Working to get off President Trump’s Naughty list.
[ShabelleMedia] Somalia’s Immigration and Citizenship Agency has rolled out a new biometric border control system aimed at combating human trafficking, reducing illegal migration, and strengthening national security against terrorism.
The system, known as PISCES (Personal Identification Secure Comparison and Evaluation System), was officially launched on June 30 at Aden Adde International Airport in Mogadishu, with technical support and training provided by the United States.
PISCES collects biometric data such as fingerprints and facial images from travelers entering and exiting Somalia, enabling immigration officers to quickly verify identities and cross-check individuals against national and international security watchlists.
The agency hopes the system will serve as a critical defense mechanism against terrorist threats and criminal networks operating across Somalia’s borders.
The new biometric platform builds on earlier U.S.-supported initiatives that began in 2018 with the MIDAS program, which introduced fingerprint scanners at key ports of entry. PISCES also aligns with Somalia’s national digital ID program launched in 2023, which integrates biometric data across government agencies to improve security and public services.
Mustafa Duhulow, Director General of the Immigration and Citizenship Agency, emphasized that the system is not only about technology but about protecting citizens and restoring public trust. A U.S. embassy official said such systems "save lives, prevent crime, and build confidence in government institutions."
The PISCES system operates under Somalia’s 2023 Data Protection Act, which regulates the handling of personal and biometric data while balancing privacy rights with national security needs.
Globally, biometric border controls are gaining momentum. The European Union ...the successor to the Holy Roman Empire, only without the Hapsburgs and the nifty uniforms and the dancing... plans to launch its Entry/Exit System in October 2025, and countries like Malaysia are adopting advanced facial recognition and biometric CCTV along their borders.
Somalia’s adoption of PISCES highlights how biometric technology is becoming central to modern border security, reflecting broader regional and international efforts to combat transnational threats.
Continued on Page 47
[KhaamaPress] The UK government abruptly ended Afghan resettlement programs without prior notice, leaving thousands at risk and drawing strong criticism from humanitarian and refugee groups.
The UK government has quietly shut down its flagship resettlement schemes for Afghan nationals who supported British operations, triggering alarm among human rights When they're defined by the state or an NGO they don't mean much... groups. The change, introduced without prior public announcement, was outlined in a low-profile explanatory note issued by the Home Office, updating immigration rules.
Under the updated policy, the Ministry of Defence’s Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy (ARAP) closed to new applications at 3 p.m. on Tuesday, July 1. The scheme, which aimed to resettle Afghans who had assisted British forces, now only applies to those who submitted applications between April 1, 2021, and before the July 1, 2025 cutoff.
Simultaneously, the Home Office has also ended new intakes under the Afghan Citizens Resettlement Scheme (ACRS), which was designed to help vulnerable Afghan nationals and those linked to British civil and military operations. With both schemes closed, no legal routes remain open for new Afghan applicants seeking UK protection.
Humanitarian groups condemned the move as a betrayal of vulnerable people left behind. Gunesh Kalkan, head of a refugee support charity, said the closure "leaves children and families we support in danger and without hope." She urged the UK government to expand, not restrict, safe migration pathways.
Dr. Sara de Jong, an academic and refugee rights advocate, described the sudden closure as shocking and poorly communicated. "Not even half an hour before the deadline, there was any update on official websites. What about applicants waiting on appeals or preparing submissions?" she asked. De Jong added that while the UK had pledged to resettle 20,000 at-risk Afghans by 2021, only 65 percent of that goal has been met.
Despite the policy changes, the Ministry of Defence has confirmed that Afghans previously granted eligibility may still apply for family reunification. However,
some men learn by reading. A few learn by observation. The rest have to pee on the electric fence for themselves... critics argue that the government’s handling of the program has been marred by systemic failures. The UK High Court previously described the processing of Afghan special forces’ cases as so mishandled that it resembled a "scene of the crime."
By the end of May 2025, more than 21,000 Afghans had been resettled in the UK through the ARAP and ACRS programs. Yet widespread delays, misjudgments, and administrative errors have left hundreds of eligible individuals stranded in Afghanistan and exposed to Taliban ...mindless ferocity in a turban... threats. Advocacy groups are calling for a review and urgent reinstatement of accessible and safe migration channels.
[IsraelTimes] ‘We have enough problems without deliberately importing bigotry,’ says minister about US rapper known for antisemitic outbursts, amid surge in anti-Jewish incidents since Oct. 7.
[IsraelTimes] Rights groups warn Vienna’s move could set a dangerous precedent, arguing that Syria remains officially unsafe for return under international law
Austria is preparing to deport a Syrian man whose asylum status was revoked due to a criminal conviction, in what an EU official and rights groups say will be Europe’s first forced deportation to Syria since the fall of former president Bashir Pencilneck al-Assad One of the last of the old-fashioned hereditary iron-fisted fascist dictators... Rights groups are concerned that Austria’s plan could set a precedent, encouraging other European Union ...the successor to the Holy Roman Empire, only without the Hapsburgs and the nifty uniforms and the dancing... member states to follow suit amid rising anti-migration sentiment across the 27-nation bloc.
