[FoxNews] Agency says many arrests came after authorities refused to honor ICE immigration detainers and released illegals back into community
ICE and several federal law enforcement agencies arrested over 200 illegal aliens in an "enhanced immigration enforcement operation" in the "most crime-infested neighborhoods" in and around New York City in just one week this month.
According to a statement by ICE released on Wednesday, 206 illegal immigrants, the majority of whom have "egregious criminal histories to include manslaughter, rape, assault, drug trafficking and sex assault against minors," were apprehended as part of the operation.
The operation took place in New York City and throughout Long Island and the Lower Hudson Valley region between April 6-12.
According to the ICE statement, the agency and partners targeted "egregious criminal alien offenders," including transnational criminal organizations like the recently designated international terrorist organizations MS-13 and Tren de Aragua as well as the violent Sureños and 18th Street gangs.
The agency said many of the arrests were made after local authorities in New York refused to honor immigration detainers filed by ICE and instead released the illegals back into the community.
Of the 206 arrested, ICE said 121 had major criminal convictions or are currently facing charges for murder, assault, arson, sex crimes, drug crimes and firearms crimes.
New York City Mayor Eric Adams, a Democrat who is running for re-election as an independent, appeared to back ICE's arrests of criminal illegals, telling Fox News that the left is making a mistake by diverging from the sentiments of the majority of New Yorkers that illegal criminals and gang members should be taken off the streets.
"One of the big mistakes that's being made in some parts of the far-left philosophy is that ICE is a criminal organization. They are not, they are part of our law enforcement community," he said, adding, "We have to get bad, dangerous people off our streets."
Rep. Jesús "Chuy" García, D- Ill., downplayed violent crimes committed by illegal immigrants as merely "immigrants committing a few crimes" in a House Judiciary Subcommittee on Immigration Integrity, Security, and Enforcement hearing last week.
Earlier this week, Mayor Brandon Johnson defended the city’s choice to remain a sanctuary for undocumented migrants..."Violence is down, investments are up, and we’ll continue to move in that direction to build a more inclusive economy for everyone," Johnson said.
[FoxNews] James River Phillips was charged with possession of an unregistered gun and possession of a destructive device
A Mason, Ohio,
…the next community over from mine…
man was arrested for allegedly possessing a destructive device after an investigation into an improvised explosive device (IED) found at a soccer complex led to the discovery of bomb-making materials.
James River Phillips, 20, was arrested Thursday by the FBI Cincinnati Field Office’s Joint Terrorism Task Force and charged with possession of an unregistered gun and possession of a destructive device.
The arrest comes after the task force conducted a federal court-ordered search in Mason that morning.
"The FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force arrested James River Phillips after he allegedly possessed a dangerous destructive device," FBI Cincinnati Special Agent in Charge Elena Iatarola said. "The FBI and our partners worked together to ensure his actions were stopped before there was any risk to public safety."
According to an affidavit filed against Phillips, a Lebanon, Ohio, police officer discovered an IED at a soccer complex at about 12:30 a.m. Sept. 22, 2024.
Just before the discovery, the officer saw two men in their early 20s leaving the parking lot of the complex in a silver SUV, which was originally parked in the lot. The driver was described by police as having long curly hair.
The officer made a traffic stop and told the two men to leave the parking lot since the complex was closed, the affidavit noted.
Once the two men left, the officer continued to drive in the parking lot and located an IED where the SUV had been parked, court documents allege.
"The IED had wires running from a pile of white powder to a control switch," the affidavit states. "The control switch had a red light on when the LPD Officer discovered the IED. After encountering the device, the LPD Officer attempted to locate the two males but could not. The officer contacted Butler County Bomb Squad (BCBS) to seize the IED."
BCBS discovered that the residue on the device contained nickel hydrazine nitrate, while the white powder contained erythritol tetranitrate.
As they tested the IED detonator, it exploded, breaking the handheld chemical identification device.
With the FBI’s help, investigators used cellular data to track Phillips’ phone to the parking lot between 12:15 a.m. and 12:21 a.m. The same phone allegedly sent two texts shortly after the SUV encountered police, one at 12:36 a.m. and the other at 12:40 a.m.
On Dec. 2, 2024, Phillips reportedly got a driver’s license photo, which the affidavit said shows him with the same curly hair the officer saw when he encountered the driver.
Investigators executed a search warrant on the Apple iCloud account associated with the phone, which resulted in a video from April 5, 2024, showing two unidentified men in a parking lot under streetlights, near portable restrooms and a soccer net.
