Recent Appearances...

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Recent Appearances...

Syria-Lebanon-Iran

After 5th round of nuclear talks, Iran says discussions with US ‘complicated’

2025-05-24

[IsraelTimes] Oman’s FM says ‘some but not conclusive progress’ made in negotiations

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Friday that Tehran’s discussions with the United States over its nuclear program were "complicated," as the fifth round of talks concluded in Rome.

"The negotiations are too complicated to be resolved in two or three meetings," said Araghchi, who leads the Iranian negotiating team in the talks mediated by Oman.

Araghchi said there was potential for progress in nuclear negotiations after Oman made several proposals.

Oman’s Foreign Minister Badr al-Busaidi said "some but not conclusive progress" was made. "We hope to clarify the remaining issues in the coming days to allow us to proceed toward the common goal of reaching a sustainable and honorable agreement."

The talks, which began in April, are the highest-level contact between the foes since the United States quit a landmark 2015 nuclear accord during President Donald Trump
...The tack in the backside of the Democratic Party...
’s first term.

Since returning to office, Trump has revived his "maximum pressure" campaign on Iran, backing talks but warning of military action if diplomacy fails.

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 ~~Jews~~ ~~Zionists~~ Jews. Their economy is based on the production of oil and vitriol...
wants a new deal that would ease the sanctions, which have battered its economy.

The fourth round of talks, in the Omani capital Muscat, ended with a public spat over enrichment. Witkoff said Washington "could not authorize even one percent" enrichment — a position Tehran called a red line, citing its rights under the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.

Ahead of Friday’s talks, Araghchi said "fundamental differences" remained with the United States, while adding that Tehran was open to its nuclear sites undergoing more inspections.

"We will not have an agreement at all" if the United States wants to prevent Iran from enriching uranium, he said.

The talks came ahead of a June meeting of the UN nuclear watchdog, the Vienna-based ineffective International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), and the October expiry of the 2015 accord.

The deal, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, aimed to allay Western suspicions that Iran was seeking a nuclear weapons capability, an ambition that Tehran has denied, while enriching uranium to levels that have no civilian application.

In return for curbs on its nuclear program, Iran had received relief from international sanctions. But the accord was torpedoed in 2018 when Trump unilaterally withdrew the United States and reimposed sanctions. Iran responded by ramping up its nuclear activities.

It is now enriching uranium to 60 percent — far above the deal’s 3.67 percent cap but below, though close to, the 90 percent level needed for a nuclear warhead.

Analysts in Tehran said Iran was unlikely to back down.

"It’s quite simple; if the US expects Iran to halt nuclear enrichment, then there can’t be a deal," said Mohammad Marandi, a political scientist who was once an adviser on the nuclear issue.

The Atomic Energy Organization of Iran says the country’s nuclear industry employs 17,000 people, similar to other countries where uranium is enriched for civilian use.

"The Netherlands, Belgium, South Korea, Brazil and Japan enrich without possessing nuclear weapons," its front man Behrouz Kamalvandi said.

Iran’s enmity with Israel, whose main backer is the United States, has been a constant backdrop to the talks.

In a letter to the United Nations
...the Oyster Bay money pit...
, Araghchi wrote: "We believe that in the event of any attack on the nuclear facilities of the Islamic Theocratic Republic of Iran by the Zionist regime, the US government will also be involved and bear legal responsibility."

The warning came after CNN
...formerly the Cable News Network, now who know what it might stand for...
, citing unnamed US officials, reported Israel was making preparations to carry out such a strike.

The White House said Trump had a "productive discussion" with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday about Iran and the fatal shooting of two Israeli embassy staff in Washington.

Friday’s talks took place before an IAEA Board of Governors meeting in Vienna in June, during which Iran’s nuclear activities will be reviewed.

The 2015 deal provides for the possibility of UN sanctions being reimposed through a mechanism called "snapback" if Iran fails to fulfil its commitments.

The agreement’s three European parties — Britannia, La Belle France and Germany — have warned they will trigger the mechanism if the continent’s security is threatened.

Araghchi said such a move would have "consequences — not only the end of Europe’s role in the agreement, but also an escalation of tensions that could become irreversible."

Mosssd
Mosssd

...sees all, knows all, gets 'em all in the end...
chief David Barnea and Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer met US negotiator Steve Witkoff in Rome on Friday on the talks’ sidelines.

Trump has repeatedly threatened to unleash ~~Arclight~~ airstrike
...KABOOM!...
s targeting Iran’s program if a deal isn’t reached. Iranian officials increasingly warn they could pursue a nuclear weapon if the nation is threatened.

"Iran almost certainly is not producing nuclear weapons, but Iran has undertaken activities in recent years that better position it to produce them, if it chooses to do so," a new report from the US Defense Intelligence Agency said.

"These actions reduce the time required to produce sufficient weapons-grade uranium for a first nuclear device to probably less than one week."

However,
corruption finds a dozen alibis for its evil deeds...
it likely still would take Iran months to make a working bomb, experts say.

Asked about the negotiations, US State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce said "we believe that we are going to succeed" in the talks and in Washington’s push for no enrichment.

"The Iranians are at that table, so they also understand what our position is, and they continue to go," Bruce said Thursday.

One idea floated so far that might allow Iran to stop enrichment within the country but maintain a supply of uranium could be a consortium in the Mideast backed by regional countries and the US.

There are also multiple countries offering low-enriched uranium that can be used for peaceful purposes by countries.

However,
corruption finds a dozen alibis for its evil deeds...
Iran’s Foreign Ministry has maintained that enrichment must continue within the country’s borders, and a similar fuel-swap proposal failed to gain traction in negotiations in 2010.

Link

Home Front: Politix

Dad of suspected terrorist Elias Rodriguez was invited to Trump address by left-wing Democratic lawmaker

2025-05-23

[NY Post] The father of the terror suspect accused of gunning down two soon-to-be-engaged Israeli Embassy staffers at the Capital Jewish Museum was honored by a far-left member of Congress with an invitation to President Trump’s joint address this past March, The Post has exclusively learned.