The 32-year-old man, who was granted asylum in Austria in 2014, lost his refugee status in February 2019 because of his criminal record, his legal adviser Ruxandra Staicu said. She declined to specify the nature of his conviction.
The Austrian Interior Ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Deportation to Syria was not possible during the country’s civil war as it was considered unsafe. The Austrian government argues that Assad’s fall means the situation has changed and it has begun proceedings to strip some refugees of their status, though rights groups say it is premature to do so.
Austrian and Syrian authorities agreed for the man to be deported last week, but the closure of airspace across several countries in the region, including Syria, due to Israel’s 12-day conflict 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 JewsZionists Jews. Their economy is based on the production of oil and vitriol... delayed the process, Staicu and a Western diplomat said. Hundreds of flights were forced to turn back or reroute when the strikes began.
The diplomat, who requested anonymity, added that the deportation would now go ahead once the airspace reopened.
Since 2015, European countries have received around 1.68 million asylum applications from Syrian nationals. Some governments, most notably Germany, initially welcomed them warmly as civil war ravaged their homeland.
But rising public concern over the scale of immigration has fueled support for far-right, anti-migrant parties.
IS SYRIA STILL DANGEROUS?
With the fall of Assad in December, many EU governments were quick to suspend the processing of Syrian asylum applications, and some have called for the security situation in Syria to be reassessed to enable deportations to resume.
In Austria, former Chancellor Karl Nehammer, from the ruling Austrian People’s Party (OVP), is among those calling for such a reassessment, amid pressure from the far-right Freedom Party.
Some rights groups and lawyers say it is still too dangerous to begin returning people to Syria.
"There are attacks against people and we have no idea in which direction [Syria] will go," said Staicu, adding that her client’s deportation would violate the European Convention on Human Rights that prohibits torture and inhumane treatment.
The United Nations ...the Oyster Bay money pit... refugee agency (UNHCR) told Rooters: "Syrians... must not be forcibly returned from any country, including those in the European Union, to any part of Syria" due to the overall situation there.
Rights groups cite attacks against minorities since Assad’s fall. Syria also remains in the grip of a severe humanitarian crisis, with 90% of the population living below the poverty line, according to UN estimates.
Staicu said her client had received a negative asylum decision in April. He has filed another asylum application and is awaiting a response.
Continued on Page 47
Iran State TV’s New York correspondent, Rachel Hamdoun, reports from a pro-Iran rally in Times Square, saying the protest is celebrating Iran’s “triumph in Operation True Promise III.” pic.twitter.com/TIEbpQZZ5M
Most assuredly this Iranian correspondent is not also a Mossad spy, nor anyone in the “far left” Bronx Antiwar Coalition (funded by very rich CCP tool Neville Singham), which allies with Within Our Lifetime and Samidoun. Amusing that all the shots are so tight, so we can’t get a feel of the small size of the crowd — maybe as many as two dozen, mostly communist allies who came to swell the numbers — we can see the professionally printed signs for the (Marxist–Leninist-Trotskyist) Workers World Party and at least one t-shirt for the (Revolutionary Marxist-Leninist, CCP client) Freedom Road Socialist Organization. Another example of the red-green alliance so popular nowadays.
[Rudaw] Iran-aligned groups have denied involvement in recent rocket and drone attacks targeting the Kurdistan Region and territories disputed between Baghdad and Erbil. Several of their leaders and affiliated politicians have publicly denied any involvement, blaming either 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) remnants or political scapegoating ahead of Iraq’s November elections.
A string of unclaimed drone and rocket attacks have hit the Kurdistan Region and several disputed territories between Erbil and Baghdad since the start of the week, with no group claiming responsibility. The incidents come amid heightened tensions and diminished air defense capabilities following the Iran-Israel conflict in June, which left much of Iraq’s radar infrastructure inoperable.
A source from Iraq’s defense ministry told Rudaw on condition of anonymity that the radar systems remain severely compromised.
"Out of three radars, two have been taken out of service during the Iran-Israel war. One was in Baghdad and the other in Nasiriyah. Now, only the western sector radar is working, and that's not enough to track these objects," the source said.
Intelligence units in the Defense Ministry and other security agencies have launched investigations, but the source warned that the lack of functioning radar is delaying tracking and response efforts.
The renewed drone activity follows a US-brokered ceasefire that ended a 12-day war between 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... and Israel. During the conflict, numerous drones and missiles flew through Iraqi airspace, including the Kurdistan Region, where several drones fell or were intercepted, and a renewed series of similar incidents began again on Sunday.
