INFORMATION SUMMARY
“MAKE IT HARD TO HURT YOU”
| SUNDAY, 30 MAR 2025 BUREN.RIC.MOORE@GMAIL.COM 225/936-0404 |
| The following message contains information and intelligence compiled by the office of SECURITY IN DEPTH, LLC. Information is from open source and reports generated by sharing partners. |
NOTE: Those who are either proponents of the Democratic Party Left or those who are just anti-Trump continue to use the media to pop smoke at real issues that threaten our security. Our biggest threats have not changed, China, Russia, Iran, North Korea along with all their puppet groups and nations remain. People are shocked by what is going on with the District Judges who have small fiefdoms and vested personal interests in issues they judge on. Trump was elected for many reasons, but a principal one was removing a vast Criminal Network of individuals, who came into the U.S. through the Biden Open Borders Policy. Many of these dangerous and violent people came from the Venezuelan puppet group and from the Chinese and Islamic drug organizations. The U.S. has vowed to speed up the creation of a joint “war-fighting headquarters” in Japan to deter China. There would be more joint military exercises in the Okinawa islands near Taiwan, a self-ruled island that China says is part of its territory and has threatened to take by force. This defense against China, as well as Russia, is also part of the move to take control of Greenland for national security reasons even if military action is needed to get it. Acquisition of Greenland is of strategic importance that most people are not aware of and reports are coming forth that Trump is planning to revamp the U.S. Navy. The U.S. Navy and its NATO allies may be gearing up to challenge Russia’s excessive legal claims to the Northern Sea route by conducting a freedom of navigation operation. Multinational naval exercises have been taking place in the Barents Sea, and the issues might include freedom of navigation operation. The stakes are high, given the tensions following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The Russian government’s warnings about naval operations in the area have become more bellicose and the political leadership appears more willing to take risks. As a result, the fallout from any freedom of navigation operation could rapidly escalate. The Northern Sea route passes through some of Russia’s most militarily sensitive areas. The Arctic region hosts the largest number of Russian ballistic missile submarines, provides a test bed for new weapons, hosts important air bases for strategic bombers, and holds other important military and intelligence infrastructure. Russia defines the Northern Sea Route as a national unified transport route running from the Kara Gates in the west to Deznev Cape in the eastern Arctic. The Northern Sea Route consists of multiple lanes, but the most commonly used route passes through four straits: the Vilkitskii, Shokalskii, Dmitri Laptev, and Sannikov Straits. Russian law defines these straits as internal waters, while the United States and others key actors beg to disagree and define them as international straits, thus subject to the right of transit passage. The difference in interpretation is longstanding: The United States and the Soviet Union first exchanged a series of diplomatic notes arguing over the status of these straits in the 1960s. Today with the Chinese influence with Russia adds fuel to that fire. Since then, however, the salience of the legal dispute has grown, together with the continued opening of the Arctic Ocean, drawing international interest and facilitating foreign access. Moscow has been increasingly concerned about foreign military presence in the Arctic. The growing conventional capability gap between Russia and NATO may also increase President Vladimir Putin’s sense of vulnerability in the Arctic. At least 80 percent of Russian ground forces were withdrawn from this area to support the war in Ukraine. Consequently, preventing the erosion of Russian control has been high on the Russian government’s agenda. Since 2022, Russia has taken political, legal, and military steps to further restrict access for foreign warships and deter a potential freedom of navigation operation in the region. Should that not work, the Northern Fleet has been rehearsing “repelling unauthorized passage of foreign ships and vessels” that could challenge Russia’s sovereignty in Arctic waters. Concerning the Iranian saga, we have posted previously that some experts are of the opinion that President Trump may give Israel a “blank check” in the Middle East, possibly opening the way for all-out war between Israel and Iran but it could happen piece meal. A senior Israeli delegation is expected to visit the White House for strategic consultations about Iran. President Trump has given Tehran a two-month window to negotiate a new nuclear deal and has raised the threat of military strikes on Iran’s nuclear program if no deal is reached. The odds of a deal that Iran can be trusted to abide by are low so U.S. and Israel need to align on a joint course of action should things escalate to military force.
201600MAR2025 The Israeli military expanded its ground offensive in Gaza, and killed at least 80 Palestinians in a new wave of strikes Thursday, according to Gaza health officials. Hamas fired its first rockets since Israel broke a recent ceasefire and resumed heavy airstrikes on Gaza this week. Scenes that were familiar from earlier in the war once again returned in Gaza: Israeli evacuation orders, partial prohibitions on movement between north and south Gaza, and airstrikes that have killed a total of more than 500 people — including more than 200 children — over the last several days, according to Gaza health officials. Israel said the return to war is in order to pressure Hamas to release more Israeli hostages. https://www.npr.org/2025/03/20/nx-s1-5334420/israel-gaza-hamas-rockets NOTE: Hamas has been playing with the “ceasefire” agreement rule for weeks and never meant to have a lasting ceasefire. Israel’s military intercepted a missile launched by Yemen’s Houthi rebels early Thursday, the second to target Israel since the collapse of the Gaza ceasefire, as the United States’ intensifies airstrikes against the Iran-backed militant group. The Houthis claimed responsibility for what it said was a ballistic missile fired in support of Palestinians and in response to Israel’s renewed bombardment of Gaza, which has killed almost 500 people in the strip since the fragile truce shattered on Tuesday. Sirens sounded in several areas across Israel, including Tel Aviv and Jerusalem, Israeli authorities said. The missile was intercepted before it entered Israeli territory, according to the Israel Defense Forces (IDF). No injuries were immediately reported, Israel’s emergency service said. The Houthis said the missile targeted Ben Gurion International Airport, Israel’s main aviation hub on the outskirts of Tel Aviv. The group also claimed to target the aircraft carrier USS Harry Truman and a number of US warships in the Red Sea with an unspecified number of ballistic and cruise missiles and drones. The Houthis’ launch came after the latest US strikes targeted Yemen on Wednesday and early into Thursday, including in the capital Sanaa, as President Donald Trump threatened the Houthis in a post on his Truth Social platform, saying the rebel group “will be completely annihilated.” https://www.cnn.com/2025/03/19/middleeast/israel-houthi-missile-yemen-intl-hnk/index.html
NOTE: With the “new sheriff in town” Donald Trump and his new Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth and DHS’s revamp with Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and Border Czar Tom Homan it is not surprising that LA Governor Landry has decided that the Governor’s Office of Homeland Security & Emergency Preparedness (GOHSEP) will now be under the Louisiana National Guard. Brig. Gen. Jason Mahfouz serving as the interim director of GOHSEP—responsible for day-to-day operations and Adjutant General, Maj. Gen. Thomas Friloux, will provide oversight to GOHSEP during this transition. This reflects the commitment to cut waste and streamline government and places Louisiana on the same page of national security focus. With Louisiana close to the Mexican border and on the Gulf of America it is important to realize that many of the immigrant (not migrant) caravans to the U.S. gathered in the hotbed of Islamic radicalism Chiapas, Mexico, with support from Muslims in Mexico City, Baja California, and Nuevo Leon. We must never forget that Islam teaches the destruction of the infidel and that the Jihad/Islamic believe that the path to heaven is to kill the infidel or the non-believers, i.e., Jews and Christians in particular. The Jihad desire to destroy Israel is a root cause of the Iranian and their Islamic puppets drive to kill Jews and Infidels as a high-level Iranian general declared his nation will wage an attack designed to obliterate Israel. Tehran’s rogue regime launched two massive aerial attacks against the Jewish state, a key U.S. ally in the Middle East, in 2024. According to Iranian regime media outlets, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) General Ebrahim Jabbari said, “Operation True Promise 3 will be carried out at the right time, with precision, and on a scale sufficient to destroy Israel and raze Tel Aviv and Haifa to the ground.” Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar fired back at Jabbari’s threat on X, saying, “If the Jewish people have learned anything from history, it is this: if your enemy says his goal is to annihilate you – believe him. Regarding the current on/off ceasefire agreement I believe it is right for Israel to adopt the Islamic tactic Hudna where the pause allows for rearming, resupplying, and concentration on other fronts and never intended to stop attacking once prepared. A Hudna throughout Muslim history is defined as a truce meant to produce a period to gain concessions and allows time to regroup, rearm, and attack again at a choosing of their time. Any ceasefire by a Muslim is only a tactical maneuver and will not be honored. In Islam actually conceding to peace shows weakness and Hamas and Hezbollah both do not wish to show weakness, so the piecemeal release of hostages is a means to show some strength. Between 1993 and the present several ceasefires have been agreed upon, but none have been honored and to Muslims it would be sacrilege to keep them. Just as a trojan horse a Muslim ceasefire is a “hudna” or false treaty which is only a means to escalate more violence. Hamas, like all the rest of the Iranian puppets or terror groups, are not the main adversary as Islamic teaching do not allow to honor a ceasefire for long since the goal is to destroy the infidel Israel, the U.S., et al. It appears that peace in the Middle East is only possible by eradicating those who seek the destruction of the Jewish state as we did in WWII with the Nazis. Also today Abu Obaida, the spokesperson of the Qassam Brigades, Hamas’s military wing, has hailed Yemen’s Houthi rebels for their “honorable stance and direct support” for the people of Gaza and President Trump has renewed his call for Iran to end its support for the Houthis, pledging that the Yemeni group will be defeated by the United States. The POTUS comments came a day after the Houthis claimed attacks targeting American warships in the Red Sea area, as well as a missile launch against Israel and added, “They will be completely annihilated!” This month, the U.S. has launched several waves of attacks against the Houthis, who control Sanaa and present themselves as the country’s official armed forces. Since 2023, the Houthis have been targeting ships in and around the Red Sea and launching missiles at Israel in an effort, they say, to pressure the Israeli government to end the war on Gaza. As we have posted previously some experts are of the opinion that President Trump may give Israel a “blank check” in the Middle East, possibly opening the way for all-out war between Israel and Iran but it could happen piece meal. A senior Israeli delegation is expected to visit the White House early next week for strategic consultations about Iran. President Trump has given Tehran a two-month window to negotiate a new nuclear deal and has raised the threat of military strikes on Iran’s nuclear program if no deal is reached. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his team think the odds of a deal are low, and want to align on a joint course of action should things escalate to military force. This will be the first meeting of the U.S.-Israel Strategic Consultative Group (SCG) since Trump assumed office. It’s the most senior forum for U.S.-Israeli discussion on Iran’s nuclear program. Top Netanyahu advisers strategic affairs minister Ron Dermer and national security adviser Tzachi Hanegbi are expected to lead the Israeli delegation, according to Israeli officials. The delegation will also include senior representatives from the National Security Council, the military, the Mossad, the Foreign Ministry, the Ministry of Defense and the Atomic Energy Commission and are expected to meet with a U.S. team led by Trump’s national security adviser Mike Waltz and representatives from the State Department, Pentagon, and U.S. intelligence community.
041400MAR2025 A stabbing attack left one person dead and four others wounded in Haifa, Israel, on Monday.
Police said they were treating the stabbing, which took place in a central transit hub, as a militant attack. A security guard and a civilian killed the attacker, who police said was an Arab citizen of Israel who had recently returned to Israel after some time abroad. “My wife Sara and I extend our deepest condolences to the family of the victim of the horrific terrorist attack in Haifa, and we send our wishes for a speedy recovery to the injured,” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a statement. “We will continue to fight those who seek to harm us – wherever they are – and we will defeat them,” he added. The victim who died in the attack – who was stabbed in the back multiple times, according to the Times of Israel – was 70 years old. A 15-year-old boy was also wounded, but he is now in stable condition after undergoing surgery at a local hospital, the Times of Israel reported, citing a doctor. The Palestinian terrorist group Hamas praised the attack in Haifa but did not claim responsibility for it, according to Reuters. Haifa is a city in northern Israel, located near the country’s border with Lebanon. https://www.foxnews.com/world/terror-attack-haifa-israel-leaves-dead-wounded
NOTE: The U.S. is supporting the Israeli government’s decision to block aid to Gaza until Hamas leaders agree to a ceasefire extension since it is obvious that Israel has negotiated in good faith since the beginning of the “ceasefire” to ensure the release of hostages held captive by Hamas terrorists. Earlier on Sunday, Israeli officials announced that they are stopping the entry of all goods and supplies into the Gaza Strip and warned Hamas it would face “additional consequences” if it does not accept a new proposal for an extended ceasefire. Some officials speak as though they are surprised that Hamas has indicated it’s no longer interested in a negotiated ceasefire but those of us who understand the Islamic world knew they would not keep any agreement since it is permissible for a Muslim to lie to support Jihad. This is a truth because Islam means submission and Jihad means to struggle to wage war against the Infidel or non-believer. The non-Islamic world should remember that the high majority of Muslims believe this because they are taught this from birth at home, at school, and in the Mosque. As Walid Shoebat once said non-Muslims get to heaven by the way they live but Muslims get there by supporting Jihad and the way they die. Regarding the ceasefire agreement I believe Israel may have adopted an Islamic tactic Hudna where the pause allows for rearming, resupplying, and concentration on other fronts and never intended to stop attacking once prepared. A Hudna throughout Muslim history is defined as a truce meant to produce a period to gain concessions and allows time to regroup, rearm, and attack again at a choosing of their time. Any ceasefire by a Muslim is only a tactical maneuver and will not be honored. In Islam actually conceding to peace shows weakness and Hamas and Hezbollah both do not wish to show weakness, so the piecemeal release of hostages is a means to show some strength. Some experts are of the opinion that President Trump should give Israel a “blank check” in the Middle East, possibly opening the way for all-out war between Israel and Iran. Between 1993 and the present several ceasefires have been agreed upon, but none have been honored and to Muslims it would be sacrilege to keep them. Just as a trojan horse a Muslim ceasefire is a “hudna” or false treaty which is only a means to escalate more violence. Hamas, like all the rest of the Iranian puppets or terror groups, are not the main adversary as Islamic teaching do not allow to honor a ceasefire for long since the goal is to destroy the infidel Israel, the U.S., et al. It appears that peace in the Middle East is only possible by eradicating those who seek the destruction of the Jewish state as we did in WWII with the Nazis. A recent post attributed to Imtiaz Mahmood: “Let me tell you why a Muslim would drive his car into a crowd of innocent people. I was raised Muslim, and I know exactly why this happens. It’s not poverty. It’s not oppression. It’s not even radicalization. It’s the logical outcome of Islamic doctrine itself. It doesn’t matter if you’re a Muslim or not; we, as human beings, carry guilt deep inside us. We know we are not good enough and spend our lives trying to redeem ourselves through good deeds, thinking it will make the guilt disappear. Christianity, for example, offers a way out of guilt, a solution not based on your works but on Christ’s. Salvation isn’t earned; it’s given. You accept that you can’t redeem yourself because Christ did everything on your behalf. That means you’re free. Free to live, free to build, free to serve, free to love. When Christians feel lost, broken, and needing forgiveness, they can go to church, talk to a pastor or priest, and leave knowing they have been forgiven. Islam, on the other hand, doesn’t offer redemption; it weaponizes guilt. Instead of providing salvation, Allah exposes you, holds your sins over your head, and threatens you with hellfire and torture in the grave. The Quran isn’t a book of peace; it’s a book of threats. It bullies Muslims into obedience through fear, humiliation, and punishment. So, what happens when a Muslim seeks redemption? They try to be better Muslims. They pray, fast, give to charity, go on Hajj, and do everything Allah commands. But it never works. I know. I did it. And no matter how much you pray, no matter how much you try, the guilt never goes away. Because deep down, every Muslim knows it’s not enough. Allah always demands more. Allah loves those who die fighting against the infidels. That’s not an opinion, it’s in the Quran, Hadith, and every lesson taught to children. This is why Muslims, even the so-called “moderates,” always hesitate to condemn terrorism. Because they know Allah requires jihad. They might not be willing to commit it themselves, but they cannot say it’s wrong. So when a Muslim fails to reach peace through religious rituals, they have two choices: Give up, stop being devout, and learn to live with the guilt, or commit to jihad because that’s the only way to be true to yourself. The Quran spells it out clearly: “Kill those who do not worship Allah or obey the Prophet” (9:29). So when a Muslim embraces this identity fully, killing infidels isn’t just justified; it’s joyful. It’s an act of: ✔ Saving yourself ✔ Obeying Allah ✔ Securing your eternity ✔ Finally escaping the crushing weight of guilt. This is why a Muslim can drive his car into a crowd of innocent people and feel nothing but satisfaction. Because for the first time in his life, he finally believes he has done something worthy of redemption.”
231800FEB2025 After President Donald Trump announced he was reimposing his maximum economic sanctions pressure campaign on the Islamic Republic of Iran, a high-level Iranian general declared Thursday his nation will wage an attack designed to obliterate Israel. Tehran’s rogue regime launched two massive aerial attacks against the Jewish state, a key U.S. ally in the Middle East, in 2024. According to Iranian regime media outlets, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) General Ebrahim Jabbari said, “Operation True Promise 3 will be carried out at the right time, with precision, and on a scale sufficient to destroy Israel and raze Tel Aviv and Haifa to the ground.” Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar fired back at Jabbari’s threat on X, saying, “If the Jewish people have learned anything from history, it is this: if your enemy says his goal is to annihilate you – believe him. We are ready.” Tom Gross, a Middle East expert, told Fox News Digital, “The Israeli foreign minister is right, of course. Genocidal threats from Iran need to be taken seriously. If previous threats by Iran and its Hamas terror allies had been taken more seriously, the Oct. 7 onslaught might have been prevented.” Jabbari’s remarks seem to also be aimed at setting up a showdown between Trump and Iran’s regime. Jabbari made his declaration to destroy Israel when he spoke to paramilitary forces during military drills called “The Great Exercise of Prophet Mohammad’s Power.” “The United States can do nothing against Yemen,” Jabbari said in an apparent reference to the Trump administration’s efforts to dismantle the Iran-backed Houthi movement in Yemen. The Islamic Republic has Trump in its crosshairs with assassination plans since the president ordered a military strike that eliminated IRGC General Qassem Soleimani in 2020. “If they are trying to send a message to Trump, they should be careful,” Gross said. “The U.S. president had no problem dispatching the previous head of the revolutionary guards in his first term, and, since then, the regime has tried to assassinate Trump, who now has unfinished business with the regime in Tehran.” Fox News Digital reported that the U.S. State Department said Soleimani was responsible for 17% of U.S. troops killed during the Iraq war — over 600 military personnel. Trump responded to Iran’s plan to murder him by declaring if Tehran assassinated him, “That would be a terrible thing for them to do. “If they did that, they would be obliterated. That would be the end. … There won’t be anything left.” Gross said “Iran’s Islamic regime may be nervous, having lost its allies Hezbollah and Assad, and perhaps Russia too. The regime may be threatening Israel to try and scare off Washington and Jerusalem from moving against the regime’s nuclear weapons program.” Banafsheh Zand, an Iranian-American expert on the Islamic Republic, told Fox News Digital, “The Khomeinist regime has never hidden its intentions, yet the West has continually chosen to ignore these threats. Even as the Shia regime destroyed Iran and its people and launched terrorist attacks around the world, Western leaders ignored it. They could have stood with the people of Iran, the region, and the Islamic world but willfully chose not to.” Ali Khamenei is the supreme leader of the Islamic Republic Iran, a regime the U.S. State Department classified as the world’s worst state sponsor of terrorism. Zand complained that “Western leaders have proven to be short-sighted, entirely out of touch, greedy and penny-wise and pound-foolish. And here we are, 46 years later, and the cycle of slipshod choices goes on and on, putting Western citizenry in impending harm’s way as well.” https://www.foxnews.com/world/iran-tests-trump-regime-general-says-wipe-israel-off-map
NOTE: We must never forget that Islam teaches the destruction of the infidel and that the Jihad/Islamic believe that the path to heaven is to kill the infidel or the non-believers, i.e., Jews and Christians in particular. The Jihad desire to destroy Israel is a root cause of the Iranian and their Islamic puppets drive to kill Jews and Infidels It is important to realize that many of the “migrant” caravans to the U.S. gathered in Chiapas, Mexico, which is known to be a hotbed of Islamic radicalism. Also, we must be aware that Islamic scholars agree that Allah allows lying to an infidel if it aids in the Jihad war effort. The release of 620 Palestinian prisoners, scheduled for Saturday, was postponed by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu because of Hamas’s repeated violations, including the ceremonies that humiliate Israeli hostages and the cynical exploitation of our hostages for propaganda purposes. Hamas fighters exploited Israeli prisoners while they were being released. In another incident showcasing Islamic treatment of hostages, seventy Christians in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) were beheaded with machetes or large knives by Islamist militants. The 70 Christians were first rounded up by Islamist rebels from the Allied Democratic Forces, a group affiliated with the terror group Islamic State, or ISIS were taken hostage, and moved to a small Christian church in the village of Kasanga. There, inside the building that had until then been considered a sanctuary, they were first tied up, and then all 70 were beheaded. Also on the Islamic front, Houthi rebels for the first time fired surface-to-air missiles (SAMs) at a U.S. F-16 fighter jet flying off the coast of Yemen over the Red Sea. Fortunately, the missile did not strike the jet. Under the Biden administration the U.S. military defended its warships patrolling the Red Sea and Bab al Mandab Strait, escorting and preventing attacks on commercial ships by the Houthis following the Oct. 7, 2023, attack in Israel by Hamas. Now there is a policy debate at the highest levels of the U.S. military about what is the best way to counter the Houthis, which the Trump administration has put back on the State Department’s terror list. The debate now is whether to carry out a more traditional counterterrorism approach to the Houthis, with persistent strikes targeting the individuals planning and carrying out the ongoing attacks, or whether to take a more defensive approach and keep going after Houthi infrastructure and weapons-storage facilities. A counterterrorism approach would be a significant – and, some say, expensive – escalation at a time when military resources, including MQ-9 Reaper drones, are being diverted to the southern border. It is important to realize that all terror groups sometimes cooperate on common objectives against common enemies. Such may be the case where criminal migrant groups like Venezuela’s Tren de Aragua and El Salvador’s MS-13 – which the Trump administration just designated “foreign terrorist organizations” – and the Trump administration is making good on its promise to stamp them out. The Central American gangs are believed to have killed more Americans than every terrorist organization in the world combined. Now they are terrorist organizations. So, word is out to anybody that assists them, anybody that buys or sells their drugs on the street, anybody assists these cartels in any way, you are guilty of aiding a terrorist organization. The historic crisis at the southern border saw millions of illegal immigrants arrive there, with a great many eventually released into the United States as officials struggled to deal with the numbers they were facing. It is unusual that very little is said about the number of known and possible radicalized Muslims that were also part of the illegal immigrant flood. These are not migrants but illegal immigrants that are documented and undocumented that are now among us. It is believed by many experts that all of this is part of the axis of China, Russia, North Korea, and Iran to lay the groundwork to cause economic problems for the Homeland and to set the stage for future attacks. Many among Democrats and the media are saying that ICE has arrested illegal aliens without criminal charges, along with criminal aliens, but if you’re in a country illegally, which happens to be a violation of our law then you are a criminal. Entering this country illegally is a crime, and unlike the previous regime Trump is not going to forgive it. Sanctuary cities are a sanctuary for criminals and are more than likely a breeding ground for terrorism. LEOs that refuse to honor ICE detainers are not protecting the public and should remove their badges and put them in the desk drawer. They have become politicians not cops.