“Eric Rodriguez was our guest during the President’s Joint Speech to Congress, but we don’t know his family,” Rep. Jesús “Chuy” García (D-Ill.) said Thursday night.

In March, he hailed Rodriguez as “an outspoken advocate against attacks on veterans’ services and the rights of unionized federal employees.”

“Eric represents the very best of our community — someone who has served his country, continues to serve his fellow veterans and fights every day to protect the dignity of working people,” the congressman said in a statement at the time.

“His presence at the Joint Address is a powerful statement: we will not sit back while veterans and workers are treated as political pawns.”

Link

Home Front: WoT

2 people with Israeli embassy ties shot dead near DC's Capital Jewish Museum, murderer shouted “Free Palestine” as arrested

2025-05-22

[NYPost] Two Israeli embassy staffers were killed and three others injured when gunfire erupted outside an event at the Capital Jewish Museum in Washington, DC, Wednesday night — by a gunman who shouted “Free free Palestine,” officials said.

Israeli Ambassador to the United Nations Danny Danon called the shooting “a depraved act of anti-Semitic terrorism.”

“Harming diplomats and the Jewish community is crossing a red line,” he said on X.

“We are confident that the US authorities will take strong action against those responsible for this criminal act. Israel will continue to act resolutely to protect its citizens and representatives — everywhere in the world.”

One of the slain staffers was a diplomat, NBC 4 reported, citing two sources.

It was not immediately clear if the three wounded were part of the embassy staff.

The gunfire erupted in front of the museum at 575 3rd St NW, near the FBI field office and the US attorney’s office, the outlet reported, adding that the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force is investigating.

Cops are on the hunt for a man with a goatee wearing a blue jacket and jeans who was last seen on F Street in the Northwest area of the city.

Ted Deutch, the CEO of the American Jewish Committee, told NBC 4 that his organization hosted an event at the museum.

“We are devastated that an unspeakable act of violence took place outside the venue,” he said.

“At this moment, as we await more information from the police about exactly what transpired, our attention and our hearts are solely with those who were harmed and their families.”

FBI Director Kash Patel said his is working with the Metropolitian Police Department “to respond and learn more,” he wrote in a tweet. “In the immediate, please pray for the victims and their families. We will keep the public updated as we are able.”

US Attorney General Pam Bondi and US Attorney for the District of Columbia Jeanine Pirro were at the crime scene late Wednesday.

“Praying for the victims of this violence as we work to learn more,” Bondi tweeted.

Homeland Security Krisi Noem vowed to bring the “depraved” shooter to justice.

“Two Israeli Embassy staff were senselessly killed tonight near the Jewish Museum in Washington DC,” she posted online.

“We are actively investigating and working to get more information to share. Please pray for the families of the victims.”

The shooting comes amid a surge in antisemitism in the wake of Hamas’ attack on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023.

Washington Jewish Museum shooter yelled ‘Free Palestine’ while being arrested — NBC
[IsraelTimes] The Foreign Ministry says the assailant who carried out the shooting near the Jewish Museum in Washington has been apprehended.

Citing senior law enforcement sources, NBC News reports that the suspect shouted “Free Palestine” while he was apprehended.

Pure insanity.https://t.co/kUNrwp2ZhI
— RedpillGoku™ (@redpillgoku) May 22, 2025

More from the Daily Mail, courtesy of Skidmark:

It is understood the suspected shooter shouted 'Free Palestine' as he was arrested, which is now being investigated by the FBI's Joint Terrorism Task Force.

'We are confident that the US authorities will take strong action against those responsible for this criminal act,' Danon said. 'Israel will continue to act resolutely to protect its citizens and representatives – everywhere in the world.'

The American Jewish Committee was hosting a Young Diplomats event at the museum on Wednesday night, CEO Ted Deutch confirmed.

The sold-out event was touted as a night 'bringing together Jewish young professionals (22-45) and the D.C. diplomatic community.'

The evening was 'dedicated to fostering unity and celebrating Jewish heritage', featuring 'appetizers, cocktails, conversations, and a special guest speaker.'

It was scheduled to take place 6.30pm and 9pm, and the shooting occured about 9.15pm.

Tal Naim Cohen, a spokeswoman for the Israeli Embassy, said the duo were shot 'at close range' as they attended the event.

Initial reports suggested one of the victims died at the scene while another was rushed to hospital in a critical condition. Later updates confirmed both victims had tragically died.

Arizona Congressman Abe Hamadeh said: 'An assassin screamed "Free Palestine!" outside the Capital Jewish Museum in Washington, DC, and murdered an Israeli diplomat and her companion.

Less than 24 hours ago, the Capital Jewish Museum was awarded a security grant amid ongoing concerns about the safety of guests and staff.

'Jewish institutions all around town, all around the country, are concerned about security due to some very scary incidents that some institutions have faced and because of a climate of antisemitism,' Executive Director Beatrice Gurwitz said.

'So, we invest a lot of money in security to make sure that we can keep our doors open to the broad public, that this is a welcoming space, but that people are also safe in this space.'

More from the Times of Israel:

US officials say both victims of embassy shooting were staffers, were a couple about to get enganged
Tal Naim Cohen, a spokesperson for the Israeli embassy in Washington, DC, says two of its staff members were shot “at close range” while attending a Jewish event at the museum.

The Israeli embassy does not immediately respond to questions about the shooter, the victims or the motive for the attack, but other officials provide details and say the victims were a couple about to be engaged.

US Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem confirmed two Israeli embassy staff members were killed.

“We are actively investigating and working to get more information to share,” Noem wrote in a post on X.

“We will bring this depraved perpetrator to justice.”

Washington, DC, Police Chief Pamela Smith says that “despite all life-saving efforts, both victims succumbed to their injuries.”

She says both victims were exiting an event at the Capital Jewish Museum.

“Prior to the shooting, a suspect was observed pacing outside of the museum,” she says, adding that he opened fire at a group of four, killing a man and a woman.

