New Orleans terror a reminder Team Biden took wrong 'threats' seriously and ignored real dangers - Michael R. Pompeo

 

by Michael R. Pompeo

For four years, Biden administration left gaps in our national security that ISIS could exploit

 

The heinous act of terror in New Orleans early on New Year’s Day underscores the Biden administration’s staggering failure to keep America safe and deter radical Islamic terror. By allowing focus on this persistent threat to America’s national security to lapse, and instead wasting time and resources attacking political opponents, parents going to school board meetings and Catholics, Team Biden left America vulnerable. It will be up to the incoming Trump administration to fix this mess and keep Americans safe.  

In January 2017, when we in the Trump administration took office, the Islamic State (ISIS) controlled a massive piece of Syria and was expanding its vision of radical Islamism on a global scale. It had beheaded two Americans during the Obama-Biden administration.  

It took a serious president to actually dismantle that caliphate alongside partners and allies, as well as bring down the threat of radical Islamic terror at home and abroad. By the end of our time in office, we had done just that: the ISIS caliphate was no more, and the threat of radical Islamic terror within our homeland was greatly reduced.  

6 TIMES ISIS HAS INSPIRED TERROR ATTACKS ON US SOIL

Over the past four years, we have witnessed a complete abdication of this responsibility in the White House that has resulted in a dangerous resurgence of this threat. Instead of combating radical Islamic terror at home and abroad, Biden downplayed this threat in favor of conjured political threats and allowed the real threats to metastasize culminating in the New Orleans attack.  

A memorial for those killed in the New Year’s Eve attack is left on Bourbon Street following the street’s reopening in New Orleans, Louisiana on Friday, January 3, 2025. At least 15 were killed and dozens are injured after a man rammed his car into crowds of New Year’s Eve revelers on Bourbon Street on Wednesday. (Kat Ramirez for Fox News Digital)

His administration allowed Afghanistan to fall to the Taliban, allowed Iran and its proxies to thrive and perpetrate the October 7th massacre, and failed to address the rising threat of radical Islamic terror here at home. This empowered our enemies and weakened America.  

Even worse, this administration allowed political ideology to undermine America’s core national security imperatives. For four years, we’ve watched this administration call ‘far right’ groups and even supporters of President-elect Donald Trump the greatest threat to American democracy, all while barely lifting a finger when protesters waved Hamas and ISIS flags in city streets and university campuses following the terrible Oct. 7 attacks.  

For four years, our wide-open borders have allowed extremists, with ties to groups like ISIS, to cross into our country unfettered, bolstering their capacity to plan and carry out attacks and enhancing their radicalization efforts. By treating counterterrorism as another political weapon or tool for advancing woke ideology, Team Biden left a gap in our national security apparatus that actors like ISIS have eagerly exploited.  

In the wake of the New Orleans attack, we’ve unfortunately seen more unseriousness. First, the FBI said the suspect did not act alone, only to now reverse course and say he did act alone. Let’s be clear: the idea that this individual acted alone is absurd on its face. Perhaps he carried out this specific attack alone – but these deplorable acts never occur in a vacuum.  

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The very idea of a "lone wolf" is fiction. Whether or not accomplices were assisting him the night of the attack, or even in the planning of it, this terrorist was part of a cabal of Islamists who have been radicalized to attack America, and he was not stopped. 

 

For the FBI to now say he acted alone demonstrates either the continued influence of a warped political agenda, or a complete misunderstanding of the depth and complexity of ISIS’ operations within the United States. Every measure must be taken to discern how and where this individual was radicalized so that the next attack can be anticipated or prevented.  

Correcting these gaps in our national security is urgent and must be a priority for the incoming Trump administration. In response to the rising threat of terror, the task is not for the American people to fundamentally alter how they live their lives. This would be a victory for the Islamists. 

For four years, our wide-open borders have allowed extremists, with ties to groups like ISIS, to cross into our country unfettered, bolstering their capacity to plan and carry out attacks and enhancing their radicalization efforts. 

Instead, the task is for responsible agencies – the FBI, Department of Homeland Security, as well as state and local law enforcement – to recognize the risk posed by radical Islamic terror and take the proper steps to reduce and eliminate it. 

This past May, the FBI tweeted that diversity was a top priority for the agency; the safety and security of every American should be its top priority. Fortunately, there couldn’t be a better leader entering the White House to fix the mess created by President Joe Biden. Having served as President Trump’s CIA Director and Secretary of State, I know he will take every measure to eliminate this threat to the American people within our borders and globally, just as we did during his first term.  

Most importantly, he will move the focus of our law enforcement and national security apparatus away from domestic political opponents, DEI and wokeness back where it belongs: on taking down the despicable individuals who wish to harm innocent Americans. 

Michael R. Pompeo served in the Trump administration as the sixth director of the Central Intelligence Agency and the 70th U.S. secretary of state. He previously represented Kansas’ 4th Congressional District.

Source: https://www.foxnews.com/opinion/mike-pompeo-new-orleans-terror-reminder-team-biden-took-wrong-threats-seriously-ignored-real-dangers

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FBI warned of lone wolves inspired by ISIS months before deadly attack in New Orleans - Steven Richards

 

by Steven Richards

Was anybody listening? The information known so far indicates that Shamsud-Din Jabbar’s New Year’s attack mirrors exactly what FBI Director Wray warned about last year.

 

The FBI began sounding an alarm last year that events in the Middle East, like ISIS terror attacks after the fall of Afghanistan, could inspire lone wolves in the United States to commit attacks domestically. 

The New Year’s terror attack by suspect Shamsud-Din Jabbar, who plowed into a crowd on Bourbon Street in the well-known French Quarter of New Orleans, seems to fit a pattern the director told members of Congress he was worried about.

FBI Director Christopher Wray specifically warned in April in testimony before Congress that there was an increasing danger that individuals in the United States could be radicalized by events in the Middle East to carry out attacks on U.S. soil as homegrown terrorists. 

Inspired by ISIS

The FBI said in a press conference Thursday that Jabbar announced his support of ISIS on the social media platform Facebook just hours before killing 14 people and injuring others, confirming the suspect was inspired by the Islamic terror group. 

“So what I can tell you right now is that he was 100% inspired by ISIS. And so we’re digging — we’re digging through more of the social media, more interviews, working with some of our other partners to-to ascertain just how to ascertain a little bit more about that connection,” said Christopher Raia, the FBI deputy director for counterterrorism. 

The terror attack follows at least one previous ISIS-inspired plot foiled by the FBI that showed the rising dangers of radical Islamic terrorism against the homeland following the collapse of the U.S.-backed government in Afghanistan and after the terror group Hamas attacked Israel on October 7th, 2023, where 1,200 men, women, and children – including 46 Americans and citizens of more than 30 countries – were slaughtered by Hamas. 

ISIS Inspiration & FBI Warning

ISIS specifically has increasingly appeared on U.S. and allies’ radars after the fall of the American-backed government in Afghanistan, prompting warnings from the British intelligence chief in October that the terror group has “resumed their efforts to export terrorism,” Just the News previously reported. 