171400FEB2025 NOTE: The article below is a follow up to the post on 15 FEB 2025. In today’s world the group of SID adopts the SCN circles’ idea and adapts the ageless self-defense strategies to the present-day threats and vulnerabilities that exist in a multiple plane environment. SID sees the Circles of Prevention as 5 spherical dimensions and stresses the need for tactical movement from one flexible ellipse to another as situations and security strengths dictate. The movement of the area parameters and the ability of security must be dynamic and never static. An effective security plan begins with a risk assessment that identifies the consequences, threats, and vulnerabilities of the site and its various areas to be protected. This assessment provides strategic information on the risk elements required for development of a security plan and identifies the training/exercises that will be the basis of prevention, responses, mitigations, and recovery operations which in turn marks main avenues of approach and escape routes accompanied by the necessary tactical locations and types of alarms, obstacles, roving patrols, defensive positions, safe rooms, and rendezvous points. Outside the main perimeter sphere is seen as an environment where all viable threats/hazards emanate and is the primary location where discovery of any viable imminent threat is desired. Prevention efforts against all threats and hazards occur here with a continuous quartering operation including clear fields with early warning listening/observation platforms that provide information on suspicious activities. This includes both digital and physical elements that screen for cyber, utilities, and communication probes or suspicious activities such as cyber phishing/vishing, weather hazards, phone/mail threats, presence of suspicious individuals/ vehicles and attempts to enter the area by unauthorized persons or those with no scheduled appointments. It is equally important to address the subterranean portion of the perimeter sphere particularly underground utility access, electric/water/wastewater, and those areas large enough to permit human access. By the theoretical definition the area of the spheres is depicted as elliptical, and the 5th Ellipse is an area impervious to all threats. Beginning with the 4th Ellipse, all ellipses require protection from physical threats but also have varying vulnerabilities to cyber/electronic threats. From the 3rd to 2nd to 1st Ellipse the threat viability affects the size of the ellipses depending on weapons of an adversary and security execution of the response. In each area the primary objective is to fix (not allowing the threat to relocate) and stop the threat. For example, if a threat consists of an armed attacker, then the type of weapon, firearm/blade/ vehicle, will determine the prevention measures in, and size of, the 3rd Ellipse. The 2nd Ellipse threat consists of an attackers’ abilities to cause injury by striking personnel and/or destruction of property and the vulnerabilities are measures with the ability of in-house security to counter any attack. The 1st Ellipse actions are primarily used to mitigate all physical attacks by subduing the attackers and/or ending the attack with or without extreme prejudice. Active threat situations are unpredictable and evolve quickly. Typically, the immediate deployment of law enforcement is required to stop an armed threat and mitigate harm to victims. But, because many situations are often over within 10 to 15 minutes, before law enforcement arrives on the scene, individuals must be prepared both mentally and physically to deal with an active threat situation. Security et al must immediately choose the best way to protect life by making the best determination of what is occurring and which of the options will provide the greatest degree of security. Key to any response is a plan being trained and exercised then re-evaluated and adjusted as needed. Violent attacks can involve any type of weapon, not just a gun. Knives, blunt objects, physical force or explosives can be just as deadly as a gun. It is extremely important that we make it hard to hurt us by using the isms of old warriors e.g., trust God, check on everybody else – when threats arose Nehemiah prayed to God and posted a guard; if a site is hardened so that no one can get in, you can’t get out; protection efforts are everyone’s duty; and no plan survives the first shot, training takes over so train as you fight.
Police are warning parents of a “potentially deadly situation” after a Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) agent mistakenly shot a high school football player while the student was playing the popular “Senior Assassin” game. The off-duty FDLE agent encountered three individuals “prowling” outside the agent’s Nassau County home early Wednesday morning, in what was actually a game of “Senior Assassin,” authorities said in a release. The game consists of teams using toy guns to “shoot” each other to eliminate players until the remaining team wins. The agent mistook the teens for home invaders and shot the 18-year-old student in the arm. “These types of games may seem innocent, but when you have young people sneaking around in the dark wearing masks and carrying objects that could be mistaken for weapons, you’re creating a potentially deadly situation,” Nassau County Sheriff Bill Leeper said during a press conference. The teen was taken to University of Florida Health with non-life-threatening injuries and is scheduled to undergo surgery for a broken arm. FDLE, Nassau County Sheriff’s Office and the Office of the State Attorney for the Fourth Judicial Circuit are conducting an internal investigation regarding the incident. Authorities across the country are now issuing a warning to parents about the dangers that come from playing these types of games. The game is rapidly gaining popularity among high school students across northern Florida and throughout the country, according to State Attorney Melissa Nelson. Law enforcement officers have tied the game to incidents such as reckless driving and trespassing on private property, and are asking parents and elected officials to discourage kids from playing. “We ask for your help in shutting the game down,” Nelson said in a press conference on Thursday. Players carry fake guns – such as water pistols – while concealing their identities and running through areas and hiding in obscure places. Authorities stress that the very nature of the game can result in tragedy and warn that players risk criminal charges. “Across the country, there have been tragedies and near-tragedies that have occurred as a result,” Nelson said. “In one instance, a teen player was paralyzed when the father of a [player] shot him, mistaking the game for a criminal assault.” In 2024, a group of high school students walked into an Illinois restaurant carrying water pistols disguised as firearms and wearing ski masks, seeking out fellow teenagers involved in the game, according to police. A restaurant patron carrying a concealed weapon mistook the students for a legitimate threat, but no one was harmed. “[We] would like to emphasize that the depiction of firearms, whether real or imitation, in any public setting, is a matter of concern and may instill fear among the public,” the Gurnee Police Department said in a statement. “We urge community members to reconsider their participation in such activities and recognize the seriousness of their actions.” Jacksonville Sheriff T.K. Waters told Fox News Digital that he hopes that parents bridge the gap and speak to their children about this issue – and the dangers of the so-called “game.” “The teenage mindset is that it will never happen to me. I’ll be just fine. I can play this game; nothing is ever going to happen to me. Unfortunately, we saw what happened in Nassau County yesterday. We do not want young people NOT to have fun. That is not our goal here. The goal is to make sure everyone is safe,” he said. “We would ask that you seriously re-evaluate what you’re doing and find another way to have fun.” https://www.foxnews.com/us/high-school-senior-assassin-game-leaves-student-shot-parents-warned-deadly-trend
151400FEB2025 Transgender Indiana student planned ‘Parkland part two’ high school shooting: 18-year-old Trinity Shockley is facing conspiracy to commit murder and intimidation charges. A transgender high school student in Indiana is accused of planning to kill masses of students on Valentine’s Day – the anniversary of the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting in Parkland, Florida. Trinity J Shockley, 18, is being held in the Morgan County jail in Martinsville, Indiana without bond. Shockley was charged Thursday in Morgan Superior Court 1 with the highest-level felony count of conspiracy to commit murder, and two low-level felony counts of intimidation with a threat to commit terrorism, according to court documents obtained by Fox News Digital. Shockley identifies as a transgender man and often goes by Jamie or Dex. The plot to conduct a mass shooting at Mooresville High School was foiled when the FBI in Indianapolis received a tip and contacted the Mooresville Metropolitan Police Department (MMPD) to assess the credibility. In a statement to Fox News Digital, FBI Indianapolis said that the agency “swiftly coordinated” with local officials to investigate. The tip stated that a person, later identified as Shockley, was planning a shooting and had access to an AR-15 rifle and had ordered a bulletproof vest. The tip noted that Shockley reportedly was infatuated with Nikolas Cruz, the man who conducted the shooting at Parkland High School in Florida which occurred on Valentine’s Day in 2018. On Wednesday, officials with the Morgan County Sheriff’s Department conducted a search at Shockley’s home. At the home, according to court documents, Shockley had a “shrine” of recent mass school shooters. The wall included Cruz, as well as Dylann Roof, the man who killed multiple people in a church shooting in Charleston, South Carolina, and Ethan Crumbley from the 2021 Oxford High School shooting. The documents said that Shockley also had a photo album of mass shooters, as well as buttons with their faces on it. Law enforcement also reportedly seized a number of notebooks from Shockley’s room. In the recovered notebooks, Shockley identified as “Dex… a transgender male [who has] a lot of homicidal thoughts.” “These thoughts never seem to stop, you may believe that I am some edgelord, but in reality, I am just a loser,” Shockley wrote in an entry dated Dec. 16, 2024. “I am grateful for my chance to live but in reality, I am scared of living. Is it the government you ask? No. It is this sad reality of living with piece(s) of s—… I hope whoever reads this takes acknowledgment and maybe use it for your massacre. :)” In other entries from January, Shockley wrote about wanting to hurt others and said people need to be “killed” and “wiped away from humanity.” “You all need to be burnt out, killed, wiped away from humanity,” he wrote. “Right now, I want to pull out a [sic] AR-15.” During the investigation, authorities also found archives of Shockley’s Discord and Snapchat accounts which included conversations about planning a school shooting. On Discord, Shockley’s username was reportedly “Crazy Nikolaz.” In one conversation with “TCC Mama” from Jan. 12, 2025, Shockley claimed that she had an AR-15 and had prepared for “Parkland part two.”
Jamie: “Yeah. I’ll be honest. I’m close to shooting mine up. I have an AR-15.”
TCC Mama: “OMD that’s so cool!! But wait, do you have a solid plan??”
Jamie: “Parkland part two. Of course. I’ve been planning this for a YEAR.”
TCC Mama: “You don’t plan on killing yourself right??”
Jamie: “No.”
TCC Mama: “Okay good Your secret is safe with me bro. Kids are awful And if you do carry it out good luck.”
Investigators said Shockley planned to commit the crime at lunchtime “because that would present the most target-rich environment.”
According to court documents, Shockley told police in an interview on Wednesday it was a joke. “[Shockley] stated that [Shockley] wanted to recreate [what] Cruz did, but [Shockley] would never do anything like that,” the documents said. “It was said out of rage. [Shockley] is trying to get help with it. [Shockley] wanted to be in home school because of how bad the thoughts got…” Shockley also told police about being bullied and teased after being hit by a suspected drunk driver in Sept. 2022. The crash caused Shockley to suffer a fractured skull and brain injuries, according to report by WRTV at the time. The driver, Michael Simpson, 35, committed suicide about a year later and before the criminal charges against him were resolved. The detective said Shockley expressed guilt about Simpson’s suicide. Detectives also noted in court documents that Shockley had sought mental health resources from the school district, but Shockley’s father denied that request. A school official allegedly told investigators that Shockley’s father “did not believe in mental health treatment.” The superintendent of Mooresville Schools, Jake Allen, said that he is grateful for the “quick response” by local, state and federal law enforcement. “Through our school staff as well as partnerships with multiple outside agencies, a variety of mental health resources are available to all students of Mooresville Schools,” Allen said in a statement. “We strongly encourage any student or family with questions about resources to reach out to their school office.” “Our schools should always be a place of safety, learning, and belonging,” he said. “We are committed to doing everything in our power to keep our schools safe. Together, as a community, we will continue to protect and support one another.” https://www.foxnews.com/us/transgender-indiana-student-planned-parkland-part-two-high-school-shooting-docs NOTE: Mass shooters have killed hundreds of people throughout U.S. history in realms like stores, theaters and workplaces, but it is in schools and colleges where the carnage reverberates perhaps most keenly — places filled with children of tender ages, older students aspiring to new heights and the teachers planting the seeds of knowledge, their journeys all cut short. After the startling school shootings in 2018, state and federal governments released millions of dollars in funding to beef up school security. That was a great start, but most schools are still at risk of misspending that funding and creating a false sense of student safety. While you should always plan to respond to an event that you cannot stop, this effort has the underlying consequence factor that you are planning for as few casualties as possible as opposed to a prevention strategy that aims at having that number to be zero. We should all strive not let interest in school security dissipate and intensify efforts to prevent such attacks. We all “do what we know” and all stakeholders should be part of developing solutions, not just providing input to the process. Although there is no “profile” of an active shooter, there are consistencies in previous attacks that would classify as suspicious activity, and it is highly encouraged to report and share this type of information. It is important for all of us to be proactive. While law enforcement does very well with groups and individuals that have been officially deemed a threat, lone offenders are extremely troublesome. It is widely accepted that the only thing that will stop a bad guy with a gun is a good guy with a gun, but school security efforts must not bog down due to debates on whether or not to have armed school security. Strategies for school security should all contain similar characteristics of the defense that constitute planning fundamentals for securing an area or a facility. To ensure the success of security, school security officers, administrators, teachers, students, and other stakeholders must understand the characteristics of security defense during all phases. These fundamentals are Planning; Preparation; Tactical Defense; and Reorganization and Reunification. Whatever the strategy, plans and training must support the essential mission objectives. We must remain vigilant, encourage others, and share information. Also, we must keep in mind that students are the ones who are most likely to hear of plans to do violence. Some of the reasons they are not forthcoming is they do not want to get someone in “trouble.” Using the tactic of doing individual threat assessments privately before arrests is one way to address this. We must talk to the students and strongly encourage immediately reporting of suspicious activity. One school in Bethlehem, Pa. has drastically changed its approach to school violations. With teams of community supporters making little headway in an underperforming school, instead of focusing on correcting infractions, officials are now trying to understand the cause of the student’s behavior which is akin to an individual threat assessment. For instance, if a child is wearing a jacket inside, the administrators do not readily demand the student take the coat off. Instead, they try to figure out why the student is wearing it. Such behavior can be a sign the child is in mental survival mode due to abuse, neglect, family dysfunction, drug abuse or mental health issues. Students score their mental state (3 is a “good day”), and if scores are in the red zone (7-10), interventions are available to bring down their anxiety or agitation. The method, called the trauma-informed approach, has led to less failing students and suspensions and higher GPAs. It should be remembered that in the Parkland, Florida attack the student had no problem entering the area and was probably well known. He was carrying duffle bags and had been expelled. In the Santa Fe, Texas attack the student was wearing a trench coat in warm weather, brought in a shotgun and fake IEDs, and may have had help. These two indicators are, and have been, at the top of the list but no one stopped, questioned, or reported them. These are examples of a failure to “see something, say something” that is a basic prevention effort. Many schools take a knee-jerk reaction towards the tragedies that dominate news media and assume the biggest vulnerabilities are the emotional events that get the most press coverage. But if a school safety plan is determined by the biggest and scariest headlines, we’re sure to ignore the most relevant issues in any particular school. The students and faculty deserve a better response than a knee-jerk reaction to serious, tragic, and sensationalized events. Reactionary decisions won’t protect children and teachers from real risks any more than turning a blind eye will. Instead, we need to intelligently address real risks in ways that will provide actual prevention tactics and, if this fails, also be ready to respond efficiently and effectively. Public schools have incredibly limited resources to improve student safety and we can’t afford to misuse funding on solutions that aren’t right for a particular school. So how do you make the most out of funding for each school’s security? One tried and true approach is to employ a school security committee with several minds with various backgrounds and areas of expertise to make smart decisions for your school’s security. The committee structure helps avoid emotional reactions and decisions based on one person’s opinion and arrives at a data-driven consensus. For example, many schools look for ways to barricade people in a classroom during an active shooter scenario, so that the shooter can’t get to the students. They install preventative measures to lock the doors, which can’t be unlocked or disabled from outside the room. That sounds great, but what if the intruder gets in before the room can be locked? Now you’re impeding law enforcement, and you’ve got a hostage situation, because that compression bar can’t be disabled remotely. The key is to think of the scenarios that are most likely to occur and apply them to the venue and situation to identify the vulnerabilities. Then develop a strategy that will decrease a particular vulnerability without increasing the risk of a different situation. A security committee is better equipped than a single individual to consider all of the pros and cons of a security recommendation before it’s implemented and more likely to find better solutions that fit the school’s facilities that will avoid unanticipated consequences. The success of a school’s security committee depends on its members. It is often suggested that 7-10 people with a variety of relevant backgrounds should make up the committee and form sub-committees to address particular issues, e.g., cyber. Some of the must-have committee members include: School principal—chairperson of the committee; School police officer—performs risk assessments and reports to the committee with observations and recommendations; District superintendent—provides input and feedback from the district’s perspective; Facilities and maintenance representative; 1 or 2 active parents—possibly PTSO/PTO officers, or someone with security experience such as a military member. (Keep in mind that Police, Fire, and EMS are all trained to respond while the Military has emphasis on security in the defense and offensive tactics.) Other priority members are Emergency management—either a city or county emergency manager; SWAT officer—provides perspective on your school and ensures SWAT knows your facilities; Public health professional—to provide input on flu outbreaks and other health-related concerns; Special needs representative—consider how committee decisions will impact special needs students. Number one step is to do conduct a Risk Assessment (Consequence, Threat, Vulnerability) that leads to a plan and training that provides the key to have schools mitigate vulnerabilities and, if an incident occurs, be prepared to have quick decisive action to end to the threat. While the main effort is to prevent an attack on a school by deterring, interrupting, repelling, or defeating a planned or an actual attack, any mitigation of risks does not imply that any loss of life as a consequence is acceptable. Without a risk analysis, one can’t know what you truly need to protect your students and teachers. The National Infrastructure Protection Plan (NIPP) outlines the elements of Risk:
• Consequence: The negative effects on public health and safety, the economy, public confidence in institutions, and the functioning of government, both direct and indirect, that can be expected if an asset, system, or network is damaged, destroyed, or disrupted by a terrorist attack, natural disaster, or other incident;
• Vulnerability: The likelihood that a characteristic of, or flaw in, an asset, system, or network’s design, location, security posture, process, or operation renders it susceptible to destruction, incapacitation, or exploitation by terrorist or other intentional acts, mechanical failures, and natural hazards;
• Threat: The likelihood that a particular asset, system, or network will suffer an attack or an incident. In the context of risk from terrorist attack, the estimate of this is based on the analysis of the intent and the capability of an adversary; in the context of natural disaster or accident, the likelihood is based on the probability of occurrence.
The following are common vulnerabilities in schools:
• Large concentration of students gathering in open areas outside school buildings on a regular and readily observable schedule.
• Limited procedures, training, and encouragement on reporting of suspicious activity.
• Limited or no armed security on-site.
• Limited or no inspection of student personal items, particularly in lower-crime areas.
• Limited or no vehicle access control.
• Limited security on school buses.
• Proximity of schools and neighboring facilities, especially in urban areas.
• Relatively open access to school grounds and buildings.
