[ToloNews] The Ministry of Economy has stated that the 83% budget cut of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) will have a negative impact on aid programs for people in need worldwide.
Abdul Rahman Habib, the ministry’s spokesperson, emphasized that humanitarian programs and aid efforts should not be politically exploited.
The spokesperson further stated: "The purpose of humanitarian aid is to support individuals in emergency situations, natural disasters, or those suffering from economic hardship. According to humanitarian laws, neutrality and respect for human dignity are fundamental principles of these aid efforts. Therefore, organizations and countries should not use them as a tool for political objectives."
Recently, Marco Rubio ...The diminutive 13-year-old Republican U.S. Senator from Florida, Secretary of State in the second Trump administration... , the U.S. Secretary of State, officially announced the 83% cut in USAID’s programs following a six-week review. Rubio also stated that cutting 83% of the agency’s programs, amounting to tens of billions of dollars, is not in line with U.S. national interests and, in some cases, could be detrimental to the country.
Rubio emphasized that the remaining programs will continue under the supervision of the U.S. State Department.
Meanwhile,
...back at the shootout, Butch clutched at his other leg...... some residents of Kabul have expressed concerns over job shortages and rising poverty. They have urged officials to take steps toward creating job opportunities.
Mohammad Qasim, a Kabul resident, said: "We are poor and helpless, and there is no work. We ask people to help us."
Zarifa, another Kabul resident, stated: "I ask the government and aid organizations to assist me. Many times, I have to put my orphans to bed hungry."
This comes as various organizations in Afghanistan continue to express concerns about the humanitarian crisis caused by poverty and climate change.
For the past 63 years, USAID has provided humanitarian and development assistance to various countries and has played a constructive role in numerous international projects worldwide.
"We will make no distinction between the terrorists who committed these acts and those who harbor them. "
George W. Bush, September 11th 2001
"These demands are not open to negotiation or discussion. The Taliban must act, and act immediately. They will hand over the terrorists, or they will share in their fate."
George W. Bush, Statement To Joint Session Of Congress September 20th 2001
Abdul Rahman Habib, Mohammad Qasim and Zarifa are loyal subjects of a regime that wants to transform the entire world into an Islamic slave empire.
They are loyal subjects of a regime that systematically violates basic human and civil rights.
They are enemies of Western Civilization.
The West should not help undefeated and unrepentant enemies.
Afghanistan should be under sanctions.
Entities and countries giving aid and comfort to Afghanistan should be under sanctions.
#3
All sorts of interesting things are already coming out, with no doubt even more interesting things to come, both about Mr. and Dr. Khalil (she’s a dentist who met him while volunteering for his project in Lebanon, we learnt overnight), and about foreign tentacles in the pro-Hamas university protest movement — we already know a little about payments and organization by China, Iran, Hamas, and a bunch of Antifa/Black Bloc groups not to mention ActBlue. Will we discover more direct Democratic Party ties, an MI-6 controller, interesting people at the FBI and/or CIA?
Making a big deal out of this will focus national and international attention, slowing down Mr. Khalil’s deportation, but the information will be very useful for quickly going after the rest of the organization.
#4
Hoping that info on Khalil will lead to deep pocket NGOs that can be sued in class action lawsuits for denying civil rights by blocking buildings, classrooms, etc.
Posted by: Lord Garth ||
03/13/2025 14:05 Comments ||
Top||
#Canada announces it will ease financial sanctions on #Syria, appoint a new envoy to Damascus, and provide $84 million in humanitarian aid to support those in need.https://t.co/mGCBzKLGUP
— NORTH PRESS AGENCY - ENGLISH (@NPA_English) March 13, 2025
Posted by: Fred ||
03/13/2025 2025-03-13 05:20 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
[11129 views]
Top|| File under: Govt of Syria
#1
Anglosphere trying to be crazier than EUrope? (It's Globalists all the way to the bottom.)
[GEO.TV] The annual iftar dinner in Houston ...a city in Texas, named after Sam Houston, who would drop deader than he is now if he could see how it turned out... , the fourth-largest city in the United States, was held with great enthusiasm, marking the largest gathering of its kind in the country.
