[KhaamaPress] The head of an organization assisting Afghan refugees, Shawn VanDiver, expressed concerns over President Trump’s executive order suspending refugee admissions. He noted that at least 2,000 eligible Afghan refugees, already approved by the U.S. government for resettlement, are now left in limbo.
A White House adviser, Tom Homan, stated that the Trump administration’s immigration policies, including the refugee program, are under review. He cited security concerns as a significant issue that needs to be addressed before continuing with the admissions process.
VanDiver, representing the Afghan Evac initiative, highlighted the plight of Afghan refugees who remain in hiding and uncertainty, particularly those who collaborated with the U.S. government during the Afghanistan war. He emphasized the urgent need to ensure their safety.
According to Trump’s new executive order, signed yesterday, refugee admissions have been suspended for at least 90 days starting January 27. During this period, the Departments of Homeland Security and State will evaluate whether the program serves U.S. interests.
Critics of the Biden administration, including Republican politicians, have accused it of mishandling the chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan. They argue that the failure to evacuate all Afghan allies has left many at risk of persecution and retribution from the Taliban ...mindless ferocity in a turban... While over 180,000 Afghans have been evacuated to the U.S. since the withdrawal in August 2021, concerns persist over the fate of those still stranded in Afghanistan and Pakistain, as well as the security vetting process for those seeking resettlement.
Many stranded Afghans in Afghanistan and Pakistain are facing dire situations, including persecution, economic hardships, and fear of retaliation from the Taliban. These individuals, who risked their lives by working alongside U.S. forces, feel abandoned by the very government they supported.
With limited access to resources and international assistance, these individuals often resort to hiding, unable to lead normal lives due to constant threats. The prolonged uncertainty has exacerbated their suffering, leading to a worsening humanitarian crisis.
#1
The Afghanistan engagement was at best an amoral, realpolitik based temporary engagement with an "enemy-of-my-enemy."
This engagement ultimately ended in catastrophic failure and dangerously weakened Western deterrence.
Afghans who were in allegiance with the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan cannot logically be allies of Western nations since the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan was a hostile and evil entity.
"Liberated Afghanistan's" redeeming quality was the more passive nature of its aggression compared to the Taliban, but in absolute terms its rejection of peaceful coexistence with Western nations made it an entity that was officially more hostile than the post-Stalin Soviet Union.
The West owes Afghanistan and the Afghan people nothing.
#4
From '01 to '21 the Afghans let us know in no uncertain terms that they not only rejected Western style freedom in Afghanistan but that they also wanted to abolish Western civilization globally.
The Afghans coming to the West see themselves as conquerors and subjugators, and any Western polity would be suicidally foolish to allow Afghan immigration.
The average Afghan might only have born limited responsibility for 9/11.
This could justify abstaining from collective punishment of Afghanistan as a whole, but it would be no justification for any form of collective reward.
#6
There are individuals who believe in the West and honestly tried to help us defeat the jihadis, and they and their families are at risk from the Taliban. There are plenty more who took advantage of the good paycheck. They’re also at risk from the Taliban unless they secretly helped the other side, which many did.
There are some ugly moral questions here. But regardless, we owe it to them and ourselves to make a decision about how we’re going to handle the situation so these people can get on with their lives, one way or another.
#7
Like Iran, Afghanistan has had Western-Civilization-compatible societies in the past, so there is hope that such could return, but 'we' can't impose it on them.
The Islamic Republic was committed to the abolition of Western civilization in the West. They didn't accept an arrangement of peaceful coexistence.
The West went into Afghanistan in the first place because of an heinous, treacherous mass fatality attack.
I do think that it was a grave mistake not to retaliate after 9/11 as this decision made sure that Western deterrence would erode, but that is a matter of judgment; opinions can differ.
I see absolutely no justification for collectively rewarding the Afghans in any way, shape or form.
There has been and there is a puzzling lack of outrage over the Afghans' disturbing and appalling behavior in Western public opinion.
