[Red State] Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy blew the lid off the massive number of truck drivers who can't speak/read English after removing nearly ten thousand of them from our highways.
In an X post on Wednesday, Duffy confirmed a report about the results of a crackdown by President Donald Trump's administration on illegal alien drivers, following a series of deadly traffic crashes nationwide. My RedState colleague Becky Noble has done some great reporting on the issue, which can be read here.
#1
RETRO-2014 NAFTA, Twenty 30 Years After The agreements traded away the interests of American workers in favor of the interests of American corporations eager to produce for the U.S. market in countries where labor is cheap, environment and public health regulations weak, and governments easily bribable.
[SudanTribune] The Sudanese army leadership has begun enumerating and classifying allied fighting groups to prepare for their integration into the military, a move the Al-Baraa bin Malik battalion rejected as “catastrophic”, demanding the army chief of staff be sacked.
Military sources told Sudan Tribune the measures implement a mid-August decision by army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan to subject all supporting forces to the Armed Forces Act and place them under a unified command, particularly in the Darfur and Kordofan regions.
The sources said the military leadership started the headcount two months ago, disbanding and reconstituting several mobile units comprised of political groups supporting the army.
They attributed the procedures to field developments following events in El Fasher and Babanusa, denying U.S. pressure or truce conditions were behind the move.
Anyone willing to take a bet that’s true?
The sources described the steps as “natural and routine” amid ongoing battles.
In response, leaked military documents attributed to the leadership of the Al-Baraa bin Malik battalion, a prominent Islamist faction fighting alongside the army, revealed deep rifts over what it called a “field classification” imposed by the General Staff.
More at the link
Posted by: badanov ||
12/11/2025 00:00 ||
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Link ||
[1771 views]
Top|| File under: Govt of Sudan
[SudanTribune] The decision by the China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC) to dissolve its partnership in Sudan’s oil sector ahead of schedule has deepened the economic gloom hanging over the war-torn nation, following the seizure of the strategic Heglig oil field by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF).
The departure of the state-owned Chinese giant threatens to scrub Sudan from the map of global oil producers and choke off a vital economic lifeline for both the Khartoum government and its southern neighbour, South Sudan.
In a letter dated Nov. 19, CNPC cited “force majeure” to the Ministry of Energy and Oil, requesting the early termination of its production-sharing and pipeline agreements for the Balila field, Block 6. The move brings an abrupt end to a decades-long partnership that was originally set to expire in 2026.
The withdrawal comes as the RSF consolidates control over key infrastructure in West Kordofan, leaving the army with a dwindling foothold in the country’s energy heartland.
#1
The departure of the state-owned Chinese giant threatens to scrub Sudan from the map of global oil producers and choke off a vital economic lifeline for both the Khartoum government and its southern neighbour, South Sudan.
Positive end result for both the producers and the landowners.
[SaharaReporters] In April 2017, six Nigerians were arrested in Dubai on charges related to money laundering and terrorist financing.
The Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU) has mapped an extensive network of individuals, companies, and international affiliates linked to the financing and support of Boko Haram, revealing the complexity and reach of the group’s financial operations.
The NFIU’s report highlights the critical role of financial and logistical networks in sustaining Boko Haram’s operations. Banks, why can they not be trusted ?
According to the agency, terrorist groups depend on a wide array of resources to maintain their operational, organisational, and personal activities. Disrupting these networks is considered essential to safeguarding national security and protecting development initiatives.
Following presidential approval on January 10, 2020, the NFIU assumed full control over investigations into Boko Haram’s financing.
The unit analysed suspicious transaction reports from financial institutions, records of six Nigerians convicted in the United Arab Emirates for terrorism financing in 2019, and intelligence from the Nigerian Army and other law enforcement agencies.
In April 2017, six Nigerians were arrested in Dubai on charges related to money laundering and terrorist financing.
In 2019, the Abu Dhabi Federal Appeal Court convicted them of terrorist crimes and financing terrorist organisations outside the UAE under the country’s counter-terrorism laws, finding them to be members or agents of Boko Haram.
The sentences were as follows: Saluhu Yusuf Adamu, life imprisonment; Surajo Abubakar Muhammad, life imprisonment; Ibrahim Aliyu Alhassan, 10 years imprisonment; Abdurrahman Ado Musa, 10 years imprisonment; Bashir Aliyu Yusuf, 10 years imprisonment; and Muhammad Ibrahim Isa, 10 years imprisonment.
This marked a significant UAE legal action against individuals linked to Boko Haram operations abroad.
The analysis also incorporated open-source data, including United Nations Security Council reports and social media research, as well as information shared by foreign financial intelligence units in Germany, the Czech Republic, Rwanda, Benin, Cameroon, and Niger.
Posted by: badanov ||
12/11/2025 00:00 ||
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[1767 views]
Top|| File under: Boko Haram (ISIS)
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited. by Leonid Tsukanov
[REGNUM] In early December, the balance of power in the Yemeni theater of war shifted dramatically: the coalition fighting the Houthis split in two. After several years of relative harmony, UAE-backed proponents of South Yemeni independence turned against the Saudi-loyal northerners.
The zone of control of the rebel forces is currently close to the historical borders of the socialist republic that existed in part of Yemen before 1990. However, the real goals of the current coup are only formally connected to the desire to restore the old state.
TWO IN ONE
The roots of the crisis should be sought in the 20th century, when, in place of the disparate Yemeni tribal principalities and kingdoms (some of which were under British protectorate), two states emerged: the Yemen Arab Republic with its capital in Sana'a (North) and the People's Democratic Republic of Yemen (PDRY) with its capital in Aden (South).
Although both countries formally considered themselves part of the socialist camp and were friends with the same partners, this did not prevent them from disputing regional influence and vying for the status of “main Yemen.”
Moreover, at stake was not only prestige, but also control over key maritime trade routes.
Ultimately, the northerners won the race: the unification of the two republics under the auspices of the North took place in 1990. The South was promised "extensive representation in government."
However, over time, the interests of the southerners were completely marginalized. Many Yemeni politicians of the time harbored resentment toward Sana'a, but the resources to wage a struggle only emerged in the mid-2000s, when the Southern Movement (Al-Hirak) was created with Emirati funding.
SOUTHERN FRONDE
Although Al-Hirak formally began its struggle for independence in 2007—long before the Yemeni civil war—its activities were long ignored by the central government.
In Sana'a, it was believed that only a "small group of pensioners and provocateurs" wanted the restoration of the People's Republic. Meanwhile, young people, on the contrary, were inclined to support the country's unity.
And Al-Hirak didn't really take any aggressive steps until 2015. When it became clear that the northerners were busy fighting the Houthis, self-government was unilaterally declared in the southern regions.
It took another two years to create a permanent governing body – the Southern Transitional Council (STC) – which became the new “face” of the southern separatists and even managed to sign several agreements with the UAE and Oman.
However, this independence didn't last long: having stabilized the front, the northerners, with the permission of their Saudi allies, decided to suppress the southern rebellion, and by 2020, the territory under STC control had shrunk by more than a third. By the end of 2021, it had shrunk by more than tenfold.
This could have been considered the end of the Southern Movement if Abu Dhabi and Riyadh had not reached a “deal at the top” in early 2022, uniting the two forces against a common enemy, the Houthis.
The reason is simple: the latter, taking advantage of the chaos in the enemy's camp, invaded not only the northern port provinces but also the oil-producing regions of the south, thereby threatening the interests of both Arabian sponsors.
As a result, the south and north reached relative agreement. Key STC politicians joined the Presidential Leadership Council, established that same year, forming a de facto unified government of Yemen.
