[RedState] There’s a new report out Friday from the State Department’s after-action review of the horrible withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021.
The report excoriates the way the withdrawal was handled, noting that the Biden team did not sufficiently plan or prepare for “worst case scenarios.”
Incredibly, it said it was “unclear” who was in charge at the State Department. They also made the bad mistake of giving up the Bagram airfield to the Afghans, which would have been much easier to defend to get people out, so they were forced to use the Hamid Karzai Airport.
When the evacuation did occur, “senior administration officials had not made clear decisions” on which Afghan citizens would qualify for evacuation from the country and where they would be taken.
That meant they ended up taking people who weren’t necessarily allies who helped us during the war, and leaving our allies — and hundreds of Americans — behind, while not being straight about the number who were left.
Naturally, because the report was bad, it was dropped on a Friday right before a holiday weekend—so that they can try to avoid more press on the issue. Only about half of it was released, with the other part staying classified. While it called out the administration, it was careful not to blame any particular individual despite Sec. of State Antony Blinken being in charge of that leader-challenged State Department.
After the report was released, National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby tried to defend the administration with the same poor response that they’ve used for two years: that the “decision to end the war was the right one.” No one was talking about the decision to end the war, but about the horrible way in which Joe Biden and his officials tried to carry it out.
Joe Biden’s response was even worse than Kirby’s.
Washington Bureau Chief for GloboNews, Raquel Krähenbühl asked Biden about the damning report:
“Do you admit failure in Afghanistan? There was a report…saying there was failure, mistakes. Do you admit there was mistakes during the withdrawal and before?”
His response was one for the books — even with all the evidence, even with how much he failed, and the release of the new report, he’s still trying to insist he was right in how he did things and refusing all criticism. The level of arrogance was astonishing.
To be fair, the man is senile. He can no longer know what he doesn’t know.
According to the U.N. Analytical Support and Sanctions Monitoring Team in its June report, there are leaders in the Afghan government affiliated with al-Qaeda including “two provincial governors of the Taliban de facto administration,” Qari Ehsanullah Baryal and Hafiz Muhammad Agha Hakeem, “are affiliated with al-Qaeda,” as well as “another Talib associated with al-Qaeda,” Tajmir Jawad, who is the “Deputy Director of the General Directorate of Intelligence.”
The U.N. noted the U.S. military has assessed that Jawad was the former head of the “Kabul Network” — described as “a mixture of al-Qaeda and Taliban that directed suicide assaults against the United States and other coalition targets.”
The FBI also describes Sirajuddin Haqqani, a Taliban deputy prime minister and the leader of the Taliban government’s powerful interior ministry, as “a senior leader of the Haqqani network” who “maintains close ties to the Taliban and al Qaeda.”
The U.N. said that Sirajuddin’s ministry “continued its distribution of Afghan passports and tazkiras (national identity cards) to al-Qaeda members with advisory roles in main Afghan cities.”
The new report indicated “al-Qaeda members have received appointments and advisory roles in the Taliban security and administrative structures” thanks to the Taliban and that “the Taliban provided al-Qaeda with monthly ‘welfare payments,’ with portions of those payments filtered down to fighters of al-Qaeda affiliated groups.”
The report also said that “one training director of the de facto Ministry of Defence was an al-Qaeda member, while training was based on al-Qaeda manuals, which were openly being used at Ministry facilities.” [….]
The U.N. said that “a range of terrorist groups have greater freedom of maneuver under the Taliban” and “the threat of terrorism is rising in both Afghanistan and the region.”
The report said there are 30 to 60 “core members” of al Qaeda in Afghanistan, with 400 “al-Qaeda fighters” there, but with family and supporters that reaches about 2,000 people. There are also training camps and safe houses for al-Qaeda in the country, including a camp specifically to train suicide bombers.
Posted by: Skidmark ||
07/01/2023 10:00 ||
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How many returned willingly? How many will long survive their arrival?
[ToloNews] The "Commission for the Return and Communications with Former Afghan Officials and Political Figures" said that at least 25 Afghans including political figures, former government officials and parliament members have returned to Afghanistan within the past month.