[IsraelTimes] Iran-backed Yemeni rebels say they freed sailors from Philippines, Ukraine, Bulgaria, Romania, Mexico after Oman’s mediation, ‘in support of the ceasefire agreement in Gaza’
Yemen ...an area of the Arabian Peninsula sometimes mistaken for a country. It is populated by more antagonistic tribes and factions than you can keep track of... ’s Iran-backed Iran's Houthi sock puppets ...a Zaidi Shia insurgent group operating in Yemen. They have also been referred to as the Believing Youth. Hussein Badreddin al-Houthi is said to be the spiritual leader of the group and most of the military leaders are his relatives. The legitimate Yemeni government has accused the them of having ties to the Iranian government. Honest they did. The group has managed to gain control over all of Saada Governorate and parts of Amran, Al Jawf and Hajjah Governorates. Its slogan is God is Great, Death to America™, Death to Israel, a curse on the Jews They like shooting off... ummm... missiles that they would have us believe they make at home in their basements. On the plus side, they did murder Ali Abdullah Saleh, which was the only way the country was ever going to be rid of him... rebels said Wednesday they released the crew of the Galaxy Leader, a vehicle carrier seized in November 2023 at the start of their attacks on shipping in the Red Sea corridor at the beginning of the Israel-Hamas ..the well-beloved offspring of the Moslem Brotherhood,... 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... "This step comes in support of the ceasefire agreement in Gaza," the Houthis said in a statement on rebel-controlled SABA news agency.
Israel and the Hamas terror group reached a hostage-ceasefire deal that went into effect Sunday and has so far seen the release of three Israeli hostages from Gaza and 90 Paleostinian security prisoners, and a stop to fighting, more than 15 months after the terror group attacked Israel on October 7, 2023, killing some 1,200 people and taking 251 hostages.
The Houthis said they released the sailors after mediation by Oman, a sultanate on the eastern edge of the Arabian Peninsula that’s long been an interlocutor with the Houthis.
Oman did not immediately acknowledge the release, though an Omani Royal Air Force jet took a flight to Yemen earlier Wednesday.
The Houthis also said Hamas separately requested the Houthis release the ship’s crew of 25, who included mariners from the Philippines, Bulgaria, Romania, Ukraine and Mexico.
A representative for the Galaxy Leader’s owners had no immediate comment.
The Bahamas-flagged, Japanese-operated Galaxy Leader is owned by a British company, which in turn is partially owned by Israeli tycoon Abraham "Rami" Ungar.
The Houthis — whose motto calls for "death to Israel" and "a curse upon the Jews" — hijacked the Galaxy Leader with a helicopter-borne raid on November 19, 2023, ostensibly over its connection to Israel.
Propaganda footage of the raid has been played constantly by the Houthis, who even shot a music video aboard the ship at one point and have turned it into a tourist attraction.
The rebels then conducted a campaign attacking ships in international waters, targeting over 100 merchant vessels with missiles and drones, seizing one vessel and sinking two, and killing four sailors.
The rebels have maintained that they target ships linked to Israel, the US or the UK to force an end to Israel’s campaign against Hamas in Gaza. However,
a good lie finds more believers than a bad truth... many of the ships attacked have had little or no connection to Israel or its allies, including some bound for Iran.
On Monday, the Houthis signaled they now will limit their attacks in the Red Sea corridor to only Israeli-affiliated ships after a ceasefire began in the Gaza Strip, but warned wider assaults could resume if needed.
As late as Saturday the rebels were still launching drones and missiles targeting Israel, which has warned it will continue to strike Houthi leadership.
The Houthis have launched more than 40 ballistic missiles and some 320 drones at Israel since they started attacking the country in 2023.
Israel and Western allies carried out several sorties against Houthi targets in Yemen, but they have failed to stem the attacks.
In the vast majority of the Houthis’ attacks, the missiles have been intercepted by Israeli air defenses, or have fallen short before reaching the country. However,
a good lie finds more believers than a bad truth... a few drones and missiles have hit Israel, causing casualties and damage in several cases.
[Jpost] US President Donald Trump redesignated the Yemen Houthi group, known formally as Ansar Allah, as a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO), the White House announced on Wednesday.
The White House said the decision was a reversal of the Biden administration's previous removal of the Houthis from the Foreign Terrorist Organization list.
Trump had initially designated the Houthi group as a Foreign Terrorist Organization back in January 2021, during his first presidency.
The White House statement noted that after one month in office, the Biden administration reversed the Houthis designation.
