[Breitbart] The regimes of Iran and Venezuela signed a deal for the establishment of an Iranian drone development facility in Venezuela, the Argentine outlet Infobae reported on Friday.
Hoping thus to keep the thing away from Israeli cross-hairs?
Iran has maintained close ties with the Venezuelan socialist regime since the arrival to power of late dictator Hugo Chávez in 1999, who easily bonded with the rogue Islamic regime over their shared anti-U.S. stance. The relationship continued after Chávez’s death in 2013, leading to dictator Nicolás Maduro bolstering his regime’s cooperation with Iran over the past decade. In 2022, Maduro visited Tehran, signing a broad 20-year cooperation agreement with Iran.
Late Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi reciprocated Maduro’s visit during a broader Latin American tour in 2023. Raisi claimed at the time that Iran and Venezuela have a “strategic relation” with “common interests, views,” and “enemies.” It is largely believed that their alliance allowed Iran’s proxy, the Shiite jihadist group Hezbollah, to expand operations throughout the region.
Infobae stated in its report this week that, according to unnamed sources, the strengthened cooperation “now includes significant military and economic cooperation that could have implications for the stability of the region.”
The outlet stated that Iran has established a drone development base at the El Libertador air base, located in the central-Venezuelan city of Maracay, where training for Venezuelan military personnel is also being carried out.
The project allegedly calls for the production and training of a “wide range” of Iranian-made drones, such as the such as the ANSU-100 (Mohajer-2), the ANSU-600 (Mohajer-6) and the ZAMORA V-1 (Shahed-131).
“These drones, designed for reconnaissance and attack missions, represent a significant technological advance in Venezuela’s military capacity, with the direct support of Tehran,” the report read.
In 2023, Iran closed a deal to sell drones to Bolivia, a country led by pro-Iran socialist President Luis Arce and described by experts as the Islamic regime’s “most successful project” in the region. The Iran-Bolivia drone agreement immediately drew fierce criticism from neighboring Argentina, a country that was the victim of two terrorist attacks committed by Iran through Hezbollah against Israeli targets in the 1990s.
Infobae stressed that the collaboration between Iran and Venezuela is not limited to the military, pointing out that the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Quds Force — a U.S.-designated terrorist organization — established “an active presence” in Venezuela since at least 2020.
Other “ventures” launched by Iranian individuals linked to the IRGC since 2020 include an Iranian-owned supermarket chain in Venezuela that occupies facilities that once belonged to a privately owned Colombian supermarket chain seized by the Venezuelan socialists in the early 2010s.
“Iranian delegations, led by figures such as Mahan Air [Iranian airline linked to the IRGC] executives and other Quds Force collaborators, have held meetings with senior officials of the Venezuelan regime,” the report read. “These meetings have been aimed at strengthening economic ties between the two countries, although they have also served to generate income to finance the activities of the organization, considered terrorist by several countries.”
The Argentine outlet explained that among the joint economic activities stands the use of Mahan Air for direct flights between Caracas and Tehran. The flights, according to Infobae, have been used to transfer Venezuelan gold in exchange for Iranian oil in a scheme that violates international sanctions on both regimes.
“Subsequently, the gold would have been sold in markets in Turkey and other Middle Eastern countries, generating funds that, according to the media, were used to finance Quds Force activities,” Infobae stated.
In 2022, Argentine officials seized a cargo plane that belonged to Venezuela’s state airline Conviasa and detained its Iranian crew following a request from the U.S. Department of Justice, which determined that the plane originally belonged to Mahan Air. Although the plane was seized in 2022 during the administration of socialist former President Alberto Fernández, Nicolás Maduro blamed current President Javier Milei for “stealing” the plane and issued an arrest warrant against him and other members of his administration. Milei took office in December 2023.
Infobae stated that the return of Alex Saab — Maduro’s top money launderer and new Industries Minister — has been another factor that boosted cooperation between the two countries. Saab was released by the outgoing administration of U.S. President Joe Biden in December 2023 at a time when he was undergoing trial proceedings on charges of using the U.S. financial system to launder $350 million from Venezuela’s state coffers.
“Saab has played a key role in the consolidation of economic and strategic ties between Caracas and Tehran, facilitating agreements that have strengthened this alliance,” Infobae stated.
The Argentine outlet asserted that Iran’s ambassador to Caracas, Hojat Soltani, is in charge of coordinating “every Iranian movement in Venezuelan territory” in the fields of technology, oil, communications, and defense. Soltani reportedly centralizes and manages all related inquiries in his office, where a “great number” of Venezuelan officials stay in “permanent contact” with him.