RECENT DRONE AND ROCKET ATTACKS
On Tuesday, two explosive-laden drones were intercepted over Sulaimani province, with one crashing in the Tasluja area. No casualties were reported, according to local officials.
That same day, a drone struck the Darkar camp housing displaced Yazidis about 36 kilometers northwest of Duhok. The Kurdistan Region’s Directorate General of Counter Terrorism (CTD) said the drone was laden with explosives and caused material damage. Civil defense teams from Zakho reported that three cabins at the camp caught fire as a result of the crash. No injuries were reported.
In Kirkuk, ... a thick stew of Arabs, Turkmen, Kurds, and probably Antarcticans, all of them mutually hostile most of the time... Governor Rebwar Taha said three Katyusha rockets struck the city overnight. One hit a residential home, while two others landed between the civilian and military zones of Kirkuk International Airport. No fatalities were reported.
In Salahaddin province, three people were maimed on Sunday when a kaboom hit the Baiji oil refinery. While some media outlets claimed the site was targeted by 12 drones, Saif Muhannad, head of the Salahaddin provincial council’s media office, said only two drones were confirmed, and there is no evidence of a coordinated 12-drone attack.
"This isn’t the first time the base has been targeted, but there are some gangs that are dominant in that area," he said.
MILITIA GROUPS DENY INVOLVEMENT, BLAME ISIS
Mahdi al-Kaabi, a political committee member of Harakat Hezbollah al-Nujaba, an Iran-aligned Iraqi militia group, denied responsibility for the recent attacks.
"We, as the Nujaba movement, are not participating in any way in these recent attacks carried out with missiles and drones," he told Rudaw, adding that there is coordination between the resistance groups and the Iraqi government to prevent military escalations.
Kaabi suggested the accusations against militias are politically motivated.
"Pointing fingers at us and other resistance front groups is somewhat related to the approaching elections," he said, referring to Iraq’s upcoming parliamentary vote set for November.
Mohammed al-Bayati, a senior Badr Organization official in Kirkuk, also denied involvement.
"Never do the Popular Mobilization Forces [PMF, or Hashd al-Shaabi] and Badr attempt to carry out attacks in that manner, especially at this sensitive time," he said, suggesting that ISIS bad boys, who remain active in some regions, may be behind the attacks.
ISIS, which seized large parts of Iraq in 2014 before being territorially defeated in 2017, continues to carry out hit-and-run attacks from remote mountain and desert areas.
In Diyala, Turki al-Attabi, a member of the provincial council, said that no evidence has emerged linking the government-affiliated and Iran-backed Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) to any of the drone or rocket attacks. "If any necessary evidence is obtained, we will inform the public," he said.
We ‘ve been getting reports of this more often lately…
[IsraelTimes] IDF forces thwarted two separate weapons smuggling attempts along the border with Egypt over the past 24 hours, the military says.
Troops on Tuesday night intercepted a drone that crossed into Israeli territory carrying 10 firearms, the army says.
This morning, soldiers stopped a suspicious vehicle near the border, finding 14 guns inside. The driver was arrested and transferred for questioning.
Continued on Page 47
[IsraelTimes] As the war drags on and aid supplies are increasingly precious, large, heavily armed clans in the southern Strip are openly defying the terror group. Could they be viable partners for Israel?
A powerful 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... family exchanged fire with Hamas ..a regional Iranian catspaw,... last week at a major hospital in Khan Younis, in a conflict that ended with burned vehicles and destroyed equipment.
Hamas and the Barbakh clan blamed each other for the fight at Nasser Hospital: While Hamas claims it acted against a Barbakh relative who had stolen aid — and blamed the clan for damaging the hospital — anti-Hamas media outlets allege that Hamas operatives took refuge inside Nasser after murdering a clan member.
The clash then morphed into a war of words. The Barbakh family lashed out against the terror group in a post on a popular anti-Hamas Telegram channel, alleging that since Hamas’s 2007 takeover of the territory, "the Barbakh family has paid the price for its positions and has been subjected to Hamas repression. The time for a response has come."
The family is not alone: For the first time in nearly two decades of Hamas rule in Gaza, large, heavily armed clans are openly defying the terror group, through both public statements and armed confrontations. The opposition marks a serious challenge to Hamas’s ability to maintain local control, and comes amid the group’s declining military strength and waning popularity among Gazooks as the nearly 21-month-old war with Israel drags on.
Israel has suggested that the clans could supplant Hamas rule in Gaza, but this is not necessarily a positive prospect: Even as they’ve begun to publicly counter Hamas, the families have continued to harshly criticize Israel and distance themselves from it.