One of the men could be heard counting down to one, before an explosive device detonated. In another video appearing to be from the same incident, an unidentified man says, "James, we gotta go," and "James, come on."
The video then shows a hole in the ground, which investigators say was the result of the previous explosion. The two men are then seen picking up the debris and leftover components. GPS data from the metadata of the video shows the video was shot in the parking lot of the same soccer complex in Lebanon, where the police officer encountered the IED months later, the affidavit notes.
Additional photos and videos of explosions were reportedly found on the iCloud account from July 21, 2024, including the destruction of a car.
In one of the videos, investigators wrote, Phillips is seen holding a detonation device as another man counts down from five to one.
"After Phillips presses the detonation device, a large explosion is heard in the distance, and an unidentified male can be heard saying, ‘It blew the car above the tree line,’" the affidavit said. "Additional photos and videos taken on July 21, 2024, show an explosion followed by photos of the destruction of a car that appeared to be destroyed from the explosion."
The investigation later revealed to detectives that Phillips bought "precursor chemicals and materials for homemade explosives," which were shipped to his home in Mason and another residence of his in Oxford.
His iCloud account also allegedly had recipes and notes on how to construct explosive devices, the affidavit claims.
Photos also allegedly show Phillips constructing explosive devices in a shed in the woods.
Phillips is expected to appear in court Friday for a bond hearing and will remain in custody until then.
[ShabelleMedia] A pirate group fired shots towards a bulker as part of a two-hour pursuit in the Gulf of Aden.
The master of the unnamed Palau-flagged ship reported being followed by several gunnies in multiple small boats, maritime security companies Africa Risk Compliance (ARC) and Diaplous Group said.
The incident occurred in a stretch of water between Yemen ...an area of the Arabian Peninsula sometimes mistaken for a country. It is populated by more antagonistic tribes and factions than you can keep track of... and Somalia.
The captain altered course toward the Yemeni coastline and the small craft left the area.
The crew was reported to be safe and the bulker carried on to its next port of call.
Authorities are investigating the incident.
In February, vessels were alerted to a potential renewal of the piracy threat off the coast of Somalia.
Maritime intelligence company Ambrey Analytics said it has become aware of a suspected pirate action group sighted departing Marreya on the Eyl coast.
Ambrey urged merchant vessels to increase vigilance, ensure adherence to best management practices and engage armed security personnel where possible.
The company had earlier reported that a dhow in the region was boarded and robbed by armed individuals who stole three small boats, each equipped with a 60-horsepower engine.
The Red Sea, West Africa and the Singapore Strait have all been of more concern to vessels in terms of attacks and piracy than Somalia in recent months.
In January, a Chinese fishing boat hijacked by armed Somali robbers at the end of November was released to head for home.
The Liao Dong Yu was "liberated", the European Union ...the successor to the Holy Roman Empire, only without the Hapsburgs and the nifty uniforms and the dancing... ’s Atalanta naval force (EUNAVFOR) said in a social media post, citing the Chinese embassy in Somalia.
There were 18 seafarers on the Liao Dong Yu when assailants carrying AK-47s and machine guns boarded it just off the coast on 27 November, in the first recorded piracy event off Somalia in six months.
[Garowe] The number of piracy incidents within Somali waters has raised concerns among members of the international community, with a report from the anti-piracy body painting a picture of a troubled coastline along the Indian Ocean.
On February 7 and March 16, two fishing vessels and a dhow were hijacked within Somali waters, leading to questions about the safety and stability of the region, which serves as a gateway to the Horn of Africa.
The report by the International Chamber of Commerce's International Maritime Bureau (IMB) shows that 26 crew members were taken hostage, further showcasing the dangers posed by the pirates in the country.
“The IMB advises ships navigating these waters to exercise caution and to strictly follow the latest version of the Industry Best Management Practice,” the IMB said. According to the agency, all crew members and the vessels have been released.
Vessel owners and operators have been cautioned against complacency, but the international navies continue to coordinate activities across the waters to make the waters safer in line with safety standards.
“Although three Somali piracy incidents have been recorded, several hijackings of dhows and fishing vessels may have gone unreported,” the IMB said.
IMB has also cautioned users on the Gulf of Guinea waters as the crew risk piracy cases, although the number of reported incidents within the region and adjoining littoral states continues to be at its lowest in nearly two decades.