ISIS-Khorasan, the groups regional branch in Afghanistan and Pakistan, is described as the “one of ISIS’s most lethal branches” by the Office of the Director of National Intelligence and claimed responsibility for both the Abbey Gate bombing during the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021 and a deadly concert hall attack in Moscow last year. 

Earlier this year, Director Wray told Congress that these recent successful attacks by the group and other events in the Middle East could fuel the very kind of homegrown radicalization that reared its head in New Orleans. 

“Our most immediate concern has been that individuals or small groups will draw twisted inspiration from the events in the Middle East to carry out attacks here at home,” Wray told the a House Appropriations subcommittee in April. 

How was Jabbar radicalized?

The FBI began sounding an alarm last year that events in the Middle East, like ISIS terror attacks after the fall of Afghanistan, could inspire lone wolves in the United States to commit attacks domestically. 

The New Year’s terror attack by suspect Shamsud-Din Jabbar, who plowed into a crowd on Bourbon Street in the well-known French Quarter of New Orleans, seems to fit a pattern the director told members of Congress he was worried about.

FBI Director Christopher Wray specifically warned in April in testimony before Congress that there was an increasing danger that individuals in the United States could be radicalized by events in the Middle East to carry out attacks on U.S. soil as homegrown terrorists. 

Inspired by ISIS

The FBI said in a press conference Thursday that Jabbar announced his support of ISIS on the social media platform Facebook just hours before killing 14 people and injuring others, confirming the suspect was inspired by the Islamic terror group. 

“So what I can tell you right now is that he was 100% inspired by ISIS. And so we’re digging — we’re digging through more of the social media, more interviews, working with some of our other partners to-to ascertain just how to ascertain a little bit more about that connection,” said Christopher Raia, the FBI deputy director for counterterrorism. 

The terror attack follows at least one previous ISIS-inspired plot foiled by the FBI that showed the rising dangers of radical Islamic terrorism against the homeland following the collapse of the U.S.-backed government in Afghanistan and after the terror group Hamas attacked Israel on October 7th, 2023, where 1,200 men, women, and children – including 46 Americans and citizens of more than 30 countries – were slaughtered by Hamas. 

ISIS Inspiration & FBI Warning

ISIS specifically has increasingly appeared on U.S. and allies’ radars after the fall of the American-backed government in Afghanistan, prompting warnings from the British intelligence chief in October that the terror group has “resumed their efforts to export terrorism,” Just the News previously reported. 

ISIS-Khorasan, the groups regional branch in Afghanistan and Pakistan, is described as the “one of ISIS’s most lethal branches” by the Office of the Director of National Intelligence and claimed responsibility for both the Abbey Gate bombing during the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021 and a deadly concert hall attack in Moscow last year. 

Earlier this year, Director Wray told Congress that these recent successful attacks by the group and other events in the Middle East could fuel the very kind of homegrown radicalization that reared its head in New Orleans. 

“Our most immediate concern has been that individuals or small groups will draw twisted inspiration from the events in the Middle East to carry out attacks here at home,” Wray told the a House Appropriations subcommittee in April. 

How was Jabbar radicalized?

Before his Facebook posts, there was little indication that Jabbar had been radicalized and was seeking to commit a mass atrocity, family members and friends have said. Ultimately, the three phones and two laptops linked to Jabbar seized by the FBI are are expected to aid investigators in uncovering more about the suspect’s motive.

Shamsud-Din Jabbar converted to Islam at an early age, according to his brother Abdur Jabbar, who told The New York Times his brother did not show any signs of the radicalization he blames for the attack. “As far as I know he was a Muslim for most of his life,” said Abdur Jabbar. “What he did does not represent Islam. This is more some type of radicalization, not religion.”

He also said his older brother was “a sweetheart really, a nice guy, a friend, really smart, caring," according to the Times. 

What is known of Jabbar’s private life gives little further indication of how he was radicalized into committing a terror attack.  Jabbar, an Army veteran, worked mostly in information technology, the U.S. Army said in a statement. He deployed to Afghanistan once and was discharged from the reserve in 2020, according to The New York Times. 

Those who knew him before the attack said he exhibited no concerning behavior, and though he appeared to take his Islamic faith seriously, never threatened violence or expressed radical ideas. 

But just hours before the New Year's massacre, Jabbar signaled a radical shift in his outlook. In videos posted to his Facebook page, Jabbar pledged support for ISIS, the FBI said at a Thursday press conference. 

The Islamic State’s distinct black flag bearing the words of the Muslim declaration of faith known as the shahada—“There is no god but Allah. Mohammad is the messenger of Allah”—was discovered on the vehicle Jabbar used in the attack. 

“This is a complete 180 from the quiet, reserved person I knew,” Chris Pousson, a retired Air Force veteran who grew up with Jabbar in Beaumont, Texas and attended the same middle and high school told the Times. 

“He wasn’t a troublemaker at all,” Pousson said. “He made good grades and was always well-dressed in button-ups and polo shirts.”

More zealous 

Though Pousson noted that after he reconnected with Jabbar following military service, Jabbar appeared to be more zealous in his faith. “Before, if he was into it, he wasn’t open or verbal about it,” Pousson said of Jabbar’s Muslim faith. But the former classmate said Jabbar began exhibit more “passion” about Islam, though said he saw no extremist content.

“It was never Muslim extremist stuff, and he was never threatening any violence, but you could see that he had gotten really passionate,” Pousson said. 

A 2016 study funded by the Department of Justice on homegrown Islamic radicalization found that “new-found religious fervor” is a “common precursor” to that radicalization. This stage is usually followed by seeking out a group of like-minded believers, the study concluded. 

Local mosque faces scrutiny

The Wall Street Journal reported that in Beaumont, Texas, Jabbar lived in a community of Muslims near a local mosque called Masjid Bilal affiliated with the Islamic Society of Greater Houston. It is not known whether Jabbar attended the mosque. 

After news broke that Jabbar committed the attack, Masjid Bilal put out a statement on Facebook and Instagram condemning the violence and directing members of the congregation to not speak to media and to forward all media requests to the Council for American-Islamic Relations (CAIR). CAIR is labeled a terror group by the United Arab Emirates because of its alleged affiliation with the Muslim Brotherhood.

"If anyone is contacted by the media, it is very important that you do not respond. If approached by the FBI and a response is necessary, please refer to CAIR and ISGH. It is crucial that we stay united at this time as we condemn these terrible acts,” the mosque posted. 

In recordings of sermons that surfaced after the attack, the Mosque’s Imams accused Jews of trying to “take control of the economy” and said the West supports Israel because they do not want Jews to return to Europe. 

“That is why the other countries don't want them back. So when they support them, they are not supporting them because they love them. It’s like: 'Please stay there, we’ll do whatever [it takes], stay there, don’t come back’,” according to a sermon from Imam Eiad Soudan uncovered by MEMRI TV. 

Masjid Bilal could not be reached for comment. As of Friday, the mosque’s website appeared to be taken down. 

