[KhaamaPress] Zabihullah Mujahid said there is no information about the whereabouts of Afghan-American businessman Mahmood Shah Habibi, who disappeared in Kabul in 2022, as the United States continues to demand information about his fate and offers a reward of up to $5 million for information leading to his recovery and return.
Mujahid said in a video message on Tuesday that Habibi was not in Taliban ...the Pashtun equivalent of men... custody, adding that if he were being held by the group, the issue would have been resolved. His remarks came as the case entered its fourth year without confirmed information about Habibi’s fate.
Habibi, a former head of Afghanistan’s Civil Aviation Authority and a U.S. citizen, disappeared on August 10, 2022, after being taken from his vehicle near his home in Kabul. He was working as a consultant for Asia Consultancy Group, a Kabul-based telecommunications company, at the time.
The FBI says it believes Habibi was taken by Taliban military or security forces along with his driver and 29 other employees of the company. All but Habibi and one other detainee were later released, according to the FBI. The agency has continued to investigate his disappearance and says he has not been heard from since.
The Taliban has repeatedly denied holding Habibi. In a previous official statement, Mujahid said investigations across relevant Taliban institutions found no evidence that Habibi were tossed into the calaboose by any Taliban-affiliated agency.
The United States has continued to press for information about Habibi and his return to his family. The State Department’s Rewards for Justice program is offering up to $5 million for information leading to his location, recovery and return.
The FBI renewed its public appeal on the anniversary of Habibi’s disappearance, saying it remains committed to finding him and reuniting him with his family. The agency has asked anyone with information to contact the FBI or submit a confidential tip.
The case has also become a point of tension between Washington and the Taliban authorities. U.S. officials have continued to seek answers about Americans who are missing or detained in Afghanistan, while the Taliban has rejected allegations that it is responsible for Habibi’s disappearance.
Habibi’s family has continued to seek information about his fate. His disappearance has received renewed attention in the United States as Washington presses for greater accountability and the safe return of American citizens believed to be missing or detained abroad.
Habibi’s disappearance occurred shortly after the Taliban returned to power and days after a U.S. dronezap in Kabul killed al-Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri ...Formerly second in command of al-Qaeda, now the head cheese, occasionally described as the real brains of the outfit. Formerly the Mister Big of Egyptian Islamic Jihad. Bumped off Abdullah Azzam with a car boom in the course of one of their little disputes. Is thought to have composed bin Laden's fatwa entitled World Islamic Front Against Jews and Crusaders. Currently residing in the North Wazoo area assuming he's not dead like Mullah Omar. He lost major face when he ordered the nascent Islamic State to cease and desist and merge with the orthodox al-Qaeda spring, al-Nusra...> The FBI continues to list Habibi as missing, while the U.S. government maintains its $5 million reward and has called for information that could establish his location and secure his return. The Taliban’s latest denial provides no new information about where Habibi is or what happened to him.
[KhaamaPress] Human Rights Watch (HRW) on Wednesday called for the release of eight employees of 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... and a nongovernmental organization who it says have been detained or forcibly disappeared in Afghanistan.
The rights group said six male employees of the Women and Children Research and Legal Protection Network, a nongovernmental organization involved in humanitarian assistance and supporting the rights of women and kiddies, were forcibly disappeared from the organization’s office in Kabul last month.
HRW also called for the release of two Afghan employees of the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA), who the group said were detained by the Taliban ...mindless ferocity in a turban... authorities in the western city of Herat ...a venerable old Persian-speaking city in western Afghanistan, populated mostly by Tadjiks, which is why it's not as blood-soaked as areas controlled by Pashtuns... on Sunday.
The United Nations has confirmed the detention of the two UNAMA employees.
Farhan Haq, deputy spokesperson for the UN secretary-general, told news hounds on Wednesday that UNAMA had not received information about the allegations against the two employees and had not been granted access to them.
"We have not received information about the allegations against them, nor have we been granted access to them," Haq said, according to the UN.
Zabihullah Mujahid, spokesperson for the Taliban authorities, told Rooters that he was seeking details about the recent detentions but had not yet received definitive information.
HRW called on the Taliban authorities to release the detained employees and provide information about the whereabouts and status of the six NGO workers it said had been forcibly disappeared.
Freshta Abbasi, Afghanistan researcher at HRW, said the detention of UNAMA employees threatens the United Nations’ ability to provide what the rights group described as vital assistance in Afghanistan.
The detentions come as humanitarian organizations continue operating in Afghanistan amid restrictions affecting civil society groups, aid workers and international organizations.
The cases involving the six NGO employees and the two UNAMA staff members have not been publicly explained in detail by the Taliban authorities in the material provided for this report. It is also unclear whether the eight cases are connected.
The United Nations has said that it expects its personnel in Afghanistan to be able to carry out their work safely and in accordance with applicable privileges and immunities.
[MilitantWire] When the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) split from its predecessor organization, Abubakar Shekau’s faction of Boko Haram in 2016, it began developing a more systematic media strategy. The founding dispute with Shekau centered in part on the legitimacy of indiscriminate predation against Muslim civilians. ISWAP’s propaganda subsequently became a key tool for communicating with local populations and projecting the group as a governing authority, emphasizing its distinct priorities from Boko Haram and its more selective approach to violence against Muslim communities. It has since become the Islamic State province generating the largest volume of propaganda anywhere in the network, per CSIS’s tracking. Interesting. We’re still getting plenty of reports of Boko Haram actions, or actions not defined as one or the other.