“All 13 kidnapped crew were reported in these waters in two separate attacks, with a total of six incidents reported in the first quarter of the year,” the IMB said.
“While we welcome the reduction of incidents, the safety of crew members in the Gulf of Guinea remains at greater risk. It is essential to maintain a strong regional and international naval presence to address these incidents and ensure the protection of seafarers,” IMB Director Michael Howlett said.
Piracy cases have, however, reduced significantly in comparison with the last two decades, when Somali waters were extremely dangerous. The government of Somalia is also training naval crews, who are important in the fight against piracy.
[ShabelleMedia] Somali government forces, backed by South West State’s Darwish troops, killed more than 35 al-Shabaab fighters in a joint operation near Baidoa, officials said Thursday.
The military said the operation targeted a group of militants who were preparing to carry out an attack in the Baay Burjeed area, roughly 15 kilometers from Baidoa, the interim capital of South West State. A foreign commander reportedly leading the unit was among those killed.
At least 60 others were injured during the fighting, while troops recovered the bodies of 18 militants, including several senior figures. Operations are ongoing to track down those who fled the scene, the statement said.
Officials hailed the operation as a major blow to al-Shabaab and credited cooperation from the local population for its success.
[ShabelleMedia] In a joint operation, the United States Africa Command (AFRICOM) collaborated with the Federal Government of Somalia to execute a precision airstrike against vessels laden with advanced military equipment destined for al-Shabaab.
The operation took place in Somali territorial waters, targeting an unflagged ship and a smaller support craft. These vessels were transporting modern weaponry that posed a significant threat to the security of Somalia and its international partners engaged in peacebuilding initiatives.
Initial assessments from AFRICOM indicate that all individuals aboard both vessels were neutralized, with no reported civilian casualties.
[SUDANTRIBUNE] The Steering Committee of the Sudan ...a Moslem country located in the Horn of Africa. It is noted for its affinity for rule by ex- or current generals, its holy men, and for the oppression of the native Afro population by its Arab conquerors. South Sudan, populated mostly by the natives, split off from Sudan proper, which left North and South Darfur to be oppressed by the guys with turbans... Doctors Syndicate reported Thursday that more than 200 doctors had been killed and nine female doctors raped by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF).
Gross violations by both parties to the conflict have been reported in many regions across the country, including killings, abductions, arrests, rape, liquidations, and executions, often linked to accusations of collaboration with the opposing side.
Adeeba Ibrahim al-Sayed, a member of the Preliminary Committee's Omdurman private branch, told Sudan Tribune that the committee had documented the killing of more than 230 doctors. Nine female doctors were raped and two others kidnapped when RSF forces entered Gezira State, she added.
Al-Sayed confirmed that both the Sudanese Army (SAF) and the RSF had arrested more than 30 doctors, while more than 20 others had been kidnapped, their whereabouts remaining unknown to the committee.
About 8,000 doctors have emigrated or been displaced, causing a severe shortage of medical staff, al-Sayed explained.
Around 85% of hospitals and health centres have also closed, leading to disease spread and overcrowding at the few remaining functioning facilities.
Posted by: Fred ||
04/18/2025 00:00 ||
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[SUDANTRIBUNE] At least seven people were killed and others injured on Wednesday in fresh artillery shelling by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) that hit a market in El Fasher, while the army and its allies repelled an RSF attack on the North Darfur capital.
The situation in the historic capital of the Darfur region is escalating militarily after the RSF tightened its siege on the city from all directions, mobilising thousands of fighters planning to invade.
Local sources told Sudan ...a Moslem country located in the Horn of Africa. It is noted for its affinity for rule by ex- or current generals, its holy men, and for the oppression of the native Afro population by its Arab conquerors. South Sudan, populated mostly by the natives, split off from Sudan proper, which left North and South Darfur to be oppressed by the guys with turbans... Tribune that ''at least seven people were killed and about nine others injured in artillery shelling by the RSF on the livestock market south of El Fasher.''
The livestock market in the southern part of El Fasher, the main market for remaining civilians, has been repeatedly targeted by RSF artillery, resulting in dozens of civilian deaths and the destruction of numerous shops.
Military sources also said the army and allied armed movements repelled an RSF attack in the city's eastern part. They reported fierce battles between the two sides along the same axis, involving all types of weapons.
Posted by: Fred ||
04/18/2025 00:00 ||
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Top|| File under: Govt of Sudan
[VANGUARDNGR] The Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) has strongly condemned the attempted liquidation of Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, describing it as a brazen and alarming attack on democracy.