“The suspect chanted, ‘Free, free Palestine,’ while in custody. The suspect has been identified as 30-year-old Elias Rodriquez of Chicago, Illinois,”she says.

“The couple that was gunned down tonight in the name of ‘Free Palestine’ was a couple about to be engaged,” she says, adding that the man had bought a ring last week with the intention of proposing next week in Jerusalem.

🇺🇸 — VIDEO: Alleged footage of the D.C. Jewish museum attacker Elias Rodrigues being arrested. pic.twitter.com/iRa9JtLLNr
— Belaaz News (@TheBelaaz) May 22, 2025

Eyewitnesses on US shooting: People brought water to man in distress, only to learn he’s the suspect
[IsraelTimes] Yoni Kalin and Katie Kalisher say they were inside the Capital Jewish Museum when they heard gunshots outside and a man came inside looking distressed.

Kalin says people came to his aid and brought him water, thinking he needed help, without realizing he was the suspect in the shooting, which killed two Israeli Embassy employees.

When police arrived, he pulled out a red keffiyeh and repeatedly yelled, “Free Palestine,’” Kalin says.

“This event was about humanitarian aid,” Kalin says. “How can we actually help both the people in Gaza and the people in Israel? How can we bring together Muslims and Jews and Christians to work together to actually help innocent people? And then here he is just murdering two people in cold blood.”

Elias Rodriguez, the Chicago far-left activist accused of shooting dead two Israelis outside the Capital Jewish Museum, has a long history of support for BLM, Palestine, communist and anti-white causes.

Those groups have been trying to scrub his associations with them by… https://t.co/DvtdsH23ie pic.twitter.com/34QRe5Yogo
— Andy Ngo (@MrAndyNgo) May 22, 2025

…associations with them by deleting articles and pages where he is mentioned.

While being arrested after the killings, Rodriguez shouted, "Free, free Palestine!"

Link

Israel-Palestine-Jordan

Trump says he’s not frustrated with Netanyahu: ‘He’s an angry man, and he should be’

2025-05-18

[IsraelTimes] As reports claim there’s a rift between them, US president says Israeli PM has ‘been hurt badly’ by Hamas-led October 7 attack, adds ‘he’s got a tough situation’ on his hands

US President Donald Trump
...They hit him with slander, they impeached him twice. Nancy Pelosi tore up his State of the Union address on national TV. They stole an election and put his adherents in jail. They vilified him. They couldn't crucify him, so they shot him. Still, they can't keep him down...
said in an interview Saturday that he is not frustrated by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, appearing to downplay claims of a rift between the two leaders, saying that he understands Netanyahu’s anger with Hamas
..the braying voice of Islamic Resistance®,...
Trump visited the Middle East this week, skipping Israel but stopping in 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...
, 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...
and the United Arab Emirates, leading government critics to warn Israel was being left out of Washington’s regional diplomatic initiatives as Netanyahu’s government continues the war in Gazoo
...Hellhole adjunct to Israel and Egypt's Sinai Peninsula, inhabited by Gazooks. The place was acquired in the wake of the 1967 War and then presented to Paleostinian control in 2006 by Ariel Sharon, who had entered his dotage. It is currently ruled with a rusty iron fist by Hamas with about the living conditions you'd expect. It periodically attacks the Hated Zionist Entity whenever Iran needs a ruckus created or the hard boyz get bored, getting thumped by the IDF in return. The ruling turbans then wave the bloody shirt and holler loudly about oppression and disproportionate response...
Asked by Fox News if he was frustrated by the prime minister, Trump responded: "No, look, he’s got a tough situation. You have to remember, there was October 7 that everyone forgets. It was one of the most ~~violent~~ mostly peaceful days in the history of the world — not the Middle East, the world, when you look at the tapes."

Trump claimed, as he often has, that the massacre in southern Israel by Hamas-led bully boyz on October 7, 2023, would have never happened under his watch, arguing 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 ~~Jews~~ ~~Zionists~~ Jews. Their economy is based on the production of oil and vitriol...
had been broke under his first administration and would not have been able to fund the Paleostinian terror group’s activities.

That attack, which sparked the ongoing war, killed some 1,200 people in southern Israel and resulted in the capture of 251 hostages who were taken to Gaza. Of them, 57 are still held captive, 34 of whom are confirmed dead by Israel.

"Bibi, he’s an angry man, and he should be because of October 7, and he’s been hurt badly by that, but in another way, he’s been sort of helped because I think he’s fought hard and bravely," Trump added, using Netanyahu’s nickname.

Trump has repeatedly denied reports of a rift between him and Netanyahu, insisting that his choice to not visit Israel during his trip to the region was not a snub, despite making several policy decisions without Israeli input or against Israel’s wishes, such as the ongoing Iran nuclear talks, the decision to restore ties with and lift sanctions from Syria, and the US ceasefire with 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...
rebels 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...
On Wednesday, Trump said his visits to Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates was "good for Israel," adding that "having a relationship like I have with these countries... I think it’s very good for Israel."

Netanyahu also denied the reported rift, calling his relationship with Trump "excellent."

Despite the denials, Channel 13 reported last week that people in Netanyahu’s inner circle have expressed unusually harsh criticism toward the Trump administration in recent weeks.

"There’s chaos in the Trump administration — the right hand doesn’t know what the left hand is doing," said a senior figure close to the premier, according to the report.

"It’s not even clear if this has anything to do with us. Everything operates according to the president’s whims. Sometimes that works in our favor, and sometimes it doesn’t," the source said.

Citing unnamed US officials, NBC reported last week that Netanyahu was growing increasingly frustrated with the US approach to Iran amid the nuclear talks, seemingly the largest point of contention between the two leaders.

Speaking to NBC, one US official said Israel was "worried about any deal" that the US could sign with Iran to thwart its nuclear ambitions.

To that end, two US officials said Netanyahu has privately dismissed the negotiations as a waste of time, arguing that even if a deal is forged, Tehran would inevitably break it.