Playing a unique role within that online media infrastructure is Al-Buhaira Media Foundation. Named after the Arabic word for ‘The Lake’, a reference to Lake Chad, the geographic and symbolic heartland of ISWAP’s operational territory, the outlet functions as the group’s primary Hausa-language propaganda arm. As of June 2026, it remains active despite Nigerian Air Force airstrikes in November 2025 and a joint US-Nigerian operation in May 2026 that AFRICOM assessed had killed several senior commanders, among them Abu-Bilal al-Minuki.
[IsraelTimes] Social media platform says account used to claim attacks by Yemeni rebels violated its rules, but doesn’t specify how; Yemeni government soldier killed as Houthi attacks intensify
X suspended the account of 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... military front man Yahya Saree on Thursday for violating the platform’s rules, amid the Iran-backed 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... i group’s attacks on Yemeni government forces, 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... and commercial shipping.
The account had around 121,000 followers. X did not specify which rules had been breached.
"X suspends accounts which violate the X Rules," a message on the platform said.
Saree is one of the Houthis’ most prominent public faces and regularly used social media to announce and claim the group’s military operations. In recent weeks, he claimed missile and dronezaps on Yemeni government forces, Saudi infrastructure and oil tankers in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden.
His suspension came as fighting intensified again in Yemen. At least one Yemeni government soldier was killed in overnight festivities in Taiz, Yemeni military officials said, according to The News Agency that Dare Not be Named.
Elsewhere, several tribal leaders in the central province of Marib said the Yemeni army artillery targeted overnight Houthi movements.
The Houthis had been hitting government-held areas with drones and missiles, saying they had been targeting military forces and warehouses.
On Tuesday, they hit a commercial ship in the Bab el-Mandeb strait, which killed six people.
Three Paks were among the dead in the ship attack, and Indonesia’s Foreign Ministry said Thursday that one of its nationals was missing after the attack and two were maimed.
With the Strait of Hormuz effectively shut down by Iran, there has been a renewed focus on the Red Sea and Bab el-Mandeb Strait at Yemen’s southern tip, which is an alternate route for Saudi Arabia to ship its oil.
The Houthis have also stepped up attacks on neighboring Saudi Arabia, whose government supports Yemen’s internationally recognized authorities. Last week, Houthi missile and drone attacks killed at least 58 Yemeni government troops in Yemen, as separate attacks maimed 11 civilians in Saudi Arabia, in one of the deadliest escalations in Yemen’s conflict in years.
The group has additionally declared a maritime blockade of Saudi Arabia and claimed attacks on Saudi oil tankers and other vessels in the Red Sea, a strategically important shipping route that has taken on greater significance amid the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz.
[IsraelTimes] Mayor says decision on maintaining counterterrorism, antisemitism training in Israel is up to city council; footage emerged last year of him blaming Israel for police violence in NY
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani sidestepped a question Wednesday about whether the New York Police Department would go ahead with plans to visit Israel in the fall to meet with the Israel Police for training.
"I don’t know what the City Council’s plans are," Mamdani said. "They’re an independent body, and I’ll leave it to the speaker to answer that question."
Senior NYPD officials have previously traveled to Israel for counterterrorism and antisemitism training.
Last year, video emerged from a 2023 conference in which Mamdani blamed Israel for police violence in New York.
"For anyone to care about these issues, we have to make them hyper-local. We have to make clear that when the boot of the NYPD is on your neck, it’s been laced by the IDF," he said at the 2023 national convention for the Democratic Socialists of America.
The New York mayor has repeatedly assailed Israel in recent months, as antisemitic hate crimes have climbed.
Earlier this week, New York rabbis from different denominations said they asked Mamdani to tone down his anti-Israel rhetoric during a private meeting at City Hall.
Last month Mamdani was castigated by leading Jewish groups for inflammatory claims about Israel he made in a video announcing that he could not arrest Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
According to NYPD data released earlier this month, Jews were targeted in 70 percent of all hate crimes in New York City in July. Confirmed anti-Jewish hate crimes have increased 8.5% in 2026, with 205 so far this year compared to 189 during the same period last year.
[IsraelTimes] 3 federal investigations point to ties between terror activity and online fundraising, highlighting intersection of terrorism financing, social media and cryptocurrency
In January 2024, a woman 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... created a crowdfunding campaign, asking strangers for donations to help reunite her family.
"Rebuilding our lives: a journey from loss to hope," she wrote, beneath photos of a beaming young family.
The woman, Nieama al-Ghazzawi,
…who did not pevioiusly appear in the Rantburg archives…
said she and her two children had escaped Gaza but her husband had been left behind.
Her husband’s burger stand and their home had been destroyed, and the family could not afford fees for travel and a visa, al-Ghazzawi wrote on the crowdfunding platform GoFundMe.
"Your assistance means a lot to us. It will bring us back together," she wrote.
The campaign circulated on pro-Paleostinian social media, drawing hundreds of donations.
US federal Sherlocks are now investigating that appeal as part of a probe into Mahmoud Amin Ya’qub al-Muhtadi, who allegedly led a terrorist squad into Israel during the October 7, 2023, Hamas ..a regional Iranian catspaw,... onslaught before moving to the US.
The incident is one of three recent federal US terrorism cases investigating humanitarian crowdfunding campaigns, highlighting potential abuse on a lightly regulated avenue for financial activity and the intersection of terror financing, social media and cryptocurrency.
In addition to the probe into al-Muhtadi, a second involves a New York-based anti-Zionist activist who was charged last month with sending funds to the 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... terrorist group. The third investigation centers around a Caliphornia, an impregnable bastion of the Democratic Party, man who was charged with using sham charities to fundraise for Hamas.
