Al Shabaab Preparing to Deploy Explosive Drones in Future Attacks, Security Experts warned.
Growing intelligence reports indicate that Al Shabaab is preparing to employ explosive laden drones in forthcoming operations, marking a potential shift in the group’s tactical… pic.twitter.com/wbMzeJtrnE
Al Shabaab Preparing to Deploy Explosive Drones in Future Attacks, Security Experts warned.
Growing intelligence reports indicate that Al Shabaab is preparing to employ explosive laden drones in forthcoming operations, marking a potential shift in the group’s tactical capabilities.
Sources familiar with the group’s military capacity and technological development say Al Shabaab has not yet deployed suicide drones in combat. However, the group is believed to possess a ready stockpile that could be activated at any time.
According to these sources, Al Shabaab’s drone program has been developed with the assistance of foreign specialists, including individuals linked to Yemen’s Houthi movement, as well as engineers reportedly originating from Bangladesh, Uganda, and Nigeria who have undergone extended training within Al Shabaab explosive’s Office.
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited
[Regnum] Niger is entering the war with France. This was announced on February 12 by Niger's presidential military chief of staff, General Amadou Ibro, speaking to young people at a stadium in Niamey. …which was recently under attack. Nice to see that’s no longer a concern.
“You know, we are entering into a war with France, we were not in a state of war, but now we are entering into a war with France,” he noted.
According to Ibro, the purpose of the previously approved mobilization decree was precisely to prepare for war with France.
Meanwhile, French General Staff spokesman Guillaume Vernet denied the outbreak of war between the two countries. According to him, a French intervention in Niger is out of the question.
Yeah… I suspected that France hadn’t noticed.
On February 2, service members of the Russian Ministry of Defense's African Corps, together with the Nigerien Armed Forces, repelled an attack by Islamic State (IS, a terrorist organization banned in Russia) militants on the capital's international airport. During the joint repelling of the attack, approximately 20 terrorists were killed and their weapons and property seized. Nigerien President Abdourahmane Chiani and Minister of National Defense Salifou Modi visited the Russian military base and expressed their personal gratitude to the Russian soldiers for their professionalism.
Following the incident, Chiani also stated that French intelligence services were involved in the attack on Niamey airport.
#1
Well, if he plans to take over Paris and send a bunch of guys to accost civilians, crap in the street, and generally deport themselves like zoo animals, he's gonna have to wait on line.
Le JNIM annonce avoir tendu une embuscade à une patrouille de l’armée malienne à l’intérieur de la ville de Niono, dans la région de Ségou, ce jeudi matin 12 février 2026.
🚨🇲🇱 Mali – Alarming Escalation in Security Situation
The JNIM has announced that it ambushed a patrol of the Malian army inside the town of Niono, in the Ségou region, this Thursday morning, February 12, 2026.
The war is gradually shifting from rural areas to urban centers, marking a new phase of the conflict and revealing the ongoing deterioration of the security situation.
[BBC] The New South Wales (NSW) Police watchdog will investigate allegations of misconduct against officers after violent clashes with crowds protesting a visit by the Israeli president this week.
The Law Enforcement Conduct Commission said it had decided it was "in the public interest" to investigate Monday's police operation after receiving a "significant number of complaints".
Videos that emerged after the rally appeared to show police punching protesters and dragging away a group of praying Muslim men. A state MP was among those who said she was injured.
#2
Videos that emerged after the rally appeared to show police punching protesters and dragging away a group of praying Muslim men
Being familiar with the BBC, I shall venture out on a stout limb and predict that a) the protesters were acting surly, hence the punching, and b) the innocently praying Muslims were in the middle of the street or otherwise blocking traffic.
[IsraelTimes] Palestinian sought to sue Berlin over weapons sales to Jerusalem; speaker of Berlin’s lower parliament visits IDF-controlled part of Gaza, calls for truce line not to become new border
Germany’s highest court on Thursday threw out a case brought by a Paleostinian civilian from 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... who sought to sue the German government over its weapons exports to Israel.
The complainant in the arms case, who was supported by the European Center for Constitutional and Human Rights (ECCHR), had been seeking to challenge export licenses for German parts used in Israeli tanks deployed in Gaza.
Berlin, a strong ally of Israel, nevertheless imposed a partial arms embargo on Israel last August, but then lifted it after a ceasefire deal was reached in October. The speaker of Germany’s lower house of parliament, visiting the Strip on Tuesday, urged that the larger plan for Gaza be advanced beyond the current truce.
The complainant in the arms case, after it was rejected by lower courts in 2024 and 2025, appealed to the Federal Constitutional Court.
But the court in Karlsruhe dismissed the case, stating that "the complainant has not sufficiently substantiated that the specialized courts misjudged or arbitrarily denied a possible duty to protect him."
While Germany is obliged to protect human rights When they're defined by the state or an NGO they don't mean much... and respect international humanitarian law, this does not mean the state is necessarily obliged to take specific action on behalf of individuals, the court said.
"It is fundamentally the responsibility of the state authorities themselves to decide how they fulfill their general duty of protection," it added.
The ECCHR called the decision "a setback for civilian access to justice."
"The court acknowledges the duty to protect but only in the abstract and refuses to ensure its practical enforcement," said Alexander Schwarz, co-director of the organization’s International Crimes and Legal Accountability program.
"For people whose lives are endangered by the consequences of German arms exports, access to justice remains effectively closed," he said.
The ECCHR had been hoping for a successful appeal after the Constitutional Court ruled last year that Germany had "a general duty to protect fundamental human rights and the core norms of international humanitarian law, even in cases involving foreign countries." In that case, two 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... is had been seeking to sue Berlin over the role of the US Ramstein airbase in a 2012 drone attack.
The complainant was one of five Paleostinians who initially brought their case against the German government in 2024.