Of course, the southerners continued to demonstratively use the symbols of the UPS (including the old flags of the PDRY) at joint receptions and to swear allegiance to the “free South,” but this was perceived more as shock value than real resistance.
True, as subsequent events showed, the ideas of “independence” were not abandoned in the south.
WAR OF SELF-DETERMINATION
On December 3, forces loyal to the STC launched a "counterterrorism operation" in Hadramaut province, targeting local gangs. Similar maneuvers had been conducted several times before, and the northerners ignored the unusually large number of forces deployed to the counterterrorism operation—according to preliminary estimates, the south committed two-thirds of its available units to the battle.
This proved to be a fatal mistake. Taking advantage of the surprise, the STC attacked the checkpoints of their former allies in the province, declaring they were "taking revenge" for past defeats. The Hadramawt Coastal Forces, allied with the south, also joined the offensive.
Within a few days, they managed to occupy the key cities of the province, pushing the enemy back to the Saudi border.
In addition, the southerners expanded their presence in the province of Al-Mahra, taking control of some of the crossings on the Yemeni-Omani border, and cleared the province of Shabwa of hostile forces, defeating both Houthi pickets and northern pickets.
As a result of the offensive, all provinces de facto part of the PDRY came under the operational control of the southerners. However, the key achievement was gaining complete control over Aden: northern representatives sitting on the Presidential Leadership Council chose to flee to the Saudis.
EMIRATES "PROXIES"
The UAE's decision to so abruptly violate the "entente cordiale" with Saudi Arabia by silently supporting the southerners' expansion is due to Abu Dhabi's strategic rapprochement with Israel.
Ah hah! We should have guessed.
Tel Aviv needs a transit point closer to the Houthis to more effectively combat them and mitigate the threat of a repeat naval blockade of its ports. Since negotiations with the Saudis on establishing an air corridor failed in the past, the Israelis have turned to the UAE and its loyal forces.
It’s true that the Saudis are not ready to be seen moving closer to the Jewish state. And Bibi appears no longer prepared to indulge them as Israel used to.
Moreover, the groundwork for cooperation has already been laid: a military base has been established on the strategically important Socotra archipelago (de facto under the control of the southerners), which, with the consent of the UAE, is used by Israeli security forces, among others.
However, their work was greatly hampered by the northerners, who preferred not to spoil relations with either Iran or the Houthis loyal to it. As a result, most Israeli operations in Yemen had minimal impact. Establishing an independent force in South Yemen could solve this problem.
Moreover, by taking full control of the south of the country, the UAE will gain further leverage over global trade and the economy, strengthening the monarchy's position in global markets. This will also deal a blow to its closest neighbor and competitor, Saudi Arabia.
Interestingly, the Emirates don't place much hope in the southerners' military leadership skills, and therefore seek to saturate the provinces they occupy with "volunteers" from other theaters of war, specifically by transferring assault units from Sudan.
Furthermore, emissaries from the security firm "A4SI" recently arrived in Aden. This firm, founded by Colombian Alvaro Becerra and registered in the UAE, serves as an intermediary in the formation of Emirati proxy forces throughout the Middle East. Their presence in Aden promises an intensification of the southerners' offensive.
Moreover, Saudi Arabia's response won't be long in coming. Riyadh is not happy about the rise of separatism on its borders and has already deployed armored vehicles to conduct a counter-operation.
However, the order to cross the Yemeni border has not yet been given. Apparently, the House of Saud wants to understand how far Abu Dhabi is willing to go in redistributing spheres of influence.
Posted by: badanov ||
12/11/2025 00:00 ||
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[1761 views]
Top|| File under: Govt of Saudi Arabia
[BBC] President Donald Trump has launched a scheme offering fast-tracked US visas to wealthy foreigners who can pay at least $1m (£750,000).
The card will give buyers a "direct path to Citizenship for all qualified and vetted people. SO EXCITING! Our Great American Companies can finally keep their invaluable Talent," Trump said on social media on Wednesday.
The Trump Gold Card, which was first announced earlier this year, is a US visa awarded to those who can demonstrate they will provide a "substantial benefit" to the country, according to the scheme's official website.
It comes as Washington intensifies its immigration crackdown, including raising work visa fees and deporting undocumented migrants.
The Gold Card scheme promises US residency in "record time" and will require a $1m fee which is "evidence that the individual will substantially benefit the United States", the programme's website said.
Businesses sponsoring employees are required to pay $2m, along with additional fees. A "platinum" version of the card that offers special tax breaks will also be available soon for $5m, the website said.
Extra fees to the government may be charged depending on each applicant's circumstances, the site said. Individuals are also required to pay a non-refundable $15,000 processing fee before their application is reviewed.
The gold card scheme has faced criticism since it was first announced in February, with some Democrats saying that it would unfairly favour wealthy individuals.
When Trump first unveiled the plan he described the visas as similar to green cards, which allow immigrants of various income levels to live and work permanently in the US. Green card holders typically become eligible for citizenship after five years.
But the Gold Card is aimed specifically at "high-level" professionals, Trump said, emphasising, "we want people that are productive".
"The people that can pay $5m, they're going to create jobs," Trump said. "It's going to sell like crazy. It's a bargain."
The scheme comes as the Trump administration has devoted significant resources to deporting immigrants.
The US has also paused immigration applications by individuals from the 19 countries, mostly in Africa and in the Middle East, which are subject to the president's travel ban.
The government has also halted all decisions on asylum applications and said it would review thousands of cases that were approved under the administration of President Joe Biden.
In September, Trump also signed an order to charge a $100,000 fee for applicants of the H-1B visa programme for skilled foreign workers.
The decision caused panic among overseas student in the US and technology firms. The White House later clarified that the fee would apply only to new applicants who are currently abroad.
#1
The gold card scheme has faced criticism since it was first announced in February, with some Democrats saying that it would unfairly favour wealthy individuals.
And disfavor those with nothing to lose. Too bad.
Posted by: Bobby ||
12/11/2025 11:38 Comments ||
Top||
#2
Bringing in wealthy and successful people into this country instead of the waste products of other countries? So crazy it just might work!
#4
The below has been exploited for years as a pathway. These aren't illegals hiding in the dark. Consider how, over time, a nation state actor could change the demographic of an area, Possibly even the political culture using EB-5, EB-3, H1-B and student visa's, etc.
You can get a U.S. Green Card through significant investment via the EB-5 Immigrant Investor Program, requiring you to invest at least $1,050,000 (or $800,000 in targeted high-unemployment/rural areas) in a U.S. commercial enterprise, creating or preserving at least 10 full-time U.S. jobs for qualifying workers, with eligibility for you and your familiy.
#5
Goal Posts were moved. Went from $5 Million to $1 Million
Both $1 mil and $5 mil packages are being offered, mossomo.
They’ve been sending their pregnant wives here to give birth for decades, getting the benefits of citizenship for the cost of a month in a hotel and a few thousand for the hospital bill. Let the same people hand over a million or more, plus income taxes, for the same privilege. The numbers are much smaller than the millions the Biden Politburo open the border to, and many of those buying the right to an American passport will quickly go back wherever they came from.
[IsraelTimes] Hoboken mayor apologizes, saying he was unaware that he was marking mass uprising against Israel after Palestinian residents asked him to raise flag
The mayor of a New Jersey city on Tuesday apologized for accidentally raising the Paleostinian flag on the anniversary of the first Paleostinian intifada.
Hoboken Mayor Ravinder S. Bhalla
…D, of course, when he’s being less formal they call him Ravi Bhalla…
said that he had raised the Paleostinian flag at City Hall following requests from city residents who are Paleostinian.
Bhalla said he made the decision "in keeping with our city’s long-standing practice of recognizing the many cultures and communities that make Hoboken special."