Despite growing perceptions of armed clans gaining influence in parts of Gaza, Michael Milshtein, head of the Paleostinian Studies Forum at Tel Aviv University, told The Times of Israel that the phenomenon remains geographically limited to the southern Gaza Strip and does not yet pose a serious threat to Hamas.
"At this stage, I see the clans as a nuisance and a challenge to Hamas — but not a real threat to its rule, and certainly not a coherent or viable partner for Israel for the day after," he said.
"I still see Hamas as the dominant force in Gaza, particularly through its special unit ’Saham,’ which is responsible for maintaining public order, especially in the northern Strip," he said. "In the south, where the IDF has more control, we’re seeing more of these clan-related phenomena."
A CORE SOURCE OF IDENTITY
The Gaza clans consist of dozens of extended families whose total populations range from hundreds to thousands of members, though exact numbers are hard to come by. The clans, which are typically linked by distant kinship and shared patriarchal lineage, serve as crucial sources of economic and social support. For many, clan identity surpasses the national Paleostinian cause.
The families are often concentrated in particular areas of the Strip. The Barbakh clan, according to videos it has circulated, operates in southern Gaza around the cities of Rafah and Khan Younis, while the Abu Ziyad family is based in the village of Zawaida, near Deir al-Balah in the center of the territory.
Prior to the Hamas-led attack on October 7, 2023, the families organized under an umbrella group called the "Clans Committee," originally founded in 2012 by West Bank-based Paleostinian Authority President the ineffectual Mahmoud Abbas ...aka Abu Mazen, a graduate of the prestigious unaccredited Patrice Lumumba University in Moscow with a doctorate in Holocaust Denial. While no Yasser Arafat, he has his own brand of evil, just a little more lowercase....> . The committee provided an avenue for the clans to maintain tribal courts to resolve disputes and violent mostly peaceful incidents through customary mechanisms like financial settlements.
The committee continued operating under Hamas control after Abbas called for its dissolution in 2019. Clan leaders regularly held public visits with Gaza officials under the committee’s auspices. In July 2023, representatives of the committee even traveled to Cairo to meet with then-Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh ...became Prime Minister of Gaza after the legislative elections of 2006 which Hamas won. President Mahmoud Abbas dismissed Haniyeh from office on 14 June 2007 at the height of the Fatah-Hamas festivities, but Haniyeh did not acknowledge the decree and continued as the PM of Gazoo while Abbas maintained a separate PM in the West Bank. Zapped during the 2023-24 war, to eveyone's satisfaction... For the nearly 20 years it has controlled Gaza, Hamas was able to coexist with the clans. Violent festivities were rare, occurring only when Hamas saw the families as a threat to its authority. More often, it co-opted their influence to pursue its own goals, while in other instances, it ensured that they remained focused on internal matters without challenging its authority.
[Rudaw] Ottoman Turkish President His Enormity, Sultan Recep Tayyip Erdogan the First ...Turkey's version of Mohammed Morsi but they voted him back in so they deserve him. It's a sin, a shame, and a felony to insult the president of Turkey. In Anatolia did Recep Bey a stately Presidential Palace decree, that has 1100 rooms. That's 968 more than in the White House, 400 more than in Versailles, and 325 more than Buckingham Palace, so you know who's really more important... on Tuesday vowed to hold accountable those responsible for allegedly disrespecting the Prophet Muhammad and other revered religious figures, following public backlash over a controversial caricature published by The Sick Man of Europe Turkey ...the only place on the face of the earth that misses the Ottoman Empire... ’s satirical magazine LeMan, which denied disrespecting the Moslem prophet.
Erdogan criticized the publication during a presser, indirectly addressing LeMan. "Those who are insolent towards our Prophet [Muhammad] and other prophets will be held accountable before the law," he stated, condemning the cartoon as "an open provocation disguised as humor" and labeling it "a vile provocation."
The cartoon, released last Thursday, depicts two characters hovering above a city under bombardment. One character says, "Salam aleikum, I’m Muhammad," and the other replies, "Aleikum salam, I’m Moses."
Many interpreted the characters as representations of the Moslem Prophet Muhammad and the Jewish Prophet Moses, in an apparent reference to the recent Israel-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... conflict that began on June 13 and lasted 12 days.
LeMan, known for its political satire, denied the caricature targeted any religious figure.
In a statement posted Thursday on X, the magazine emphasized, "This IS NOT a cartoon of the Prophet Muhammad," arguing that the name "Muhammad" is shared by over 200 million people worldwide. It stressed that the cartoon does not reference the Prophet of Islam or any other revered figure.
In response to the controversy, Istanbul’s chief public prosecutor launched an investigation last week. On Monday, Ottoman Turkish police detained at least four cartoonists accused of creating and distributing the illustration.
The cartoon has sparked widespread protests, with demonstrators gathering outside LeMan’s offices and in Istanbul’s Taksim Square, chanting slogans and demanding legal action against the magazine.