The commission’s front man, Ahmadullah Wassiq, said these individuals had left Afghanistan after the former government collapsed but returned through the mediation of the commission.
"Senior officials such as ministers, directors, deputy ministers, provincial governors and provincial security chiefs were among these officials," Wassiq said.
According to the commission, hundreds of political figures and former officials have received forms to return to Afghanistan.
Meanwhile, ...back at the revival hall, the congregants were being herded into the paddy wagon... the Islamic Emirate’s front man, Zabiullah Mujahid, said that many figures who are abroad are seeking to return to the country.
"For those who left (the country) and feel threatened, the main goal of the commission is to eliminate their concerns about risks. I assure you that we will welcome them," Mujahid said.
An Afghan figure who lives abroad said that the political figures, former officials and professional figures who return to Afghanistan should be given jobs in government institutions.
"The wishes of the Afghan people should be fulfilled and also plans should be implemented to solve the current challenges that engulf Afghanistan," said Mohammad Hakim Torsan, a political figure.
Based on the statistics of the commission, more than 520 political figures and former officials have returned to Afghanistan since the establishment of the commission.
US STATE DEPARTMENT REPORT CRITICAL OF THE US WITHDRAWAL CAUSES A FUROR IN WASHINGTON DC – The unclassified and heavily redacted version of the report was released on Friday and immediately caused an uproar among the two main political parties. The report blames a lack of planning and communication from both administrations and then went on to list its own failures, some of which have yet to be rectified, before making 11 recommendations to avoid future problems. The report was based on interviews with over 150 State Department personnel which will lead many to question the document. Unsurprisingly, the recommendations call for increased budgetary allocations to remedy the shortcomings illustrated so painfully in late 2021. Congress is scheduled to see the classified version of the report soon.
THE WORLD FOOD PROGRAMME IN AFGHANISTAN WARNS IT WILL RUN OUT OF FUNDING BY THE END OF OCTOBER – The Director for the WFP in Afghanistan said that her agency had already trimmed food and cash assistance from 8 million needy Afghans to 5 million ‘most at risk’ Afghans. Much of the problem has to do with donor states withholding promised contributions. It is believed that many nations are unwilling to support humanitarian efforts with the gender bans in place. The agency says it needs $1 billion dollars to continue operations until March 2024.
RECENT LOCUST INVASION CALLED A ‘TICKING TIME BOMB’ FOR 2024 GROWING SEASON –
Let them eat insects — by all reports an excellent, and free, source of protein.
The arrival of the Moroccan locusts in Afghanistan last March (the first in 20 years) has left a lingering problem that could further decimate domestic food production into 2024. Entomologists say the locusts left billions of eggs which will hatch next Spring and wreak more havoc on an agricultural sector suffering from drought and a sputtering economy. The UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) says the invasion in 2023 was mitigated by the fact the swarms were mating. That concerns farmers for 2024 as historically, a mating swarm produces roughly 10 times the number in the following year. The last major invasion (1981) resulted in the loss of approximately one-quarter of the harvest. There is talk of a pesticide ‘spraying campaign’ but current rules of the FAO do not allow it to fund such projects. Only government agencies can conduct programs like the one being contemplated now. Eventually, it looks as though the funding will need to be given to the Taliban directly in order to limit the problem next year.
THE TALIBAN FIRE BACK AT THE RECENT GLOBAL PEACE INDEX REPORT, CALLS THE REPORT ‘UNJUST’ – The Institute for Economics and Peace report placed Afghanistan dead last in its recent index for 2022. Afghanistan has held this position for the past five years. Unsurprisingly, the Taliban took umbrage with the report and claimed the data used in the report was incorrect. The report actually showed some improvements over the previous year but the Taliban have flatly rejected the report and a spokesman threw out wildly inaccurate numbers to try and blunt the criticisms.
[Goobjoog] The African Union ...a union consisting of 53 African states, most run by dictators of one flavor or another. The only all-African state not in the AU is Morocco. Established in 2002, the AU is the successor to the Organisation of African Unity (OAU), which was even less successful... force in Somalia ATMIS has concluded the handover of Forward Operating Bases (FOB) to Somali National Army ahead of today’s withdrawal of 2,000 forces.