Infobae reported elsewhere this week that Iran helped the Maduro regime cover up an oil spill caused by an “operational negligence” committed by Iranian engineers in November at one of Venezuela’s main refineries.
Posted by: Skidmark ||
01/11/2025 03:56 ||
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[IsraelTimes] Issachar Manne and Levi Yitzchak Pilant say US violated their constitutional rights to due process and equal protection, dispute allegations they attacked Palestinian civilians
Two American Israeli citizens who were sanctioned in 2024 by the Biden administration over alleged violence against Paleostinian civilians in the West Bank sued various US agencies and officials on Wednesday, arguing that the action violated their constitutional rights to due process and equal protection.
Issachar Manne, who was sanctioned in July, and Levi Yitzchak Pilant, who was sanctioned in August, sued the US Treasury and State Department, as well as the Office of Foreign Asset Controls, and the three bodies’ respective heads, in a Washington federal court, according to records available online.
The US asserted last year that Manne, who operates a farm in the Hebron Hills, was connected to acts of violence against Paleostinian civilians and efforts to dispossess Paleostinians of their property.
The US alleged that Pilant, the security coordinator for the Yitzhar settlement, "engaged in malign activities outside the scope of his authority," including leading a group of armed settlers in February 2024 to set up roadblocks and patrols to attack Paleostinians and "forcefully expel them from their lands."
The announcement of the sanctions against Manne — imposed under a February 2024 executive order meant to combat "extremist violence against civilians" — explicitly identified Manne as a "foreign person" and did not mention that he is a US citizen.
Pilant, sanctioned through the same executive order, was not explicitly named a "foreign person," though this was the category of people designated by the executive order as potential targets.
Jewish Insider reported that according to the lawsuit, the sanctions resulted in the men’s credit cards being canceled and their bank accounts frozen, preventing them from making essential payments such as their children’s school fees and receiving essential income, such as Pilant’s compensation for reserve duty in the Israel Defense Forces amid the ongoing war.
The plaintiffs’ attorneys — working with the National Jewish Advocacy Center (NJAC), as well as the Jerusalem-based Zell, Aron & Co., and Pennsylvania-based Marcus & Marcus law firms — argue that their clients are ineligible for sanctions by virtue of their US citizenship.
The settlers’ legal team also argued that by imposing the sanctions without a trial, the administration violated the dual citizens’ right to due process, as guaranteed in the US Constitution’s Fifth Amendment. They further suggest that the executive order itself could violate that provision, citing a 1972 ruling by the US Supreme Court that "vague laws may trap the innocent by not providing fair warning."
In addition, the lawyers dispute that the accusations against their clients are true, and suggest that by mistakenly labeling Manne a "foreign person" — a term they argue is inconsistent with US citizenship — the administration demonstrated it can’t be trusted to ascertain the facts of the matter in this case.
"If they can’t verify whether someone is a US citizen, can we really believe that they verified the accusations they made against these people? No," said Eugene Kontorovich, an NJAC legal consultant, speaking to Jewish Insider.
The lawyers claim that Manne’s West Bank property was not acquired illegally and that no Paleostinians were dispossessed of legitimate property as a result of his actions, contrary to the State Department’s allegations. They also claim that Pilant’s activities setting up roadblocks and searching Paleostinians were not meant to attack or dispossess them, but rather were necessary and legitimate security measures taken as part of their client’s military duties.
Additionally, the plaintiff’s lawyers argue that the White House never used the February executive order to levy sanctions against Paleostinian groups that targeted Jewish civilians, but only against Jews who allegedly targeted Paleostinians, asserting that this constitutes discrimination and violates their clients’ right to equal protection under the law.
The order’s preamble notes "high levels of Death Eater settler violence" when describing the situation in the West Bank. The US has separately imposed heavy sanctions on figures and organizations associated with Paleostinian terrorism.
The order, being an executive measure, can be overturned by a succeeding administration. Incoming 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... , who is set to take office on January 20, has signaled a more positive approach to West Bank settlement, along the lines of his administration’s policy during his first term in office. He has not, however, officially indicated that he plans to lift the Biden administration’s sanctions against settlers.
The February 2024 executive order came amid a surge in settler violence against Paleostinian civilians in the West Bank following the Hamas ..the braying voice of Islamic Resistance®,... terror group’s October 7, 2023 attack against Israel, which started the ongoing war.
Israel has long struggled to deal with settler violence, but the problem seems to have intensified since far-right politician Itamar Ben Gvir became minister in charge of the police two years ago.
