[JustTheNews] President Donald Trump announced Thursday he intends to "permanently pause" immigration from all Third World countries and reexamine green-card holders who are not a "net asset" to the country.
Trump posted on social media: "I will permanently pause migration from all Third World Countries to allow the U.S. system to fully recover, terminate all of the millions of Biden illegal admissions, including those signed by Sleepy Joe Biden’s Autopen, and remove anyone who is not a net asset to the United States, or is incapable of loving our Country, end all Federal benefits and subsidies to noncitizens of our Country, denaturalize migrants who undermine domestic tranquility, and deport any Foreign National who is a public charge, security risk, or non-compatible with Western Civilization."
The term "Third World," in the modern sense, is a reference to poorer nations ("developing") with a Low Human Development Index (HDI). The term originated during the Cold War to describe nations not aligned with either the US (First World) or the Soviet Union (Second World). Today, it has evolved to refer to developing countries, often with economic instability, high poverty, and lower standards of living. Political correctness has guided many to prefer terms like "developing countries" or "low and lower-middle-income countries."
LONG HISTORY OF IMMIGRATION SHUTDOWNS
The total or near-total shutdown of immigration has been enforced many times throughout U.S. history during several crises, most recently in 2020 when Trump’s Proclamations 10014 and 10052, combined with a global shutdown of U.S. embassy visa services due to COVID-19, effectively stopped almost all immigrant and most temporary-worker visa entries for months.
National security has been the basis of such shutdowns as long ago as in the early part of the last century. During the Great Depression and World War II, from roughly 1930 to 1945, strict application of the “likely to become a public charge” clause and wartime security rules drove legal immigration to near-zero levels without a single blanket ban. Similar de facto pauses occurred in 1918–1920 amid the Spanish flu and postwar chaos, and again in the months following the September 11, 2001, attacks when consular processing was largely suspended for security reviews.
While landmark laws such as the 1921 Emergency Quota Act and the 1924 Immigration Act sharply curtailed inflows through numerical limits, the only modern instance of a formal, broad suspension explicitly pausing virtually all legal immigration channels remains the 2020 COVID-19 measures.
As early as 1919, the Department of Justice deported more than 500 people, including notable anarchist Emma Goldman. Nearly 10,000 people in 70 cities were arrested on the basis of the spread of radicalism and immigration from Europe in what is called by historians "The Palmer Raids," named after then-Attorney General A. Mitchell Palmer.
Since the start of Trump's involvement in politics in 2015, he has made illegal immigration a hallmark issue of his campaign. During his second term, deportations have been a divisive issue, separating liberals who oppose the raids and deportations and those who support the moves to decrease the illegal immigrant population.
NOBODY IS CERTAIN ABOUT THE ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT POPULATION
In Charlotte and surrounding communities, ICE enforcement operations in recent weeks have left some day-labor pickup sites, apartment complex parking lots and certain shopping centers noticeably deserted during hours that were previously crowded with workers. Community members and business owners in similar affected cities, including Atlanta, Nashville and parts of suburban Chicago report the same pattern, leading many to question if the official estimates of the illegal immigrant population living in the U.S. are underestimated.
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited. by Leonid Tsukanov
Even dumber than the Houthis takes some doing.
[REGNUM] Recently, Yemeni central government security forces, with the support of UAE intelligence, arrested a large "Houthi commando unit." The arrests took place in Marib province, where control is contested between Iranian-backed rebels and central government forces.
The arrest of Ansar Allah's protégé was not a major sensation—since the active phase of fighting ceased in 2023, the two sides have periodically tried to probe each other's rear.
However, the surprises came a little later, when the interrogation of the saboteur commander began.
It turned out that the detainee (a member of the local terrorist underground) had not had any connections with the Houthis for several years and was acting on his own (which is extremely unusual for these parts).
And his biography is in no way inferior to that of the legendary anarchist Nestor Makhno.
THE NOMADIC COMMANDER
The detainee's real name is unknown. The few reports refer to him as Muhammad al-Maribi, which is likely a covert alias.
Al-Maribi's biography is full of blank spots: it is only known that he was born in the province of Marib, and with the onset of the Arab Spring in 2011, he joined the gang of the famous Yemeni jihadist Tariq al-Fadhli, side by side with whom he even managed to participate in the construction of the self-proclaimed "Emirate of Abyan" by radicals (it existed in the province of the same name from 2011 to 2012).
After the defeat of the Emirate by the government coalition, al-Maribi, left out of work, joined the ranks of al-Fadhli's ally, Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP)* and continued fighting against government forces there; he rose to the rank of commander of an assault unit.
However, towards the beginning of the 2020s, al-Maribi switched sides again, this time defecting to the Houthis. Contrary to expectations, they did not imprison the former radical, but instead hired him.
Moreover, his management talent was quickly recognized: yesterday’s radical first became a squad leader, then a platoon leader, and after some time he became a “battalion commander.”
By the time the multilateral ceasefire was signed in Yemen at the end of 2022, al-Maribi had earned a reputation as an experienced commander and had even received an invitation to take a minor leadership position in a Houthi-controlled town. His past exploits within AQAP* were no longer remembered.
AGAINST ALL
However, al-Maribi eventually parted ways with the Houthis. He most likely left the group in 2023, when relations between Ansar Allah and Saudi Arabia and the UAE stabilized, and Yemeni forces loyal to the Saudi monarchies ceased operations against the Houthis.
For a field commander accustomed to living in a state of constant war, a peace deal was clearly unacceptable.
After leaving Ansar Allah, his tracks were lost for several years.
In early 2025, the “Yemeni Makhno” suddenly returned to Marib accompanied by twenty fighters, where, under the guise of a “Houthi field commander,” he entered into negotiations with local AQAP* cells with a proposal to conclude a non-aggression pact between the two movements.
In exchange for the right to operate on their territory, he promised the radicals weapons, ammunition, and intelligence. He also promised assistance in attacks on remote checkpoints of the Yemeni army, which, he claimed, was a "common enemy" for both the Houthis and AQAP*.
Later, disillusioned former AQAP* fighters, as well as local Bedouins, smugglers, and others with questionable pasts, flocked to form al-Maribi. Its membership eventually grew to 100 members, a significant number by the standards of the Yemeni conflict.
Of course, this figure wasn't constant—new fighters would join al-Maribi, and then break away, forming new gangs and larger groups of "veterans." However, the "anarchist army" continued to exist.
Its fighters even managed to obtain several launchers, which they used to fire at merchant ships passing through the Strait of Aden even after Ansar Allah announced the end of the naval blockade of Israel.