Meanwhile,
...back at the pond, Gloria slowly backed away from the eight-foot bull frog. If the creature croaked she would surely be deafened... public opinion in Istanbul appears to be divided over the matter.
Speaking to Rudaw on Tuesday, Zafer Denk, a local resident, said, "I think it is very wrong that in a Moslem-majority country, such provocative things would unfold."
In contrast, Metehan Celiksoy, a student in Istanbul, commented, "I think this caricature thing should not be blown out of proportion," while also noting that "freedom of expression should not insult other people’s beliefs."
Continued on Page 47
If only Israel hadn’t hit that Hezbollah building in Dahiyeh with missile that melted the gold until it flowed away into the rubble.
[Israel.time] Lebanon’s Hezbollah terror group has informed homeowners in southern Beirut’s Dahiyeh district that it is freezing compensation for repairs to homes damaged or destroyed during the war with Israel in October and November of last year, the Saudi newspaper Asharq Al-Awsat reports.
According to the report, the suspension of funding is due to a cash shortage affecting Hezbollah, with no clear indication if or when the group will resume payments.
The Saudi paper does not specify the cause of Hezbollah’s financial shortfall.
Last week the newspaper Al-Jadeed reported that the recent assassination of Said Izadi, a commander of Iran’s Quds Force and head of a unit responsible for funneling Iranian funds to Lebanon, was expected to impact financial support for Hezbollah and its ability to pay for the rebuilding of Dahiyeh.
The densely populated neighborhood, a Hezbollah stronghold, was rocked by an intense Israeli air campaign over several weeks last year as part of a military campaign aimed at dismantling the Iranian proxy group following nearly a year of daily cross-border rocket and drone attacks.
In the past, Hezbollah has used payouts and other forms of social welfare to build up its popularity among Lebanese Shiites.
[IsraelTimes] Cecile Kohler and partner Jacques Paris also accused of ‘conspiracy to overthrow the regime’ and ‘corruption on earth,’ with all the charges carrying the death penalty
Two Frenchies detained for more than three years in Iran ...a theocratic Shiite state divided among the Medes, the Persians, and the (Arab) Elamites. Formerly a fairly civilized nation ruled by a Shah, it became a victim of Islamic revolution in 1979. The nation is today noted for spontaneously taking over other countries' embassies, maintaining whorehouses run by clergymen, involvement in international drug trafficking, and financing sock puppet militias to extend the regime's influence. The word Iran is a cognate form of Aryan. The abbreviation IRGC is the same idea as Stürmabteilung (or SA). The term Supreme Guide is a the modern version form of either Duce or Führer or maybe both. They hate JewsZionists Jews. Their economy is based on the production of oil and vitriol... have been charged with spying for Israel’s intelligence agency Mossad ...sees all, knows all, gets 'em all in the end... , diplomatic and family sources told AFP on Wednesday.
They have also been charged with "conspiracy to overthrow the regime" and "corruption on earth," the Western diplomatic source and the sister of Cecile Kohler, who is being detained along with Jacques Gay Paree, told AFP.
"We have been informed of these accusations," the diplomatic source said.
"All we know is that they have seen a judge who confirmed the three charges," said Kohler’s sister, who said the two Frenchies were still being denied access to independent lawyers.
All three charges carry the death penalty Iran had previously claimed the two had been arrested for spying but had not revealed exactly whom.
Tehran has not confirmed the new charges.
"These charges, if they are confirmed, are completely unfounded," the French diplomatic source told AFP.
"Cecile Kohler and Jacques Gay Paree are innocent," the source added, demanding that the pair are given access to lawyers.
The news came a day after the French charge d’affaires in Iran was able to visit the pair in prison.
The fate of Kohler and Gay Paree had been unknown since Israel targeted Tehran’s Evin prison in an Arclight airstrike ...KABOOM!... last week, before a US-proposed ceasefire between the Middle East foes came into force.
Iran’s judiciary said the Israeli strike on the prison had killed at least 79 people.
It has also said the Iranian prison authority transferred inmates out of Evin prison, without specifying their number or identifying them.
Kohler, 40, and Gay Paree, her 72-year-old partner, have been held in Iran since May 2022.
Iran is believed to hold around 20 European nationals, many of whose cases have never been publicized, in what some Western governments including La Belle France describe as a strategy of hostage-taking aimed at extracting concessions from the West.
Three Europeans, who have not been identified, have also been arrested in the wake of the current conflict, two of whom are accused of spying for Israel, according to the authorities.
Continued on Page 47
[IsraelTimes] Legislation aims to ‘ensure full support for the inherent rights’ of Iran, ‘especially uranium enrichment’; IAEA says ‘awaiting further official information’ from Tehran.