He noted that Hoboken’s City Hall has raised the flag of many different communities, including flags for Israel, Italia, Puerto Rico, breast cancer awareness and the LGBTQ community, and that raising the Paleostinian flag was not a "political statement."
"This flag raising is an acknowledgment of our Paleostinian neighbors," Bhalla said on X.
Bhalla went on to say that he had not been aware that he had raised the flag on the anniversary of the start of the First Intifada, a mass Paleostinian uprising against Israel that took place from 1987-1993.
The recognized starting date for the intifada is December 9.
"It has since been brought to my attention that today’s date holds historical significance related to the First Intifada. I want to state unequivocally that this association was not known when the scheduling was approved," Bhalla said. "I understand that this coincidence has caused concern for some members of our community. This was not our intention."
The decision drew fire from the city’s mayor-elect and local politicians, some of whom said the City Council had not been consulted about the decision.
The flag has been taken down.
Last year, an Israeli flag at Hoboken City Hall was repeatedly stolen.
Hoboken is directly across the Hudson River from Manhattan.
#2
The "mistakes" are not just virtue signaling if you consider that all digital info becomes AI's data source. So in 20 years what really was the US's position on this particular issue.
#4
You support terrorist, you ARE terrorists. Charge them with terrorism, aiding and abetting and rebellion. Public execution by hanging for those convicted.
[FoxNews] Legislation includes 4% military pay raise and eliminates DEI programs before heading to Senate
The House passed the National Defense Authorization Act Wednesday, punting the yearly legislation that governs Pentagon spending to the Senate.
The vote was 312 to 112, with 18 Republicans and 94 Democrats voting "no" on the bill that authorizes $901 billion in War Department spending.
An earlier procedural vote on the legislation just barely passed 215–211 at the 11th hour after four Republicans: Reps. Anna Paulina Luna, R-Fla, Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., Tim Burchett, R-Tenn., Lauren Boebert, R-Colo., all changed their votes from no to yes. All Democrats voted no on the procedural rule vote.
House and Senate leaders already have combined their own versions of the legislation into one negotiated package, meaning it should face smooth sailing through the Senate and to President Donald Trump’s desk.
Hardline conservatives had spoken out against the bill over the inclusion of Ukraine funding at $400 million per year for two years and the omission of a provision that would ban the Federal Reserve from creating a central bank digital currency (CBDC).
But conservatives had pushed the CBDC prohibition as a privacy and civil-liberties measure, arguing that a government-issued digital dollar could give federal agencies the ability to monitor or restrict individual transactions.
Other provisions strictly curtail Trump from reducing troop presence in Europe and South Korea or pausing weapons deliveries to Ukraine. The bill also would withhold one quarter of War Secretary Pete Hegseth’s travel budget until the Pentagon hands over raw footage of the strikes on alleged narco-trafficking boats near Venezuela.
Speaker Mike Johnson is touting provisions that offer enlisted troops a 4% pay raise, eliminate diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) policies, crack down on antisemitism, eliminate $20 billion in spending on "obsolete programs" and "Pentagon bureaucracy" and policies that crack down on China.
In a victory for conservative privacy hawks like House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, the legislation includes a non-defense provision that would mandate FBI disclosure when the bureau was investigating presidential candidates and other candidates for federal office.
Coverage of in vitro fertilization (IVF) for military families, which became a flashpoint in recent days, is not included in the final NDAA. Neither is a provision that preempts states from regulating artificial intelligence.
One major section of the bill establishes an outbound investment screening system, requiring U.S. companies and investors to alert the Treasury Department when they back certain high-risk technologies in China or other "countries of concern." Treasury can block those deals outright or force annual reporting to Congress.
Another provision bans the Pentagon from contracting with Chinese genetic sequencing and biotech firms and from purchasing items such as advanced batteries, photovoltaic components, computer displays, and critical minerals originating from foreign entities of concern like China.
Beyond economic measures, the NDAA directs the State Department to deploy a new cadre of Regional China Officers at U.S. diplomatic posts around the world, responsible for monitoring Chinese commercial, technological, and infrastructure activities across every major geographic region, including Beijing’s Belt and Road Initiative.
The bill also requires biennial reports comparing China’s global diplomatic presence to that of the United States.
The bill repeals two long-dormant war authorizations tied to earlier phases of U.S. military involvement in Iraq, 1992 and 2002, while leaving the primary post-9/11 counterterrorism authority, the 2001 Authorization for Use of Military Force (AUMF), untouched.
Not perfect, but containing some important provisions.
[FoxNews] Navy gains jurisdiction over 760 acres in San Diego and Imperial Counties for 3 years
The Trump administration announced Wednesday plans to establish a new militarized zone along the U.S.–Mexico border in California.
The Department of the Interior said roughly 760 acres in San Diego and Imperial Counties will be placed under Navy jurisdiction to "strengthen ongoing border security operations."
Adding the installation will effectively allow federal personnel to detain suspected illegal immigrants for trespassing on U.S. territory. They already could...
The department described the National Defense Area as a high-traffic corridor for illegal crossings. The zone will reportedly stretch from the western boundary of the Otay Mountain Wilderness Area to about one mile west of the California–Arizona state line, with Navy control set for three years.
Interior Secretary Doug Burgum said the move directly advances what President Donald Trump has identified as his top national priorities.
"President Trump has made it clear that securing our border and restoring American sovereignty are top national priorities," Burgum said. "This action delivers on that commitment. By working with the Navy to close long-standing security gaps, we are strengthening national defense, protecting our public lands from unlawful use, and advancing the President’s agenda to put the safety and security of the American people first."
The Department added that the corridor’s heavy traffic of illegal crossings has contributed to both "significant national security challenges" and environmental degradation. Militarizing the area will reportedly "enhance border operations while minimizing ecological damage" associated with sustained illegal activity.
The Interior Department said it coordinated the move with the Navy to ensure it is lawful and consistent with the land’s original purpose — having been reserved in 1907 by President Theodore Roosevelt for border protection.
In recent months, the administration has established several national defense areas, including sites in Texas, Arizona and New Mexico. The moves were made to aggressively expand military authority along the southern border, including deploying federal troops and expanding rules to crack down on illegal migration, border security and overall crime.
#6
Consider that the nearest major military forces to the California portion of the US-Mex border are Camp Pendleton, MCAS Miramar, USNS San Diego and NAF El Contro, all of which are Navy/USMC.
#8
And finally, Lord, please move someone who does that sort of thing to make an AI video of a Valkyrian migra raid on Ridgemont High, and let me wake to watch it. Amen.
#9
At 760 acres for that linear distance it's a sliver. Prolly more a legal excuse to avoid posse comitatus. Except for Jacumba/Campo, it's too hard to infiltrate
Posted by: Frank G ||
12/11/2025 18:18 Comments ||
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[BBC] Pakistan's former spy chief has been sentenced to 14 years in prison by a military court, on charges including violation of state secrets and interfering in politics.
Faiz Hameed led Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) agency from 2019 to 2021, during the tenure of now-jailed former prime minister Imran Khan.
He was known to be a staunch supporter of Khan, and took early retirement shortly after Khan was ousted in a no-confidence vote in 2022.
It is the first time that an ISI chief in Pakistan has been court martialled. His lawyer said he plans to appeal against the verdict.
The ISI chief is seen as the second most powerful position in Pakistan's military.
According to a press release issued by the public relations arm of Pakistani military (ISPR), the 15-month-long court martial proceeding began on August 12, 2024, under the Pakistan Army Act.
Hameed was tried on four charges, including "involvement in political activities, violation of the Official Secrets Act which harmed the interest of the state, misuse of his powers and government resources, and causing harm to citizens".