The latest was the Jazeera base in the outskirts of Mogadishu and Gerilley FOB in Gedo region. The Ugandan People’s Forces (UPDF) handed over the Jazeera base to SNA while that in Geriley was handed over by Kenya Defence Forces.
The handover yesterday bring to six the number of FOBs which have now changed hands from ATMIS to SNA. Others are Haji Ali, Miirtaqwo, Arbacow, and Adale.
The withdrawal of 2,000 AtMIS forces today is in line with resolutions 2628 (2022) and 2670 (2022) set out by the UN Security Council last year. This comes ahead of the anticipated full withdrawal of AU forces from Somalia by December 2024. Analysts have however indicated that the timeline could be far more ambitious given the level of preparedness and increasing al-Shabaab ...... the Islamic version of the old Somali warlord... insurgency.
The exit of 2,000 forces today leaves about 17,000 African Union troops. Prime Minister Hamze Barre said mid-this month that the government had generated additional 20,000 security personnel in the last year who will be integrated into the security architecture by the end of 2024.
National Security Advisor Advisor Hussein Maalin has also indicated that Somalia has generated sufficient forces to take over security responsibilities from ATMIS.
But amid this build-up, al-Shabaab is also in a militia generation mode to counter the expected offensive in the second phase two of the operation against the group. Videos published by pro—Al-Shabaab media this past week showed parades of al-Shabaab Death Eaters matching in an undisclosed location.
Sources said the group has been actively recruiting fighters amid heavy pressure from Somali National Army, clan militia and state forces in the last eight months.
Kenya, Djibouti and Æthiopia are expected to send in about 20,000 troops for the second phase of the operation codenamed Operation Black Lion. The Operation will focus on South West and Jubaland states.
[AFRICANEWS] The UN Security Council on Friday voted to end a decade-old peacekeeping mission to Mali, whose military junta urged the troops' removal as it aligns with Russia.
The Security Council voted unanimously on a resolution that will immediately start winding down the Minusma mission, started in 2013 to prevent a jihadist takeover.
The vote came two weeks after Malian Foreign Minister Abdoulaye Diop stunned the Security Council by calling the UN mission a "failure" and urging its immediate end.
Mali's relations with the United Nations have deteriorated sharply since a 2020 coup brought to power a military regime which also severed defense cooperation with France, the former colonial power.
The junta has aligned itself with Russia and brought in Russian military contractors.
"We deeply regret the transitional government's decision to abandon Minusma and the harm this will bring to the Malian people," senior US diplomat Jeffrey DeLaurentis told the Security Council.
But he said that the United States voted for the resolution as it agreed with the timeline for withdrawal.
Under longstanding UN practice, a peacekeeping mission needs the approval of the host country.
Posted by: Fred ||
07/01/2023 00:00 ||
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[ZeroHedge] The first question asked by Prime Minister Viktor Orbán in his Facebook post is: “The only question everyone is asking here in Brussels is: Where has the money gone?”
Orbán is currently attending the two-day summit of EU leaders in Brussels, and one of the hottest topics is the question as to where the EU’s budget money has disappeared to. The Hungarian prime minister said that the European Commission had submitted a budget amendment proposal asking member states to pay tens of billions of euros.
“The question arises: How did this situation come about and how did they bring the European Union to the brink of bankruptcy?” Orbán asked.
Orbán also noted that the EU is demanding more money from member states, although it is only two years into its seven-year budget. In other words, the money that was approved to be spent and was supposed to be there for the next five years has already been spent.
The prime minister then went on to list what Brussels is demanding for the budget.
“They want to get €50 billion from the member states to give to Ukraine, while they cannot even account for the money we have given them so far. They want more money from the member states so that they can pay the interest on the European Union loans that they have previously taken out. These are loans that Poland and Hungary have not seen a single cent from so far,” Orbán said.
Orbán said the EU commission is asking member states for more money for migration, not for border protection, but to bring in illegal immigrants.
“Of course, they didn’t forget about their own pockets. They are asking for billions of euros to raise the salaries of Brussels bureaucrats,” he said.
“The Hungarian position is clear,” he said.
“First, we want to know what the huge amount of money we have given them so far has been spent on. Afterward, we want to know who is responsible for the fact that the European Union is on the brink of bankruptcy.”