[IsraelTime] Aragchi says ‘no one exactly knows what has transpired’ at key facility but Tehran ‘able to make up for lost time’ if a decision is made to renew uranium enrichment
The US bombing of Iran’s key Fordo nuclear site has "seriously and heavily damaged" the facility, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Aragchi said in an interview with CBS News broadcast Tuesday.
"No one exactly knows what has transpired in Fordo. That being said, what we know so far is that the facilities have been seriously and heavily damaged," Aragchi said in the interview, which took place in Iran ...a theocratic Shiite state divided among the Medes, the Persians, and the (Arab) Elamites. Formerly a fairly civilized nation ruled by a Shah, it became a victim of Islamic revolution in 1979. The nation is today noted for spontaneously taking over other countries' embassies, maintaining whorehouses run by clergymen, involvement in international drug trafficking, and financing sock puppet militias to extend the regime's influence. The word Iran is a cognate form of Aryan. The abbreviation IRGC is the same idea as Stürmabteilung (or SA). The term Supreme Guide is a the modern version form of either Duce or Führer or maybe both. They hate JewsZionists Jews. Their economy is based on the production of oil and vitriol... and was broadcast in two parts, on Monday and Tuesday.
"We need to wait and see if they are able to be relaunched or if they will be relaunched," he said.
"The Atomic Energy Organization of the Islamic Theocratic Republic of Iran is currently undertaking evaluation and assessment, the report of which will be submitted to the government," he said through a translator. CBS did not say if it provided the translator.
US President Donald Trump ...The man who was so stupid he beat fourteen professional politicians, a former tech CEO, and a brain surgeon for the Republican nomination in 2016, then beat The Smartest Woman in the World in the general election. Then he beat Kamala while dodging bullets... has said the US strikes "completely and totally obliterated" Iran’s nuclear program, but US officials acknowledge it will take time to form a complete assessment of the damage caused by the US military strikes last month.
Intercepted Iranian communications downplayed the extent of damage caused by the strikes, the Washington Post reported Sunday, citing four people familiar with classified intelligence circulating within the US government.
The top Iranian envoy also addressed the question of talks over a nuclear deal, saying that while discussions may not be held immediately they were still an option so long as the US did not carry out any further strikes during talks.
"In order for us to decide to reengage, we will have to first ensure that America will not revert back to targeting us in a military attack during the negotiations. And I think with all these considerations, we still need more time," he said.
However,
you can observe a lot just by watching... Araghchi also insisted that "the doors of diplomacy will never slam shut."
Trump said Monday he was not offering Iran anything nor engaging in talks since the country’s nuclear facilities were "totally obliterated."
Still, US special envoy to the Mideast Steve Witkoff has continued direct and indirect communications with Iranian officials, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said, when asked for an update on an ostensible meeting between the sides that Trump said would take place this week.
TEHRAN ABLE TO ’MAKE UP FOR LOST TIME’
When asked about UN nuclear watchdog chief Rafael Grossi’s assessment that Iran likely will be able to begin to produce enriched uranium "in a matter of months," despite damage to several nuclear facilities, Araghchi said Tehran would be able to "make up for lost time."
"One cannot obliterate the technology and science for enrichment through bombings," Araghchi said. "If there is this will on our part — and the will exists — in order to once again make progress in this industry, we will be able to expeditiously repair the damages and make up for the lost time."
He said that while the facilities may not be intact "the technology and knowhow is still there."
When pushed on whether Tehran would return to enriching uranium, Araghchi said Tehran was "in the process of assessments... and developing our policies."
"We have done a lot for our enrichment industry to thrive. We have borne a lot. Our people have borne a lot," he said. "And now Iran’s peaceful nuclear program has turned into a matter of national pride and glory. We definitely continue to convince the international community and the countries concerned that our nuclear program will remain absolutely peaceful.
"We have also gone through 12 days of imposed war in addition to all that we have done for this nuclear program. Therefore, people will not easily back down from enrichment."
The US and Israel said the strikes were intended to prevent Iran from attaining nuclear weapons and to radically degrade its ballistic missile capabilities.
Iran, which openly seeks to destroy Israel, claims its nuclear program is solely geared toward civilian use, but it has enriched uranium to 60 percent purity, above levels needed for civilian usage and a short step from the level needed for weapons production, obstructed international inspectors from checking its nuclear facilities, and expanded its ballistic missile capabilities.
Israel says it holds intelligence information indicating that Tehran was taking active steps to build a bomb. It has also warned that it could take further military steps if it sees Iran attempting to rebuild its nuclear and missile programs.
Continued on Page 47
Posted by: trailing wife ||
07/03/2025 00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
[24 views]
Top|| File under: Govt of Iran
#1
When I read "... Fordo nuclear site has "seriously and heavily damaged" the facility, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Aragchi..."