The ISPR statement added that Hameed had been given "the right to have a defence team of his choice" and that he has the right to appeal the decision in the "appropriate forum", which would be the Supreme Court of Pakistan.
The exact details of the case are not public as the hearing was held behind closed doors in a military court.
The statement says that Hameed's alleged involvement in fomenting political agitation and instability is being dealt with separately.
This is assumed to be regarding allegations that Hameed was tied to protests against Imran Khan's arrest on 9 May 2023.
Hameed's lawyer, Mian Ali Ashfaq, said his client was "1,000% innocent, but this is the court's decision".
"We were unaware of the judgement and only found out through the ISPR's press release. We are now applying to the relevant forum for a copy of the decision," he told the BBC.
"As soon as we receive it, we will review it and immediately file a petition to appeal. Right now, the first forum for appeal is the army chief, so that is what we will do. We are hopeful that at the next forum we will present our case and obtain justice."
[IsraelTimes] Country’s RUV broadcaster says allowing Israel to stay in contest has ’caused disunity’ as it follows Spain, Ireland, Slovenia and Netherlands in withdrawing.
[IsraelTimes] Amnesty International accuses Hamas and other Palestinian armed groups for the first time of crimes against humanity during and after the October 7, 2023, attack that sparked the war in Gaza.
“Palestinian armed groups committed violations of international humanitarian law, war crimes and crimes against humanity during their attacks in southern Israel that started on 7 October 2023,” the human rights watchdog says in a 173-page report.
Amnesty, which had previously accused Hamas of committing war crimes on October 7, adds that the terror group “continued to commit violations and crimes under international law in their holding and mistreatment of hostages and the withholding of bodies seized.”
[IsraelTimes] State Department official says ‘everything on the table’ but no final decision made, slams the UN agency as a ‘corrupt organization with a proven track record of aiding and abetting terrorists’
Officials in US President Donald Trump ...Perhaps no man has ever had as much fun being president of the US... ’s administration have held advanced discussions on hitting the UN agency for Paleostinian refugees and their descendants, UNRWA, with terrorism-related sanctions, said two sources with direct knowledge of the matter, prompting serious legal and humanitarian concerns inside the State Department.
The United Nations ...an organization originally established to war on dictatorships which was promptly infiltrated by dictatorships and is now held in thrall to dictatorships... agency operates 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... , the West Bank, Leb ...The Lebs maintain a precarious sectarian balance among Shiites, Sunnis, and about a dozen flavors of Christians, plus Armenians, Georgians, and who knows what else?... , Jordan and Syria, providing aid, schooling, healthcare, social services and shelter to millions of Paleostinians.
Top UN officials and the UN Security Council have described UNRWA as the backbone of the aid response in Gaza, where the two-year war between Israel and Paleostinian terror group Hamas ..the well-beloved offspring of the Moslem Brotherhood,... unleashed a humanitarian crisis.
Israel and the Trump administration, however, have accused the agency of links with Hamas, allegations UNRWA has vigorously disputed. Israel has published evidence of UNRWA employees taking part in the October 7, 2023, onslaught and in taking and guarding hostages, as well as accusing the agency’s school of consistently glorifying terrorism and opposing the State of Israel’s right to exist.
Washington was long UNRWA’s biggest donor, but halted funding in January 2024 after Israel accused about a dozen UNRWA staff of taking part in the massive Hamas attack that triggered the war in Gaza. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio ...The diminutive 13-year-old Republican U.S. Senator from Florida, Secretary of State in the second Trump administration... then accused the agency in October this year of becoming "a subsidiary of Hamas," which the US designated as a terrorist organization in 1997.
It is not immediately clear if current US discussions are focused on sanctioning the entire agency or just specific UNRWA officials or parts of its operation, and US officials do not appear to have settled on the precise type of sanctions they would deploy against UNRWA.
Among the possibilities that State Department officials have discussed include declaring UNRWA a "foreign terrorist organization," or FTO, the sources said, though it is not clear if that option — which would severely isolate UNRWA financially — is still a serious consideration.
Any blanket move against the entire organization could throw refugee relief efforts into disarray and cripple UNRWA, which is already facing a funding crisis.
’UNPRECEDENTED AND UNWARRANTED’
Sanctioning UNRWA on terrorism-related grounds would be striking and unusual, as the United States is a member and the host country of the United Nations, which created the United Nations Relief and Works Agency in 1949.
Unprecedented, yes. But who better than America to do it?
William Deere, director of the UNRWA office in Washington, said the agency would be “disappointed” if US officials were in fact discussing an FTO designation. He said such a move would be “both unprecedented and unwarranted.”
“Since January 2024, four independent entities have investigated UNRWA’s neutrality including the U.S. National Intelligence Council. While occurring at different times and from different perspectives, they have all come to the same conclusion: UNRWA is an indispensable, neutral, humanitarian actor,” Deere said.
In response to a request for comment, a State Department official called UNRWA a “corrupt organization with a proven track record of aiding and abetting terrorists.”
“Everything is on the table,” the official said. “No final decisions have yet been made.”
The White House did not respond to requests for comment.
The State Department and other departments have various sanctioning options at their disposal, which generally allow for asset freezes and travel bans targeted at specific individuals and entities. An FTO designation would be among the most severe tools available to Washington and such designations are generally reserved for groups who kill civilians, like branches of Islamic State and al-Qaeda.
Dozens of key US allies provide funding to UNRWA, raising questions about whether foreign officials could face sanctions for aiding an organization if Washington sanctions UNRWA or one of its officials on terrorism-related grounds.
The United Nations has said that nine UNRWA staff may have been involved in the October 7, 2023, Hamas-led attack and were fired. A Hamas commander in Lebanon — killed in September by Israel — was also found to have had a UNRWA job. The UN has vowed to investigate all accusations made and has repeatedly asked Israel for evidence, which it says has not been provided.
DISCUSSIONS PROVOKE HUMANITARIAN, LEGAL CONCERNS
The sources directly aware of the UNRWA discussions, who requested anonymity to disclose non-public deliberations, privately expressed various humanitarian and legal concerns, given the organization’s singular role in aiding displaced Palestinians.
Politically-appointed staff at the State Department who have been installed since the beginning of Trump’s term have generally led the push to hit UNRWA with terrorism-related sanctions, the sources said.
Many career State Department officials – including some lawyers responsible for drafting designations language – have pushed back, those sources added.
In recent weeks, the potential sanctions have been discussed by officials in the State Department’s Bureau of Counterterrorism and members of its Policy Planning Staff, a powerful internal policymaking entity, one of the sources said.
Gregory LoGerfo, the nominee for the department’s top counterterrorism post, has recused himself from the UNRWA discussions while he awaits Senate confirmation, that source added.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has for years called for UNRWA to be dismantled, accusing it of anti-Israeli incitement. Since January 30, Israel has banned UNRWA’s operation on Israeli land — including East Jerusalem, which Israel extended sovereignty over decades ago in a move not recognized internationally — and contact with Israeli authorities.
Israel and Hamas signed a US-brokered peace deal in October, but apparent ceasefire violations have been routine, and progress toward fulfilling the broader terms of the peace plan has been halting. More than 370 UNRWA workers have been killed in Gaza during the war, the UN agency has said.
[Rudaw] Germany’s armed forces will continue their deployment in Iraq for an additional 15 months to help stabilize the country and prevent the resurgence of the Islamic State ...formerly ISIS or ISIL, depending on your preference. Before that they were al-Qaeda in Iraq, as shaped by Abu Musab Zarqawi. They're really very devout, committing every atrocity they can find in the Koran and inventing a few more. They fling Allah around with every other sentence, but to hear western pols talk they're not really Moslems.... (ISIS), the German Defense Ministry announced Wednesday.