Needless to say, such a valuable asset quickly became a subject of interest for foreign intelligence agencies—at various times, the Saudis, Turks, Iranians, and Europeans attempted to contact al-Maribi.
Rumors also circulated that al-Maribi's unit had pledged allegiance to the head of the "government in exile," Rishad Mohammed al-Alimi, promising to help retake Yemen. However, this is most likely speculation—given the biography of the "Yemeni Makhno," he would hardly have agreed to anything more than a tactical alliance.
THE ANARCHIST'S MISTAKE
For a long time, al-Maribi operated in his fiefdom with virtual impunity: AQAP* supporters observed the non-aggression agreement; the Houthis were certain that their own sabotage group (disguised as radicals) was operating—in any case, Makhno did not interfere.
Loyalists of the central government did not dare to engage in battle with such a large gang, although they carried out several counter-terrorist operations in Marib.
However, chance decided everything. In October 2025, anarchists attacked the Cameroon-flagged tanker MV Falcon from the shore. Apparently hoping to provoke attacks on the Houthis and ignite a new armed conflict.
The attack proved fatal: the damaged tanker turned out to be part of Iran's "shadow fleet" and could not have been a target for Ansar Allah. Tehran initiated an internal investigation, which quickly revealed that al-Maribi had long disobeyed Sanaa's orders.
Iranian intelligence services refused to tolerate the damage to the Houthis' image caused by the "tourist" militants and cautiously leaked information about them to UAE intelligence, who in turn leaked it to Yemeni loyalists, promising to send their operatives to reinforce them.
Thanks to the intervention of foreign security forces, the gang was apprehended almost entirely. At that time, it numbered approximately thirty people.
SEARCH FOR TRACES
Although al-Maribi was arrested only a few days ago, much speculation has already swirled around him. Much of this, predictably, revolves around the search for motives—what compelled the "Yemeni Makhno" to change sides at least three times?
For now, the prevailing theory is that the detainee dreamed of building his own version of the "Abyan Emirate" and was looking for those who would support his initiative or at least help him build initial political capital.
This was indeed partially achieved: al-Maribi gained a significant amount of authority under the banner of opposing forces in Yemen. However, ultimately, he failed to convert this into long-term influence.
The investigation is just beginning: UAE intelligence officials overseeing the case do not believe the detainee was not receiving outside support, and are looking for traces of other countries potentially interested in destabilizing Yemen.
[FoxBusiness] President Donald Trump told airlines on Saturday to consider the airspace above Venezuela closed.
"To all Airlines, Pilots, Drug Dealers, and Human Traffickers, please consider THE AIRSPACE ABOVE AND SURROUNDING VENEZUELA TO BE CLOSED IN ITS ENTIRETY," Trump said in a post on Truth Social.
Trump's comments come about a week after the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) warned airlines about flying over Venezuela. The FAA issued a notice urging airlines to "exercise caution" due to the "potentially hazardous situation" in the region.
"Operators are advised to exercise caution when operating in the Maiquetia flight information region at all altitudes due to the worsening security situation and heightened military activity in or around Venezuela," the FAA advisory had said.
"Threats could pose a potential risk to aircraft at all altitudes, including during overflight, the arrival and departure phases of flight, and/or airports and aircraft on the ground," it added, requesting airlines to provide at least 72-hour advance notice to the FAA if they plan to fly through the area.
Some international airlines then canceled their flights to Venezuela following the FAA's warning.
When asked for a response Saturday to Trump's message, the FAA directed FOX Business to its Nov. 21 notice.
Direct flights from U.S. passenger and cargo carriers to Venezuela have been suspended since 2019, but some airlines still fly over the country on their South American routes, according to Reuters.
"Since September 2025, there has been an increase in Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) interference in the Maiquetia Flight Information Region (SVZM FIR), as well as activity associated with increasing Venezuela military readiness," the FAA also said.
#1
Not a smart aircraft guy, but the closure announcement came on a social media site, not the FAA, whose notice to airlines to "exercise caution".
So this is another maximum pressure act to topple Maduro, like the increasingly threatening military saber-rattling. At some point, to harken back to Hunt for Red October and Fred Thompson's famous line...
[Rudaw] Sweden’s migration and foreign trade ministers recently visited Syria to discuss cooperation on deportations, the return of individuals convicted of crimes in Sweden, and reconstruction assistance, according to the Swedish government on Friday.
"Increasing returns from Sweden is a priority for our government. This includes individuals who have been convicted of offences in Sweden and will be expelled," said Migration Minister Johan Forssell.
The trip, from Monday to Wednesday and paired with a visit to Leb ...The Leb civil war, between 1975 and 1990, lasted a little over 145 years and produced 120,000 fatalities. The average length of a ceasefire was measured in seconds. Only one of those statements is an exaggeration.... , marked "the first ministerial visit" to Syria since 2011, Forssell said.
Stockholm plans to expand cooperation with Damascus on development aid, reconstruction, migration, and the return of Syrians without Swedish citizenship who have criminal convictions, Sweden’s publicly funded broadcaster, Sveriges Radio, reported on Thursday. Forssell told the broadcaster that Sweden has deported around 20 people to Syria since 2019 and now wants Damascus to accept more.
"We have now agreed to deepen our cooperation in order to implement more of these. As minister of immigration, I see it very positively and look forward to deepening it further," Forssell added in a video message on Thursday.
Benjamin Dousa, minister for International Development Cooperation and Foreign Trade, said it is "crucial" that Sweden is able to process deportations of people convicted of crimes, describing it as essential for justice and public confidence.
"What takes place in Syria is important to Sweden and the EU. We all have an interest in a peaceful and stable Syria," he said.
According to data from the Swedish foreign ministry, Stockholm provided approximately $400 million in humanitarian assistance to Syria from the beginning of the civil war in 2011 until the overthrow of Bashir Pencilneck al-Assad Supressor of the Damascenes... ’s regime.
At least one million Syrians have returned home over the past year, according to figures from the United Nations ...a lucrative dumping ground for the relatives of dictators and party hacks... , which notes that the returnees face enormous challenges of damaged homes, lack of basic services, unemployment, and volatile security.
#1
Finally, some logic and facts are starting to sink in, in the EU.
Now if we can only get the LSD's here to understand and remember that their very way of life and social practices gets them flogged, and their heads handed to them by Sharia law.
Green with envy, Mohammedan poor,
Wretched refuse, wash up on our shore
Where we spurn but a score;
All the rest we adore...
And unselfishly wish you'd take more."