In a statement signed by its National Coordinator, Comrade Emmanuel Onwubiko, the pro-democracy and civil rights advocacy group said the incident occurred in the early hours of Tuesday at the Senator's family residence in Obeiba-Ihima, Okehi Local Government Area of Kogi State.
According to counter-insurgency expert Zagazola Makama, the Chief Security Officer to the Senator, Mr. Yakubu Ovanja, reported the incident to relevant security authorities. He revealed that at about 1:00 a.m., at least three armed individuals wielding cutlasses and firearms attacked the residence, vandalizing property and shattering windows.
A swift response from security operatives of the Okehi Police Division prevented further escalation. Although no casualties were reported and no arrests have been made so far, preliminary investigations are underway.
Police sources have indicated that the motive behind the attack is still unknown.
Reacting to the development, HURIWA called for a thorough investigation and immediate prosecution of the perpetrators. The group also urged the Inspector General of Police and the Director General of the Department of State Services (DSS) to ensure the Senator's safety, stressing that any harm to her would be a serious threat to national stability.
''Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan is one of the most vocal advocates for constitutional democracy and equal opportunities in Nigeria,'' the statement read. ''Her safety must be guaranteed at all costs. This attack is a threat not only to her life but also to democratic values in the country.''
Posted by: Fred ||
04/18/2025 00:00 ||
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US strikes on the Ras Isa fuel port in western Yemen ...an area of the Arabian Peninsula sometimes mistaken for a country. It is populated by more antagonistic tribes and factions than you can keep track of... killed at least 38 people on Thursday, Iran's Houthi sock puppets ...a Zaidi Shia insurgent group operating in Yemen. They have also been referred to as the Believing Youth. Hussein Badreddin al-Houthi is said to be the spiritual leader of the group and most of the military leaders are his relatives. The legitimate Yemeni government has accused the them of having ties to the Iranian government. Honest they did. The group has managed to gain control over all of Saada Governorate and parts of Amran, Al Jawf and Hajjah Governorates. Its slogan is God is Great, Death to America™, Death to Israel, a curse on the Jews They like shooting off... ummm... missiles that they would have us believe they make at home in their basements. On the plus side, they did murder Ali Abdullah Saleh, which was the only way the country was ever going to be rid of him... -run media said, one of the deadliest days since the United States began its attacks on the Iran-backed holy warriors.
Al Masirah TV said the strikes, which the US military said aimed to cut off a source of fuel for the Houthi rebel group, also maimed 102 people.
The Pentagon did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the corpse count given by the Houthis.
In a statement, US Central Command said that "US forces took action to eliminate this source of fuel for the Iran-backed Houthi bully boyz and deprive them of illegal revenue that has funded Houthi efforts to terrorize the entire region for over 10 years."
"This strike was not intended to harm the people of Yemen, who rightly want to throw off the yoke of Houthi subjugation and live peacefully," it added. It did not acknowledge any casualties and declined to comment when asked by The News Agency that Dare Not be Named regarding civilians reportedly being killed.
The Ras Isa port, consisting of three oil tanks and refining equipment, sits in Yemen’s Hodeida governorate along the Red Sea. NASA satellites that track forest fires showed an intense blaze early Friday morning at the site just off Kamaran Island, targeted by intense US Arclight airstrike ...KABOOM!... s over the last few days.
The United States began large-scale strikes last month against the Houthis, saying it would not stop unless they ceased their attacks on Red Sea shipping.
Thursday’s strikes were some of the deadliest since the United States began bombing the Houthis in its biggest military operation in the Middle East since US President Donald Trump ...The Hero of Butler, Pennsylvania... took office in January.
In March, two days of US attacks killed more than 50 people, Houthi officials said.
An AP review has found the new US operation against the Houthis under Trump appears more extensive than that under former president Joe The Big Guy Biden ...46th president of the U.S. We get to suffer the consequences... , as Washington moves from solely targeting launch sites to firing at ranking personnel and dropping bombs on cities.
The new campaign of airstrikes started after the rebels threatened to begin targeting "Israeli" ships again, over Israel blocking aid from entering the 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... Strip. The rebels have loosely defined what constitutes an Israeli ship, meaning many vessels could be targeted. They have also launched numerous missiles and drones at Israel.
