to the ongoing situation in the West Asia region, specifically since Oct. 7, 2023.

“Since the outbreak of the fighting, the Chinese government has classified Israel as a high-risk zone (red category) and prohibited any new Chinese investment in the Israeli-occupied lands,” it said in the letter.

The letter further says that until the restriction is lifted, the transaction is not feasible.

“As long as this restriction remains in place, there is no practical operational ability to exercise the option,” it added

Aside from the Chinese government’s ban on investing in Israeli-occupied territories, Ballet says Hanita Lenses incurred significant operational losses.

Liu Yuxiao, a director of Ballet Vision and CEO of the lens manufacturing plant, earlier said that Hanita Lenses sustained losses of around $15 million over a period of three years, as well as a $4 million debt. This resulted in severe financial issues.

Yuxiao said he became the CEO in March last year to try to prevent total collapse, and added that the company may now break even in 2026.

The developments also come as ties between the two sides were deteriorating over the self-ruling island of Taiwan, which has been looking to the Zionist entity for increased military cooperation.

China has already warned Israel against providing military expertise and technology to Taiwan under the guise of civilian programs.

Tel Aviv is reportedly assisting Taipei with integrating elements of its Green Pine and Arrow systems in order to develop the Tian Gong-4 missile system, which will be part of the T-Dome network.

The military cooperation comes despite ongoing Chinese warnings that it would not tolerate Israeli ties with the island, which it considers a renegade province.

Taiwan wants to deepen its ties with Israel and its administration has refrained from condemning the Tel Aviv regime’s crimes in the besieged Gaza Strip and other occupied Palestinian territories.
Posted by: Gloluns Turkeyneck4904 || 02/21/2026 02:39 || Comments || Link || [1839 views] Top|| File under: Commies

#1  Israel gets another win!
Posted by: Mercutio || 02/21/2026 9:23 Comments || Top||

#2  How can we get banned as well?
Posted by: Super Hose || 02/21/2026 9:34 Comments || Top||


Olde Tyme Religion
80,000 Muslim worshipers pray peacefully at Al-Aqsa on first Friday of Ramadan
[IsraelTimes] Ben Gvir ascends Temple Mount before Friday prayers, says officers will ‘thrash’ anyone who disturbs the peace in Jerusalem; despite tensions, prayers pass without incident

Some 80,000 Moslem worshipers — including several thousand Paleostinians from the West Bank — gathered at al-Aqsa Mosque on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem for the first Friday noon prayer of Ramadan, which passed peacefully, under heavy security.

Each year, the Islamic holy month, which began Wednesday this week, sees Moslems from Israel and the West Bank throng the narrow streets of Jerusalem’s Old City, where thousands of coppers were deployed amid fears of unrest at the holy site that has frequently been a flashpoint for violence.

Far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir toured the site ahead of prayers, warning that anyone who tried to disturb the peace would be "thrashed."

Jerusalem’s Islamic Waqf, the Jordanian authority that administers the site, said 80,000 were in attendance. Last year, 90,000 people attended first Friday prayers; however, before the war that erupted in 2023, worshipers numbered in the hundreds of thousands.

Israeli authorities said some 8,500 West Bank Paleostinians with permits to pray at al-Aqsa crossed checkpoints into Jerusalem. Like last year, Israel capped the number of Paleostinian worshipers from the West Bank attending the weekly Friday prayers at 10,000.

Only males aged 55 and up, women 50 and up, and children 12 and below when accompanied by a first-degree relative were permitted to attend prayers at Al‑Aqsa. The restrictions only apply to the West Bank Paleostinians.

Worshipers trickled into the Old City throughout the morning, many carrying prayer mats and beads as shopkeepers sold children’s toys, bread and sweets to passersby. Once prayers ended, the crowd that had gathered in the al-Aqsa Mosque compound flowed out.

Extensive roadblocks manned by Border Police officers were placed throughout the area after prayers ended, leading many of those exiting to leave through Lion’s Gate, the easternmost entrance to the Old City.

