[TWZ] U.S. Navy aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman is now in port in Greece for repairs following a collision with the cargo ship M/V Besiktas-M this past week. The service is continuing to assess the full extent of damage to the flattop, which is in the middle of a deployment that has already included combat operations in and around the Red Sea.
The Navy announced yesterday that Truman had arrived at Naval Support Activity (NSA) Souda Bay in Greece for what it has described as an Emergent Repair Availability (ERAV). The carrier had made a port stop in Souda Bay just days before the collision, which occurred on Feb. 12 in the Mediterranean Sea off the coast of Egypt as it was about to enter the Suez Canal. The incident remains under investigation.
“An assessment team will conduct a full survey of damaged areas and develop a repair plan to be executed immediately following completion of the assessment,” according to an official press release. “The assessment team includes structural engineers, naval architects, and other personnel from FDRMC [the Forward Deployed Regional Maintenance Center] and Norfolk Naval Shipyard (NNSY). They will be supported by ship’s force personnel and local industry partners for the repair effort.”
On Friday, the Navy released a picture showing damage to a sponson on the starboard side of the stern end of the ship’s number three aircraft elevator. The service subsequently released additional images, seen at the top of this story and below, showing further damage to the aft end of the starboard side of the hull.
“Damage [already] assessed includes the exterior wall of two storage rooms and a maintenance space. External to the ship, damage assessed includes a line handling space, the fantail, and the platform above one of the storage spaces,” according to the new Navy release. “Aircraft elevator number three sustained no damage and is fully operational. Forward Deployed Regional Maintenance Center (FDRMC) will lead the pier side ERAV, including an assessment and follow-on repairs to damages sustained.”
The Navy has previously said Truman did not experience any flooding and that its nuclear reactors were safe and sound as a result of the collision. None of the aircraft onboard were damaged and none of the crew were injured.
Details about the full extent of the damage to Besiktas-M remain unclear. There have been no reported injuries among its crew. The Panamanian-flagged cargo ship appears to be continuing on its planned voyage to the port of Constanta in Romania on the Black Sea, according to online ship tracking site Vessel Tracker.
“Deployed U.S. Navy ships routinely undergo planned and emergent maintenance periods such as mid-deployment voyage repairs and ERAVs, allowing forward-deployed ships to sustain maximal operational readiness,” the service has stressed in its latest release about Truman. “The United States’ relationships with Allies and partners provides access to ports around the world, granting the U.S. Navy strategic pier availability and resources critical for operational flexibility.”
“While the ship is fully mission capable and the ship conducted flight operations following the collision, pulling into port for emergent repairs will enable the ship to continue deployment as scheduled,” Navy Capt. Dave Snowden, the carrier’s commanding officer, also said in a statement.
A downpayment on the billions America has given the Taliban in the last five years alone. You’re welcome.
[ToloNews] The Center for Global Development, in a newly published report, has stated that the suspension of US aid will have catastrophic consequences for poor countries, including Afghanistan.
The report mentions that Afghanistan is one of eight countries most dependent on US aid.
The Center for Global Development also stated that 35% of all foreign aid to Afghanistan was provided by the US Agency for International Development (USAID), and the suspension of this aid will result in a 7% reduction in Afghanistan's economic growth.
Meanwhile,
...back at the mall, Clarissa spent the day shopping for new underwear. Tonight was going to be a special occasion... some Kabul residents have expressed concerns over economic challenges and unemployment, calling on authorities to assist those in need.
"My request to the officials is to come and survey our home and help those who are in need, especially as the holy month of Ramadan is approaching," Mujahid, a Kabul resident, told TOLOnews.
The Ministry of Economy acknowledged the short-term negative impact of the suspension of US humanitarian aid on those in need but said that it will have no effect on the overall economy of Afghanistan.
"In the short term, it will have negative effects on our people as some benefited from this aid, but overall, it cannot negatively impact the country's economy because all economic programs rely on domestic revenue," Abdul Rahman Habib, the spokesperson for the Ministry of Economy, told TOLOnews.
"Aid organizations operating in Afghanistan did not have significant efficiency, faced distribution challenges, and were not effective and beneficial," said Abdul Ghaffar Nazami, an economic analyst.
According to the report by the Center for Global Development, the United States has provided over $3 billion in financial aid to Afghanistan in the past three years and has been the country’s largest financial supporter.
However,
Caliphornia hasn't yet slid into the ocean, no matter how hard it's tried... the restriction of this aid has placed Afghanistan among the most economically vulnerable countries in the world.
These are the very basic questions that any entity that strives to orient itself in space and time and act rationally has to ponder.
These are the very basic questions that the West has avoided contemplating since the 1990s and especially since 9/11.
Instead opting for a sleepwalking irrational reflex driven incoherent approach that was a mix of inaction in the face of threats and frantic and expensive action that exacerbated threats.
Who are we? That's the question JD Vance asked in Munich.
Europe's answer was cognitively dissonant gibberish. The US hasn't given a definitive answer yet.
WRT Afghanistan these fundamental questions should be answered by Western decision makers.
Who and what are the Afghans to us?
What do we want with the Afghans?
Where is Afghanistan going? Where should it be go?
Who are we serving wrt Afghanistan?
Who do we trust wrt Afghanistan?
As long as these fundamental questions haven't even been contemplated any action taken is irrational.
#3
Washington spent the USA into a $35+ Trillion, Dollar debt. DC has funded & supported some of the most vicious dictators and governments on this Earth.
All while they screwed over the US Taxpayers, and too many DC Swamper's have gotten Super $$$$$$$ Filthy Rich doing it.
BTW: What are we on now for "Saving Africa" #5 or #6, plus feeding 14 Million ILLEGALS?
All while we have Homeless Vets, and Sr. Citizens doing w/o basics, that are being given freely overseas.
But you miss mine: these $$$ - whether they're spent inside, or outside, USA - are spent on causes hostile to the people of USA. That is, if you block them, you save more than a 100% of the money.
If the US and the West cancels any aid to Afghanistan then any cent spent on food aid by Qatar et al will be not be spent on Hamas, Hezbollah, MB operatives in the West and world wide.
Zero aid to Afghanistan conserves much more than the aid itself.
The Afghans hate us anyway. Aid is seen a form of global Jizyia and adds contempt to their hate.