Israel would rather take action and strike Iran’s nuclear facilities, the report said, and believes that the opportunity to do so is shrinking further the longer talks continue.

Jerusalem is reportedly unhappy that the ongoing US-Iran talks are said to be developing into a largely similar framework to the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, or JCPOA, which was signed by then-US president Barack Obama
They get bitter, they cling to guns or religion or antipathy to people who aren't like them...
and was panned at the time by Netanyahu as disastrous for Israel. Trump withdrew from that deal in 2018.

Under the terms now being discussed, according to reports, Iran would limit stockpile size and centrifuge types, and dilute, export or seal its 60 percent uranium stock under unprecedented ineffective International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) scrutiny, in exchange for substantial sanctions relief.

This approach has not aligned with Netanyahu’s longtime position, which is that Israel will not allow Iran to attain nuclear weapons and is opposed to any talks that don’t lead Iran to agree to a "Libya-style agreement," under which Tehran’s entire nuclear program — both military and civilian — would be dismantled completely.

Link

Africa Subsaharan

Jihadists Kill Five Multinational Troops in Nigeria Base Raid

2025-05-17

[THEDEFENSEPOST] A jihadist raid on a military base in northeast Nigeria
... a particularly crimson stretch of Islam's bloody border...
near the border with Cameroon
...a long, narrow country that fills the space between Nigeria and Chad on the northeast, CAR to the southeast. Prior to incursions by Boko Haram nothing ever happened there...
killed five troops from a multinational coalition Friday, two military sources told AFP.

Fighters from the Islamic State

...formerly ISIS or ISIL, depending on your preference. Before that they were al-Qaeda in Iraq, as shaped by Abu Musab Zarqawi. They're really very devout, committing every atrocity they can find in the Koran and inventing a few more. They fling Allah around with every other sentence, but to hear western pols talk they're not really Moslems....
West Africa Province (ISWAP) stormed the Multinational Joint Task Force (MNJTF) base housing Nigerian and Cameroonian troops in the town of Wulgo in a pre-dawn attack, engaging troops in a shootout, the two sources said.

''Four Nigerian soldiers and a Cameroonian soldier were killed in the fighting,'' a Nigerian military source said.

''Nine of the bully boyz were also killed,'' the officer said.

The forces of Evil forced the troops to abandon the base after overwhelming them, said a second officer, who gave the same toll.

The attack came two months after a similar raid on the same base killed 25 Cameroonian soldiers.

Link

Africa Subsaharan

Soldiers flee after Boko Haram raid on Borno base

2025-05-16

[PUNCHNG] Some soldiers are reportedly fleeing back to their villages following Monday's attack by Boko Haram

... not to be confused with Procol Harum, Harum Scarum, possibly to be confused with Helter Skelter. The Nigerian version of al-Qaeda and the Taliban rolled together and flavored with a smigeon of distinctly Subsaharan ignorance and brutality...
bully boyz on a military base in Marte, Borno State, which claimed the lives of five personnel.

The PUNCH had earlier reported that suspected Boko Haram holy warriors invaded the forward operating base in the early hours of Monday, overpowering soldiers on duty, looting weapons, and escaping with military vehicles.

Multiple military sources, speaking on Tuesday on the condition of anonymity for lack of authorisation, said some of the soldiers who witnessed the attack had abandoned their posts and returned to their hometowns.

''After the operation, they burnt everything. They destroyed all our facilities and carted away arms. They even left with our Commanding Officer's vehicle. All the new cycle of violence

s issued to us—they took them too,'' one of the sources said.

''Some soldiers have dumped their arms, saying they're no longer interested. They're returning to their villages. One of them, whom we call Dangwari, is among those who left.''

Another source alleged that the attack was made possible by betrayal from within.

''A civilian Joint Task Force member, someone we trusted, sold us out. He led the holy warriors to our camp. His name is Sharu. He was close to our adjutant and considered part of the team,'' he said.

He added that residents in surrounding communities had fled to safer areas such as Dikwa, Lukumani, and Mafa, fearing further attacks.

''The holy warriors might advance again if they detect low military presence in this region,'' he warned.

Link

Caucasus/Russia/Central Asia

Putin is a 'dead man walking' and rarely steps foot outside the Kremlin, experts claim

2025-05-15

So it has been repeatedly claimed, and just as repeatedly denied.

[Daily Mail, where America gets its news] Russian despot Vladimir Putin is a 'dead man walking' who rarely steps foot outside the Kremlin, British military experts have claimed.

The health of Putin, 72, has long been suspected to be deteriorating with his increasing age, and now experts have said that his brutal invasion of Ukraine has sapped much of his remaining energy.

Former commander of the UK's Joint Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear Regiment, Colonel Hamish de Bretton-Gordon, told the Mirror: 'There are analysts, people who know better than I, who believe Putin is now a dead man walking, a spent force whose war in Ukraine will cause his end.'

Bruce Jones, one of the UK's leading analysts of Russia, added: 'Things never end democratically in Russia and the situation is bad for Putin. He has had people killed for years and some in his military have already been dealt with in such a way - he knows the way this goes for a leader in Moscow who is not making good decisions. So he is probably right to be paranoid.'

And Colonel Richard Kemp, former commander of UK forces in Afghanistan, added: 'There are plenty of people who would want to have Putin bumped off. But his security is so tight that there is a real question over whether that is at all achievable and I believe that for the moment it is unlikely to happen.'

The speculation comes as the Kremlin yesterday revealed that it had left Putin's name off the Russian delegation attending talks with Ukraine in Turkey.

Moscow said that its envoy of four would not include the president who began the invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. It is not currently known why Putin, who did not say whether he would attend, has not confirmed his appearance at the talks.

US President Donald Trump will also not be attending the peace talks in Turkey, a US official said in response to the Kremlin's announcement.

Link

Home Front: WoT

Former Michigan Army National Guard member charged with plotting mass shooting at Army base on behalf of ISIS

2025-05-15

Yet another murderous idiot whose bestest buddy turns out to be with the FBI.