Strategic, tactical, and operational planning and preparation is critical to prevention. Through discussions of previous incidents, intelligence and information efforts, and strategic and tactical suggestions comes the idea of 3 Circles of Prevention. The 3 Circles consists of Physical Security Systems, i.e., Campus Perimeter – fence or other boundary, video surveillance, lighting; Building Perimeter – access control, video surveillance, lighting; and Interior – intrusion alarms, panic/duress alarms, video surveillance. However, other incidents such as the concert shooter in Las Vegas and concert bombing in Manchester, England indicate that an addition to the Circles is needed. The fourth circle extends beyond the immediate perimeter to what is considered to be visible locations within the maximum effective range of possible weapons or explosives and includes security displacement areas. The vexing question remains on how best to prevent targeted violence toward schools. To date, most efforts have focused on enhancing physical security measures, but it is an old axiom – if you harden an area so that no adversary can possibly get in; you can’t get out. Although engineering efforts can enhance defensive measures, for the uninformed it can also provide a false sense of security. A critical, but often neglected, component of efforts to prevent planned attacks is the development of a protective intelligence capacity to identify threats. Evidence of a threat is far more likely to be identified by students and employees who report it than by law enforcement alone. It is well documented that the key to early detection and prevention is gathering, processing, reporting, analyzing, and sharing of suspicious activities. Complacency is the biggest threat. No matter how insignificant a suspicious activity may appear; it is our duty to maintain vigilance and encourage the public to report all instances of suspicious activity. Complacency is our biggest threat. No matter how insignificant a suspicious activity may appear; it should be advertised to all as a duty to maintain vigilance and report all instances of suspicious activity. To that end one should ensure that all school employees and students know that suspicious activity, any activity or behavior that is unusual, abnormal, or seems suspicious, should be reported immediately. The Secret Service provides this protection by means of two distinct yet complementary strategies: the use of physical measures–including magnetometers, armored vehicles, perimeters of armed agents, and canine units–that are designed to both deter potential attacks and serve as protective barriers in the event someone tries to attack; and a second, far less visible component known as threat assessment. While the USSS threat assessment is not a complete risk assessment, it is a process of identifying, assessing and managing the threat that certain persons may pose to protectees and to intervene before an attack can occur. Adaptation of the USSS threat assessment protocols for use in addressing the problem of school-based attacks can be an important part of a risk assessment. Since 2020 there have been over 200 incidents in schools. We are doing better but must continue to strive for total prevention.
111500FEB2025 Israel’s security cabinet fully supports President Donald Trump’s demand that the Palestinian terrorist group Hamas release all of its hostages by noon on Saturday or that “all hell is going to break out,” an Israeli official told Fox News. The declaration comes after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu convened his security cabinet Tuesday after Hamas announced it is delaying the next release of Israeli hostages.
“The decision I passed in the Cabinet unanimously is this: If Hamas does not return our hostages by Saturday noon – the ceasefire will end, and the IDF will resume intense combat until Hamas is decisively defeated,” Netanyahu said in a statement following the meeting. “In light of Hamas’ announcement of its decision to violate the agreement and not release our hostages, I instructed the IDF last night to amass forces inside and around the Gaza Strip. This operation is currently underway and will be completed as soon as possible,” Netanyahu added. “We also welcomed the President’s revolutionary vision for the future of Gaza,” Netanyahu said. Trump said Monday if Hamas does not return all hostages by noon on Saturday, he will call for the ceasefire in the Gaza Strip to be canceled and “let all hell break out.” “If all the Gaza hostages aren’t returned by Saturday at 12 p.m., I would say cancel the ceasefire,” Trump said in the Oval Office. “Let all hell break out; Israel can override it.” Trump stressed that Hamas needs to release “all of them — not in drips and drabs.” “Saturday at 12pm and after that, I would say, all hell is going to break out,” Trump said. Trump reiterated his demand on Tuesday and told reporters that he believes Hamas will listen to him. A Hamas spokesperson said Monday that the terrorist group will delay the next planned release of hostages in the Gaza Strip after accusing Israel of violating the ceasefire agreement. “Over the past three weeks, the resistance leadership has monitored the enemy’s violations and failure to fulfill its obligations under the agreement; including the delay in allowing the return of the displaced to the northern Gaza Strip, targeting them with direct shelling and gunfire in various areas across Gaza, and denying relief supplies of all kinds to enter as agreed, while the resistance has implemented all its obligations,” Abu Obeida, the spokesperson for Hamas’ military wing, said. Israel and Hamas are in the midst of a six-week ceasefire, during which Hamas has committed to releasing 33 hostages captured in its Oct. 7, 2023 attack in exchange for nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners. The sides have carried out five swaps since the ceasefire went into effect last month, freeing 21 hostages and more than 730 Palestinian prisoners. The next exchange, scheduled for next Saturday, calls for three more Israeli hostages to be freed in exchange for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners. https://www.foxnews.com/world/israeli-cabinet-backs-trumps-demand-hamas-release-all-hostages-saturday-deadline NOTE: If Hamas does not release the hostages by Saturday at noon, the hostage-ceasefire deal will end. On Oct 7, 2023, Hamas terrorists flooded across the border into southern Israel, killing close to 1,200 people and dragging 251 hostages back to Gaza. Now, more than 15 months on, Israel believes that 76 hostages are still being held, 42 of whom are believed to still be alive. As part of the ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas that came into effect on Jan 19, Hamas has promised to release the hostages in stages in return for thousands of Palestinian prisoners. Hamas and Islamic Jihad militants have so far handed over 21 hostages in exchange for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners. Hamas has a long history of extreme violence targeting Israeli civilians, including suicide bombings and rocket attacks. Hamas employs various strategies to take Israelis hostage, including cross-border raids and exploiting tunnels to infiltrate Israeli territory from Gaza. They use hostages as bargaining chips for prisoner exchanges and as propaganda tools to gain international attention. These tactics are condemned as violations of international law, and Israel typically refrains from negotiating with terrorists, opting for military or other measures to secure hostages’ release. Netanyahu detailed Israel’s next steps following the conclusion of the political and security cabinet meeting stating that if Hamas does not return the hostages by noon on Saturday, the ceasefire will end, and the IDF will resume intense fighting until Hamas is decisively defeated. There is also an outrage at the appalling condition of the three hostages who were released last Saturday. In light of Hamas’s announcement of its decision to violate the agreement and not release the hostages, the IDF has begun to amass forces inside and around the Gaza Strip. It is reported that there would be no second phase of hostage-ceasefire deal talks until all hostages are returned. In the U.S. it was revealed that the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) provided millions of dollars in funding to extremist groups tied to designated terrorist organizations and their allies. The Middle East Forum’s multi-year study of USAID and State Department spending has uncovered $164 million of approved grants to radical organizations, with at least $122 million going to groups aligned with designated terrorists and their supporters. The Middle East Forum’s report focuses specifically on funds from USAID and the State Department that wound up in the hands of radical groups and organizations tied to terrorism. The think tank reported that among its top findings, USAID was found to have given more than $900,000 to a “Gaza-based terror charity” called Bayader Association for Environment and Development. The funding began in 2016, and its most recent allocation was made just days before Hamas attacked Israel on Oct. 7, 2023. We should always remember that Hamas will do nothing to cause Hezbollah, Houthis, Shia Militia, or Iran any problems. Hamas will ignore naming any of them because they are not interested in ridding the area of other evil terror groups. It is an old adage to blame others to create enemies to keep the Palestinian Muslim sheep from paying attention to the wolves. At the same time, in Islam actually conceding to peace shows weakness and Hamas and Hezbollah both do not wish to show weakness, so the piecemeal release of hostages is a means to show some strength. Between 1993 and the present a number of ceasefires have been agreed upon but none have been honored and to Muslims it would be sacrilege to keep them. Just as a trojan horse a Muslim ceasefire is a “hudna” or false treaty which is only a means to escalate more violence. Hamas, like all the rest of the Iranian puppets, will never honor a ceasefire for long since their goal is to destroy Israel. It appears that peace in the Middle East is only possible by eradicating those who seek the destruction of the Jewish state as we did in WWII with the Nazis.
061700FEB2025 ISRAEL/MIDDLE EAST Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth doubled down on President Donald Trump’s proposal for the United States to “take over” the Gaza Strip, saying “all options” are on the table. Hegseth declined to get ahead of the commander-in-chief about what the United States would or wouldn’t do, instead telling Fox News host Laura Ingraham in an interview on Wednesday that Trump is an “outside-the-box thinker” who is willing to “overturn the apple cart.” Trump made shockwaves on Tuesday when he said the United States could potentially “take over” the Gaza Strip, level it and rebuild it at some point in the future. The 47th president told reporters he sees a “long-term ownership position” of the enclave and believes it could be the “Riviera of the Middle East.” https://www.foxnews.com/media/defense-secretary-hegseth-says-all-options-table-after-trump-floated-us-takeover-gaza NOTE: DS Hegseth said it’s Israel’s job to eradicate Hamas and once that happens, the status of Gaza is a conversation President Trump is willing to have. He continued with, “You bring peace by eradicating terrorists who seek the destruction of Israel. That’s how you bring peace, and so I support that,” he said. “What happens after that is a longer conversation, and hopefully in every case, the president would acknowledge this — you don’t want to have to use American boots at all if you don’t have to. That’s my preference.” This statement adds some credence to the possibility that presently the ceasefire agreement is likely the Islamic tactic of Hudna where the pause allows for rearming, resupplying, and concentration on other fronts and never intended to stop attacking once prepared. A Hudna throughout Muslim history is defined as a truce meant to produce a period to gain concessions and allows time to regroup, rearm, and attack again at a choosing of their time. Any ceasefire now will likely be only a tactical maneuver and will not be honored. Even now some Gazans chant “The army of Mohammed will return!” as they celebrate the return of Palestinian security prisoners released by Israel as part of the ceasefire for hostages deal. If the “ceasefire” fails which is likely, some experts think that President Trump will give Netanyahu a “blank check” in the Middle East, opening the way for all-out war between Israel and Iran. History points to the likelihood that the Middle East is always going to be in constant conflict and for those of us who have been there it is apparent that the hatred of Jews in the Islamic world will continue to be taught from birth at home, at school, and in the Mosques. This all seems to be a part of the chess like negotiation, and may get Saudi Arabia or Jordan to say, ‘No, no, no, you can’t have this. Let us do it.’ However, the idea of relocating Palestinians to neighboring countries while the reconstruction is ongoing is something two U.S. Middle Eastern allies have flatly rejected. No one wants the Palestinians in their country. To add fuel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said President Donald Trump’s proposal of a U.S. takeover of Gaza is a “remarkable idea” that should be “pursued,” “examined” and “done.”
ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION A Navy SEAL veteran-turned-congressman is fighting to pull back the curtain on the growing threat of Mexican drug cartels and other organized crime groups, introducing legislation Thursday aimed at providing Americans with transparency about the dangers they pose. “Thanks to the Biden administration’s open-border policies, dangerous cartels have been running our borders and profiting from human and drug trafficking,” Rep. Morgan Luttrell, R-Texas, told Fox News Digital. Luttrell introduced the CARTEL Act, which mandates that U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) report whether individuals listed in the Terrorist Screening Database were released into the United States. The legislation also mandates the transparent tracking of individuals associated with cartels who have attempted illegal crossings. The bill comes just a few weeks after President Donald Trump signed an executive order that moved the U.S. toward designating drug cartels as foreign terrorist organizations. The order says the organizations “threaten the safety of the American people, the security of the United States, and the stability of the international order in the Western Hemisphere.” “The Cartels have engaged in a campaign of violence and terror throughout the Western Hemisphere that has not only destabilized countries with significant importance for our national interests but also flooded the United States with deadly drugs, violent criminals, and vicious gangs,” the order adds. The order highlighted both Mexican cartels and other gangs throughout Latin America, such as Venezuela’s Tren de Aragua and El Salvador’s MS-13, which have raised alarms in recent years after reports of gang activity spreading to the United States. https://luttrell.house.gov/media/in-the-news/ex-navy-seal-introduces-cartel-act-pull-back-veil-border-drug-human-trafficking#:~:text=A%20Navy%20SEAL%20veteran%2Dturned,about%20the%20dangers%20they%20pose. NOTE: During the past four years of vast illegal immigration and open border policies that ignored and violated the laws of our country, more than 200,000 Americans have died from fentanyl poisoning. Numerous other precious lives have been stolen by savage criminal illegal alien violence. President Donald Trump for signed into law the Laken Riley Act, which will mandate the incarceration of illegal immigrants who commit further crimes as they prey on citizens and businesses across the nation. We are seeing law enforcement officers and police chiefs openly state they will not work with ICE to turn over criminal aliens arrested in their jurisdictions. Sadly, rather than showing concern for victims of violent crime and support for upholding the most important responsibility of every government entity – the protection of its citizens – we are barraged with one radical politician after another, stepping over each other to “bravely” proclaim how their locale will resist enforcing the law while standing in solidarity with criminal aliens. It’s not only far Left politicians in Boston, Chicago and California who are shielding criminal aliens. Unfortunately, we are seeing law enforcement officers and police chiefs openly state they will not work with ICE to turn over criminal aliens arrested in their jurisdictions. This is not just a dereliction of duty, this aberration of what a law enforcement officer should be doing is contributing to one of the most grave national security threats facing our country. Of course, similar to how the IRA had a political wing of so-called nonviolent members, the protestors against deportations and those who support the Islamic Jihadist against Israel with marches and donations are only there for misdirection and misinformation. More Americans have been killed by illegal immigrant criminals, drug traffickers, human traffickers, cartels and violent alien gangs than any global terrorist organization. If local and state politicians or law enforcement agencies refuse to recognize this grim reality, then it is time to treat them as hostile toward the safety of our nation and our people. Border czar Tom Homan has repeatedly stated that radical sanctuary ideology not only makes communities more dangerous but makes the jobs of ICE and other participating agencies more dangerous as well. It is reprehensible that these “law enforcement officers” would endanger the brave men and women who are courageously putting their lives on the line to remove public safety threats. We must directly confront this behavior, not only because it is making our country less safe, but because the American people have demanded that all levels of government work to secure the safety of our families and neighborhoods.
291200JAN2025 NEW JERSEY New Jersey State Police were facing accusations of racial profiling before a report revealed a sharp decline in traffic stops that coincided with a rise in crashes, some of them fatal. Now they’re facing a special counsel investigation from the state attorney general’s office, leaving troopers in a difficult position as they try to protect the public as well as their own careers amid intense scrutiny that advocates see as anti-police. “If you enforce traffic laws, crashes go down. If you do not enforce them, crashes go up,” said Betsy Brantner Smith, spokesperson for the National Police Association who spent three decades on the job. “Accidents are largely created by a disparity in speed, and unless we want to admit that, then we’re going to fix it.” State troopers were accused of profiling minority drivers in a report from the New Jersey Attorney General’s Office of Public Integrity and Accountability that looked at stops between 2009 and 2021. Then they were told by union leaders that every stop they made would go under the microscope, according to a New York Times report. For months, they made fewer stops than normal. A subsequent drop in traffic stops coincided with an 18% increase in crashes, some of which took lives, according to the paper, citing public records. “Even during the day, when you’re sitting in traffic or you’re driving down the freeway, can you see the race of the person in front of you unless you pull up beside them?” she said. “And radar, when we’re talking about primarily speeding violations, radar doesn’t have a race setting.” https://www.foxnews.com/us/obama-era-prosecutors-probe-blue-state-police-racial-bias-claims-called-untenable-troopers NOTE: Many local and state communities will not enforce traffic laws much less the larger ones because they never learned that the big is in the little. Deterrence is accomplished through establishing a real or perceived belief that those committing crimes will be caught and punished. Of course, we know that most everyone does what they know and there are little deterrent effects in LE today as political leaders only give lip service to address problems. While enforcement of speeding laws is often used to make stops it is not the primary cause of most traffic accidents but only an element of serious injury and fatal accidents. More often high traffic congestion, distracted driving, and following too close are the primary causes of vehicle accidents. Of course, these require more officers that are willing to enforce the regulations without the assistance of a radar record. In the end though just a stop may be enough to correct the behavior. Since the beginning LEOs have always had the discretion of what punishment to apply. Support of the blue will make all safer.
NATIONAL Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth will announce he is “immediately pulling” retired Gen. Mark Milley’s personal security detail and security clearance, multiple senior administration officials tell Fox News. The now retired Gen. Milley and other former senior Trump aides had been assigned personal security details ever since Iran vowed revenge for the killing of Qasem Soleimani in a drone strike in 2020 ordered by Trump in his first term. On “Fox News Sunday,” the chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, Tom Cotton said he hoped President Trump would “revisit” the decision to pull the protective security details from John Bolton, Mike Pompeo and Brian Hook who previously served under Trump. Asked why these actions were being taken, a senior administration official who requested anonymity replied, “There is a new era of accountability in the Defense Department under President Trump’s leadership—and that’s exactly what the American people expect.” https://www.foxnews.com/politics/white-house-pulling-gen-milleys-security-detail-clearance-panel-may-face-demotion-retirement NOTE: Most of these individuals are true to the axiom that not all who wear the same uniform are on the same team. Nonetheless I am convinced that their retirement pay would allow them to hire their own protective service and arm themselves as well. They do not require security clearances anymore and only use them to enrich themselves by acting as consultants to defense contractors.
DENMARK/GREENLAND In a telling statement the Ukrainian President Volodomyr Zelenskyy said President Donald Trump’s rhetoric toward Russian President Vladimir Putin about negotiating a deal to end the war or facing more economic pressure is “just and fair.” “This is exactly what Putin is afraid of. He doesn’t want strong Trump supporting Ukraine because it would be a strong Ukraine,” Zelenskyy said through a translator in an exclusive interview Tuesday on “Hannity.” Trump threatened Putin in a Truth Social post last week, calling on him to make a deal or face additional tariffs and sanctions. This is a picture of how the pragmatism of President Trump is shaping our world today. The government of Denmark says it will increase military spending in the North Atlantic amid U.S. President Donald Trump’s bid to have Greenland sold or ceded to the United States. Late Monday, the Danish government announced an agreement of 14.6 billion-kroner – or nearly $2 billion – with parties including the governments of Greenland and the Faroe Islands to “improve capabilities for surveillance and maintaining sovereignty in the region.” The Defense Ministry in Copenhagen said those will include three new Arctic naval vessels, two additional long-range surveillance drones and satellite capacity. On Tuesday, Denmark’s prime minister, Mette Frederiksen, traveled to several major European capitals, including Berlin, Paris and Brussels, where she met NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte. Frederiksen warned that Europe faces what she called “a more uncertain reality” and said her country would be strengthening its military presence around Greenland. The trip comes after Trump has repeatedly made various statements calling Greenland vital to U.S. national and economic security interests and expressed interest in purchasing it from Denmark. Trump has even said he wouldn’t rule out using military force to gain control of the island’s territory. Frederiksen didn’t directly mention Trump’s threat in comments at a meeting with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, but she said that “we are facing a more uncertain reality, a reality that calls for an even more united Europe and for more cooperation.” She pointed to Russian activities in Ukraine and beyond and said that “it is up to Europe to define the future of our continent, and I think we have to take more responsibility for our own security.” In its announcement on the Arctic and North Atlantic region, the Danish Defense Ministry said that the parties agreed to negotiate a second agreement in the first half of this year focused on strengthening deterrence and defense. “We must face the fact that there are serious challenges regarding security and defense in the Arctic and North Atlantic,” Defense Minister Troels Lund Poulsen said. “For this reason, we must strengthen our presence in the region.” Greenland’s government has insisted that the territory isn’t for sale but that it is open to cooperation. The Defense Ministry statement didn’t mention Trump’s ambitions. https://www.foxnews.com/world/denmark-increase-military-spending-north-atlantic-2-billion-amid-row-trump-over-greenland NOTE: Most people are not aware of the strategic importance of Greenland. In the fall of 2024 Russian and Chinese bombers flew near Alaska. No plane entered U.S. airspace, but they got within 200 miles of the Alaskan coast but the increasing cooperation between Russia and China in recent years continues to trouble the U.S. military. The Arctic region has increasingly taken focus as part of that equation, leading the Pentagon to publish policy plans for the region, which labels the Arctic as critical to the defense of our homeland. We must ensure that the Arctic remains a secure and stable region. There has been some fundamentally altering of the Arctic that affects the U.S. defense missions. China has increased its presence in the Arctic, matching up with its efforts to expand its presence in the contested South China Sea and Straits of Taiwan, where the U.S. has also moved to contain and counteract Beijing’s ambitions. China is not an Arctic state but has for years sought greater influence in the region, greater access to the region, and a greater say in its governance. In the contested seas and straits, China has built artificial islands to expand its reach but, in the Arctic, there are no land rights, and that makes it even easier to establish a claim, so they control the sea routes and potential trade. The partnership with Russia and their NATO problems is to aid Chinas’ sovereignty claims up there as the Russians, in their normal attitude, want to claim the North Pole itself as if the other countries didn’t exist. Russia and China are increasingly cooperating in the Arctic impacts regional stability especially since Russia has reopened hundreds of Soviet-era military sites in the Arctic. China although its closest point is 900 miles away, describes itself as a “near-Arctic” state, also has similar ambitions there and has its eye on mineral resources and new shipping routes as ice packs recede with rising temperatures. Arctic sea routes are increasingly being used for connecting major economies across the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans as shrinking ice packs allows for longer ice-free periods at sea. China and Russia have been working together to develop Arctic shipping routes as Russia seeks to deliver more oil and gas to China amid Western sanctions, while China seeks an alternative shipping route to reduce its dependence on the Strait of Malacca. The Northern Sea route gives fuel savings, as is an alternative to the Suez Canal due to the shorter distance and less payment for people and vessels. Of course, our defense concerns should be that the Artic sea routes may offer cloaking of submarine or other military equipment transport. Reports are coming forth that Trump is planning to revamp the U.S. Navy. The U.S. Navy and its NATO allies may be gearing up to challenge Russia’s excessive legal claims to the Northern Sea route by conducting a freedom of navigation operation. Multinational naval exercises have been taking place in the Barents Sea, and the issues might include freedom of navigation operation. The stakes are high, given the tensions following Russia’s reinvasion of Ukraine in 2022. The Russian government’s warnings about naval operations in the area have become more bellicose and the political leadership appears more willing to take risks. As a result, the fallout from any freedom of navigation operation could rapidly escalate. The Northern Sea route passes through some of Russia’s most militarily sensitive areas. The Arctic region hosts the largest number of Russian ballistic missile submarines, provides a test bed for new weapons, hosts important air bases for strategic bombers, and holds other important military and intelligence infrastructure. Russia defines the Northern Sea Route as a national unified transport route running from the Kara Gates in the west to Deznev Cape in the eastern Arctic. The Northern Sea Route consists of multiple lanes, but the most commonly used route passes through four straits: the Vilkitskii, Shokalskii, Dmitri Laptev, and Sannikov Straits. Russian law defines these straits as internal waters, while the United States and others key actors beg to disagree and define them as international straits, thus subject to the right of transit passage. The difference in interpretation is longstanding: The United States and the Soviet Union first exchanged a series of diplomatic notes arguing over the status of these straits in the 1960s. Today with the Chinese influence with Russia adds fuel to that fire. Since then, however, the salience of the legal dispute has grown, together with the continued opening of the Arctic Ocean, drawing international interest and facilitating foreign access. Moscow has been increasingly concerned about the foreign military presence in the Arctic. The growing conventional capability gap between Russia and NATO may also increase President Vladimir Putin’s sense of vulnerability in the Arctic. At least 80 percent of Russian ground forces were withdrawn from this area to support the war in Ukraine. Consequently, preventing the erosion of Russian control has been high on the Russian government’s agenda. Since 2022, Russia has taken political, legal, and military steps to further restrict access for foreign warships and deter a potential freedom of navigation operation in the region. Should that not work, the Northern Fleet has been rehearsing “repelling unauthorized passage of foreign ships and vessels” that could challenge Russia’s sovereignty in Arctic waters. All eyes should be on the High North, where a multinational NATO flotilla recently steamed into northern waters to send a strong signal of deterrence to Russia. Warships from the United Kingdom, Norway, Germany, Belgium, and France, with aircraft from the United States, Finland, and Sweden, trained together in the region.