In July, outgoing IDF Central Command chief Maj. Gen. Yehuda Fox lambasted settler leaders for failing to curb the violence, saying that some Israelis have adopted "the ways of the enemy."
On Monday, High Court justices impatiently demanded answers for the failure of police to curb settler violence in the southern West Bank, as the court reviewed a petition by residents of the Paleostinian village of Khirbet Zanuta, who have accused the IDF, the Israel Police and the Defense Ministry of contempt of court for failing to fulfill court orders to protect them from violence.
That same day, settlers rampaged through several Paleostinian villages, hours after a deadly shooting attack killed three Israelis in the same area, according to multiple reports.
Settler violence has also gone on for three nights in a row this week, most recently overnight Thursday-Friday, when settlers raided a village in the West Bank and set fire to Paleostinian property northeast of Ramallah.
[IsraelTimes] Farm building set on fire near Ramallah, ‘revenge’ scrawled in Hebrew on wall; no arrests made in nighttime revenge raids amid videos of burning cars, property
[IsraelTimes] Order affects third of Islamic Republic’s provinces, including Tehran; oil-rich country’s energy woes thought to stem in part from reported Israeli attack on gas pipe in February.
[IsraelTimes] Najib Mikati signals intent to enforce Israel-Hezbollah ceasefire amid warnings IDF could stay in Lebanon past deadline should Beirut fail to rein in Iran-backed terror group
Lebanese caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati said Friday that the state will begin disarming southern Leb ...home of the original Hezbollah, which periodically starts a war with the Zionist Entity, gets Beirut pounded to rubble, and then declares victory and has a parade.... , and particularly the area south of the Litani River, to establish its presence there, in line with the ceasefire agreement between Israel and the Hezbollah terror group.
Israeli officials have reportedly accused the Lebanese Armed Forces of failing to deploy quickly enough across southern Lebanon, and warned that this could lead the IDF to remain there past the end of January — the ceasefire agreement’s deadline for an Israeli withdrawal.
In his statement Friday, Mikati said: "We are in a new phase — in this new phase, we will start with south Lebanon and south Litani specifically in order to pull weapons so that the state can be present across Lebanese territory."
Mikati’s statement echoed comments made by Lebanese Armed Forces chief Joseph Aoun after he was elected president on Thursday, at the end of a two-year stalemate.
The US- and Saudi-backed general, whom Hezbollah opposed, vowed after his election that the Lebanese government would hold "a monopoly" on the right to carry arms — a thinly veiled threat against the Iran-backed terror group’s extensive arsenal.
Israel and Hezbollah have accused each other of violating the ceasefire agreement, which ended 14 months of war.
On Sunday, Defense Minister Israel Katz said Israel would be "forced to act" if Hezbollah does not recede north of the Litani River — about 30 kilometers (18 miles) from the border with Israel — as stipulated by the agreement.
And last week, the IDF said it struck Hezbollah rocket launchers south of the Litani "after the request [to remove the threat] was not handled by the Lebanese army."
Meanwhile,
...back at the Alamo, Davy was counting their remaining cannon balls and not liking the results... the IDF has advised some 60,000 northerners displaced by Hezbollah’s rocket fire not to return home until March — a month after the initial, 60-day phase of the November 27 ceasefire agreement.
Over the years, the Lebanese Armed Forces have failed to enforce two UN Security Council resolutions demanding the disarmament of all of Lebanon’s various militias, and the withdrawal of Hezbollah north of the Litani.
The current ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hezbollah is the latest attempt by the United States to get the Lebanese army to enforce the 19-year-old measure amid hopes it would now be possible with Hezbollah severely weakened.
The agreement came two months after Israel escalated operations in Lebanon — all but decimating Hezbollah’s leadership — in a bid to end Hezbollah’s persistent attacks.
Unprovoked, Hezbollah started attacking Israel on a near-daily basis on October 8, 2023 — a day after fellow Iran-backed terror group stormed southern Israel to kill some 1,200 people and take 251 hostages, sparking 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...
[IsraelTimes] With Iran’s proxies weakened, vehicles with missiles, artillery parade streets, black-clad women carry rifles; Pezeshkian lauds Aoun’s election, says Lebanon unity will ‘defeat’ Israel
Thousands of fighters affiliated with Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps paraded with heavy weapons and vehicles through the streets of Tehran on Friday showing their readiness to face "threats."