The event took place at the Bayou City Event Centre, organised in collaboration with the Mayor of Houston and Sister Cities Associations, attracting more than 2,500 attendees from diverse backgrounds and professions.
Houston Mayor John Whitmire was the chief guest at the iftar dinner. Other distinguished guests included Congressman Al Green, prominent American businessman Javed Anwar, business tycoon Tanweer Ahmed, diplomats from various countries, senior government officials, and community leaders.
The coordinator of the iftar dinner, Saeed Sheikh, highlighted the significance of the event in promoting interfaith harmony, emphasising how gatherings like these bring people of different faiths and cultures together to share the blessings of iftar.
The event commenced with the recitation of the Holy Koran, followed by a video message from Texas Governor Greg Abbott ... governor of Texas. Abbott is a Republican. His 2014 Dem opponent, state senatrix Wendy Davis, thought the absolute, most pressing, most important issue facing the state was abortion. Abbott beat the pantyhose off her. His 2018 opponent, Lupe Valdez didn't dwell too heavily on abortion, but she lost too... , which was displayed on the big screen.
In his message, the governor extended Ramadan greetings to American Moslems and appreciated the initiative for fostering religious harmony.
[GEO.TV] A day after the successful rescue operation, the Foreign Office said on Thursday that India was behind the deadly terrorist attack on the Jaffar Express, adding that it was orchestrated by the leadership of a terrorist organization based abroad.
FO spokesperson Shafqat Ali Khan, addressing his weekly briefing in Islamabad, said that the rescue operation for the Jaffar Express attack has been completed, and intelligence suggests that the holy warriors were in contact with their associates in Afghanistan.
The statement comes after security forces eliminated all 33 Balochistan ...the Pak province bordering Kandahar and Uruzgun provinces in Afghanistan and Sistan Baluchistan in Iran. Its native Baloch propulation is being displaced by Pashtuns and Punjabis and they aren't happy about it... Liberation Army (BLA) holy warriors who had hijacked the Jaffar Express which was carrying more than 400 passengers — who were taken hostage.
The military has said that all hostages have been freed, but 21 passengers were martyred by the holy warriors before the clearance operation had commenced. Also, four FC personnel were also martyred during the attack in the Mushqaf area of the Bolan district.
The Foreign Office spokesperson added that intercepted calls confirmed links between the attackers and Afghanistan. "The holy warriors have safe havens in Afghanistan, and Pakistain has repeatedly urged the Afghan interim government to prevent groups like the BLA from using its soil for terrorism," he said.
He also mentioned that Pakistain does not discuss diplomatic contacts on public forums but has consistently shared detailed evidence of such incidents with Afghanistan.
[GEO.TV] Israel carried out "genocidal acts" against Palestinians by systematically destroying women's healthcare facilities during the conflict in Gaza, and used sexual violence as a war strategy, United Nations experts said in a new report on Thursday.
Israel's permanent mission to the UN in Geneva described allegations in the report as unfounded, bias, and lacking credibility.
[IsraelTimes] Israeli-Russian researcher Elizabeth Tsurkov believed to be held by Iran-backed militia; sister says Trump administration has done more in a few weeks than Biden’s did in two years
US President Donald Trump ...So far he's been unkillable, and they've tried.... ’s Special Envoy for Hostage Affairs Adam Boehler traveled to Iraq last month to push for the release of Israeli-Russian researcher Elizabeth Tsurkov, who was kidnapped in Iraq nearly two years ago, three sources familiar with the matter said.
Since taking office, Boehler has stepped up efforts to secure the release of Tsurkov, a Princeton University student who went missing in Iraq during a research trip in March 2023, publicly urging the Iraqi government to help her get home.
"The Trump Administration has done more in just a few weeks than the previous administration did in almost two years," Emma Tsurkov, Elizabeth’s sister, told Rooters in a statement.