If the Trump administration had b*lls they would propose Congress repurpose these funds to 9/11 related expenses publicly and explicitly.
Money is fungible, but it would be a powerful political message.
[HODHODYEMENNEWS.NET] Prominent southern leader Ali al-Dhalei bin Harara, known as the ''Sultan of the South,'' has called for the arrest of the leaders of the UAE-backed Southern Transitional Council (STC) and their imprisonment on charges of treason and corruption.
This came in an audio recording circulating on social media platforms on Monday, in which he accused the head of the council, Aidarous al-Zubaidi, and the council members of involvement in corruption that led to the deterioration of the situation in Aden and the rest of the southern provinces.
Bin Harara described the current situation as ''catastrophic,'' indicating that the STC leaders are carrying out intelligence roles with Emirati support and in cooperation with figures he called ''Al-Afafish'' loyal to former President former President-for-Life Ali Abdullah Saleh ... Saleh initially took power as a strongman of North Yemen in 1977, when disco was in flower, but he didn't invite Donna Summer to the inauguration and Blondie couldn't make it. He was eventually tossed from office and the Hadi goverment installed. When the Houthis rebeled he and his multiple son thought he could claw back to power. Then he saw the way the land actually lay and struck out on his own, briefly, until the Houthis caught him at a checkpoint and murdered him. It was all very sad.... , in a move aimed at controlling Aden and the southern regions.
He also described the STC leaders as ''mercenaries'' and considered them ''a poisoned dagger in the back of the south,'' stressing that they are exploiting the suffering of citizens, who suffer from a severe shortage of basic services such as electricity and food, to achieve personal gains and amass wealth.
Bin Harara called on the military and security leaders in the south, including leader Salah al-Shanfara, to take responsibility and take immediate steps to arrest those leaders and put them in prison. He affirmed that the future of the southern provinces will not be achieved by relying on external parties such as Washington, Dubai, Riyadh, or The Sick Man of Europe Turkey ...the occupiers of Greek Asia Minor... .
Bin Harara's statements come amid escalating popular protests in Aden and other southern provinces, where living and service conditions are witnessing a sharp deterioration, with an exchange of accusations between the STC and other components of the government supported by the Saudi-led coalition forces.
Posted by: Fred ||
02/19/2025 01:25 ||
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Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited. by Leonid Tsukanov
[REGNUM] Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi recently met with representatives of Yemen’s loyalist “Salvation Government” in Oman. The meeting went largely unnoticed amid other major international events, such as the Russian-American talks in Saudi Arabia and the Munich Security Conference. However, it marks an important shift in securing areas of influence in Yemen.
In addition, we are talking about Iran’s attempt to take advantage of the pause in the confrontation with Israel and conduct a careful audit of the “Axis of Resistance” and its adjacent “superstructures.”
YEMENI RESCUERS
Yemen's "Salvation Government," formed in 2016, was essentially a tactical alliance between the pro-Iranian Ansar Allah (Houthis) movement and other opponents of the Saudi-loyal regime of Abd Rabbu Mansour Hadi.
Despite the fact that the Houthis played the leading role in this alliance, at various times forces loyal to the UAE, Turkey and even Saudi Arabia joined in. Although Abu Dhabi and Riyadh consistently supported Hadi's supporters in their attempts to defeat the rebel government.
In September 2023, shortly before the crisis in the Gaza Strip, the "Salvation Government" was officially dissolved by the Houthis - although all of its ministers retained their portfolios and influence in the territories controlled by Ansar Allah. The balance of interests between representatives of different ideological currents was also maintained, despite protests from individual Houthi functionaries.
This “goodwill gesture” was aimed at activating the inter-Yemeni settlement that had begun a year earlier. There was hope that some representatives of the “rebellious provinces” (at least those not directly associated with the Houthis) would join the expanded Presidential Leadership Council (PLC).
But due to internal disagreements, the process of agreeing on candidates was delayed, and with the onset of the crisis in Gaza in October 2023, it came to naught altogether.
TRUSTED BRAND
Despite its dissolution in late 2023, the Salvation Government continued to periodically make its presence felt by meeting with Iranian officials. Its delegates even took part (along with the Houthis and Hezbollah) in the inauguration ceremony of Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian.
There were also attempts to conduct shuttle negotiations with Saudi and Turkish partners in an attempt to spur the stalled inter-Yemeni settlement.
It should be noted that official Tehran almost never brought contacts with the "Salvation Government" to the public plane, preferring to put the Houthis, the "punishing sword" of the pro-Iranian "Resistance Axis", in the foreground. The government played the role of "diplomatic extras", following in the wake of the policy of "Ansar Allah".
However, the situation gradually began to change in the opposite direction - and at the instigation of Iran.
Tehran fears that Israel will soon try to escalate the situation in the Gaza Strip again, citing the "inflexibility of Hamas." Especially since the Republican administration of the United States, unlike the Democrats, does not object to preemptive forceful actions in the enclave. And in some places, it even pushes official Tel Aviv to quickly resolve the crisis.
In such conditions, the Yemeni Houthis remain the only combat-ready unit capable of really drawing some of Tel Aviv’s attention. The other proxies – be it the Lebanese Hezbollah or the Palestinian Hamas – still need time to recover and regroup.
But Iran does not want to throw Ansar Allah into the attack at the first opportunity - the risk of US intervention in the conflict is too great. Washington has all the necessary resources to carry out a quick operation, and Iranian strategists are not ready to put a large proxy asset in the region at stake.
Moreover, such an action will most likely be met with understanding by the UN, especially after the incident with the capture and murder of an employee of the UN mission in Yemen by the Houthis.
At the same time, it is important for Tehran to demonstrate its commitment to the spirit of the inter-Yemeni settlement and thereby neutralize the temptation of the Arabian monarchies to support the military ambitions of individual hawks from the PRS by forcing the Houthis to fight on the ground.
Iran’s current attempts to publicly “separate” the Houthis and the “Salvation Government” on the political arena are aimed precisely at, on the one hand, preserving the “Axis of Resistance” in its current form, and on the other, providing conditions for negotiations with other Yemeni factions and their external partners.
ASSEMBLY POINT
The choice of location for the official meeting of Iranian officials and representatives of the "Salvation Government" is not accidental. Oman not only remains a key mediator in the negotiations between Yemeni factions, but also serves as a "relay" of the position of other Arabian monarchies that were previously involved in the conflict.