The parade by paramilitary Basij volunteers came after the weakening of the Iranian proxy groups Hezbollah in Leb ...home of the original Hezbollah, which periodically starts a war with the Zionist Entity, gets Beirut pounded to rubble, and then declares victory and has a parade.... and Hamas ..the well-beloved offspring of the Moslem Brotherhood,... in Gazoo
...Hellhole adjunct to Israel and Egypt's Sinai Peninsula, inhabited by Gazooks. The place was acquired in the wake of the 1967 War and then presented to Paleostinian control in 2006 by Ariel Sharon, who had entered his dotage. It is currently ruled with a rusty iron fist by Hamas with about the living conditions you'd expect. It periodically attacks the Hated Zionist Entity whenever Iran needs a ruckus created or the hard boyz get bored, getting thumped by the IDF in return. The ruling turbans then wave the bloody shirt and holler loudly about oppression and disproportionate response... after war erupted with the Paleostinian terror group’s October 7, 2023, onslaught, as well as the fall of the Iran-backed regime of Bashir Pencilneck al-Assad Despoiler of Deraa... in Syria.
Vehicles mounted with rocket launchers, artillery and naval commandos moved through the streets, while fighters in combat gear marched on foot with rocket launchers, and black-clad women carried rifles.
Some dragged mock coffins adorned with Israeli flags, as Hezbollah flags flew along with Iranian and Paleostinian banners.
IRGC commander General Mohammadreza Naghdi singled out Iran’s enemies, the United States and Israel, telling the gathering that America was "behind all the misfortune in the Moslem world."
As for Israel, "If we can destroy the Zionist regime and withdraw the American bases in the region, one of our big problems will be resolved," he said.
Another IRGC commander, General Hassan Hassanzadeh, told state television ... and if you can't believe state television who can you believe?
that one aim of the rally was to "support the population of Gaza and Paleostine."
"We also want to show that the Basij are ready to confront all threats from enemies of the Islamic revolution," Hassanzadeh added.
Also Friday, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian welcomed the election of his Lebanese counterpart Joseph Aoun after the country went more than two years without a head of state, saying unity would "defeat" Israel.
"There is no doubt that reinforcement of stability and unity will defeat the greed of the Zionist enemy against Lebanese territory," Pezeshkian said in a message to Aoun published by the official IRNA news agency after his election on Thursday.
He added that Iran ...a theocratic Shiite state divided among the Medes, the Persians, and the (Arab) Elamites. Formerly a fairly civilized nation ruled by a Shah, it became a victim of Islamic revolution in 1979. The nation is today noted for spontaneously taking over other countries' embassies, maintaining whorehouses run by clergymen, involvement in international drug trafficking, and financing sock puppet militias to extend the regime's influence. The word Iran is a cognate form of Aryan. The abbreviation IRGC is the same idea as Stürmabteilung (or SA). The term Supreme Guide is a the modern version form of either Duce or Führer or maybe both. They hate JewsZionists Jews. Their economy is based on the production of oil and vitriol... was ready to further develop cooperation with Lebanon "in all areas."
Israel was also swift to congratulate Beirut on picking Aoun, and Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar expressed hope for "good neighborliness" as the new Lebanese leader indicated that he would keep Hezbollah on a tight leash and uphold the fragile truce that ended its fight with Israel in late November.
Posted by: trailing wife ||
01/11/2025 00:00 ||
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#1
A headline also believable.
Thousands of fighters march through Tehran in show of force against the growing number of fed-up Iranian citizens.
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited. by Kirill Semenov
[REGNUM] Just over a month ago, on December 8, 2024, the Assad family's 54-year rule in Syria suddenly ended. After a rapid 11-day military campaign, the armed opposition led by Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) and Ahmed al-Sharaa ( Abu Muhammad al-Jolani ) came to power. From that moment on, the very future of Syria as a state was called into question.
Over the past month, Syria's new transitional government has made some efforts to reassure the public by emphasizing its commitment to preserving state institutions and avoiding the chaos that was seen during the transitions in Iraq and Libya. And it must be acknowledged that it has succeeded to some extent, although the time that has passed since it took power is still very short: it is too early to make more optimistic forecasts for the future.
Perhaps the main success of the new government is its international recognition.
Despite the presence of both HTS and al-Sharaa himself on terrorist lists, most leading world and regional capitals have rushed to establish ties with him. For example, many countries whose official representatives al-Jolani has already met have not considered it necessary to normalize relations with Taliban Afghanistan, although more than three years have passed since the Taliban came to power.
It is clear that international contacts were facilitated by HTS's refusal to necessarily proceed with the assertion of the primacy of Sharia, as well as the new authorities' declared readiness to maintain the existing secular system of government throughout the transition period. Within the country, major roads were opened, many previous restrictions were lifted, and basic public services were restored to return to normal life.