A MULTIBILLION DOLLAR INDUSTRY
Israel and its supporters have long accused international humanitarian groups funded by donors of cooperating with Hamas in Gaza.
In the US, the landmark case against the Holy Land Foundation in the 2000s found that the purported charity had funneled more than $12 million to Hamas.
In the decades since, US Sherlocks have cracked down on financing for terrorism through purported charity groups, including in a major international case this month.
An FBI agent investigating the case said Hamas raises funds through several channels, including the diversion of humanitarian aid through "sham charities" that shield the terror group from law enforcement.
Like major NGOs, crowdfunding platforms allow donors to make contributions to humanitarian efforts in conflict zones like Gaza, but differ in that they are more decentralized, allowing individuals to set up campaigns to collect small donations.
The platforms raise funds for causes ranging from cancer treatments to student tuition, drawing in billions in donations each year. One of the leading firms, GoFundMe, founded in 2010, says it has raised more than $40 billion from a community of 200 million.
The recent federal cases indicate the platforms could also be abused, though.
Hans-Jakob Schindler, the senior director of the Counter Extremism Project, based in New York and Berlin, framed crowdfunding for terrorism amid larger issues surrounding humanitarian aid in conflict zones controlled by groups like Hamas in Gaza and the Taliban ...the once and current oppressors of Afghanistan... in Afghanistan.
"You either pay [the ruling groups] or you don’t get access," said Schindler, an adviser to government leaders on terror financing, including through crowdfunding.
Schindler said that crowdfunding platforms are generally not regulated like financial institutions, such as banks, that need to do due diligence to prevent crimes like tax evasion, money laundering and terrorism financing.
"The same as with all new technologies, it’s pretty naive. They always think they cannot be misused, and, ’This is making the world a better place.’ So their internal controls are, as a general rule, super weak," he said, adding that the social media platforms hosting the campaigns are generally not legally obligated to monitor crowdfunding. Laws regulating crowdfunding vary by country.
GAZA CROWDFUNDING RAISES RED FLAGS
Soon after the start of the Gaza war, crowdfunding campaigns for Gaza proliferated on social media, raising red flags.
The FBI warned in November 2023 that "criminals are soliciting donations during the Israel-Hamas conflict."
"Foreign terrorist organizations often establish fake charities using social media platforms to misdirect unwitting donors to subsidize their operations," the FBI said.
Some of those concerns appear to have been borne out.
Al-Muhtadi allegedly assembled a team of armed faceless myrmidons and crossed into Israel to join the October 2023 attack at the behest of Hamas.
In June 2024, he submitted an immigrant visa application for the US, saying he did not have any weapons training, had no ties to terrorist groups and had not participated in acts of violence.
Al-Muhtadi arrived in Dallas, Texas, in September 2024. After Israeli Sherlocks alerted the US to his alleged terrorism, FBI agents located him in Louisiana, where he was working at a restaurant.
He faces charges related to terrorism, visa fraud and making false statements and faces up to life in prison.
A court filing late last month showed that Sherlocks were seeking records from several companies for evidence, including Google, Meta and GoFundMe.
The filing identified al-Ghazzawi, who posted the GoFundMe campaign, as al-Muhtadi’s wife, and photos on the campaign matched images of al-Muhtadi in the indictment.
Fascinating.
The campaign was added to a list of Gaza crowdfunding efforts called GoFund♡Gaza and circulated on social media.
The campaign received more than $13,000 from 401 donors, many of whom left encouraging messages for the family, like "Stay strong. The world loves you."
Al-Ghazzawi posted an update in March 2024 saying that, due to the donations, her husband had been able to leave Gaza and rejoin the family, around the time prosecutors said al-Muhtadi had left Gaza, and shortly before he applied for a visa.
It does not appear that al-Ghazzawi has been charged with a crime. al-Ghazzawi and lawyers for al-Muhtadi did not respond to requests for comment.
GoFundMe did not respond to requests for comment. There is no indication GoFundMe was aware of al-Muhtadi’s alleged terror activities and the company was cooperating with Sherlocks, court filings showed. The campaign was taken down after Sherlocks requested records from GoFundMe.
GoFundMe has specific provisions against terror financing, unlike some other crowdfunding platforms, and it has issued guidelines encouraging users to donate to Gaza through certified charities.
’HELP HIM SUPPORT HIS FAMILY’
Schindler said that Hamas has several income streams, some of which, such as fees from smugglers and cash from 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... , were cut off after the start of the war in Gaza, making fundraising a more important revenue source.
He added that small operations claiming they are delivering aid to Gaza should be viewed with skepticism because logistical complexities and security restrictions make it difficult to deliver aid.
"If you are not a big international organization, in my opinion, it needs to be really closely looked at precisely because of the controls that Israel has instilled on humanitarian operations," he said. "You cannot just be an organization in Cologne ...the largest city in North Rhine-Westphalia and the fourth populated city in Germany.... or in New York and then begin operating in Gaza. How? How are you going to get access?"
In addition to anti-Israel activists, far-right networks have also made use of crowdfunding. The platform GiveSendGo has allowed groups like antisemitic white supremacists to raise millions. A Cornell University student who made headlines last month for saying he was "not interested in working for a Jew" has raised more than $26,000 on the platform.
In another terror financing case, last month, an anti-Zionist activist from New York State was charged with sending funds to the Paleostinian Islamic Jihad terrorist group.
Catherine Washburn, 37, sent more than $30,000 in funds she had raised for purported humanitarian purposes to a member of the terror group, according to a federal criminal complaint.
The complaint said Washburn had allegedly raised funds for a man in Gaza, identified by the initials H.H., starting in November 2024.
