[FoxNews] Trump administration lawyers said the lower court's 'flawed' orders risk 'serious and perhaps irreparable harm' if not immediately reviewed by the high court
The Trump administration asked the Supreme Court on Friday to review a restraining order that temporarily blocks its use of an 18th century wartime immigration law to immediately deport Venezuelan nationals, including alleged members of the gang Tren de Aragua, from U.S. soil.
In the filing, lawyers for the Trump administration said that the lower court's orders have "rebuffed" Trump's immigration agenda, including its ability "to protect the Nation against foreign terrorist organizations and risk debilitating effects for delicate foreign negotiations."
The request for Supreme Court intervention comes shortly after the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit ruled 2-1 on Wednesday to uphold a lower court's decision that temporarily blocked the administration's use of the 1798 Alien Enemies Act law to immediately deport Venezuelan nationals. That decision paused the Trump administration's use of the law for a 14-day period to allow the judge time to review the merits of the case.
The Trump administration had vowed it would appeal the circuit court decision to the Supreme Court for further review.
In their Supreme Court filing, U.S. Acting Solicitor General Sarah Harris said the lower court's "flawed" orders "threaten the government's sensitive negotiations with foreign powers," and risk "serious and perhaps irreparable harm if not immediately reviewed" by the nation's highest court.
At minimum, the Trump administration said, the Supreme Court should grant an administrative stay, which would allow them to continue using the Alien Enemies Act to deport Venezuelan nationals while the court considers the government's orders.
They also sharply criticized the appeals court's decision handed down Wednesday.
Writing for the 2-1 majority in the appeals court decision, U.S. Circuit Court Judges Karen Henderson, a Bush appointee, and Patricia Millett, an Obama appointee, focused heavily on concerns of due process violations, as well as complaints of immediate and irreparable harm cited by the plaintiffs.
Allowing Trump to use the law in the near-term "risks exiling plaintiffs to a land that is not their country of origin," Henderson said in a concurring opinion siding with the lower court judge.
"The equities favor the plaintiffs," Henderson said. "And the district court entered the TROs for a quintessentially valid purpose: to protect its remedial authority long enough to consider the parties’ arguments.
Millett, for her part, said that siding with the Trump administration would "moot the Plaintiffs’ claims by immediately removing them beyond the reach of their lawyers or the court."
Lawyers for the Trump administration also used the Supreme Court filing to criticize the growing trend of temporary restraining orders and injunctions blocking key policies, calling the lower court’s ruling part of a "rule-by-TRO" pattern. Harris argued this approach has become so common that "the Executive Branch’s basic functions are in peril."
In the two months since Inauguration Day, district courts have issued more than 40 injunctions or TROs against the Executive Branch, they noted in the filing.
…so forgotten, poor thing, that she does not appear in Rantburg’s extensive archives…
a German nurse who was abducted in Mogadishu seven years ago, has made her first public appearance, pleading for immediate release and a return to her home country.
In a video released on YouTube, filmed from her captivity in Somalia, Nientiet called for urgent intervention to secure her freedom. “I ask for immediate help to save my life and be brought back to Germany,” she said in the video.
Nientiet was kidnapped on May 2, 2018, while working for the German Red Cross. Her abduction took place at the organization’s compound in the Zoobe area of the capital.
Her captors, who have stated they have no ties to Al-Shabaab or ISIS, demanded a $20 million ransom, threatening to hand her over to the ISIS terrorist group if their demands were not met.
The German military, in cooperation with U.S. intelligence, had planned a rescue operation, but it was called off at the last minute after concerns from the German foreign minister about the risks to Nientiet’s life.
Reports suggest that a security officer at the German Red Cross compound may have been involved in the kidnapping, though this information has yet to be confirmed.
Both the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and the German government have been unable to secure her release. In her plea, Nientiet said her situation grows more perilous by the day.
Her abduction [was] by suspected Al-Shabaab militants in Somalia,
Kidnapped in 2018 while working for the International Commission of the Red Cross (ICRC), Sonja Nientiet has appealed for freedom without giving much detail about her captivity by the militants.
In the video, the nurse appears wearing a hijab and looking frail
…before and after photos can be seen at the link…
— she asked the German government to pursue her release while informing the audience that her health was deteriorating at a faster rate thus the call for intervention by the German government.
“ I was captured on the 2nd of May 2018 while I was working for the ICRC in Mogadishu, so now I have almost spent 7 years in captivity in Somalia,” the visibly traumatized nurse said.
“My health is deteriorating day by day and I am deeply concerned for my safety and for my well-being, so I am addressing this message to the German government, to my fellow citizens, and my loved ones back home because this is what keeps me going,” she adds in the five-minute video.
The video remains undated and its authenticity could not be proved but it was posted on March 26th, 2025. She was kidnapped in 2018 at the ICRC compound in Mogadishu seven years ago.
According to sources then, the nurse was strolling on the compound when she was picked up by an ICRC security guard later identified by authorities as Mohamud Mohamed Alas, and was whisked away. It is believed that she was taken away by Al-Shabaab militants.
The al-Shabaab, who are under intense pressure from a collective operation by security agencies, usually kidnap foreign nationals and use them to bargain for ransom. They have repeatedly released videos of people in captivity.
Within the last two years, the militants have released two videos of suspected Kenyan soldiers who are in their custody, but the governments of Kenya and Somalia have yet to comment on the issue. Governments usually do not pay ransom for the release of their nationals – a strategy meant to embrace 'zero negotiations' with terror groups.