The Houthis targeted more than 100 merchant vessels with missiles and drones, sinking two of them and killing four sailors from November 2023 until January of this year. They also launched attacks targeting American warships without success.
The US campaign shows no signs of stopping, as the Trump administration has also linked its airstrikes on the Houthis to an effort to pressure Iran ...a theocratic Shiite state divided among the Medes, the Persians, and the (Arab) Elamites. Formerly a fairly civilized nation ruled by a Shah, it became a victim of Islamic revolution in 1979. The nation is today noted for spontaneously taking over other countries' embassies, maintaining whorehouses run by clergymen, involvement in international drug trafficking, and financing sock puppet militias to extend the regime's influence. The word Iran is a cognate form of Aryan. The abbreviation IRGC is the same idea as Stürmabteilung (or SA). The term Supreme Guide is a the modern version form of either Duce or Führer or maybe both. They hate JewsZionists Jews. Their economy is based on the production of oil and vitriol... over its rapidly advancing nuclear program."
Thursday’s strikes were some of the deadliest since the United States began bombing the Houthis in its biggest military operation in the Middle East since US President Donald Trump took office in January.
In March, two days of US attacks killed more than 50 people, Houthi officials said.
An AP review has found the new US operation against the Houthis under Trump appears more extensive than that under former president Joe Biden, as Washington moves from solely targeting launch sites to firing at ranking personnel and dropping bombs on cities.
The new campaign of airstrikes started after the rebels threatened to begin targeting "Israeli" ships again, over Israel blocking aid from entering the Gaza Strip. The rebels have loosely defined what constitutes an Israeli ship, meaning many vessels could be targeted. They have also launched numerous missiles and drones at Israel.
The Houthis targeted more than 100 merchant vessels with missiles and drones, sinking two of them and killing four sailors from November 2023 until January of this year. They also launched attacks targeting American warships without success.
The US campaign shows no signs of stopping, as the Trump administration has also linked its airstrikes on the Houthis to an effort to pressure Iran over its rapidly advancing nuclear program.
Posted by: Fred ||
04/18/2025 00:00 ||
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Top|| File under: Houthis
The Pentagon discovered Chinese companies are aiding the Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen target American ships - a revelation that comes amid the fallout of President Donald Trump's trade war.
#3
Good Job Boys! Ramp it Up! I think the Houthis are too stupid to 'Cry Uncle'. They'd rather their entire country be destroyed than live almost next to a Jew. Make It So!!
[IsraelTimes] Democrats party head vows to fight government ‘with all the power at our disposal’; ex-captive’s relative says PM will stand trial for ‘traitorous deeds’
Some one thousand anti-government protesters marched Thursday evening from Jerusalem’s government complex to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s private residence, drawing on the Passover holiday’s celebration of freedom as they demanded a deal to bring home the remaining 59 hostages from Gaza.
Police and Border Police officers manned crowd control barricades, keeping protesters from drawing close to the premier’s home. No arrests were reported.
Yair Golan, head of the left-wing The Democrats, could be seen shaking protesters’ hands outside Netanyahu’s home as he moved through the crowd before giving an impromptu speech in which he demanded new elections.
“We have a giant task — to bring hope to the people and citizens of Israel,” said Golan, who was knocked down by police in the same spot last month during a mass protest against the government’s bid to oust Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar.
Calling to fight the government with “every power at our disposal,” including strikes and civil disobedience, Golan repeated his offer to leaders of other opposition parties to band together. “We’ll build a unified and coherent alternative to the government,” he said.
[IsraelTimes] Authorities have sprayed the putrid substance out of water cannons at Palestinian and Haredi demonstrators for years. Now they’re turning it against political protesters
When Hebrew University professor Nilly Mor joined the throngs of demonstrators protesting near Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Jerusalem residence on March 20, she was stunned by the brutal police response — which included the use of a controversial crowd control weapon called “Skunk” that has been increasingly seen at anti-government demonstrations.
“They sprayed us directly with a strong jet of foul-smelling water. We were completely drenched… from head to toe in the putrid liquid,” said Mor, who was demonstrating against the government’s renewed military offensive in Gaza.
Protesters who have come into contact with Israel’s Skunk liquid weapon have described the nauseating odor as a “mix of horseshit and sewage.”
“The moment the bo’ash started firing… everyone jumped to their feet and started running away. You can smell it from 100 [yards],” said Tel Aviv resident Itay Manor, using the Hebrew word for “Skunk.”