The man told Washburn in February 2025 that he was a member of Paleostinian Islamic Jihad and had attacked IDF troops during the October 2023 attack. H.H. also told Washburn he had been carrying out "missions" in northern Gaza during the war and sent her photos of himself brandishing firearms, indicating she was aware of his continued terror activities. She continued transferring him funds until April, Sherlocks said.
After she found out about his terrorist affiliation, Washburn posted an image of the alleged terrorist on Facebook and shared the page on WhatsApp, seeking donations to "help him support his family of 9," according to the complaint.
She raised donations through the Australia-based Chuffed, which says it is a fundraising platform for "the world’s social justice movements." Chuffed did not respond to a request for comment and the fundraiser has been taken down.
Washburn received 1,302 contributions, used the funds to buy cryptocurrency and transferred the funds to a crypto wallet belonging to H.H., the complaint said.
Between October 2025 and April 2026, Washburn made 80 cryptocurrency transfers to H.H. amounting to $30,116, Sherlocks said.
On social media, H.H. has shared fundraisers purportedly for his family, published videos about hardships in Gaza such as food shortages, and posted in support of the activist flotillas meant to break Israel’s blockade.
Washburn’s Instagram account links to 10 fundraisers that she said were meant to help Paleostinian families in Gaza.
At least one other activist, an Irish protester who joined a Gaza flotilla and has more than 200,000 followers online, shared an appeal to support H.H. He also appeared on the account of a Gaza influencer with 1.3 million followers.
H.H. has posted another fundraiser to his hundreds of thousands of followers.
NONPROFIT FILINGS AND CRYPTO TRANSFERS
In a third case, in June, US federal authorities charged a California man with fundraising for Hamas through sham charities.
Reda Mazen Rida Sabassi, 38, was charged with terrorism, sanctions evasion, wire fraud, money laundering and making false statements.
Sabassi allegedly collected more than $600,000 in donations from thousands of donors for humanitarian aid for Gaza, but directed the money to Hamas and for personal expenses.
In 2022, Sabassi set up a nonprofit called Ikram — The Arab Charity Foundation, allowing him to collect tax-deductible donations for "emergency humanitarian relief to displaced families and refugees in Gaza."
The nonprofit raised $638,000 in donations in 2023 and Sabassi was the only staffer, filings showed.
Sabassi solicited donations through his nonprofit’s website and posted charity campaigns on crowdsourcing platforms such as Fundly, which circulated on Telegram and social media. Fundly did not respond to a request for comment.
"Help 4 orphans who fled from Gaza start a new life," one of the campaigns said, alongside a photo of a child.
For the financial transfers, Sabassi worked with the Hamas fundraising organization Gaza Now, and unnamed co-conspirators based abroad, Sherlocks said. The US and the UK sanctioned Gaza Now for terror financing in 2024.
An FBI investigator said using the Gaza Now branding was a way of "signaling to Hamas supporters that it was an official campaign, i.e., directly related to Hamas," but to outside observers, it would appear legitimate.
Sabassi and the unnamed suspects discussed how to transfer money to Hamas, such as using a decentralized blockchain or transferring funds between cryptocurrency wallets to obscure the money’s sources.
Sabassi sent $116,000 to a Hamas member based abroad and tried to convert another $380,000 in the funds into cryptocurrency so he could send it to Hamas through Gaza Now, the complaint said.
He also allegedly transferred tens of thousands of dollars to his personal bank account for expenses like rent and credit card bills, the complaint said.
Both Washburn and Sabassi joked about being imprisoned, indicating they were aware the fundraising was illegal.
"Based on my passed [sic.] fundraising and posting Im [sic.] gonna get put away for a few life times," Washburn wrote to H.H., followed by a laughing emoji.
Sabassi told a collaborator that one of their campaigns should have actually been titled "Izz al-Din al-Qassam," followed by a laughing emoji. His co-conspirator replied, "Lol. Oh dear. Into prison."
Schindler said that raising humanitarian funds for Gaza is not inherently illegal or terrorism financing, but that there was a need for better controls, and a better understanding of the complexity surrounding aid operations in Gaza, including from donors.
"It’s very, very, very unlikely that individual, small organizations are even able to operate in Gaza," he said. "If they’re not able to operate in Gaza, then immediately, the question is, ’What happens to the money?’"
[IsraelTimes] Iran will soon join the New Development Bank, the development lender established by the BRICS group of nations, central bank governor Abdolnaser Hemmati says in a state media report published ahead of a BRICS finance meeting in India.
Iran remains under sweeping US and international sanctions, and it has yet to reach a peace deal to end the current conflict with the US and Israel, giving Tehran added incentive to seek alternative financial channels outside the dollar system.
Iran joined BRICS in 2024 as the group expanded, in a move aimed at deepening economic ties among emerging economies, and it has since made clear its desire to become a member and shareholder of the NDB. The bank was set up by Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa in 2015 to finance infrastructure and sustainable development projects. It has since expanded its membership to include the United Arab Emirates, Egypt and other emerging economies.
“The most important result of cooperation among BRICS member countries is the establishment of the New Development Bank, and our country will soon become a member of this bank,” Hemmati says, according to state media.
[IsraelTimes] A new survey by the Jewish People Policy Institute (JPPI) has found that 38% of Jewish Israelis support annexing the entire West Bank, while 35% favor partitioning the territory.
The poll found that 22% of Jewish Israelis would like annexation to be followed by a relocation of the Arab population to other countries. Twenty-one percent backed Palestinian statehood in Arab-majority areas, while 14% supported the area being annexed to Jordan.