All agreements reached in Muscat are the collective brainchild of the participants in the settlement, even if only some of them are visibly present at the negotiations.
In addition, Oman also acts as a link in the behind-the-scenes dialogue between the US and Iran. And the meeting between Araghchi and Yemen's "Salvation Government" would hardly have taken place without the consent of the White House.
Moreover, with the arrival of Donald Trump, the “Omani negotiating line” between Washington and Tehran has once again become fully operational, and American diplomats are monitoring every diplomatic gesture by Tehran.
One gets the impression that Tehran sees the ultimate goal of its work as turning the “Salvation Government” into a Yemeni analogue of “Hezbollah” – with the full inclusion of pro-Iranian forces in the governance of a single country, but with the preservation of its own combat and mobilization potential.
Even if this means distancing ourselves from the Ansar Allah brand and sacrificing some of our political capital.
And the “Salvation Government” in this sense can be considered an “intermediate stage” in the reform of Yemeni assets.
While other external players, including the US, apparently do not object to such a transformation. Including against the background of the fact that the previously formed PRS has driven itself into a dead end and plunged into inter-factional squabbles.
And the timing for reforms has been well chosen: the public’s attention is entirely occupied by the “Ukrainian meetings” in Riyadh, and almost no one cares about the reshuffle in Yemen.
If all goes well, Iran will be able to integrate a broad group of loyalists (not just Ansar Allah functionaries) into Yemeni state institutions, while Saudi Arabia and the UAE will be able to avoid the disintegration of a single country into a warring North and South. And the United States will receive a signal of Tehran’s willingness to work toward regional détente.
The only question is whether Iran itself will not consider such a peculiar strategic move by the Pezeshkian government as a “sale” of the last independent asset of the “Axis of Resistance” to the country’s enemies.
[IsraelTimes] The BBC has been accused of airing a documentary ostensibly about the plight of “ordinary” Palestinians in Gaza without disclosing that the film focuses on the teen son of a senior Hamas minister, The Telegraph reports.
“Gaza: How To Survive a War Zone” is narrated by a 14-year-old boy named Abdullah Al-Yazouri, but the newspaper reports that the teen’s father is Ayman Alyazouri, deputy minister of agriculture in the Strip’s Hamas-run government.
The newspaper says the boy’s connection to Hamas is not revealed in the documentary and it is unclear if the production team knew.
The Telegraph reports that while the BBC has said it had full editorial control, it do not provide comment to the newspaper.
The UK public broadcaster has been criticized for its refusal to describe Hamas as terrorists, even though the group’s military wing is proscribed by the United Kingdom as such, and even after the widespread documentation of its systematic targeting of civilians on October 7, 2023.
The former director of the BBC, Danny Cohen, has accused the network of “egregious” anti-Israel bias.
[Townhall] We told you about this story last week, in which two Islamist nurses in Australia stated their demented and murderous desires on camera.
That was the story of Israeli Max Veifer speaking to Ahmad Rashad Nadir and Sarah Abu Lebdeh, both nurses at Bankstown Hospital in Sydney. Mr. Nadir is an Afghan refugee who only became an Australian citizen four years ago; Ms Abu Lebdeh is of Palestinian extraction. They were referred to the police for investigation by shocked hospital management, despite a whistleblower revealing after 10/7/2023 that staff were enthusiastic supporters of egregious anti-Israel slogans.
They were promptly fired, which was the only acceptable result for medical professionals who vow to kill categories of people against whom they're bigoted, should such patients suffer the misfortune of falling under their care. The female bigot was the more aggressively rude and spiteful of the two, but the male bigot -- who lied about being a doctor in the video exchange -- claimed to have already sent Israelis (feel to replace this with "Zionists" or "Jews") to hell.
A vile vial of morphine was allegedly discovered in his hospital locker after he was relieved of his duties, raising additional questions. His attorney attempted the remorseful contrition approach, which didn't save his client's job. The woman's family has been framing her as the victim, claiming the poor, homicidal, Jew-hating dear is now having panic attacks, as they allegedly shove reporters on public property. Fantastic people, obviously.
Any word on the progress of the criminal investigation? Usually such things end up with a small fine and a slap on the wrist in that part of the world, but the hospital has been embarrassed internationally, so one would expect commensurate punishment beyond merely firing them. Also, this:
[X]
BREAKING: Sydney Hospital, which employed the two Islamists, is now scrubbing their social media accounts of any posts with "Free Palestine" nurses and doctors.
Make sure to screenshot everything. We will no longer tolerate extremism and violence in Australia. pic.twitter.com/4H0iHSgvcB
A statement signed by dozens of Australian Muslim organizations and leaders says the uproar over the video interview that spanned the country’s political echelons was “calculated and politically motivated outrage.” It charges that the labeling of the incident as antisemitism “weaponized” the term to silence dissent.
The two were suspended after the video was shared and banned from ever working in Australia’s medical profession. Authorities continue to investigate the incident.
However, the statement by Australia’s Muslim community argues that the response was a “deliberate engineering of public morality.”
“This is more than hypocrisy. It is calculated, politically motivated outrage,” it says.
#3
The nurses have been defrocked, so that’s ok as far as that goes. But Australian Moslem organizations are outraged that those two hardworking kids are being picked on.
#6
If it is to be believe they have been saying things like this for over a year, the support has been there already, this is just reinforcements and cover.
[KhaamaPress] Pak media has reported that the police, in response to the growing insecurity in the country, have warned Maulana Fazlur Rehman ...Deobandi holy man, known as Mullah Diesel during the war against the Soviets, his sympathies for the Taliban have never been tempered by honesty. Fazl seldom misses a meal and is now so large he has his own gravitational pull... , the leader of the Jamaat Ulema-e-Islam ...the political wing of the Pak Taliban... party, that the Pak Taliban ...Arabic for students... (TTP) intends to assassinate him.
The Express Tribune newspaper reported on Monday, February 17 that the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa police issued a security advisory to Maulana Fazlur Rehman, urging him to enhance his security measures and limit his movements.
According to the report, "Sources informed the police that the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistain (TTP) intend to target Maulana Fazlur Rehman due to his involvement in religious and political activities."
Pak media, citing security sources, reported that the Taliban has assigned the task of assassinating this political and religious figure to "armed hitmen," who are planning to carry out the attack covertly.