Choices have consequences. Good luck to the new president — may she figure out how to thread the needle between the law and self-righteous hate.
[IsraelTimes] University gives no reason for Katrina Armstrong’s decision to step aside and return to her previous post, says board of trustees co-chair Claire Shipman to take over for now
Columbia University’s interim president, Katrina Armstrong, has stepped down, the college said, at a time when the New York-based institution is facing intense pressure from both the government and rights advocates over how it responds to last year’s pro-Paleostinian protests against Israel.
Armstrong is returning to lead the university’s Irving Medical Center, Columbia University said in a statement on Friday. It did not give a reason for the change.
"Board of Trustees Co-Chair Claire Shipman has been appointed Acting President, effective immediately, and will serve until the Board completes its presidential search," it said.
The administration of US President Donald Trump ...dictatorial for repealing some (but not all) of the diktats of his predecessor, misogynistic because he likes pretty girls, homophobic because he doesn't think gender bending should be mandatory, truly a man for all seasons... canceled $400 million in federal funding for Columbia, saying the university did not do enough to combat antisemitism and student safety amid last year’s campus protests against Israel over the war with Hamas ..not a terrorist organization, even though it kidnaps people, holds hostages, and tries to negotiate by executing them,... 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... The move created what many considered an existential crisis and the university quickly capitulated, agreeing to a list of administration demands.
The school’s acquiescence was condemned by some faculty members and free speech advocates, with Donna Lieberman, the executive director of the New York Civil Liberties Union, claiming it "endangers academic freedom and campus expression nationwide."
In recent weeks, the Trump administration has also moved to deport several Columbia students who participated in demonstrations as it cracks down on noncitizens involved in pro-Paleostinian activism against Israel on campuses.
Columbia was at the center of Gaza encampment protests in the summer of 2024 that spread around the United States. Protesters demanded an end to the Gaza war, which was sparked by the Hamas terror group’s October 2023 atrocities in southern Israel, and urged their colleges to divest from companies with ties to Israel.
Armstrong had stepped into the role after the previous president, Minouche Shafik, resigned in August following scrutiny of her handling of the protests and corresponding campus divisions.
The new acting president, Shipman, was a correspondent for ABC News, NBC News and CNN ...formerly the Cable News Network, now who know what it might stand for... over a long career in journalism, covering the White House and Russia, among other beats. She has written several books on women’s leadership.
Shipman said in a statement she is assuming the role "with a clear understanding of the serious challenges before us and a steadfast commitment to act with urgency, integrity, and work with our faculty to advance our mission, implement needed reforms, protect our students, and uphold academic freedom and open inquiry."
She added that when a permanent president is chosen, that person will "conduct an appropriate review of the University’s leadership team and structure to ensure we are best positioned for the future."
Whoever accepts the role permanently will have to navigate between the demands of the Trump administration and ongoing protests from students over the Gaza war and emerging restrictions.
#2
#1 I've a radical suggestion: consider heterosexual, white male candidates for the post.
Posted by: Grom the Affective 2025-03-29 05:18
Grom,
WhowhoawhoaWHOA....let's not get crazy here. ;)
And frankly, I believe they would let the college go under before that happens. To do so would imply error, and their mindset simply does not allow that.
#4
A third leadership change in less than a year. Columbia may be circling the drain as the leading Hamas import hub on the East Coast. What a shame! Anyways...
Posted by: Regular joe ||
03/29/2025 16:09 Comments ||
Top||
#5
This one will behave no differently.
They don't get it yet. We should speed their learning.
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited. by Kamran Gasanov
[REGNUM] Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan made his first visit to the United States since Donald Trump's election on March 25-26, aiming to restore relations and revive Ankara's participation in the program to produce and supply the latest F-35 fighter jets.
Trump is backing Erdogan at the expense of his main political opponent, the jailed mayor of Istanbul, Ekrem Imamoglu. But the looming thaw between the countries could be spoiled by Israel and Europe.
"A GOOD LEADER"
In the waning days of former US President Joseph Biden's term, the two countries were making efforts to normalize ties. Turkey voted to admit Finland and Sweden into NATO, and Biden approved the transfer of F-16 fighter jets to it.
But the relationship remained suspended. Erdogan had not forgotten that Biden had put off a phone call for months after the inauguration. Nor had he forgotten the recognition of the mass murder of Armenians in the Ottoman Empire as genocide. And besides, in four years, the Democrat had never received his Turkish counterpart in the White House.
Biden's team was initially focused on overthrowing Erdogan's government peacefully, supporting the opposition and expressing dissatisfaction with Turkey's behavior - whether in Syria, the Mediterranean or the conflict in Ukraine.
The Turks supplied UAVs and armored vehicles there, and at the same time managed to organize parallel exports to Russia, including dual-use goods, and the export of sanctioned Russian oil.
This is why the current contacts with the Americans are considered a breakthrough by the Turkish administration.
Even before Fidan's trip to the US, Erdogan had a very warm phone conversation with Trump, which his special envoy for Russia negotiations, Stephen Witkoff, called "wonderful" and transformative.
And Trump himself, at a reception in honor of the new US ambassador to Ankara, Tom Barrack, described Turkey as follows: “It’s a good country, and its leader is good.” These words are especially valuable for the Turkish leader in the days when almost half a million people who do not consider Erdogan “good” are gathering for a protest in the center of Istanbul.
Now, not only America, but even Europeans, who are fixated on “human rights,” are somehow very sluggishly reacting to the Turkish protests.