[FoxNews] 19-year-old suspect allegedly conducted drone surveillance and provided ammunition for planned mass shooting at Detroit Arsenal

A former Michigan Army National Guard member was arrested for allegedly planning a mass shooting at a military base on behalf of the Islamic State terrorist group, the Justice Department announced Wednesday.

Ammar Abdulmajid-Mohamed Said,
~~Audie Murphy~~
19, was taken into custody Tuesday after he traveled to an area near the U.S. Army’s Tank-Automotive & Armaments Command (TACOM) facility at the Detroit Arsenal in Warren, Michigan, and "launched his drone in support of the attack plan," officials said.

"I recommend everyone have about seven magazines because you don’t want to be in there and run out of ammo," Said allegedly told an undercover FBI agent in the leadup to the foiled plot, according to a criminal complaint.

Said is now facing charges of attempting to provide material support to a foreign terrorist organization and distributing information related to a destructive device. He faces a maximum penalty of 20 years per count if convicted.

"This defendant is charged with planning a deadly attack on a U.S. military base here at home for ISIS," Sue J. Bai, head of the Justice Department’s National Security Division, said in a statement. "Thanks to the tireless efforts of law enforcement, we foiled the attack before lives were lost. We will not hesitate to bring the full force of the Department to find and prosecute those who seek to harm our men and women in the military and to protect all Americans."

The Justice Department said that in April, "two undercover officers indicated they intended to carry out Said’s plan at the direction of ISIS" and "in response, Said provided material assistance to the attack plan, including providing armor-piercing ammunition

…which I imagine is fairly expensive, especially for your typical nineteen year old…

and magazines for the attack, flying his drone over TACOM to conduct operational reconnaissance, training the undercover employees on firearms and the construction of Molotov cocktails for use during the attack, and planning numerous details of the attack including how to enter TACOM and which building to target."

The criminal complaint stated that around June 2024, Said started communicating with an undercover FBI agent whom he had thought was a fellow ISIS supporter.

"During the course of their interactions, which were audio- and/or video-recorded, Said described his longstanding desire to engage in violent jihad, either by traveling to ISIS-held territory abroad or by carrying out an attack in the United States," the complaint said.

"On July 18, 2024, FBI agents executed a search warrant for Said’s iPhone by performing a covert search of that device... when SAID provided it to personnel with the Michigan Army National Guard prior to boarding a military aircraft. During that search, FBI agents identified a Facebook message exchange (in Arabic) that took place on or about October 5, 2023, between Said and another Facebook user located in the Palestinian territories," the complaint continued.

Interesting…

"In that Facebook message exchange, Said stated, ‘I want to go for Jihad,’ and the other Facebook user replied, ‘Talk to me on Telegram.’ Agents also determined during the search that Said was a member of multiple channels in the encrypted messaging application Telegram, one of which contained videos and images with ISIS flags," it also said.

The complaint noted that Said enlisted in the Michigan Army National Guard in September 2022 and attended basic training at Fort Moore in Georgia. He later reported to the Michigan Army National Guard Taylor Armory before being discharged around December 2024.

The FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force is leading the investigation into the case.

The FBI complaint can be read at the link. The Detroit Free Press adds that the miscreant lives in Melvindale, a small town in WayneCounty.

Link

Syria-Lebanon-Iran

Witkoff: Iran must dismantle uranium enrichment facilities, ship material ‘far away’

2025-05-10

Prediction: Whatever Iran might agree to, in the real world they will never give up their nuclear weapon program. The DoD needs to refill their logistics alongside upgrading their war fighting ethos in preparation.

[IsraelTimes] US special envoy says Tehran can expand civilian nuclear activities but must get hate rid of all centrifuges, as talks set to resume in Oman on Sunday

US special envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff, who is set to resume nuclear talks with 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 ~~Jews~~ ~~Zionists~~ Jews. Their economy is based on the production of oil and vitriol...
on Sunday, has said the Islamic Theocratic Republic’s uranium enrichment facilities "have to be dismantled" for Washington to take it at its word that it does not want nuclear arms.

"They cannot have centrifuges. They have to downblend all of their fuel that they have there and send it to a far-away place," Witkoff said in an interview with right-wing US news outlet Breitbart on Thursday. "An enrichment program can never exist in the state of Iran ever again. That’s our red line."

"I just believe they have no choice" but to accept the position of US President Donald Trump
...Oh, noze! Not him!...
against enrichment, said Witkoff. "Obviously, they can say no, and they can test President Trump, but I think that would be an unwise thing to do."

The comments came after Witkoff last month said the US would seek only to cap Iran’s uranium enrichment, but not end it altogether, contrary to the position of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Witkoff quickly backtracked, saying any nuclear deal with Iran "must stop and eliminate its nuclear enrichment and weaponization program."

Speaking to Breitbart, Witkoff said Iran would have to dismantle its three known enrichment facilities in Natanz, Fordow and Isfahan. On the other hand, he said, the Iranians could hold onto their nuclear reactor in Bushehr, where "they have no ability to enrich, they have no ability to have centrifuges there, they can only use that facility for civilian purposes — making of electricity and things of that sort of civilian purposes.

"If that is what they choose to do, if they believe in that program, they ought to expand it if they want to," said Witkoff, adding that his goal in the nuclear talks was to get Tehran to "voluntarily shift away from an enrichment program."

"If we can get them to voluntarily do that, that is the most permanent way to make sure that they never get a weapon," he said.

Iran, whose leaders are sworn to destroy Israel, says it opposes nuclear weapons. However,
those who apply themselves too closely to little things often become incapable of great things...
the Islamic Theocratic Republic is enriching uranium to 60% — far higher than necessary for civilian uses, and a short step away from weapons-grade.