[IsraelTimes] Johannes Volkmann, 28, up-and-coming lawmaker and scion of the longtime chancellor, urges tougher laws against Jew-hatred, warning fear has ‘become normalized’ for German Jews
Can he prevail over the Jew-hate of both left and right, and both political and social cowardice in the face of the triumphant Islamo-fascist hordes?
Johannes Volkmann, an up-and-coming young conservative German politician with a prominent political pedigree, says he is embarrassed by what he calls many Germans’ acceptance of surging antisemitism since Hamas ..a regional Iranian catspaw,... ’s October 7, 2023, attack on Israel, which has led his country’s Jews to "exist only in fear."
Volkmann, 28, is one of the youngest politicians in the Christian Democratic Union, the party once led by his grandfather, former longtime German Chancellor and pro-Israel stalwart Helmut Kohl.
"I’m ashamed of how willingly large parts of our society, especially supposedly progressive circles, have tolerated this development," Volkmann told The Times of Israel last week.
"Eighty years after the Shoah, we have learned that what should be self-evident in Germany is not, that Jewish life in our cities must be possible without fear," he said. Instead, "it has become normalized that visible Jewish life in many places can exist only in fear or under police protection."
The remarks come amid a dramatic spike in antisemitic incidents in Germany. The Research and Information Center on Antisemitism, an independent watchdog known by the acronym RIAS, documented 8,627 incidents in 2024, a 77 percent rise from the previous year, including eight instances of extreme antisemitic violence, such as attacks resulting in physical injury, and another 186 physical assaults.
Between 2022 and 2023, according to police data, the number of antisemitic crimes doubled, with a spike following the Hamas-led October 7 attack. Between 2023 and last year, the number rose by another 20%, with a total of 6,236 cases recorded in 2024.
Volkmann is calling for a far more forceful government response. That includes tighter immigration policies and residency rules, enhanced disciplinary powers for universities, and laws against providing arts funding to antisemitic endeavors.
"We have a duty to confront antisemitism in our cultural landscape, at universities, and particularly in some migrant communities," he said.
Volkmann, one of the youngest politicians in the CDU, has quickly risen within the party once led by his grandfather, which has governed Germany for most of its postwar history. He became active in the Christian Democrats ...every time you hear the phrase white people, white supremacy,white anything but paint, you're listening to a Democrat. Ask him/her/it to reimagine something for you; they do that a lot, though not well. They can hear a dog whistle a mile or two away. They invented the spoils system and Tammany Hall, and inspired the addition of the word (Thomas) Nasty to the English language. They want to stop continental drift and repeal the law of unintended side effects... while still in school and joined the party’s federal board in 2024 at age 27, making him its youngest member.
Earlier this year, he entered the Bundestag and joined the CDU’s "Young Group," considered an influential force within the parliamentary faction. He has also been a frequent guest on German talk shows and has become one of the more visible faces of the party’s younger generation.
In that role, he hasn’t shied away from speaking out when it comes to antisemitism in Germany. He drew attention earlier this year by accusing the left-wing Die Linke party of promoting antisemitism and downplaying Islamist terror.
In August, he visited an anti-Israel tent protest in Frankfurt, and attempted to engage demonstrators in debate on camera.
But he made clear that rising antisemitism is a danger on the far-right as well as the left. He said he rejects praise for the far-right Alternative for Germany, or AfD, which has surged in popularity in recent years, even though that party has also raised the alarm about migrants colonists in the country.
"In my personal environment, I frequently hear statements that see the AfD as a beacon of hope out of concern about migrant and Islamist antisemitism," he said. "I can only warn against this. There are strong völkisch [German ethno-nationalist] elements in the AfD that at least show openness to traditional right-wing hard boy antisemitism and freely use corresponding linguistic codes."
He also said that the left-wing German party, Die Linke, tolerates "structural Israel-related antisemitism within its own ranks." He pointed to harsh criticism of Israel from its members, including a spokesperson for the party’s youth organization, who said of the war in Gazoo
...Hellhole adjunct to Israel and Egypt's Sinai Peninsula, inhabited by Gazooks. The place was acquired in the wake of the 1967 War and then presented to Paleostinian control in 2006 by Ariel Sharon, who had entered his dotage. It is currently ruled with a rusty iron fist by Hamas with about the living conditions you'd expect. It periodically attacks the Hated Zionist Entity whenever Iran needs a ruckus created or the hard boyz get bored, getting thumped by the IDF in return. The ruling turbans then wave the bloody shirt and holler loudly about oppression and disproportionate response... , "This is a genocide. This is a fucking Holocaust. This is the Holocaust!"
He said such "currents" are ones that "move outside the boundaries of our liberal-democratic basic order." He added, "A party that tolerates such things is a political opponent for me and not a cooperative competitor."
EVolkmann has argued that Germany must be more willing to deport non-citizens who commit antisemitic offenses online or at demonstrations.
"Immigration law also serves to protect public safety," he said, suggesting that he would like to change laws so that courts can allow more deportations than they do at present.
He also proposed changes to higher education laws to allow the expulsion of students who harass Jewish classmates or participate in violent mostly peaceful campus occupations.
And he said government arts funding policies should explicitly hew to the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) working definition of antisemitism, which includes certain types of anti-Israel rhetoric among its examples, such as calling the country a "racist endeavor."
Many German artistic projects receive government support; Volkmann would like to see those that run afoul of the IHRA definition lose their public funding.
"A large part of the electorate rightly expects that we do not subsidize Israel-related antisemitism with German taxpayers’ money," he said.
Volkmann is generally reserved when it comes to public statements about his grandfather, but Kohl — who served as German chancellor from 1982 to 1998 and oversaw the country’s reunification — was also known for his friendship with Jews and Israel.
Under his leadership, German-Israeli relations grew closer. Avi Primor, Israel’s ambassador to Berlin from 1993 to 1999, said in a 2017 interview with a radio station affiliated with Deutsche Welle that Kohl greatly valued Israel and saw it as "a blessing for Germany in science and research." Primor added that a personal friendship grew between Kohl and then-prime minister Yitzhak Rabin, before Rabin’s 1995 liquidation.
As chancellor, Kohl also allowed the immigration of about 200,000 Jews from the former Soviet Union. As a result, the official membership of German Jewish communities grew from around 30,000 in 1990 to more than 100,000 at the beginning of the 2000s. Since then, the number has slightly declined to around 90,000. In total, estimates suggest that today roughly 200,000 Jews live in Germany, compared to over 500,000 before the Holocaust.
Last year, especially citing his grandfather’s commitment to a united Europe, Volkmann told the newspaper Zeit, "Many of his political values are more important today than at any time since the end of the Cold War."
[NY Post] The Trump administration is working toward cutting illegal migrants off from federal tax benefits and money transfer services, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Friday.