The statement also pointed out the effects of this decision, adding that "As a result of the Biden administration’s weak policy, the Houthis have fired at US Navy warships dozens of times, launched numerous attacks on civilian infrastructure in partner nations, and attacked commercial vessels transiting Bab al-Mandeb more than 100 times."
WORKING TO 'ELIMINATE' THE HOUTHIS
The White House claimed that with Trump in office, it will be "the policy of the United States" to work with regional partners to "eliminate the Houthis capabilities and operations, deprive them of resources, and thereby end their attacks on US personnel and civilians, US partners, and maritime shipping in the Red Sea."
Additionally, the statement called on United Nations partners, nongovernmental organizations, and contractors operating in Yemen to be jointly reviewed by the Administrator of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the Secretary of State.
"Following this review, the President will direct USAID to end its relationship with entities that have made payments to the Houthis or which have opposed international efforts to counter the Houthis while turning a blind eye towards the Houthis terrorism and abuses," the statement concluded.
[TN Con News]Republican lawmakers’ plan for immigration includes a new division within Tennessee’s Department of Public Safety and punishment for sanctuary cities.
The Centralized Immigration Enforcement Division would be led by someone appointed by the governor to work with the Trump administration, according to information released by Gov. Bill Lee and Republican legislative leaders Wednesday.
The package up for consideration at Monday’s special session includes the creation of a new Class E felony for local officials who agree to become sanctuary cities. The punch line:
3. Local accountability: Creates a Class E felony offense for local officials who adopt or maintain sanctuary city policies in violation of state law and empowers the Tennessee Attorney General to initiate removal proceedings for officials convicted of violating anti-sanctuary city provisions. Awaiting proof - like many "Red" States, there is a strong RINO contingent
[IsraelTimes] MBS says he plans to invest $600b in US during 2nd Trump term; Netanyahu fields first call from new Secretary of State Rubio, who vows to ‘work tirelessly’ for the hostages’ freedom.
[FoxNews] The House Homeland Security Committee is highlighting threats posed by homegrown extremists inspired by foreign jihadist networks.
House Homeland Security Committee Chairman Mark Green, R-Tenn., said Wednesday the "national security blunders of the past four years" have "emboldened" foreign terrorist organizations (FTOs) and homegrown violent extremism.
The committee on Wednesday morning released an updated version of its Terror Threat Snapshot assessment, highlighting threats posed by homegrown extremists inspired by foreign jihadist networks like ISIS in America and around the world.
Image of the snapshot can be seen at the link.
The updated report comes less than a month after Texas native and U.S. military veteran Shamsud-Din Jabbar killed 14 civilians Jan. 1, when he drove a truck through crowds of New Year's revelers on Bourbon Street around 3 a.m. in what federal authorities described as an ISIS-inspired terrorist attack.
"The New Orleans terrorist attack was a stark reminder that the terror threat to America is alive and persistent," Green said. "The House Homeland Security Committee highlighted this fact back in October, and, sadly, Americans have witnessed major escalations in these threats just in the past three months."
The report details more than 50 jihadist cases across 30 states between April 2021 and January 2025, including "dozens of attempts to provide material support to ISIS," "providing material support to Hizballah and al Qaeda," "receiving military-type training from ISIS and Hizballah" and "vehicle ramming attacks."
From the botched Afghanistan withdrawal in August 2021 to the New Orleans attack, the report includes a detailed list of all alarming terrorist-inspired attacks and arrests since former President Biden took office four years ago.
The New Orleans terrorist attack was a stark reminder that the terror threat to America is significant and growing.
Our updated "Terror Threat Snapshot" reflects the ongoing threats that the U.S. faces from individuals radicalized to commit violence against Americans. pic.twitter.com/Fx3DRWanLg
[Rudaw] Iraq’s legislature on Tuesday passed three controversial bills regarding the return of land confiscated under the Baath regime to the original Kurdish owners, the amendments to the controversial personal status law pushed for by the Shiite blocs, and the general amnesty bill that would change the definition of affiliation with terror groups desired by Sunni groups after months of disagreements.
Kurdish, Shiite and Sunni politicians last year introduced three bills which later became a headache for the parliament as discussions and voting on them were repeatedly delayed due to agreements.
However,
it's easy to be generous with someone else's money... in a surprising move on Tuesday, the politicians agreed to pass all three bills, ending months of disputes.