Iran also funds a regional network of anti-Israel proxies, including 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...
’s Hamas
..a contraction of the Arabic words for "frothing at the mouth",...
, Leb
...The Lebs have the curious habit of periodically murdering their heads of state or prime ministers...
’s Hezbollah and Yemen
...an area of the Arabian Peninsula sometimes mistaken for a country. It is populated by more antagonistic tribes and factions than you can keep track of...
’s 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. Getting Iran to stop arming those groups is a "secondary discussion," Witkoff told Breitbart.

"We don’t want to confuse the nuclear discussion because that to us is the existential issue," said Witkoff. "That’s the issue that needs to be solved today and quickly."

Witkoff is set to travel to Oman on Sunday for the fourth round of Omani-mediated talks with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, a source familiar with the matter said, as Iran’s semi-official Tasnim news cited an Iranian negotiator as saying Tehran had agreed to resume talks.

The fourth round of negotiations, initially scheduled for May 3 in Rome, was postponed, with mediator Oman citing "logistical reasons."

Witkoff told Breitbart that the fourth round had been delayed because "we didn’t think that the talks last week were going to be productive, because we needed to get to certain understandings with them, and hopefully this Sunday they will be productive."

Witkoff was reportedly engaged over the past week in talks with Omani and Houthi officials that resulted in a US ceasefire in Yemen, announced by Trump on Tuesday. Sources cited by CNN
...formerly the Cable News Network, now who know what it might stand for...
said the US-Houthi truce talks aimed to provide momentum for the Iran nuclear talks.

The truce did not include a commitment by the Yemeni rebels to stop attacking Israel, and apparently caught Jerusalem by surprise — much like Trump’s announcement of the Iran nuclear talks last month.

Trump in his first term scrapped the 2015 Iran nuclear deal, dubbed the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, which had promised Iran sanctions relief in exchange for greater oversight over its nuclear program. Netanyahu had railed against that deal, arguing that it kept in place Iran’s capacity to produce nuclear arms.

Witkoff told Breitbart that "we’re never doing a JCPOA deal," saying the agreement had a "mismatched procedure."

"We believe that they cannot have enrichment, they cannot have centrifuges, they cannot have anything that allows them to build a weapon. We believe in all of that. That was not JCPOA," said Witkoff.

"JCPOA had sunset provisions that burned off the obligations and burned off the sanctions relief at inappropriate times. It’s never going to happen in this deal," he said.

Witkoff stressed that Trump, who is expected to visit the Middle East next week, prefers a diplomatic rather than military solution to the Iranian nuclear threat.

Witkoff said critics of his diplomacy included a "neocon element" that "believes war is the only way to solve things."

"Neocon," or neo-conservative, refers in US political parlance to politicians who support intervention in foreign conflicts. The term is often used derisively by Trump’s isolationist supporters.

Witkoff’s comment came after Trump last week fired US National Security Adviser Mike Waltz, in part, reportedly, over the latter’s hawkish views on Iran and intense coordination with Netanyahu on a potential military strike there.

Witkoff said his neo-conservative critics "give no consideration whatsoever on what the consequences are" for military action, and are certain that Iran will manipulate Witkoff if it is not handled with force.

"They may attempt to manipulate me. I don’t think they’re going to be able to manipulate me," said Witkoff. "If the Iranians make the mistake of thinking they can procrastinate at the table, then they won’t see that much of me.

"The alternative, as the president says, will be a bad alternative for them," he said. Trump "believes that his force of personality... can bend people to do things in a better way in the interests of the United States government," said Witkoff, adding: "I believe in that too."

ARAGHCHI TO CONSULT WITH SAUDI COUNTERPARTS
Araghchi, Witkoff’s interlocutor in the nuclear talks, is set to visit Saudi Arabia

Link

-Land of the Free

Trump's message to Putin and Xi: Largest US Air Force 'elephant walk' in modern history

2025-05-10

[Daily Mail, where America gets its news] The US Air Force rolled out dozens of top-line military aircraft in a pointed display of firepower at an airbase in Japan this week as Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping presided over Russia's Victory Day parade in Moscow.

It also came as Russia and China issued a joint statement condemning US President Donald Trump's plan to create a 'Golden Dome' missile defence system as 'deeply destabilising' and one that would risk 'turning space into a battlefield'.

A so-called 'elephant walk' took place at Kadena Air Force Base (AFB) on the island of Okinawa earlier this week, but images of the event emerged today - hours after Russia sent tanks, nuclear missiles and drones rolling through Red Square.

The procession in Okinawa showcased some of the most capable assets that American aviation has to offer.

Two dozen F-35A Lightning II stealth fighters and eight F-15E Strike Eagle multirole fighters took to the tarmac alongside a pair of Washington's coveted Patriot missile defence batteries.

The stunning selection of jets was accompanied by an RC-135 Rivet Joint signals intelligence aircraft, a Navy P-8 Poseidon maritime patrol, reconnaissance, and anti-submarine warfare aircraft, two Navy EA-18 Growler electronic warfare attack planes and three E-3 Sentry Airborne Warning and Control System (AWACS) aircraft.

The show of force was described by Chief Master Sgt. Brandon Wolfgang, the commander of 18th Wing stationed at Kadena AFB, as a 'message you can't ignore'.

A statement given by 18th Wing said the elephant walk was a 'testament to the lethality Kadena AB can leverage to deter adversarial aggression in the Indo-Pacific region'.

The impressive parade, which also saw six HH-60G Pave Hawk helicopters and two MQ-9 Reaper drones on show alongside the aircraft, is said to be one of the largest ever conducted by USAF.

Following the elephant walk, Kadena AFB conducted three-day military drills this week, concluding today as Moscow hosted its own military procession as part of its celebrations to mark the 80th anniversary of the Soviet Union's triumph over Nazi Germany in World War II.

More than 20 world leaders and Kremlin allies including China's Xi, Putin's right-hand man in Europe, Belarus' Alexander Lukashenko, and Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva were in attendance at the Victory Day parade in Red Square.

Putin shared a warm handshake and posed for photos with Xi this morning, dispelling any illusion that efforts by US President Donald Trump to drive a wedge between the Eastern powers had succeeded.