Skunk — usually sprayed from a high-pressure water cannon truck — has long been a trusted tool of the police, who claim that its use reduces the need for more violent crowd control methods. But use of the liquid on civilians often conflicts with the force’s own regulations, to the detriment not just of protesters but of entire neighborhoods.
“It’s a tool with the goal of punishing the collective. It’s not discerning, it’s not exact,” said Sivan Tahel, a field researcher for the Association for Civil Rights in Israel.
For years, police made regular use of Skunk against Palestinian and Haredi demonstrators, particularly in Jerusalem. But in summer 2023, they used it during the peak of mass demonstrations against the government’s planned judicial overhaul, prompting concern that it had become the new normal.
Those protests quieted down after the Hamas atrocities of October 7, 2023, when Gazan terrorists butchered some 1,200 people in southern Israel and took 251 hostage to the Strip. At that point, the nation put politics aside and pulled together in the face of the tragedy. But now, with the war dragging into its 19th month and the ruling coalition again setting its sights on a judicial overhaul, anti-government demonstrations have resumed — and with them, the use of Skunk liquid by police.
Skunk has a smell so intense that it can shut down businesses and schools for days. Police guidelines forbid spraying it into “enclosed buildings” and onto “roofs and balconies.” They specify that its use in built-up and dense areas is only as a last resort.
Regardless, law enforcement has a history of flouting these protocols by spraying the liquid onto buildings indiscriminately, especially in Palestinian and Haredi neighborhoods of Jerusalem.
The spray has proven useful for police in quickly dispersing crowds, causing fewer severe injuries than stun grenades or rubber bullets. But those hit with Skunk find that the powerful odor sticks with them long after the protest they participated in has ended.
“It took me two or three showers and laundries to get rid of the smell,” said Manor, who was only lightly doused in 2023 during a Jerusalem protest against the judicial overhaul. “By 10:30 p.m., I was back home in Tel Aviv and took a shower. My wife still made me sleep on the couch.”
Mor recounted the stench lingering on her skin for three days and taking over a week to finally wash out of her hair.
A police spokesperson said that the method allows cops to “avoid resorting to physical force or employing more potentially harmful means.”
The overwhelming force of the water cannon, which police use routinely in Tel Aviv protests, is not nearly as effective at dispersing protests as Skunk liquid blasts.
“It took the Skunk only two minutes to get rid of everyone [in Jerusalem],” Manor said about the 2023 anti-overhaul protest near the Knesset. He was fearful at the time that police would henceforth rely on it more when dealing with anti-overhaul demonstrations after realizing its efficacy.
Mor, a Jerusalem resident and regular protest-goer, said she has felt an uptick in police use of Skunk in recent years.
While protesting for a hostage deal after Hamas’s murder of six hostages in summer 2024, she took a direct hit from the cannon, and she had another close call during the demonstrations that rocked Jerusalem last month.
She noted that Skunk disperses most protesters except a “core group” of activists “who have been hit so many times, so they’re less fazed.”
‘DUNKED IN SEWAGE’
In March 2023, police confronted protesters blocking Karkur Junction with a water cannon that protesters claimed sprayed Skunk. If true, this was the first time police used the liquid against anti-government protesters.
Police classified the machine used at Karkur as a regular water cannon, rather than one containing Skunk. But those on the ground reported a putrid smell.
“People began to shout and run in all directions. I smelled a terrible odor. I was also sprayed with something very smelly that felt like I was dunked in sewage,” said Tamar Ben-Aryeh, who regularly demonstrates at Karkur Junction.
Police said they used “approved water dispersal liquids” at Karkur Junction that day, without further elaboration.
Four months later, in Jerusalem, as the Knesset passed the first law in the judicial overhaul package, police sprayed protesters blocking Begin Road with the pungent liquid.
Ben-Aryeh, who was in the capital that day, picked up on a more potent stench in Jerusalem than she did in Karkur.
“I came a few hours after the police used the Skunk in Jerusalem, but there was still that smell everywhere, much worse than sewage,” she said.
A HARMLESS SUBSTANCE?
Created by Israel’s Odortec, a privately held firm specializing in scent-based repellents for law enforcement, the foul-smelling Skunk liquid debuted in 2008 in the West Bank village of Nil’in when Border Police used it on Palestinian protesters demonstrating against the expansion of the West Bank security barrier.
In 2014, reports began filtering in from East Jerusalem of police spraying Skunk in Palestinian neighborhoods. Around the same time, US media reported that police departments in St. Louis, Missouri, and elsewhere had begun purchasing the spray.