Family troubles, "acting crazy"

Jabbar also had troubles with his family preceding the attack, specifically his ex-wife, with whom he shared two daughters. He divorced his first wife in 2012, according to the New York Times. 

Dwayne Marsh, who is now married to Jabbar’s ex-wife, said the suspect began acting “crazy” in recent months related to his conversion to Islam and that he and his wife stopped permitting Jabbar to visit with his two daughters. In the midst of a second divorce in 2022, Jabbar emailed his then-wife’s lawyer describing significant financial problems. 

The FBI said Thursday at a press conference that Jabbar made references to plans to kill his family in the pre-attack videos he posted to Facebook, but decided to carry out a more public attack to make clear his radical intent. 

Before his Facebook posts, there was little indication that Jabbar had been radicalized and was seeking to commit a mass atrocity, family members and friends have said. Ultimately, the three phones and two laptops linked to Jabbar seized by the FBI are are expected to aid investigators in uncovering more about the suspect’s motive.

Shamsud-Din Jabbar converted to Islam at an early age, according to his brother Abdur Jabbar, who told The New York Times his brother did not show any signs of the radicalization he blames for the attack. “As far as I know he was a Muslim for most of his life,” said Abdur Jabbar. “What he did does not represent Islam. This is more some type of radicalization, not religion.”

He also said his older brother was “a sweetheart really, a nice guy, a friend, really smart, caring," according to the Times. 

What is known of Jabbar’s private life gives little further indication of how he was radicalized into committing a terror attack.  Jabbar, an Army veteran, worked mostly in information technology, the U.S. Army said in a statement. He deployed to Afghanistan once and was discharged from the reserve in 2020, according to The New York Times. 

Those who knew him before the attack said he exhibited no concerning behavior, and though he appeared to take his Islamic faith seriously, never threatened violence or expressed radical ideas. 

But just hours before the New Year's massacre, Jabbar signaled a radical shift in his outlook. In videos posted to his Facebook page, Jabbar pledged support for ISIS, the FBI said at a Thursday press conference. 

The Islamic State’s distinct black flag bearing the words of the Muslim declaration of faith known as the shahada—“There is no god but Allah. Mohammad is the messenger of Allah”—was discovered on the vehicle Jabbar used in the attack. 

“This is a complete 180 from the quiet, reserved person I knew,” Chris Pousson, a retired Air Force veteran who grew up with Jabbar in Beaumont, Texas and attended the same middle and high school told the Times. 

“He wasn’t a troublemaker at all,” Pousson said. “He made good grades and was always well-dressed in button-ups and polo shirts.”

More zealous 

Though Pousson noted that after he reconnected with Jabbar following military service, Jabbar appeared to be more zealous in his faith. “Before, if he was into it, he wasn’t open or verbal about it,” Pousson said of Jabbar’s Muslim faith. But the former classmate said Jabbar began exhibit more “passion” about Islam, though said he saw no extremist content.

“It was never Muslim extremist stuff, and he was never threatening any violence, but you could see that he had gotten really passionate,” Pousson said. 

A 2016 study funded by the Department of Justice on homegrown Islamic radicalization found that “new-found religious fervor” is a “common precursor” to that radicalization. This stage is usually followed by seeking out a group of like-minded believers, the study concluded. 

Local mosque faces scrutiny

The Wall Street Journal reported that in Beaumont, Texas, Jabbar lived in a community of Muslims near a local mosque called Masjid Bilal affiliated with the Islamic Society of Greater Houston. It is not known whether Jabbar attended the mosque. 

After news broke that Jabbar committed the attack, Masjid Bilal put out a statement on Facebook and Instagram condemning the violence and directing members of the congregation to not speak to media and to forward all media requests to the Council for American-Islamic Relations (CAIR). CAIR is labeled a terror group by the United Arab Emirates because of its alleged affiliation with the Muslim Brotherhood.

"If anyone is contacted by the media, it is very important that you do not respond. If approached by the FBI and a response is necessary, please refer to CAIR and ISGH. It is crucial that we stay united at this time as we condemn these terrible acts,” the mosque posted. 

In recordings of sermons that surfaced after the attack, the Mosque’s Imams accused Jews of trying to “take control of the economy” and said the West supports Israel because they do not want Jews to return to Europe. 

“That is why the other countries don't want them back. So when they support them, they are not supporting them because they love them. It’s like: 'Please stay there, we’ll do whatever [it takes], stay there, don’t come back’,” according to a sermon from Imam Eiad Soudan uncovered by MEMRI TV. 

Masjid Bilal could not be reached for comment. As of Friday, the mosque’s website appeared to be taken down. 

Family troubles, "acting crazy"

Jabbar also had troubles with his family preceding the attack, specifically his ex-wife, with whom he shared two daughters. He divorced his first wife in 2012, according to the New York Times. 

Dwayne Marsh, who is now married to Jabbar’s ex-wife, said the suspect began acting “crazy” in recent months related to his conversion to Islam and that he and his wife stopped permitting Jabbar to visit with his two daughters. In the midst of a second divorce in 2022, Jabbar emailed his then-wife’s lawyer describing significant financial problems. 

The FBI said Thursday at a press conference that Jabbar made references to plans to kill his family in the pre-attack videos he posted to Facebook, but decided to carry out a more public attack to make clear his radical intent. 

Steven Richards

Source: https://justthenews.com/government/security/fbi-warned-lone-wolves-inspired-isis-months-deadly-attack-new-orleans

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US message to Israel: Attacks on Houthis will intensify until Biden's term concludes - Elad Benari

 

by Elad Benari

Report: Senior US officials told Israeli officials that, until the Biden administration concludes its term on January 20, the United States intends to intensify its strikes against the Houthi rebels in Yemen.

 

Aircraft joins strikes against Houthis

Senior US officials have spoken in recent days with senior Israeli officials and updated them that, until the Biden administration concludes its term on January 20, the United States intends to intensify its strikes against the Houthi rebels in Yemen, Kan 11 News reported on Friday evening.

According to the report, as part of this plan, the United States made it clear that it would target missile-related sites, as Yemen has been launching missiles toward Israel with increasing frequency.

A source familiar with the matter told Kan 11 News that President Joe Biden "has granted permissive strike authorizations" to the US military for its operations.

At the same time, the administration asked Israel to review the targets it is striking in Yemen as part of the campaign against the Houthi rebels and ensure that these are military targets and not civilian ones.

The Iranian-backed Houthis have upped their attacks in the region since the start of the war in Gaza last October, having launched drones and missiles towards Israel and targeting commercial ships in the Red Sea region.

In the wake of the uptick in Houthi attacks, the US formed a coalition, made up of more than 20 countries, aimed at safeguarding commercial traffic in the Red Sea from attacks by the Houthis.

The coalition has repeatedly targeted Houthi facilities and weapons systems in Yemen, but the Houthis have been unfazed by the strikes.

Early Friday morning, at around 4:30 a.m., sirens were sounded in Tel Aviv, Jerusalem and other cities and towns in central Israel after the Houthis fired a missile from Yemen.

The IDF Spokesperson's Unit said the missile was intercepted. Fragments from the interception fell in the area of Modi'in in central Israel.