The Russian and Chinese leaders nestled side-by-side to watch the parade in a show of unity after they issued a statement yesterday saying Trump's move to create a 'Golden Dome' missile defence system would be 'deeply destabilising' and would risk turning space into a 'battlefield'.

Putin and his guests, including several high-ranking North Korean military officials, watched on as hordes of soldiers goose-stepped to old marching songs and roared to their commanders before Russia's top brass.

They were followed by a huge procession of Russian military technology that saw dozens of tanks, S400 Triumf air defence missile systems and the gargantuan Yars intercontinental ballistic missiles roll past the Mausoleum of Vladimir Lenin.

As the parade concluded, Putin walked along the square to greet a long line of military commanders from Russia and former Soviet states before stopping to speak with a delegation of Chinese and North Korean armed forces officers.

Both Moscow and Pyongyang in recent weeks acknowledged for the first time that North Korean troops had fought alongside their Russian counterparts against Ukraine.

The festivities ended with Putin, Xi and other world leaders solemnly laying a bouquet of red flowers at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and the Eternal Flame in memory of the Soviets killed in World War II.

Several drones used to batter Ukraine, including the Lancet, Geran-2, Orlan-10 and Orlan-30 variants, were also shown off in the parade. A flight of Su-25, Su-30 and MiG-29 fighter jets and bombers later soared overhead trailing smoke in the white, blue and red of the Russian tricolour.

Russia's defence minister Andrey Belousov, who arrived in Red Square atop a convertible Russian Aurus government car, addressed and inspected the troops. They responded with a chorus of 'hurrah!', before Putin took to the stage to deliver his speech.

Putin declared that Russia will always remember and appreciate the contribution of US and European allies to victory in World War II.

But he went on to say he would never allow the 'true victors over Nazism to be slandered' and that Moscow would 'fight against the atrocities of the followers of Nazism', echoing the Kremlin's rhetoric that Russia is trying to 'de-Nazify' its neighbour.

'(Russia) has truth and justice on its side. The whole country, society and people support the participants of the special military operation,' Putin insisted, adding: 'We are proud of their bravery and determination, of the fortitude that has always brought us only victory.'

The Kremlin's so-called 'special military operation' is in fact the deadliest war in Europe since the conflict today's parade is commemorating, and Ukraine has called today's events in Moscow a 'parade of cynicism'.

Link

China-Japan-Koreas

Strategic partnership between Russia and China

2025-05-09

Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.

Commentary by Russian military journalist Boris Rozhin:
[ColonelCassad] During Comrade Xi Jinping's visit to Moscow, in addition to agreements on strengthening strategic cooperation between Russia and China, a large number of agreements were signed.

1. Joint Statement of the Russian Federation and the People's Republic of China on Further Deepening their Comprehensive Partnership and Strategic Cooperation in the New Era in Commemoration of the 80th Anniversary of the Victory of the Soviet Union in the Great Patriotic War, the Victory of the Chinese People in the War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression and the Founding of the United Nations

2. Joint Statement of the Russian Federation and the People's Republic of China on Global Strategic Stability

3. Joint Declaration of the Russian Federation and the People's Republic of China on Further Strengthening Cooperation to Uphold the Authority of International Law

4. Agreement between the Government of the Russian Federation and the Government of the People's Republic of China on the Promotion and Mutual Protection of Investments and Letters Constituting an Understanding between the Government of the Russian Federation and the Government of the People's Republic of China on the Application of Measures, the Introduction of Which is Regulated by the Rules of the World Trade Organization on National Security Exceptions, General Exceptions, and Prudential Measures

5. Memorandum of Understanding between the Government of the Russian Federation and the Government of the People's Republic of China on the Establishment of a Bilateral Consultative Commission on Ensuring Biological Security 6.

Protocol between the Federal Service for Veterinary and Phytosanitary Surveillance (Russian Federation) and the General Administration of Customs of the People's Republic of China on compliance with inspection and quarantine requirements for rye flour exported from the Russian Federation to the People's Republic of China

7. Protocol between the Federal Service for Veterinary and Phytosanitary Surveillance (Russian Federation) and the General Administration of Customs of the People's Republic of China on compliance with inspection and quarantine requirements for the export of semolina from the Russian Federation to the People's Republic of China

8. Protocol on Amendments to the Protocol between the Federal Service for Veterinary and Phytosanitary Surveillance (Russian Federation) and the General Administration of Customs of the People's Republic of China on phytosanitary requirements for medicinal plant materials for Chinese medicine exported from the Russian Federation to the People's Republic of China, dated May 24, 2023

9. Memorandum between the Ministry of Digital Development, Communications and of the Russian Federation and the State Data Administration of the People's Republic of China on cooperation in the field of digital transformation and digital economy

10. Memorandum between the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation and the Ministry of Science and Technology of the People's Republic of China on cooperation in the field of creation and development of scientific installations of the "megascience" class

11. Action Plan in the Field of Joint Film Production between the Ministry of Culture of the Russian Federation and the State Film Administration of the People's Republic of China until 2030

12. Memorandum of Understanding between the Federal Service for Supervision of Consumer Rights Protection and Human Wellbeing (Russian Federation) and the National Disease Control and Prevention Administration of the People's Republic of China on Cooperation in the Field of Combating Infectious Diseases

13. Memorandum of Understanding between the Roscosmos State Space Corporation and the China National Space Administration on Cooperation in the Field of Creating a Lunar Power Station for the International Scientific Lunar Station

14. Cooperation Agreement between the Moscow State Institute of International Relations (University) of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation, the Russian Direct Investment Fund Management Company, and Tsinghua University (People's Republic of China)

15. Memorandum of Understanding on Joint Cooperation between Moscow State University named after

16. Memorandum of Cooperation between Lomonosov Moscow State University and China Media Corporation 17.

Agreement on Strategic Cooperation between St. Petersburg State University and the State Administration of Foreign Specialists of the People's Republic of China

18. Agreement on Scientific Cooperation between the National Research University Higher School of Economics and Peking University