"The Federal Government has decided to continue the deployment of the Federal Armed Forces in Iraq for a further 15 months," the ministry said in a statement, noting that the mission "is intended to permanently enable the regular Iraqi armed and security forces to ensure security and stability in Iraq and prevent a resurgence of ISIS."
The statement added, "The Federal Armed Forces will train and advise the Iraqi armed and security forces to this end."
The ministry said the extension of the mandate came at the request of the Iraqi government. "The Iraqi government requested the continuation of support from Germany, as the threat of ISIS remains," it said, adding that German troops in Iraq are "supporting the NATO ...the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. It's headquartered in Belgium. That sez it all.... Mission Iraq (NMI)."
Germany’s military involvement in Iraq began in August 2014, initially providing military equipment - including anti-tank missiles and assault rifles - to Kurdish Peshmerga forces. In October 2014, German troops were deployed to Erbil to train Peshmerga fighters, marking Berlin’s first operational presence in the region.
Germany is also a major contributor to the NATO Mission Iraq (NMI), launched in 2018 at the request of Baghdad. The mission is non-combat and focuses on advising and building the capacity of Iraqi security institutions, enabling them to independently counter terrorism and prevent any resurgence of ISIS.
"The essential content of the mandate remains unchanged, allowing for up to 500 German soldiers to be deployed in Iraq," the ministry said, noting that the Bundestag still needs to approve the extension.
In addition to military support, Germany has provided substantial civilian aid. The German Foreign Ministry told Rudaw in mid-August that Berlin has delivered over €3 billion in humanitarian, development, and stabilization assistance to Iraq.
This includes €800 million ($933 million) in humanitarian aid and €2.6 billion ($3 billion) for stabilization programs between 2014 and 2022, supporting initiatives such as psychosocial services and rehabilitation programs for survivors of ISIS atrocities.
Most of Germany's soldiers are stationed in the Kurdistan Region.
[IsraelTimes] Hostage point man reportedly shares photos and other information on location of final slain captive’s remains in Gaza, rejects terror group’s claim it returned all its hostages
Israel has rejected a claim by Paleostinian Islamic Jihad ...created after many members of the Egyptian Moslem Brotherhood decided the organization was becoming too moderate. Operations were conducted out of Egypt until 1981 when the group was exiled after the assassination of President Anwar Sadat. They worked out of Gaza until they were exiled to Lebanon in 1987, where they clove tightly to Hezbollah. In 1989 they moved to Damascus, where they remain a subsidiary of Hezbollah... that it has returned all the hostages it was holding, with an official reportedly saying the terror group knows the location of the remains of Ran Gvili, the last deceased captive held 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... On Tuesday, Islamic Jihad, which held a number of the hostages who were kidnapped in the Hamas ..the well-beloved offspring of the Moslem Brotherhood,... -led October 7, 2023, onslaught, said in a statement that it was no longer holding any captives. But Israeli officials shot back, according to Hebrew media, claiming that the terror group has information relating to the location of Gvili’s body. And Gal Hirsch, the government’s point man for hostages, has reportedly shared new intelligence that could point to where the remains are.
Channel 12 reported that Israeli officials said the PIJ statement drove them "out of their minds."
"We view Islamic Jihad’s statement severely and don’t accept it in any respect," the network quoted Hisch telling the countries mediating the ceasefire in Gaza. "Someone in Islamic Jihad knows where Ran is held."
The return of the remains of Gvili, a police master sergeant who was killed on October 7 and whose body was taken to the Strip, is key to the ceasefire advancing to its planned second phase, which is meant to see Gaza move to longer-term security and governance frameworks.
Under the terms of the ceasefire that took effect two months ago, Hamas is meant to return all hostages. Israel says the terror group can do more to locate Gvili’s remains and, according to the Ynet new site, Hirsch has shared aerial photographs meant to help in the search as well as names of officials who may know where the body is.
“We won’t give up until he is returned for a Jewish burial,” Channel 12 quoted Hirsch as saying about Gvili. “Rani’s return isn’t a tactical matter; it is a matter with broad significance in terms of implementing and advancing the agreement.” Ynet reported similar quotes, attributed to an anonymous Israeli official.
[IsraelTimes] Involvement of Trump’s son-in-law comes after he opened communication channel with Abbas deputy to thank PA for helping motion endorsing US Gaza plan through UN Security Council
Israel agreed to release a Palestinian-American teenager detained for over nine months after US President Donald Trump’s top aide Jared Kushner intervened on the boy’s behalf last month, a US official and a second source familiar with the matter told The Times of Israel.
Israel detained Mohammed Ibrahim in February on allegations that he threw stones at Israeli troops in the West Bank — a charge his family denies. Ibrahim was never charged and instead held using a controversial practice known as administrative detention, where suspects can be held indefinitely without due process. The tool is employed against several thousand Palestinians and a number of Israeli Arabs; Defense Minister Israel Katz ordered an end to its application against Israeli Jews earlier this year.
Ibrahim turned 16 in prison, and his family said that his health significantly deteriorated, as he lost over 20 pounds and contracted scabies — both common consequences for Palestinian prisoners, according to Israel’s own Public Defender’s Office. A Florida resident, Ibrahim was visiting family in the West Bank when he was arrested.
Ibrahim’s family lobbied US lawmakers for his release, and the boy’s case eventually was brought to the attention of Kushner, who contacted senior Israeli officials demanding his release, the US official and second source said. Washington took particular issue with the fact that a US citizen was being held without charge by an allied country, the sources said.
The development came as the the Trump administration has gradually increased its involvement in West Bank affairs, after primarily engaging on Palestinian matters relating to the Gaza Strip due to the war there between Israel and Hamas.
US officials have spoken out against rampant, unchecked Israeli settler violence, expressing some concern that it could have a spill-over effect into Gaza.
[IsraelTimes] Source says Washington to unveil key Gaza Board of Peace at month’s end
US Ambassador to the United Nations ...boodling on the grand scale... Mike Waltz said Wednesday he expects "upcoming" announcements on the advancement of US President Donald Trump ...The man who was so stupid he beat fourteen professional politicians, a former tech CEO, and a brain surgeon for the Republican nomination in 2016, then beat The Smartest Woman in the World in the general election. Then he beat Kamala while dodging bullets... ’s peace plan 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... , stressing that Washington will not allow Hamas ..the well-beloved offspring of the Moslem Brotherhood,... to rebuild under the framework and that the Paleostinian terror group "has to go."
Also Wednesday, an informed source told The Times of Israel that an announcement on the formation of an oversight committee for the post-war Gaza Strip would come at the end of the month. On December 4, a US official told The Times of Israel that the US was looking to announce a transition to phase two of its Gaza peace plan in around two weeks.
That coincides with a meeting to be held between Trump and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Netanyahu’s office on Wednesday confirmed reports that the premier’s meeting with Trump will take place at the president’s Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida on December 29, and that his trip will take place from December 28 to January 1.
Waltz made his remarks as he met with President Isaac Herzog in Jerusalem during the envoy’s visit this week to advance the plan from its initial establishment of a ceasefire in the Gaza war, to a broader second phase dealing with post-war Gaza and regional peace efforts.
In a readout from Herzog’s office, Waltz hailed the UN Security Council resolution backing the US Gaza plan in November as "probably the most positive resolution we’ve seen for Israel, for stability in the region," saying "it was [not just] a lot of rhetoric, it puts a clear plan in place."
The second phase, according to the 20-point plan proposed by Trump, would see a multinational force take control of Gaza, alongside a technocratic Paleostinian committee, as the IDF withdraws and Hamas disarms.