BUNDESTAG SPEAKER VISITS IDF-CONTROLLED PART OF GAZA
Julia Kloeckner — the speaker of Germany’s lower house of parliament, the Bundestag — briefly visited the Israeli-controlled part of the Gaza Strip on Thursday, the Bundestag told AFP.
Her trip came a day after visiting the Knesset, where she was warmly received by Speaker Amir Ohana.
The German politician spent about an hour in the IDF-controlled part of Gaza, according to the Bundestag, becoming the first German official to visit the territory since the October 7, 2023, Hamas ..a contraction of the Arabic words for "frothing at the mouth",... -led attack on Israel that sparked the devastating war.
Since that attack, amid the subsequent war, Israel has drastically restricted access to the densely populated coastal strip.
In a statement shared by her office, Kloeckner said it was essential for politicians to have access to "reliable assessments of the situation" in Gaza.
"I expressly welcome the fact that Israel has now, for the first time, granted me, a parliamentary observer, access to the Gaza Strip," she said.
However,
today is that tomorrow you were thinking about yesterday... she was only able to gain a "limited insight" into the situation on the ground during her trip, she said.
Kloeckner appealed to Israel to "continue on this path of openness" and emphasized that the so-called Yellow Line must "not become a permanent barrier."
The Yellow Line, set out in the October ceasefire deal, separates the just-over-half of Gaza that’s controlled by the Israeli military from the rest, which is de facto ruled by Hamas.
Contacted by AFP, the German foreign ministry said it would "not comment on travel plans or trips by other constitutional bodies that wish to assess the situation on the ground."
Germany has been one of Israel’s staunchest supporters as the European power seeks to atone for the legacy of the Holocaust.
But in recent months, Chancellor Friedrich Merz has occasionally delivered sharp critiques of Israeli policy as German public opinion turns against Israel’s actions in Gaza.
In August, Germany imposed a partial arms embargo on Israel, which was lifted in November after the announcement of what has proved to be a fragile ceasefire for Gaza.
Merz visited Israel in December and reaffirmed Germany’s support.
But in a sign of lingering tension, Germany’s foreign ministry on Wednesday criticized Israeli plans to tighten control over the West Bank as a step toward "de facto annexation."
Yesterday we learnt that an unnamed carrier was going. Now we have the name:
[IsraelTimes] The world’s largest aircraft carrier has been ordered to sail from the Caribbean Sea to the Middle East, a person familiar with the plans says, as US President Donald Trump considers whether to take possible military action against Iran.
The move by the USS Gerald R. Ford, first reported by The New York Times, will put two carriers and their accompanying warships in the region as Trump increases pressure on Iran to make a deal over its nuclear program. The person speaks on condition of anonymity to discuss military movements.
The USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier and three guided-missile destroyers arrived in the Middle East more than two weeks ago.
[IsraelTimes] The United States smuggled around 6,000 Starlink satellite internet kits into Iran to allow activists to remain online after the Islamic Republic’s brutal crackdown on protests, a US official tells the Wall Street Journal.
It marks the first time the US has ever directly sent the terminals to Iran.
According to the official, senior Trump administration figures decided to use money for other internet-freedom initiatives in Iran to purchase nearly 7,000 terminals, which were mostly bought in January.
The official says it was unclear whether US President Donald Trump personally ordered the purchase, but he was aware of it.
During the crackdown last month, Iran cut internet access, only gradually restoring it after the killings of protesters subsided.
[IsraelTimes] German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul calls for the resignation of the UN special rapporteur for the Palestinian territories, Francesca Albanese, over comments she made allegedly targeting Israel at a conference.
“I respect the UN system of independent rapporteurs. However, Ms Albanese has made numerous inappropriate remarks in the past. I condemn her recent statements about Israel. She is untenable in her position,” Wadephul writes on X.
Wadephul’s French counterpart Jean-Noel Barrot made the same call yesterday for Albanese to resign, over the same comments.
[IsraelTimes] trong>Irish and Israeli squads are drawn in same group for Nations League, with Ireland’s soccer association acknowledging risk of forfeiture if it refuses to play against Israel
Ireland’s soccer governing body committed to playing Israel in the Nations League after the two sides were drawn to face each other in the competition on Thursday, three months after Ireland called for Israel’s expulsion from European competitions.
Ireland and Israel were drawn alongside Austria and Kosovo in one of the four groups in League B, meaning they must face each other home and away in games to be scheduled between September and November.
"The Football Association of Ireland (FAI) confirms that the Ireland Men’s National Team will fulfill their 2026 UEFA Nations League fixtures against Israel after being drawn together in Group B3," the FAI said in a statement immediately after the draw was made.
"The association does recognize that UEFA regulations outline that if an association refuses to play a match then that fixture will be forfeited and further disciplinary measures may follow — including potential disqualification from the competition."
The FAI formally requested that Israel be banned from UEFA competitions in November for alleged breaches of the European governing body’s statutes after members overwhelmingly backed a proposal compelling its board to make the request.
The proposal cited alleged violations by Israel’s Football Association of two provisions of UEFA statutes: its failure to implement and enforce an effective anti-racism policy and the playing by Israeli clubs in Paleostinian territories without the consent of the Paleostinian Football Association.
UEFA considered holding a vote last year on whether to suspend Israel from European competitions over the war with Hamas ..the well-beloved offspring of the Moslem Brotherhood,... 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... . That did not happen after a US-brokered ceasefire took effect on October 10.
The FAI said on Thursday that consultation has taken place with UEFA officials since it made the formal request, without adding any additional details.
Ireland’s government is one of the most outspoken critics of Israel’s campaign against the Hamas terror group in Gaza. The country recently pulled out of the Eurovision song contest over Israel’s participation.
Israel has also accused the Irish government of rampant antisemitism and shut the country’s embassy there.
If at first you don’t succeed, try again elsewhere:
[IsraelTimes] Ireland, Spain, and Greece accuse Israeli Union of Social Workers of ethical breaches, say it should seek military service exemption for members or ‘issue a call for peace’.