The only exception was the German Foreign Ministry, which hinted at the impossibility of Turkey's European integration with the "sitting" Imamoglu. But Minister Annalena Baerbock can be given a discount - the cabinet with her participation was disbanded literally the next day.
SANCTIONS ARE STILL IN EFFECT
The main topic of Fidan's visit, as well as Trump's call with Erdogan, was the restoration of relations and raising them to a new level. And the key issue, which serves to some extent as a test of the seriousness of intentions, is the program for the production and supply of F-35 fighters.
It was Trump who threw the country out of it during his last term. The pretext was Turkey's purchase of Russian S-400 air defense systems, their incompatibility with NATO standards and the theoretical possibility of testing these systems against the F-35 on Turkish territory with the possibility of transferring this data to Moscow.
Towards the end of Trump's term, Erdogan traveled to Washington and seemed to have reached an agreement not to use the S-400, but the restrictions imposed under the Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA) were never lifted.
Even before Fidan's departure, Erdogan discussed lifting sanctions on participation in the "F-35 program" in a telephone conversation with Trump. The Turkish president said: "In order to develop cooperation between the two countries in the defense industry, it is necessary to lift CAATSA sanctions, complete the F-16 procurement process and complete Turkey's re-participation in the F-35 program."
According to Fox News, Ankara is ready to make a concession on the S-400 — to dismantle and transport the system to a US military base. The decision has not yet been made, but the foreign ministers have already made it clear that the parties are aiming for progress in the negotiations.
According to a Turkish Foreign Ministry source cited by Daily Sabah, Fidan and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio "have clearly demonstrated their political will to remove obstacles to cooperation in the defense industry." The US and Turkey are already planning "technical talks" on the issue.
Turkey will only be satisfied with two options: either a full return to the F-35 fighter assembly program, or compensation: over $1 billion or the supply of less modern F-16 fighters.
If Trump and Erdogan reach an agreement on fifth-generation fighters, it would be a landmark event. But even without that, the two administrations are focused on strengthening their ties.
The rise of the anti-globalist agenda and Trump's personal sympathy for Erdogan create a favorable atmosphere for Turkey's rapprochement with the United States. By the way, Erdogan is one of the few leaders who has Trump's mobile phone number.
Ankara sets itself the goal of increasing trade turnover with America from the current $50 billion to $100 billion.
It is interesting that in this matter, connections with Russia and the implementation of new projects such as the construction of the Akkuyu Nuclear Power Plant and the development of a gas hub will not become an obstacle.
If Trump is hinting at lifting sanctions on Russia, what incentive does he have to maintain sanctions against Turkey, imposed for trade and military-industrial cooperation with Moscow?
”SUPPORT FOR PEACE IN UKRAINE”
Beyond lifting sanctions, Trump and Erdogan must address many international issues that pose opportunities and risks to bilateral relations. Ukraine and the Middle East remain the focus.
The Hürriyet newspaper, citing diplomatic sources, reports that Fidan discussed efforts to end the war in Ukraine with Rubio. A TASS source reported that Fidan intended to raise the issue of Turkey's possible contribution to the Ukrainian settlement.
The word “contribution” sounds a bit ridiculous now – Erdogan would first like to deal with the protests in Istanbul and Ankara.
But, on the other hand, by keeping Ukraine in the focus of his attention, Erdogan is trying to create the impression that his power is inviolable. And at the same time, he is trying, as he always did, to earn domestic political points at the expense of foreign policy successes.
If the Biden administration has been putting spokes in his wheels and demanding more aid to Ukraine, then, as the State Department reports, Rubio “demands Turkish support for peace in Ukraine.” Against the backdrop of Trump’s peace talks, Erdogan should feel like a fish in water.
However, in a situation where Europe is showing growing interest in the contribution of NATO’s second army to the European security architecture and is pushing Turkey to send peacekeepers to Ukraine in exchange for ephemeral preferences, Ankara not only risks losing its status as a mediator, but also the trust of both Putin and Trump.
A CHANCE TO SOLVE THE "KURDISH QUESTION"
The common key topics in the Middle East are Syria and Palestine. There are no fewer pitfalls here. Turkey, as the closest ally of the new Turkish leader Ahmed al-Sharaa, is trying hard to get Washington to lift sanctions on Damascus.
Trump is in no hurry for now. In addition to the claims about the dominance of foreign fighters and cooperation with Hamas, there is another important nuance.
The new Syrian authorities have failed to ensure the security of ethnic and religious minorities (Christians, Druze and Alawites), for whom Trump’s closest friend, Israel, decided to stand up.
The second problematic point in Syria is the Kurds. Before his trip to Washington, Fidan said that a continued military presence in the Euphrates region is not a priority for Trump, since the positions of Iran and Russia have weakened, and the Bashar al-Assad regime is gone. “If America withdraws its troops, it will be cheaper for them,” says the Turkish minister, balancing on the edge of a threat.
Ankara is still hoping that Damascus will reach an agreement with the Kurds and integrate them into a single state, but the retention of US forces in the territories controlled by Kurdish formations still leaves a chance for the emergence of a “Syrian Kurdistan.”
On the issue of Kurdish separatism, which, by the way, is supported by Israel, Ankara and Washington have a chance to find a common language. In 2019, the Pentagon tactfully withdrew its troops from the zones of the Turkish military operation "Peace Spring" against the Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG), although Trump threatened to "destroy the Turkish economy."