Jerusalem police expanded their application of the method in 2017, using it to scatter demonstrations against the military draft in ultra-Orthodox neighborhoods.
On the surface, Skunk liquid is composed of water, yeast and baking soda, fermented in an oxygen-deprived environment.
[IsraelTimes] Hamas agency claims 25 killed, including women and children, in multiple strikes on encampments used by displaced Gazans; IDF has no immediate comment
The chief of Hamas ..the well-beloved offspring of the Moslem Brotherhood,... ’s smuggling unit was killed in an Arclight airstrike ...KABOOM!... in southern Gazoo
...Hellhole adjunct to Israel and Egypt's Sinai Peninsula, inhabited by Gazooks. The place was acquired in the wake of the 1967 War and then presented to Paleostinian control in 2006 by Ariel Sharon, who had entered his dotage. It is currently ruled with a rusty iron fist by Hamas with about the living conditions you'd expect. It periodically attacks the Hated Zionist Entity whenever Iran needs a ruckus created or the hard boyz get bored, getting thumped by the IDF in return. The ruling turbans then wave the bloody shirt and holler loudly about oppression and disproportionate response... ’s Khan Younis earlier this week, the IDF and Shin Bet said Thursday, while also announcing the killing of a prominent Paleostinian Islamic Jihad ...created after many members of the Egyptian Moslem Brotherhood decided the organization was becoming too moderate. Operations were conducted out of Egypt until 1981 when the group was exiled after the assassination of President Anwar Sadat. They worked out of Gaza until they were exiled to Lebanon in 1987, where they clove tightly to Hezbollah. In 1989 they moved to Damascus, where they remain a subsidiary of Hezbollah... member last week.
Yahya Fathi Abd al-Qader Abu Shaar, who worked in recent years to smuggle weapons and other military equipment for Hamas, including equipment used during the terror group’s October 7, 2023, onslaught, was killed on Tuesday, the IDF said.
The IDF released footage of the strike.
The military said another strike in Khan Younis last week killed a leading member of the Paleostinian Islamic Jihad terror group, which is allied with Hamas and also participated in the October 7 onslaught.
Mazen Ibraheem Mahfouz Farah had directed "significant" terror attacks in Israel over the past two years, and especially in recent months, according to the IDF.
In both strikes, the IDF said it took numerous steps to mitigate civilian harm, including the use of a "precision munition, aerial surveillance, and additional intelligence."
Additionally, a Hamas operative at one of the terror group’s command centers was targeted in an airstrike in northern Gaza’s Jabalia on Thursday, the IDF and Shin Bet said on Thursday.
Paleostinian media reported that the strike hit a school in Jabalia that served as a shelter for displaced Gazooks. The reports said six people were killed and several others were maimed in the attack.
The command center had been used by the terror operative "to plan and carry out terror attacks against Israeli civilians and IDF troops," the military said.
The IDF said it took steps to mitigate civilian harm in the strike, including the use of a "precision munition, aerial surveillance, and additional intelligence."
"The Hamas terrorist organization systematically violates international law while taking over civilian infrastructure, and while brutally exploiting the civilian population as a human shield for its terror attacks," the military added.
HAMAS TRAINING CAMP DESTROYED
Troops of the Golani Brigade operating in the newly created Morag Corridor area, between Rafah and Khan Younis, have demolished a Hamas training camp, the military said Thursday.
The facility, belonging to Hamas’s Shaboura Battalion, included a mock Israeli tank, photos released by the IDF showed.
The IDF said the troops also captured a cache of weapons and destroyed other Hamas infrastructure in the area.
The IDF said that a total of some 110 targets were struck by the Israeli Air Force in Gaza over the past two days.
The targets included cells of terror operatives and infrastructure used by Hamas and other terror groups, according to the military.
Wednesday night, a building belonging to Hamas’s naval force in central Gaza’s Nuseirat, which the IDF said was used to plan attacks on Israel, was struck.
HAMAS-RUN AGENCY: IDF STRIKES ON ENCAMPMENTS KILL 25
Gaza’s Hamas-controlled civil defense agency claimed Thursday that Israeli airstrikes hit multiple encampments for displaced Paleostinians across the territory, allegedly killing at least 25 people.
Agency front man Mahmoud Bassal said an overnight strike Wednesday-Thursday targeted several tents in the al-Mawasi area of the southern city of Khan Younis, resulting in 16 deaths.