Elad Benari

Source: https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/401764

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Trump’s Going Places With Energy, but Biden’s the Backseat Driver - James Varney

 

by James Varney

Biden champions a government-led renewable shift, while Trump vows a fossil fuel revival, but both face challenges in undoing entrenched policies and programs shaped by their predecessors.

 

For four years, President Joe Biden has described climate change as an existential threat requiring a whole lot of government response and trillions of dollars in new spending to force America off fossil fuels.

President-elect Donald Trump, on the other hand, opts for a three-word approach: “Drill, baby, drill.”

Energy is just one of the areas – from foreign policy and law enforcement to taxes, immigration, regulation, and almost every other issue – where the two leaders have sharply divergent views. But even as Trump works to reverse many of Biden’s policies and the current administration seeks to entrench its priorities in its final days, energy debates show no president has a magic wand that can undo every policy enacted by his predecessor.

Trump has made it clear he wants to realign U.S. energy policy toward cheap, abundant energy and away from expensive, emerging renewable sources, many of which rely on government subsidies. But experts say his options may be limited in cases where Congress approved spending bills, contracts were signed, or even where he encounters pushback from reluctant “green” enterprises that have relied on government largesse in the push for a “NetZero” future.

“Congress would have to repeal some of that,” said Travis Fisher, the director of energy and environmental policy studies at the libertarian Cato Institute, referring to hundreds of billions in climate-relate funding, including in the Inflation Reduction Act and other legislation passed during the last four years. “The question in some cases will be, ‘Do you try to improve what’s been done or repeal it?’ And then, if there are grants that have already gone out the door, those would be hard to claw back. But there are still a lot of targets for quick changes on day one.”

Some Trump supporters think the avenues that are open to a new administration, as well as Trump’s track record, give cause for optimism for those who want to reduce government spending or let the markets determine energy prices and accessibility.

“When Trump promises something he usually delivers, and I would expect to see significant changes in energy policy with him,” said Geoffrey Pohanka, the 2023 chairman of the National Automobile Dealers Association.

One of Trump’s clearest paths to reform would be reversing the Biden administration’s moves to restrict drilling leases on federal lands. While Biden did not achieve his stated aim of halting all offshore drilling, he did try repeatedly to keep new exploration to a minimum while delaying existing permits. Alaska offered clear bookends of Biden’s anti-fossil fuel position. Upon taking office, he immediately suspended all nine Alaskan leases permitted during Trump’s first term, and in December, Biden’s Interior Department announced an auction of 400,000 acres for exploration in Alaska – the absolute minimum required by law.

Possible Target: Electric Vehicles

Trump can also counter Biden’s commitment to electric vehicles, which increasingly looks like a plan to force manufacturers to build cars that the public does not want to buy. Government planners envision 33 million EVs on the road by 2030, up from the current 3.5 million light-duty EVs registered in the U.S. While Detroit executives have publicly backed EVs and are eager for government subsidies in that market, consumers have proved less enthusiastic. Ford, which lost more than $1.2 billion in the third quarter alone on its EVs, announced it would suspend building electric versions of its F-150 pickup, which has long been one of America’s best-selling vehicles. GM leadership continues to sound bullish on EVs, but the company is also losing money on them and has cut another 1,000 jobs.

A Trump pushback could begin with scrapping one Biden goal linked to its effort to force EV manufacturing: the administration’s mandate that new vehicles must average 46 miles per gallon by 2026.

Trump could also apply pressure by kicking out some of the government props to the green energy market. He could end Biden’s generous tax credits for EV leasing, which account for 85% of EVs on U.S. roads. Trump could also abolish federal tax incentives that encourage EV buying, and stop loans to struggling manufacturers of other renewable energy equipment, such as off-shore wind.

“The elimination of the tax credit for leases would essentially do away with the majority of Federal Government EV subsidies,” Pohanka said. “As for California’s emission exemption, the President’s directive to the EPA would eliminate it.”

But such a move ironically would likely face strong pushback from automakers. Despite their heavy losses on EVs, Detroit executives want to protect their huge investments in EVs that have been made, in part, via congressional action, and smaller outfits in myriad districts enjoy Washington’s largesse and will likely lobby for their continuance.

“The (Inflation Reduction Act) subsidies help to create constituencies that are going to fight hard to keep these handouts,” said Daren Bakst, an energy expert at the conservative Competitive Enterprise Institute. “While it will be difficult to get rid of some of these green subsidies, it is imperative that legislators put the interests of the American people over the interests of special interests.”

Possible Target: Green Infrastructure

Trump can counter efforts to make Americans buy EVs by stopping funds for Biden’s “National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure” plan. This ambitious proposal – which was developed by several executive branch agencies – includes $7.5 billion to build 500,000 EV charging stations around the country and was widely criticized earlier this year as only a handful of stations have been built since Biden unveiled the proposal in December 2021. As a result, much of the money has not been spent. That might allow Congress or perhaps the administration to freeze spending on the plan. This could provide huge savings in the future, too, as government planners acknowledge a full-blown national network of charging stations would cost between $53 billion and $127 billion and would rely on the private sector to do much of the heavy lifting, according to the plan’s annual report.

While Biden and global warming alarmists say the plan builds necessary infrastructure, critics say it should be scrapped because it rests on fanciful assumptions and timetables.

“This whole thing is really more of a pipe dream,” said Mark Mills, the Executive Director of the National Center on Energy Analytics (NCEA). “To pull this off, you would need something like $4 trillion worth of hardware, and that’s not counting additional power plants you’d need and the national grid to handle the expected growth in power demand. You’ve also got land issues – where are you going to put all this?”

In other words, the national infrastructure plan rests on an “if we build it, they will come” dream, according to auto market experts and economists. Even the people at Climate Crisis acknowledged in November that “the dream of the $25,000 EV is dead.”

“This plan is another example of the Sovietization of the economy,” said Walter Block, an economics professor at Loyola University in New Orleans. “This is essentially a ‘Five Year Plan.’”

A Trump administration looking to trim will find other federal departments and agencies that have swollen remarkably during Biden’s four years.

Possible Target: The EPA

Experts say a far more ambitious effort would be reforming the large and extensive government bodies that carry out Washington’s energy policy. These would include the Department of Energy, of course, but also the Departments of Transportation and Interior, the Federal Highway Administration, and, perhaps most especially, the Environmental Protection Agency, a regulatory body the Biden administration has transformed into a cash cow for green energy.

In the last four years, the EPA’s “budgetary resources” increased by more than 400%, rising from $17.2 to $84.4 billion, according to the Treasury Department’s tracker. At the same time, according to the agency’s inspector general, the Biden administrator has created an “incredibly complex” investment bank within the EPA to award much of that money to green groups.

Biden officials have insisted there is “no turning back” on EPA-funded programs such as the $27 billion it dished out to nonprofits via the new Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund. RealClearInvestigations has reported that much of this money has been awarded to outfits with strong ties to the Democratic party.