RISK OF CLASH WITH ISRAEL
But with "Israeli expansionism" (Fidan's expression) everything is much more complicated. The Turkish minister recalled that "Israel has occupied southern Syria for almost 50 years" and under the pretext of protecting the Yazidis and Druze "is trying to expand the zone of occupation."
Türkiye is also unhappy that Israel recently abandoned the ceasefire in Gaza and launched a limited military operation.
Before Trump's inauguration, his aide made a significant contribution to achieving a ceasefire in Gaza, but now the US president is almost himself encouraging the Israeli offensive, striking the Houthis in Yemen and threatening war with Iran.
In the current situation, when Erdogan is in disarray at home, he is unlikely to do anything against Israel. However, in the long term, given that the Turkish army feels at home in Syria, and Syria has a direct border with Israel, there are risks of a head-on clash between Ankara and Tel Aviv. And they will certainly leave a heavy mark on the interaction between the United States and Turkey in all areas.
Erdogan is also very concerned about the influence of foreign lobbies on Trump. On March 24, the Turkish leader expressed hope for a “significant boost” despite “lobbyists seeking to poison cooperation between the two countries.”
Fidan had barely stepped off the plane when Greek lobbyists sent Trump a letter through the American Hellenic Institute (AHI) in which called on him to speak out “categorically against Turkey’s return to the F-35 program” and to maintain pressure on it to get rid of the S-400.
Unlike the Greeks, Israel is acting through the government. According to the newspaper Kathimerini, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu obtained assurances from Trump that deliveries of F-35s to Turkey were ruled out. After that, the Israelis calmed down, but with the intensification of contacts between the US and Turkey, they became tense again. And Netanyahu decided to remind about his request a second time, this time through Rubio.
THE ICE HAS BROKEN
If we sum up all the news from Washington, then perhaps the most important and indisputable achievement of Turkey in relations with the United States, the pinnacle of which was Fidan's visit, is that the United States, for the first time in decades, is not interfering in Erdogan's internal affairs and de facto has come out in his support in the confrontation with the opposition.
The ice has also been broken on the F-35 deal, with technical consultations underway. Fidan and Rubio discussed possible visits by their presidents. And, unlike in the Biden era, human rights concerns and cooperation with Russia should not be an obstacle.
Of course, Israel's position and actions could make adjustments: this factor greatly influences the Trump administration. Türkiye is interested in the conflict in Gaza coming to an end, but there is no progress here yet.
Success in the issue of a peaceful settlement in Ukraine depends more on Turkey itself. And if it is seriously determined to contribute to the Ukrainian settlement, then Erdogan should stay away from the provocative initiatives of French President Emmanuel Macron, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and others like them.
Posted by: badanov ||
03/29/2025 00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
[11147 views]
Top|| File under: Sublime Porte
#1
The blame can be laid at the feet of the general officer cabal that has refused to removed nukes from Turkey.
#3
Trump is backing Erdogan at the expense of
Thinking may the devil you know is better than the devil you don't know, backed by Hussein, Kadaffy, Mosaddeq (?), Assad (?), even possibly Mullah Omar.
Commentary by Russian military journalist Boris Rozhin:
[ColonelCassad] The restructuring of USAID (despite Democrats' attempts to stop it through the controlled courts) will be completed by July 2025.
By September, all USAID employees will be officially dismissed.
Those USAID programs that are deemed necessary will be transferred to the direct control of the US State Department.
In general, the Trumpists' plan is simple - clean out the entire USAID bug-hole, fire the staff, take over useful programs + save several tens of billions of dollars during Trump's second term.
The Democrats understand which way the wind is blowing and are trying to slow down/stop the process, but the Trump administration and the State Department are trying to make the dismantling of USAID completely irreversible in the coming months. And even if the Democrats win the elections in 2028, they will have to essentially restore USAID from scratch when implementing the plans of Trump and Co.
In general, this is a rather tangible blow to the entire system of "soft power" of the United States. The incessant hysteria of grant-eaters deprived of funding is the best confirmation of this. However, we should not relax - other subversive programs continue to work + some of the USAID programs will be resumed after the reboot through the State Department (we are waiting for an epic battle of grant-eaters for access to the limited budget trough).
[IsraelTimes] Legislation, which lowers threshold for reporting gifts from most nations to $50,000, is backed by Jewish groups worried about the influence of Israeli adversaries
The US Congress advanced a bill that requires universities to report more of their foreign funding, a priority of Jewish groups concerned about influence from Israel’s adversaries.
The DETERRENT Act passed the House on Thursday by a vote of 241-169, with more than 30 Democrats ...every time you hear the phrase white people, white supremacy,white anything but paint, you're listening to a Democrat. Ask him/her/it to reimagine something for you; they do that a lot, though not well. They can hear a dog whistle a mile or two away. They invented the spoils system and Tammany Hall, and inspired the addition of the word (Thomas) Nasty to the English language. They want to stop continental drift and repeal the law of unintended side effects... joining nearly all Republicans to support the bill. It will now head to the Senate.
While the legislation was championed by pro-Israel activists, Michigan Democratic Representative Rashida Tlaib ...the very first ever Paleostinian-American ever sworn into Congress in 2019. She is a member of The Squad and consistently votes against the U.S. national interest. She's a Dem, naturally, from a safe district you wouldn't want to live in (Michigan's 12th congressional district). She wants the country to be kinda like Gaza only without any Jews for neighbors... , a harsh Israel critic, also unsuccessfully sought to use it to advance her goals: She introduced two amendments to the bill that would have increased scrutiny of donations from, and investments in, Israel. Both were rejected by large bipartisan majorities.