In the police security advisory to Maulana Fazlur Rehman, it is stated that "In light of the recent terrorist incidents targeting politicians in the Bajaur tribal region, and the threats directed towards you, it is advised that you increase your security at your residence and limit your movements."
Ismail Ghori, the front man for Jamaat Ulema-e-Islam, also responded to this warning, stating that the party’s security guard is capable of protecting Maulana Fazlur Rehman and urging the police to ensure security instead of creating fear.
It is noteworthy that this religious leader was also targeted in an liquidation attempt last year, from which he narrowly escaped.
A bit Underwear Gnomes for my taste, but this falls under the President’s area of expertise, so he will no doubt derive immense amusement over whatever they’re coming up with.
[IsraelTimes] Financial support from Arab and Gulf states toward reconstruction of the torn enclave could bring Trump around to their alternative plan
Egypt’s President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi is expected to travel to Riyadh on Thursday, two cuss an Arab plan for oppression and disproportionate response... that may include up to $20 billion from the region for reconstruction.
A $20 billion contribution from Arab and Gulf states toward the fund, cited by two sources as being a likely figure, may be a good incentive for Trump to accept the plan, Emirati academic Abdulkhaleq Abdullah said. “Trump is transactional so $20 billion would resonate well with him,” Abdullah said.
Arab states are expected to discuss a post-war plan for Gaza to counter US President Donald Trump ...The cad! Twice caught beating wimmin!... ’s recent proposal to redevelop the strip under US control and permanently displace Paleostinians, a prospect that has angered regional leaders while being welcomed by Israel, although it has insisted that any relocation of Paleostinians would be voluntary.
Saudi Arabia ...a kingdom taking up the bulk of the Arabian peninsula, largely made up of sand and oil rigs. Its primary economic activity involves exporting oil and soaking Islamic rubes on the annual haj pilgrimage. The country supports a large number of princes in whatcha might call princely splendor. Formerly dictatorial and steeped in Olde Tyme Religion, deferring to Salafist holy men on all issues, it has now done a 180 and is making a serious effort to modernize, so as not to be left in the sand by its Gulf Arab neighbors. The holy men have been shoved to the background and the nation is now still dictatorial but somewhat rational. That doesn't make them trustworthy, but it's a start... , Egypt, Jordan, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar ...an emirate on the east coast of the Arabian Peninsula. It sits on some really productive gas and oil deposits, which produces the highest per capita income in the world. They piss it all away on religion, financing the Moslem Brotherhood and several al-Qaeda affiliates. Home of nutbag holy manYusuf al-Qaradawi... are set to review and discuss the Arab plan before it is presented at a scheduled Arab summit that is slated to take place in Cairo on March 4, four sources with knowledge of the matter said.
On Friday, a gathering of Arab state leaders, including Jordan, Egypt, the UAE and Qatar, was expected in Saudi Arabia, which is spearheading Arab efforts against Trump’s plan, although some sources said the date had not been confirmed yet.
Arab states were dismayed by Trump’s plan to “clean out” Palestinians from Gaza and resettle most of them in Jordan and Egypt to create a “Riviera of the Middle East.” The idea was immediately rejected by Cairo and Amman and seen in most of the region as deeply destabilizing, with rights groups saying that it would amount to forced expulsion, a potential war crime.
The Arab proposal, mostly based on an Egyptian plan, involves forming a national Palestinian committee to govern Gaza without Hamas involvement and international participation in reconstruction without displacing Palestinians abroad. The committee would also not be aligned with the Palestinian Authority, according to Egyptian officials involved in the efforts. A $20 billion contribution from Arab and Gulf states toward the fund, cited by two sources as being a likely figure, may be a good incentive for Trump to accept the plan, Emirati academic Abdulkhaleq Abdullah said.
“Trump is transactional so $20 billion would resonate well with him,” Abdullah said. “This would benefit a lot of US and Israeli companies.”
The PA’s cabinet said in a statement on Tuesday that the first phase of the plan under discussion would cost approximately $20 billion over three years.
Around a quarter million housing units have been destroyed or damaged, according to UN estimates. More than 90 percent of the roads and more than 80% of health facilities have been damaged or destroyed.
The Palestinian Authority’s estimate was matched by an assessment released by the United Nations, European Union and World Bank on Tuesday, which estimated that more than $50 billion would be required to rebuild Gaza and areas of the West Bank. The Interim Rapid Damage and Needs Assessment said that $53.2 billion is needed for recovery and reconstruction over the next ten years, with $20 billion needed in the first three.
Egyptian sources told Rooters that discussions are still underway as to the size of the financial The plan sees reconstruction taking place over a three-year timeframe, sources said.
Compare to President Trump’s estimate of 10-15 years. I know who I believe, though that may be the difference between Firet World construction and Third World…
“My conversations with Arab leaders, most recently King Abdullah [of Jordan], have convinced me they have a really realistic appraisal of what their role should be,” US Senator Richard Blumenthal told reporters in Tel Aviv during a visit to Israel on Monday.
Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar said Israel was waiting to evaluate the plan as it comes together but warned that any plan in which Hamas continued to have a presence in Gaza was not acceptable.
“When we hear it, we will know how to address it,” he said.
The 16 months of war in the Gaza Strip, sparked by the Hamas-led invasion and massacre in southern Israel on October 7, 2023, has devastated the Paleostinian enclave.
Around a quarter million housing units have been destroyed or damaged, according to UN estimates. More than 90 percent of the roads and more than 80% of health facilities have been damaged or destroyed. Damage to infrastructure has been estimated at some $30 billion, along with an estimated $16 billion in damage to housing.
[IsraelTimes] The recently freed female surveillance soldiers were moved from a tunnel in Gaza days before it was bombed by the IDF amid the intensive aerial campaign that followed the October 7, 2023, Hamas terror onslaught, according to Channel 12 news.
The network says around a month later, Hamas repaired the tunnel and moved the captives back there. The report doesn’t say why Hamas initially decided to move the women out of the tunnel to a site aboveground.
[IsraelTimes] Released hostage Iair Horn is struggling with walking and with vision problems after being kept in tunnels for 498 days, but all he cares about right now is getting his younger brother Eitan Horn home, says Dalia Cusnir, the sister-in-law of the Horn brothers, in a meeting with journalists.