"At [President Trump’s] direction, we are working to cut off federal benefits to illegal aliens and preserve them for U.S. citizens," Bessent wrote on X.
As part of the effort, the Treasury Department will propose new regulations "clarifying that the refunded portions of certain individual income tax benefits are no longer available to illegal and other non-qualified aliens, covering the Earned Income Tax Credit, the Additional Child Tax Credit, the American Opportunity Tax Credit, and the Saver’s Match Credit," according to the the Trump administration official.
The Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 (PRWORA) ostensibly prohibits illegal immigrants from obtaining most taxpayer-funded benefits.
However, in a February executive order barring illegal immigrants from access to federally funded benefits, Trump argued that in the decades since PRWORA’s passage, "numerous administrations have acted to undermine the principles and limitations directed by the Congress."
Treasury aims to classify federal tax benefits as "federal public benefits" within the meaning of PRWORA in its proposed rule.
The department noted last week that the Department of Justice’s Office of Legal Counsel "recently issued an opinion adopting this interpretation."
Treasury’s final regulations are expected to apply beginning in tax year 2026.
Posted by: Frank G ||
11/29/2025 03:45 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
[1783 views]
Top|| File under: Migrants/Illegal Immigrants
#1
I am all for a few Constitutional or Tax Amendments.
LIKE:
NO US Taxpayer $$$$$ shall be given to non-citizens, or foreign nations.
The US Federal Budget must be balanced and the total National Debt shall not exceed 10% of the previous fascial year collected tax revenues.
A person shall not be Federally taxed more than 15% of their working income.
Retiree based income, shall not be taxed after Age 65.
All shall apply except in time of DECLARED War, which threatens the continued operation and safety of the USA homeland citizens.
#4
The tough one will be ER costs. Folks without insurance tend to use the ER for basic health. The hospital can’t easily avoid providing emergency healthcare. If the hospital isn’t compensated they charge others more or go bankrupt. Hospitals mitigate this by eliminating ER services.
Posted by: Super Hose ||
11/29/2025 10:18 Comments ||
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#5
Retiree based income, shall not be taxed after Age 65.
Do you mean to exclude Social Security and pension monies, NN2N1, or all income? Because while some retirees are scrimping to get by, others are multimillionaires, and can well afford to pay regular taxes.
#6
Similar to what my friends in the health care world are telling me here, Mr Hose.
'Entitled' person's child has a runny nose, off to the ER where the treatment costs are roughly 400-600% higher than the nearby Urgent Care facility that is open at the same time.
Posted by: Mullah Richard ||
11/29/2025 12:40 Comments ||
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#7
^You're not rational about this stuff when you're a parent. You just know that you're child is having trouble breathing and you run for a hospital. You don't worry about the details.
#8
If you look at the finances of border hospitals in Texas, many were going out of business during the Obama Admin because there were so many illegals that were getting care and couldn’t pay. In stepped the Federal government probably with FEMA funding. Soon FEMA was solely focused on that role. Hurricane in NC - who cares? FEMA is taking care of the illegals. If the Fed spigot is closed, hospitals in California, Illinois and New York are in trouble.
Posted by: Super Hose ||
11/29/2025 13:15 Comments ||
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#9
#7 Bullshit. I was behind a Hindu family with a runny nose, and Brahmin Entitlement was oozing out of every pore.
Posted by: Regular joe ||
11/29/2025 13:16 Comments ||
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#10
ICE needs to start posting up around ERs like they do at Home Depot
Posted by: Regular joe ||
11/29/2025 13:18 Comments ||
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#11
^#5 TW
Investments generating NEW greater INCOME should be Taxed. I am talking my IRA, IROC PENSION should NOT be. Because the funds were alreay pre-taxed to build them.
#12
"The Trump administration is working toward cutting illegal migrants off from federal tax benefits and money transfer services, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Friday."
[NYPost] A top Trump administration intelligence official said Friday that the suspected Afghan terrorist who gunned down two National Guard service members was “not vetted” before being allowed to enter the US in 2021.
Joe Kent, the director of the National Counterterrorism Center at the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, posted on X that the Biden administration was to blame for the lapse in vetting of Rahmanullah Lakanwal — who is being charged with killing one of the troops, Guardswoman Sarah Beckstrom.
The NCTC director said there were more than 2 million in total who entered “from Muslim majority nations & regions surged … often with minimal scrutiny amid record border crossings” — including 85,000 Afghans who “were rapidly admitted into our country without the rigorous vetting that has protected us in the past.”
“This is a deadly combination,” Kent declared, noting that the suspected terrorist “was only vetted to serve as a soldier to fight against the Taliban, AQ, & ISIS IN Afghanistan, he was NOT vetted for his suitability to come to America and live among us as a neighbor, integrate into our communities, or eventually become an American citizen.”
A senior US official confirmed that he had been “vetted to fight” alongside US forces against Taliban, al-Qaeda and ISIS militants between 2011 and 2021 — but that this was a “low standard” that “has never been used before to let people into the US.”
“Prior to Biden it took 18 months or longer for someone to be granted a Special Immigrant Visa, including the applicant needing to flee to a third country so the US government could interview and vet them,” the official noted. “Biden threw all of this out and applied tactical war time vetting to people seeking entry into the homeland.”
“[T]he Biden Administration justified bringing the alleged shooter to the United States in September 2021 due to his prior work with the U.S. Government, including CIA, as a member of a partner force in Kandahar, which ended shortly following the chaotic evacuation,” said CIA Director John Ratcliffe on Thursday.
Homeland Security Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin added that Lakanwal had been “paroled in” with tens of thousands of other Afghan refugees.
Lakanwal, 29, ambushed two National Guard members in a cowardly shooting on Thanksgiving eve in DC. Both had been deployed from West Virginia as part of a federal surge to crack down on crime in the nation’s capital.
The armed soldiers were just blocks away from the White House when he rounded a corner and opened fire with a revolver, striking Beckstrom, 20, first. She died the following day at a local hospital.
Lakanwal only fired four bullets from the handgun before picking up Beckstrom’s rifle and turning it on Guardsman Andrew Wolfe, 24, who was hit and remains in critical condition at the hospital.
He exchanged gunfire with other troops before being subdued by an unidentified hero Guardsman, who bull-rushed the shooter while he was reloading and stabbed him repeatedly in the head with a pocket knife to subdue him.
Lakanwal was relocated to the US under former President Joe Biden’s “Operation Allies Welcome” program, which brought nearly 80,000 Afghans to the US who had battled against the Taliban.
The Kandahar Strike Force he joined was a CIA-backed paramilitary group that fought alongside US forces — but was also accused of being a death squad that tortured and executed civilians.