The bill — an acronym for Defending Education Transparency and Ending Rogue Regimes Engaging in Nefarious Transactions Act — lowered the threshold for reporting gifts from most foreign countries from $250,000 to $50,000. It received support from Jewish organizations including AIPAC and the Republican Jewish Coalition (RJC), which are concerned that money from countries such as 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... 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... are funding anti-Israel messaging on campuses.
"It’s unacceptable that Qatar’s regime — the same one that offers shelter and protection to top Hamas ..not a terrorist organization, even though it kidnaps people, holds hostages, and tries to negotiate by executing them,... bully boyz — has been able to pour billions into places like Yale, Georgetown and Cornell, much of it undisclosed," the RJC wrote in a blurb.
One of Tlaib’s proposed amendments sought to include Israel in a classification of countries referenced as "foreign country of concern." For those countries — including Iran, Russia, China and North Korea ...hereditary Communist monarchy distinguished by its truculence and periodic acts of violence. Distinguishing features include Songun (Army First) policy, which involves feeding the army before anyone but the Dear Leadership, and Juche, which is Kim Jong Il's personal interpretation of Marxism-Leninism, which he told everybody was brilliant. In 1950 the industrialized North invaded agrarian South Korea. Twenty-one countries of the United Nations eventually contributed to the UN force opposing the invasion, with the United States providing around 90% of the military personnel. Seventy years later the economic results are in and it doesn't look good for Juche... — there is a reporting requirement for all gifts and contracts.
The other amendment proposed by Tlaib would have required schools to disclose any investments made in Israel.
Both were rejected with over 400 "no" votes. The Jewish Federations of North America praised that outcome, calling Tlaib’s proposals "amendments that sought to undermine this legislation."
Schools that don’t comply with the new reporting requirements could lose federal funding.
In 2023, several umbrella groups for colleges and universities advocated against the legislation in a letter to Democratic House Leader Hakeem Jeffries and Republican Speaker Mike Johnson, saying it could hinder international collaboration.
"While we understand the concern regarding foreign funding to US institutions of higher education is bipartisan, we believe the DETERRENT Act is duplicative of existing interagency efforts, unnecessary, and puts in place a problematic expansion of the data collection by the US Department of Education that will broadly curtail important needed international research collaboration and academic and cultural exchanges," the letter read.
In a statement Thursday, Representative Tim Walberg — a Michigan Republican and the chairman of the Education and Workforce Committee who introduced the act alongside Representative Michael Baumgartner — cited concerns over "antisemitic propaganda" as well as Chinese government influence.
"The lack of transparency around foreign relationships with our nation’s universities should concern every American as we see stolen research, antisemitic propaganda, and academic censorship," said Walberg in the statement.
Annoyed that he’s not getting a big enough cut or following orders from Tehran?
[Rudaw] Iraqi Shiite holy man and politician MoqtadaTater al-Sadr ...hereditary Iraqi holy man and leader of a political movement in Iraq. He had his hereditary rival al-Khoei assassinated shortly after the holy rival's appearance out of exile in 2003. Formerly an Iranian catspaw, lately he gagged over some of their more outlandish antics, then went back to catspawry when the check cleared... announced on Thursday that the National Shiite Movement he leads, formerly known as the Sadrist Movement, will sit out the 2025 legislative elections in protest of "corruption."
The X account of Salih Mohammad al-Iraqi - known for channeling Sadr’s views - on Thursday shared a handwritten response from the holy man to an inquiry from one of his followers about the "role of the National Shiite Movement in the upcoming parliamentary elections" in Iraq, slated for October 2025.
Sadr responded, "So long as corruption is prevalent, I will not participate in a flawed electoral process that only aims to secure ethnic, partisan and sectarian interests, far from the suffering of the [Iraqi] people and the unfolding disasters in the region."
Addressing his supporters, the influential holy man stated, "As I had previously directed them to vote in the elections, today I forbid them from both voting and running" in the 2025 ballot.
The complete turnaround notably comes after Sadr had in early March met with former Sadrist politicians at his Hanana headquarters in Iraq’s southern province of Najaf. The meeting was attended by around 200 former politicians affiliated with previous Sadrist parliamentary blocs.
Shortly after, in mid-March, Sadr urged supporters to prepare for the country’s 2025 elections, calling on them to vote carefully and warning that poor electoral choices could deepen corruption and poverty in the country.
The Sadrists emerged as the top force in Iraq’s October 2021 parliamentary elections, securing 73 seats in the 329-member Iraqi legislature. However,
man does not live by words alone, despite the fact that sometimes he has to eat them... their effort to establish a "national majority" government together with Sunni Arab and Kurdish allies ultimately failed.
The rival Shiite-led Coordination Framework then insisted on the post-2003 norm of establishing a consensus government. The deadlock ultimately prompted the Sadrist politicians to resign en masse.
After a 21 months hiatus from the political process, Sadr in May renamed his movement as the National Shiite Movement, a move that was widely interpreted as a precursor to re-enter the Iraqi political scene.
In mid-February, Sadr urged his supporters to update their voter registration records. However,
man does not live by words alone, despite the fact that sometimes he has to eat them... a former Sadrist politician, Rafi Abduljabbar Azzawi, then told Rudaw that the holy man’s request "does not necessarily indicate a shift in his stance on participating in Iraq’s upcoming elections, but rather to urge Iraqis to take a stand in the critical period ahead."