As Horn was meeting with doctors about his care, says Cusnir, "he stood up and stopped everyone. ’You asked what I need,’ said Iair Horn. ’The only thing I need is for you to bring me my brother.'"
Cusnir says Horn was initially held with his brother Eitan and then separated but they don’t know how long ago they were separated. Eitan Horn was visiting Iair on Kibbutz Nir Oz on October 7 when they were taken hostage by Hamas ..the well-beloved offspring of the Moslem Brotherhood,... terrorists.
"Being with Eitan was very significant," says Cusnir of Iair’s captivity. "It gave him a reason, a purpose to fight and struggle and to wake up and stand up every morning. He had to keep going because of Eitan."
Eitan Cusnir has a severe skin disease that requires medication and has led to infections in the past, and the lack of hygiene in the tunnels is highly problematic with his disease and frightening to his family.
As the eldest son in the family of three brothers, who used to sleep in the same bedroom growing up in Argentina ...a country located on the other side of the Deep South. It is covered with Pampers and inhabited by Grouchos, who dance the Tangle. They used to have some islands called the Malvinas located where the Falklands are now. They're not supposed to cry for Evita... and followed one another to Israel as teens, Iair Horn feels tremendous responsibility for his brothers, who Cusnir says are like triplets.
Eitan Horn is not on the list of 33 hostages to be freed in the first stage of the current hostage deal.
Iair Horn hasn’t shared many details about his captivity, says his sister-in-law. He has mentioned a little bit about physical and psychological torture and that the worst day was October 7, when they were kidnapped with severe violence.
"They are counting the minutes and the seconds," says Cusnir, "knowing that if they arrive at the end of the day and are still alive, that’s a miracle, and who knows what’s next."
Iair Horn was unaware of what was happening with the other hostages, and thought that all the women and kiddies were released in November 2023. He also didn’t know what happened to Nir Oz, where one in four people were killed or taken hostage, nor of the vast destruction in the community that day.
"He asked to see a list of all the hostages from the other kibbutz and the Nova festival," says Cusnir. "He said that’s his task, and he wanted to go to the [hostage] rally yesterday [marking 500 days of captivity.] He said, ’I’m going to be on the stage to talk to everyone,’ and we had to tell him the doctors wouldn’t allow it yet."
Cusnir adds, "He said that as long as there are hostages 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... , he is still a hostage."
[IsraelTimes] Mobile homes also expected to be delivered to enclave as demanded by Hamas; FM Sa’ar says talks for second stage of ceasefire to start this week
Heavy construction equipment was said to begin 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 on Tuesday, in a step toward bolstering the fragile ceasefire between Israel and Hamas ..a contraction of the Arabic words for "frothing at the mouth",... Egypt’s al-Ghad TV reported that the equipment crossed from Egypt into Gaza through the Rafah crossing.
The entry of mobile homes and construction equipment into Gaza has been a sticking point, with the terror group last week threatening to halt the release of hostages under the ceasefire deal unless the items were allowed in.
The report came as Tuesday statements from Israeli and Hamas officials said six living Israeli hostages will be released on Saturday from Hamas captivity in Gaza. The six are all the remaining living captives set to go free in the ongoing first phase of the deal with the terror group.
Israel will allow mobile homes and heavy construction equipment into Gaza in a controlled manner as it seeks to expedite the release of the six living hostages, a senior Israeli official said earlier.
"Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is making immense efforts to secure the release of the six living hostages that remain as part of phase one [of the hostage-ceasefire deal], and also four hostages who are not alive," the official said.
"Under the agreement, Israel agreed to allow mobile homes and construction equipment into Gaza after stringent inspections. In accordance with the negotiations and on condition Hamas upholds the agreement, Israel will begin allowing this in a controlled and phased way."
Hamas is set to release four bodies on Thursday.
According to reports, the ceasefire and hostage release agreement explicitly states that supplies and equipment can be brought into Gaza to establish at least 60,000 temporary living facilities. The details of the deal have not been published in full. Hamas has also said it wants hundreds of heavy construction machines while alleging that only a handful have arrived so far.
Earlier this week Netanyahu reportedly refused to approve the entry of mobile homes and heavy equipment into the Gaza Strip.
A political official told the Kan public broadcaster that during a security consultation chaired by the prime minister "it was decided that the issue of caravans will be discussed in the coming days. Israel is fully coordinating with the United States."
[IsraelTimes] Family of Shiri, Ariel and Kfir Bibas ‘in turmoil’ over Hamas announcement, has not received Israeli confirmation; only 3 living hostages were to go free this week, but Hamas will instead release all 6 of phase 1’s remaining living hostages
All six remaining living hostages slated to be released in the first phase of 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... ceasefire deal will be freed Saturday, Israeli and Hamas ..a regional Iranian catspaw,... officials said Tuesday, in a surprise move apparently linked to growing worries that the ceasefire and captive release deal in the Gaza Strip could collapse.
Encouragement over the expedited release, which will include two Israelis held in the Strip for over a decade, was tempered, however, with an announcement from the terror group that it would also transfer the bodies of mother Shiri Silberman Bibas and her two young children Ariel and Kfir back to Israel, dampening hopes that the three might still be found alive.
The Bibas family said it was "in turmoil" over the announcement and had not received confirmation from Israel.
Hamas leader in Gaza Khalil al Hayya said that among the six living hostages will be Israelis Avera Mengistu and Hisham al-Sayed, who have been held by Hamas since entering the Strip on their own in 2014 and 2015, respectively. The other four — Tal Shoham, Omer Shem-Tov, Omer Wenkert, and Eliya Cohen — were kidnapped during the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack on southern Israel.
Al Hayya said that the releases would be conditioned on Israel living up to its side of the first phase of the deal, which includes the release of hundreds of Paleostinian inmates, including many serving life sentences for murder, a cessation of fighting in the Strip and the entry of aid and other equipment into the beleaguered enclave.
Under the original agreement with Hamas, only three living hostages were scheduled to go free on Saturday, and the remaining three a week later. Israel had been pushing hard to get all six out as early as possible, spurred by US President Donald Trump ...Never got invited to a P.Diddy party... ’s call last week for all Israeli hostages to go free in a single group.
An Israeli official said the updated terms had been reached during talks in Egypt last week.
"If the agreement in Cairo is carried out, it will be an important achievement for Israel," the official said.