I asked myself. Why would the Iranian FM stick his neck out for cutting by saying this. So, it gets me to wondering if the damages were as bad as we thought or was the processed enriched nuclear materials already moved ahead of the bombing to a safer area?
[Rudaw] An estimated 2,000 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) forces of Evil remain active in Syria’s vast desert regions, a spokesperson for a faction aligned with the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) warned in an interview with Rudaw, highlighting the group’s ongoing efforts to regroup.
The US-backed SDF serves as the de facto army of northeast Syria (Rojava).
Mahmoud Habib, spokesperson for the North Democratic Forces - a component of the SDF - said on Tuesday, "There are no fewer than 2,000 forces of Evil in the Syrian desert," citing Western intelligence reports that indicate "significant movements" among ISIS elements.
The Syrian Desert, or Badiya, spans approximately 500,000 square kilometers, covering about 55 percent of Syria’s total landmass. Located primarily in the country’s southeast, it stretches across several key governorates, including Deir ez-Zor, Hasaka and Raqqa, as well as parts of Hama, Homs, and Rif Dimashq. Major cities, including Damascus and Palmyra, lie within or along the fringes of this vast arid region.
Habib emphasized that the desert’s rugged terrain and lack of consistent oversight provide ideal conditions for ISIS to regroup, operate, and finance its activities. "The threat remains high, particularly for Syrian population centers and cities," he warned.
In response to the enduring ISIS threat, Habib predicted that the United States is likely to maintain its military presence in Syria for the foreseeable future. "The presence of US forces in Syria has become a strategic decision for the US administration and is not expected to change anytime soon," he said.
Habib added that Washington is consolidating its presence by shifting to "two massive bases in northeast Syria [Rojava]" to enhance operational efficiency and security." This restructuring ensures continued support for the SDF’s counter-terrorism efforts, he elaborated.
"US forces are staying and [the forces in] these bases will be able to intervene in required tasks, whether air, ground, or operational," he insisted.
The remarks come despite the gradual reduction of US troops in Syria.
Rudaw learned in early June that the US is gradually withdrawing troops from Syria, aiming to reduce its presence from roughly 2,000 to about 1,000 forces - a move then confirmed by a US defense official. The official noted that troop levels in Rojava remain flexible and will be "adjusted according to the evolving security situation."
The remarks followed a mid-April announcement by Chief Pentagon Spokesman Sean Parnell, who said the "Secretary of Defense directed the consolidation of U.S. forces in Syria under Combined Joint Task Force - Operation Inherent Resolve to select locations in Syria.
"This consolidation reflects the significant steps we have made toward degrading ISIS's appeal and operational capability regionally and globally," he added, noting that "this deliberate and conditions-based process will bring the U.S. footprint in Syria down to less than a thousand U.S. forces in the coming months."
Despite the reduction, Parnell stressed that the "U.S. Central Command will remain poised to continue strikes against the remnants of ISIS in Syria," Parnell added.
Additionally, the spokesperson for the North Democratic Forces, Habib, also said that the SDF is working toward integration with the Syrian defense ministry.
"Joint committees are examining all the necessary details to achieve this integration," he said, describing the effort as part of a broader initiative to build a unified, stable Syria free from Death Eater threats.
This move aligns with the vision of SDF Commander Mazloum Abdi, who has advocated for a unified national army in Syria, Habib underlined.
[X] That means the hudna is over. Take your mark, IDF. Get set….
Hezbollah Secretary-General Naim Qassem: “We will not submit to threats and will not surrender our weapons to the Israeli enemy.” pic.twitter.com/AltN66bNzm
Iran’s new Chief of Staff, Maj. Gen. Mousavi, after the loss of 30 top generals, the collapse of air defenses, zero control over their skies , destroyed missile production sites, nuclear facilities, and the death of 11 key scientists:
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited. by Leonid Tsukanov
Not everything is about Russia, sorry. But I look forward to discovering how long the HTS conquerers can be overtly civilized before reverting to type.
[REGNUM] About six months have passed since the overthrow of Bashar al-Assad in Syria. The country's new government is gradually getting back on its feet, with active assistance from external players among Damascus' former opponents.
Among others, US President Donald Trump recently showed unprecedented generosity by ordering the lifting of US sanctions on Syria, a month after similar steps by the European Union. However, this was done rather in advance with the aim of turning Damascus into a new US diplomatic battering ram in the Middle East.
UNPRECEDENTED SCOPE
Trump's order suspended most of the restrictions on Syria that had been in place since the mid-1970s.
The White House not only lifted foreign trade and financial restrictions, but also effectively nullified the “Caesar Act” adopted in 2020, which automatically imposed American sanctions against all public figures and companies who cooperated with the Syrian authorities.
True, the sanctions were lifted with a caveat: only countries friendly to the US can freely interact with the “new Syria.” The restrictions on cooperation with Russia, China, and Iran remain the same as five years ago.