[MSN] Israeli officials are reportedly upset over the public disclosure of a highly sensitive conversation between Trump administration officials about military strikes against Houthi targets in Yemen.
Why It Matters
The conversation, which took place in a Signal group chat, became public after The Atlantic's editor-in-chief, Jeffrey Goldberg, reported that he was inadvertently invited to the chat by a user identified as Michael Waltz, President Donald Trump's national security adviser.
What To Know
The Wall Street Journal reported that Israel is frustrated over the leak because Israeli officials supplied sensitive intelligence about a Houthi target who was discussed in the Signal conversation. The intelligence came from a source in Yemen, where the strikes were carried out.
Brian Hughes, a spokesperson for the National Security Council, confirmed that the messages Goldberg reported on and which The Atlantic published screenshots of "appear to be authentic."
When asked about The Wall Street Journal's reporting, Hughes reiterated statements from the White House and Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, saying, "No classified information was included in the thread."
Hughes added, "The messages have no locations, no sources and methods, and no war plans. Foreign partners had already been notified strikes were imminent."
According to screenshots of the thread that The Atlantic published, Waltz discussed specifics about a top Houthi "missile guy" targeted in the operation, writing after the strikes that "we had positive ID of him walking into his girlfriend's building and it is now collapsed."
Hegseth, meanwhile, gave a play-by-play breakdown of the operational details before the strikes were launched, including weapons systems that would be used, details about a human target and precise attack sequencing.
"We are currently clean on OPSEC," he wrote on Signal. OPSEC refers to operational security.
In addition to Waltz, Hegseth and Goldberg, the group chat included Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, CIA Director John Ratcliffe, Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard and other senior national security and White House officials.
President Donald Trump has publicly backed his administration and accused the media of going on a "witch hunt" in connection to the controversy. He, Hegseth, Waltz and other officials have also attacked Goldberg's credibility.
On Wednesday, when asked if there was any classified information in the Signal group chat, Trump told reporters that he didn't know.
"I don't know," he said. "I'm not sure. You have to ask the various people involved. I really don't know."
Rubio acknowledged the blunder over the message chain, telling reporters: "Obviously, someone made a mistake. Someone made a big mistake and added a journalist. Nothing against journalists, but you're not supposed to be on that thing."
What People Are Saying
Attorney General Pam Bondi commented on the Signal leak on Thursday, telling reporters: "It was sensitive information, not classified, and inadvertently released. And what we should be talking about is it was a very successful mission. Our world is now safer because of that mission."
Bondi also weighed in on whether administration officials will continue using Signal to conduct high-level discussions, telling Fox News' Laura Ingraham: "I think Signal's a very safe way to communicate. I don't think foreign adversaries are able to hack Signal, as far as I know."
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt wrote on X: "The Atlantic has conceded: these were NOT 'war plans.' This entire story was another hoax written by a Trump-hater who is well-known for his sensationalist spin."
Goldberg dismissed Leavitt's commentary, telling MSNBC on Wednesday: "I don't even know what that means. I mean, the plain language in the text is—what are they arguing? That an attack is different than a war?"
What Happens Next
Waltz said the administration, including SpaceX CEO Elon Musk, is investigating how Goldberg came to be included in the group chat in the first place. Trump also told reporters he wouldn't be opposed to an inspector general investigation into the breach.
[AnNahar] Leb ...The Lebs maintain a precarious sectarian balance among Shiites, Sunnis, and about a dozen flavors of Christians, plus Armenians, Georgians, and who knows what else?... must disarm Hezbollah as agreed under the terms of the November truce with Israel, the U.S. State Department said Friday, after rocket fire prompted Israel to bomb Beirut's southern suburbs for the first time since the agreement came into effect.
Israel and Beirut agreed the terms of ceasefire in November, but rockets have been fired from Lebanon twice this week, prompting Israeli air raids in return.
The Iran-backed Hezbollah has denied involvement in the rocket fire, but Israel has vowed to respond to "enforce the ceasefire."
A spokeswoman for the U.S. State Department, Tammy Bruce, indicated that Washington supports the Israeli position.
"The reason that any attacks have happened is because Lions of Islam launched rockets into Israel from Lebanon. That is a violation of the cessation of hostilities. It is a violation of the ceasefire when terrorist groups, when gangs, shoot rockets," Bruce said.
"As part of the cessation of hostilities agreement, the government of Lebanon is responsible for disarming Hezbollah, and we expect the Lebanese armed forces to disarm these Lions of Islam to prevent further hostilities," she said.
[IsraelTimes] Lebanon and Syria have signed an agreement on border demarcation and boosting coordination between the two countries regarding security along their tense frontier, the Saudi Press Agency reports.
The deal signed by the Lebanese and Syrian defense ministers in Saudi Arabia late in the day yesterday came after clashes in border areas earlier this month left several people dead and dozens wounded on both sides.
The plan for border demarcation also comes after the ouster in early December of the 54-year Assad family rule in Syria, leading to tensions along the frontier where Lebanon’s Hezbollah terror group was active on both sides of the border during Syria’s 14-year civil war.
Lebanese Defense Minister Michel Menassa was scheduled to visit the Syrian capital, Damascus, on Wednesday, but the visit was canceled.
Menassa and his Syrian counterpart, Murhaf Abu Qasra, later flew to Jiddah in Saudi Arabia yesterday, where they held talks attended by Saudi Defense Minister Khalid bin Salman and signed the deal.