The Prime Minister’s Office also confirmed that four dead hostages would be released on Thursday, but did not name them. The only name on the phase one list whose death Israel has confirmed is Shlomo Mantzur.
Israel has said it has "grave concerns" for the fate of Silberman Bibas and her young sons. Hamas’s al Hayya said earlier Tuesday that members of the Bibas family would be among the four bodies to be handed over on Thursday.
Responding to the announcement, the family stressed: "Until we receive definitive confirmation, our journey is not over."
Silberman Bibas, 32 at the time, was kidnapped from her Nir Oz home on October 7, with her young boys Ariel, 4 at the time, and Kfir, who was only nine months old. Husband and father Yarden Bibas, who was kidnapped separately from their home after he left the safe room hoping to distract the button men and save his family., was freed from Gaza on February 1.
Footage from October 7 showed Silberman Bibas clutching the boys as they were led away by Hamas button men, and the IDF later released video it found showing them being moved between buildings in Khan Younis, but their fate has remained unknown. Hamas claimed in November 2023 that Silberman Bibas and the kids were killed in an IDF strike. Israel called the claim cruel propaganda and did not confirm it.
The annex of the ceasefire agreement that deals with the release of the bodies was revealed on Monday evening and has not been officially published.
Hamas is also required by the agreement to release four more bodies of hostages next week, according to the PMO, completing the release of the 33 Israeli hostages in phase one.
Hamas will, in turn, be securing the early release of 47 Hamas members who were released in the 2011 exchange for former IDF soldier Gilad Shalit but later rearrested by Israel. The original deal had stipulated that those 47 prisoners be released by the final day of phase one in early March.
It was the terror group first raised the idea of expediting the release of the remaining living hostages listed under phase one, two Israeli officials told Axios.
"Hamas feared that the agreement will not last until day 42 when these 47 prisoners were supposed to be released because Israel will blow it up," an Israeli official told Axios.
The decision to expedite the releases indicates that both sides think that the hostage deal might collapse before the 42nd day of phase one, Axios suggested.
IDENTIFYING THE BODIES
Israel on Tuesday was preparing to receive and identify the four bodies on Thursday. The bodies will be transported to Israel’s National Center of Forensic Medicine (Abu Kabir) in Jaffa by Israel Defense Forces ambulances for identification.
Families will be updated when the bodies have been properly identified, according to Hebrew media, and only after that will the details be released to the public. Some news outlets have said they will not broadcast photos or footage of the bodies or coffins distributed by Hamas out of respect for the bereaved.
The Health Ministry reminded the public that these are "sensitive times" for the loved ones of the slain hostages and urged everyone to respect their privacy.
The Kan public broadcaster reported that the bodies would be identified within 48 hours at Abu Kabir, which has been renovated to provide areas for the families to gather if necessary according to the circumstances in which the remains are received.
The head of the Israel Police’s forensics division, Lt. Col. Aliza Raziel, told Channel 12 on Tuesday that together with Abu Kabir and the IDF, the authorities were "ready to receive the bodies and activate all existing scientific identification methods."
She said that authorities began collecting biometric data from hostages, including dental records, fingerprints, and DNA, soon after the hostages were taken "so that when the time comes, we could compare and identify them accurately."
Volunteer dentists have been trained to identify the bodies, Raziel told Channel 12, adding that fingerprints could also be used, depending on the condition of the remains.
"And in cases where these options cannot be used, the DNA test remains, for which we have prepared all the data in advance," she explained, noting that the identification system used in Israel is considered one of the most advanced in the world.
PHASE TWO TALKS THIS WEEK
Israel, meanwhile, will in the coming days begin negotiations on the second phase of the Gaza ceasefire deal, including an exchange of the remaining hostages for more Paleostinian security prisoners, Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar said, adding that Israel is demanding a complete demilitarization of the enclave.
Fifty-nine Israelis will remain in captivity after the completion of phase one of the deal, 24 of whom are believed to be alive. The other 35 have been confirmed dead by Israeli authorities.
Sa’ar told foreign journalists in Jerusalem Tuesday that the talks will begin "this week."
"We had a security cabinet meeting last night. We decided to open negotiations on the second phase. It will happen this week," he said of the talks, which were originally supposed to start on February 3.
Hayya, the senior Hamas official, said in a statement that Hamas is prepared to immediately begin negotiations regarding phase two of the deal.
Sa’ar said Israel will not accept any scenario in which Gaza terror groups retain weapons. A "Hezbollah model" in Gaza would not be acceptable to Israel "and therefore we need a total demilitarization of Gaza and no presence of the Paleostinian Authority," he said in a presser.
He added that Israel was aware of an alternative plan by Arab states for Gaza made to counter US President Donald Trump’s proposal to redevelop the Strip under US control, which Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said is worthy of exploration.
Israel will not support a plan that would see civilian control of Gaza transferred from Hamas to the Paleostinian Authority, Sa’ar said.
The ceasefire stipulates that the parties must begin negotiations regarding phase two of the deal no later than the 16th day of the first phase, which was on February 3, but talks have yet to begin. The second phase provides for the end of the war and the withdrawal of all IDF troops from Gaza.
Hamas has so far released 24 hostages — 19 Israeli civilians and female soldiers, and five Thai nationals — during the current ceasefire, which began on January 19. The terror group also freed 105 civilians during a weeklong truce in late November 2023, and four hostages were released before that.
[IsraelTimes] Roster includes two men who wandered into Gaza a decade ago, a father kidnapped while visiting his in-laws on Kibbutz Be’eri, and three young men abducted from the Nova rave
Israel confirmed Tuesday that the final six living hostages slated for release under phase one of a ceasefire deal would all be freed on Saturday, after the Hamas terror group announced that it would expedite the handovers.
The six include Avera Mengistu and Hisham al-Sayed, who have been held by Hamas since entering the Strip on their own in 2014 and 2015, respectively.
The other four, all of whom were taken on October 7, 2023, include father Tal Shoham and three young men kidnapped from the Nova music festival: Omer Shem-Tov, Omer Wenkert and Eliya Cohen.
Hamas is also slated to release the bodies of eight slain hostages over the next two weeks.
Families of all six living hostages confirmed that they were on the list of captives slated for release.
“I see Omer’s name on TV and I don’t believe it,” Shem-Tov’s mother Shelly said after receiving word, according to Channel 12 news. “Now I can say that we can breathe, and I’m just waiting to hug my Omer.”