Roughly 10,000 members of the so-called “Zero Units” eventually settled in Washington State near Seattle. Lakanwal ended up in Bellingham, Wash., with his wife and five children in September 2021.
McLaughlin noted in her statement Thursday that “this monster would not have been removed because of his parole,” even if the Trump administration sought to remove him earlier this year.
“Biden signed into law that parole program, and then entered into the 2023 Ahmed Court Settlement, which bound USCIS to adjudicate his asylum claim on an expedited basis,” McLaughlin said.
Chad Robichaux, a former Force Recon Marine who deployed to Afghanistan eight times and was part of a coalition effort that evacuated 17,000 nationals from the country in 2021, claimed to The Post that there was “zero vetting” for tens of thousands of Afghans flown out of Kabul in the final days of the withdrawal.
“Probably close to 100,000 of them were flown straight from Kabul to the United States to different airfields, and they were let go into the American population. We have no idea who they are — zero vetting,” said Robichaux, who authored the 2023 book “Saving Aziz: How the Mission to Help One Became a Calling to Rescue Thousands from the Taliban.”
“Just because you’re approved to work with special operations of the CIA, that doesn’t give you a pathway to the United States. You still have to go through the State Department. You still have to apply. He would still have to have applied for a special immigrant visa process,” he added.
Trump suggested that Lakanwal “went nuts” shortly before traveling to DC and firing on US troops — and Robichaux shared that as a special operations soldier, he worked side by side with other Afghans who were later “disloyal” to the US and “turned on” them.
“I know guys that have lost their lives being out on operations in Afghanistan,” he recalled, mentioning one Afghan national who was trained by the CIA, worked with his team and whom he wrote about in his book about rescuing an interpreter.
“I, like, slept on the side of mountains with this guy … trusted him with my life. He turns on us,” he recounted, “has a vehicle bomb driven into my house, had 12 of our teammates rolled up, captured and killed, and I got abducted by a foreign intelligence agency because of this guy.”
Robichaux added: “They didn’t know who was on those planes. He could have worked for the CIA. He could have worked for the Taliban.”
One of Lakanwal’s relatives told NBC News that he eventually worked as a contractor for Amazon Flex as a delivery driver after resettling in the US.
A friend also recalled to the New York Times that he suffered mental problems after seeing combat in Afghanistan “When he saw blood, bodies, and the wounded, he could not tolerate it,” the friend was quoted as saying. “It put a lot of pressure on his mind.”
🇺🇸 #US: A collection of witness-recorded footage from Wednesday's attack on National Guard members near the White House in Washington, D.C. showing the Afghan national Rahmanullah Lakanwal drawing a handgun, followed by a National Guard member returning fire.
As a complementary detail, The New York Times, as well as the non-profit Afghan Evac (
@afghanevac
), which works with Afghan SIV applicants stated that Lakanwal previously served in NDS-03, an elite Afghan "counterterrorism" unit that operated with CIA oversight and direct US intelligence and military support.
🚨 BREAKING: The Soros-linked NGO "World Relief" FUNDED the settlement of National Guard shooter Rahmanullah Lakanwal in Washington State, from Afghanistan.
World Relief has received US TAXPAYER DOLLARS through USAID.
#2
Keep in mind for future reference.
There are 1,000's upon 1,000's that the Democrats Liberals and Socialist brought in to our America.
Given the numbers, and military types. A person might wonder, was it with a greater plan? Or just their usual stupidity?
#3
I have never understood deploying these national guard troops without weapons. Arm them, let them protect themselves and if worthless POS lose their lives then so be it.
Posted by: chris ||
11/29/2025 3:16 Comments ||
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#4
I had no idea the soldiers were unarmed. That is criminal.
Posted by: Whiskey Mike ||
11/29/2025 3:41 Comments ||
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#10
The guy had all the popular triggers for going 'postal': evacuee, wife and 5 kids in an apartment, delivery driver, video games, withdrawal from supportive community, etc.
How much of that is media hype?
Why would a man drive across the country to commit the crime when he could murder/suicide at home, as many do?
"The holiday season can trigger emotional crises for many individuals, often stemming from a combination of stress, unresolved grief, and heightened expectations. Common emotional reactions include intense sadness, anxiety, irritability, and feelings of loneliness, particularly when memories of lost loved ones surface or when individuals feel isolated despite being surrounded by others."
#12
I am pretty sure that this was a case of a dude feeling down because Christmas was going to be sparse for the kids. I bet we will find that he had no social media profile or interactions.
Posted by: Super Hose ||
11/29/2025 10:05 Comments ||
Top||
#13
^Veteran type problems - not Muslim type problems?
#14
American problem but worse for Vets. Driving across the country to shoot guardsmen while yelling Alluh Akbar is not seasonally affected disorder or PTSD.
Posted by: Super Hose ||
11/29/2025 11:04 Comments ||
Top||
#15
What does it say that his first action was to shoot a woman in the head with a .357 Magnum?
Posted by: Matt ||
11/29/2025 11:06 Comments ||
Top||
#19
How can there be any 'vetting' when the premise that "liberated Afghanistan" was an ally rather than an at least passive aggressive unfriendly entity has always been self deception à la "The Emperor's New Clothes?"
In the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan the exercise of fundamental human and civil rights was a death penalty offense.
The Islamic Republic of Afghanistan did not acquiesce in the name of "Peaceful Coexistence" but officially protested US law applying domestically. Thus the IROA was officially more hostile to the West than the post-Stalin USSR was.
The assumption that any ordinary Afghan whose allegiance was to the "ally" IROA would NOT be hostile, or violently hostile towards the West has never been reasonable.
[IsraelTimes] The IDF says that earlier this week, authorities notified Palestinian residents in the Jenin refugee camp in the northern West Bank that the army intends to demolish 24 buildings.
“The demolition of buildings is required in accordance with a clear and necessary operational need,” the military says.
On Tuesday, the Civil Administration body in the Defense Ministry notified the residents of the IDF’s plans.
The military says the residents of the buildings have been given time to take their belongings.
The decision to demolish the structures was made by the chief of the Central Command, Maj. Gen. Avi Bluth, “after careful consideration, while reducing the scope of demolition to the minimum required, and after considering other alternatives,” the IDF says.
The IDF has already demolished hundreds of buildings in the Jenin, Nur Shams, and Tulkarem camps in the West Bank this year, with officers saying it is intended to “preserve the IDF’s freedom of operation.”