281500JAN2025 NOTE: With the new sheriff in town there is no shortage of news that is a myriad of subjects: ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION with deportations and birthright citizenship; the COVID origins; the Israel ceasefire.
The birthright citizenship debate exploded back into the national discourse this week after President Donald Trump signed an executive order banning it. Trump’s ban was slated to take effect on Feb. 19, but a federal judge in Seattle on Thursday temporarily blocked the order. Some experts believe the issue will eventually be settled by the Supreme Court. Should the ban eventually go into force, it would likely impact tens of thousands of children born to the parents of illegal immigrants. The Center for Immigration Studies, a non-profit research organization that focuses on immigration, said Friday that based on its preliminary findings, there were between 225,000 to 250,000 U.S. births to illegal immigrants in 2023, which accounts for about 7% of total births in the U.S. that year. To put the figure into context, the group says those figures are greater than the total number of births in all but two states taken individually. Furthermore, it appears that more children were born to illegal immigrant parents than to legal noncitizens. Although not yet available, the group says that the 2024 numbers are likely to be even higher given the surge of illegal immigrants into the country under the Biden administration. The group says that illegal immigrants are present in Census data, but they are never explicitly identified by the Bureau. Fox News Digital requested figures from the Census Bureau and Homeland Security but did not immediately receive a response. Trump’s order, titled “Protecting The Meaning and Value of American Citizenship,” seeks to clarify the 14th Amendment, which states: “All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside.” It seeks to clarify that those born to illegal immigrant parents, or those who were here legally but on temporary nonimmigrant visas, are not citizens by birthright. “The Fourteenth Amendment has never been interpreted to extend citizenship universally to everyone born within the United States,” the order reads. Trump repeatedly described birthright citizenship as “ridiculous” and something that needed to stop. The U.S. is one of roughly 30 countries where birthright citizenship is applied. Thursday’s decision by U.S. District Judge John Coughenour, a Ronald Reagan appointee, comes in response to four U.S. states — Arizona, Illinois, Oregon and Washington — who sued to block Trump’s executive order, which was signed by Trump shortly after being sworn in as president. https://www.heritage.org/immigration/commentary/birthright-citizenship-fundamental-misunderstanding-the-14th-amendment NOTE: SUBJECT TO THE JURISDICTION THEREOF is the key phrase. Those who have arrived illegally and given a free pass to stay seemed to have chosen not to be subject to the jurisdiction of the U.S. In addition to the millions spent on them which has no visible end, you can add $13 -18K for medical expenses for each birth X 250,000 in 2023 alone. This is mentioned to highlight the fact that many times political decisions follow the money. It is no doubt that those who have had a hand in this catastrophic issue will fight to save it but two thirds of the U.S. population are supporting deportation of illegals. As stated many times in this forum, they were semantically and improperly dubbed “migrants” by the Biden administration. This could add to the downfall since they are actually “illegal immigrants.”
COVID-19 lab-leak origin The CIA’s decision to release a Biden-era assessment favoring the once widely-dismissed COVID-19 lab-leak origin story marks a step toward transparency with the American people, newly-confirmed CIA Director John Ratcliffe told Fox News on Sunday. Speaking in his first interview since being confirmed as the agency’s director last Thursday, Ratcliffe spelled out the insights he made public shortly after taking over the post and affirmed the importance of restoring trust in American institutions. “I had the opportunity on my first day to make public an assessment that actually took place in the Biden administration, so it can’t be accused of being political, and the CIA has assessed that the most likely cause of this pandemic that has wrought so much devastation around the world was because of a lab-related incident in Wuhan, so we’ll continue to investigate that moving forward,” he told “Sunday Morning Futures” host Maria Bartiromo. The CIA now appears to slightly favor the lab-leak theory that suggests gain-of-function research at the Wuhan Institute of Virology in Wuhan, China may have directly contributed to the virus. A CIA spokesperson told Fox News that the agency “assesses with low confidence that a research-related origin of the COVID-19 pandemic is more likely than a natural origin based on the available body of reporting. CIA continues to assess that both research-related and natural origin scenarios of the COVID-19 pandemic remain plausible.” https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/1/27/cia-says-more-likely-covid-19-escaped-from-a-lab NOTE: Regardless of the CIA beliefs no one is addressing the widely held theory that no matter the transmission of the virus, it was done intentionally by China and covered up by many of those at the WHO et.al. who had a vested interest in treatments and vaccinations.
Ceasefire disputes between Israel and Hamas, Hezbollah throw region into turmoil Ceasefire disputes between Israel, Hamas and Hezbollah are threatening to derail deals Sunday as arguments break out over several key details. Israel accused Hamas of changing the order of hostages it planned to release. As a result, Israeli forces blocked thousands of Palestinians from returning to northern Gaza. Israeli forces also announced Friday that they will not fully withdraw from southern Lebanon as the ceasefire requires until the Lebanese government fully implements its own responsibilities. According to the agreement, both groups were expected to make withdrawals by Sunday. The disputes come just after President Donald Trump called for Egypt and Jordan to accept refugees from Gaza to “clean out” the region. Trump said he applauded Jordan for accepting Palestinian refugees but that he told the king: “I’d love for you to take on more, because I’m looking at the whole Gaza Strip right now, and it’s a mess. It’s a real mess.” https://www.foxnews.com/politics/ceasefire-disputes-between-israel-hamas-hezbollah-throw-region-turmoil
NOTE: There is much discussion regarding the ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hezbollah, but Israel may have adopted an Islamic tactic Hudna where the pause allows for rearming, resupplying, and concentration on other fronts and never intended to stop attacking once prepared. A Hudna throughout Muslim history is defined as a truce meant to produce a period to gain concessions and allows time to regroup, rearm, and attack again at a choosing of their time. Any ceasefire now will likely be only a tactical maneuver and will not be honored. Even now someGazans chant “The army of Mohammed will return!” as they celebrate the return of Palestinian security prisoners released by Israel as part of the ceasefire for hostages deal in Khan Younis, Gaza. If the “ceasefire” fails which is likely, some experts think that President Trump will give Netanyahu a “blank check” in the Middle East, opening the way for all-out war between Israel and Iran. History points to the likelihood that the Middle East is always going to be in constant conflict and for those of us who have been there it is apparent that the hatred of Jews in the Islamic world will continue to be taught from birth at home, at school, and in the Mosques.
231400JAN2025 A report from two Mexico-based New York Times journalists warned that President Trump’s designation of Mexican drug cartels as foreign terror groups could “hurt” the U.S. economy. In a story published on Wednesday, reporters Maria Abi-Habib and Simon Romero wrote that Trump’s recent executive order could force American companies to choose to end business in Mexico rather than incur government sanctions. This could result in “an outcome that could have a major effect on both countries given their deep economic interdependence,” the two wrote. The headline read, “How Labeling Cartels ‘Terrorists’ Could Hurt the U.S. Economy.” By putting an FTO designation on these groups, the U.S. can take targeted action against them, including financial penalties and even military action. Despite the deadly threat of these cartels, the Times told readers that going after them in the way that Trump wants “could be immensely complicated” as many American companies manufacture in Mexico and have ties with some of these cartels. “These criminal networks have extended their operations far beyond drug trafficking and human smuggling,” the reporters stated. “They are now embedded in a wide swath of the legal economy, from avocado farming to the country’s billion-dollar tourism industry, making it hard to be absolutely sure that American companies are isolated from cartel activities.” https://www.foxnews.com/media/trump-designating-cartels-terror-groups-could-hurt-us-economy-new-york-times-warns
NOTE: The above post from an obvious liberal open source is only a support piece for the anti-Trump media. It totally ignores the real threats the porous border has allowed into the Homeland – cartel members and other criminals and terrorists – without any screening at all. The Biden/Harris administration willfully, recklessly, and unlawfully allowed poorly vetted individuals to unleash havoc on Americans nationwide. They have paroled hundreds of thousands of unvetted individuals into communities across our country. They suspended deportations, halted construction of the border wall, and announced a plan to give amnesty to millions. That made it crystal clear from the start of their tenure that their goal was mass immigration – not the safety and security of the American people. The historic crisis at the southern border saw millions of illegal immigrants arrive there, with most released into the United States as officials struggled to deal with the numbers they were facing. It is unusual that very little is said about the number of known cartel members, foreign operatives, and possible radicalized Muslims that were also part of the illegal immigrant flood. These are not migrants but illegal immigrants that are documented and undocumented that are now among us. European countries have discovered that criminal elements destroy business, and Islam teaches the destruction of the infidel. It is important to realize that many of the “migrant” caravans to the U.S. gathered in Chiapas, Mexico, which is known to be a hotbed of Islamic radicalism. It is believed by many experts that all of this is part of the axis of China, Russia, North Korea, and Iran to lay the groundwork to cause economic problems for the Homeland and to set the stage for future attacks. Case in point with the current wildfire devastations, an alleged arson suspect connected to the California wildfires entered the country illegally from Mexico and is thought to have a hand in starting a fire that contributed to the wildfires. The man was allegedly chased and apprehended by residents of Woodland Hills after they saw him setting fire to old Christmas trees and debris with what one resident described as a “flamethrower.” Sierra-Leyva has had multiple encounters with law enforcement since November 2016 for a variety of charges. https://www.newsnationnow.com/us-news/west/arson-suspect-entered-us-illegally/ In the past wildfire investigators in California believe marijuana growers tied to a Mexican drug cartel ignited a blaze that has charred more than 87,000 acres of a national forest. https://www.reuters.com/article/world/us/mexican-drug-smugglers-tied-to-california-fire-idUSTRE57G4SB/
Pyro-terrorism is defined as the use of incendiary attacks to intimidate or coerce a government or civilian population. A historical analysis of terrorism indicates that terrorist strategies are incorporating the use of more simplistic destructive methods, like arson. Examples of past terrorist attacks with arson and their devastating impacts are presented, including examples of pyro-terrorism attacks in the United States and abroad, such as the wave of arson attacks experienced by Israel at the hands of the Palestinians in April 2004, which was dubbed “Arson Intifada.” The September 11, 2001, terrorism attack on the World Trade Center is examined in terms of the impact of the improvised incendiary device, the airplanes, on the structural integrity of the buildings. The fire that resulted from the airplanes crashing into the towers softened the integral steel support columns which ultimately resulted in the total collapse of the towers. America’s vulnerabilities to wildfire as a terrorist weapon during past wars are also examined, including the psychological impact pyro-terrorism has had on the American population and the armed forces, whose attention and resources must be averted to controlling fires. The San Diego Fire Storms of 2003 are presented as a contemporary example of current vulnerabilities to wildfire terrorism and the potential for future pyro-terrorism attacks on local populations and regionally based U.S. military forces. Methods to mitigate the threat of pyro-terrorism are considered and include the development of an all-discipline incident management plan to create unity of command. The history of fire being used as a tool of warfare is well documented: Native Americans used fire against their enemies, both other tribes and against the expanding European whites; the Aboriginal people of Australia also used fire to discourage the incursion of the British settlers onto their island. In World War II, the Japanese launched “fire balloons” against the western US, and while largely unsuccessful, did start a few fires, and killed 6 citizens in Oregon. The Palestinians in the latter half of the 20th century used fire to try and destroy the carefully planted pine plantations in Israel. In May 2012 a magazine published by members of al Qaeda called for Western Muslims to wage war within the United States, urging them to engage in lone wolf attacks, including setting forest fires. An issue of Inspire magazine surfaced on jihadi forums with one article titled “It Is of Your Freedom to Ignite a Firebomb”, which gave detailed instructions on how to build an “ember bomb” in a forest in the United States, and suggested Montana as a choice location due to the rapid population growth in forested areas. A previous issue of the magazine contained information on how to construct remote-controlled explosives and helpfully listed the needed parts along with instructions and photos. The use of fire for criminal, gang, and terrorist activities, as well as targeting first responders, is not new. On March 25, 1990, an arsonist, with a plastic container of gasoline, spread the fuel on the exit stairs of the “Happy Land Night Club” in the Bronx intentionally killing 87 people, foreshadowing even larger events to come. The attacks of September 11, 2001, are remembered as the first to employ airplanes as weapons of mass destruction, resulting in the deaths of almost 3,000 people. It was the resultant fires, however, that brought down Towers 1 and 2 of the World Trade Center in the deadliest attack on U.S. soil. Seven years later, in what is described as a “paradigm shift,” 10 terrorist operatives from Lashkar-i-Tayyiba (LeT) carried out attacks over three days in Mumbai, India, in November 2008, using a mix of automatic weapons, explosives and fire.1 Each of these attacks is remembered for something other than fire, yet in each it was the fire that complicated rescue operations and drastically increased the lethality of the attacks. The devastating 2008 attacks in Mumbai, India, represented a game-changer. Over three days, a city of nearly 14 million was held hostage while 166 people were murdered in multiple locations across the city, introducing a new model for terrorist attacks. The nature of the Mumbai attack confused those providing tactical response, rescue operations, fire extinguishment and mass casualty care. The attackers employed multiple means of attack, including improvised explosive devices, assassination, hostage barricade, building takeover, active shooter, kidnapping and fire. Despite all of the violence, the most iconic images from that event remain the fire at Taj Mahal Hotel. The pictures of people hanging out of the windows of the hotel to escape the fire are reminiscent of 9/11. Similar to 9/11 and Mumbai, the world was left with another image of a building ablaze during a terrorist attack. Following this incident, similar arson attacks took place days after Benghazi against the UN Multinational Force in the Sinai Peninsula as well as at the U.S. Embassy in Tunis, Tunisia. While successful attacks are instructive, it is equally important to study unrealized terrorist plots as they reveal a great deal about adversary intentions, motivations, target selection and desired tactics. – Arriving in the United States from the United Kingdom, al-Qa`ida operative Dhiren Barot carried out reconnaissance for terrorist attacks in New York City and Washington, D.C. Part of his research focused on exploiting building vulnerabilities, including gaps in fire protection. He determined that he could cause significant damage to the Prudential Building in Newark, New Jersey, and the Citi Corp Building in New York by ramming a loaded gas tanker truck into the lobby and then igniting the fuel. – Another al-Qa`ida operative, Brooklyn-born Jose Padilla, determined that a “dirty bomb” attack might be too difficult to execute, so instead he planned to set wildfires, as well as ignite high-rise buildings by damaging the gas lines in apartments. – An al-Qa`ida cell in the United Kingdom researched means to disable fire suppression systems to increase the impact of a plot that was ultimately disrupted by authorities. These failed plots point to a strong interest in the use of fire as a weapon by terrorist groups and those they influence. In its widely disseminated English-language Inspire magazine, al-Qa`ida in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) has repeatedly urged aspiring homegrown violent extremists to carry out low tech, high impact attacks in the United States or other Western countries. In one issue of Inspire, the readers were introduced to various methods of conducting an attack, including the use of simple “ember bombs” to ignite forest fires.5 Equally important, the images from attacks like Mumbai serve as a model for others to follow. The recognition of terrorists’ interest in the use of fire as a weapon and the resulting complexities are important considerations for all first responders and security forces. https://ctc.westpoint.edu/fire-as-a-weapon-in-terrorist-attacks/ We should not ignore pyro terrorism as a potential threat. Most likely it is not IF, but WHEN it will occur. After wildfires devastated Israel and the West Bank in November 2016, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu charged that some of the fires had been “arson terrorism”. To date, there have been no examples of pyro terrorism by foreign actors against the United States, but that might be dumb luck or merely a lack of evidence that proves it. While fire might not be as psychologically terrifying as other types of attacks, especially in a region where natural wildfires are a part of life. This also makes sense: wildfires consume brush and rage on the hilly peripheries. Terrorists may prefer to strike the busy heart of a society, where high death tolls are more likely. On the other hand, wildfires might induce a new level of fear. https://wildfiretoday.com/2018/01/30/is-pyroterrorism-a-threat-in-the-united-states/
121200JAN2025 NEW ORLEANS — Vehicle attacks are a rising global terror threat that can be difficult to prevent — but the deadly assault on New Year’s revelers in New Orleans shows how a city’s efforts to protect a heavily crowded and vulnerable area can fall short, experts said. New Orleans failed to deploy anti-vehicle barriers that the city had owned for years ahead of the attack, and other barriers, known as bollards, had recently been removed because they were malfunctioning and needed to be replaced. The city was warned of the potential danger more than five years ago, when a corporate intelligence firm urged local authorities to fix the faulty bollard system. The 2019 report by Interfor International, excerpts of which were obtained by NBC News and first reported by The New York Times, cautioned that a vehicle ramming incident was one of the most likely potential terrorist attacks that could strike the French Quarter. “New Orleans does have mobile vehicle barriers that are designed to block streets and sidewalks,” Don Aviv, CEO of Interfor International, told NBC News on Friday. “The fact that they didn’t cover this area seems ridiculous.” Aviv believes New Orleans police should have deployed their highest possible level of security, as they do during Mardi Gras, for an event like New Year’s Eve that draws a packed crowd to Bourbon Street. The city has highly effective steel Archer vehicle barriers, but did not set them out on Bourbon Street’s sidewalks until a day after the attack. In a statement on Friday afternoon, Lt. Gov. Billy Nungesser called it “a complete failure of responsibility to keep the city safe, from the top down, by not having those barriers in place or even having knowledge of them.” Over the past decade, this grim spate of attacks has led cities, including New Orleans, to install new security barriers in areas with heavy pedestrian traffic. Options include permanent concrete blocks, metal bollards that can retract to let emergency vehicles through, temporary metal barricades, police vehicles, and trucks filled with sand. All can be effective — and all have the potential to fail if there’s even a small gap. “It just takes one point of failure for a vehicle to get around and cause destruction,” said Ryan Houser, whose 2022 study in the British Medical Journal found that out of the 257 recorded terror attacks involving a vehicle from 1970 to 2019, 71% took place in the last six years the research examined. “By 2016, vehicle attacks were the most lethal form of attack comprising just over half of all terrorism-related deaths in that year,” according to the study by Houser, who is a biodefense doctoral student and terrorism researcher at George Mason University’s Schar School of Policy and Government. The most effective way to halt the attacks would be to stop them in advance, but this is also challenging because perpetrators are often radicalized online and can act quietly and alone…. Asked hours later whether the police had considered the possibility of a driver mounting the sidewalk on Bourbon Street, Capt. Lejon Roberts replied: “It wasn’t something we expected to account for.” When a reporter pressed Roberts on the point, Gov. Jeff Landry jumped in. “This is evil, and that guy could have easily gone down the sidewalk of Canal Street, where there were a ton of pedestrians on there as well,” Landry said. He added, “Where there are defects in this system, we are going to be transparent and we are going to address them with the city and make sure that we fill those gaps as best we can.” The sense of betrayal was echoed by Bourbon Street workers as they returned to their jobs this week. “I think the city failed us,” said Wayne Jones, 50, a security guard at a bar on Bourbon Street. He believes the area should have been better secured on New Year’s Eve ahead of the attack. The steel Archer barriers that the city installed on the sidewalks on Bourbon Street on Thursday, made by Meridian Rapid Defense Group, would have been useful on the night the street was packed with New Year’s revelers. “Why wasn’t that on the sidewalk?” Jones asked. “That would have slowed him down,” he added of the attacker. Jones and other local workers also questioned the decision to replace the street’s long-malfunctioning security bollards during the winter, which is the busiest time for the French Quarter. “It seems worse than poor planning,” said Rory Windhorst, who works at a business on Bourbon Street near the site of the attack. He noted that the city was pouring money into preparing for the Super Bowl in February, and he wondered whether there had been a “gross miscalculation” in how the resources were used. The city released a statement Thursday saying it “is committed to ensuring the safety and functionality of Bourbon Street” and that the bollard replacement is part of that commitment. https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/new-orleans-fell-short-guarding-new-years-vehicle-attack-experts-say-rcna186140
NOTE: After speaking with some former state LE and HS employees my questions rose to a new level concerning how the lack of preparedness to prevent the NYE attack in New Orleans occurred. The national threat level was widely reported as high for the holidays. Agencies should have added to the prevention efforts in all locations. Personal accounts indicate that many long-term state employees, who worked in areas for an extended time that are key to the security of our state and safety of its citizens, are no longer effective. They have been forced to retire or have had their positions reduced to ineffective roles. This lack of effort to protect with suspicious activity reporting, cyber security investigations, and physical security tactics is a direct reflection of the leadership that the present state administration has put in place. Very little intelligence has been shared from the Federal level to the State and even less has been funneled down the local level according to my sources. It is possible that the security information/intelligence (I/I) has not been shared due to the lack of employees having a security level clearance that allows them to receive such information and/or, as has occurred many times in the past, unclassified notes (tear lines) of the I/I are not done. Many are rightly pointing fingers at the New Orleans city officials but it is believed that these officials will soon blame State LE and HS for their lack of preparedness. Success in security lies in having all partners, individually and collectively, put forth full effort in accomplishing the mission and taking care of the people. One can accomplish great things if they are not concerned with who gets the credit. This axiom is apparently being avoided by many in our leadership while they strive to avoid being blamed for any mistakes or shortcomings and shows that not everyone wearing the same uniform is on the same team. The big is in the little so take care to ensure the little things are completed. We can only do what we know so good leaders surround themselves with broad array of knowledgeable people and listen to them. the Federal level to the State and even less has been funneled down the local level according to my sources. It is possible that the security information/intelligence (I/I) has not been shared due to the lack of employees having a security level clearance that allows them to receive such information and/or, as has occurred many times in the past, tear lines of the I/I are not done. Many are rightly pointing fingers at the New Orleans city officials but it is believed that these officials will soon blame State LE and HS for their lack of preparedness. Success in security lies in having all partners, individually and collectively, put forth full effort in accomplishing the mission and taking care of the people. One can accomplish great things if they are not concerned with who gets the credit. This axiom is apparently being avoided by many in our leadership as they strive to avoid being blamed for any mistakes or shortcomings. This shows that not everyone wearing the same uniform is on the same team. The big is in the little so everyone should ensure the little things are completed. We can only do what we know therefore good leaders always surround themselves with a broad array of knowledgeable people and listen to them.