Orbán is attending the summit of the Council of EU leaders on Thursday and Friday, where the main topics on the agenda are the issue of additional financial support for Ukraine, mandatory migrant quotas and shaping the EU’s policy toward China.
In relation to the respective gross domestic product (GDP) of the states, Germany was the largest net contributor to the EU in 2021. The negative budget balance corresponded to 0.59 percent of GDP. This was followed by the Netherlands (0.48 percent), Sweden (0.46 percent), Denmark and France (0.44 percent each).
On the other hand, the largest net recipients in 2021 were Croatia (3.03 percent of GDP), Lithuania (2.92 percent), Hungary (2.79 percent), Latvia (2.70 percent) and Bulgaria (2.63 percent).
Posted by: European Conservative ||
07/01/2023 11:38 Comments ||
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#2
Good to know, European Conservative. Thank you.
It’s lovely to see that Greece is doing better under their just-reelected, non-leftwing government, and so is no longer on that list.
[AlAhram] Poland and Hungary's refusal to go along with a widely agreed EU revision of asylum rules soured a summit of the bloc's leaders that wrapped up Friday, detracting from unity on other issues including on Ukraine.
Warsaw and Budapest baulked at a summit declaration that would have enshrined the general EU agreement for member states to share out the hosting of asylum-seekers -- or pay those that do.
That forced the summit's chair, European President Charles Michel, to instead issue a statement in his own name saying that "work will be stepped up" on migration issues, but noting Poland and Hungary's dissent.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said the preliminary June 8 agreement revising asylum rules that was adopted by a big majority of EU countries was a "watershed", and she expected it to be made into legislation before the end of this year
UNITY ON UKRAINE
She, Michel and other leaders, including German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, insisted that the main message from the summit was unity on Ukraine.
The EU leaders jointly endorsed reinforced support for Ukraine, and to lay the ground for a "Global Peace Summit" that would discuss post-war peace for the country "within its internationally recognised borders".
They also agreed to look at "future security commitments" for Ukraine, suggested by La Belle France.
Diplomats said they would likely take the form of bilateral guarantees, rather than ones involving the whole bloc, as Ireland and Austria maintain military neutrality.
French President Emmanuel Macron did not expound on the initiative to media, because he cut his summit presence short to return to La Belle France to address widespread rioting there triggered by the fatal police shooting of a teenager of North African origin.
The idea of imposing a "windfall tax" on interest raised from Russian central bank assets frozen under EU sanctions to go to Ukraine was also raised at the summit -- but to varied reception.
Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo said "we are working" on the topic, which could raise three billion euros ($3.3 billion) annually for Ukraine's reconstruction.
But Scholz, concerned that such a step could harm the euro's reputation, was more cautious. He called the idea "terribly complicated" adding that "nobody knows at the moment what is possible".
MIGRATION DISPUTE
The dispute on migration generated the most drama at the summit, but Poland and Hungary's stance looked unlikely to derail the EU agreement to share the burden where it came to asylum-seekers.
Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki said he did not want "forced relocations" of migrants colonists to be in the summit text -- and drew a link between the issue of migration and the violence erupting in La Belle France.
"Put these two images together: that of Gay Paree suburbs today, with big riots, the looting of stores, broken windows, cars on fire," against "calm Polish towns.... The image that we are defending is probably obvious: Poland has chosen security, peace and public order," he said.
The EU disagreement was playing out in the shadow of a June 14 sinking of an overcrowded migrant boat off Greece in which at least 82 people drowned.
A Dutch-based rights group, Lighthouse Reports, accused Greek authorities of tampering with survivors' testimony to avoid allegations -- made by some survivors -- that the tragedy occurred because the Greek coasties tied a rope to the vessel and powered away, causing it to capsize.
Survivors told AFP that they were pressured by Greek authorities to not speak to media, and to not attribute responsibility for the capsizing to the Greek coasties.
See here for the latest on the Moslem colonist insurrection using the little monster’s death as an excuse.
[AFRICANEWS] La Belle France must address deep issues of racial discrimination in its police, the United Nations ...an organization conceived in the belief that we're just one big happy world, with the sort of results you'd expect from such nonsense... said Friday, after a third night of unrest sparked by the fatal police shooting of a teenager.