Their call for an expulsion vote escalated the International Federation of Social Workers’ January 2025 censure of the Israeli union over the alleged breaches, which the federation said violated ethics rules that say social workers “should not use weapons in their professional or personal capacities against people.”
The International Federation of Social Workers represents 141 national associations of social workers. It has previously sparred with the Israeli union, which it censured in 2018 for “failing to act as an independent professional voice on issues of occupation and Palestinian rights.” The 2018 censure was lifted in 2022 after the Israeli union invited the Palestinian Union of Social Workers to engage in dialogue.
The expulsion vote is set for February 18 and will require a 75% majority to pass. Each member union gets one vote.
Wouldn’t it be fun if Ireland, Spain, and Greece were assigned to those games?
[IsraelTimes] The Union of European Football Associations has, in principle, decided to allow Israel to host the league’s soccer games for the first time since October 7, 2023, the Ynet news site reports.
According to the report, the Israel Football Association has received an optimistic message from the league and has been told to prepare to host teams this summer.
UEFA matches were halted indefinitely shortly after the Hamas-led massacre that sparked the war in Gaza, and Israeli teams played all their games in host countries in Europe.
[FoxNews] Dumb, but consistent with lots of similar moves by the UN and other international organizations hoping to insult and undermine the civilized world.
Posted by: Skidmark ||
02/13/2026 00:20 ||
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Top|| File under: Tin Hat Dictators, Presidents for Life, & Kleptocrats
#1
BTW.
What happened to the N.O.W. group
of Women? They sure have been quiet since the O'Biden Coup and all of its TRANNY / Pronoun agenda .
[IsraelTimes] Top Hamas official Basem Naim rejects the draft constitution that the Palestinian Authority published on Monday as it seeks to carry out reforms that would let it take the reins of Gaza under US President Donald Trump’s ceasefire plan.
Naim does not cite specific clauses in the constitution as grounds for his rejection, and instead says the document was written under unacceptable circumstances.
“This constitution must be rejected both in form and in content, because people under occupation don’t write constitutions tailored to the occupier,” Naim says in a statement carried by Palestinian media. “We won’t write rules to regulate life in prison.”
The constitution, Naim charges, “was written in closed rooms under French supervision, based on the disastrous and unpatriotic New York Declaration in July.”
The declaration, which was issued by a French- and Saudi-hosted international conference with the blessing of PA President Mahmoud Abbas, called for Hamas to disarm, condemned its October 7, 2023, massacre in Israel, urged reforms in the PA, and endorsed a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The United Nations General Assembly in September passed a resolution endorsing the New York Declaration, but Abbas could not attend because the US had denied him a visa.
Abbas’s Fatah, the dominant faction in the PA, says in response that the draft constitution was written with “a purely Palestinian mind, hand and will,” and that Hamas “must apologize to our Palestinian people” for bringing about a state of “division and disaster.”
Fatah calls on Hamas to “help overcome the catastrophic repercussions of October 7” and to get in line with the international community by “recognizing the Palestine Liberation Organization as the sole legitimate representative” of the Palestinian people.
[IsraelTimes] Terror group says he was beaten by guard, lost half his body weight; no comment from IPS; Barghouti is serving 67 life terms for making bombs in the 2nd Intifada that killed dozens
Hamas ..always the voice of sweet reason... on Thursday accused Israel of the "direct assault and deliberate beating" of Abdullah Barghouti, a notorious senior Hamas commander serving multiple life sentences in an Israeli jail for his role in suicide kabooms during the Second Intifada.
Barghouti, a key leader in the terror group’s military wing and master bombmaker, was sentenced in 2003 to 67 life terms for making the bombs used in deadly attacks at the Hebrew University, Jerusalem’s Sbarro restaurant and the city’s Ben Yehuda pedestrian mall, and several other terror attacks, killing a total of 66 and injuring hundreds.
According to a statement released by the Hamas-affiliated Asra prisoner affairs agency, a jailer at Israel’s Gilboa Prison slammed Barghouti’s head against an iron door as he was on his way to a prison visit, leading him to bleed from near his left eye.
In addition, Barghouti’s body weight dropped from 110 to 60 kilograms (243 to 132 pounds) as a result of Israel’s "starvation policy," the agency alleged. The agency’s statement did not specify when Barghouti was allegedly beaten, nor when his body weight started dropping.
In a statement to Al Jazeera, Barghouti’s family said it learned from his lawyer that he is subject to "continuous assaults" in prison: "We fear for his life."
Meanwhile,
...back at the revival hall, Buford bit the snake and Eloise began speaking in tongues... top Hamas official Abdul Rahman Shadid claimed in a statement that "what happened to the commander Barghouti is an example of what thousands of prisoners are subject to" in Israeli jails, and calls for an "escalation of popular, media and legal action" against the treatment of Paleostinians in Israeli prisons.
The Israel Prison Service did not respond to a request for comment.
And are we silly enough to believe them, dear Reader?
[IsraelTimes] Official says training and deployment of police dependent on Gaza stabilization force, whose role and composition also remains unclear
Neither Egypt nor the European Union ...the successor to the Holy Roman Empire, only without the Hapsburgs and the nifty uniforms and the dancing... will train coppers 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... who are affiliated with Hamas ..the braying voice of Islamic Resistance®,... , an Egyptian and a European diplomat told The Times of Israel on Thursday, following reports that Hamas is seeking roles for its 10,000 coppers in the postwar Strip.
Both Egypt and the EU have been preparing to expand training of Paleostinian police for deployment in Gaza under US President Donald Trump ...Perhaps no man has ever had as much fun being president of the US... ’s plan for the territory, which authorizes the deployment of a temporary International Stabilization Force that would support and work alongside a "newly trained and vetted Paleostinian police force."
In December, officials told The Times of Israel that the new force would be free of Hamas-affiliated personnel, despite reports at the time indicating that Hamas members could continue to police Gaza as part of the newly installed body.