"I am especially grateful to SPEHA (Special Envoy) Boehler for going directly to meet with Prime Minister [Mohammed Shia al-] Sudan ...a Moslem country located in the Horn of Africa. It is noted for its affinity for rule by ex- or current generals, its holy men, and for the oppression of the native Afro population by its Arab conquerors. South Sudan, populated mostly by the natives, split off from Sudan proper, which left North and South Darfur to be oppressed by the guys with turbans... i in Baghdad. His engagement with Sudani makes it clear that the US holds Sudani responsible for finding a way to get my sister home."
An Iraqi official speaking on the condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive matters confirmed Boehler had visited in February to discuss the Tsurkov case but did not provide further details.
An Arab diplomat familiar with the matter told The Times of Israel that Boehler has leaned aggressively on Sudani during a number of heated calls and meetings aimed at securing Tsurkov’s release.
Tsurkov is being held in Iraq by the Shiite militia Kataib Hezbollah, a group backed by Iran, according to Israeli officials.
While Sudani in his contacts with Boehler has sought to argue that the blame for Tsurkov’s kidnapping lay squarely on Kataib Hezbollah, the US envoy has refused to accept that the Iraqi government doesn’t have the ability to advance her release, the Arab diplomat said.
Iraqi official: Israeli captive Tsurkov may have been moved to Iran, which is deeply involved in case
[IsraelTimes] Israeli-Russian academic Elizabeth Tsurkov, who was kidnapped in Baghdad in 2023 and whom the United States is currently pressuring Iraq to free, could potentially have been transferred to Iran, which is seen as likely to be involved in holding and interrogating her, the Ynet news site reports, citing an unnamed senior Iraqi official.
“She may well have been secretly transferred there, or the Iranians sent intelligence officers,” the official is quoted as saying. “It’s really lucky that Tsurkov is alive. Usually in cases like these, they are executed during questioning. Her foreign identity is benefiting her.”
The Iraqi official quoted by Ynet says there is “full documentation” of the kidnapping as well as eyewitness testimonies provided to authorities, adding that Tsurkov was abducted while exiting a cafe in Baghdad’s Karada neighborhood after meeting with an Iraqi national who likely tipped off Kataib Hezbollah.
The official reiterates that Iraqi Prime Minister Shia al-Sudani doesn’t know where Tsurkov is being held, “but he definitely knows who kidnapped her.” Repeated efforts haven’t yielded a breakthrough on locating her, despite increasing US pressure and threats.
“The government of Iraq is taking steps, but there is no cooperation from Tsurkov’s kidnappers and we estimate that the Iranian leadership in involved and giving the instructions,” the official adds.
“The Tsurkov story is directly connected to Iran. Only from there will come a decision on her matter.”
Sister of Israeli held in Iraq says Boehler gave family ‘hopeful’ updates
[IsraelTimes] After reporting that Israeli-Russian captive Elizabeth Tsurkov may have been moved from Iraq to Iran, the Ynet news site quoted her sister Emma Tsurkov as dismissing that possibility, adding that the family is hearing positive signs from the US leadership.
After US hostage envoy Adam Boehler was reported to have visited Iraq recently to push for the academic’s release, Emma Tsurkov says she has spoken with Boehler and received “hopeful” updates.
“We have spoken directly with Boehler several times, and I have met his staff. It’s amazing how in a few weeks they have gotten things to move,” she says.
Responding to the unnamed Iraqi official speculating about Elizabeth being moved to Iran, Emma says: “It’s a convenient pretext that ‘senior’ officials say all the time. She’s not in Iran.”
[JewishInsider] Israeli Ambassador Yechiel Leiter withdrew his appearance at a Heritage event Wednesday morning where the report was set to be released
The Heritage Foundation has composed a new proposal calling for the U.S. to cut off aid to Israel by 2047 and require the Jewish state to increase its purchasing of U.S. defense materials, Jewish Insider has learned.
It was set to announce the report at an event on Wednesday, which has since been canceled, a source familiar with the situation said, after at least one of the headline speakers withdrew from participating.