Waltz said he expects announcements to be made soon on components of the second phase of the plan, including the Board of Peace and the committee of Paleostinian technocrats that is being established to oversee the management of Gaza, and the international force that would patrol the Strip.
"We now have that authorization. I think we will see announcements upcoming in terms of the Board of Peace, led by President Trump. The key components of that are a technocratic authority of Paleostinians to get the water, the gas, the sewage, to get those basic services going again in Gaza. Of course, a funding mechanism for the owners to pay for it, and then the international stabilization force," he said.
"What has been clear, and I want to be clear, is Hamas has to go," the envoy continued, reaffirming a key Israeli demand.
"President Trump has been clear, that’s going to happen the easy way or the hard way, but there will not be any more Hamas," Waltz said, adding: "What we’re determined to avoid, is what I call the definition of insanity: somehow Hamas is allowed to survive, they rebuild, the international community pours billions into reconstruction, Hamas attacks again, and Israel has no choice but to respond, and here we are in this cycle of insanity."
Hamas has thrown cold water on the prospect of laying down its weapons without a pathway to Paleostinian statehood. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government, meanwhile, staunchly opposes establishing a Paleostinian state and has demanded Hamas’s disarmament.
Hosting Waltz at the President’s Residence, Herzog cautioned: "We hope that the process will not take too long, because in the Middle East, if you wait for too long, then the vacuum fills in... Iran ...a theocratic Shiite state divided among the Medes, the Persians, and the (Arab) Elamites. Formerly a fairly civilized nation ruled by a Shah, it became a victim of Islamic revolution in 1979. The nation is today noted for spontaneously taking over other countries' embassies, maintaining whorehouses run by clergymen, involvement in international drug trafficking, and financing sock puppet militias to extend the regime's influence. The word Iran is a cognate form of Aryan. The abbreviation IRGC is the same idea as Stürmabteilung (or SA). The term Supreme Guide is a the modern version form of either Duce or Führer or maybe both. They hate JewsZionists Jews. Their economy is based on the production of oil and vitriol... is trying to regroup, and its proxies are trying to regroup, and we have to show momentum to implement [the] resolution."
Earlier, a senior European official briefed on the issue told The Times of Israel that Washington plans to formally announce the establishment of the Board of Peace at the end of December.
Officials working to advance the plan’s second phase, in coordination with the US, Israel, and other mediating countries, were initially given a specific mid-December date by the Americans for the Board of Peace announcement, according to the official.
"That date has since disappeared," the official said, adding that Washington has now indicated "it might not be so soon."
Since then, the expected timeframe has shifted to the end of December, during Netanyahu’s visit to the US, where he will meet with Trump on advancing the plan, the official added.
[IsraelTimes] Senior Hamas leader Khaled Mashaal says the terror group can “store” its weapons, but won’t give them up as stipulated in US President Donald Trump’s comprehensive Gaza ceasefire plan.
“There are those who want to impose their vision on us, contrary to the Palestinian, Arab and Muslim position,” Mashal says in an interview with Al Jazeera. “For example, the issue of the resistance’s (Hamas’s) weapons.”
“The idea of total disarmament is unacceptable to the resistance. What is being proposed is a freeze, or storage (of weapons)… to provide guarantees against any military escalation from Gaza with the Israeli occupation,” he says.
The experience of Palestinians is that “when the Palestinian is disarmed… massacres follow,” states Mashal, citing the 1982 massacre at the Sabra and Shatila refugee camp in Lebanon that took place in the wake of the PLO’s expulsion from the country.
“Disarmament for a Palestinian means stripping away his very soul,” he declares.
Mashal also rejects as “occupation” the International Stabilization Force that would take over Gaza from Hamas and the IDF, as part of Trump’s proposal.
On the other hand, Hamas “has no objection that there be an international stabilization force on the borders,” says Mashal, citing UNIFIL, the international peacekeeping force in southern Lebanon, as a model.
Mashal also praises Hamas’s invasion of southern Israel on October 7, 2023, saying that while Gaza and also the West Bank have paid a heavy price, the ensuing war with Israel has exposed the country’s “ugly face” and given the Palestinians’ cause new life among US and European youth.
“Fifty-one percent of American youth are supportive not only of the Palestinian cause, but of Hamas,” Mashal says.
The Palestinins choose not to sign a peace treaty, so the Israelis are free to continue building. Each day, another inch.
[IsraelTimes] Smotrich says units in Hashmonaim, Beitar Illit, and Givat Ze’ev part of ‘strategic move’ to bolster settlements; Palestinian Authority says policy ‘aims to ignite the region’
Israel on Wednesday gave the go-ahead for the construction of 764 more houses in three settlements in the West Bank.
Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich announced that the Higher Planning Council, the Defense Ministry body in charge of settlement construction plans in the West Bank, approved 478, 230, and 56 housing units in the Hashmonaim, Beitar Illit, and Givat Ze’ev, respectively.
Smotrich, who oversees civilian affairs in the West Bank, called the council’s decision part of a "clear strategic move to strengthen settlement and ensure continuity of life, security and growth." Wednesday’s decision puts the total of housing units approved in the West Bank since Smotrich assumed his post at 51,370, he said in the statement.
The settlements are thought by most of the international community to be illegal under international law.
Nabil Abu Rudeineh, spokesperson for Paleostinian Authority President the ineffectual Mahmoud Abbas ...aka Abu Mazen, a graduate of the prestigious unaccredited Patrice Lumumba University in Moscow with a doctorate in Holocaust Denial. While no Yasser Arafat, he has his own brand of evil, just a little more lowercase....> , condemned the move, saying the approval was part of a settlement policy that "aims to ignite the region" and "drag it into a cycle of violence and war."
He demanded that the Trump administration pressure Israel to stop settlement expansion "in order to ensure the success of President Trump’s efforts and endeavors to stop the war and achieve stability in the region."
The decision comes less than a month after plans were announced to seize parts of a major West Bank archaeological site. In August, Israeli authorities approved construction on the controversial E1 settlement project in the territory that would effectively cut it in two.
The government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has come under heavy criticism from Paleostinians and rights groups for accelerating settlement expansion in the West Bank, which they say is aimed at preventing the establishment of a future Paleostinian state there.
Israel captured the West Bank, East Jerusalem, and Gazoo
...Hellhole adjunct to Israel and Egypt's Sinai Peninsula, inhabited by Gazooks. The place was acquired in the wake of the 1967 War and then presented to Paleostinian control in 2006 by Ariel Sharon, who had entered his dotage. It is currently ruled with a rusty iron fist by Hamas with about the living conditions you'd expect. It periodically attacks the Hated Zionist Entity whenever Iran needs a ruckus created or the hard boyz get bored, getting thumped by the IDF in return. The ruling turbans then wave the bloody shirt and holler loudly about oppression and disproportionate response... — areas claimed by the Paleostinians for a future state — in the 1967 war. The West Bank is currently home to around three million Paleostinians, as well as about 500,000 Israeli settlers. Israel annexed East Jerusalem.
[IsraelTimes] South American country was the first to sever ties with Israel after October 7; election of center-right President Rodrigo Paz this year heralded a change.
[israelTimes] Tel Aviv University scientist says peer-reviewed research shows a fivefold reduction in symptoms among soldiers who participate in new protocol, 18 months on.
#2
One factor that increases PTSD is what’s known as threat-related attentional bias, when soldiers continue scanning for danger and perceiving threats even after the danger has passed.
When my son came back from the sandbox in 2005, he said after doing protection in convoys, US traffic was very unnerving. The Marines told him, "Do not drive for a few weeks."
He adjusted so well, he almost volunteered to go back.
Now he's the father of two lovely granddaughters.