071600JAN2025 NOTE: Took a pause over holidays but a lot going on – NOLA ATTACK: FBI first said it was not terror before they said it was (which is normal for FBI since when they say it is they must take charge) but for those of us who recognize the Islamist tactics we knew it was. It was a picture of their teachings. Vehicle ramming for maximum casualties followed by firearms or bladed weapons attacks. There is no escape intent. The ISIS flag was indicative of those who support the killing of all non-believers. Now the FBI says he acted alone after first stating he didn’t. As Sen. Kennedy said, and almost all think, they are not telling all that they know. If history teaches us anything, we may never know but specific deterrence was applied to the attacker. The New Orleans terror attack is a prime example of weak perimeter security with a lull in defensive posture that supports a belief that you cannot always prevent the attack. Maybe not but you can always have obstacles that stop or delay certain attack tactics that will allow for a response force to get in place. Its an old adage that states if an area is so secure that no one can get in then you can’t get out. Security in the defense efforts must address the various types of attack tactics and rank your defense elements accordingly. After deciding on the essential tasks and purposes a visualization of the interrelationships of the other factors. The goal in this analysis is to clarify what each section or designated groups are to accomplish and why they must accomplish it. Key considerations in this analysis include:
What is the overall intent?
What are the overall specified tasks and purposes?
What are the specified tasks for each scenario that must be accomplished)? (Should align with overall intent, operational issues, tasks to others, and coordinating instructions.)
What are the implied tasks for the operation? These are other tasks, not specifically noted but must be accomplished during any scenario.
What are the essential tasks for each scenario? These are all tasks, both specified and implied, that are absolutely required to ensure mission success.
NOLA TERROR: News on the New Year’s Day terrorist attack on Bourbon Street that left 14 dead and dozens injured is moving fast with a federal investigation ongoing, questions remaining about failed safety measures and several big events coming up for New Orleans. Early on Jan. 1, an attacker drove a rented truck down Bourbon Street, plowing through crowds. After crashing the truck, the attacker opened fire, wounding two police officers before being killed himself. If you’re having trouble keeping up with all the latest details, here are 10 things you should know about the New Year’s Day attack. All 14 of the victims who were killed in the attack have been identified through the Orleans Parish Coroner’s Office or media reports. FBI: Attack was act of terror On New Year’s Day, the FBI called the attack an act of terror and confirmed reports that an ISIS flag was attached to the truck used in the killings. Shamsud-Din Jabbar, 42, was shown in videos declaring that he had joined ISIS, but it is not yet clear if he had any formal ties to any international terrorist groups. The FBI is looking at his foreign travel, including trips to Egypt and Canada, to determine any possible further connections. Jabbar was a U.S. Military veteran Jabbar, who was a U.S. citizen from Texas, was an Army veteran who enlisted in 2006 and spent nine years on active duty as an administrative clerk. He was deployed to Afghanistan in 2009 and discharged honorably in 2020. Jabbar lived in the Houston area prior to telling his landlord he was moving to New Orleans about a month ago. He divorced his wife in 2022 and said in a video he initially intended to kill his family but wanted headlines to focus on “the war between the believers and the disbelievers.” The investigation into his motives remains ongoing. Jabbar is believed to have acted alone While the FBI initially said they thought Jabbar had help, newer information has led them to believe he likely acted alone, the agency said Thursday. The finding that Jabbar likely acted alone gave officials the confidence to reopen Bourbon Street the day after the attack. Attack likely unrelated to Las Vegas Cybertruck attack Another New Year’s Day attack in Las Vegas is being investigated, but authorities believe the two cases are unrelated. A Tesla Cybertruck packed with firework mortars and camp fuel canisters was parked outside President-elect Donald Trump’s Las Vegas hotel when it exploded, injuring seven. A man inside the truck, later identified as Matthew Livelsberger, died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound and is believed to be the perpetrator. Livelsberger was an active-duty Army Special Forces officer from Colorado. Jabbar scouted the French Quarter, planted bombs Months before the attack, Jabbar scouted the French Quarter and recorded video footage of the targeted area, the FBI said. Jabbar used a pair of Meta glasses — frames with a built-in camera and speakers — in October to capture videos while planning the attack. Other clips captured from street cameras showed Jabbar planting homemade bombs in coolers on Bourbon on New Year’s Day. Precursor chemicals for explosives were found in his Houston rental. Bourbon Street bollard system was inoperable
The system intended to protect pedestrians from vehicles on Bourbon Street has come under scrutiny in the wake of the attack. The bollard system was inoperable at the time of the attack. Jabbar drove over a mechanical wedge designed to stop traffic — but it wasn’t deployed —and around an NOPD cruiser parked at the intersection of Bourbon and Canal streets. NOPD Superintendent Anne Kirkpatrick acknowledged that Jabbar thwarted the city’s safety plans during a New Year’s Day press conference. New bollards planned for Bourbon Street are not designed to stop the type of truck attacks that have hit cities around the world. Mayor LaToya Cantrell said a tactical expert will examine the new system’s adequacy. Biden grants Level 1 Threat rating for Mardi Gras Cantrell announced that Mardi Gras will receive a level one Special Event Assessment Rating (SEAR), the highest potential threat rating the government can assign, after a meeting with President Joe Biden. The designation allows for higher security planning measures. The Super Bowl, scheduled for early February, was already classified as SEAR 1, as it is every year. U.S. Sen. John Kennedy suggested at a press conference that the FBI might withhold information about its investigation. https://www.nola.com/news/crime_police/key-updates-bourbon-street-attack/article_10c37d9c-cc8b-11ef-bdc8-cfbd6abf0a2d.html
GREENLAND: President-elect Trump ramped up his calls for the U.S. to take ownership of Greenland in an amusing social media post on Monday. The move comes as the president’s son, Donald Trump Jr., is preparing to travel to Greenland on Tuesday. The trip will be undertaken in a personal capacity, and he is not expected to meet with government officials. In a Truth Social post, President-elect Trump said that he was “hearing that the people of Greenland are ‘MAGA’.” The Republican attached a video that purportedly shows a Greenlander asking the U.S. to buy his country. In his message, Trump confirmed that he plans to visit Greenland in the near future and that his son, Donald Trump, Jr., will be in the country soon. The president-elect said that he plans to see some of the island’s “most magnificent areas and sights.” “Greenland is an incredible place, and the people will benefit tremendously if, and when, it becomes part of our Nation,” Trump wrote on Monday. “We will protect it, and cherish it, from a very vicious outside World. MAKE GREENLAND GREAT AGAIN!” Trump’s latest post comes two weeks after he first made headlines by expressing support for U.S. ownership of Greenland. “[F]or purposes of National Security and Freedom throughout the World, the United States of America feels that the ownership and control of Greenland is an absolute necessity,” the president-elect’s Truth Social post read. https://www.foxnews.com/politics/trump-escalates-plans-acquire-greenland-resident-pleads-denmarks-using-us
NOTE: ACQUISITION OF GREENLAND is of strategic importance that most people are not aware and reports are coming forth that Trump is planning to revamp the U.S. Navy. The U.S. Navy and its NATO allies may be gearing up to challenge Russia’s excessive legal claims to the Northern Sea route by conducting a freedom of navigation operation. Multinational naval exercises have been taking place in the Barents Sea, and the issues might include freedom of navigation operation. The stakes are high, given the tensions following Russia’s reinvasion of Ukraine in 2022. The Russian government’s warnings about naval operations in the area have become more bellicose and the political leadership appears more willing to take risks. As a result, the fallout from any freedom of navigation operation could rapidly escalate. The Northern Sea route passes through some of Russia’s most militarily sensitive areas. The Arctic region hosts the largest number of Russian ballistic missile submarines, provides a test bed for new weapons, hosts important air bases for strategic bombers, and holds other important military and intelligence infrastructure. Russia defines the Northern Sea Route as a national unified transport route running from the Kara Gates in the west to Deznev Cape in the eastern Arctic. The Northern Sea Route consists of multiple lanes, but the most commonly used route passes through four straits: the Vilkitskii, Shokalskii, Dmitri Laptev, and Sannikov Straits. Russian law defines these straits as internal waters, while the United States and others key actors beg to disagree and define them as international straits, thus subject to the right of transit passage. The difference in interpretation is longstanding: The United States and the Soviet Union first exchanged a series of diplomatic notes arguing over the status of these straits in the 1960s. Today with the Chinese influence with Russia adds fuel to that fire. Since then, however, the salience of the legal dispute has grown, together with the continued opening of the Arctic Ocean, drawing international interest and facilitating foreign access. Moscow has been increasingly concerned about foreign military presence in the Arctic. The growing conventional capability gap between Russia and NATO may also increase President Vladimir Putin’s sense of vulnerability in the Arctic. At least 80 percent of Russian ground forces were withdrawn from this area to support the war in Ukraine. Consequently, preventing the erosion of Russian control has been high on the Russian government’s agenda. Since 2022, Russia has taken political, legal, and military steps to further restrict access for foreign warships and deter a potential freedom of navigation operation in the region. Should that not work, the Northern Fleet has been rehearsing “repelling unauthorized passage of foreign ships and vessels” that could challenge Russia’s sovereignty in Arctic waters.
All eyes should be on the High North, where a multinational NATO flotilla recently steamed into northern waters to send a strong signal of deterrence to Russia. Warships from the United Kingdom, Norway, Germany, Belgium, and France, with aircraft from the United States, Finland, and Sweden, trained together in the region. There is a good discussion at https://warontherocks.com/2023/10/getting-sporty-in-russias-arctic/
071200DEC2024 NOTE: Today is the date “that will live in infamy” marking the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor in Russia’s invasion of Ukraine started the deadliest war on European soil in more than 70 years. domestic terrorists. It is important to recognize that Israel and many other nations also have their own infamous dates. While the world waits for the resurgence of President Trump the present administration and others are planning and scheming to places obstacles in the Trump plans but, as we have seen, not all their opposition actions may be successful and may backfire due to unintended consequences. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine started the deadliest war on European soil in more than 70 years and recently the U.S. has allowed Ukraine to use weapons to attack targets on Russian soil. Some say that this is an escalation that could trigger WWIII. WWIII probably actually started years ago but the extent is not fully engulfed as the history of WWII shows us. Presently Syria fighting has resurfaced and while the U.S. is advisably not getting visibly involved it is becoming an issue to Russia and countries that are our enemies in the shadows such as Turkey. There is much discussion regarding the ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hezbollah, but Israel may have adopted an Islamic tactic Hudna where the pause allows for rearming, resupplying, and concentration on other fronts and never intended to stop attacking once prepared. A Hudna throughout Muslim history is defined as a truce meant to produce a period to gain concessions and allows time to regroup, rearm, and attack again at a choosing of their time. Any ceasefire now will likely be only a tactical maneuver and will not be honored. Some experts still think that President Trump will give Netanyahu a “blank check” in the Middle East, possibly opening the way for all-out war between Israel and Iran. Whether Netanyahu decides to continue to try to expand that war or do things that basically creates an even greater concern about whether the Middle East is ever going to resolve itself or be in constant conflict. A possible outcome in the Ukraine as the decade’s long issues between Russia and Ukraine may end with letting Russia retain control of some areas of Ukraine as it did with Crimea in 2014 and a Korean-like demilitarized zone between Russian-held territory and Ukraine. However, this one may exclude U.S. troops or UN contingents but use Kyiv’s European allies – such as Poland, Germany, Britain, and France to take on the responsibility.
THE FOLLOWING ARTICLES OF INTEREST CONCERN THE ISSUES IN THE ABOVE NOTE.
The failure of the 2006 agreement, known as Resolution 1701, is hanging over the new one. Like the current cease-fire, 1701 relied on the Lebanese Army, which has not been in a position to control Hezbollah, and on U.N. peacekeepers, who have not been empowered to confront Hezbollah militarily. It remains to be seen whether those issues will be adequately addressed under the new deal. Israel and Hezbollah, which is also a political party with significant power, have long accused each other of violating the terms of Resolution 1701, which called for Hezbollah to remain north of the Litani River that runs roughly parallel to the border with Israel.Hezbollah has said that it stayed south of the river because Israel did not keep its commitment to withdraw completely from Lebanon. https://www.nytimes.com/2024/11/27/world/middleeast/israel-lebanon-ceasefire.html
“Syria is a mess but is not our friend, & THE UNITED STATES SHOULD HAVE NOTHING TO DO WITH IT. THIS IS NOT OUR FIGHT. LET IT PLAY OUT. DO NOT GET INVOLVED!” Trump said. He also said that the rebels in Syria are on the outskirts of Damascus and are preparing for a major move to remove Assad. “Russia, because of the heavy losses in Ukraine, cannot stop it. The Russians, like Assad, could be expelled from Syria – and that may be the best thing for them. Russia has never gained anything from being present in Syria.” https://www.jpost.com/breaking-news/article-832371
As 2024 draws to a close, and winter arrives, Russian forces are continuing to push their Ukrainian opponents back. In total, Russia has captured and retaken about 2,350 sq km of territory (907 sq miles) in eastern Ukraine and in Russia’s western Kursk region. But the cost in lives has been horrendous. Britain’s defense ministry says that in November Russia suffered 45,680 casualties, more than during any month since its full-scale invasion in February 2022. According to the latest UK Defense Intelligence estimate, Russia lost a daily average of 1,523 men, killed and wounded. On 28 November, it says, Russia lost more than 2,000 men in a single day, the first time this has happened. “We’re seeing the Russians grinding out more advances,” one official said, on condition of anonymity. “But at enormous cost.” Officials said the casualty figures were based on open-source material, sometimes cross-referenced with classified data. All in all, Russia is estimated to have lost about 125,800 soldiers over the course of its autumn offensives, according to the Washington-based Institute for the Study of War (ISW). https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c0ewneynypwo
181700NOV2024 One of the top issues today is that of deportations on illegal immigrants (they are not “migrants” as some have semantically tried to call them) and many local and state communities cannot even enforce traffic laws much less the larger ones because they never learned that the big is in the little. Deterrence is accomplished through establishing a real or perceived belief that those committing crimes will be caught and punished. Of course, we know that most everyone “does what they know” and there are little deterrent effects in LE today as political leaders only give lip service to address problems. Fears over President-elect Trump’s plan to declare a state of emergency at the border and make use of the military as part of a mass deportation plan have been overblown. It started after Trump confirmed that he is “prepared to declare a national emergency and will use military assets to reverse the Biden invasion through a mass deportation program.” Such plans have been rumored for much of Trump’s campaign, raising fears among some critics that a future Trump administration would deploy the military onto American streets. This fear mongering from the Left and their media don’t say that in any declared emergency the military is to play a support role and will most likely provide logistics support to the U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP). Posse Comitatus does not allow federal troops to do arresting sweeps of neighborhoods, but it is believed that there are going to be targeted arrests going after criminals (not just the crime of illegal entry). However, given that illegal immigrants committed a crime and many who were supposed to have already appeared for adjudication but did not may have put themselves into an indefensible position. A large majority of Americans support mass deportations. It appears that many of the Federal agencies who are responsible for citizen safety have been frivolous with the truth. The total number of immigrant noncitizens in the U.S. who have murder convictions is likely “tens of thousands” more than the 13,400 listed on Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) national docket, given the criminal records of border-hoppers in their native countries are not baked into the data, a data expert has reported. The bombshell figures released last week via ICE’s national docket show that 277 noncitizens are currently being held by ICE, while 13,099 noncitizens are on the non-detained docket with homicide convictions. ICE’s non-detained docket includes noncitizens who have final orders of removal or are going through removal proceedings but are not detained in ICE custody. Of the 13,099 convicted murderers not being detained by ICE, it is unclear how many are incarcerated by federal, state or local law enforcement, or roaming the streets. There are an additional 1,845 on the non-detained docket with pending homicide charges. In total, 662,566 noncitizens with criminal histories are on ICE’s national docket, which stretches back decades. The figures underline the serious threat illegal immigration and not vetting immigrants thoroughly poses to law-abiding people living in the U.S. The figures sparked an outcry from border security advocates. Sean Kennedy, who specializes in law enforcement and crime data analysis, said the numbers of noncitizens in the U.S. who have murder convictions — as well as convictions for other crimes like assault and rape — is much higher than the 13,376 on ICE’s detained and non-detained dockets because those convictions only apply to crimes committed in the U.S. and not murders committed in migrants’ home countries. Very few of the immigrants who crossed the border who have criminal records will ever be properly vetted.