“The situation at the EPA is troubling – it’s not an agency that is supposed to be in the spending, or giving out money business at all,” Bakst said. “It’s not like this is a small amount of money that the EPA is doling out, and much of the money is going to the creation of what amount to slush funds for nonprofits.”

Mandy Gunasekara, who led the EPA at the end of Trump’s first term, said the new administration should try to claw back billions earmarked for global warming measures, though she acknowledged “it would be cleaner with Congressional action.”

In addition, she said unobligated “funds can be redirected,” a tactic that has been used by many administrations. Those efforts, like the expected new leases and permits federal agencies will green light under Trump, could face court challenges that would, at the very least, slow Trump’s actions.

Gunasekara has fleshed out a reform agenda in the EPA chapter she contributed to “Project 2025,” a blueprint for conservative governance prepared by the Heritage Foundation that Democrats falsely labeled a Trump manifesto.

The EPA, she wrote, “has been a breeding ground for expansion of the federal government’s influence and control across the economy. Embedded activists have sought to evade legal restraints in pursuit of a global, climate-themed agenda, aiming to achieve that agenda by implementing costly policies that otherwise have failed to gain the requisite political traction in Congress.”

With a few steps, the Trump administration could profoundly shift the EPA narrative and return it to its familiar duties, according to Gunasekara. In some cases, this would involve action by the Trump administration, and in others, it could be achieved simply by ignoring or stalling a raft of regulations put in under Biden. These steps would include:

• Eliminating the Office of Environmental Justice and External Civil Rights, which has become a stand-alone office.
• Reviewing the EPA’s grants to ensure taxpayer money goes to groups “focused on tangible environmental improvements free from political affiliations.” This would be accompanied by a stop on “all grants to advocacy groups.”
• Making “new petitions for rule reconsiderations and stays of rules.”
• Reassessing any “sue and settle” cases and increasing “public notification and participation” in legal matters.
• Removing the Greenhouse Gas Reporting Program “for any source category that is not currently being regulated.”

Although some of Biden’s initiatives have been approved by Congress, Gunasekara told RCI that “many EPA actions in liberal administrations have simply ignored the will of Congress, aligning instead with the goals and wants of politically connected activists.”

Possible Target: The Bureaucracy

A Trump administration looking to trim will also encounter other federal departments and agencies that have swollen remarkably during Biden’s four years. While not seeing the spectacular growth of the EPA, the Energy Department saw its “budgetary resources” more than double from $61.1 billion in FY2021 to $129.9 billion in FY2022. In the most recent fiscal year, Energy had $153.4 billion. The Department of Interior, meanwhile, saw its money balloon from FY2021’s $48.8 billion to FY2022’s $84.1 billion, and it now has $92.1 billion, according to the Treasury Department’s figures.

“Closing vast, unnecessary and unconstitutionally justified departments would also save money,” said H. Sterling Burnett, director of climate and environmental policy at the Heartland Institute, a longtime critic of apocalyptic global warming predictions. “The latter won’t just save money now, but will reduce deficit spending going forward, leaving it in the hands of the states or the people.”

Such moves may also be proposed by the incoming Department of Government Efficiency, a new arm led by Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy that is expected to suggest widespread reductions or eliminations of federal programs in an effort to trim the national debt that currently stands at more than $36 trillion.

Trump’s nominee for energy secretary, Chris Wright, an energy executive and unapologetic booster of fossil fuels and natural gas, is expected to cast a gimlet eye on much of the DoE’s actions in the past four years. But just what might happen remains unclear; a Trump spokesperson did not respond to RCI’s requests for comment.

Much of this money can be saved simply by not being spent, Fisher said.

“The Department of Energy’s Loan Programs Office is sitting on big piles of money,” he said. “The idea would be to hit pause on new loan guarantees. It’s a strategy where you either sit on appropriated funds and do nothing, or you redirect and move forward with new priorities.”

Whatever measures the new administration takes will be welcome, said Michael Chamberlain, director of the conservative Protect the Public’s Trust.

“The government is throwing massive sums around, but the devil is in the details,” he said. “The American public would be forgiven if they believed the purpose of these programs was more about rewarding friends than solar panels or high-speed internet or EV charging.”

This article was originally published by RealClearInvestigations and made available via RealClearWire.

James Varney

Source: https://amgreatness.com/2025/01/04/trumps-going-places-with-energy-but-bidens-the-backseat-driver/

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Afghan Girls, British Girls, and the ‘Nonrecognition of Reality’ - Stephen Soukup

 

by Stephen Soukup

Good intentions divorced from reality often worsen problems while masquerading as noble acts.

 

Twenty-seven years ago, a charitable organization called the Feminist Majority Foundation discovered the plight of girls and women in Taliban-ruled Afghanistan and decided that it just had to do something to help. Fortunately for the foundation, one of its board members and most active participants happened to be Mavis Leno, the wife of comedian and then-“Late Show” host Jay Leno. Mavis was connected, to put it mildly, and when she set out to “raise awareness” about the issue, she raised the awareness of all the best people.

According to The Washington Post, Mrs. Leno did what any good Hollywood humanitarian would do when faced with a tragedy of such stupendous, Holocaust-like magnitude. She took “the proceeds from Jay’s pay-per-view wrestling match with Hulk Hogan,” called up feminist icon Eleanor Smeal at the Feminist Majority, and set about planning the biggest party you’ve ever seen.

Along with Hollywood director and producer Linda Bloodworth-Thomason, Leno arranged a huge media event at the Director’s Guild for the evening of March 30, 1999. According to the Post, the “official coming out of the Afghan women’s cause,” was a “must-attend happening, gathering perhaps the largest number of celebrities for a single cause since the “We Are The World” campaign 14 years ago.”

Anyone who was anyone in Hollywood showed up to pledge their support for the oppressed Afghan women and to protest the truly barbarous behavior of the Taliban. The guest list included Vince Gill; Marlo Thomas; Winona, Ashley, and Naomi Judd; Lionel Richie (who, of course, donated a song to the effort); Paula Abdul, Christine Lahti, Alfre Woodard, Gillian Anderson, Candace Bergen, Mary Tyler Moore, Whoopi Goldberg, Rene Zellweger, and Lily Tomlin, to name just a few.

The members of Feminist Majority basked in their successful effort to demonstrate how much they cared for their oppressed sisters half a world away. “For a human rights situation,” Mrs. Leno said, “this is unusually simple. The Taliban are spectacularly villainous.” After all, agreed Feminist Majority board member Kathy Spillar, “there is no ‘other side’ to this issue.”

Unfortunately for these dedicated feminists—and especially for those they purported to help—there was another side to the issue, and they didn’t actually do anyone any good. Indeed, according to those who knew what was really going on in Afghanistan at the time, they probably made things worse for its women and girls. After all, it’s not as if the Taliban was going to be cowed by a bunch of Hollywood dreamers. If anything, the Islamist misogynists were likely encouraged in their efforts, convinced that they were doing what was right.