Israel regards all elements of Hamas, including its police, as components of the terrorist organization.
On Thursday, the Egyptian and European diplomats reiterated that Cairo and Brussels will play no role in training any personnel tied to Hamas. The European diplomat noted that any officers trained by the EU would be vetted by Israel for any affiliation with the terror group.
Discussions are still ongoing about amending the current mandate of EUPOL COPPS — the EU’s existing police support mission in the West Bank — to include the training of officers for deployment in Gaza, the European diplomat said.
That envoy added that no deployment date for the police force could be given, as neither vetting nor training has begun, and details remain unclear surrounding the ISF’s role and deployment.
"This all is linked to the ISF," the European diplomat said, adding that the form and composition of the international force remains undetermined, though Indonesia recently said it would be contributing troops.
"Now we’re waiting for the ISF to start taking shape. And that’s a bit out of our hands. It’s in the hands of the US, which is the lead on this," they said.
The US-brokered ceasefire plan reached in October foresees the demilitarization of Gaza and the disarmament of Hamas, as well as the withdrawal of Israeli troops from the enclave. The terror group, however, has not agreed to give up its weapons.
Hamas is not the only terror group in the enclave to possess arms. A source in a Gaza faction allied with Hamas told Rooters last month that other terror groups were discussing disarmament but worried about being left defenseless.
[IsraelTimes] PM insists any deal must address missiles, proxies; Trump: ‘Very traumatic for Iran’ if no deal reached; PM to skip Board of Peace meeting next week, miss AIPAC event
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Thursday that US President Donald Trump ...The tack in the backside of the Democratic Party... believes the Iranians could be forced to accept "a good deal," though the premier clarified that he is skeptical of the possibility.
"I have just concluded a short but important visit to Washington, during which I spoke with our great friend, President Trump," Netanyahu said on the tarmac at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland before boarding his aircraft to fly back to Israel. "We have a close, genuine, and open relationship."
Netanyahu said that the talks the previous day focused on 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... but also covered other issues, namely, 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 meeting was the leaders’ seventh since Trump returned to office last year. It came at a tense time in the Middle East, as the US president threatened to attack Iran over its brutal repression of anti-regime protests last month. Iran has said it would strike Israel and US targets in response.
The US has built up forces in the Middle East and is readying to send more, but it has also embarked on negotiations with Iran over the Islamic Theocratic Republic’s nuclear program.
"The president believes the Iranians already understand who they are dealing with," he said. "[Trump] thinks the conditions he is setting, combined with their understanding that they made a mistake last time by not reaching an agreement, could lead them to accept terms that would make it possible to achieve a good deal."
The prime minister clarified that he himself does "not hide my general skepticism about the possibility of reaching any agreement with Iran."
He said that he made it clear to the White House that any agreement "must include the components that are important to us, to Israel, and in my view also to the entire international community — not only the nuclear issue, but also ballistic missiles and Iran’s regional proxies."
"This was another conversation with a great friend of Israel — a president like no other," Netanyahu said.
Also commenting on his meeting with Netanyahu and the state of the talks with Iran, Trump told news hounds: "We have to make a deal, otherwise it’s going to be very traumatic, very traumatic."
"I don’t want that to happen, but we have to make a deal," Trump said. "This will be very traumatic for Iran if they don’t make a deal."
"They should have made a deal the first time. They got Midnight Hammer instead," Trump reiterated, referring to the June 2025 US strikes on Iran’s nuclear program, which came in the middle of negotiations with Tehran.
"We had a very good meeting yesterday with Bibi Netanyahu, and he understands. But it’s ultimately up to me," Trump said. "If the deal isn’t a very fair deal and a very good deal with Iran, it’s going to be a very difficult time for them."
A news hound appears to ask about a timeline for Iran to make a deal, and Trump responded, "I guess over the next month."
"They should agree very quickly," he added.
NETANYAHU TO SKIP BOARD OF PEACE MEETING, MISS AIPAC CONFERENCE
Additionally, Netanyahu’s office said Thursday that he will not fly back to the US next week as initially planned, which means he will not attend the Board of Peace’s inaugural meeting on February 19.
He was initially scheduled to land in Washington on February 18 and stay the weekend before speaking at an AIPAC conference on February 22.
But a day after invitations to the Board of Peace meeting went out last Friday, Netanyahu’s office announced that he would be moving up his trip to Washington to this week.
While the visit was framed as urgently needed to discuss the ongoing nuclear talks between the US and Iran, the timing led to speculation that Netanyahu was seeking to avoid attending the Board of Peace summit. The US initiative exposes him to criticism due to its internationalization of Israel’s conflict with the Paleostinians and its granting of a foothold to rival countries The Sick Man of Europe Turkey ...a NATO ...the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. It's headquartered in Belgium. That sez it all.... member, but not the most reliable... and Qatar ...an emirate on the east coast of the Arabian Peninsula. It sits on some really productive gas and oil deposits, which produces the highest per capita income in the world. They piss it all away on religion, financing the Moslem Brotherhood and several al-Qaeda affiliates. Home of nutbag holy manYusuf al-Qaradawi... in Gaza.
That speculation is effectively reinforced by Netanyahu’s announcement that he won’t be flying back to Washington and will instead be addressing the AIPAC conference virtually.
Netanyahu’s decision may well upset Washington, which is hoping to have a strong turnout of world leaders at the first Board of Peace fundraising meeting.
While he will not attend the meeting, Netanyahu on Wednesday officially joined the Board of Peace with a signature during a meeting with 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... . He was unable to attend the signing ceremony in Davos due to the international arrest warrant he faces.
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited by Leonid Tsukanov
Or it was a working meeting and they wanted everyone on the same page with the same information with minimum time expended in busy schedules for an impromptu event. See here for the after action report from Israel.
[REGNUM] Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu traveled to Washington to personally explain the intricacies of Middle East policy to Donald Trump and urge him to take swift and tough action.