AVERA MENGISTU, 37
Mengistu will have spent 3,821 days in captivity by the time he is released on Saturday, according to the Hostage Families Forum.
According to his family and Israeli officials, Mengistu crossed into northern Gaza from the beach at Zikim in September 2014. The then-28-year-old was spotted by IDF security cameras, but made it through the fence before troops could reach the scene. He was picked up by a Hamas patrol and was not heard from until the terror group released a video purporting to show him alive in early 2023.
Mengistu hails from Ashkelon’s working-class Ethiopian-Israeli community. According to his family, he suffered from mental illness, and was given an exemption from military service. Mengistu’s family has struggled over the years to rally public support or pressure the government to negotiate his release, with some relatives alleging racism and contrasting his plight with that of soldier Gilad Shalit, a cause celebre who was freed in 2011 in exchange for over 1,000 Palestinian inmates.
“We know that he is alive and in a bad mental and physical condition,” a relative told a Tel Aviv rally in August. “He’s been there not for a month or a year but for 10 years.”
Reports following the October 7, 2023, massacre indicated that Hamas lulled Israel into complacency by feigning serious interest in a deal for Mengistu and al-Sayed.
HISHAM AL-SAYED, 37
Al-Sayed, a 28-year-old Bedouin Israeli from the village of Hura in the Negev desert, entered the Strip near the Erez Crossing in April 2015. According to his father, this was not his first time going into Gaza, but in this case he was stopped by Hamas and taken into its custody. By the time he is released on Saturday, he will have spent nearly 3,600 days in the hands of the terror group.
Like Mengistu, al-Sayed suffered from mental illness, though he briefly served in the military before being discharged. According to Human Rights Watch, in the years prior to his entering Gaza, al-Sayed was “diagnosed with schizophrenia and a personality disorder, among other conditions” and was repeatedly institutionalized. In one instance, he escaped a hospital and nearly made it inside Gaza before being stopped, according to the group, which examined his medical records.
Al-Sayed was not heard from until 2022, when Hamas released a video showing him looking sick and depleted in a bed and hooked up to an oxygen tank. In a statement Tuesday, al-Sayed’s family said they had been waiting for him for a decade, and added that their happiness would not be complete until all hostages returned home.
“It cannot be that the fate of other hostages will be a decade in captivity,” they said.
TAL SHOHAM, 39
Tal Shoham, a dual Israeli-Austrian citizen from the northern town of Maale Tzviya, was taken hostage by Hamas terrorists on October 7 while visiting his wife’s family on Kibbutz Be’eri for the Simchat Torah holiday.
His wife, Adi Shoham, his daughter, Yahel, 3, and son, Naveh, 8, as well as his mother-in-law Shoshan Haran, his wife’s aunt Sharon Avigdori and her daughter Noam, 12, were also taken hostage, but released on November 25, 2023.
His father-in-law Avshalom Haran was killed during the attack, as were his wife’s aunt and uncle Eviatar and Lilach Kipnis, who lived next door in Be’eri.
According to Shoham’s father, Gilad Korngold, the extended family had been hiding in the Haran family home but were forced to flee after Hamas terrorists set it on fire.
According to Korngold, a person on Kibbutz Be’eri saw Shoham in restraints but walking on his own feet before being shoved into the trunk of a stolen car by his captors. Little is known about his condition.
Adi Shoham said last year that she had been collecting questions asked by their two kids in his absence, including “When is dad coming home?” and “Mom, are we going to die?”
ELIYA COHEN, 27
Eliya Cohen was with his fiancé, Ziv, at the Nova desert rave when Hamas gunmen attacked, said his mother, Sigi Cohen. The two tried to escape but were chased by terrorists and both shot.
They attempted to hide among a pile of dead bodies in a bomb shelter, but Aboud, who escaped, told Cohen’s mother that she felt him being pulled up and then placed on a pickup truck and driven away. It was later discovered that Cohen was in the same vehicle with hostages Hersh Goldberg-Polin, Or Levy and Alon Ohel, who were also abducted from the shelter.
The family eventually found a photo showing Cohen in Gaza.
Earlier this month, the family said they heard from recently released captives that Cohen has been chained throughout his time in captivity and gets very little food or daylight. A bullet wound in his leg has yet to be properly treated, according to the accounts, which were relayed by Sigi Cohen to Hebrew language media.
OMER WENKERT, 23
Omer Wenkert was also taken captive by Hamas terrorists at the Nova festival on October 7. He was in touch with his parents that morning, telling them he was “scared to death.” Their last communication with him was at 7:50 a.m.
They were later sent a Hamas video of Omer, tied up on the flatbed of a white pickup truck, in his underwear, confirming that he had been taken hostage in Gaza.
Wenkert suffers from colitis and can have very dramatic attacks, said his parents in a video posted on the website that was put together about him.
In October, Wenkert’s mother Niva told Hebrew language media that they had not received any sign of life from him since the release of hostage Liam Or, who had been held with him, in November 2023. At the time, Wenkert was described as dangerously underweight, with almost no attention paid to his medical needs.
“His diet was three dates a day. Dates may be quite healthy, but for Omer they can be fatal,” she said. “Dates have dietary fiber and colitis sufferers cannot consume dietary fiber.”
The Gedera resident was described as vibrant and social with a wide circle of friends. He works as a restaurant manager and plans to become a restaurant critic.
OMER SHEM-TOV, 22
Omer Shem-Tov last spoke to his parents around 10 a.m. on October 7, as he sounded increasingly panicked about what was happening around him while Hamas terrorists shot hundreds and abducted dozens at the Nova rave.
After getting into a friend’s car, he sent his family his live location, but they eventually noticed that it was headed toward Gaza, and contact with him was lost. They later saw a Hamas video that had been posted on Telegram showing Shem-Tov and his friend lying on a floor in Gaza. They were able to identify Omer from his tattoos, said his mother.
Little is known about the condition of the computer programmer.
[IsraelTimes] Leb ...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. Only one of those statements is an exaggeration.... ’s new government will negotiate with the International Monetary Fund for a new program and will work to deal with the country’s financial default and public debt, according to a policy statement approved by the cabinet.
The statement, a copy of which was reviewed by Rooters, says the government would work for an economical revival that could only be achieved through restructuring the banking sector.