“There is extensive use by terror organizations of explosive devices that endanger IDF troops operating in the camps, sometimes in densely populated civilian areas, posing a risk both to the troops and to nearby civilians. In the past month alone, IDF troops have arrested several terrorists and located additional explosive devices in the camps that had not yet been cleared since the IDF began operating in the camps daily,” the army adds.
[IsraelTimes] LED screens used to monitor arrivals and buy tickets turned into mouthpieces for terror after apparent hack from ‘hostile country,’ CEO of signage company says
Digital signage at several bus stops in Israel was hacked on Wednesday to play messages including remixed audio from slain Hamas ..a contraction of the Arabic words for "frothing at the mouth",... front man Abu Obeida and criticism of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and US President Donald Trump ...They hit him with slander, they impeached him twice. Nancy Pelosi tore up his State of the Union address on national TV. They stole an election and put his adherents in jail. They vilified him. They couldn't crucify him, so they shot him. Still, they can't keep him down... , the signage company confirmed to Hebrew media.
The incident was first reported by pro-Netanyahu outlet Channel 14, which shared footage recorded by a passenger in Modi’in on Wednesday night. In the minute-long video, a voice said in English, "To hell with Trump and Netanyahu."
The voice appeared to emanate from an LED screen in the station that shows bus arrival times and enables passengers to recharge their Rav Kav public transit cards.
The English-language message was then followed by brief recordings of Abu Obeida, beginning with the Koranic invocation "In the name of Allah, the most gracious, the most merciful," enhanced by various sound effects and accompanied by shrill siren-like sounds and the occasional thump.
A crescendo led to an emphatic call to arms for the al-Qassam Brigades, Hamas’s military wing: "Al-Qassam — to Allah, the one, the almighty... to beloved Jerusalem." The recordings then continued over a soundtrack of Arabic music.
"Iranian hackers may have taken over the station screen. I’m speechless," the passenger, Tamar Boaron, told Channel 14, which said the National Cyber Directorate was updated about the incident.
Abu Obeida, the nom de guerre of Hudayfa Samir Abdallah al-Kahlout, was killed in an Israeli strike in Gazoo
...Hellhole adjunct to Israel and Egypt's Sinai Peninsula, inhabited by Gazooks. The place was acquired in the wake of the 1967 War and then presented to Paleostinian control in 2006 by Ariel Sharon, who had entered his dotage. It is currently ruled with a rusty iron fist by Hamas with about the living conditions you'd expect. It periodically attacks the Hated Zionist Entity whenever Iran needs a ruckus created or the hard boyz get bored, getting thumped by the IDF in return. The ruling turbans then wave the bloody shirt and holler loudly about oppression and disproportionate response... City in August, nearly two years after Hamas invaded Israel on October 7, 2023, sparking the war in Gaza. The perpetually masked, longtime al-Qassam front man was widely known and often celebrated in the Arab world.
Further footage published by Channel 12 on Thursday, from near the Ayalon mall in Ramat Gan, played similar audio to the recording heard in the Channel 14 video.
Israel has seen an uptick in cyberattacks amid the war in Gaza, and ranked the second-most targeted country in the world for the attacks, after Ukraine, according to the National Security Directorate.
CEO Oren Naveh of IM Segev, the company that owns bus stop signage operator Urban Digital, confirmed to Channel 12 that a handful of screens "in various cities, including Ashkelon and Modi’in," were affected by a hacking attack from 8:30 p.m. to 9:40 p.m., when Urban Digital shut down the signs’ servers.
"I brought in cyber experts to take care of it. A hundred people were up all night to take care of it. The incident is still under investigation, but our assessment is that we’re talking about a group of hackers from a hostile country who’ve already hacked into several Israeli organizations in the past," Naveh told the network.
Due to the server shutdown, Urban Digital’s website was offline as of press time. Naveh said the server would go back up after a technical team made sure "there are no traces of a hostile country left."
The National Public Transport Authority told Channel 12 that, "following a cyberattack on an electronic billboard supplier," the Ministry of Transportation has ordered that all digital signage in bus stations be shut off "until the supplier’s information security array is reinforced and the threat is removed."
[IsraelTimes] The Defense Ministry’s Coordinator for Government Affairs in the Territories (COGAT) says it facilitated the opening of a field hospital in the Gaza Strip — the 15th since the beginning of the war against Hamas.
The facility, opened in coordination with the International Medical Corps, “is designed to expand essential medical services in areas of prenatal care, mental Health, Physiotherapy, and Inpatient Care for the civilian population,” COGAT says in a statement.
It says the hospital includes 150 beds, 200 medical staff, and has been treating over 1,000 patients a day.
The statement does not say exactly where the hospital is located.
[Ynet] The Shahed 101 is one particularly wicked piece of Iranian UAV hardware. It is 1.60 meters long, has a two meter wingspan and a carbon fiber body that makes it very hard to detect on radar. It is launched from Lebanon, slices through the sky in a chilling silence thanks to its electric motor, flies very far, up to 800 kilometers, and very low, almost brushing the treetops. In its belly it carries a cruel bomb weighing about eight kilograms. When it reaches its target, the Shahed 101 glides straight into it and explodes on contact with its shrapnel warhead, whose only purpose is to kill as many people as possible at once. It is a flying death machine, efficient and cheap, developed by Revolutionary Guards scientists with one central goal in mind: to hit as many Israeli soldiers as possible.
And indeed, soldiers serving on the northern border learned to recognize the Shahed 101’s spine chilling buzz, and also understood that there was no truly effective answer to this weapon. From the ground it is very hard to bring down, and by the time a helicopter or fighter jet manages to identify it, chase it and shoot it down, long minutes pass, sometimes deadly ones. What is left? Take cover well and hope it passes. Sometimes that does not help either. The Shahed 101 hit many communities in the north. In an attack on Kabri, for example, a reserve soldier was killed. There were also attacks in Eilat, in the Jordan Valley and elsewhere. Other UAV attacks took dozens more lives. At the Golani Brigade basic training base near Ramat Menashe, one UAV, as remembered, even made it from Lebanon to the prime minister’s home in Caesarea. Another came from Yemen and struck a building near the U.S. Embassy, killing a man. If against the rocket array the defensive layer provided by Iron Dome and Arrow performed impressively, with 90 percent to 95 percent interception rates, against drones and UAVs the numbers were far lower. Only about 50 percent were shot down in time.
But a little more than a year ago, that balance of terror was broken. It was in the evening hours when soldiers of the Dragon Battalion (946) in the north spotted a threat hovering over their sector. Dragon is a tactical battalion belonging to the Air Defense Array, reestablished after nearly 20 years since the previous battalion with the same name was disbanded. That night, the moment they had been waiting for finally arrived. Inside the battery’s operations trailer they tracked the target tensely. Then came the alert, then the lock. And then came the launch.