One of the bills seeks the return of properties to their original Kurdish and Turkmen owners. The land was taken from them and given to Arab settlers by the Baathist Revolutionary Command Council decades ago.
"The Iraqi parliament took a big step to dissolve the decisions that were made to occupy Kurdish and Turkmen lands 20 years after being saved from the previous regime and after 50 years of occupation, " Shakhawan Abdullah, deputy speaker of the Iraqi parliament said at the parliament building while surrounded by fellow Kurdish politicians from rival parties.
Abdullah thanked the Kurdish blocs for their "unified stance" and attributed the bill’s passing to "vigilance and continuous efforts."
The disputed and diverse areas, particularly oil-rich Kirkuk, ... a thick stew of Arabs, Turkmen, Kurds, and probably Antarcticans, all of them mutually hostile most of the time... have long been a flashpoint between the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) and the federal government. Under the Baath regime in the 1970s, Kurdish and Turkmen lands were confiscated and given to resettled Arabs. After the US toppled Saddam Hussein’s regime in 2003, Iraq's constitutionally mandated de-Arabization policy under Article 140 aimed to reverse these demographic changes. In July 2023, the Council of Ministers approved a draft law to revoke Baath-era land confiscations.
"I would like to congratulate the Iraqi parliament presidency and the Kurdish factions and all those who played a role in the passage and approval of this bill," Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) leader Masoud Barzani said in a statement.
"I hope this will be the beginning of correcting all the mistakes and falsehoods that have been committed against the interests of Iraqi citizens throughout the history of the Iraqi state," Barzani added.
The general amnesty bill seeks to amend the 2016 law’s definition of affiliation with terrorist organizations, a key Sunni demand for joining the ruling State Administration Coalition. Sunnis argue that thousands from their community have been unjustly imprisoned in Shiite-dominated Iraq since 2003 over alleged terror links.
"A decision was made to pass the general amnesty bill which is a very important decision at this stage and a positive message to the component that feels oppression due to the security situation around the country," Iraqi parliament speaker Mahmoud al-Mashhadani said in a statement.
Mashhadani, who is a Sunni, added that the process was accelerated thanks to cooperation with Kurdish and Shiite "brothers."
He said the law applies to all Iraqis but has benefited some groups more than others, not just the Sunni component.
The 1959 Personal Status Law governs marriage, divorce, and inheritance. The amendment, introduced by independent politician Raed al-Maliki and widely supported by Shiite politicians, allows religious rules to dictate personal status matters. The proposed changes faced strong opposition, with over 130 politicians signing a petition against it and activists warning it could legitimize child marriage and erode legal protections for women.
sThe proposed bill states that for Shiites, the Jaafari school of law would apply, which allows marriage for girls as young as nine and boys at fifteen.
"This [false or heretic] innovation is alien to the principles of legislation and serves the agenda of the politicians to achieve their narrow interests in a way that increases the division of society and threatens its security and stability in these difficult circumstances," Shiite politician Haider al-Salami said in a statement on Facebook.
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
[Regnum] On January 21, the Iraqi parliament adopted amendments to the personal status law, effectively allowing marriage to girls aged nine and older. This was reported by the CNN television channel.
The changes would expand the powers of Islamic courts in family matters, including marriage and divorce. The country's law sets 18 as the minimum age for marriage. But the amendments would give clerics the ability to make decisions based on their interpretation of Islamic law. Some argue that it would be acceptable for girls to marry in their "early teens." However, the Ja'fari school of Islamic law, which is revered by some religious authorities in Iraq, suggests nine years as the minimum.
Activists say the changes undermine the country's 1959 Personal Status Law, which unifies family law and provides guarantees for women. Supporters of the changes say the law has been brought "in line with Islamic principles" to reduce the influence of Western culture on Iraqi culture.
The article notes that half of the legislators present at the session did not vote, which violated the legal quorum. Some parliamentarians shouted protests, and some even went up to the podium.
As reported by the Regnum news agency, investigators in the Moscow region opened a criminal case against a 39-year-old Syrian for sexual intercourse with a minor. The couple registered their marriage in Aleppo, Syria, back in 2022, when the bride was only 14 years old. After some time, the husband moved her to Russia. The laws of the Syrian Arab Republic allow such early unions, but in the Russian Federation, the couple attracted the attention of law enforcement officers. At the same time, the young wife gave birth to her first child at the age of 15 in a perinatal center in the Moscow region. At the moment, she is pregnant again. According to the sanctions of Part 1 of Article 134 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation, the man may face up to four years in prison.