UKRAINE/RUSSIA: President Joe Biden for the first time authorized Ukraine to use U.S.-given long-range missiles to strike inside Russia, a prospect that President-elect Donald Trump’s allies believe could threaten “World War III.” Ukraine can now target positions in the Kursk region, where Russia has lined up some 50,000 troops, including 10,000 North Koreans, senior U.S. officials confirmed to Fox News. Ukrainian forces seized the Russian territory earlier this year. “This is another step up the escalation ladder, and no one knows where this is going,” Rep. Michael Waltz, R-Fla., Trump’s incoming national security adviser, said on Fox News. “No one anticipated that Joe Biden would ESCALATE the war in Ukraine during the transition period. This is as if he is launching a whole new war,” Ric Grenell, Trump’s former acting director of national intelligence, wrote on X, formerly Twitter. “Everything has changed now – all previous calculations are null and void. And all for politics.” “The Military Industrial Complex seems to want to make sure they get World War 3 going before my father has a chance to create peace and save lives. Gotta lock in those $Trillions. Life be damned!!! Imbeciles!” Donald Trump Jr., the president-elect’s son, wrote on X. “On his way out of office, Joe Biden is dangerously trying to start WWIII by authorizing Ukraine the use of U.S. long range missiles into Russia,” said Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., on X. “The American people gave a mandate on Nov 5th against these exact America last decisions.” Deputy national security adviser Jon Finer, in Rio de Janeiro on Monday, did not comment specifically on long-range missiles, but suggested the introduction of North Korean forces factored into the White House’s decision. “The United States has been clear throughout this conflict that we will make our policy decisions based on the circumstances we identify on the battlefield, including in recent days and weeks a significant Russian escalation that involves the deployment of a foreign country’s forces on its own territory,” Finer said. Ukraine has pleaded for months with the Biden administration to be allowed to strike inside Russia — and hawkish members of Congress have issued similar demands. But Biden officials feared getting the U.S. further entrenched in the war. Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., called the authorization an “impeachable offense.” “By authorizing long range missiles to strike inside Russia, Biden is committing an unconstitutional Act of War that endangers the lives of all U.S. citizens. This is an impeachable offense, but the reality is he’s an emasculated puppet of a deep state,” Massie wrote on X. Ukrainian forces have been using drones for some deep strikes but believe the U.S.-made ATACMS would be more effective. ATACMS, a surface-to-surface missile system fired from a mobile launcher vehicle, can strike anywhere between 100 and 190 miles away. Russian President Vladimir Putin has yet to respond to reports the U.S. will cross one of his “red lines,” but his spokesperson, Dmitry Peskov, accused the U.S. of adding fuel to the fire. https://www.foxnews.com/politics/trump-allies-warn-biden-risking-world-war-iii-authorizing-long-range-missiles-ukraine NOTE: The Kremlin warned Monday that President Joe Biden’s decision to let Ukraine strike targets inside Russia with U.S.-supplied longer-range missiles adds “fuel to the fire” of the war and would escalate international tensions even higher. Biden’s shift in policy added an uncertain, new factor to the conflict on the eve of the 1,000-day milestone since Russia began its full-scale invasion in 2022. It also came as a Russian ballistic missile with cluster munitions struck a residential area of Sumy in northern Ukraine, killing 11 people and injuring 84 others. Another missile barrage sparked apartment fires in the southern port of Odesa, killing at least 10 people and injuring 43, Ukraine’s Interior Ministry said. Washington is easing limits on what Ukraine can strike with its American-made Army Tactical Missile System, or ATACMs, U.S. officials told The Associated Press on Sunday, after months of ruling out such a move over fears of escalating the conflict and bringing about a direct confrontation between Russia and NATO. Putin saying that any strikes on Russian soil using U.S. weapons would be interpreted as direct NATO involvement. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un renewed his call for a “limitless” expansion of his military nuclear program to counter U.S.-led threats in comments reported Monday that were his first direct criticism toward Washington since Donald Trump’s win in the U.S. presidential election. At a conference with army officials on Friday, Kim condemned the United States for updating its nuclear deterrence strategies with South Korea and solidifying three-way military cooperation involving Japan, which he portrayed as an “Asian NATO” that was escalating tensions and instability in the region. Kim should know that his act of sending troops to Russia is a catalyst for the change in limits that NATO partners had initially set. It is being suggested by some that Biden is trying to inhibit President-elect Donald Trump’s proposal to end the ongoing war in Ukraine. Allegedly the plan includes significant conditions: Ukraine should give up its NATO membership aspirations for at least 20 years, the freezing of the current front lines and the establishment of a demilitarized zone between Russian-held territory and Ukraine. The plan is said to exclude the possibility of U.S. troops or UN contingents to monitor and enforce any ceasefire, instead suggesting that Kyiv’s European allies – such as Poland, Germany, Britain, and France – should take on the responsibility. According to a source within Trump’s team, the U.S. would continue to provide military training and support including weapons to Ukraine to help deter further Russian advances. However, previous reports from Trump’s advisors have hinted at the possibility that Washington could suspend military aid to encourage Kyiv to enter peace negotiations.
ISRAEL: How long will it take to unwind the Biden-Harris Middle East policy? About five minutes, according to Mike Huckabee. The former Arkansas governor-turned-U.S. ambassador to Israel nominee suggested that President-elect Donald Trump’s return to the Oval Office would signal a dramatic change, bringing unwavering loyalty to Israel while “taking the money tree” away from terrorist groups. “To be fair, sometimes Joe Biden has been very supportive of Israel, and we’ve heard often he and Blinken and others talk about the ironclad relationship [between Israel and the United States], and then the next day, we would hear pressure on Israel not to continue their efforts against Hamas. You’re thinking, ‘well, why wouldn’t you continue your efforts against people who massacred innocent civilians and just had a bloodthirsty attitude about it?’” “The fact remains that the real problem here is not Hamas, Hezbollah or the Houthis. It’s Iran,” Huckabee told FOX Business’ Maria Bartiromo on Monday. “They’re the ones who fund it [terrorism], and when the Biden administration reversed the maximum pressure campaign that was effectively shutting down Iran’s ability to have money to fund this nonsense, that’s what changed everything, so I expect the president [Trump] will put the maximum pressure back on Iran, and that’s going to take the money tree away from some of these terrorist groups and make it much harder for them to do their incredibly horrible and dastardly deeds of murdering civilians.” https://www.foxbusiness.com/media/trumps-pick-us-ambassador-israel-would-take-five-minutes-shut-down-irans-money-tree NOTE: The war news highlights that four people were killed and at least 18 injured in an Israeli attack in Beirut; at least 34 were killed in Israeli strike in northern Gaza; and a woman was killed and 10 people injured after a Hezbollah rocket directly hit a residential building in northern Israel. Dozens of projectiles were fired by Hezbollah from Lebanon into Israel Monday afternoon and not all the projectiles were intercepted. Many experts predict that Donald Trump will, as POTUS, give Netanyahu a “blank check” in the Middle East, possibly opening the way for all-out war between Israel and Iran. Remember that the attack on Saddam Hussein in Iraq was likely initiated by a plan to assassinate President Bush, W’s father, and now it is said that Iran has planned and attempted to assassinate the Donald.
071800NOV2024 NOTE: As with any pending change of command/administration there are some who welcome it and others who remain totally in opposition to it. This is a dangerous time and we must remain vigilant for threats nationally and internationally. Open source information and some of the public messages may be mis- and/or dis-. We will see as we go but we must continue to know ourselves and know our enemies both foreign and domestic within the present dynamic environment. It is estimated the there are hundreds of our enemies operatives already in the Homeland due to the weak immigration stance of the Biden administration and it is important to remember that our enemies will join forces to accomplish common objectives. Donald Trump returns as POTUS at a time of unprecedented conflict and uncertainty in the Middle East as well as the ongoing war in the Ukraine. He has vowed to fix both. But the two have substantial differences. While most see that the Jihad desire to destroy Israel is a root cause of the Iranian and their Islamic puppets drive to kill Jews and Infidels, the issues driving the Russian/Ukraine war is not so one sided as most media info reports. For this reason Trump’s history of strong support for Israel coupled with his beliefs the war in Gaza should end quickly may lead to all-out war between Israel and Iran, et al, before a stoppage of fighting is declared. Barring the achievement of elusive cease-fires before the inauguration, Trump will ascend to the highest office in the country as Hamas and Hezbollah fighting continues as well as conflicts with Iranian proxies in Iraq and Yemen — and Iran’s nuclear program remains a top concern for Israel. It is of importance that we remember that Iran has been trying to assassinate Trump and others for years. Also, Tehran had reportedly been interfering in the U.S. election. Don’t forget Israel launched the war in response to Hamas’ attacks that killed 1,200 people in Israel and kidnapped 250, and dozens are still held captive. In addition, a ceasefire, or Hudna, favors the Islamists since throughout Muslim history their definition is that it is a truce meant to produce a period to gain concessions and allows time to regroup, rearm, and attack again at a choosing of their time. Any ceasefire now will likely be only a tactical maneuver and will not be honored. This seems to be a likely outcome in the Ukraine as the decade’s long issues between Russia and Ukraine may end with letting Russia retain control of some areas of Ukraine as it did with Crimea in 2014 and a Korean-like demilitarized zone between Russian-held territory and Ukraine. However, this one may exclude U.S. troops or UN contingents but use Kyiv’s European allies – such as Poland, Germany, Britain, and France to take on the responsibility.
After President-elect Trump’s victory, Iran must now prepare to contend with the man it’s been trying to assassinate for years. Tehran had reportedly been interfering in the U.S. election on behalf of Vice President Kamala Harris. But with former Trump’s win, the regime will have to prepare for a U.S. leader who is, at the very least, a wild card. On Wednesday, the Telegram channel of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IGRC), its military force, posted a video threatening to kill Trump. It ended with footage of a bloodied Trump and the words “We will finish the job.” Iran has long vowed revenge for Trump approving the 2019 killing of Gen. Qassem Soleimani. “The Islamic Republic has to be terrified that the presidential candidate that they tried to kill has just won the election,” Behnam Ben Taleblu, an Iran expert at the hawkish Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD) think tank, told Fox News Digital. “The regime knows it can ill afford more exogenous economic shocks. Even the return of maximum pressure alone to the Islamic Republic is going to cause major, major economic problems.” Iran’s currency tanked to an all-time low Wednesday after Trump clinched victory, signaling its challenges are far from over in the Middle East as war rages on through proxies in both Gaza and Lebanon. https://www.foxnews.com/politics/iran-terrified-trump-presidency-iranian-currency-falls-all-time-low NOTE: Many experts predict that Donald Trump will, as POTUS, give Netanyahu a “blank check” in the Middle East, possibly opening the way for all-out war between Israel and Iran. So the real question is whether Netanyahu decides to continue to try to expand that war, or do things that basically create an even greater concern about whether or not the Middle East is ever going to resolve itself or be in constant conflict.
The Wall Street Journal reported that President-elect Donald Trump’s team has drafted a proposal to end the ongoing war in Ukraine war on Thursday. Allegedly the plan includes significant conditions: Ukraine should give up its NATO membership aspirations for at least 20 years, the freezing of the current front lines and the establishment of a demilitarized zone between Russian-held territory and Ukraine. The plan is said to exclude the possibility of US troops or UN contingents to monitor and enforce any ceasefire, instead suggesting that Kyiv’s European allies – such as Poland, Germany, Britain, and France – should take on the responsibility According to the WSJ source within Trump’s team, the US would continue to provide military training and support including weapons to Ukraine to help deter further Russian advances. However, previous reports from Trump’s advisors have hinted at the possibility that Washington could suspend military aid to encourage Kyiv to enter peace negotiations. It remains uncertain how serious this plan is and whether Trump would fully implement it upon taking office. At present, neither Russia, which continues its offensives, nor Ukraine, which has said it is unwilling to concede territory, have signaled readiness for talks, according to the WSJ. Trump said during his campaign that he would resolve the war quickly, bringing both sides to the negotiating table without revealing how: “I can’t give you those plans because if I give you those plans, I’m not going to be able to use them,” he said. Ukrainian soldiers view Trump’s victory with cautious optimism, hoping for increased support for the fight against Russia tempered by concerns about the risks of his unpredictable policies. An unnamed former Trump National Security Council aide told the WSJ that this plan may be nothing more than speculation saying whoever was putting it forward and claims to “have a window into his [Trump’s] plans on Ukraine simply doesn’t know what he or she is talking about or doesn’t understand that he makes his own calls on national-security issues… particularly on an issue as central as this.” The U.S., Ukraine’s largest ally, has provided substantial aid under the current administration and President Joe Biden has also stressed that any peace discussions must involve Kyiv and respect its sovereignty. While some Ukrainians following Trump’s election said they are fearful of the fallout for Kyiv from Trump’s victory – with his running mate JD Vance having been vocally against further aid to Ukraine – some remain hopeful that Trump could put an end to the war, while some Trump skeptics search for a silver lining. Zelenskyy said that while Ukraine sought a “fair” end to the war, rushing into a ceasefire or a peace deal with Moscow would lead to a bad outcome for Kyiv. “He [Trump] wants this war to be finished,” Zelenskyy said through an interpreter. “We all want to end this war, but a fair ending … If it is very fast, it’s going to be a loss for Ukraine.” The Ukrainian leader also responded to an appeal from Hungarian strongman Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, issued minutes earlier from the same stage, for a rapid ceasefire deal between the two warring camps. “I heard that it’s better to implement a ceasefire and then, ‘we’ll see,’” Zelenskyy said, referring to Orbán’s comments. “[A] ceasefire was tried back in 2014. We tried to reach this ceasefire, and we lost Crimea and then we had the full-scale invasion. The Ukrainian leader also warned that unless his country’s Western backers ramped up the pressure over North Korea’s participation in the war, more North Korean troops would be sent to the battlefield. “If there is no political pressure, if there are no decisions, North Korea will increase the number of its soldiers because Putin is always watching the world for reactions and I believe right now the reaction is not sufficient.” https://www.politico.eu/article/volodymyr-zelenskyy-ukraine-war-defense-russia-kyiv-moscow-budapest-journalists/ NOTE: As Russia’s’ main ally in the area China is also in the game. Chinese President Xi Jinping called President-elect Trump to congratulate him on his election win, and warned the U.S. would “gain from cooperation and lose from confrontation” with China. The message comes as the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) must prepare for deeper tensions as Trump has vowed to bring back the trade war of his last presidency with blanket tariffs. “Xi Jinping noted that history tells us that both countries stand to gain from cooperation and lose from confrontation. A China-U.S. relationship with stable, healthy and sustainable development serves the common interests of the two countries,” China’s foreign ministry said in a readout of the conversation. “It is hoped that the two sides will, in the principles of mutual respect, peaceful coexistence and win-win cooperation, enhance dialogue and communication, properly manage differences, expand mutually beneficial cooperation, and find the right way for China and the United States to get along with each other in the new era to the benefit of the two countries and the world.” This week, Republicans captured control of the Senate and have favorable prospects in the undecided race for power in the House. With both chambers in Congress and the presidency, little would stand in Trump’s way of a steep sanctions’ regime. In recent years, U.S.-China relations have worsened not only on trade — China has been threatening U.S. allies like the Philippines, Japan and Taiwan in the South China Sea. They’ve been accused of sending Chinese nationals to spy on U.S. military bases and sent what was believed to be a surveillance balloon across the U.S. While Trump ushered in an era of steep trade competition and increased support for Taiwan, President Biden did not necessarily warm the relationship. Trump increased duties by at least 10% during his first term on over $300 billion worth of goods. Biden did not lift those tariffs. That was on top of export controls on a variety of items that started under Trump and furthered under Biden.
011200NOV2024 For the past month the American media has been focused on the U.S. election, especially for POTUS, but our enemies are watching and taking advantage of the distractions. Russia is escalating their attacks on the Ukraine by with help from North Korea and whoever becomes the next U.S. president will have a profound impact on Ukraine’s borders and everyone who lives within them. Some Ukrainians believe that Harris will continue military aid if she emerged the victor but don’t understand that her powers could be constrained by a Republican-run Congress. The pipeline of military support, which so far is more than $50bn, may be less likely to be sustained under a second term for Donald Trump but that is not a given since he has suggested that others should do more. Ukraine’s western allies have not adequately responded to the involvement of North Korean troops in Russia’s war with Kyiv and Putin seems to be testing the reaction of the west, of NATO states, and the reaction of South Korea. If the reaction to this is zero it is likely that the number of North Korean troops will be increased. In a weak attempt the U.S. and South Korea have called on China to use its influence over Russia and North Korea to prevent escalation but as expected Beijing has so far stayed quiet. About 8,000 North Korean soldiers are stationed in Russia on the border with Ukraine and Moscow is preparing to deploy those troops into combat in the coming days. Ukraine’s foreign minister on Thursday called on western nations to lift restrictions on the use of long range missiles against Russia, after North Korean troops deployed to Russia’s border region with Ukraine. This North Korean troop deployment is a true escalation of this war. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov will hold strategic consultations in Moscow with his North Korean counterpart Choe Son Hui today and if North Korea enters the fight allies may join in also with troops or change weapon restrictions to allow use of missiles to strike Russian territory. In the Middle East Israeli intelligence suggests Iran is preparing to attack Israel from Iraqi territory soon where U.S. still has some military presence and could affect the U.S. presidential election issues. The drones and ballistic missile attack is expected to be carried out from Iraq through pro-Iran militias in Iraq could be an attempt by Tehran to avoid another Israeli attack against strategic targets in Iran. However, it is unlikely that use of proxies by Iran will absolve them of any blame whether it is Iraqi Shia militias, Hezbollah, Houthis, or Hamas since Iran is seen as the puppeteer. The articles below add some credence to the possible escalation of these conflicts which adds to what lies ahead of the next administration.
Iran’s supreme leader has ordered his military officials to prepare a reprisal attack against Israel, a report said Thursday, as senior Iranian officials warned of “harsh” and “unimaginable” responses to Israel’s strikes on Iranian military sites earlier this month. The report in The New York Times, citing Iranian officials, said Tehran’s response would not come until after US voters go to the polls on November 5, though other news outlets have quoted sources saying Iran’s response could come ahead of the vote. Iranian leaders have been threatening to carry out a reprisal action after the Israeli Air Force attacked anti-aircraft batteries and radar sites across Iran on October 26 in retaliation for a massive Iranian ballistic missile attack on Israel on October 1. But Iran has so far been seen as seeking to minimize the chances for escalation or a repeat engagement. On a deadly day in the North, Hezbollah killed seven people in two separate rocket attacks in open areas on Thursday. In the first incident, five people – an Israeli farmer and four foreign workers – were killed in an agricultural area in Metulla. A sixth person was seriously wounded from shrapnel. In the second incident, a woman, in her 60s, and her son, in his 30s, were killed by shrapnel in an olive grove near Gil’am junction west of Haifa. A man in his 70s sustained light wounds. Hezbollah fired some 25 rockets altogether, the IDF said. https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/article-827107
North Korea will back Russia until it achieves victory in Ukraine as thousands of Pyongyang’s troops were at the Ukrainian border and could soon be deployed into combat. In her meeting on Friday with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, Choe also accused the US and South Korea of plotting a nuclear strike against her country. “Our traditional, historically friendly relations, which have travelled the tested path of history, today … are rising to a new level of relations of invincible military comradeship,” she said, praising the role played in this by North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and Russian President Vladimir Putin. She said North Korea had no doubt that under Putin’s “wise leadership” the Russian army and people would “achieve a great victory in their sacred struggle to protect the sovereign rights and security interests of their state”. “And we also assure that until the day of victory we will firmly stand alongside our Russian comrades,” Choe said. https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2024/11/1/north-korea-pledges-to-stand-by-russia-until-victory-in-ukraine#ixzz8qL6MkJsM
161800OCT2024 The Federal Bureau of Investigation quietly updated its 2022 crime data to show an increase in violent crimes, despite previous data showing violent crimes had fallen that year, which was touted as a victory for the Biden-Harris administration. “For some reason, the media, they did pick the crime data that they think goes and makes the Democrats look as good as possible. And then even when the crime data that they’ve relied on turns out by the very source of that data to be wrong, none of them fix it,” Lott, the founder and president of the Crime Prevention Research Center, told Fox News Digital in a Zoom interview this week. The FBI released its annual crime in the nation data for 2022 last year, which found a 2.1% decrease in violent crimes compared to 2021, Lott explained. The data was lauded by Democrats and the media as part of a turning point for crime woes in the U.S., following the crime wave of 2020, when defund-the-police protests and riots swept the nation and the pandemic’s stay-at-home orders upended daily life. Now, the data reflects a net increase of 80,029 violent crimes in 2022 over 2021. Lott found that under the umbrella of
violent crime, there were an additional 1,699 murders, 7,780 rapes, 33,459 robberies and 37,091 aggravated assaults that year. “To give people an idea of the size of the change, when the 2022 data came out in September 2023, they initially reported that violent crime had fallen by 2.1% in 2022.… That’s the final data, supposedly, for 2022. The revision of that final data that came out last month, now claims that rather than the 2.1% drop, that there was actually a 4.5% increase in violent crime that occurred in 2022. That’s a 6.6 percentage point change there,” Lott told Fox News Digital. “It’s from a drop to an increase. And, you know, the bizarre thing to me is, for a year after the 2022 data was put out, we were having headlines, news articles after news articles saying ‘Violent crime is falling, people mistakenly or erroneously believe that it’s increasing.’ And, you know, and they were relying on this data. But you don’t see any corrections in the news. Saying, ‘Oops, the FBI data that we relied on was wrong, that rather than a drop, there was actually an increase that had occurred,’” he added. “The federal government lied about Biden’s cognitive decline, lied about the job numbers, and now we learn they lied about crime numbers too,” Trump campaign spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt told Fox News Digital. “Kamala Harris must admit she’s wrong and address how she plans to bring down the rising crime crisis. Every mainstream media reporter who was quick to correct President Trump must cover this new revelation if they have any shred of integrity left.” Trump has repeatedly said on the campaign trail that “crime in this country is
through the roof” under the Biden-Harris administration, despite the previous figures promoted by the FBI showing violent crime was allegedly on a
downward trend. https://www.foxnews.com/politics/fbi-quietly-updates-crime-data-show-big-jump-violence-under-biden-harris-admin-shocking
NOTE: It appears that many of the Federal agencies who are responsible for citizen safety have been frivolous with the truth. The total number of immigrant noncitizens in the U.S. who have murder convictions is likely “tens of thousands” more than the 13,400 listed on Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) national docket, given the criminal records of border-hoppers in their native countries are not baked into the data, a data expert has reported. The bombshell figures released last week via ICE’s national docket show that 277 noncitizens are currently being held by ICE, while 13,099 noncitizens are on the non-detained docket with homicide convictions. ICE’s non-detained docket includes noncitizens who have final orders of removal or are going through removal proceedings but are not detained in ICE custody. Of the 13,099 convicted murderers not being detained by ICE, it is unclear how many are incarcerated by federal, state or local law enforcement, or roaming the streets. There are an additional 1,845 on the non-detained docket with pending homicide charges. In total, 662,566 noncitizens with criminal histories are on ICE’s national docket, which stretches back decades. The figures underline the serious threat illegal immigration and not vetting immigrants thoroughly poses to law-abiding people living in the U.S. The figures sparked an outcry from border security advocates. Sean Kennedy, who specializes in law enforcement and crime data analysis, said the numbers of noncitizens in the U.S. who have murder convictions — as well as convictions for other crimes like assault and rape — is much higher than the 13,376 on ICE’s detained and non-detained dockets because those convictions only apply to crimes committed in the U.S. and not murders committed in migrants’ home countries. Very few of the migrants who crossed the border who have criminal records will ever be properly vetted. Of course, we know that most everyone “does what they know” and there are little deterrent effects in LE today and political leaders only give lip service to address to the problem. A Colorado management company has shared brutal surveillance footage and a photo of a bloodied employee to illustrate its ongoing problem with a violent Venezuelan migrant gang. Members of Tren de Aragua commandeered entire apartment buildings in Aurora by threatening its employees and tried to extort the company for a cut of rent money in exchange for their continued operation of the properties. An employee found a group of male squatters in a recently vacated apartment and would not accept $500 to “overlook the situation” and was beaten so severely that he had to be treated at a hospital. One of the more recent cases is the Georgia case of Laken Riley would many believe be alive today if the Biden-Harris Administration had stronger border security and interior immigration enforcement policies in place. It is said that the present Biden/Harris administration willfully, recklessly, and unlawfully allowed poorly vetted individuals, including Laken Riley’s accused murderer, to unleash havoc on American families nationwide. They have paroled hundreds of thousands of poorly vetted individuals into communities across our country, and they could end their dangerous, unprecedented abuse of immigration parole today if they wanted to. They suspended deportations, halted construction of the border wall, and announced a plan to give amnesty to millions. That made it crystal clear from the start of their tenure that their goal was mass migration – not the safety and security of the American people. The historic crisis at the southern border saw millions of illegal immigrants arrive there, with a great many eventually released into the United States as officials struggled to deal with the numbers they were facing. It is unusual that very little is said about the number of known and possible radicalized Muslims that were also part of the illegal immigrant flood. These are not migrants but illegal immigrants that are documented and undocumented that are now among us. Just as European countries are finding out, Islam teaches the destruction of the infidel. It is important to realize that many of the “migrant” caravans to the U.S. gathered in Chiapas, Mexico, which is known to be a hotbed of Islamic radicalism. It is believed by many experts that all of this is part of the axis of China, Russia, North Korea, and Iran to lay the groundwork to cause economic problems for the Homeland and to set the stage for future attacks.