Netanyahu had a lot of questions for the White House, but he still hadn't received clear answers to most of them.
UNRESOLVED ISSUES
Netanyahu arrived in Washington with a litany of grievances. The bulk of them, of course, concerned future actions against Iran. Judging by leaks from the field, the US repeatedly shifted the contours of its proposed anti-Iranian operation, sometimes relying on Israeli resources, sometimes intending to attack independently, sometimes allowing its ally to launch preemptive strikes, and sometimes, just as unexpectedly, banning any activity against Iran.
The Israelis were unable to comprehend why Trump suddenly switched from bellicose rhetoric to peaceful one and began demonstrating unprecedented flexibility in negotiations with Tehran. This included calmly accepting the Persians' unilateral demand to move the meeting from Turkey to Oman, something that had previously been unacceptable to American negotiators.
As expected, the situation wasn't limited to Iran alone. For example, on the eve of Netanyahu's visit, it became known that the US was prepared to allow Hamas to bypass the full disarmament process. The Palestinian movement would be allowed to retain its small arms in exchange for a commitment to comply with the terms of the US plan. This conflicts with Israel's position, which had demanded complete submission and demilitarization from the Palestinians.
This, in turn, compounded long-standing irritation over Trump's plans to retain Turkey and Qatar's seats on the international monitoring body for the Gaza Strip. Given Ankara and Doha's close ties with Hamas leaders, Israel perceived this as a betrayal and expected Washington to somehow compensate for the diplomatic inconvenience. Instead, the United States decided to further complicate the situation by relaxing its demands on the Palestinian organization.
However, to avoid accidentally angering the US president with criticism, Netanyahu decided to sweeten the pill a little and signed an agreement to join the Peace Council, created to monitor the situation in the Gaza Strip. Although Israel had previously repeatedly stated that it would not join the format until Hamas began to comply with the terms of the "peace deal."
The agreement was signed at a meeting with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio at Blair House. The two sides also exchanged views on the "Palestinian dossier" and even seemed to reach an understanding. At least, that's what Rubio, in high spirits, reported to the press.
However, the savvy Israeli quickly shattered the idyll, announcing behind the scenes that his meeting with the Americans should be considered part of the country's work within the Peace Council. This meant there was no need for Israeli representatives to attend the first meeting, which would take place in Washington on February 19.
Whether he was joking or not remains a mystery to the Americans.
UNCOMFORTABLE ENVIRONMENT
Although the discussions during Netanyahu's visit to the US were largely held behind closed doors, some protocol details did not escape prying eyes.
Firstly, the Israeli prime minister was greeted without fanfare: he was forced to enter the White House through a rear entrance due to a large crowd of protesters threatening to tear the high-ranking guest apart. This was a marked departure from Netanyahu's previous visits to Washington, when the representative of the "Middle East's only democracy" was greeted with lavish fanfare.
What also aroused curiosity was the fact that the Israeli prime minister persistently tried to move the negotiations to a one-on-one format, without inviting Trump's numerous confidantes—even when he gently hinted that the guests were not Americans.
Netanyahu's desire to discuss key issues face-to-face is understandable. Those close to Trump are pursuing their own interests in the negotiations. For example, the president's adviser and son-in-law, Jared Kushner, is closely connected to Saudi Arabia's lobbying circles and is close friends with the crown prince, while White House Special Representative Steve Witkoff is pursuing large-scale business projects in Qatar through his relatives and close friends.
Neither Riyadh nor Doha wants a major war on their borders—especially since the risk of falling under Iranian "preemptive strikes" this time is much higher—and so they likely "charged" their lobbyists to dissuade Trump from a rash military operation. IDF Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir, whom Netanyahu dispatched in early February to negotiate with the White House on coordinating strikes on Iran, complained to the president about the appeasing rhetoric of American officials.
Ultimately, the Israeli prime minister managed to persuade Trump to discuss sensitive topics, including a top-secret intelligence report on Iran's nuclear capabilities, in closed, brief talks, citing the fact that he had already held discussions with both of his aides the day before. However, even here, the US president only made partial concessions: during the final stage of the talks, not only Kushner and Witkoff sat with him, but also Secretary of State Rubio and Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth.
CONCENTRATION OF FORCES
Ultimately, the White House managed to convince the Israeli prime minister that negotiations with Iran must continue—at least as long as Tehran remains willing to engage. Trump boasted that the Persians' previous refusal to pursue diplomacy had resulted in attacks on their infrastructure, which they are "still forced to rebuild."
Netanyahu's office wisely echoed this positive sentiment, noting that Israel's aspirations "were heard" and the two sides had reached a "full understanding" regarding future actions in the Middle East. In other words, the Israelis agreed to hold off on the strikes on Iran for a while, allowing Trump time to play the peacemaker.
However, his peaceful stance does not guarantee stability. Amid US-Israeli negotiations, the deployment of American forces to the Middle East has accelerated. Reconnaissance aircraft and UAV activity near Iran's borders has also increased. The concentration of strike assets has increased. According to the latest estimates, 150 Tomahawk missiles on various platforms are concentrated near Iran—five times more than the US used during Operation Midnight Hammer in June 2025.
However, Trump, apparently, is still unsatisfied with his anti-Iranian "striking force" and is deploying new forces to the region. For example, a naval group led by the aircraft carrier USS George Bush has received orders to prepare for a possible deployment to the Middle East. If the order to redeploy is indeed given, this carrier group will be the second, after the USS Abraham Lincoln, to anchor near Iran's borders.
Netanyahu is struggling to hide his disappointment with Trump's current actions. The Israeli prime minister is finding it increasingly difficult to use the anti-Iranian factor as a rallying point for his electorate, and this threatens his own political future.