The Saudi agency says the Lebanese and Syrian ministers signed an agreement in which both sides agreed on the “strategic importance of demarcating their border,” and the formation of legal and specialized committees in different fields. It adds that both countries agreed to “activate coordination mechanisms” to deal with any security challenges along the border.
It says Saudi Arabia backs security and stability in both countries, which boosts regional security.
[Rudaw] The German Interior Minister Nancy Faeser and her Austrian counterpart Gerhard Karner on Thursday canceled their trip to Syria, following security warnings from German authorities.
The two ministers headed to Jordan on Wednesday to discuss the current situation in the Middle East and were planning a trip to Damascus to discuss the return of refugees.
However,
a person who gets all wrapped up in himself makes a mighty small package... the top diplomats’ "onward trip to the Syrian capital Damascus was canceled following warnings from German security authorities of a specific threat," read a statement from Berlin’s interior ministry, adding that "the two interior ministers had planned talks with the Syrian transitional government."
The cancellation notably comes just a day after Berlin's envoy to Syria on Wednesday expressed deep concern over reports of civilian casualties following a suspected Israeli shelling on Daraa province, southwest of the country.
Syria’s foreign ministry had on Tuesday demanded an international investigation into what it said was an "Israeli shelling" west of Daraa that killed six people.
Germany, a leading power in the European Union ...the successor to the Holy Roman Empire, only without the Hapsburgs and the nifty uniforms and the dancing... , has been a primary destination for Syrian refugees over the past decade.
Faeser’s trip to Syria was notably set to take place months after she had introduced a four-point plan in January, addressing the status of Syrians in Germany.
The plan outlines that Syrians "who are well-integrated into German society, are employed and have learned the German language" should "be able to remain" in the country. It also expands the voluntary return program, offering assistance to "anyone who wants to return to Syria," including those who wish to "look up relatives and decide whether they can return to a life in safety" in their country.
While voluntary return is encouraged, Faeser emphasized that the visits of Syrian refugees to their country "will be subject to strict requirements," adding that "we don’t want people commuting back and forth."
The German interior minister additionally stressed that "criminals and people considered a potential terrorist or holy warrior threat are to be deported as quickly as possible," adding that Berlin has "a definite national interest in seeing that these people leave Germany."
The plan further notes that Germany’s Federal Office for Migration and Refugees would also assess "the protection status of Syrian refugees and withdraw it for those who no longer require such protection in Germany because the situation in Syria has stabilized."
While Berlin seems keen on returning some of the refugees who sought asylum in Germany, its Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock warned last week that a sudden mass return of the millions who fled from Syria would lead to the country’s collapse. She emphasized that any return should follow a gradual, "step-by-step" process, beginning with refugees in countries neighboring Syria.
Germany also pledged €300 million (around $327 million) in aid to Syria last week, which will be distributed to United Nations ...an idea whose time has gone... agencies and other international organizations providing humanitarian assistance in the country.
Faeser stated on Thursday that the aid comes with "clear expectations," stressing that "freedom and security must apply to all people in Syria in the future, regardless of gender, faith, or ethnicity."
#5
He consistently doesn’t do the emoji thingies that would cue in the more literal among us — like me — that he is being totally sarcastic, alanc. Which suggests that he is being totally sarcastic. ;-)
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited. by Leonid Tsukanov
[REGNUM] Iran's secret underground facilities have been dazzling the world for decades. The secrecy carefully kept around the deadly contents of these dungeons only fueled interest. And then suddenly Iran lifted the veil.
The one-and-a-half-minute video, in which the Chief of the General Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces Mohammad Bagheri and the Commander of the Aerospace Forces of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Amir-Ali Hajizadeh travel through the “underground city” and inspect the advanced “arsenal of retaliation,” was promptly distributed by all Iranian media.
It also served as an open message to the opponents who are issuing ultimatums and threatening devastating blows to Iranian territory.
Official Tehran emphasizes that it does not mind “showing off” some secret facilities and what is stored there, since they are only the tip of the iceberg.
"ROCKET CITIES"
Although speculation about Iran having a large number of underground military facilities has been circulating in the press since the early 2000s, Tehran has not confirmed them for a long time.
The first controlled leaks of information were sanctioned by the government only in 2015 to debunk numerous myths surrounding the Iranian military program, and most importantly to show that such facilities are not used as nuclear arsenals.
True, the fragmentary information that made it into the press did not give researchers a complete picture of the functionality of these bases and further fueled the imagination of Tehran’s opponents.
Was there any mention of them — and complete architectural plans — in that warehouse archive Mossad completely emptied and carried off to Israel? Unlike us here at Rantburg, Mossad does not rely on open sources for their information.
Over time, underground cities began to be increasingly used by Tehran as a tool to intimidate the enemy.
In 2016, they were used to scare Saudi Arabia and other Arabian monarchies, and since 2020, the United States and Israel.
Maybe the Magic Kingdom was scared, but I suspect we and Israel are more annoyed than anything else.
And although Tehran did not voice a direct threat to “strike from underground,” the authorities did not miss the opportunity to report on the latest modernization of “missile cities.”
This scare tactic was especially effective given that until recently Iran’s opponents only had reliable information about three such facilities: Khorramabad (the largest missile base in the country), Kenesht-Kanyon, and Panj-Pelleh.
Are you sure about that, Mr. Tsukanov?
However, both in Washington and Tel Aviv, the conviction is growing that underground cities exist in every Iranian province.
Recently, Iranian generals have been actively confirming these guesses.