111200OCT2024 NOTE: While our news sources over the past week or two have been dominated by storms and the lack of government assistance accompanied by the politics of the upcoming elections, there are much bigger issues concerning the future of the U.S. and the world. The drums of a possible WWIII are beating louder. As we have posted before the world is in a similar event cycle that led to World War Two but our media is currently using the political atmosphere to highlight events to basically say to us, “pay no attention to the man behind the curtain.” The largest threat is still coming from China, Russia, and North Korea all of which are supporting the present efforts of Iran and their proxies of Hamas, Hezbollah (in Lebanon and Brazil), Iraqi Militias, and the Houthis in Yemen to distract the allies from their intentions. As did in the time of Hitler, the antisemitism is growing throughout the world, even in the U.S. Congress where Israel’s’ Netanyahu is being opposed by some and the media plays influencer instead of journalists of truth while refusing to say the Jerusalem is in Israel. It is significant that we remember that Germany was in dire straits due to the Treaty of Versailles’ economic sanctions after WWI and now we are being told that Russia is heading down the same path due to the Ukrainian war and sanctions. The rest of the group China, North Korea, and Iran are also under some sanctions as was Japan prior to the attack on the U.S. in December 1941. Additionally, we must not forget that prior to 9-11 we basically ignored the fact that Al Qaeda proclaimed that they were at war with us and today all of the Iranian aligned groups and the Islamic radical groups aim to destroy Israel and the U.S. As an example our response to Russia’s invasion of Crimea in 2014 is being said to allowed the war in Ukraine because the U.S. and NATO had a weak response to that incursion. If we had delivered a fraction of the weapons we have delivered after 2022, we may have prevented the present Ukraine War, but Obama never took Putin seriously. In 2014, the Kremlin annexed the Crimean Peninsula after the so-called Revolution of Dignity. It was a quick and bloodless takeover. Russia flooded the regions with migrants and fended off Ukrainian efforts to take it back. Does this sound familiar?
Approximately 190 projectiles were fired by Hezbollah from Lebanon into Israeli territory over the course of the day, the IDF stated on Thursday night. More than 1,000 Americans and their dependents have fled war-hit Lebanon aboard US chartered flights in the last week, arriving in Turkey for a temporary stay, the top U.S. diplomat in Istanbul said on Thursday. As Israel ramped up its ground and air assault on Lebanese armed group Hezbollah in recent weeks, the United States and several other countries have for now relied on commercial and state-booked flights to get citizens out, especially via Turkey. https://www.jpost.com/breaking-news/article-824130
Ukraine’s military said on Wednesday its forces had struck a base in southern Russia’s Krasnodar region storing Shahed drones, scoring several hits. A statement by the General Staff said the attack was carried out jointly by naval forces and the SBU intelligence service. “According to available information, nearly 400 strike drones were stored there,” the statement said. “Based on objective control results, a direct hit was made on the target. Secondary explosions were observed at the site.” North Korean military engineers have been deployed to help Russia target Ukraine with ballistic missiles, and fighters operating in occupied areas of the country have already been killed, senior officials in Kyiv and Seoul said. There are dozens of North Koreans behind Russian lines, in teams that “support launcher systems for KN-23 missiles”, a source in Ukraine told the Guardian.
Kim Jong-un, the North Korean leader, last year travelled to Russia for a summit with Vladimir Putin where the two men bolstered their deepening ties with a secret arms deal. Pyongyang’s ammunition shipments were vital in allowing Russian forces to advance in a grinding war of attrition in eastern Ukraine this summer. But it appears increasingly clear that the agreement went beyond supplying materiel. North Koreans were among the dead after a Ukrainian missile strike on Russian-occupied territory near Donetsk last week, South Korean and Ukrainian officials said. It was not clear if they were military engineers or other forces. Foreigners have fought as mercenaries for Russia, but if North Koreans are on the ground it would mark the first time a foreign government has sent troops in uniform to support Moscow’s war. Military chiefs are considering sending British troops to Ukraine to train soldiers and boost Kyiv’s recruitment efforts, it has emerged. Ministry of Defense (MoD) sources confirmed to The Independent that discussions are ongoing about whether to send troops to the country to support it amid Russia’s ongoing invasion. There is already a small number of British medical personnel in Ukraine, delivering training and mentoring to the country’s armed forces. And, under plans being discussed, small groups of military trainers would travel to secluded locations in the west of the country to provide intensive training to new recruits before they are deployed to the front line in the east. Two sources told The Times the plans would solve some of the logistical issues that come with sending Ukrainian troops to UK bases for training and to save money. Three ships carrying Ukrainian grain have been hit by Russian missiles, signaling a shift in Moscow’s strategy in the Black Sea. Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthi movement said on Thursday it had targeted a ship it identified as the Olympic Spirit in the Red Sea and St. John vessel in the Indian Ocean, as they launch attacks on global shipping over Israel’s war in Gaza.
Shipments from Ukraine were revived in July 2022 under the Black Sea Grain Initiative, a deal mediated by the UN and Turkey. Ukraine has accused Russia of unleashing a series of missile strikes on commercial vessels carrying Ukrainian grain in the Black Sea, threatening to disrupt a period of relative calm which has helped to stabilize global food prices. This is not the first time Russia has been accused of taking aim at vessels carrying grain. Moscow has repeatedly denied that it attacks civilian targets and Russia’s Ministry of Defense did not comment on the strikes on the grain ships. Ukraine, a leading global grain exporter, has battled to keep food supplies flowing during the war with Russia. Shipments were revived in July 2022 under the Black Sea Grain Initiative, a deal mediated by the United Nations and Turkey that allowed for commercial food and fertilizer exports from Ukraine, until Russia exited the agreement one year later. “The recent attacks could affect Ukraine’s competitiveness,” making Russian exports more profitable and benefitting its war machine, Martyshev told Al Jazeera. “The more money comes in; the more Russia can buy weapons for the war.”
Exports are a crucial revenue source for Ukraine’s cash-strapped farmers. Alongside eroding Ukrainian revenues at a critical time, the recent strikes will cause insurance premiums to rise and make it less appealing for foreign shippers in agricultural commodities to deal in Ukrainian grain, said experts. The repeated attacks suggest the “implicit bargain” behind a period of relative calm in the Black Sea – which enabled Ukraine to operate its corridor without Russia’s approval – may be coming to an end. Ukraine may now respond by resuming drone attacks on Russian assets. Russia may also simply be looking for new ways to weaken Ukraine. If you can weaken Ukraine economically, that reduces its ability to resist. Rather than targeting ports, the intimidation of commercial shippers is a much better way to do that, but recently Russian missiles have hit a civilian container ship at a port in Ukraine’s Odesa region, killing eight people.
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2024/10/10/why-is-russia-bombing-ships-carrying-ukrainian-grain
071800OCT2024 Scores of people assembled in a park in Tel Aviv this evening to mark the anniversary of Hamas’ Oct. 7 terrorist attacks on Israel, which killed 1,200 people and led to 250 others’ being taken hostage, according to Israeli officials. The Israel Defense Forces issued evacuation warnings for roughly one-quarter of Lebanon’s coastline, as well as much of northern Gaza, in what appeared to be major new offensives. More than 41,800 people have been killed in Israel’s yearlong assault on the Palestinian enclave, including more than 16,000 children, local officials say. Hamas today hailed its attack a year ago, firing rockets at Tel Aviv. More than 2,000 people have been killed in Lebanon since Oct. 8, the majority dying in the last few weeks, according to Lebanese officials. The Al Aqsa hospital compound in Deir-Al-Balah was hit earlier today, shortly followed by another strike on a tent nearby, according to a statement from Médecins Sans Frontières, known in English as Doctors Without Borders. Eight people were injured and treated at the hospital, one of the few medical facilities that remain in the Gaza Strip, the statement said. “This comes one day after an Israeli airstrike hit a mosque right next to the hospital,” the aid group said. “Over the past months, the Al Aqsa hospital compound and its surroundings have been repeatedly hit, while it is one of the only 17 hospitals still partially functional in the Strip.” The humanitarian aid group urged the protection of medical works and facilities, noting in a World Health Organization report there have been 516 attacks on health care entities in Gaza. The Israeli military issued evacuation orders for the Burj al-Barajneh and Hadath neighborhoods in Beirut’s suburbs moments before it said it had hit a Hezbollah intelligence center. The IDF said fighter jets attacked the center. It added that it was one of 70 Hezbollah targets in Lebanon over the last day. Sirens blared across northern Tel Aviv this evening to warn residents to seek shelter as at least two explosions were heard in the central area of the city. The IDF said the sirens in central Israel followed the identification of five projectiles launched into the country from Lebanon. It added that some of them were intercepted by the air force and the rest fell in open areas. The U.S. still expects Israel to comply with international law while fighting Hezbollah in Lebanon, which means minimizing civilian casualties, State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller told reporters today. The U.S. still expects Israel to comply with international law while fighting Hezbollah in Lebanon, which means minimizing civilian casualties, State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller told reporters today. https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/live-blog/israel-hamas-war-live-updates-october-7-iran-lebanon-gaza-rcna174220https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/live-blog/israel-hamas-war-live-updates-october-7-iran-lebanon-gaza-rcna174220
NOTE: Today, October 7, in the middle of the Jewish High Holy Days and the anniversary of the deadliest attack against Jews since the Holocaust the present White House administration is sending aid to Lebanon while withholding monies to hurricane victims with storm on the way to Florida today. VP Harris pledged to send $157 million of “additional assistance” to Lebanon while Israel attacks Hezbollah. Many are wondering about the Biden administration asking Congress for approval to fund Small Business Association disaster loans to help areas hit by Hurricane Helene but are sending funds to a foreign country without asking Congress. Also, there is a rising feeling among people that the Biden-Harris administration has not doing enough to bring home the hostages that Hamas took from Israel during the deadly Oct. 7 attack one year ago and seem to be threatening to reduce aid to Israel. Iran-backed Hamas terrorists launched a massacre against Israel in the Oct. 7 attack last year, killing about 1,200 people, including 46 U.S. citizens, and taking about 250 hostages. A year later, about 100 people, including several Americans, remain in Hamas captivity, as U.S.-led efforts to negotiate a cease-fire and hostage release deal have sputtered out. The attack sparked a war in Gaza, where Israel has moved to eliminate Hamas and return those taken hostage while Iran, Hezbollah in Lebanon, and the Houthis in Yemen joined in attacks on Israel. Israel’s military campaign has killed more than 41,000 Palestinians, according to the Hamas-run health ministry, which does not distinguish between who is a militant and who supports them. VP Harris appeared unable to fully commit to Israel during an interview yesterday, but the Trump/Vance group gives full-throated support for Israel and says they will make sure Israel has the right to protect itself and that the hostages are returned home. They pledge to stop funding anti-American and anti-Jewish radicals who even today took to college campuses and city streets across the country launching pro-Palestinian “week of rage” protests and to bring home American hostages wherever they’re held and whoever is holding them. It is very apparent that we need to help Israel finish it. We are now living in a similar event cycle that led to World War Two as Russia attacks Ukraine, China threatens Taiwan, and North Korea threatens South Korea. Unfortunately, the mainstream media is currently using the political atmosphere to highlight events to basically say to us, “pay no attention to the man behind the curtain.” Our biggest threat is still coming from China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea all of which are supporting the present efforts of Iran and their proxies of Hamas, Hezbollah (in Lebanon and Brazil), Iraqi Militias, and the Houthis in Yemen. As did Hitler, the antisemitism is being shown throughout the world, even in the U.S. Congress where Israel’s’ Netanyahu is being boycotted by some.
041200OCT2024 Been monitoring HELENE effects. Have cuz in Roan Mountain, rough going but safe. We in Louisiana have experienced these effects first hand so able to empathize and pray with true feeling. At the same time we are staying aware of our nations issues and see once again the many consequences, intended and unintended, of the illegal immigration (they are not migrants) that we presently endure. The distant drums are sounding louder and some are joining the chorus here in the Homeland. Former President Trump on Friday said that Israel should attack Iran’s nuclear facilities while mocking President Biden’s answer earlier this week on the subject. While speaking at a campaign event in Fayetteville, North Carolina, he said when Biden was asked about Israel attacking Iran, the president answered, “’As long as they don’t hit the nuclear stuff.’ That’s the thing you wanna hit, right? I said, ‘I think he’s got that one wrong. Isn’t that what you’re supposed to hit?’” Trump went on to say that nuclear proliferation is the “biggest risk we have.” Former President Trump on Friday during a campaign event in Fayetteville, N.C., said that Israel should attack Iran’s nuclear facilities while mocking President Biden’s answer earlier this week on the subject. The former president said he rebuilt the “entire military, jets everything, I built it, including nuclear” while he was president. “I hated to build the nuclear, but I got to know firsthand the power of that stuff, and I’ll tell you what: we have to be totally prepared. We have to be absolutely prepared.” He said when Biden was asked about Israel and Iran: “His answer should have been “‘Hit the nuclear first, worry about the rest later.’ Trump made similar comments in an interview with Fox News on Thursday, telling correspondent Bill Melugin Biden’s response on Israel attacking Iran was the “craziest thing I’ve ever heard. That’s the biggest risk we have. The biggest risk we have is nuclear.” Many rockets, fired from Iran, are seen over Jerusalem from Hebron, West Bank, Tuesday. The Israeli army announced that missiles were fired from Iran towards Israel and sirens were heard across the country, especially in Tel Aviv. He continued, “I mean, to make the statement, ‘Please leave their nuclear alone.’ I would tell you that that’s not the right answer. That was the craziest answer because, you know what? Soon, they’re going to have nuclear weapons. And then you’re going to have problems.” Former deputy director of national intelligence Kash Patel, who served under Trump, said this week: “Iran launched a war into Israel, so to say that the Israelis who are defending themselves and our hostages shouldn’t attack sites in Iran that could kill them – especially when you’re the one who gave Iran $7 billion as a commander in chief and then allowed them to acquire nuclear materials – is wildly political.” Biden told reporters this week that he and the other members of the G-7 were in agreement that Israel should have a “measured” response to Iran. Following Tuesday’s attack by Iran on Israel, Biden told reporters at Joint Base Andrews, “the answer is no,” of Israel potentially targeting the country’s nuclear program. He added that he and the other members of the G-7 all “agree that [Israel has] a right to respond, but they should respond proportionally.” NOTE: Proportionally???? how ridiculous. From the Ukraine to Korea to Taiwan to the Middle East and Southwest Asia our military leaders and policies are direct reflections of their political non-warrior leaders. We have tremendous fighting men and women, as do our allies. Use it to our advantage.
230900SEP2024 Israel’s military says an “extensive” wave of airstrikes has hit more than 300 Hezbollah targets Monday as residents of southern Lebanon reportedly are receiving text messages warning them to stay away from buildings where the terrorist group is storing weapons.
The strikes are in response to Hezbollah launching around 150 rockets, missiles and drones into northern Israel on Sunday following Israeli military operations that resulted in the deaths of multiple top Hezbollah commanders. “If you are in a building housing weapons for Hezbollah, move away from the village until further notice,” reads a text message in Arabic that residents of Lebanon have been receiving, according to local media reports cited by the Associated Press. The Lebanese Health Ministry is asking hospitals in southern Lebanon and the eastern Bekaa valley to postpone surgeries that could be done later. The ministry said in a statement that its request aimed to keep hospitals ready to deal with people wounded by “Israel’s expanding aggression on Lebanon.” An armed Israeli fighter jet is seen from Haifa, northern Israel, on Monday. On the right, smoke rises from Israeli shelling on villages in southern Lebanon. Lebanon’s state-run National News Agency said Monday’s strikes from Israel hit a forested area in the central province of Byblos, about 81 miles north of the Israeli-Lebanese border, for the first time since the exchanges between the two sides began in October, according to the AP. No injuries were reported there. Israel also bombed targets in the northeastern Baalbek and Hermel regions, where a shepherd was killed and two family members were wounded, the National News Agency said. It added that a total of 30 people were wounded in the strikes. The Israel Defense Forces said Monday that “[s]o far over 300 Hezbollah targets have been struck today,” and that it is “currently conducting extensive strikes on terror targets belonging to the Hezbollah terrorist organization in Lebanon.” “I repeat and reiterate: Israel does not seek war. But we have the right and the duty to defend our people,” Israeli President Isaac Herzog wrote on X, sharing a video he claims “shows how Hezbollah stores and launches missiles in civilian areas and homes.” “Thousands and thousands of long-range rockets are kept in houses, living rooms, bedrooms, and kitchens, and then launched with the sole intention of killing our people. Would you accept this in your or your neighbor’s home?” Herzog asked. “What nation would accept its citizens living under such a threat from its neighbors?” Hezbollah’s deputy leader, Naim Kassem, said Sunday’s rocket attack against Israel was just the beginning of what is now an “open-ended battle.” https://www.foxnews.com/world/israel-hammers-lebanon-hezbollah-strikes-issues-warning-where-may-hit-next NOTE: Israel secured long-overdue justice for the family members of American military and diplomatic personnel murdered by Hezbollah, including the bombing of the Marine barracks in Beirut. The initial lack of alleged enthusiasm from the Biden administration and Democratic lawmakers for the targeted killings of senior Hezbollah mass murderers sparked criticism among top counter-terrorism experts. Take the example of Israel’s elimination on Friday of Ibrahim Aqil, who was wanted by the United States for both the bombing of the U.S. embassy, which killed 63 people, and the Marine barracks bombing in Beirut in 1983, when 241 U.S. military personnel were killed by the Iranian-backed terror group Hezbollah. U.S. Marines search for survivors and bodies in the rubble, all that was left of their barracks headquarters in Beirut on Oct. 24, 1983, after a terrorist suicide car bomb was driven into the building and detonated, killing 241 U.S. service members and wounding over 60. The U.S. had a $7 million bounty on Aqil’s head, who was the commander of Hezbollah’s elite Radwan force. In July, Israel assassinated Hezbollah military Chief of Staff Fuad Shukr, who, like Aqil, was involved in the 1983 Beirut bombings. Former U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo wrote on X” The families of the Marines killed in Beirut have waited decades for justice. I’m thankful Israel helped deliver it by taking out one of the world’s most vicious terrorists—Ibrahim Aqil. Let this be a message to Iran and Iran’s proxies everywhere.” An incident last week is indicative of a security issue that SID posted earlier concerning that security should be seen in an areas’ spheres of security and not in concentric or non-concentric circles of protection. The latest escalation between Israeli forces and Hezbollah comes as Lebanon is still reeling from a series of explosions that hit pagers and walkie-talkies belonging to Hezbollah members on Tuesday and Wednesday last week. The explosions killed at least 37 people and wounded about 3,000. Security enhancement must use both active and passive measures while active measures include armed security; use of manned surveillance cameras and patrols; establishment of specific levels of alert within the school; and establishment of times when security should be at the highest level. Passive measures include hiding or camouflaging security cameras; movement control; adequate communications; and door sensors. The Standard Response Protocol (SRP) is a term used to identify elements of security but does not consistently include security fundamentals. Measures include planning and preparedness, personnel, access control, barriers or obstacles, communication and notification, monitoring, surveillance, inspection, cyber security, and incident response. In addition, indicators of suspicious activities and persons are presented as examples for awareness training. Strategic, tactical, and operational planning and preparation is critical to prevention. Previous incidents, intelligence and information efforts, and strategic and tactical suggestions have created the need to address the 3 Spheres (not just Circles) of Prevention. The 3 Spheres contain all avenues of approach above, below, and in the site plane and have of Physical Security Systems, i.e., Site Perimeter – fence or other boundary, video surveillance, lighting; Building Perimeter – access control, video surveillance, lighting; Interior – intrusion alarms, panic/duress alarms, video surveillance; and Cyber issues. Cyber and Communication devices can deliver threats and triggers to activate weapons, physically elevated positions of shooters that affect both prevention and response efforts, IED/VBIED bombings, and tunnels or public works systems are avenues of approach from below are all part of the threat field. Spheres extends beyond the immediate perimeter to what is considered to be visible locations within the maximum effective range of possible weapons or explosives, hidden avenues of approach above and below the surface, and includes security displacement areas.