Hundreds of worshipers also prayed outside the entrance to the al-Aqsa, in a courtyard near Lion’s Gate. While most of those who remained outside the complex did so to beat the crowd on the way out, a handful were forbidden from entering after police issued restraining orders against them.

Police each year issue such orders to certain East Jerusalemites — many of them prominent figures in the local media — for fear their presence could spark disorder at the site, but Paleostinians argue such steps are meant to punish political activity.

One of those forbidden from entering the site was Muhammad Abu Hummus, a well-known activist from the East Jerusalem neighborhood of Issawiya, who regularly films himself getting into heated verbal disputes with Israeli officers and politicians.

"I’m a normal person. Sure, I’m also an activist, but I don’t break the law," he said to The Times of Israel, lamenting what he characterized as tighter restrictions on revelers this year.

He cited the police’s raiding and closure of the Old City’s Burj al-Luqluq ("Stork Tower") community center the morning before Ramadan began, over alleged links to the Paleostinian Authority. According to him, the Moslem holy month was the catalyst for the closure, after the community center’s staff refused to take down Ramadan decorations.

"When you go into the Old City now, you’d think you’re entering a Border Police base," he said, accusing the government of approaching Ramadan "as if it’s a war."

He also accused the Jerusalem Municipality of refusing to hang up lights outside Damascus Gate — a central gathering spot for Moslem worshipers breaking their fast after sundown — as has been done in years past.

He blamed the changes on Ben Gvir, claiming that the far-right politician has been able to leverage his power to cement Israeli control over the Temple Mount. The site is administered by Jordanian authorities, though Israeli police guard each entrance and accompany Jewish visitors up to the site.

Police, for their part, have bucked charges of discrimination and insist forces work solely to ensure worshipers’ safe arrival and guarantee "full freedom of worship for members of all faiths."

Some Paleostinians from the West Bank said they were turned away from crossing into Jerusalem even though they had permits. Jihad Bisharat said he was told his permit had been canceled and was sent back. The IDF didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.

Thousands of officers in the Jerusalem District police and Border Police were deployed throughout the Old City and its environs. Police said Ben Gvir, who oversees law enforcement in his ministerial role, conducted a "situational assessment" earlier in the morning at the site.

"Of course, there is freedom to worship, whoever wants to pray, ahlan wa’sahlan. Whoever comes to disturb the peace, we will thrash him," the far-right minister said in a post announcing his visit, using a term that means "welcome" in Arabic.

"Through deterrence, we are achieving governance," he wrote. "With deterrence, people don’t mess around, and that is how it should be and should continue."

The Temple Mount is the holiest site in Judaism and was home to the ancient biblical temples. Moslems call the site the Noble Sanctuary. Today, it is home to al-Aqsa Mosque, the third-holiest site in Islam, and the iconic Dome of the Rock shrine.

The site has seen violence, particularly with large crowds gathering during Ramadan, and has seen festivities between Paleostinians and Israeli security forces over the years, with Hamas
..one of the armed feet of the Moslem Brüderbund millipede,...
using its religious symbolism as a means of rallying support.

Posted by: trailing wife || 02/21/2026 00:00 || Comments || Link || [1785 views] Top|| File under: Devout Moslems

#1  Seems like a good place for a big ass bomb if you ask me.
Posted by: chris || 02/21/2026 2:22 Comments || Top||

#2 

What if, say, a Oct 7th type surprise strike was done there.

Would the striker be defended by the Left, the Democrats and the Media like Hamas was?
Posted by: NN2N1 || 02/21/2026 5:11 Comments || Top||

#3  The word "peacefully" is what makes this reportable news.
Posted by: Mercutio || 02/21/2026 9:29 Comments || Top||

#4  This week worldwide Catholics celebrated Ash Wednesday peaceably. In preparation year-old palm branches were burned and afterword large amounts of fried cod was destroyed. Next week regularly scheduled BINGO will resume. If any cars were ignited, it was by non-practicing California Catholics engaged in insurance fraud.
Posted by: Super Hose || 02/21/2026 9:48 Comments || Top||


Syria-Lebanon-Iran
US denies reported Iranian offer to halt enrichment for 3 years, not attack Israel with ballistic missiles
[IsraelTimes] A senior US official flatly denies an unsourced report in Iran International claiming that Iran presented a proposal during the previous round of nuclear talks in which it agreed to halt nuclear enrichment for three years and commit to not using its ballistic missiles to attack Israel.