Thus, by January 2025, the IRGC had publicized information about at least two more such facilities in the central part of the country and in one of the coastal provinces. And in February, IRGC Commander-in-Chief Hossein Salami ceremoniously opened a new underground base in the south in the presence of journalists.
Introducing the facility, the commander-in-chief did not fail to hint that Iran already has “hundreds of underground cities” and even the most sophisticated enemy knows about only a small part of them.
In the context of constant threats to strike Iranian territory from Washington and Tel Aviv, Salami's statement sounded sobering.
STRATEGIC RESERVE
Despite the fact that the underground city shown by the Iranian command is not the first of its kind, it is unique in its own way.
First of all, the press was able to see not only the “entrance hall” of the complex and some galleries, but also study in detail – right down to the serial numbers of some strike units – the rich “arsenal of retaliation.”
Among the weapons demonstrated to the general public by Generals Bagheri and Hajizadeh were dozens of medium-range ballistic missiles (Kheibar Shekan, Sajil, Qadr-110) and cruise missiles (Shahid Abu Mahdi, Paveh).
Most of these weapons have already been used by Iran in strikes on Israeli territory and have proven to be very effective.
Given the high level of development of Iran's missile industry, the tour of the base only highlighted a small part of the range of the latest weapons.
At the very least, the promising cruise missiles Hoveyzeh and Sumar, which were launched into production several years ago, as well as the Jihad ballistic missile, which Tehran first presented at a parade in September 2024, remained in the shadows.
The IRGC command is increasingly fanning the flames of interest in the topic, stating that there is “nowhere to put” the stamped missiles of all types and kinds, and promising that underground missile storage facilities will be opened every week for the next two years.
In other words, we are talking about at least another hundred buried objects that Tehran is ready to talk about publicly.
ARSENALS ON DISPLAY
Despite the fact that Iran's new underground city looks very impressive, some Western military experts have assessed the IRGC's bravado with skepticism. Others have even called the complex a "white elephant" of the Iranian military system.
The main thing that caught the eye of Iran's opponents was the lack of any division of the base into sections. In fact, the complex shown is one long tunnel filled with missiles and launchers.
The lack of blast-proof doors makes the impression worse - the minimal barriers between the racks are visible only in a few places, and they are clearly not designed to contain a blast wave.
In addition, a significant portion of the missiles are stored without transport containers, which further increases the risk of chain detonation and destruction of the entire complex.
Although, given the propaganda nature of the video, most of the missiles were, with a high degree of probability, placed in a simulated combat position in advance, so that the arsenals would look more menacing.
Israeli military experts, who are closely monitoring the discovery of underground cities, respond with bravado and recall that they already had experience in destroying similar impregnable objects.
In particular, in September 2024, the IDF destroyed an underground Hezbollah missile factory in northwestern Syria, and a few days later, like a house of cards, demolished the underground bunker of the same movement’s leadership in Lebanon.
Yep. Very dramatic it was, too.
Therefore, the Israelis claim that it would not be difficult for them to get to the Iranian missile deposits.
However, they are being a bit disingenuous here.
In both Syria and Lebanon, the successful destruction of underground facilities was preceded by a lengthy ground operation, which included (as in the case of Syria) the planting of explosives directly inside the complex.
The Hezbollah leader's bunker was destroyed because the Lebanese air defense system was not working: only because of this did dozens of concrete-piercing bombs reach their target.
Uh huh. Sure.
Neither scenario will work in the case of Iran due to its advanced echeloned defense both in the air and on the ground.
I seem to recall the IAF spending a night destroying Iran’s entire anti-aircraft set-up last year, but it’s possible Iran completely replaced it while we weren’t looking…
In addition, the large number of objects scattered throughout the country (the exact location of some of which is still unknown)
… for a given definition of unknown which means Mossad might well know all about it because they were the ones who built it, just like they staffed the IRGC’s dedicated in-house Mossad-hunting team…
will require serious expenditures to identify and eliminate them and will almost certainly result in monstrous losses in personnel and equipment for the IDF.
This way of posing the question makes the operation impractical even in the eyes of the most ardent Israeli “hawks”.
#5
"Attention! New Persian invention:
An underground town in suspension!
Now all that we need
To proceed at high speed
Is some shambling tattooed Untermenschen."
#7
About those Yahud WMs: Hungarian-Israeli Olympic multi-medal gymnast Ágnes Keleti died in Budapest on January 2nd at 103. Cheated of her first Olympic appearance by the Nazis in the 1940s, she competed in her first Olympics at the age of 31 and took gold — plus a couple of other colours — then did it again four years later before fleeing the Communists for Israel, where she coached several generations of outstanding Israeli women gymnasts. She finally gave up doing gymnastics demonstrations a few years ago.
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.
..not a terrorist organization, even though it kidnaps people, holds hostages, and tries to negotiate by executing them,...
..not a terrorist organization, even though it kidnaps people, holds hostages, and tries to negotiate by executing them,...
...hereditary Iraqi holy man and leader of a political movement in Iraq. He had his hereditary rival al-Khoei assassinated shortly after the holy rival's appearance out of exile in 2003. Formerly an Iranian catspaw, lately he gagged over some of their more outlandish antics, then went back to catspawry when the check cleared...
...The Lebs maintain a precarious sectarian balance among Shiites, Sunnis, and about a dozen flavors of Christians, plus Armenians, Georgians, and who knows what else?...
...the successor to the Holy Roman Empire, only without the Hapsburgs and the nifty uniforms and the dancing...