In addition, the decree allows for a review of the status of people from the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham* (HTS*) group who, led by its former leader Ahmed al-Sharaa, have taken up leadership positions in the new Syrian government.
At the same time, Trump emphasized that the United States reserves the right to reintroduce restrictions if the conditions for their lifting (democratization, normalization of relations in the region, economic openness) are violated.
NEW "FRIEND"
The main reason why the US has taken on Damascus in earnest is the desire to “make friends” between Syria and Israel, thereby achieving the expansion of the Abraham Accords.
It is known that Damascus and Tel Aviv have already held several rounds of negotiations on the territory of third countries and are gradually moving towards normalizing relations.
For Trump, as the main ideologist of the agreements, this is a question of image, since over the past four years the Israeli “group of friends” has failed to expand, and the Middle East has begun to doubt the viability of the initiative.
Moreover, Syrian-Israeli normalization should, in theory, push the “doubting” players – Qatar and Saudi Arabia – to take similar steps.
On the other hand, the idea of normalizing relations with Israel does not find understanding on the ground.
The murmur is being caused by numerous leaks that claim Damascus is preparing to hand over the Golan Heights to Israel in exchange for normalizing relations and withdrawing the army from the so-called “David Corridor” – a buffer zone created in early January 2025 to protect Israeli regions from possible attacks from Syria.
Revanchist sentiments are growing in light of the fact that the previous Syrian government was criticized, among other things, for its inability to fully restore control over the Golan Heights.
The al-Sharaa cabinet is unable to explain in detail what exactly Syria will gain from a possible normalization of relations with Israel. Moreover, it is trying to avoid touching on this topic at all.
Moreover, Israeli politicians, including, for example, Foreign Minister Gideon Saar, directly say that Tel Aviv dictates the terms of the negotiations.
NATIONAL QUESTION
Another sore spot in Syria that Trump is trying to smooth over with generous gestures is the situation of minorities.
Damascus has been unable to establish dialogue with representatives of religious and ethnic groups, as they remain afraid of persecution by the authorities.
The cause for concern was given by the Syrian leaders themselves, who allowed a series of large-scale clashes with the Alawite (March 2025) and Druze (April-May 2025) communities.
And although the leading role in the purges was played by various "gray" units, connected to Damascus only nominally, the responsibility for their implementation fell on the al-Sharaa cabinet. Especially since the authorities did not pursue the instigators of the clashes with due consistency and limited themselves to arresting only a couple of minor figures.
In addition, the "national question" inevitably overlaps with the problem of countering the terrorist threat. Radicals seek to discredit Damascus by attacking minority areas and turning each attack into a "manifesto" of the new authorities' inability to protect the population.
However, there are also positive developments. Thus, Damascus managed to establish a dialogue with the Kurds, who control part of the country's large oil-bearing regions, and to achieve their participation in the negotiation process on building a "new Syria."
The leader of the Syrian Kurds, Mazlum Abdi, judging by his latest statements, looks at the situation optimistically and expects to soon achieve new constitutional rights for the Kurds.
Although, in parallel, it maintains active involvement in the construction of a “united Kurdistan” on the territory of Syria and neighboring countries.
However, as the Kurds themselves admit, “united Kurdistan” is more a symbol of the unity of communities from different countries than a real geopolitical project, and does not pose a threat to Syria’s national security.
The self-dissolution of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) in May 2025, whose fighters were active in Syrian territory, carrying out guerrilla raids against Turkish troops, also helped to increase trust between Damascus and Abdi's supporters.
After the PKK was eliminated, both Syria and its ally Türkiye stopped seeing Kurdish communities as a “first-order threat,” which helped build bridges.
But we are still far from full normalization.
AMERICA IS IN A HURRY
Trump is increasingly rushing Damascus. He demands that it distance itself from its “dictatorial past” as soon as possible, resolve problems with minorities, provide guarantees of internal stability, and achieve normalization of relations with its neighbors.
The time that Washington is ready to give to new partners is measured in months at best. Thus, the American president wants the first visible progress by the end of September – by the summit of the UN General Assembly leaders, which will take place in New York.
There is a reason for haste.
Given the desire for a constant audit of the US presence in the Middle East, a solution to the “Syrian case” would give Trump serious advantages in the further reshuffling of military contingents.
In addition, strengthening al-Sharaa's power and regional image will help attract attention to the previous ambitious military-political projects of the United States. For example, it will give a chance to revive the "Middle Eastern NATO", where Syria will become one of the links on an equal footing with Israel and the Arabian monarchies. And this will significantly strengthen Washington's position in the region.
However, without resolving the problems inside Syria, moving forward will simply be impossible. And this will require much more time than Trump has given Damascus.
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.