A draft of the report obtained by JI recommends that Washington use the 2028 expiration date of the current Memorandum of Understanding — which requires the U.S. to provide $3.8 billion of security assistance to Israel annually and must be renegotiated in 2026 — as an “opportunity” to “forge a new relationship with the State of Israel.”
The plan laid out in the report advises initially increasing the amount of aid, called Foreign Military Financing (FMF), provided to Israel to $4 billion annually beginning in 2029, but decreasing it by $250 million annually starting in 2032 until the aid is stopped completely by the end of fiscal year 2047 (“to coincide with the 100th anniversary of Israel’s independence,” the report notes).
Conversely, beginning in 2039, Israel will be required to increase its purchasing of U.S. defense equipment, called Foreign Military Sales (FMS), by $250 million per year until it reaches $2.25 billion in 2047. This is less than the amount Israel currently purchases from the U.S. annually — since taking office, the Trump administration has already approved nearly $12 billion in defense equipment sales to Israel.
Rep. Brian Mast (R-FL), a pro-Israel stalwart, and Israeli Ambassador to the U.S. Yechiel Leiter were slated to headline an event at the Heritage Foundation’s Capitol Hill headquarters on Wednesday morning unveiling the report. Leiter withdrew from appearing at the gathering on Tuesday evening upon learning of the report’s contents, according to a source familiar with the decision.
Shortly after on Tuesday night, the event was canceled.
A spokesperson for the Israeli Embassy told JI, “The Israeli Embassy greatly values its working relationship and friendship with the Heritage Foundation. Due to a miscommunication regarding the format for the event, the ambassador regrettably will not be able to attend, but looks forward to future engagement.”
Spokespeople for Mast did not respond to a request for comment.
The Heritage report frames this transition as a positive step for Israel, “elevating” the country from a “security aid recipient” into a “true strategic partnership” with the United States. “To achieve this,” the report continues, “Washington must fundamentally change Israel’s geopolitical position within the region.”
The authors recommend the U.S. pursue a “new regional architecture” similar to the Middle East Strategic Alliance — an effort Trump tried to launch in his first term with Gulf countries, also known as the “Arab NATO” — but include Israel this time, and expand the Abraham Accords. These two endeavors, the report says, will “fundamentally alter Israel’s geostrategic position. No longer will it be isolated and left on its own to respond to threats on its borders or those farther afield.”
An expert on U.S.-Israel relations familiar with the report argued that, “Now is not the time or place to speak openly about such dramatic changes in the nature of the relationship between the two allies” while Israel is in the middle of a war against Iranian proxies.
[TWZ] The command overseeing U.S. special operations forces in the Middle East wants to buy an unspecified number of first-person view (FPV) drones and associated training to help Green Berets clear caves. U.S. Special Operations Command Central (SOCCENT) is seeking these weapons to augment the use of military working dogs (MWDs) because it considers drones safer and more effective. The concern is of increasing relevance as Hamas, Hezbollah, the Houthis and Iran have all utilized caves, tunnels and other underground facilities as attack vectors, weapons and personnel hiding facilities and command and control nodes.
"Currently, the absence of dedicated unmanned aerial systems (UAS) for cave clearing operations forces reliance on Military Working Dogs (MWD) or partner forces, significantly increasing risk to both personnel and mission success," U.S. Special Operations Command (SOCOM) wrote in a request for a single-source FPV drone contract for SOCCENT posted on the SAM.gov U.S. purchasing portal. "Caves present confined, complex spaces with limited visibility and unpredictable terrain, increasing the danger to personnel and potentially hindering MWD effectiveness."
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 diminutive 13-year-old Republican U.S. Senator from Florida, Secretary of State in the second Trump administration...
...a city in Texas, named after Sam Houston, who would drop deader than he is now if he could see how it turned out...
...a Moslem country located in the Horn of Africa. It is noted for its affinity for rule by ex- or current generals, its holy men, and for the oppression of the native Afro population by its Arab conquerors. South Sudan, populated mostly by the natives, split off from Sudan proper, which left North and South Darfur to be oppressed by the guys with turbans...