19. Agreement on Cooperation between the National Research University Higher School of Economics (Russian Federation) and Peking University (People's Republic of China) on the Establishment of the BRICS Research Platform

20. Agreement on Cooperation between the National Research University Higher School of Economics and Tsinghua University

21. Memorandum of Understanding between the D.I. Mendeleev University of Chemical Technology of Russia and the University Tsinghua (People's Republic of China)

22. Memorandum on deepening cooperation between the Federal State Unitary Enterprise "All-Russian State Television and Radio Broadcasting Company" (VGTRK) and the China Media Corporation

23. Memorandum between the International Information Agency "Russia Today" and the Xinhua News Agency (People's Republic of China) on holding the Expert Forum of the SCO countries

24. Memorandum of Understanding and Cooperation between the Russia Today TV Channel and the China Media Corporation

25. Memorandum on Strategic Cooperation between Russia Today TV Channel and Xinhua News Agency (People's Republic of China)

26. Memorandum of Cooperation between National Media Group and China Media Corporation

27. Memorandum on Cooperation in the Field of News between Gazprom-Media Holding Joint-Stock Company and Xinhua News Agency (People's Republic of China)

28. Memorandum of Understanding and Cooperation between the All-Russian Public Movement of Children and Youth "Movement of the First" and the All-China Youth Federation (2025-2026)

In general, China is now interested in strengthening relations with the Russian Federation, since Beijing sees both increased pressure from the United States and attempts to tear Russia away from China, which the United States views through the prism of a repeat of Nixon's maneuver of the 1970s, when the United States, in the interests of increasing pressure on the USSR, went to normalize relations with China. Now the US is trying to do roughly the same thing, only the other way around.

Russia is interested in strengthening cooperation with China, as this makes it possible to easily avoid economic and political isolation and jointly promote the ideas of multipolarity. And plus, China's indirect assistance in conducting the SVO should not be underestimated either. Without Chinese drones, chips, controllers and various microelectronics, it would be much harder for us.

P.S. And a joint lunar base project in the 2030s looks ambitious and interesting.

More from regnum.ru
Putin and Xi Jinping order to accelerate construction of Power of Siberia 2
During talks in Moscow between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping, the leaders of the countries instructed to speed up the construction of the Power of Siberia 2 gas pipeline. Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak told reporters about this.

"We discussed it, it is a really important project, so a certain part of the work related to the feasibility study has already been done. Now the final negotiations are underway between the companies regarding the economic conditions. The leaders gave instructions to speed up this work," he answered the corresponding question.

At the same time, Novak clarified that during the negotiations, a possible adjustment to the gas pipeline route through Mongolia was not discussed.

As reported by the Regnum news agency, during the meeting Putin called energy the locomotive of Russian-Chinese relations. He noted that in 2024 Russia, the leader in oil exports to China, took first place in pipeline gas supplies, second place in shipments, and third place in liquefied natural gas exports.

The Russian leader also stated that new joint initiatives between Russia and China in the energy sector are already “on the way”: in particular, the launch of the Far Eastern gas route is expected in 2027, which will supply China with up to 10 billion cubic meters per year, and in China itself, construction of Russian-designed nuclear power plants is underway.

Even more from regnum.ru
Putin: Russia and China Suffered the Greatest Losses in World War II
It was Russia and China that suffered the greatest losses during World War II. Russian President Vladimir Putin recalled this during a meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping in the Kremlin.

"Having gone through unprecedented hardships, having experienced all the horrors of war, our peoples accomplished a great feat and were able to restore peace. At the same time, as is known, they suffered the greatest losses," the Russian leader noted.

Putin added that now Russia and China are jointly and consistently advocating for the preservation of the historical truth about the Great Victory as a common value for all of humanity, and are also jointly opposing attempts to falsify history.

As reported by the Regnum news agency, on April 30, Putin declared that Victory Day in the Great Patriotic War was a triumph for the Russian and Soviet peoples, highlighting the special role of the RSFSR. He reported that all the peoples of the Soviet Union made a huge contribution, the war affected almost every family, and the RSFSR's losses in the war amounted to about 70%.

Earlier, the Russian leader noted that Victory Day is one of the most significant holidays in Russia and many republics of the former Soviet Union. The defeat of fascism in that war is their common heritage.

Link

Africa Horn

Puntland Acquires Combat Aircraft for the First Time in Anti-Terror Campaign

2025-05-08

[Garowe] Senior military officials in Puntland
...a region in northeastern Somalia, centered on Garowe in the Nugaal province. Its leaders declared the territory an autonomous state in 1998. Puntland and the equally autonomous Somaliland seem to have avoided the clan rivalries and warlordism that have typified the rest of Somalia, which puts both places high on the list for Islamic subversion...
, northeast of Somalia, confirmed that the Federal State has, for the first time, procured four combat aircraft from an undisclosed foreign country, marking a significant step in its campaign to eliminate terrorist threats in the region.

According to the defense officials, the newly acquired warplanes will be deployed in support of ongoing and future operations aimed at dismantling turban groups operating in Puntland and surrounding areas.

"This is a historic moment for Puntland’s security sector," one senior officer said on condition of anonymity. "These aircraft will enhance our aerial capabilities and provide vital support to ground forces in the fight against terrorism."

The origin of the aircraft and specific model types were not disclosed, but sources close to the procurement say the deal was made discreetly through military cooperation agreements.

Puntland has been engaged in counterterrorism operations targeting both al-Shabaab

... Somalia's version of the Taliban, functioning as an arm of al-Qaeda...
and ISIS-linked fighters, particularly in remote areas like the Cal-Miskaad mountains and along the Gulf of Aden coast.

This development signals a growing intent by Puntland authorities to strengthen the Federal state's defense infrastructure as it faces the threat of ISIS and al-Shabaab in the mountains of the Bari region.

Officials did not specify when the aircraft would become operational, but military sources indicated training for air force personnel is already underway. Puntland has been battling against ISIS since December and has gained ground from the group in the Calmiskaad mountains.

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