The editor-in-chief of the Regnum news agency, Marina Akhmedova, noted in her Telegram channel that, according to Russian law, the Syrian will probably be released from liability. To do this, it is enough to establish that the person and the crime he committed have ceased to be socially dangerous due to his marriage to the victim. At the same time, she emphasized that the man quite consciously violated the law of the country in which he lived for a long time, and did not even hide it too much. In her opinion, such behavior leads to the breakdown of taboos in people's subconscious, as a result of which foreigners can calmly violate Russian law in their homeland, and "bring the consequences."
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01/23/2025 00:00 ||
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[IsraelTimes] Senior UN aid official says some kids tried to loot food baskets, water; believes issue will be resolved when Gazans realize there’s enough for everyone.
There would have been plenty long since, but Hamas has been hoarding it to control the population and profit off the black market they created and controlled.
#1
No surprise: after all, the same "western elites" that support the poor, oppressed "Palestinians"; support Muslim colonists' oppression of their own native populations.
I call BS.
Stop and imagine for a second the lines at the limited number of inspection stations and the limited number of usable roads leading into GAZA now.
Hamas sabotaged Iran-U.S. nuclear talks, says Iran's Vice President for Strategic Affairs Javad Zarif:
“We didn’t know about October 7. We were set to meet Americans on JCPOA renewal on October 9, but the operation destroyed it.” pic.twitter.com/Y8rMEJmvEg
In Davos, Mohammad Javad Zarif also says Israel failed in its Gaza war objectives, Tehran not building nukes; report says Iran to receive missile fuel shipment from China.
Posted by: Fred ||
01/23/2025 2025-01-23 00:53 ||
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#1
And you can believe as much of that as you want.
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited. by Leonid Tsukanov
[REGNUM] Having barely agreed on the contours of a ceasefire with Hamas, Israel has turned its attention to the West Bank (WB), where, according to the country's authorities, there has been a "sharp increase in the terrorist threat."
The counter-terrorist operation, dubbed "Iron Wall," initiated by Tel Aviv has been launched in the Jenin province. In addition to army units, members of the Magav (Border Police) and the General Security Service (Shabaq) have also been deployed.
The Israelis insist that the current operation is planned and differs little from previous raids on the West Bank. However, in reality it is perceived more as an attempt by the Israeli establishment to quickly switch attention from domestic problems to countering a common enemy.
RESTLESS JENIN
On Israeli operational maps, Jenin is traditionally classified as a "red zone" and is considered a key "sore spot" in the Judea and Samaria region (the Israeli term for the West Bank).
One of the reasons is the weak governance of these territories. Despite the fact that Jenin is under the jurisdiction of the Palestinian National Authority (PNA), much more than officials in the PNA capital Ramallah, the influence "on the ground" is exercised by the commanders of the Palestinian battalion "Jenin", hostile to official Tel Aviv.
The Israelis explicitly call the city among themselves the “center of Palestinian terrorism” and the “capital of suicide bombers,” which causes the security forces to constantly pay attention to it, especially after the bloody battles in Gaza.
Attempts to fight the enemy using raid methods are interspersed with periodic large-scale operations. Thus, the previous counter-terrorist operation in the vicinity of Jenin (August 2024) resulted in significant destruction of suburban neighborhoods and public infrastructure.
This time, Israeli security forces targeted the administrative center directly.
The Israeli offensive came amid sporadic clashes between the Palestinian Authority and armed groups in Jenin.
For a month, security forces loyal to the official Ramallah tried unsuccessfully to force opponents to surrender, as well as to disarm them.
Interestingly, at the height of the confrontation, in December 2024, Ramallah even tried to get “patronage” from the US President in the form of urgent deliveries of ammunition, helmets, body armor, radios, night vision devices, explosive disposal suits and armored vehicles.
However, Israel blocked the supplies out of fear that the ammunition and supplies could fall into the hands of Palestinian battalions.
The situation in Jenin was relatively stabilized by mid-January, when the PNA security forces and the commanders of local armed groups agreed to a gradual withdrawal of forces and the voluntary surrender of weapons by the “Jenin freebooters.”