When the system was activated, no roar of a Tamir interceptor rocket, Iron Dome’s missile, was heard outside. There was no terrifying boom of an Arrow launch either. In fact, aside from the soldiers’ strained breathing inside the trailer and the radio calls, there was no unusual sound. At first, nothing could be seen. But those minutes will enter history as the time of the first operational launch of an Israeli laser weapon.
And suddenly, about two kilometers away, the UAV from Lebanon was violently knocked sideways in a silent blow. It tried to stabilize, but its broken wing, with its tip hanging helplessly, left it no chance. The UAV spun on its axis, its nose pointed down, went into a spiral and fell like a stone to the ground. The next sound was the shouts of joy in the operations trailer, which were clearly heard far away.
These were justified shouts. Never before had anyone managed to bring down airborne weapons using a laser beam in operational activity. Everyone understood it was an event that changed the entire game. A real revolution.
At the end of May this year, on the 600th day of the October 7 war, the defense establishment revealed a stunning disclosure: laser cannons were participating in the war and had already brought down close to 40 UAVs launched by Hezbollah. "The Air Defense Array deployed laser systems in the field and achieved especially high interception results that saved civilians’ lives and protected national assets," the statement said.
The video released was striking. One after another, enemy drones were seen breaking apart, exploding and diving into the ground. "Israel is the first country in the world to present a massive operational laser capability for intercepting threats," said Brig. Gen. (res.) Danny Gold, head of the Defense Ministry’s Directorate of Defense Research and Development, or Maf'at.
Media outlets celebrated the entry into service of the "Or Eitan" laser system, also known as "Magen Or," which had been widely discussed. But that was not true. In fact, these were several small mobile Rafael laser firing systems, Iron Beam M ("Lahav Barzel") and Lite Beam, still in testing stages. They were drafted into the campaign and, in a way that surprised even their developers, repeatedly brought down UAVs. They did so at a fraction of the cost of fighter jets and helicopters scrambled toward drones, and of the air to air missiles fired at them.
This week we reveal that not only soldiers took part in this historic laser warfare, but also civilians. Because these were "demonstrators," weapons still under development, engineers and technicians had to accompany them and make sure they worked properly, meaning they blew up UAVs but did not fry soldiers.
Yes, one can see how that might be a concern to all involved.
One of them was Dr. Y., the system engineer of "Or Eitan." Dr. Y. and his team went into the field alongside Air Defense soldiers to operate the demonstrators. "We worked very hard to make this happen, our teams worked around the clock here in the field," said Dr. Y. "The soldiers operated it for the first time and they learned fast. Very fast. But even then they had comments and suggestions for improvements, and we were here at night. Suddenly something is not working for someone, so you get a phone call on Saturday and jump in. This thing was constant. We also did very quick learning cycles."
Under the circumstances, also understandably desirable…
...If until now talk about laser weapons was in the future tense, now it is turning into the present. Sometime in the coming month the operational launch of "Or Eitan" will be carried out, and a line of new laser cannon batteries will be deployed near Iron Dome batteries. "Or Eitan," to be called Iron Beam abroad, is a ground based high power laser weapon system, 100 kilowatts, the first of its kind in the world to enter regular operational service. The system proved effective in intercepting rockets, mortar bombs and UAVs at ranges of up to 10 kilometers.
This sounds like as much fun as driving tanks, and the operators get to say, “Pew! Pew! Pew!” as they shoot at their targets. But only Israel’s friends will get to buy it, so Sir Keir Starmer’s government… Oh well, they can’t afford to spend the money anyway. And Turkey needs to master Iron Dome before they can think about trying to copy the next iteration, because they certainly won’t be offered the opportunity to invest in the Israeli system.
..."Or Eitan" is operated using Iron Dome’s warning and command and control systems. In a split second, the system identifies whether an approaching threat requires a $50,000 Iron Dome missile or a laser shot costing about half a dollar. The considerations will be purely operational, of course, but the savings in interception economics will be enormous. Tell me again how UAVs are going to dominate any future battlefield.
Posted by: Grom the Affective ||
11/29/2025 00:00 ||
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#1
? um? they named it after a basketball player? was he famous for blocked shots or something?
[IsraelTimes] Troops take journalists on tour of terror group’s underground network as military insists it is working hard to enforce the ceasefire
Deep in a rugged valley of southern Leb ...Formerly inhabited by hardy Phoenecian traders, its official language is now Arabic, with the usual unpleasant side effects.... , a cave complex offers a small picture of the subterranean infrastructure Hezbollah relied on near the Israeli border, along with the difficult task the country’s army faces as it seeks to disarm the terror group.
Roughly 100 meters (330 feet) long, the complex in the Zibqin area, outfitted with electrical power and ventilated shafts, likely served as a command center and contained a smattering of abandoned equipment including first-aid kits and military jackets.
Weapons there had already been confiscated by the army.
The army took dozens of journalists from local and and international media outlets Friday on a tour of the rugged area along the border. Its troops could be seen in places where Hezbollah once had a heavy military presence.
The Lebanese army has intensified its efforts in areas along the border with Israel, in the volatile area that witnessed the 14-month war between Israel and Hezbollah.
Parts of the zone south of the Litani River and north of the border with Israel were formerly a Hezbollah stronghold, off limits to the Lebanese national army and UN peacekeepers deployed in the area.
But since a ceasefire ended the Israel-Hezbollah war a year ago, Lebanon’s army has boosted its presence along the border to nearly 10,000 troops, closed 11 crossing points used for smuggling along the Litani River, and is dealing with huge amounts of unwent kaboom! ordnance, according to several senior army officers.
Israel has carried out almost daily Arclight airstrike ...KABOOM!... s since the November 2024 ceasefire, mainly targeting Hezbollah members it says are violating the ceasefire and attempting to rebuild the group’s capabilities.
Hezbollah maintains it no longer has an armed presence south of the Litani River, close to the border.
HEZBOLLAH REJECTS DISARMAMENT PLAN
Hezbollah refuses to discuss full disarmament across Lebanon until Israel stops its attacks and withdraws from five hilltop points that it captured during the war and still holds. Israel says it maintains those points as they are necessary to secure the border from further potential attacks.
The latest Israel-Hezbollah war began Oct. 8, 2023, a day after Hamas ..the braying voice of Islamic Resistance®,... attacked southern Israel, with Hezbollah firing rockets into Israel in solidarity with Hamas. After nearly a year of such attacks and Israeli retaliatory strikes, Jerusalem launched a massive air and ground campaign for two months last year that severely weakened Hezbollah, leading to a November 2024 ceasefire.