Posted by: Bobby ||
12/11/2025 10:19 Comments ||
Top||
Fear is the main emotion that the amygdala is known to control. That’s why your amygdala is so important to survival. It processes things you see or hear and uses that input to learn what’s dangerous. If you encounter something similar in the future, your amygdala will cause you to feel fear or similar emotions.
#4
The amygdala also activates the fight-or-flight response. This response can help people in immediate physical danger react quickly for their safety and security. For example, the fight-or-flight response helped early humans respond to threats to avoid injury or death.
The amygdala activates this fight-or-flight response without any initiative from you. When that part of your brain senses danger, it signals your brain to pump stress hormones, preparing your body to either fight for survival or to flee to safety.
Today, that fight-or-flight response is more likely to be triggered by emotions such as stress, fear, anxiety, aggression, and anger.
#5
Cortisol, the stress hormone, is damaging to the body.
This is why they say free speech is violence.
Hearing ideas they don't like harms their health.
The more you know!
[Rudaw] The United States military confirmed on Thursday that it assisted its partners in more than 20 operations against the Islamic State ...formerly ISIS or ISIL, depending on your preference. Before that they were al-Qaeda in Iraq, as shaped by Abu Musab Zarqawi. They're really very devout, committing every atrocity they can find in the Koran and inventing a few more. They fling Allah around with every other sentence, but to hear western pols talk they're not really Moslems.... (ISIS) in Syria in October.
"We are sustaining our aggressive pursuit of ISIS in Syria," said Admiral Brad Cooper, commander of the US Central Command (CENTCOM), on Wednesday during a conference marking the one-year anniversary of the fall of Bashir Pencilneck al-Assad Oppressor of the Syrians and the Lebs... , organized by the Middle East Institute (MEI).
Cooper added that in October "US forces advised, assisted, and enabled Syrian partners during more than 20 operations against ISIS, diminishing the threat of terror attacks."
He emphasized that the US would continue to "coordinate and foster collaboration with Syrian forces, our first line of effort in aggressively pursuing ISIS."
The Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) remain the key on-the-ground partner of the US-led coalition against ISIS in Syria.
Cooper’s remarks came a day after the SDF announced the capture of an ISIS emir in a raid conducted in cooperation with the US-led Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS in eastern Deir ez-Zor province. Another ISIS Death Eater was killed in a separate attack on one of the SDF’s outposts in the same region.
The SDF functions as the de facto military authority in northeast Syria, known as Rojava.
Last month, an SDF spokesperson told Rudaw that an estimated 2,000 ISIS Death Eaters remain active in the Syrian desert.
During the Syria conference, Admiral Cooper also noted that a "successful integration" between the SDF and Damascus could "lead to a more predictable and stable security environment."
SDF Chief Mazloum Abdi and Syrian interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa signed a landmark agreement on March 10 aimed at bringing all civil and military institutions in Rojava - including the SDF - under centralized state control and establishing a nationwide ceasefire.
Talks have progressed slowly as the two sides differ on fundamental issues.
Among others, the new government believes the Kurds are unbelievers to be conquered, while the Kurds strongly disagree.
The SDF has pushed for integrating its forces as a unified bloc, while Damascus favors absorbing fighters individually and dispersing them across regular army units.
Posted by: trailing wife ||
12/11/2025 2025-12-11 03:21 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
[1823 views]
Top|| File under: Islamic State
[IsraelTimes] After the bloodshed in Sweida this year, Sheikh Muafak Tarif says Washington must fulfill ‘duty’ to protect minority group, stresses need for Druze self-determination
Israeli Druze leader Sheikh Muafak Tarif urged the United States to guarantee the security of the Druze community in Syria to prevent a recurrence of intense violence earlier this year in Sweida, a Druze-majority province in Sunni-dominated Syria.
Washington needed to fulfill its "duty" to safeguard the rights of Syria’s minorities in order to encourage stability, Tarif told Rooters on Tuesday during an official visit to the UN in Geneva, adding that US support would also remove the need for Israeli intervention in Syria’s south.
"We hope that the United States, President Trump, and America as a great power, we want it to guarantee the rights of all minorities in Syria ... preventing any further massacres," he said.
US President Donald Trump ...The Hero of Butler, Pennsylvania... vowed in November to do everything he can to make Syria successful after landmark talks with Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa.
BLOODY CLASHES IN JULYy
The Druze are a minority group whose faith is an offshoot of Islam and its members are spread primarily between Syria, Leb ...an Iranian satrapy until recently ruled by Hassan Nasrallah situated on the eastern Mediterranean, conveniently adjacent to Israel... , and Israel.
In July, festivities between Druze and Bedouin residents broke out in Sweida after tit-for-tat kidnappings, leading to a week of bloodletting that shattered generations of fragile coexistence.
The violence worsened when government forces dispatched to restore order effectively sided with the Bedouins, with widespread reports of looting, summary killings and other abuses.
Israel entered the fray with encouragement from its Druze minority, attacking government forces with the stated aims of protecting Syrian Druze.
Tens of thousands of people from both communities were uprooted, with the unrest all but ending the Bedouins’ presence across much of Sweida.
Hundreds of civilians, mostly Druze, were killed, many of them by government forces.
In the aftermath, Druze leaders called for a humanitarian corridor from the Golan in Israel to Sweida and demanded self‑determination, which the government rejects.
’NEED TO REBUILD TRUST’
Asked about proposals by influential Druze Sheikh Hikmat al-Hajari to separate Sweida from Syria, Tarif stressed the need for self-determination, as well as rights and safety for all minorities.
It was inconceivable to ask the Druze to surrender their weapons, he said. Talks to bring Sweida’s former police force onto Damascus’ payroll — while allowing the Druze to retain wide local autonomy — had been making steady progress until July’s bloodshed derailed them.
Al-Sharaa, a former al-Qaeda commander who led rebel factions that ousted former long-time leader Bashir Pencilneck al-Assad Despoiler of Deraa... last December, has vowed to protect the Druze. However,
if you can't be a good example, then you'll just have to be a horrible warning... Hajari insists he poses an existential threat to his community and in September rejected a 13-point, US-brokered roadmap to resolve the conflict.
Asked if talks should be revived, Tarif said trust had to be rebuilt by allowing residents to return to their homes, and permitting full humanitarian access to Sweida.
"There is no trust today ... Trust must be rebuilt," he said.
[IsraelTimes] Shows being filmed now, for release during Ramadan in February, depict the fall of the Assad regime a year ago, and the suppression experienced under its rule.
[IsraelTimes] Rain fell for the first time in months in Iran’s capital Wednesday, providing a brief respite for the parched Islamic Republic as it suffers through the driest autumn in over a half century.
The drought gripping Iran ...a theocratic Shiite state divided among the Medes, the Persians, and the (Arab) Elamites. Formerly a fairly civilized nation ruled by a Shah, it became a victim of Islamic revolution in 1979. The nation is today noted for spontaneously taking over other countries' embassies, maintaining whorehouses run by clergymen, involvement in international drug trafficking, and financing sock puppet militias to extend the regime's influence. The word Iran is a cognate form of Aryan. The abbreviation IRGC is the same idea as Stürmabteilung (or SA). The term Supreme Guide is a the modern version form of either Duce or Führer or maybe both. They hate JewsZionists Jews. Their economy is based on the production of oil and vitriol... has seen its president warn the country it may need to move its government out of Tehran by the end of December if there’s not significant rainfall to recharge dams around the capital. Meteorologists have described this fall as the driest in over 50 years across the country — from even before its 1979 Islamic Revolution — further straining a system that expends vast amounts of water inefficiently on agriculture.
Water shortages have sparked localized protests in the past, something Iran has been trying to avoid as its economy struggles under the weight of international sanctions over its nuclear program.