The poll also found 58% of all Israelis, Jewish and Arab, do not believe the recently announced agreement for the disarmament of Hamas in Gaza will be implemented. Fifteen percent said it could lead to partial disarmament, 13% expect the deal to actually lead to renewed fighting, and only 3% think the terror group will fully disarm.
The survey was conducted among 748 respondents, Jewish and Arab, on August 2-5, 2026.
[C14News] Thousands of tons of military equipment arrived in Israel this morning (Thursday) aboard a cargo ship from the United States, as part of a special procurement and transportation operation conducted by the Defense Ministry and the IDF.
The cargo unloaded at Haifa Port includes critical D9 bulldozers, Humvees, armored JLTV vehicles, Oshkosh trucks and extensive additional equipment intended to strengthen the readiness and operational continuity of Israel’s ground forces. The military equipment was purchased by the Israeli Defense Ministry’s procurement mission in the United States. I hope the purchase was COD. I hope it was paid for by Paleo Pay-For-Slay funds withheld
The shipment also underscores a frequently overlooked aspect of U.S.-Israel defense ties. While American support for Israel is often portrayed simply as money handed to the Jewish state, Israel purchases vast amounts of military equipment from American manufacturers, including through U.S. military assistance programs structured to direct much of that spending back into the American defense industry.
The partnership therefore not only strengthens Israel’s security, but channels billions of dollars into U.S. defense companies, supporting American production and jobs.
The military shipment arrived following a report by C14 correspondent Hallel Bitton Rosen that Israeli forces in Jenin arrested a three-member terrorist cell that had allegedly planned to carry out a major attack Thursday in northern Samaria. The soldiers’ swift arrest of the suspects prevented a potential disaster, and the three were transferred to security forces for further interrogation.
The attack in Samaria may have been stopped in time—and with thousands of tons of new equipment now strengthening Israel’s forces, the country is better armed to make sure the next one is stopped too.
#2
X is also seeing a lot more US refueling planes and C-17's at some of the airports in the Gulf. I guess we'll see. I remind myself it's more important to watch what Trump isn't saying.
[X] On Aug. 13, U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) announced efforts to establish the first-ever multi-domain, multinational attack drone task force.
The unit, called Task Force Falcon Strike, will employ one-way attack drones consisting of unmanned systems from above, on, and below the sea operated by military support staff from the United States and regional partners.
Falcon Strike’s launch occurs nine months after CENTCOM established Task Force Scorpion Strike, the U.S. military's first dedicated one-way attack drone squadron in the Middle East.
Scorpion Strike rapidly achieved key operational milestones, including the first-ever launch of an aerial attack drone from a U.S. Navy warship last December. The squadron also employed one-way unmanned aerial systems during Operation Epic Fury and during strikes on Iranian port facilities in July using unmanned attack vessels at sea.
“Task Force Falcon Strike will expand on Scorpion Strike’s success given the tremendous innovation happening among our regional allies and partners,” said Adm. Brad Cooper, CENTCOM commander. “Integrating and deploying our new capabilities together will help us rapidly realize the new possibilities that are on the horizon.”
CENTCOM has initiated the process of consulting with and officially inviting regional partners. As regional partners formally join, Task Force Falcon Strike will scale attack drone capabilities across the Middle East into a unified multi-domain, multinational deterrent.
“The United States military has a lot of strong partnerships and friends in the region,” said Cooper. “We are collectively stronger when we integrate and deploy new capabilities together.”
Personnel from U.S. Special Operations Command Central (SOCCENT), which launched Scorpion Strike, will lead Falcon Strike’s staff of U.S. and regional representatives.
Headquartered at MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa, SOCCENT plans and conducts special operations across CENTCOM’s 21-country area of responsibility in the Middle East, Central Asia, and South Asia.
[IsraelTimes] The United States military has lost some 25 percent of its fleet of Reaper drones amid the war with Iran, the Washington Post reports.
A US official cited by the newspaper says not all of the 45 drones that were lost were shot down, with an unspecified number of the unmanned aircraft crashing after losing communication with their operators.
The report doesn’t specify how many drones were downed by Iran itself, as it notes that Iranian proxy groups in Iraq and Yemen also possess capabilities to shoot down Reapers.
Posted by: Bobby ||
08/14/2026 10:32 Comments ||
Top||
#2
A smaller, less expensive drone, the Stalker will replace the Reapers in next 24 months. Not quite the firepower of the Reapers but enough for most purposes.
Probably some delivered earlier, maybe even in a few months.
Posted by: Lord Garth ||
08/14/2026 10:32 Comments ||
Top||
#3
I stopped counting at 35 a couple months back - figured someone else can do the math for me.
[IsraelTimes] Iran warns of environmental degradation in the Strait of Hormuz after an oil spill reaches its southern Qeshm island, calling for compensation from those responsible, though it appears to have been caused by an Iranian attack.
Foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei says the slick “degraded the waters” of the Gulf and Sea of Oman, claiming “preliminary evidence indicates a foreign bulk carrier as the source.”
But TankerTrackers, a US-hosted website that monitors shipping movements worldwide, says the spill seemed to derive from an Iranian attack on bulk carrier Minoan Pioneer in Omani waters on August 3.
“The spillage then drifted across the strait over to Iran,” it says.
Baqaei writes on X that such spills have in “recent decades imposed trillions of dollars in damage on Iran’s coastal areas,” calling for compensation.
“Every party that benefits from commercial shipping through the Strait of Hormuz carries both a legal and a moral obligation to remediate the environmental harm inflicted,” he adds.
The spill reached Qeshm island but was “almost completely cleaned up by Wednesday evening,” says Habib Masihi, head of the environmental protection department in Iran’s southern province of Hormozgan.