In August, the Lebanese government voted in favor of a US-backed plan to disarm Hezbollah. Hezbollah rejected the plan.
Israel has said that Hezbollah is working on rebuilding its capabilities in south Lebanon, has stepped up its strikes and has increasingly warned of consequences should Lebanon fail to rein in the group.
As a result, Beirut has sought to show it is making progress.
"The Lebanese army is making tremendous efforts during this critical period in the history of the region," said Brig. Gen. Nicolas Thabet, Lebanese army commander in the sector south of the Litani River.
The journalists were taken Friday to Zibqin Valley, where Hezbollah once had rocket launchers, tunnels and posts hidden in the bushy region. No presence of the group was visible, and its former posts were either destroyed or now controlled by Lebanese troops.
A nearly 100-meter (328 feet) tunnel inside a mountain, used by Hezbollah in the past, contained what appeared to be a small medical clinic, a ventilation system, power cables, water tankers and large amounts of canned food.
Zibqin Valley is where munitions in an arms depot went kaboom! in August, killing six army experts who were dismantling them.
"We will not abandon our goals no matter what the difficulties are," said Thabet, adding that "the army is making major sacrifices" in one of "the most dangerous parts of the Middle East."
WEAPONS AND TUNNELS DISCOVERED
Army officers told journalists that there have been 5,198 violations by Israel since the ceasefire, including 657 airstrikes. Israel says while Hezbollah does not operate openly, it is constantly violating the truce as part of efforts to rearm and rebuild.
They added that 13,981 housing units were destroyed by the war, in addition to the damage done to infrastructure in border villages.
They said that some of the weapons and ordnance they found were dismantled or detonated while others have been put in storage. Weapons that can be used are taken by the army, they said.
The officers added that the army now has 200 posts south of Litani River, in addition to 29 fixed checkpoints, and it operates patrols around the clock.
On Sept. 5, the army strengthened its efforts in the region after the government’s decision to disarm Hezbollah. Since then, troops have discovered 74 tunnels, 175 rocket launchers and 58 missiles.
Thabet said the army does not enter homes to search them without a judicial order and only do so if they witness illegal activities as they’re taking place.
"Over the past year, no evidence was presented to me of any weapons entering the area south of the Litani after the army’s deployment," Tabet told journalists.
At the same time the army said the land was already awash with weapons and combat equipment.
The army told journalists it has seized around 230,000 items — including weapons, ammunition, rocket launchers and missiles — during search operations over the past year.
Sure, throw away the ceasefire that limits IDF aggression. What could posably go wrong for Hezbollah?
[IsraelTimes] Qassem says terror group will determine timing of response, Tabatabai was meeting with four aides ‘to prepare for future actions’ when he was killed in Beirut airstrike
Hezbollah’s leader on Friday said the terror group had the right to respond to Israel’s killing of its top military chief in a strike on Beirut’s southern suburbs.
In a televised speech from Iran, Naim Qassem ... the Grand Vizier of the Hezbullies... called the Sunday killing of Haytham Ali Tabatabai "a blatant aggression and a heinous crime," adding that his terror group had "the right to respond, and we will determine the timing for that."
"Do you expect a war later? It’s possible sometime. Yes, this possibility is there, and the possibility of no war is also there," Qassem said, in his first public comments addressing the killing.
Tabatabai was in a meeting with four of his aides "to prepare for future actions" when he was killed, Qassem said.
Qassem also said he hoped Pope Leo’s upcoming visit to Leb ...The Leb civil war, between 1975 and 1990, lasted a little over 145 years and produced 120,000 fatalities. The average length of a ceasefire was measured in seconds. Only one of those statements is an exaggeration.... on Sunday "will play a role in bringing about peace and ending the [Israeli] aggression."
Qassem insisted that the Iran-backed group has respected the November 2024 ceasefire that sought to end over a year of hostilities that started when Hezbollah attacked Israel on October 8, 2023, and called for an end to Israeli strikes.
Interesting definition of the word…
Israel has said it is responding to violations of the truce. The ceasefire agreement allows Israel to strike immediate threats, though longer-term issues must be directed to an international committee. The truce also ordered Israel to withdraw its troops from southern Lebanon entirely, though the IDF has forces at five strategic locations.
Tabatabai was the most senior Hezbollah commander to be killed by Israel since the truce, and was said to be a key part of the terror group’s efforts to rebuild following the devastating losses it suffered in the war.
The Israeli army said Tabatabai was a "veteran and central operative in the terror organization," after joining its ranks in the 1980s and holding several senior roles, including the commander of the elite Radwan Force and head of Hezbollah’s operations in Syria.
During the war, the IDF said, Tabatabai was appointed to head Hezbollah’s operations division, responsible for "consolidating the organization’s situational picture and force buildup."
In late 2024, after most of Hezbollah’s leadership was killed, he "effectively served as the official responsible for managing the fighting against Israel," the IDF said.
After the end of the intensive fighting between Israel and Hezbollah in November 2024, he was officially appointed as the military chief of staff in the terror group. "In this role, he led the organization’s reconstruction," the military said.
According to the US Department of State, he also commanded Hezbollah’s special forces in Syria and Yemen ...an area of the Arabian Peninsula sometimes mistaken for a country. It is populated by more antagonistic tribes and factions than you can keep track of... Israel has been escalating its strikes on Hezbollah in recent weeks, accusing the terror group of violating the year-old ceasefire and increasingly attempting to rebuild its capabilities, and expressing frustration at lagging Lebanese efforts to disarm the group.
A multi-volume chronology and reference guide set detailing three years of the Mexican Drug War between 2010 and 2012.
Rantburg.com and borderlandbeat.com correspondent and author Chris Covert presents his first non-fiction work detailing
the drug and gang related violence in Mexico.
Chris gives us Mexican press dispatches of drug and gang war violence
over three years, presented in a multi volume set intended to chronicle the death, violence and mayhem which has
dominated Mexico for six years.
Rantburg was assembled from recycled algorithms in the United States of America. No
trees were destroyed in the production of this weblog. We did hurt some, though. Sorry.
...The Leb civil war, between 1975 and 1990, lasted a little over 145 years and produced 120,000 fatalities. The average length of a ceasefire was measured in seconds. Only one of those statements is an exaggeration....
..a regional Iranian catspaw,...
..a contraction of the Arabic words for "frothing at the mouth",...
...The Leb civil war, between 1975 and 1990, lasted a little over 145 years and produced 120,000 fatalities. The average length of a ceasefire was measured in seconds. Only one of those statements is an exaggeration....