When confronted by the reality of the situation and the likely real impact of the Feminist Majority’s efforts, Mavis Leno’s husband and white knight defended her and her motives: “They’re shining a light on the problem,” Jay Leno told the Post. “If this all turns out to be wrong, if it’s a huge mistake—and there seems to be an awful lot of proof in the other direction—nobody did anything for the wrong reasons.”

I was reminded of Mavis Leno’s not-so-great crusade the other day by a comment made on Twitter/X by the “award-winning historian, biographer and broadcaster” Tom Holland. Holland, who is not Spiderman but is a well-known BBC personality, was reacting to the re-emergence of the decades-long “grooming” (i.e. “gang rape”) scandal in Great Britain and to the evidence that public authorities—including current Prime Minister Keir Starmer—did everything in their power for years to ensure that justice was never served and that the victims were victimized over and over (and over) again. “The true nightmare of Rotherham,” Holland tweeted, “is that the motives of those who turned a blind eye, however monstrous the consequences, were indeed noble.”

Although it is somewhat comforting that Holland was pilloried for his statement, the sentiment he expressed is both pervasive and telling. Like Jay and Mavis Leno, Holland insisted that the act of offering help was all that mattered, no matter the consequences of that “help.” The motives and intentions of the would-be helper are paramount and morally inoculating, even if they cause massive, unintended damage.

The term usually applied to such “nobly” motivated but disastrous actions these days is “suicidal empathy,” a concept popularized by the Canadian intellectual and author Gad Saad. Historically, such delusions would have been identified as characteristic of the “Gnostic” temptation.

As conservatives have long known (and as I have noted before in these pages), among the greatest insights into modern-day leftism were those offered by the German-American political philosopher Eric Voegelin. Among other things, Voegelin postulated that the modern left is “Gnostic” in its temperament and worldview, which is to say that it perverts the Christian salvation narrative, believing that it alone understands the moral principles and acts that will save man from his temporal fate. In almost every detail, the Lenos, the Feminist Majority, Tom Holland, and those whom he defends have all approached the world and its ills from a Gnostic/dream world perspective. The denial of reality; the substitution of Gnostic fantasy for reality; the expectation that reality would conform to the Gnostic formulation; the proposal of actions that would, in the real world, be considered morally insane; the abuse and inversion of vocabulary; and the angry reaction to the impositions of reality by lashing out scapegoats; etc. are all part of these two stories. They are all a part of the Voegelian description of the Gnostic dream world as well:

In the Gnostic dream world…nonrecognition of reality is the first principle. As a consequence, types of action which in the real world would be considered as morally insane because of the real effects which they have will be considered moral in the dream world because they intended an entirely different effect. The gap between intended and real effect will be imputed not to the Gnostic immorality of ignoring the structure of reality but to the immorality of some other person or society that does not behave as it should behave according to the dream conception of cause and effect. The interpretation of moral insanity as morality, and of the virtues of sophia and prudentia as immorality, is a confusion difficult to unravel. And the task is not facilitated by the readiness of the dreamers to stigmatize the attempt at critical clarification as an immoral enterprise . . . .

It doesn’t matter what one does, in short. All that matters is what one intends. If one intended to do good and to make things better, then the actual, real-world consequences of his actions are beside the point. He still acted “nobly.”

Unfortunately, as Voegelin continued, all of this results in the perpetuation of monstrous behavior—in Afghanistan, in Rotherham, and throughout the modern world. “Gnostic politics,” he wrote, is “self-defeating.” Instead of solving problems, it perpetuates them; it exacerbates them. Its “disregard for the structure of reality leads to continuous warfare.”

As the calls for justice in the grooming/rape scandal in Great Britain grow louder, it is important to remember that Tom Holland is dead wrong. The officials who enabled this heinous tragedy for decades did not act nobly. They acted monstrously in their own right, denying the structure of reality in order to soothe their consciences and accumulate political power. They should be punished accordingly.

 
Stephen Soukup

Source: https://amgreatness.com/2025/01/04/afghan-girls-british-girls-and-the-nonrecognition-of-reality/

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After 456 days: Hamas publishes sign of life from hostage Liri Elbag - Israel National News

 

by Israel National News

Hamas publishes a sign of life from hostage Liri Elbag, who was kidnapped from the Nahal Oz military base during the October 7 massacre.

 

Liri Elbag in captivity

The Hamas terror group on Saturday published a sign of life from hostage Liri Elbag - 456 days after she was kidnapped from the Nahal Oz military base near the Gaza border.

Elbag served as an IDF lookout, and was kidnapped by Hamas terrorists during the October 7 massacre.

Her family has requested that, at least for now, the video clip and what she said in it not be publicized. They have, however, permitted the use of a screenshot from the video.

The Hostages and Missing Families Forum Headquarters responded: "The sign of life from Liri is harsh and undeniable proof of the urgency in bringing all the hostages home!
Every day in Hamas's hell in Gaza poses an immediate risk of death to the living hostages and endangers the ability to recover the fallen for proper burial."

"Sixteen days remain until the ultimatum set by President-elect Trump. We must not lose this historic window of opportunity!
It is time for our Prime Minister and other world leaders to take courageous action and bring Liri and all the hostages home.

"The hostages' families call on the public to join tonight’s rallies and protest vigils around the world and to cry out with them for their loved ones, trapped in the tunnels."

On Saturday evening, Israeli President Isaac Herzog spoke by phone with Shira and Eli Elbag, Liri's parents. During the call, the President sought to offer them strength and support after receiving the deeply upsetting video, which was also a sign of life after such an extended period.

In the emotional and painful conversation, the President reiterated that the Israeli representatives currently conducting negotiations must persist and remain at the negotiating table until all 100 hostages are returned home.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also spoke to Shira and Eli, stressing that he identifies with the torment that Liri, her family and all of the hostages and their families, have been enduring.

During the conversation, Netanyahu promised that Israel would continue to work relentlessly to bring Liri and all the hostages back home and that the efforts are continuing, including at the present.

"The Prime Minister reiterated that whoever dares to harm our hostages – will pay the price," a statement stressed.

Fifteen lookouts were murdered at the Nahal Oz outpost on October 7, and seven were kidnapped while still alive. Lookout Noa Marciano, who was kidnapped from the outpost, was murdered by Hamas terrorists. Her body was later recovered and returned to Israel. Soldier Ori Megidish, who was also kidnapped from the outpost, was rescued from captivity by security forces 23 days after her abduction. She has since returned to service in the IDF.

Five female soldiers are still being held captive by Hamas: Karina Ariev, Naama Levy, Liri Albag, Agam Berger, and Daniella Gilboa.

Israel National News

Source: https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/401768

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Johnson defies critics to claim Speakership on first round, quells narrative of MAGA 'revolt' - Ben Whedon

 

by Ben Whedon

Much-ballyhooed revolt quashed: Johnson initially appeared poised to fail on the first ballot, with three Republicans initially casting votes for other candidates and all Democrats in lockstep backing their party’s leader, Hakeem Jeffries.

 

House Speaker Mike Johnson overcame internal Republican dissent and external scrutiny from Trump-aligned conservative figures to claim the Speaker’s gavel on the first round of voting on Friday. His success defied the predictions of analysts, who widely predicted a repeat of the multi-round vote-athon that put Kevin McCarthy in the post two years ago.