He says about 32,000 square meters of coastal area have been affected, along with waters covering 90,000 square meters.
Iran has maintained control over the Strait of Hormuz since the outbreak of the Middle East war on February 28, blocking the passage of ships carrying energy exports from US-allied countries in the Gulf.
The spill comes after another slick in recent days near neighboring Oman from a tanker that ran aground.
An AFP investigation previously found the ship had been stranded for weeks near Oman’s Al-Qibliyyah island after it was damaged by explosions.
[IsraelTimes] A Lebanese official denies a Reuters report that Beirut had agreed with Israel on a shortlist of countries that could send troops to Lebanon to verify the disarmament of Hezbollah, following a similar Israeli denial of the report.
A June 26 deal brokered by the US linked the gradual withdrawal of Israeli troops from southern Lebanon to the “verified disarmament” of all non-state armed groups by the Lebanese government, including the Iran-backed terror group Hezbollah. Hezbollah, which is not a party to the agreement, has rejected disarming.
Reuters reported last week that Lebanon and Israel had agreed to a shortlist and reported on Wednesday, citing three sources, that the list included Britain, Italy, Switzerland and Indonesia as potential contributors to the verification mechanism.
A Lebanese official says today that there is no such agreement and that Beirut is still in discussions with the United States on the matter.
Mr. Wife brought tapes back from Egypt when he was starting up the laundry detergent factory outside Cairo — the music sounded much like that. It reminded me then — and now— of some of the Israeli folksongs I learnt to dance to in Hebrew school, taught by one of our Israeli instructors. Great fun, very different than the Western styles of music around me.
[KhaamaPress] U.S. Central Command said American forces have redirected 59 commercial vessels under a naval blockade of Iranian ports, as tensions over the Strait of Hormuz continue to disrupt international shipping.
CENTCOM said in a statement that, in addition to redirecting the vessels, U.S. forces had disabled three ships and boarded two others as part of efforts to enforce the blockade.
The command said the operations were intended to ensure compliance with restrictions on maritime traffic entering and leaving Iranian ports. It described the measures as part of its continuing enforcement of the blockade.
The latest figure represents an increase from 55 commercial vessels reported as redirected earlier this week, indicating that the U.S. campaign is continuing despite uncertainty over efforts to ease the confrontation.
The standoff is also affecting shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most important energy routes. Rooters reported this week that only a small number of vessels were transiting the waterway, compared with typical traffic of about 130 to 140 vessels a day before the conflict.
The disruption has raised concerns over global oil and gas supplies, shipping costs and insurance premiums. The Strait normally carries a significant share of global energy trade, making prolonged restrictions a potential source of wider economic pressure.
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 rejected the U.S. blockade and warned that continued restrictions on its ports and maritime access would be regarded in Tehran as a continuation of the war. Iranian authorities have also said the Strait of Hormuz will remain closed unless Washington accepts Tehran’s conditions.
The maritime confrontation comes as diplomatic efforts between Washington and Tehran remain uncertain. The competing claims over access to the waterway have left commercial operators facing greater uncertainty over whether and how they can safely transit the region.
The U.S. military has said its blockade targets vessels travelling to or from Iranian ports rather than all shipping in the region. Earlier CENTCOM statements also said humanitarian shipments, including food and medical supplies, could pass subject to inspection.
[Rudaw] The head of Iraq's Supreme Judicial Council, Faiq Zaidan, arrived in Syria on Thursday for an official visit and talks with Damascus' Justice Minister Mazhar Abdul Rahman al-Weiss, Baghdad's state media reported, noting the file of 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) detainees transferred to Iraq from detention centers in northeast Syria (Rojava) earlier this year at the top of its agenda.
"Judge Faiq Zaidan arrived in Syria on an official visit, where he was received by Syrian Justice Minister Mazhar Abdul Rahman al-Weiss to discuss a number of dossiers, most notably the file of ISIS terrorist organization detainees who were transferred to Iraqi prisons," the state-run Iraqi News Agency (INA) reported.
The detainees in reference were transferred from prisons and detention centers previously secured by the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in Rojava.
Earlier this year, Syrian government forces and allied gangs advanced into areas held by the SDF, and weeks later, on January 29, Damascus and the Kurdish-led forces struck a landmark agreement, amid significant mediation by Washington and politicians from the Kurdistan Region.
In the wake of the offensive, SDF units were also forced to withdraw from detention facilities holding thousands of ISIS prisoners, some of whom escaped amid the ensuing chaos.
The US Central Command (CENTCOM) later reported that in the aftermath of the festivities, American troops carried out emergency evacuations, transferring "5,704 remaining ISIS detainees from detention facilities in Syria to government facilities in Iraq."
The National Center for International Judicial Cooperation (NCIJC), an affiliate of the SJC, later detailed that the transferred detainees include 3,543 Syrians, 467 Iraqis, 710 nationals of other Arab countries, and more than 980 foreigners from Europe, Asia, Australia, and the US.
In mid-July, a senior judiciary official told Rudaw that Iraq had concluded "investigation and accountability procedures" for some 85 percent of the ISIS detainees transferred from Syria, adding that their cases are expected to be referred to courts for rulings starting in August.
Posted by: trailing wife ||
08/14/2026 00:00 ||
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Top|| File under: Govt of Iraq
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited by Leonid Tsukanov
[REGNUM] Iran's new Supreme Leader (Rahbar), Mojtaba Khamenei,
…who may or may not have died last spring, or may still be in a coma, but certainly is not actively running the government…
who in the West was generally considered a purely ceremonial figure, has made his presence felt. And quite forcefully.