The death of 17-year-old Nahel
...slightly more formally Nahel M, a known wolf who long deserved what he finally got...
during a traffic stop has revived longstanding grievances about policing and racial profiling in La Belle France's low-income and multiethnic suburbs.
"We are concerned by the killing of a 17-year-old of North African descent by police in La Belle France on Tuesday," UN human rights ...which are usually entirely different from personal liberty... office spokeswoman Ravina Shamdasani told a media briefing in Geneva.
"We note that an investigation has been launched into alleged voluntary homicide.
"This is a moment for the country to seriously address the deep issues of racism and discrimination in law enforcement."
French President Emmanuel Macron was to lead a crisis meeting of ministers on Friday after a third night of protests saw cars torched, shops ransacked and hundreds arrested.
"We also emphasise the importance of peaceful assembly," Shamdasani said.
"We call on the authorities to ensure use of force by police to address violent mostly peaceful elements in demonstrations always respects the principles of legality, necessity, proportionality, non-discrimination, precaution and accountability.
"Any allegations of disproportionate use of force must be swiftly investigated."
#2
This is what you get for letting these people into your country.
And, while everybody is jumping to the conclusion that the cop in question is a bad cop and a racist murderer, I'd be willing to bet the 17-year-old suspect was caught in the midst of some criminal activity and resisted arrest.
Posted by: Abu Uluque ||
07/01/2023 12:50 Comments ||
Top||
#3
^ The "victim's" story evolves, daily:
1) He was a Delivery Driver
2) Nope, he had two passengers
3) Nope he had a vehicle from Poland
4) It had false plates
5) History of running from Police.
Up next?
Posted by: Frank G ||
07/01/2023 14:32 Comments ||
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[JustTheNews] A new law giving illegal migrants the authority to drive in Rhode Island officially goes into effect Saturday.
The change comes a year after legislation in both chambers of the General Assembly was passed.
Late last June, Gov. Dan McKee swiftly signed House Bill 7939 and companion legislation Senate Bill 2006, into law, starting the countdown clock to the law’s enactment to the midpoint of this calendar year.
The new law means undocumented motorists will have the opportunity to obtain what state officials are referring to as “driving privilege cards” from the Rhode Island Division of Motor Vehicles in lieu of the standard driver’s licenses that are issued.
When he signed the bill into law last year at a ceremony, McKee said the changes within it are “an important issue for our economy, equality, and public safety.”
“By granting every Rhode Islander of driving age the opportunity to safely and legally drive a vehicle, we are allowing them to further their education and career – which, in turn, benefits the entire state,” McKee said in a release.
In the statement, McKee cited years-long efforts from lawmakers and advocates across the state.
“(The law) means more workers will have access to more jobs and opportunities that keep Rhode Island’s momentum going,” McKee said.
Sen. Frank Ciccone, D-Providence, was one of several lawmakers in both chambers of the General Assembly to back the bills when they were introduced a year ago. Ciccone was a sponsor of SB2006.
Ciccone cited several reasons for the reforms encapsulated in the law, including safety for all motorists on the road.
“We need to ensure that all drivers, regardless of immigration status, are trained, tested, and insured when driving on our roads,” Ciccone said in a statement. “If the worst were to happen, and an accident occurs involving an undocumented person driving our residents and businesses are protected far better if this legislation is enacted, as opposed to the status quo.”
The new law does include several caveats for undocumented motorists seeking a privilege card.
A tax administrator, for instance, will be required to verify that the applicant has filed a personal income tax return as a Rhode Island resident or been claimed as a dependent in the preceding year.
Applicants also must furnish documents proving their identity and comply with all insurance requirements.
#3
Only in a twisted, liberal mind-fog can you reconcile giving official identification documents and privileges to individuals whose presence in your jurisdiction is a crime. The demokrat word capture game of converting "illegal alien" to "undocumented" simply ignores reality.
[KhaamaPress] Shehbaz Sharif, Prime Minister of Pakistain, said on Friday that Pakistain had reached a staff-level agreement with the International Monetary Fund on a nine-month $ 3 billion standby Arrangement.