"At least 16 deaders, most of them women and kiddies, and 23 others were maimed following a direct strike by two Israeli missiles on several tents housing displaced families in the al-Mawasi area of Khan Younis," Bassal told AFP.
Survivors described a large explosion at the densely packed encampment zone that set multiple tents ablaze.
"We were sitting peacefully in the tent, under God’s protection, when we suddenly saw something red glowing — and then the tent went kaboom!, and the surrounding tents caught fire," Israa Abu al-Rus told AFP.
"This is supposed to be a safe area in al-Mawasi," Abu al-Rus said. "We fled the tent towards the sea and saw the tents burning."
According to Bassal, two additional strikes on other encampments of displaced people have killed nine and maimed several more.
Seven were killed in a strike on tents in the northern town of Beit Lahiya, while another attack near the al-Mawasi area killed a father and his child who were living in a tent, Bassal said.
[IsraelTimes] Lebanese army says Palestinians among those held over incidents that Hezbollah denied responsibility for; Hamas acknowledges detentions, but denies those arrested were involved
The Lebanese military said Wednesday it has detained a group of people linked to firing rockets into Israel last month.
The army said in a statement that those detained included a number of Palestinians who were involved in firing rockets in two separate attacks toward Israel in late March, to which Israel responded with airstrikes in Beirut and southern Lebanon.
The Iran-backed Hezbollah terror group denied at the time that it was behind the firing of rockets.
Since the Israel-Hezbollah ceasefire in late November ended their 14-month conflict, Israel has withdrawn all its troops from Lebanon, except five strategic posts, but has continued, as is permitted by the deal, to strike Hezbollah targets it deems imminent threats.
The Lebanese army said that a vehicle and other equipment used in the rocket attacks were confiscated, and the detainees were referred to judicial authorities. The army said it had carried out raids in different parts of Lebanon to detain the suspects without giving further details.
On Thursday, the state-run National News Agency reported that Gen. Rodolph Haikal briefed a weekly cabinet meeting about the security situation along the border and the implementation of the ceasefire deal.
Three security officials and one judicial official told The Associated Press that four Palestinians linked to the Hamas terror group are being questioned.
A Hamas official told the AP that several members of the group were detained in Lebanon recently and released shortly afterward, adding that they were not involved in firing rockets into Israel. He said in one case, authorities detained a Hamas member who was carrying an unlicensed pistol.
All officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to the media.
On Tuesday, the office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights said that at least 71 civilians, including 14 women and nine children, have been killed by Israeli strikes in Lebanon since the ceasefire took effect.
Israel says strikes in Lebanon since the November ceasefire target Hezbollah and other terror operatives violating the agreement, and aim to prevent the terror group from rebuilding its infrastructure in the country. According to the Israeli military, since the ceasefire began, more than 120 Hezbollah operatives have been killed in strikes.
Lebanese Information Minister Paul Morcos said Thursday in a press conference following a cabinet meeting that Lebanon has recorded 2,740 Israeli violations of the ceasefire and that 190 people have been killed and 485 injured in Lebanon by Israeli strikes since the ceasefire began. He did not specify how many were civilians.
A multi-volume chronology and reference guide set detailing three years of the Mexican Drug War between 2010 and 2012.
Rantburg.com and borderlandbeat.com correspondent and author Chris Covert presents his first non-fiction work detailing
the drug and gang related violence in Mexico.
Chris gives us Mexican press dispatches of drug and gang war violence
over three years, presented in a multi volume set intended to chronicle the death, violence and mayhem which has
dominated Mexico for six years.
Rantburg was assembled from recycled algorithms in the United States of America. No
trees were destroyed in the production of this weblog. We did hurt some, though. Sorry.
...a Moslem country located in the Horn of Africa. It is noted for its affinity for rule by ex- or current generals, its holy men, and for the oppression of the native Afro population by its Arab conquerors. South Sudan, populated mostly by the natives, split off from Sudan proper, which left North and South Darfur to be oppressed by the guys with turbans...
...a Moslem country located in the Horn of Africa. It is noted for its affinity for rule by ex- or current generals, its holy men, and for the oppression of the native Afro population by its Arab conquerors. South Sudan, populated mostly by the natives, split off from Sudan proper, which left North and South Darfur to be oppressed by the guys with turbans...
...46th president of the U.S. We get to suffer the consequences...
..the well-beloved offspring of the Moslem Brotherhood,...