However, the main problem facing the current Syrian government is ensuring the security and unity of the country. And here there are many cracks that threaten to become splits in the future. Although the government is making efforts to prevent negative scenarios.
Unlike the situation in Afghanistan in 2021, when the Taliban came to power and faced a significant surge in ISIS terrorist activity, the new Syrian government was able to prevent terrorists from emerging from the desert to carry out attacks in Syrian cities. Therefore, New Year's celebrations throughout Syria and Christmas in Christian areas took place without casualties. Although it is Christians and representatives of non-Sunni Islamic faiths who are the first to fall victim to ISIS terrorist attacks.
The fact that large-scale public celebrations are held on these non-Islamic holidays also shows that the authorities in Damascus, despite the continuing concerns of Syrian religious minorities, have not introduced Sharia law in the country and banned holidays and events that are not related to Islam. Even alcohol continues to be freely available. The same applies to the dress code: women can still go around without covering their heads.
By the way, representatives of the fair sex have taken several positions in the leadership of the new Syria. In particular, Meysa Sabreen became the chairperson of the Central Bank of the country and the first woman in this position in the history of Syria, and Mohsen al-Maytawi was appointed governor of Suwayda province, also becoming the first woman in such a position.
CHRISTIANS: BETWEEN HOPE AND FEAR
Syrian Christians, despite many pessimistic expectations, were reportedly able to celebrate Christmas without hindrance. But it was not without incident.
In the run-up to the holiday, several individuals affiliated with HTS burned a Christmas tree in the city of Suqaylabiya in Hama province. This led to mass demonstrations by Christians on Christmas Eve (which is celebrated in Syria according to the Gregorian calendar). However, according to the new Syrian government's security service, the perpetrators were detained and given disciplinary punishment.
To reassure Syrian Christians, Ahmad al-Sharaa met with representatives of all Christian denominations in Syria on December 31. A ban was also imposed on sectarian slogans, including those directed against Syrian Christians.
However, the fear for their future among Christians in Syria has not disappeared. The situation is aggravated by conflicts between individual representatives of Christians and Muslims, which lead to an increase in interreligious tension. And, according to Christians, the new authorities are trying to side with the Muslims when resolving them.
This happened in the city of Maaloula, where a conflict between local Christians and Muslims occurred. Then one of the local Sunnis, accused of attempting to rob a Christian home, was killed. Armed Muslim militias from the surrounding villages began to converge on the city. This led to the flight of a number of Christian families, who began to accuse the new Syrian authorities of supporting local Muslims and doing nothing.
Nevertheless, many Christian communities in Syria, despite their fears and mistrust of the new authorities, are actively involved in building the new country. And the Antiochian Patriarchate has welcomed the return to the country of leading Syrian Ash'ari Muslim theologians, such as Sheikh Osama al-Rifai, a world-renowned Islamic scholar who can counter sectarian manifestations among Muslims.
The Patriarchate also organized a political conference to encourage Antiochian Christians to actively participate in the political life of Syria. “We see this as a significant development after many years of passivity in politics, which has negatively affected the Christian community in Syria. We also call on the government and people of Greece to support and assist such initiatives,” the statement said.
DRUZE AND KURDS: CAUTIOUS OPTIMISM
The appointment of Druze activist Mohsen al-Maitawi as governor of Suwayda province, populated by members of this religious minority, was able to open up opportunities for more productive cooperation with the new authorities in Damascus. Thus, the largest armed Druze groups, People of Dignity and Liwa al-Jabal, announced on January 6 their readiness to integrate into the new Syrian army.
This was the result of meetings between political, religious and public figures from Suwayda and officials from the transitional government, which agreed that all key positions for ensuring security in the region would be given to Druze.
A process of negotiations has also begun between the predominantly Kurdish Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) and the new Syrian authorities.
An SDF delegation met with Ahmed al-Sharaa in Damascus on December 30. The parties discussed the future of northern Syria, security cooperation between the SDF and the transitional government, and the fate of Kurdish-controlled areas of Aleppo.
Media outlets affiliated with the SDF called the meeting positive, noting that such discussions are expected to intensify in the coming weeks. SDF chief Mazloum Abdi noted that during the talks, the parties agreed on the need to preserve a united Syria. Therefore, it can be said that the SDF has already made certain concessions, abandoning the federalization of the country.