On the other hand, the Israeli prime minister has known the Republican for some time and is well aware of his impulsiveness. Therefore, he likely hopes to convert this into a favorable political solution if the opportunity arises. This doesn't necessarily have to be a military operation—a carte blanche to destabilize Iran from within or hunt for Persian nuclear scientists would suffice. Israel is generally willing to accept any compromise.
The only thing left to do is wait for a convenient opportunity.
Given the following from the Times of Israel, it’s clear President Trump is not working against Bibi, but just that each is advocating for his own country’s needs, much as certain parties would dearly love Israel to be hated by someone whose opinion matters:
#2
Bibi has been on trial over one fabricated charge after another for years, Jairong — I make a point of not paying attention to the details, to be honest. The game played here against Donald Trump was adopted from Israel’s deep state shenanigans — you can read the latest details on any of the English language news sites; the leftwing Ha’aretz will be the most vicious about it. Honestly, I have no idea what they’re charging him for this time, but President Trump has been after Israel’s President Herzog to put a stop to it via a preemptive pardon. President Herzog dislikes both President Trump and the man whose government he is the figurehead for, so has been coming up with excuses not to give in.
But one can see his frustration. Not because any of the charges are deserved any more than previous PMs, but because in addition to having served as a minister in one of Bibi’s cabinets and lost to him when running as head of Labour would have made him PM in his own right, Mr. Herzog is Labour Party royalty: his father also served a turn as Israel’s president, and various relatives were various eminent Israeli personages. But labour socialism, and therefore its political parties, has been declining since the 1980s, so his moment will likely never come.
[IsraelTimes] Most foreign families have left northeast Syria’s Al-Hol camp, which holds relatives of fighters for the Islamic State jihadist group, since the departure of Kurdish forces who previously guarded it, humanitarian sources tell AFP.
Located in a desert region of Hasakeh province, Al-Hol is Syria’s largest camp for suspected ISIS relatives and was home to some 24,000 people, mostly women and children, including some 15,000 Syrians, several thousand Iraqis and more than 6,000 other foreigners from around 40 nationalities.
Last month, the Syrian government took over the camp from the Kurdish administration that had long handled it, as the Kurds ceded territory and Damascus extended its control across formerly Kurdish-held areas of Syria’s north and east.
A source from a humanitarian organization, speaking on condition of anonymity, told AFP that “since last Saturday… there are no more than 20 families in the foreigners’ annex.”
Women and children, including many from Russia, the Caucasus and the Central Asian republics had lived in the high-security section of the camp separate from Syrians and Iraqis.
A second source from another humanitarian organization, also requesting anonymity, said the foreigners’ annex was basically empty, with some foreign women moved to the main camp.
A source from Syria’s foreign ministry told AFP that authorities were carrying out a census of the camp, without confirming if anyone escaped, adding that if they had, it was the fault of “the [Kurdish] SDF which withdrew from the site” without properly handing it over. The Kurdish force said on January 20 that it had been forced to withdraw from Al-Hol.
[IsraelTimes] Israel Hayom, derided by Abbas Araghchi as ‘Miriam Adelson’s mouthpiece,’ said intel shows Tehran shot or strangled thousands of detained protesters in recent weeks
Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi on Wednesday derided a report by the Israel Hayom newspaper that the Islamic Theocratic Republic had secretly executed thousands of people who participated in protests after telling Washington it would not do so.
"Whenever Miriam Adelson’s mouthpiece pushes a dramatic claim about Iran, it’s worth asking who it serves," Araghchi posted on X, referring to the Israeli-American philanthropist who owns the free daily. "Even the US president has acknowledged where her primary loyalties lie."
He went on: "In its latest piece, Adelson’s outlet declared — just an hour before [Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin] Netanyahu’s White House visit — that Iran ...a theocratic Shiite state divided among the Medes, the Persians, and the (Arab) Elamites. Formerly a fairly civilized nation ruled by a Shah, it became a victim of Islamic revolution in 1979. The nation is today noted for spontaneously taking over other countries' embassies, maintaining whorehouses run by clergymen, involvement in international drug trafficking, and financing sock puppet militias to extend the regime's influence. The word Iran is a cognate form of Aryan. The abbreviation IRGC is the same idea as Stürmabteilung (or SA). The term Supreme Guide is a the modern version form of either Duce or Führer or maybe both. They hate JewsZionists Jews. Their economy is based on the production of oil and vitriol... had ’deceived’ Trump.
"The facts: No executions have taken place, no court process has been concluded, and more than 2,000 prisoners have been pardoned. Before buying the narrative being peddled, consider who benefits from it — and who may actually be doing the deceiving."
According to the Israel Hayom report, information has reached several intelligence agencies — including Israel’s Mosssd ...sees all, knows all, gets 'em all in the end... and British and German services — indicating that the Islamic Theocratic Republic has executed thousands of protesters, despite having told the US it wouldn’t do so.
Regime forces have shot or strangled the protesters in jug, the intelligence reportedly indicates, and have told the protesters’ families that they were killed amid the unrest, despite evidence they were arrested alive.
The report, published Wednesday in English and Hebrew, cited two unnamed diplomats. It came as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was in Washington to meet with US President Donald Trump ...dictatorial for repealing some (but not all) of the diktats of his predecessor, misogynistic because he likes pretty girls, homophobic because he doesn't think gender bending should be mandatory, truly a man for all seasons... on, among other things, a potential strike on Iran, and it was published shortly before the meeting began.
Whenever Miriam Adelson’s mouthpiece pushes a dramatic claim about Iran, it’s worth asking who it serves. Even the U.S. President has acknowledged where her primary loyalties lie.
In January, as mass protests grew in Iran, Trump threatened to attack the Islamic Theocratic Republic if it killed the demonstrators. After regime forces killed thousands of them — tens of thousands, according to some reports — the US boosted its military presence in the region. The US has not struck Iran as of yet, however. Trump has cited both Iran’s supposed cancellation of planned executions and the resumed negotiations with the regime as reasons for holding off.