Johnson initially appeared poised to fail on the first ballot, with three Republicans initially casting votes for other candidates and all Democrats backing their party’s leader, Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y. Rep. Ralph Norman, R-S.C., at first voted for Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, while Rep. Keith Self, R-Pa., first backed Rep. Byron Donalds, R-Fla. Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., voted for Rep. Tom Emmer, R-Minn.

The voting stalled at 216 votes for Johnson to 215 for Jeffries, plus the three holdouts. After briefly leaving the chamber with Johnson, Norman and Self returned to the chamber after conferring and switched their votes for Johnson, putting him at 218, the bare minimum number needed for him to claim the job. Massie remained the sole holdout.

Massie had been a vocal opponent of Johnson’s leadership, and even told former Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., that he would not cast a vote for the Louisiana lawmaker were he subjected to torture.

Ultimately, a consensus

Other Republicans in the party’s conservative wing had also been vocally critical of Johnson’s leadership, especially on budget matters. Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, attracted attention as a possible dissenter, but ultimately did not vote against Johnson.

“I think he gets it on the first ballot,” Emmer said ahead of the vote. “I think he’s going to be fine. You’re not missing anything. Your job is to report all this stuff. I don’t think you’re missing anything.”

The initial pause after lawmakers cast their votes led pundits and reporters to seize on pronouncements that Johnson would succeed on the first vote as “fake news,” though the reversal of the two Republicans led those same reporters to follow suit. Trump celebrated Johnson’s swift victory, asserting it signaled strong support for him in House of Representatives.

"Congratulations to Speaker Mike Johnson for receiving an unprecedented Vote of Confidence in Congress. Mike will be a Great Speaker, and our Country will be the beneficiary," Trump posted on Truth Social after the vote. "The People of America have waited four years for Common Sense, Strength, and Leadership. They’ll get it now, and America will be greater than ever before!"

"Let's get to work."

“It’s an incredible honor to continue serving our great country as Speaker of [the] House. Now, let’s get to work,” Johnson said after the vote.

The Louisiana Republican reciprocated Trump’s sentiment, vowing to work closely with him and his administration to implement the key points of the Republican platform and MAGA agenda.

“In the coming months, we are going to pass legislation to roll back the totalitarian fourth branch of government known as the administrative state,” he pronounced. “We are going to drastically cut back the size and scope of government. We’re gonna return the power back to the people. And in coordination with President Trump and his administration we are going to create a leaner, faster, more efficient federal workforce. We need to do that.”

Whether Johnson can deliver on those promises remains to be seen. The House Republican majority currently includes 219 lawmakers, with 215 Democrats and one seat empty due to the resignation of Gaetz. That majority is further expected to temporarily shrink as several members of the conference are expected to enter the Trump administration. The timing of special elections to fill those seats remains contingent on the success of those nominations, however.

 
Ben Whedon

Source: https://justthenews.com/government/congress/wkdjohnson-defies-critics-claim-speakership-first-round

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Once-in-a-Lifetime Opportunity: Defeat Iran's Oppressive Regime - Majid Rafizadeh

 

by Majid Rafizadeh

Bribing adversaries to stop only provides funding, which finances their military so they can attack us later with bigger weapons.

 

• Iran's mullahs would surely love nothing more than to cut a deal with the incoming Trump administration that would enable them to stay in power, build their nuclear weapons and unleash them at a later date.

• Bribing adversaries to stop only provides funding, which finances their military so they can attack us later with bigger weapons. That is how North Korea and Iran built their nuclear weapons programs. China's was built by direct investment: a gift to kill us from Uncle Sam.

• Let us please ensure that Iran's brutal theocratic tyranny will be gone for good. So long as it holds power, there will never be a peaceful future for the Middle East.

Bribing adversaries to stop only provides funding, which finances their military so they can attack us later with bigger weapons. That is how North Korea and Iran built their nuclear weapons programs. So long as Iran's brutal theocratic tyranny holds power, there will never be a peaceful future for the Middle East. Pictured: John Kerry, then US Secretary of State under President Barack Obama, meets with Iran's then Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif on May 17, 2016 in Vienna, Austria. (Image source: US State Department)

Rarely in history does an opportunity arise to confront a brutal regime that has not only oppressed its own population but also destabilized the world by support for terrorism and terrorist allies.

The Iranian regime is such a dictatorship. For more than four decades, this regime has systematically crushed the rights and freedoms of its citizens, and silenced dissent through violence, imprisonment and execution.

Beyond its borders, Iran's regime has acted as a malignant force, spreading instability by funding and arming proxy groups such as Hezbollah, Hamas and the Houthis, while forming alliances with regimes hostile to the US and the West in regions as far-flung as China and Latin America. The regime's actions have sown chaos and bloodshed across the globe, leaving a trail of destruction and despair. Now, for the first time in decades, the Iranian regime is at its weakest point, presenting a rare moment of unity for its adversaries to strike decisively to ensure a long-term future of stability and peace.

The consequences of missing this opportunity cannot be overstated. History provides a clear warning of what happens when bellicose regimes are given the chance to recover. A prime example is the 2015 "nuclear deal" brokered under President Obama. Just as Iran's economy was collapsing under the weight of international sanctions, Obama's deal allowed the regime to have an unlimited number of nuclear weapons after about a decade. The deal also provided Iran with significant economic relief and global legitimacy. This lifeline not only rejuvenated the regime but also enabled it to expand its hegemonic activities. Billions of dollars flowed into Iran's coffers, fueling the growth of terror organizations much as Hamas, Hezbollah and the Houthis, all of which carried out devastating attacks across the Middle East.

Iran also strengthened its ties with Russia by providing arms, which exacerbated the war in Ukraine.

The resurgence of Iran's power, while neglecting to help its own people – 653 of whom it executed in just one year, 2023 -- culminated in acts of violence. These include Hamas's massacres in Israel when the terrorist organization murdered more than 1,200 people on October 7, 2023, and took 251 more people as hostages -- and in direct Iranian aggression against the Jewish state.

This trajectory mirrors that of Hitler's Germany, which, after being allowed to rearm, unleashed devastation on an unprecedented scale. It would have been so much less expensive in life and treasure to have stopped Hitler before he crossed the Rhine. The lesson is clear: offering concessions to such regimes only delays the inevitable conflict while giving one's adversary more time to build and strengthen his military capabilities.

Today, thanks to Israel's strategic defense, Iran finds itself in its most vulnerable position since the 1979 Islamic Revolution. The regime and its proxies, Hamas, Hezbollah and the Houthis, have suffered devastating losses. Israeli military campaigns have significantly reduced the regime's capacity to project power and destabilize the region. Last month, Iran's strongest ally in the region, the Assad regime in Syria, also collapsed, partly due to the weakened state of Hezbollah, which could no longer prop up Assad's government. With its proxies and allies in disarray, Iran's regional influence has eroded. This geopolitical shift creates a window of opportunity that must not be wasted.