"The water crisis in Iran has, in recent years, escalated from a recurring drought issue into a profound political and security problem that has the regime leadership concerned," the New York-based Soufan Center said.
The drought has been a long subject of conversation across Tehran and wider Iran, from government officials openly discussing it with visiting journalists to people purchasing water tanks for their homes. In the capital, government-sponsored billboards call on the public not to use garden hoses outside to avoid waste. Water service reportedly goes out for hours in some neighborhoods of Tehran, home to 10 million people.
Snowpack on the surrounding Alborz Mountains remains low as well, particularly after a summer that saw temperatures rise near 50°C (122°F) in some areas of the country, forcing government buildings to shut down.
Ahad Vazifeh, an official in the government’s Iran Meteorological Organization office, called the drought "unprecedented" in an interview with the Fararu news outlet last week. Precipitation now stands at about 5% of what’s considered a normal autumn, he added.
"Even if rain in the winter and spring will be normal, we will have 20% shortage," Vazifeh warned.
Social media videos have shown people standing in some reservoirs, the water lines clearly visible. Satellite pictures analyzed by The News Agency that Dare Not be Named also show reservoirs noticeably depleted. That includes the Latyan Dam — one of five key reservoirs — which is now under 10% full as Tehran has entered its sixth consecutive year of drought.
The state-owned Tehran Times newspaper, often following the theocracy’s line, was blunt about the scale of the challenge.
"Iran is facing an unprecedented water crisis that threatens not only its agricultural sector but also regional stability and global food markets," the newspaper said in a story this past weekend. The faithful have also offered prayers for rain at the country’s mosques.
Iran, straddling the Mideast and Asia, has long been arid due to its geography. Its Alborz and Zagros mountain ranges cause a so-called "rain shadow" across much of the nation, blocking moisture coming from the Caspian Sea and the Persian Gulf.
But the drain on the country’s water supplies has been self-inflicted. Agriculture uses an estimated 90% of the country’s water supplies. That hasn’t been stopped even through these recent drought years. That’s in part due to policies stemming from Iran’s 1979 Islamic Revolution and then-Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, who pledged water would be free for all. The intervening years of the Iran-Iraq war saw the country push for self-sufficiency above all else, irrigating arid lands to grow water-intensive crops like wheat and rice, and overdrilling wells.
Experts have described Iran as facing "water bankruptcy" over its decisions. In the past, Iranian officials have blamed their neighbors in part for their water shortage, with hardline former president Mahmoud Short Round Ahmadinejad
... former president of Iran... at one point falsely suggesting that "the enemy destroys the clouds that are headed towards our country and this is a war Iran will win."
But that’s changed with the severity of the crisis leading current President Masoud Pezeshkian warning the capital may need to be moved. However,
you can observe a lot just by watching... such a decision would cost billions of dollars the country likely doesn’t have as it struggles through a major economic crisis.
Meanwhile,
...back at the buffalo wallow, Yellow Wolf clutched at his chest and fell from his horse... climate change likely has accelerated the droughts plaguing Iraq, which has seen the driest year on record since 1933, as well as Syria and Iran, said World Weather Attribution, a group of international scientists who study global warming’s role in extreme weather.
Bad policy coupled with a belief in outmoded science — and then there has been the faith up til now that their god of course will fix all their stupidities. Oh well.
With the climate warmed by 1.3°C (2.3°F) due to fossil fuel burning, the severity of drought seen in Iran over the last year can be expected to return every 10 years, the group said. If the temperature hadn’t risen by that much, it could be expected between every 50 to 100 years, it added.
"The current acute crisis is part of a longer term water crisis in Iran and the wider region that results from a range of issues including, frequent droughts with increasing evaporation rates, water-intensive agriculture and unsustainable groundwater extraction," World Weather Attribution said in a recent report.
"These combined pressures contribute to chronic water stress in major urban centers including Tehran, reportedly at risk of severe water shortages and emergency rationing, while also straining agricultural productivity and heightening competition over scarce resources."
#1
Wrong article for the title and link: Rain fell for the first time in months in Iran’s capital Wednesday, providing a brief respite for the parched Islamic Republic as it suffers through the driest autumn in over a half century.
The drought gripping Iran has seen its president warn the country it may need to move its government out of Tehran by the end of December if there’s not significant rainfall to recharge dams around the capital. Meteorologists have described this fall as the driest in over 50 years across the country — from even before its 1979 Islamic Revolution — further straining a system that expends vast amounts of water inefficiently on agriculture.
Water shortages have sparked localized protests in the past, something Iran has been trying to avoid as its economy struggles under the weight of international sanctions over its nuclear program.
Posted by: Frank G ||
12/11/2025 7:44 Comments ||
Top||
Dear friends around the world.. I would like to introduce you to my homeland, the Kurdistan Region of Syria, as shown in the map above, in a simplified and objective manner based on ethnographic maps of northern Syria.
Overview of the Kurdish Region According to the Map
Overview of the Kurdish Region According to the Map
The map highlights the areas with a Kurdish majority in northern Syria in pink. These areas form a continuous stretch along the northern belt of the country, from Afrin in the west to Qamishlo and Dêrik in the east. The Kurdish region can be divided into three main provinces or geographic clusters:
1. Afrin (West)
Including the Shahba region, the countryside of Azaz and al-Bab, and Qabasin.
A green, mountainous region rich in olive trees.
For decades, it served as an important center of Kurdish presence in the northern countryside of Aleppo.
2. Kobani (Central Region)
Including Girê Spî (Tal Abyad) and the entire countryside between Jarablus and Manbij.
Extends from the Euphrates River eastward to the outskirts of Raqqa in the north.
3. The Jazira Region (East)
Including Hasakah – Qamishlo – Dêrik – Amuda – Darbasiya – Serê Kaniyê – Tirbespî – Girke Legê.
The largest and most significant Kurdish concentration in Syria.
Characterized by a dense Kurdish population stretching along the international borders with Turkey and Iraq.
Do the Kurds Make Up One-Third of Syria?
The map presents demographic distribution and highlights areas with a Kurdish majority.
According to common demographic estimates, Kurds make up 20% to 25% of Syria’s total population. Their presence in their historical regions reaches around 99%, while their presence in Damascus, Raqqa, Aleppo, the Syrian coast, and the central regions is estimated at around 25%.
Are the Kurdish Regions the Richest?
Maps and available data indicate that the Kurdish regions are among the richest parts of Syria in terms of natural resources. Key strengths include:
1. Oil and Gas
Most of Syria’s major oil and gas fields are located in Hasakah province, particularly in:
Rmeilan
Sweidiyah
Al-Jabsa
These locations fall within the Kurdish region or within the administrative control of the Kurdish-led authorities.
2. Agriculture
The Jazira region is widely known as the breadbasket of Syria, while areas west of the Euphrates up to Afrin are central to the production of olives and legumes. Major agricultural products include:
Wheat
Barley
Cotton
Livestock
Various legumes
3. Water Resources
The region contains the sources of the Euphrates and Khabur Rivers, parts of the Tigris River, and several vital tributaries that support irrigation—giving the land exceptional fertility.
4. Strategic Location
The region borders both Iraq and Turkey, granting it significant geographic, political, and commercial importance.
5. Population Diversity
Kurdistan Syria is also home to Arab and Christian minorities (Syriac, Chaldean, Circassian, Turkmen), who make up about 8% of the population.
Conclusion
The Kurdish region stretches across the entire border with Turkey and large parts of the border with Iraq, forming a continuous geographic zone that includes Afrin, Kobani, and the Jazira.
It is considered one of the richest regions in Syria in terms of natural, agricultural, and energy resources—giving it a pivotal role in the country’s political and economic landscape for decades.
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.
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