Asked to confirm the report, the senior US official calls it, “Completely false.”

According to Iran International, US special envoy Steve Witkoff quickly rejected the series of Iranian concessions as not going nearly far enough and refused to even negotiate on the proposal further. After the three-year halt on uranium enrichment, the report says the Iranian proposal offered to subsequently limit enrichment to 3.67 percent. Already enriched uranium would be diluted under American supervision or transferred to a third country, preferably Russia, the purported proposal stated.

While the US has insisted at times on Iran giving up its ballistic missiles, the report says the proposal envisions Iran keeping them while committing to only using them in a defensive posture, rather than for attacking Israel.

The proposal also reportedly included an Iranian commitment not to publicly cast doubt on Israel’s right to exist in addition to avoiding the advancement of the Palestinian national cause through military means — an apparent reference to support for Hamas and Hezbollah.

The sale of Iran’s oil would be conducted through Swiss mediation and include a 5% commission for the United States, the proposal said.

Iranian FM refused to open envelope containing US proposals on missiles — source

Israel’s government believes Tehran and Washington are at an impasse and is making preparations for possible joint military action with the United States, though no decision has been made yet on whether to carry out such an operation, says a source familiar with the planning.

Two Israeli officials tells Reuters they believe the gaps between Washington and Tehran are unbridgeable and that the chances of a near‑term military escalation are high.

Two rounds of Iran-US talks have stalled on core issues, from uranium enrichment to missiles and sanctions relief.

When Omani mediators delivered an envelope from the US side containing missile‑related proposals, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi refused even to open it and returned it, a source familiar with the talks says.

After talks in Geneva on Tuesday, Araghchi said the sides had agreed on “guiding principles,” but the White House said there was still distance between them.

Iran is expected to submit a written proposal in the coming days, a US official says, and Araghchi said on Friday he expected to have a draft counterproposal ready within days.

Posted by: trailing wife || 02/21/2026 2026-02-21 04:32 || Comments || Link || [1818 views] Top|| File under: Govt of Iran

#1 

Is Iran kinda telling us they need 3 years to re-arm and do it again?
Posted by: NN2N1 || 02/21/2026 5:16 Comments || Top||

#2  Or does Iran want to wait until Trump is out of Office and hoping a Biden / Harris type Admin returns?
Posted by: NN2N1 || 02/21/2026 5:18 Comments || Top||

#3  Aren’t Moslems allowed to lie to us? I don’t think Trump is that stupid. This negotiation is the equivalent of sending the pitching coach to the mound to the mound to talk while a reliever is getting warm.
Posted by: Super Hose || 02/21/2026 7:29 Comments || Top||

#4  3 whole years?
Posted by: Megabyses || 02/21/2026 8:12 Comments || Top||

#5  "The coin flip is Tails. The Iranians have chosen to receive"
Posted by: Frank G || 02/21/2026 9:58 Comments || Top||

#6  Report: Hezbollah preparing for war with Israel
Hezbollah is no longer run by Lebanese personnel but by Iranian IRGC officers present in Lebanon, report reveals.
Posted by: Grom the Affective || 02/21/2026 11:36 Comments || Top||

#7  STARTEX will be post Olympics Closing Ceremony. A massive world-wide media event like the closing ceremony with thousands of athletes protesting and demonstrating would be a PR nightmare. Few events have such a complete concentration of media from virtually every nation, why create a story for the anti-American press in front of such an audience?
Posted by: NoMoreBS || 02/21/2026 15:14 Comments || Top||



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