The transitional government hopes to peacefully integrate the Syrian Democratic Forces into the structures of the Ministry of Defense and does not intend to start an armed conflict for now. This, however, may be met with opposition from Turkey and the Syrian National Army (SNA) formations associated with it, which hope to solve the "problem" of the Syrian Kurds by force and are already preparing a new military operation.
PRO-TURKISH FORCES: INTEGRATION PROBLEMS
The SNA and Turkey have their own priorities, which do not fully correspond to the plans of the new authorities in Damascus. At the same time, the integration of the SNA into the new Syrian army has not yet begun, despite statements by its factions about self-dissolution and entry into new structures.
Moreover, the future of the so-called interim government in Gaziantep, Turkey, under whose auspices the SNA operates, is also unclear: it has not yet been dissolved either.
Therefore, it cannot be ruled out that the SNA, with the support of Turkey, will begin its own military campaign against the SDF, which could disrupt Damascus’ plans for the peaceful integration of Kurdish formations.
For now, Damascus and HTS have only received the opportunity to take control of border crossings that were previously controlled by the SNA.
The issue of including the "Southern Operational Headquarters" in the new army is no less complicated. It was the forces of this command that were the first to enter Damascus on December 8.
Armed groups in southern Syria have declared their refusal to disband themselves in accordance with the wishes of the new administration leader, Ahmed al-Sharaa. This will complicate his task of establishing Damascus' authority throughout Syria and could lead to serious consequences and even a clash between the parties.
A spokesman for the Southern Operations Command, which currently controls Daraa province, Colonel Nassim Abu Arra, told Al-Akhbar that the southern factions do not agree with the "idea of dissolving the factions."
He noted that they have weapons, heavy equipment and full gear, and they should become part of the Ministry of Defense forces as a single military body.
However, the real leader of the southern Syrian forces, who prefers to remain in the shadows and refuses to take up positions in the new government, is Ahmad al-Awda, the former commander of the 8th Brigade of the 5th Corps, formed by the Russian military from among the reconciled rebels. He apparently also intends to play his own game, relying on the support of the UAE and Jordan, which are very wary of al-Sharaa.
The latter also has many problems with more radical groups such as Ansar al-Tawhid. Since HTS took control of Hama province on December 5, 2024, several extrajudicial executions, destruction of houses, attacks on public and private property have been recorded there. They were carried out by representatives of this group from among foreign citizens, primarily ethnic Uzbeks and people from the Russian Caucasus.
It is known that al-Sharaa met with representatives of this group in Damascus, but the results of the meeting and whether it will be liquidated are unknown. However, the number of sectarian crimes in the Hama region has decreased. Also, representatives of this radical group were unable to prevent the celebration of Christmas in the province.
ALAWITES: THREAT OF REPRISALS
Security issues in Alawite-populated areas remain the most difficult. The delicate balance between restoring order and protecting individual rights is highlighted by sporadic reports of people being detained for minor violations. There are also crackdowns on alleged accomplices to Bashar al-Assad 's regime crimes. However, the criteria for "involvement" are not clearly defined. Therefore, any Alawite who served in the security forces could be at risk.
And while there are not many serious abuses in other parts of the country, in regions where Alawites live, the number of violent acts increases sharply.
There are two factors at play here.
Firstly, the hostility of Assad's opponents towards the Alawites as the regime's mainstay that developed during the civil war. And, secondly, the persistence of cells of armed supporters of Assad in Alawite areas who carry out attacks on representatives of the new Syrian authorities.
On December 28, the transitional government's security forces launched a large-scale operation to clear northwestern Syria, the purpose of which was to find "war criminals" from among the employees of the former Syrian structures. However, independent observers noted that peaceful Alawites who were not members of the armed formations of the former government also became victims of such operations. Some of them were subjected to violence, beatings and arrests simply because they belonged to the Alawite religious community.
There have been cases of Alawites being killed by radical jihadists who serve the current transitional government. These killings have usually been presented as “eliminations” of criminals in hiding. The situation is aggravated by the presence of a large number of provocateurs and openly criminal elements in the region.
However, despite the existing cases of violence against members of minorities, there are no mass killings, much less genocide, of Alawites, contrary to the statements of a number of information resources associated with the previous regime, as well as some Kurdish and Alawite organizations.
Numerous journalists and representatives of human rights organizations work openly in the country, recording almost all cases of violence, and any acts of mass reprisals would have become known immediately. Just as the names and places of detention of all those arrested after the establishment of the new government became known.
But this does not change the existing problems that Alawite sheikhs pointed out at a meeting with representatives of the transitional government in Tartus in early January.