However, the Iron Wall brought these efforts to naught: the Palestinian security forces were replaced by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF).
IRAN AS A COVER
Despite the fact that the IDF action in Jenin is positioned primarily as an operation to disorganize the terrorist underground in the West Bank, the Israeli authorities do not hide the fact that they are fighting on a broader front.
Thus, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, commenting on the results of the “Iron Wall,” indicated that the efforts of the army and intelligence services in Jenin are part of a strategy to counter Iranian influence.
"This is an additional step in achieving our goal of strengthening security in Judea and Samaria. We act methodically and decisively against the Iranian axis, wherever it penetrates - Gaza, Lebanon, Syria, Yemen, Judea and Samaria - and we continue to act actively," the Israeli prime minister concluded.
The Iranian side has not commented on the events in Jenin. Moreover, Iranian strategists do not include the West Bank in the “resistance zone.” And if they do, then only in passing, prioritizing support for loyal forces in the Gaza Strip. This positioning is due to both the unstable positions of anti-Israeli groups in this area and fears of violating the consensus with the PNA’s regional partners — Egypt and Jordan.
However, the return of official Tel Aviv to promoting the theme of “Iranian influence” in Palestine is not accidental.
With the ruling coalition in Israel continuing to split and some far-right politicians leaving it, Netanyahu desperately needs to keep the remaining right-wing parties in his orbit. This can only be done through quick and decisive victories.
And “restless Jenin” is perfect for such adventures – especially since there are still many in Netanyahu’s entourage who want to strengthen Israeli settlement expansion in the West Bank, including under the guise of fighting the terrorist threat.
Moreover, by skillfully juggling the thesis of the "Iranian trace" in Jenin, the current prime minister can undermine the position of the parliamentary opposition. Especially since it was under the government of Naftali Bennett and Yair Lapid, whose parties today form the backbone of the opposition in the Knesset, that Tel Aviv's attention to this area weakened.
In this context, the implementation of the “Iron Wall” is also positioned as a correction of other people’s mistakes, as well as proof that Israel maintains control over the situation in Palestine.
And this already somewhat shades the recent miscalculations of official Tel Aviv in Gaza and calms down the right-wing politicians who were about to leave. At least, this is what Netanyahu himself thinks.
[IsraelTimes] It expanded because it was tolerated where not encouraged. President Trump changes that equation, so I expect the reverse will spread as rapidly.
[NAHARNET] The Lebanese Forces A Christian political party founded by Bashir Gemayel, who was then bumped off when he was elected president of Leb... accused Wednesday Hezbollah and its allies of delaying the new government's formation through attempting to "impose certain candidates for certain portfolios."
The statement said Hezbollah's obstruction policy will no longer work, adding that their attempts are rejected by all blocs that believe in a future state.
"The Axis of Resistance®'s attempt to impose certain candidates for certain portfolios and to oblige the Prime Minister to include certain items in the ministerial statement, is rejected by all political forces who believe in forming a government that will pave the way for a state project and put an end to the statelet's project once and for all," the statement said.
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01/23/2025 00:00 ||
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#1
Hezbollah's obstruction policy will no longer work, adding that their attempts are rejected by all blocs that believe in a future state
[NAHARNET] President Joseph Aoun said Wednesday that ''the first positive sign that should be shown to the world is the formation of a government as soon as possible, instead of obstructing formation over narrow sectarian and political interests.''
''We should not waste the chances that are before us but must rather rise above all petty issues so that the government can be formed and work can begin,'' Aoun said during a meeting with a delegation from the Constitutional Council.
''The most important goal from speeding up the government's formation would be expediting the reconstruction of the regions that were affected by the last war,'' Aoun added.
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01/23/2025 00:00 ||
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[NAHARNET] Prime Minister-designate Nawaf Salam on Tuesday briefed President Joseph Aoun on the developments of the cabinet formation process without submitting a draft line-up, the Nidaa al-Watan newspaper reported on Wednesday.
Aoun and Salam discussed the ''obstacles that are impeding formation, which are related to distributing three key portfolios -- finance, health and public works -- and to a hurdle invented by the (Shiite) Duo, which is its attempt to place conditions on the management of cabinet sessions and the decision-taking mechanism, in a bid to establish new norms,'' the daily said.