The report on Wednesday claimed that, in addition to lying about the executions of protesters, Iran lied to the US about accepting preconditions for negotiations. According to the report, the Islamic Theocratic Republic initially said it was willing to discuss its nuclear program, its ballistic missile program, and its support for terror groups across the Middle East, such as Hamas ..not a terrorist organization, even though it kidnaps people, holds hostages, and tries to negotiate by executing them,... , Hezbollah, and the Iran's Houthi sock puppets ...a Zaidi Shia insurgent group operating in Yemen. They have also been referred to as the Believing Youth. Hussein Badreddin al-Houthi is said to be the spiritual leader of the group and most of the military leaders are his relatives. The legitimate Yemeni government has accused the them of having ties to the Iranian government. Honest they did. The group has managed to gain control over all of Saada Governorate and parts of Amran, Al Jawf and Hajjah Governorates. Its slogan is God is Great, Death to America™, Death to Israel, a curse on the Jews They like shooting off... ummm... missiles that they would have us believe they make at home in their basements. On the plus side, they did murder Ali Abdullah Saleh, which was the only way the country was ever going to be rid of him... s in Yemen ...an area of the Arabian Peninsula sometimes mistaken for a country. It is populated by more antagonistic tribes and factions than you can keep track of... . Then, the regime backtracked.
First, Iran refused to conduct the talks in The Sick Man of Europe Turkey ...the decaying remnant of the Ottoman Empire... , with representatives of other countries, such as Qatar ...an emirate on the east coast of the Arabian Peninsula. It sits on some really productive gas and oil deposits, which produces the highest per capita income in the world. They piss it all away on religion, financing the Moslem Brotherhood and several al-Qaeda affiliates. Home of nutbag holy manYusuf al-Qaradawi... , Egypt, and Saudi Arabia ...a kingdom taking up the bulk of the Arabian peninsula, largely made up of sand and oil rigs. Its primary economic activity involves exporting oil and soaking Islamic rubes on the annual haj pilgrimage. The country supports a large number of princes in whatcha might call princely splendor. Formerly dictatorial and steeped in Olde Tyme Religion, deferring to Salafist holy men on all issues, it has now done a 180 and is making a serious effort to modernize, so as not to be left in the sand by its Gulf Arab neighbors. The holy men have been shoved to the background and the nation is now still dictatorial but somewhat rational. That doesn't make them trustworthy, but it's a start... present. Talks were then moved to Oman, within the same general format in which talks were held between the US and Iran last year about the Islamic Theocratic Republic’s nuclear program.
Those 2025 talks focused solely on the nuclear issue — not the ballistic missiles or terror proxies — and they ended when Israel attacked Iran in June in order to cripple the nuclear and ballistic missile programs by force, citing them both as imminent, existential threats to the Jewish state.
After the US agreed to hold the talks in Oman, Iran then demanded the US stop its buildup of military forces in the region and withdraw additional forces it had already sent, the report said. Washington was reportedly "furious about this and nearly canceled [the talks]," before Tehran caved.
Finally, once talks were held, the Iranians would not negotiate on anything other than the nuclear program, according to Israel Hayom.
There was no outside corroboration of most of the newspaper’s claims, though it has been widely reported that the sides quarreled over the location of negotiations and the participants.
After Araghchi’s post to X on Wednesday, Israel Hayom noted that despite the Iranian diplomat’s claim that "more than 2,000 prisoners have been pardoned," Iran’s Deputy Judiciary Chief Ali Mozaffari has stated that protesters from recent demonstrations were not among them.
[IsraelTimes] Iranian authorities have freed two senior reformist figures who were arrested in recent days following anti-government protests in January, local media reports.
“Javad Emam and Ebrahim Asgharzadeh were released a few minutes ago after posting bail,” their lawyer, Hojjat Kermani, said in an interview with the ISNA news agency published yesterday.
Asgharzadeh is a former member of parliament, and Emam is the spokesman of the Reformist Front, the main coalition of the reformist camp.
[IsraelTimes] Katz, Zamir and Barnea also among those listed; in Persian message, IDF calls on Iranians to contact Mossad; UN chief blasted for congratulatory letter to Iran on anniversary of Islamic Revolution
An Iranian state-run TV channel on Thursday broadcast a hit list of seven Israeli officials, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, appearing to threaten their liquidation.
The list aired by the Islamic Theocratic Republic’s Ofogh network included Netanyahu, Mosssd ...sees all, knows all, gets 'em all in the end... director David Barnea, Defense Minister Israel Katz, IDF chief Eyal Zamir, Air Force chief Tomer Bar, Military Intelligence Directorate head Shlomi Binder and Operations Directorate head Itzik Cohen.
The accompanying graphic included crosshairs over the pictures of all seven officials.
The segment’s presenter also made a Hebrew-language threat on air, saying: "We will determine the time of your death, wait for the Ababil," referring to the Iranian-made drone.
Tehran is currently in negotiations with Washington regarding its nuclear program to avert a potential conflict between the two countries. American and Iranian diplomats held indirect talks last week in Oman, a month after the US president began threatening to attack 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... over its brutal repression of anti-regime protests last month. Iran has said it would strike Israel and US targets in response.
Earlier Thursday, Netanyahu returned to Israel after a visit to Washington in which he met with US President Donald Trump ...Oh, noze! Not him!... , who Iran is accused of having also sought to assassinate. In a statement to news hounds after landing, the premier said Trump believes the Iranians could be forced to accept "a good deal," but stressed his own skepticism about the talks.
Trump himself again threatened Iran on Thursday, warning "we have to make a deal with Iran, otherwise it’s going to be very traumatic, very traumatic."
IDF CALLS ON IRANIANS TO CONTACT MOSSAD
*Snicker* Though apparently they have been for a while, and not just unhappily hungry Afghan refugees.
Earlier Thursday, the Israel Defense Forces issued a public message in Persian, calling on Iranians to consider contacting Israel’s Mossad spy agency.