Ahmad al-Sharaa, through his envoys, tried to reassure the Alawites, stressing that HTS and the transitional government were seeking to protect minorities. In response, the sheikhs declared their support for the transitional phase and their desire to build a just state. They noted that the Assad regime did not represent any sect or faith, and the Alawites should not be held accountable for its crimes: it was a repressive system from which everyone suffered.
The Alawites also demanded that criminals from all sides, not just former supporters of the regime, be held accountable fairly and without discrimination. Incidentally, this demand is absolutely fair.
Of course, everyone is familiar with the mass killings of civilians by Assad's supporters from the so-called shabiha. For example, one can recall the massacre in Houla in May 2012, where more than 100 bodies of civilians were found, including 32 children under 10 years old. The UN Security Council blamed the Syrian government for these events in a corresponding resolution, which was then supported by Russia.
However, the opposition also committed mass killings of civilians, including women and children, during the conflict, and most often the victims were Alawites. Examples include the bloody events in the cities of Arima (Latakia) in August 2013 and Al-Zara (Homs) in May 2016. In both cases, the terrorist group Jabhat al-Nusra, the predecessor of HTS, was involved in the mass killings of Alawite civilians.
Therefore, if we are talking about searching for people who committed particularly serious crimes during the civil war, then this should not concern only the accomplices of the regime; all those responsible should be held accountable.
The Alawites also insist on the eradication of all abuses and violations that occur locally in relation to representatives of individual faiths. They supported the confiscation of weapons from all those who are not in the service of the state, but again drew attention to the fact that the confiscation operations should concern not only representatives of individual sects and faiths (primarily the Alawites), but also all other citizens of Syria, including former members of opposition groups.
Alawite leaders also called on the authorities to prevent decisions that harm social equality, such as arbitrary dismissals or delays in salaries for members of certain faiths.
Thus, over the past month, Syria has not descended into bloody chaos, but the threat of disintegration, followed by a new round of civil war, remains on the agenda. And in this matter, much depends not only on the ability of the various factions of Syrian society to negotiate and the ability of the authorities to keep the radicals in check, but also on the position of international players.
Posted by: badanov ||
01/11/2025 00:00 ||
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[Jpost] Hizb ut Tahrir will be holding its annual Khilafah 2025 in Hamilton, Ontario, according to Mississauga Mayor Carolyn Parrish, who had objected to the group holding the event in her city.
A group seeking to destroy the State of Israel and replace southern European, Middle Eastern, and African countries with an Islamic caliphate is set to hold a conference in Canada next Saturday.
Hizbut Tahrir ...an al-Qaeda recruiting organization banned in most countries. It calls for the reestablishment of the Caliphate... will be holding its annual Khilafah event in Hamilton, Ontario, according to Mississauga Mayor Carolyn Parrish, who had objected to the group holding the event in her city.
After the Islamic group — which has been banned in many countries, including the United Kingdom and Germany — indicated in advertisements that it was moving its January 18 event to Hamilton, Parrish said on X/Twitter that she was "pleased that the peaceful and respectful residents of Mississauga will not have to endure the fall out" of the "extremists" conference.
Parrish had warned on social media Friday that the city’s conditions of use for renting facilities allowed it to remove permits for organizations that exhibit "contempt or hatred." Hamilton Mayor Andrea Horwath issued a similar statement about the rental of city facilities on Monday, in which she also noted that she was in close contact with the Hamilton Police Service about monitoring the situation.
"There is absolutely no place in our city for individuals or groups spreading messages of division or tolerance," said Horwath.
HIZB UT TAHRIR CANADA DENIES IT'S A VIOLENT ORGANIZATION
Hizbut Tahrir Canada denied that it was a violent mostly peaceful organization in a Monday statement, assuring that it categorically rejected the use of violence in its objective to establish a caliphate in the Moslem world.
"The accusations linking the party to terrorism, extremism, and violent mostly peaceful activities are fabrications aimed at tarnishing its reputation and distracting from its call to establish Islam as a comprehensive system of governance and mercy for humanity," said HT Canada.
"The party operates in adherence to the Islamic prohibition of violence in political work, relying instead on intellectual engagement and political struggle to build public opinion and bring about societal change. Such baseless allegations are part of a wider effort to distort the image of Hizbut Tahrir and suppress its legitimate political call."
Advertisements for the Khilafah conference highlight the territory that HT wishes to establish the Khalifah (Caliphate), including Spain, Greece, India, much of the Balkans, and the upper half of Africa.
Noted.