He carried out personnel changes in the army, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), and the National Security Council. Behind these seemingly chaotic transfers lies a clear signal: Iran has no intention of giving up the leverage it has gained in the Middle East over the past year and, if necessary, will continue to counter external pressure asymmetrically.
And Khamenei Jr.
…or whoever is acting in his name…
took this step not so much to deter the US and Israel from taking rash steps (although he also pursued that goal), but rather to clearly rein in the “peace party” gathered in high offices, which was not averse to compromising certain demands of Tehran in exchange for an end to the confrontation.
RECONVENE THE SECURITY COUNCIL
One of the key steps taken by Mojtaba Khamenei was the appointment of former IRGC commander Mohsen Rezaei as Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council.
Rezaei is a hawk and enjoys enormous authority both among the Corps and in political circles. At the same time, the new Security Council secretary's views on the situation in the Gulf are almost identical to Mojtaba's own: Iran must firmly defend the new status quo and be prepared to defend it with arms in hand.
Rezai is also categorical about the Strait of Hormuz—in his view, the strait will not fully open even after a technical deal with Oman, at least not until all of the Islamic Republic's conditions are met.
His predecessor, Mohammad Bagher Zolghadr, who took office in March 2026, was characterized by greater flexibility. Despite belonging to the hawkish camp, he developed a close relationship with President Masoud Pezeshkian and became his stronghold among the security forces during the first weeks of the March war. He also served as an unwitting relay of the reformist wing's position to the security forces and the outside world.
Over time, a sort of "Seven Boyars"
…a Russian aristocratic title below prince, I think like a duke, so pretty high up in the hierarchy…
emerged behind Zolghadr—a group of politicians, primarily representing the interests of the reformist bloc, who considered a peace agreement with the US and certain concessions to Washington, including the hypothetical clearing of the Strait of Hormuz and the transfer of highly enriched uranium reserves. This was on the condition that the West, in return, eased pressure on the Iranian economy and loosened sanctions.
One of the apologists for this position was Pezeschkian himself, whose political triumph in 2024 was built precisely on promises of a quick reset of economic and political contacts with the West.
And although Zolgadr himself never directly stated the need to surrender what had been conquered, over time his speeches increasingly began to hint at the need to record the results of the war and shift efforts to the diplomatic track.
It took Khamenei Jr. several months to find a way to address the growing dissent without turning it into repression and a witch hunt. Along the way, he predictably encountered resistance from Pezeshkian, who perceived the pending reform of the Security Council as an attack on the balance of power between the institutions of the Supreme Leader and the President.
This was especially true after Zolghadr, on the advice of friends in the IRGC, announced his intention to voluntarily resign. However, after a seven-hour audience with the Rahbar, Pezeshkian finally agreed to the proposed symbolic exchange. As a result, Zolghadr was promoted to the position of political adviser—and although he formally retained his position in the hierarchy, he lost a significant portion of his leverage over political processes.
Zolghadr's soft ousting had a negative impact on his patron's power base. Even though the president remained the formal head of the Security Council, the shift in power toward the conservative security forces intensified with Rezai's arrival.
And thanks to the new secretary also receiving the status of Khamenei's official voice within the structure, Pezeshkian's autonomy has diminished. Decisions the Rahbar desires can now be imposed on him not only from above, but also from within the structure.
As a result, the president is forced to act carefully and balance in the new environment, so as not to further anger Khamenei Jr. while maintaining a cautious dialogue with the West. Especially since the cost of a mistake in this case would be high: rumors of the possible removal of the "defeatist president," as some conservative Iranians call Pezeshkian, have been circulating for several weeks.
IN THE LOGIC OF WARTIME
Khamenei Jr. didn't limit himself to redistributing power within the Security Council. The very next day, his office issued a series of orders to replace the leadership of the security bloc in a wartime manner.
Major General Ali Abdollahi, who previously led the Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters—the main command body of Iranian security forces during the US-Israeli "hybrid aggression"—has assumed the post of Chief of the Army General Staff. His first deputy is Amir Kiumars Heidari, who was previously responsible for commanding the ground forces and is considered one of the developers of the Islamic Republic's counterinsurgency doctrine.
Changes also occurred at the top of the IRGC. Major General Ahmad Vahidi, who had effectively led the Corps' operations as acting commander since March 1, 2026, was appointed as its commander-in-chief. He was appointed deputy to General Mostafa Izadi. The latter, although he earned the offensive nickname "the rear general" among his opponents for serving primarily in administrative positions, came to the new structure with experience in leading digital espionage and complex cyber operations.
The IRGC Naval Forces also received a new commander, Ali Azmai, considered in the West to be one of the developers of the "Noose of Hormuz" tactic. Finally, Hossein Taeb, a master of public agitation, intrigue, and espionage, returned to the head of the government's Basij militia after nearly fifteen years as commander of the IRGC Intelligence Corps.
The reshuffle signals a shift in the direction of the confrontation. Khamenei Jr. apparently expects his opponents to make new attempts to destabilize Iran from within (including through the non-systemic opposition and armed ethnic groups) or to paralyze its critical infrastructure with sophisticated cyberattacks. Therefore, he is placing officers familiar with counterinsurgency and counterintelligence operations, as well as proxy warfare, at the helm.
Moreover, the new Rahbar is clearly focused on patriotic unification among the population. His decree appointing commanders explicitly states that the Basij militia will be charged with the dangerous mission of protecting the republic's borders, and that the organization itself is intended to become a new model of thinking for Iranian citizens.