111200SEP2024 NEVER FORGET!!!! BRING BACK THE WAY YOU FELT ON 12 SEPTEMBER TWENTY THREE YEARS AGO Evil still exists in the world and some in leadership seem to embody or ignore it. Evil people still attack us at Churches, Malls, Sporting events, Celebrations, and Schools where all people, especially parents, feel the fear. See the MIHTHY section of this blog for an info paper on preventing school shootings and pass it along to your local school boards and principals. On an international issue Retired four-star Gen. Jack Keane reacts to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu saying that Hamas is refusing to make a deal and weighs in on former President Trump’s warning that the U.S. is ‘heading into WWIII territory.’ The U.S. is treading on ground not seen since World War II, according to Fox News senior strategic analyst and retired four-star Gen. Jack Keane, who warned that “we’re on a pathway” to a third world war. His comments come amid conflicts in the Middle East and Europe and growing tension in the Pacific and echoes former President Trump’s warning that the U.S. is “heading into World War III territory.” Keane told FOX Business’ Stuart Varney that he does not “react to candidates’ comments because I don’t want to influence voters,” but stated that a recent congressional commission on the Biden administration’s national defense strategy that he took part in revealed that the threat of another major war is very real. According to the recent commission, the U.S. faces the “most serious” and “most challenging” threats since 1945, including the potential for a “near-term major war.” It also found that China and Russia are “major powers” seeking to undermine the U.S., and that “the U.S. military lacks both the capabilities, and the capacity required to be confident it can deter and prevail in combat.” Keane pointed out that there was a change in the behavior of U.S. adversaries that occurred between the Biden and Trump administrations. “What has fundamentally changed from one administration to the other is Russia, China, Iran and North Korea working together, collaborating, coordinating, and truly helping each other,” he stressed. “And the fact that they perceive the United States as being weak, and they’re going to take advantage of it, so they have been incentivized by their perception of us.” Keane also pointed out how the breakout of conflicts in the Middle East and Europe and the increased aggression from China are not random occurrences. “It’s no isolated event that there’s war in Europe for the first time since World War II on a major scale, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine,” he said. [It’s] “no accident that, or isolated event, that what’s taking place in the Middle East where Iran has operationalized all of their proxies to stranglehold Israel into making people stop living there and destroy the state of Israel and push the United States out of the region.” “And President Xi’s aggression has increased dramatically,” he added of the Chinese leader. Keane reiterated the commission’s conclusion that the U.S. has “not seen a period of time like this since World War II” and warned of what may be to come. “As a result of it, it is possible that the United States could find itself in a conflict with China and at the same time, Russia and Iran up their game because they believe the United States can’t. [The U.S.] would be challenged to handle the conflict with China, much less two others, and that would mean global war,” he explained. https://www.foxbusiness.com/media/us-pathway-toward-another-world-war-gen-jack-keane-warns NOTE: We are now living in a similar event cycle that is being dealt with in the same way allied leaders reacted to axis of Hitler’s Nazi Germany supported by many Muslims, Emperor Hirohito’s Japan, and Mussolini’s Italy that led to World War Two. Unfortunately the mainstream media is currently using the political atmosphere to highlight events to basically say to us, “pay no attention to the man behind the curtain.” Our biggest threat is still coming from China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea all of which are supporting the present efforts of Iran and their proxies of Hamas, Hezbollah (in Lebanon and Brazil), Iraqi Militias, and the Houthis in Yemen. As did Hitler, the antisemitism is being shown throughout the world, even in the U.S. Congress where Israel’s’ Netanyahu is being boycotted by some. It is significant that we remember that Germany was in dire straights due to the Treaty of Versailles’ economic sanctions after WWI and now we are being told that Russia is heading down the same path due to the Ukrainian war and sanctions. The rest of the group China, North Korea, and Iran are also under some sanctions as was Japan prior to the attack on the U.S. in December 1941. Additionally, we must not forget that prior to 9-11 we basically ignored the fact that Al Qaeda had proclaimed that they were at war with us and today all of the Iranian aligned groups and the Islamic radical groups feel the same way.
041600SEP2024 A previously deported migrant suspected of crimes across the US since returning illegally has been busted in Indiana after a teenage girl was stabbed at her brother’s baseball game, according to cops. Dimas Gabriel Yanez, 26, was arrested Sunday “after an intense manhunt,” a day after a 14-year-old girl was stabbed in the hand with a butcher-style knife at the game in Lowell, Indiana, Lake County Sheriff Oscar Martinez Jr. said on Facebook. The attacker also tried to stab the girl’s mom when she “tried to help her daughter,” who has since been discharged from the hospital following the “random” attack, authorities said. Yanez was quickly identified as a suspect, with the sheriff’s department warning that he should be “considered armed and dangerous” in a series of appeals over the weekend. “It’s believed he was in the process of cutting his hair to change his appearance just before he was arrested,” the sheriff said — with photos showing the thick locks Yanez had in earlier wanted images now largely hacked off as he was led away in handcuffs. The sheriff also said that “Investigators have learned Yanez had been deported to Honduras in 2018 and may have been engaged in criminal activity across the United States since returning to the country illegally. https://nypost.com/2024/09/03/us-news/once-deported-migrant-arrested-after-teen-girl-stabbed-at-baseball-game/ NOTE: Many politicians give lip service to show opposition to illegal immigration due to the many problems and the cost to the taxpayers that illegal immigration has caused. The current administration has even erroneously semantically changed immigrants to migrants and release them into the country on probation in an attempt to redefine the illegals excusing the fact that they committed a criminal act in the way they entered the U.S. Data reveals hundreds of dead people who should be alive, thousands of sexual assault and sexual offense victims who should never have suffered trauma, and tens of thousands of assault charges involving victims who should not have been hurt. In addition to the strain on our school systems and employment for citizens, an enormous amount of property damage and injury due to burglaries, thefts, and vehicle accidents. A summary of an article by Todd Bensman, Center for Immigration Studies, at https://cis.org/Bensman/While-Illegal-Aliens-Kill-and-Rape-Bogus-Crime-Comparisons-Still-Blunt-Solutions shows that advocates of a borderless United States will do or say anything to maintain unimpeded immigration and use false “statistics” that the consequence of the current and recent immigration has produced illegal border crossers who murder, kill with drunk driving, rape, rob and beat their hosts. In arguments for continued releases into the country of illegal border-crossing strangers, liberal activists point to “studies” that compare crime rates of illegals and U.S. citizens and conclude that Americans commit as much or more crime than the illegal immigrants. Media parrot these “studies” and say that the main danger to address are U.S. citizen criminals and that the illegal population is less worrisome so we should ignore that. This thought process denies that all crimes should be addressed. The studies that indicate that immigrants commit less crime than U.S.-born individuals have been used for years and opponents to them with their own data lead to a false statistical analysis since the citizen-illegal alien comparison is invalid from the start. The notion that policy thinkers and media pundits must compare the measured crime rates of citizens and illegal aliens has no foundation in academic science because the two compared groups are so different. Illegal immigrants, unlike American citizens, are uniquely subject to an elaborate deportation and detention apparatus that Congress built to block and remove them from the country, in part so that they are not present to commit crimes. The same apparatus, of course, cannot touch American citizens who will commit crimes. To state the obvious: Illegal aliens blocked at the border or who are quickly removed from the country cannot inflict harm on Americans because they are not present. That means every single crime committed by an illegally present immigrant was preventable and should never have happened, whereas the Department of Homeland Security detention and removal machine cannot prevent a single crime by an American citizen. All crimes committed by illegal aliens represent an unnecessary and preventable burden on American society and its criminal justice system. These differences between the two groups mean that comparing their crime rates isn’t even apples-to-oranges, but apples-to-rocks, and invalid from the start. The liberals and media who created and purveyed the citizen-versus-illegals crime-rate comparison debate should be called out for their campaign of misdirection. It is a no-duh issue due to the invalid question of relative crime rates that 100 percent of the unnecessary extra crimes and policy remedies that would reduce the illegal immigration that caused them are not and should not have ever existed. Activist-academics who favor unimpeded illegal immigration have misused data to undercount criminal alien crime but even so all illegal alien crime is an addition to America’s crime problem and no matter what the relative crime rates are blocking, detaining, and deporting illegal aliens are the main levers to prevent illegal-alien crime in the United States, and prevent any more graves that should have never been dug. We may never know the full extent of alien crime resulting from the Biden border crisis, because most local, state, and federal agencies will not log the immigration status of criminals even when policies say they will. But the Texas Department of Public Safety gives us a partial glimpse of the vaster sea of preventable carnage nationwide, of murder, rape, child abuse, burglary, felony theft, drug trafficking, alien smuggling, and drunk driving manslaughter. Between June 1, 2011, and June 30, 2024, these 437,000 criminal aliens (308,000 classified as illegal) were charged with more than 533,000 criminal offenses that should never have happened. Those included 997 homicide charges (resulting in 498 convictions as of June 2024), 1,245 kidnapping charges (resulting in 354 convictions), 6,744 sexual assault charges (resulting in 3,537 convictions), 7,763 sexual offense charges (resulting in 3,537 sexual offense convictions), and 6,560 weapons charges (resulting in 2,138 weapons convictions). Texas includes another category called “All Other Offenses,” which tallies 298,912 (and 103,265 convictions). The Texas data shows that criminal aliens clogged up the justice system and took up police time that could have been dedicated to deterring or punishing American criminals. Thousands of drug, burglary, robbery, and weapons charges need not have jammed the Texas criminal justice systems at taxpayer cost. In all, more than 32,000 people identified by DHS as living in the country illegally were imprisoned in Texas. But this appears to be an undercount, despite Texas’s efforts. We know this because the Texas program found that another 10,748 illegal aliens since 2011, people whose immigration status hadn’t been federally determined at the time of arrest and was only later determined when they were sent to Texas state prisons. There must be far more. Among them were prisoners serving time for 134 more unnecessary, preventable homicides. The graves of their dozens of victims are as real as those of the few who have drawn national media attention. The huge scale of seven million or more strangers allowed to enter the United States over the past three-plus years means the size of the criminal class among them must be historically large as well. All of the extra crimes they commit could be prevented by the exercise of lawful detention and deportation. Far fewer bad things will happen if Americans finally slam the comparative-crime-rates door with its fake stairwell and open the correct one.
031200SEP2024 IDF troops unearthed and destroyed an underground attack tunnel route that ran for over a kilometer and contained a transportation rail in the Beit Lahia area in the northern Gaza Strip, the military said on Tuesday. The destruction of the route, which was longer than a kilometer, was carried out by engineering troops of the Gaza Division and northern Gaza Brigade in addition to the Yahalom Unit. Engineering troops of the Gaza Division, the Northern Gaza Brigade, and the Yahalom Unit destroyed the tunnel route. https://x.com/Jerusalem_Post/status/1830924831186886749 NOTE: The Iranian Axis that are supported by the “axis of evil” does not want peace. The above article shows Hamas tunnel handbook reveals terror group’s preparation for underground combat. The text contains instructions for Hamas terrorists on how to operate within the underground tunnels, how to hide the entrances to the networks, and how to find them. The 2019 handbook unearthed in the Gaza Strip illustrates how Hamas has prepared itself for underground operations in Gaza and has an underground city where Hamas transferred rockets and other weapons within bunkers of Hamas command centers, living areas, and electrical infrastructure. When you consider that building a half-kilometer-long tunnel costs $500,000 the question asked is Iran the only one funding Hamas or is the supporters in the U.S. and in Europe aiding this known terror group . There are also reports that Hamas had enlisted some 3,000 new operatives into its ranks in the area of Gaza which is an indicator that Iran and it proxies have no intention of having a lasting peace and are never dissuaded from the ultimate goal of Israel’s destruction. The ignorance and ostracizing around the globe are evident in the U.K. where the United Kingdom is suspending dozens of weapons exports to Israel over concerns the arms could be used to break international law just a short time after Hamas murdered six hostages taken from Israel. It is apparent that the current U.S. administration and the UN play to other Islamic nations that draft authored by Qatar and Egypt and usually include terms less favorable to Israel instead of sticking to the bridging proposal the U.S. had put on the table in August. British Foreign Secretary David Lammy told lawmakers on Monday that the decision related to about 30 of 350 export licenses for equipment that includes parts for military aircraft and drones and items used for ground targeting. The British government believes the equipment “is for use in the current conflict in Gaza” and represents a “clear risk” that some could be used to “commit or facilitate a serious violation of international humanitarian law.” The U.K. decision sends a very problematic message and is akin to providing support to the Islamists when Israel is fighting a war on 7 different fronts that was launched by a savage terrorist organization, unprovoked, and as they mourn 6 hostages who were executed in cold blood by Hamas inside tunnels in Gaza. When prisoners/hostages are executed it is a clear sign that Hamas do not want to secure a hostage deal. He who murders abductees – does not want a deal. Also Vice President Kamala Harris’ team has expressed interest in a “new direction” regarding the current U.S.-Israel policy and to enforce U.S. laws that stipulate America cannot offer unconditional aid to foreign allies. Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C. urged President Biden and Israel to take action against Iran after six more hostages were killed, calling Vice President Harris a “wrecking ball on foreign policy. He also said that if you want the hostages home, which we all do, you have to increase the cost to Iran. “Iran is the Great Satan here. Hamas is the junior partner. They’re barbaric, religious Nazis, Hamas,” Graham continued. “They [couldn’t] care less about the Palestinian people. I would urge the Biden administration and Israel to hold Iran accountable for the fate of remaining hostages, and put on the target list oil refineries in Iran if the hostages are not released.” Graham accused Harris of “sending a signal” to terrorists in the Middle East that the United States doesn’t have Israel’s back when she boycotted Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s address before a joint session of Congress. At the UN Guterres’ a post on X played down the severity of the murders by labeling the news as merely “tragic” and not condemning Hamas outright. Of course the Middle East is not the only place where Islam true believers adhere to the Jihad effort of killing the Infidels (Christians, Jews, Non Muslims). Last year alone, in Nigeria there were more people that were killed because of their Christian faith than all other places in the globe combined. In testimonies recorded for the Open Doors International report, titled “No Road Home,” attacks on Christians are said to have been carried out by Islamist terror groups Boko Haram and the Islamic State of West Africa Province, and predominantly Muslim Fulani militants, who originally were herdsmen.
271500AUG2024 Point Coupee Sheriff Rene Thibodeaux and Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill are warning senior citizens about the risks of being taken in by internet scams. Thibodeaux hosted the first ever Seniors and Law Enforcement Together, or S.A.L.T. luncheon on Aug. 21 in New Roads, providing additional resources for seniors and warning them about some common forms of fraud law enforcement agents often see. “Anybody can be a victim. There are a lot of people out there that are trying to prey on you and on us. They’re very smart and have some pretty interesting schemes to try and get to our money,” Murrill said. She then described one common scam where a scammer calls someone, claims there’s a warrant out for their arrest, and then asks for money to “resolve” the warrant. “They don’t do that,” Murrill said. “They’re not gonna call you and say there’s a warrant out for you and if you just pay $500 over the phone, the warrant will go away. That’s not how it works.” Murrill explained that government agencies don’t call people on the phone to solicit payments for anything. Dianne Cashio, with the attorney general’s office, also warned the group to never give out personal information to strangers, especially things like social security or driver’s license numbers. “I always tell everyone if they’re not in your contacts in your phone and you don’t recognize the number, don’t answer the phone. If it’s important, they’ll leave you a message,” Cashio said. https://unfilteredwithkiran.com/louisiana-attorney-general-warns-senior-citizens-about-scams/
NOTE: A friend of mine was sent below text and almost fell for it. She called Chase and found out it was scam attempt. Chase Bank told her that if a bank sends out a text there are parts that can be a sign of its authenticity. In any case if you get an unsolicited text, phone call, or email do not give out any information. Call the bank or organization yourself to check if it is phishing. Phishing/Vishing is a method to acquire sensitive information such as usernames, passwords and credit card details by masquerading as a trustworthy entity. Phishing often uses a mix of emails and web sites that mimic well known and trusted brands or takes advantage of current events such as Banks – Government Agencies – Shipping Companies – Natural Disasters – The Super Bowl. How to recognize Computer or Phone Phishing Scams: •Requests for personal information •Urgent wording •The need to open either a URL or an attachment •May use poor English. Phone calls from area codes you don’t recognize that says, give us a call, we have a relative of yours in jail, we have a relative of yours in the hospital or you’ve won a large prize may be a scam. Some Three-digit area codes – 284, 649, 876 and 809 may be out of country. Check the area code first. Don’t call back. Often the Domain from Email Does Not match that from the Link:
►Email: jefferey.jones@whitehouse[dot]gov ►Link: http://elvis.com[dot]au/card/ To Identify Malicious Links: HOVER DO NOT CLICK!
Also some Links may be designed to trick the eye: •www.micosoft.com •www.verify-microsoft.com •www.mircosoft.com
These are NOT www.microsoft.com.
In addition to the advice in the above article
•Do NOT trust unsolicited email.
•Do NOT click links or attachments in unsolicited emails.
•Do NOT provide personal information or information about your organization.
•Do NOT respond to phishing emails.
251200AUG2024 The U.S. needs to remain aware of China and Russia’s ambitions to control the Arctic region, even if the public doesn’t realize the full value of the territory, an expert told Fox News Digital. “That whole area … it does have, in a purely military context, it has importance,” RADM (Ret.) Mark Montgomery explained. “So, first, there’s an absolute military context to this,” Montgomery said. “Probably a close second is the economic context where China is heavily dependent on oil and natural gas deliveries.” “I think they’re very concerned about strategic chokepoints like the Straits of Malacca and very aware that the United States has a pretty good capability to sink large-scale amounts of enemy merchants,” Montgomery continued. “So they’re looking for a path more so than through North America … around Russia through the north is what’s called the Northern Sea Route.” https://www.foxnews.com/world/russia-china-compete-us-arctic-circle-dominion-could-shape-international-trade-decades
NOTE: In the week following Bidens’ announcement that he would not seek a second term, Russian and Chinese bombers flew near Alaska. No plane actually entered U.S. airspace, but they got within 200 miles of the Alaskan coast but the increasing cooperation between Russia and China in recent years continues to trouble the U.S. military. The Arctic region has increasingly taken focus as part of that equation, leading the Pentagon to publish policy plans for the region, which labels the Arctic as critical to the defense of our homeland. We have to ensure that the Arctic remains a secure and stable region. There has been some fundamentally altering of the Arctic that affects the U.S. defense missions. China has increased its presence in the Arctic, matching up with its efforts to expand its presence in the contested South China Sea and Straits of Taiwan, where the U.S. has also moved to contain and counteract Beijing’s ambitions. China is not an Arctic state but has for years sought greater influence in the region, greater access to the region, and a greater say in its governance. In the contested seas and straits, China has built artificial islands to expand its reach but in the Arctic, there are no land rights, and that makes it even easier to establish a claim so they control the sea routes and potential trade. The partnership with Russia and their NATO problems is to aid Chinas’ sovereignty claims up there as the Russians, in their normal attitude, want to claim the North Pole itself as if the other countries didn’t exist. Russia and China are increasingly cooperating in the Arctic impacts regional stability especially since Russia has reopened hundreds of Soviet-era military sites in the Arctic. China although its closest point is 900 miles away, describes itself as a “near-Arctic” state, also has similar ambitions there and has its eye on mineral resources and new shipping routes as ice packs recede with rising temperatures. Arctic sea routes are increasingly being used for connecting major economies across the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans as shrinking ice packs allows for longer ice-free periods at sea. China and Russia have been working together to develop Arctic shipping routes as Russia seeks to deliver more oil and gas to China amid Western sanctions, while China seeks an alternative shipping route to reduce its dependence on the Strait of Malacca. The Northern Sea route gives fuel savings, as is an alternative to the Suez Canal due to the shorter distance and less payment for people and vessels. Of course our defense concerns should be that the Artic sea routes may offer cloaking of submarine or other military equipment transport.