"I am pleased to announce that Pakistain has reached a Staff-Level Agreement with the IMF on a nine-month US$3 billion Standby Arrangement," Sharif tweeted.
According to the prime minister, the agreement will help Pakistain increase its foreign exchange reserves, enabling it to establish economic stability and set the nation on the path to long-term economic prosperity.
"This arrangement will help strengthen Pakistain’s foreign exchange reserves, enabling the country to achieve economic stability ad put the country on the path of sustainable economic growth," he added.
After an eight-month wait, the agreement, which the IMF board must approve in July, provides some relief to Pakistain, which suffers a severe balance of payments problem and declining foreign exchange reserves.
The $3 billion funding for Pakistain over nine months is more than expected. The remaining $2.5 billion from a $6.5 billion bailout package negotiated in 2019 that expired on Friday was still pending release to the country.
In recent years, Pakistain’s economy has encountered several difficulties, including the devastating floods last year and rising commodity prices as a result of the conflict in Ukraine, according to IMF official Nathan Porter on Thursday.
"Despite the authorities’ efforts to reduce imports and the trade deficit, reserves have declined to deficient levels. Liquidity conditions in the power sector also remain acute," Porter said in a statement.
"Given these challenges, the new arrangement would provide a policy anchor and a framework for financial support from multilateral and bilateral partners in the period ahead," Porter added.
Posted by: trailing wife ||
07/01/2023 00:00 ||
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[IsraelTimes] 15 companies, including US-based General Mills food manufacturer, dropped from database, while 122 firms, including Airbnb, Booking.com, Expedia, TripAdvisor and Motorola remain
The UN Human Rights Office said Friday that it had removed 15 companies from its so-called blacklist of firms that do business in Israeli settlements.
However, those who apply themselves too closely to little things often become incapable of great things... 122 firms still remain, the UN office’s spokesperson Ravina Shamdasani said during a press briefing.
The update followed a long-awaited review, which Shamdasani said had been only partial — the office had only been able to check the original list of 112 companies that it issued in 2020 and did not look at any potential new companies. She did not elaborate as to why that was.
The vast majority of the firms on the updated list — 105 — were still based in Israel, though 17 international businesses, such as Airbnb, Booking.com, Expedia, TripAdvisor and Motorola, are also included.
US-based General Mills food processing company and Indorama Ventures in Thailand were the only international firms removed from the list. Notably, 15 Israeli firms stopped doing business in the settlements
In 2018, Airbnb announced that it was removing all of its listings in the settlements but went on to reverse the stance a year later after property owners filed discrimination lawsuits against the firm.
In 2020, Booking.com added warnings to West Bank listings telling customers that they may be located in "conflict-affected" areas while stopping short of removing the listings entirely.
Israel’s Mission to the UN in Geneva blasted the update, saying that the UN Human Rights Office and the Human Rights Council were "further entrenching themselves as a partial actor in the region, serving those pursuing a discriminatory agenda against Israel.
For its part, Human Rights Watch said it was disappointing that the UN Human Rights Office had failed to undertake the work to identify additional businesses and urged for further review.
The Biden administration had been pressuring the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights not to update the list, arguing that it "only serves to reinforce an anti-Israeli bias,"
State Department front man Vedant Patel said last year that the list "poses a genuine threat to companies doing business or considering business operations in the region."
[Shafaq News] Iran's Nour News website, run by the government, refuted the Israeli claim of thwarting an attack in Cyprus, stating it is a cover-up for Israel's internal crisis.
On Thursday, Israel's Mossad revealed an operation 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... leading to the arrest of a suspected Iranian agent involved in plotting attacks against Israeli businessmen in Cyprus.
Nour News responded, "The Zionist regime's report on a failed operation a year ago in Iran, where all its agents were arrested, is an attempt to distract from its deteriorating internal conditions."
Last July, Iranian police announced the arrest of a Mossad spy network, which they described as planning armed and sabotage operations, without revealing the nationality of its members.
Mossad claimed to have arrested the terrorist cell's criminal mastermind, Youssef Shahbazi Abbas Alilo, inside Iranian territory, which led to the cell's disclosure and involvement in the Cyprus operation.