The conference, subtitled "The Khilafah: Eliminating the Obstacles that are Delaying its Return," includes lectures on how nation-states are the enemies of Islam, how the US and colonial powers fear a restored Caliphate and how it could defeat America, and how only a caliphate would be able to "liberate Paleostine."
True.
On the HT Canada website, the group claimed that Moslem states didn’t come to the aid of Paleostinians because they were ruled by Western puppets and that the only way peace would reign was when Moslems and non-Moslems in the Levant would reside under the caliphate.
"SEEING THE carnage that the State of Israel has wreaked, not only in Gazoo
...Hellhole adjunct to Israel and Egypt's Sinai Peninsula, inhabited by Gazooks. The place was acquired in the wake of the 1967 War and then presented to Paleostinian control in 2006 by Ariel Sharon, who had entered his dotage. It is currently ruled with a rusty iron fist by Hamas with about the living conditions you'd expect. It periodically attacks the Hated Zionist Entity whenever Iran needs a ruckus created or the hard boyz get bored, getting thumped by the IDF in return. The ruling turbans then wave the bloody shirt and holler loudly about oppression and disproportionate response... , the West Bank, and Leb ...The Lebs maintain a precarious sectarian balance among Shiites, Sunnis, and about a dozen flavors of Christians, plus Armenians, Georgians, and who knows what else?... but also on the leadership of resistance groups, it is easy to lose hope," HT Canada said in an October article.
Y’all losing hope is a wonderful thing. Carry on.
"Instead of distracting ourselves by focusing on local MPs who are not allowed to challenge Zionism or watching resistance videos hoping for some victory to fall from the heavens without sufficient effort on our part, we should commit ourselves to the only thing that can liberate our brothers and sisters and honor the blood of our deaders: toppling the puppet regimes in the Moslem world and replacing them with a righteous Islamic leadership.
You just got Syria, but Iran will soon be lost to the cause, and the Gulf states are moderating . Interesting times, indeed.
"It is such a leadership that will cut off the State of Israel from the supplies it desperately needs to sustain its occupation and expansion, currently supplied to it by The Sick Man of Europe Turkey ...the only place on the face of the earth that misses the Ottoman Empire... , Jordan, and the UAE."
In a draft constitution on its website, in which HT Canada explained how a jizya tax would be leveled on non-Moslem Caliphate residents, it explained that it would be illegal for the state to have treaties with a polity such as Israel established on "Islamic land" because it was against Islam to surrender Islamic territory.
Dream on, guys. You lost the possibility of Canada when Justin Trudeau announced his resignation. Austria just elected a rightwing, populist government because of the nonsense of your brothers, so your possibilities are shrinking, and in Britain Sir Keir Starmer is on his way out, to be replaced by Nigel Farage. It’s true that Belgium is toast, and France isn’t far behind, but up in Scandanavia things are changing, too, unthinkable as that was a few months ago.
"The situation of actual war has to remain with it, irrespective if there was a truce which was contracted with it by illegitimate rulers in the Moslem lands," reads the proposed caliphate constitution. "Islam requires that all of the Moslems fight against it, and so their armies must be sent to fight, and all those capable of fighting be gathered in the army, and for this to continue until the Jewish state is finished."
Hizbut Tahrir, founded in Jerusalem in 1953, is against liberal democracy, according to the Canadian chapter website.
Toronto-St. Paul’s Parliament Member Don Stewart said on social media on Sunday that not only should the conference be prevented from being held in Canada, but the organization should not be allowed to operate in the country. Stewart warned that Canada would be made part of a global caliphate.
The Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs on Tuesday also called on authorities to stop the conference and to designate the "antisemitic" Hizbut Tahrir as a terrorist organization. On Sunday, CIJA noted on social media that the organization was proscribed as a terrorist organization in the UK. Then-home secretary James Cleverly said the UK had made the decision because it promoted and encouraged terrorism and praised attacks against Jewish people and the October 7 massacre.
Germany banned the party in 2003 because the group rejected peaceful coexistence with Israel and advocated armed violence against Israel and Jews. According to Rooters, Egypt, Bangladesh, and Pakistain have also banned Hizbut Tahrir.
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..the braying voice of Islamic Resistance®,...
...home of the original Hezbollah, which periodically starts a war with the Zionist Entity, gets Beirut pounded to rubble, and then declares victory and has a parade....
..the well-beloved offspring of the Moslem Brotherhood,...
...The Lebs maintain a precarious sectarian balance among Shiites, Sunnis, and about a dozen flavors of Christians, plus Armenians, Georgians, and who knows what else?...