The statement, shared on the IDF’s official Persian-language X account, included the username of a Telegram account belonging to the Mossad, where individuals can confidentially share information.
"We ask the patriotic people of Iran to please follow only our official channels of communication and to be in contact with us for any cooperation," the military said, adding that "the pages and links listed in this post are the only official and verified accounts."
It is not the first time that the IDF has called on Iranians to engage with the Mossad, in a possible appeal to would-be defectors or informants.
The IDF has maintained a Persian-language social media presence for years, mostly aimed at countering Iranian regime narratives.
UN CHIEF BLASTED FOR CONGRATULATING IRAN ON REVOLUTION ANNIVERSARY
Also Thursday, a letter written by UN Secretary-General António Guterres ...Portuguese politician and diplomat, ninth Secretary-General of the United Nations. Previously, he was the UN High Commissioner for Refugees between 2005 and 2015. He was the Prime Minister of Portugal from 1995 to 2002 and was the Secretary-General of the Socialist Party from 1992 to 2002. He served as President of the Socialist International from 1999 to 2005. In both a 2012 and 2014 poll, the Portuguese public ranked him as the best Prime Minister of the previous 30 years... to Iran a day earlier congratulating the country on the anniversary of the 1979 Islamic Revolution was met with condemnations, with Geneva-based rights group UN Watch calling it "shameful."
The letter was first reported by Iran’s state-run news agency ...and if you can't trust the state-run news agency who can you believe?... IRNA, which said Guterres "extended his warmest congratulations" to Tehran on its national day, and that the anniversary is an "important opportunity to reflect on a country’s path, its role and contributions within the international community, and the ideals that shape its future."
Responding to a question from a Fox News news hound Thursday, UN Spokesperson Stephane Dujarric confirmed the existence of the letter, but said it was "a standard letter that goes out to every member states on their national holiday," adding that "this has been a tradition for decades."
"Each member states gets the exact same letter," Dujarric continued. "It should not be interpreted by anyone who receives it as an endorsement of whatever policies may be going, the government may be putting in place."
"It doesn’t change the Secretary-General’s view of the crackdown that we saw in Iran, which he called horrendous, given the level of violence and deaths that we saw," the front man said.
The letter was blasted as "abjectly tone-deaf" by Iran analyst Banafsheh Zand, told Fox News that after the regime’s brutal crackdown on protesters last month, "offering formal congratulations to the architects of that suffering reads as a moral failure."
Such a letter could "erode [the UN’s] credibility and deepen the wound for those still fighting for freedom inside Iran," Zand said.
The outlet also quoted Andrew Ghalili, the policy director of US-based advocacy group National Union for Democracy in Iran, as saying that with the letter, the UN "is legitimizing a regime built on repression, executions and the systematic destruction of basic freedoms."
"Offering celebratory recognition to the Islamic Theocratic Republic on the anniversary of its revolution ignores the bloodshed, the repression of protesters and the ongoing hostage-taking of innocent people," he added.
Follow-up to reports of the withdrawal of US forces from the Al-Tanf base. Originally, the main objective of the US forces in Al-Tanf was to operate against ISIS in this area. The base is strategically located in the border area between Iraq, Jordan, and Syria. With the… pic.twitter.com/cr9oLCsaVP
Follow-up to reports of the withdrawal of US forces from the Al-Tanf base.
Originally, the main objective of the US forces in Al-Tanf was to operate against ISIS in this area. The base is strategically located in the border area between Iraq, Jordan, and Syria.
With the establishment of the Iranian land corridor infrastructure in 2017, the physical location of the Al-Tanf base, along Highway 2M, and the large geographical area surrounding it, which the Americans defined as a security zone, disrupted the potential Iranian supply corridor lines in this area during the Assad regime's rule.
By controlling this key crossing point, the US prevented the use of the short route through the Iranian land corridor to southern Syria and Lebanon.
The Iranian threat did not disappear with the demise of the Assad regime; on the contrary, the Iranians appear to be continuing their attempts to destabilize the region, with a focus on southern Syria, and are seeking to rebuild their terrorist infrastructure in the area (together with Hezbollah).
The American presence in Al-Tanf was of significant importance in disrupting Iranian activity, which will be greatly aided by the short distance (250 kilometers) between Iraq and southern Syria. The US presence also prevented Iraqi Shiite militias from moving from Iraq to southern Syria along this route. The small size of the base, which housed about 200 American soldiers, belies its enormous strategic value, as it provides intelligence, surveillance, and rapid response capabilities. More at the link
A Syrian military source told AFP and other international outlets Wednesday that the "American forces withdrew entirely from Al-Tanf base today" and relocated to a Jordan base.
The report said that Syrian military personnel replaced the US forces - but that the Pentagon will "continue to coordinate with the base in Al-Tanf from Jordan."
So after over a decade-long proxy war, the bearded 'ISIS-lite' jihadists of Jolani/Sharaa's army were just handed an American base overnight.
US officials have admitted to The Wall Street Journal that post-Assad Syrian Army is "riddled with jihadist sympathizers, including soldiers with ties to al-Qaeda and ISIS and others who have been involved in alleged war crimes against the Kurds and Druze."
A multi-volume chronology and reference guide set detailing three years of the Mexican Drug War between 2010 and 2012.
Rantburg.com and borderlandbeat.com correspondent and author Chris Covert presents his first non-fiction work detailing
the drug and gang related violence in Mexico.
Chris gives us Mexican press dispatches of drug and gang war violence
over three years, presented in a multi volume set intended to chronicle the death, violence and mayhem which has
dominated Mexico for six years.
Rantburg was assembled from recycled algorithms in the United States of America. No
trees were destroyed in the production of this weblog. We did hurt some, though. Sorry.
..a contraction of the Arabic words for "frothing at the mouth",...
..always the voice of sweet reason...
..the braying voice of Islamic Resistance®,...
...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 
...sees all, knows all, gets 'em all in the end...