''There is insistence from Salam that should the finance portfolio go to Shiites, it should be allotted to an independent figure not related to Amal or Hezbollah, who would be named by Salam in consensus with Aoun, something that is being rejected by the Hezbollah-Amal duo,'' Nidaa al-Watan added.
Posted by: Fred ||
01/23/2025 00:00 ||
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[Rudaw] Syria is expected to join the Iranian-led "resistance front" soon, a member of the Expediency Council said on Wednesday, despite the ousting of key Tehran ally Bashir Pencilneck al-Assad The Scourge of Hama...
"The Syrian nation will join the resistance front very soon and 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... is also seeking the independence and illusory sovereignty of Syria. In Syria, an inclusive government should be formed, consisting of all groups in Syria," Mohsen Rezai, a member of the Expediency Council, said, as cited by the semi-official Tasnim news agency, affiliated with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).
The Expediency Discernment Council of Iran is a top body established by Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei ...the very aged actual dictator of Iran, successor to Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini...> that adjudicates on differences between the parliament and the hardline Guardian Council, which can block legislation.
Iran was a staunch supporter of Assad’s Syrian regime, which was toppled by a coalition of rebel groups spearheaded by the Islamist Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham, formerly al-Nusra, before that it was called something else ...al-Qaeda's Syrian affiliate, from which sprang the Islamic State... (HTS) on December 8.
Rezai criticized the interference of external powers in Syria and emphasized its detrimental impact on the country.
" The Americans have strengthened their base in eastern Syria, and The Sick Man of Europe Turkey ...the only place on the face of the earth that misses the Ottoman Empire... is present in the north and Israel in the south of Syria," he said.
But Tehran also faced regular accusations of interference in Syria’s internal affairs during Assad’s reign, when it stationed military advisors around the country and established cultural centers aligned to its agenda during the brutal civil war.
Assadist Syria was a key component of Iran’s so-called "Axis of Resistance®," a network of influence in the Middle East to expand Iran’s hegemony and counter Western interests.
Iran last month blamed the US and Israel for being behind the recent developments in Syria since the fall of Assad and accused them of having a "master plan" for the Middle East after a Washington official said there would be no place for Iran in the new Syria.
The new Syrian authorities subsequently warned Iran against "spreading chaos" in their country and called on Tehran to respect the will of the Syrian people.
Syria has also warned Iran against "spreading chaos" in their country and called on Tehran to respect the will of the Syrian people.
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
[Regnum] The new Syrian authorities are negotiating with the Russian Federation on the future of Russian military bases located on Syrian territory, but the parties have not yet been able to reach an agreement. This was statedby the Minister of Defense in the transitional Syrian government, Murhaf Abu Kasra, in an interview with the Al Araby TV channel on January 22.
"It is still unclear what the final solution [to this issue] will look like. We have not yet received any instructions [from our leadership on this matter]," the minister noted.
He added that the country's leadership is conducting negotiations together with the Syrian Foreign Ministry.
Good luck, guys. I’m not sure working with the local Al Qaeda franchise is a good idea — they’re jihadi, donchaknow — but the world will benefit from having a reasonably responsible party on site. Enjoy being Johnny-on-the-spot.
Earlier, on January 22, the new Syrian authorities terminated the contract for the expansion and modernization of the Tartus port, which was concluded between the country and a Russian company in 2019. Tartus Customs Director Riyad Judi clarified that all revenues from the port's activities will be used in the interests of the Syrian state.
Deputy Foreign Minister of the Russian Federation Mikhail Bogdanov said on December 12 last year that Russia expects to maintain military bases in Syria due to their important role in the fight against international terrorism. The diplomat said that Moscow has established contacts in Syria with the political committee of the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham group (a terrorist organization whose activities are banned in the Russian Federation).
On December 8, Bashar al-Assad resigned as president and left Syria, ordering a peaceful transfer of power. He and his family arrived in Russia, where they were granted asylum.
Posted by: badanov ||
01/23/2025 00:00 ||
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Top|| File under: Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (al-Nusra)
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.
...mindless ferocity in a turban...
..the well-beloved offspring of the Moslem Brotherhood,...
Republican lawmakers’ plan for immigration includes a new division within 
...al-Qaeda's Syrian affiliate, from which sprang the Islamic State...