Lebanon has been in deep economic crisis since 2019, when its financial system collapsed under the weight of massive state debts, prompting a sovereign default in 2020 and freezing ordinary depositors out of their savings in the banking system.
Beirut reached a draft funding deal with IMF in 2022 — contingent on reforms that authorities failed to deliver.
Finance Minister Yassine Jaber, who took office as part of a new government agreed earlier this month, told Rooters an IMF mission is expected to visit Lebanon in March.
Jaber said he had met the IMF’s resident representative in Lebanon, Frederico Lima, and confirmed that the government plans to move ahead with reforms.
Lebanon’s political landscape has been turned on its head since the Iran-backed Lebanese group Hezbollah, long a dominant player in Lebanese politics, was badly pummeled in last year’s war with Israel.
Reflecting the shift in the power balance, the government policy statement did not include language used in previous years that was seen to legitimize a role for Hezbollah in defending Lebanon, saying instead "we want a state that has the decision of war and peace."
The statement says it is required to adopt a national security strategy and a foreign policy that works to "neutralize" Lebanon from conflicts.
[IsraelTimes] Beirut airport to be closed Sunday afternoon for burial of slain terror leader and his would-be successor; Lebanon says it considers any remaining Israeli presence an occupation
Beirut airport will close for four hours on Sunday during the funeral of slain Hezbollah leader His Eminence Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah ...The late, lamented satrap of the Medes and the Persians in Leb...> , Leb ...home of the original Hezbollah, which periodically starts a war with the Zionist Entity, gets Beirut pounded to rubble, and then declares victory and has a parade.... ’s civil aviation authority announced Tuesday, after Israeli troops withdrew from nearly all areas in southern Lebanon, with the exception of several key positions.
"The airport will be closed, and takeoffs and landings... will halt on February 23, 2025, from 12 p.m. until 4 p.m.," the authority said in a statement carried by official media on Tuesday.
Nasrallah was killed in a huge Israeli Arclight airstrike ...KABOOM!... on Beirut’s southern suburbs on September 27, 2024, as Israel scaled up its campaign against the Iran-backed terror group following almost a year of cross-border attacks.
After decades at the helm of the group once seen as a formidable foe to Israel, the killing of the charismatic leader sent shockwaves across Lebanon and the wider region.
Sunday’s funeral will also be for Hashem Safieddine, a senior Hezbollah figure who had been chosen to succeed Nasrallah before he too was killed in an Israeli strike in October.
The funeral is to begin at 1 p.m. at a sports stadium in Beirut’s southern suburbs, a Hezbollah stronghold.
It will include a speech by current Hezbollah chief Naim Qassem ... the Grand Vizier of the Hezbullies... and is to be followed by a procession to Nasrallah’s burial site on the outskirts of Beirut.
Saffiedine will be buried in his hometown of Deir Qanun.
Iranian foreign ministry front man Esmaeil Baqaei said on Monday that Iran ...a theocratic Shiite state divided among the Medes, the Persians, and the (Arab) Elamites. Formerly a fairly civilized nation ruled by a Shah, it became a victim of Islamic revolution in 1979. The nation is today noted for spontaneously taking over other countries' embassies, maintaining whorehouses run by clergymen, involvement in international drug trafficking, and financing sock puppet militias to extend the regime's influence. The word Iran is a cognate form of Aryan. The abbreviation IRGC is the same idea as Stürmabteilung (or SA). The term Supreme Guide is a the modern version form of either Duce or Führer or maybe both. They hate JewsZionists Jews. Their economy is based on the production of oil and vitriol... "will participate in this ceremony at a high level," without specifying who would attend.
Qassem over the weekend called for broad participation as a demonstration of the group’s strength.
"We want to transform this funeral into a show of support and an affirmation of (Hezbollah’s) plan and approach, and hold our heads high," Qassem said.
Hezbollah has said 79 countries would be involved in the commemoration, whether at an official or "popular" level.
Earlier this month, in a security alert about the funeral, the US embassy urged its nationals to avoid the area "which includes the airport."
Nasrallah had been temporarily buried elsewhere because of security concerns, Qassem said, and the group had also put off the public funeral for security reasons. Shiite Moslem rites provide for such a temporary burial when circumstances prevent a proper funeral or the dear departed cannot be buried where they wished.
[IsraelTimes] Craig and Lindsey Foreman accused of ‘posing as tourists’ to gather information while working with institutions linked to spy agencies in enemy countries.
None of the details matter beyond the names, since the Mad Mullahs are merely restocking inventory against future need.
[HODHODYEMENNEWS.NET] The Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs denied, on Monday, a media report that an arms shipment confiscated en route to 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... was from Iran.
''The report is baseless and is aligned with efforts to wage propaganda against the Islamic Theocratic Republic at a time when US officials are visiting the region,'' Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Esmail Baqaei said in a statement.
He added, '' 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... has no military presence in Yemen and that the weapons that are being used in the country have nothing to do with the Islamic Theocratic Republic.''
Posted by: Fred ||
02/19/2025 01:25 ||
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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 occupiers of Greek Asia Minor...
...Deobandi holy man, known as 
...a kingdom taking up the bulk of the Arabian peninsula, largely made up of sand and oil rigs. Its primary economic activity involves exporting oil and soaking Islamic rubes on the annual haj pilgrimage. The country supports a large number of princes in whatcha might call princely splendor. Formerly dictatorial and steeped in Olde Tyme Religion, deferring to Salafist holy men on all issues, it has now done a 180 and is making a serious effort to modernize, so as not to be left in the sand by its Gulf Arab neighbors. The holy men have been shoved to the background and the nation is now still dictatorial but somewhat rational. That doesn't make them trustworthy, but it's a start...
...an emirate on the east coast of the Arabian Peninsula. It sits on some really productive gas and oil deposits, which produces the highest per capita income in the world. They piss it all away on religion, financing the Moslem Brotherhood and several al-Qaeda affiliates. Home of nutbag holy manYusuf al-Qaradawi...
..the well-beloved offspring of the Moslem Brotherhood,...
..a contraction of the Arabic words for "frothing at the mouth",...
..a regional Iranian catspaw,...
...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. Only one of those statements is an exaggeration....
...home of the original Hezbollah, which periodically starts a war with the Zionist Entity, gets Beirut pounded to rubble, and then declares victory and has a parade....
...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 