CONTACT WINDOW
The restructuring of Iran's domestic political system bypassed the diplomatic track. Khamenei Jr. not only left key negotiators with the West—Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf —unmolested, but even sent them words of support and gratitude for their "tireless struggle for the country's interests."
Moreover, judging by Ghalibaf's public rhetoric in recent days, the negotiators have received instructions from the Supreme Leader to more aggressively push Tehran's conditions, alternating between carrots and sticks.
Indeed, amid growing nervousness, the US has become increasingly restless and made obvious mistakes in the negotiations. This includes, for example, Donald Trump's public statements about his willingness to "temporarily set aside" nuclear issues for the sake of finalizing the Strait of Hormuz deal. This, according to Mojtaba, "creates the ideal conditions for a decisive triumph for the Iranian people."
Khamenei Jr., apparently, doesn't think in terms of "war for the sake of war" and is also prepared to negotiate a peace agreement and even détente with the West and its allies in the long term. Therefore, he is leaving his opponents an opening to continue contacts, but under his own control.
This is further evidenced by Rezai's urgent dispatch to Islamabad, which occurred just days after the formation of the " Sunni military alliance " in the Middle East between Pakistan, Turkey, and Saudi Arabia. By playing the diplomatic card at the right time, the Iranian leadership deprived its opponents of the opportunity to discuss a growing military threat from the Islamic Republic. At least for now.
Rahbar is making it clear to his neighbors that, unlike the "Iranian Seven Boyars," which indirectly opposed him and was prepared for a "deal for the sake of a deal," he clearly wants to end the protracted conflict entirely on his own terms. And he is prepared to continue the fight at least until Trump leaves the White House.
He seems to be counting on the successors to the current US administration to be flexible in their dialogue with Tehran and end the futile military campaign in the Gulf. Unless, of course, Trump's nerves fray first.
[ABC7News] New aircraft carrier heads toward Mideast after reports of issues on long-deployed USS Lincoln.
The Pacific-based aircraft carrier USS George Washington has begun heading toward the Middle East, according to Navy statements and open source information on the ship's movements.
This comes as reports have emerged of mental health and supply issues aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln, whose long deployment to the Middle East in support of the Iran war includes a record-setting uninterrupted time at sea of more than 240 days.
The USS George Washington left port in Da Nang, Vietnam, last week, according to a Navy statement. The carrier, along with a cruiser and a destroyer, have since been spotted crossing the Singapore Strait.
A Navy official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to detail sensitive ship movements, confirmed that the USS George Washington was in the Strait of Malacca, which links the Pacific and Indian oceans. That puts the ship on a course to head into the Indian Ocean. The Wall Street Journal reported earlier that the Washington would replace the Lincoln.
The Lincoln is one of two aircraft carriers now stationed in the Middle East as the conflict simmers and the Navy imposes a blockade on Iranian ports in the Strait of Hormuz, a critical waterway for the global oil and natural gas trade.
The carrier originally deployed Nov. 21 from San Diego, and it arrived in the region in January, ahead of the launch of the Iran war on Feb. 28. The Navy conceded that the conflict created a "highly contested environment where traditional supply hubs in the Middle East were disrupted by combat actions." That, in turn, led to shortages and loss of mail aboard the aircraft carrier, the Navy said in a statement.
"Leadership prioritized mission-critical supplies: first food, then hygiene items, then mail," the statement said, before assuring that sailors aboard the ship now have access to clean water and "healthy meal options."
[North Press] Syria’s Justice Ministry has formed a committee to coordinate with Interpol on the extradition of former regime figures who fled the country, Deputy Justice Minister Mustafa al-Qassem said on Wednesday.
In remarks to Syrian state broadcaster Al-Ikhbariya, al-Qassem said international cooperation with Syria could help accelerate the justice process by facilitating the extradition of individuals accused of crimes who fled abroad.
The deputy minister said the ministry had also established offices to receive complaints related to transitional justice crimes, aiming to simplify procedures for Syrians seeking justice.
The ministry is additionally working to recover Syrians’ funds allegedly transferred abroad and pursue those who invested or managed the funds, al-Qassem noted.
He added that the Justice Ministry seeks to align Syria’s judicial system with international trial standards while maintaining what he described as national Syrian sovereignty within the transitional justice process.
The move comes as Syria’s transitional authorities face demands to hold former regime officials accountable for alleged abuses committed during the country’s years-long conflict.
Cooperation with Interpol could provide Syrian authorities with a channel to pursue suspects who left the country following the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s government in December 2024.
However, the extradition of suspects would depend on cooperation from the countries where they are located and their respective legal procedures.
Syria’s transitional justice process is expected to address alleged violations committed during the former government’s rule, while efforts to recover assets abroad could form part of broader measures aimed at addressing the financial legacy of the former regime.
Posted by: badanov ||
08/14/2026 00:00 ||
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Top|| File under: Govt of Syria/HTS
A multi-volume chronology and reference guide set detailing three years of the Mexican Drug War between 2010 and 2012.
Rantburg.com and borderlandbeat.com correspondent and author Chris Covert presents his first non-fiction work detailing
the drug and gang related violence in Mexico.
Chris gives us Mexican press dispatches of drug and gang war violence
over three years, presented in a multi volume set intended to chronicle the death, violence and mayhem which has
dominated Mexico for six years.
Rantburg was assembled from recycled algorithms in the United States of America. No
trees were destroyed in the production of this weblog. We did hurt some, though. Sorry.
...the Pashtun equivalent of men...
...mindless ferocity in a turban...
...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...
...the largest city in North Rhine-Westphalia and the fourth populated city in Germany....
...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 
...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 