Cyprus security forces previously thwarted the attack based on information from Israel and the United States, seizing explosives. The operation's target was allegedly Israeli individuals in the city of Limassol.
Posted by: trailing wife ||
07/01/2023 00:00 ||
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[An Nahar] Without reforms, Leb ...an Iranian colony situated on the eastern Mediterranean, conveniently adjacent to Israel. Formerly inhabited by hardy Phoenecian traders, its official language is now Arabic, with the usual unpleasant side effects. The Leb civil war, between 1975 and 1990, lasted a little over 145 years and produced 120,000 fatalities. The average length of a ceasefire was measured in seconds. The Lebs maintain a precarious sectarian balance among Shiites, Sunnis, and about a dozeen flavors of Christians. It is the home of Hezbollah, which periodically starts a war with the Zionist Entity, gets Beirut pounded to rubble, and then declares victory and has a parade. The Lebs have the curious habit of periodically murdering their heads of state or prime ministers... will continue to see triple-digit inflation, and public debt in the small, crisis-ridden country could reach nearly 550% of GDP by 2027, the International Monetary Fund warned in a report.
The report came as a follow-up to a nine-day visit by IMF officials in March.
Progress toward finalizing a sorely needed IMF bailout package for the struggling country has largely stalled.
Since reaching a preliminary agreement with the IMF more than a year ago, Lebanese officials have made limited progress on reforms required to clinch the deal. They include restructuring the country's debts and its ailing banking system, revamping its barely functioning public electricity system and improving governance.
Since the country fell into an economic crisis in 2019, the country's "GDP has declined by about 40 percent, the (currency) has lost 98 percent of its value, inflation is at triple-digits, and the central bank has lost two thirds of its foreign currency reserves," the IMF report noted.
The economic situation stabilized somewhat by the end of 2022, it said, due to "the end of COVID restrictions, a rebound in tourism, strong inflow of remittances, and a gradual decline in international energy and food prices in the second half of 2022."
The delay in restructuring the country's financial system and stabilizing its collapsing currency has benefited borrowers while harming those who deposited their savings in the banks, the report noted.
While some in the private sector have been able to leverage the currency crisis to their advantage by repaying loans taken out before the crisis at "below-market exchange rates," this left the country with less dollar reserves that can be used to pay depositors whose savings are trapped in the banks.
The central bank's reserves have declined to about $10 billion, compared to a pre-crisis peak of $36 billion, the report noted.
Ernesto Ramirez Rigo, the head of the IMF mission to Lebanon, warned that if the country's leaders do not undertake reforms, and instead allow the "disorderly adjustment" of the country's economy to continue, Lebanon will be left "dependent on the handouts from the international community."
"Very little investment will come to the economy and to the new sectors that Lebanon needs to develop," he said.
Posted by: Fred ||
07/01/2023 00:00 ||
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A multi-volume chronology and reference guide set detailing three years of the Mexican Drug War between 2010 and 2012.
Rantburg.com and borderlandbeat.com correspondent and author Chris Covert presents his first non-fiction work detailing
the drug and gang related violence in Mexico.
Chris gives us Mexican press dispatches of drug and gang war violence
over three years, presented in a multi volume set intended to chronicle the death, violence and mayhem which has
dominated Mexico for six years.
Rantburg was assembled from recycled algorithms in the United States of America. No
trees were destroyed in the production of this weblog. We did hurt some, though. Sorry.
...... the Islamic version of the old Somali warlord...
[AFRICANEWS] 
...an Iranian colony situated on the eastern Mediterranean, conveniently adjacent to Israel. Formerly inhabited by hardy Phoenecian traders, its official language is now Arabic, with the usual unpleasant side effects. The Leb civil war, between 1975 and 1990, lasted a little over 145 years and produced 120,000 fatalities. The average length of a ceasefire was measured in seconds. The Lebs maintain a precarious sectarian balance among Shiites, Sunnis, and about a dozeen flavors of Christians. It is the home of Hezbollah, which periodically starts a war with the Zionist Entity, gets Beirut pounded to rubble, and then declares victory and has a parade. The Lebs have the curious habit of periodically murdering their heads of state or prime ministers...