Domestically, Iran also faces unparalleled challenges that threaten its grip on power. Public discontent has reached unprecedented levels, with many citizens from all walks of life calling for regime change. From young women to workers, the Iranian people are united in their call for freedom and justice.

The economy, plagued by hyperinflation, widespread unemployment and recent energy shortages, is in a free-fall that has forced the government to shut down critical industries. The regime's inability to provide basic services has only increased the anger of its population, thereby offering a historic chance to dismantle the regime's oppressive machinery.

The question now is whether the West will seize this moment or allow it to slip away. Iran's mullahs would surely love nothing more than to cut a deal with the incoming Trump administration that would enable them to stay in power, build their nuclear weapons and unleash them at a later date.

Iran's nuclear infrastructure and research facilities must be dismantled or destroyed, to prevent it from becoming a nuclear-armed state capable of threatening global security. Its oil and gas extraction infrastructure, which serves as the primary source of funding for its terrorist activities and internal repression, must be incapacitated to cut off its financial lifelines. Simultaneously, the West must stand firmly with the Iranian people in offering loud, unequivocal support for their aspirations for regime change. Leaders in the West need to follow the example of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who has courageously voiced his support for the oppressed Iranian population, perhaps galvanizing a movement that may finally bring an end to decades of tyranny.

Appeasement and inaction in the face of tyranny only help to escalate a conflict. Bribing adversaries to stop only provides funding, which finances their military so they can attack us later with bigger weapons. That is how North Korea and Iran built their nuclear weapons programs. China's was built by direct investment: a gift to kill us from Uncle Sam.

Let us please ensure that Iran's brutal theocratic tyranny will be gone for good. So long as it holds power, there will never be a peaceful future for the Middle East.

• Follow Majid Rafizadeh on X (formerly Twitter)
  

Dr. Majid Rafizadeh is a political scientist, Harvard-educated analyst, and board member of Harvard International Review. He has authored several books on the US Foreign Policy. He can be reached at dr.rafizadeh@post.harvard.edu.

Source: https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/21273/defeat-iran-regime

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Syria: Christians Facing Existential Terrorist Threat - Uzay Bulut

 

by Uzay Bulut

Sadly, most Christians, with a few impressive exceptions, do not seem to be supporting their Christian brethren in Syria, just as they basically do not seem to be supporting persecuted Christians in Nigeria, Somalia, Libya, Eritrea, Yemen, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sudan, Iran, Afghanistan, China or Egypt.

 

• The leader of [the al-Qaeda-and-ISIS-linked terrorist group] Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), Ahmed al-Sharaa, better known as Abu Muhammad al-Jolani, has openly stated that his goal is to establish sharia law: "Syria will be governed by the shari'a of Allah," he has pledged. He has already banned music from restaurants and cafés.... The group is largely supported by Turkey.

• The Biden administration, apparently never to be deterred from a woozy hope of bringing terrorists in from the cold, just removed a $10 million bounty from Jolani's head.

• Syria's HTS regime has appointed Anas Hassan Khattab, a former Al-Qaeda commander and a UN-designated terrorist, to head the General Intelligence Service (Mukhabarat).

• Russia and the Russian Orthodox Church are the largest Orthodox entities, yet they still have not publicly addressed the situation of the Syrian Christians, or even attempted to send humanitarian aid.

• Sadly, most Christians, with a few impressive exceptions, do not seem to be supporting their Christian brethren in Syria, just as they basically do not seem to be supporting persecuted Christians in Nigeria, Somalia, Libya, Eritrea, Yemen, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sudan, Iran, Afghanistan, China or Egypt.

• So far, the US government, which at least officially promotes universal respect for religious freedom, has, under the Biden administration, allowed Turkey to help HTS conquer Syria.

• One hopes that the incoming Trump administration will right this wrong and not allow the new Sunni "head of the octopus," through its al-Qaeda-affiliated proxy, the HTS, to run Syria.

Since the al-Qaeda-linked terrorist organization Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) took control of Syria last month, hostility against Christians and other minorities in the country has soared. Christians are increasingly the victims of intimidation, vandalism, violence and discrimination. They are hostages at the hands of Islamists. Pictured: HTS gunmen in Damascus on December 27, 2024. (Photo by Izzalden Alkasem/Middle East Images/AFP via Getty Images)

The al-Qaeda-linked terrorist organization Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), the "Organization for the Liberation of the Levant" -- a coalition of Syrian and international Islamist groups -- took control of Syria, after a 10-day offensive, on December 8, 2024.

Since then, hostility against Christians and other minorities in Syria has soared. Christians are increasingly the victims of intimidation, vandalism, violence and discrimination. They are hostages at the hands of Islamists.

The Christian population of Syria is around 500,000. Most are of Greek ancestry, dating from the conquests of Alexander the Great in the 4^th century BC.

Currently, the predominantly Christian ancient town of Maaloula, where the people still speak the language of Jesus, Aramaic, is being targeted by Islamists.

Internet access has been largely cut off from Maaloula since December 26. Although news from the town is scarce, it is alarming. According to many X (Twitter) accounts and people approached by this author, some of the Islamists are terrorizing their Christian neighbors. One video on X showed Christians escaping Maaloula while jihadists mock them.

The Twitter account "Greco-Levantines Worldwide" reported:

"The same jihadist group that previously kidnapped 13 nuns from the Monastery of St. Thecla in Maaloula—Jabhat al-Nusra—has returned to the town, declaring a 'victory' over its Christian community and its ancient monastery. For the past two days, Maaloula has been completely cut off, with no internet or communication. The town is besieged by these Islamist forces, and there is a growing fear that a massacre may already be unfolding."

On December 28, the same X account issued an urgent appeal:

"In 2024, the ancient Aramaic-speaking Christian population of Maaloula, Syria—one of the oldest Christian communities in the world, predating Christ—is facing extermination. This tragedy unfolds under the watch of foreign missions in Syria and Arab League countries. Immediate action is needed to prevent the loss of this irreplaceable community and heritage."

Another account notes:

"Numerous reports on social media & from large Syrian Christian pages indicate half of Maaloula's Christians have been displaced due to repeated threats & violations. Christian properties are being seized."

Eiad Herera, spokesman of the Antiochian Greek Organization (AGO), told Gatestone:

"According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights and some of our sources in the town, certain opposition militants from the Muslim minority—previously expelled by the Assad regime—have returned to Maaloula. They appear to harbor a sense of vengeance against the Christian residents, whom they believe were responsible for preventing their return to their homes.

"Several incidents of theft, assaults, and property destruction have been reported. The most recent involved armed masked individuals attempting to break into and rob a local farm, leading to an altercation that resulted in the death of one of the attackers.

"The farm owner surrendered to authorities, presenting documents and video evidence demonstrating that he was subjected to an armed assault and acted in self-defence.

"Due to these circumstances, many Christian families have fled the town and are asking HTS to restore stability and security. The interim transitional authority HTS has so far been unable to stabilize the situation or prevent the actions of these armed groups."

In the meantime, HTS reportedly has forbidden any civilians and "those without permits" from recording its gunmen, declaring that "any home or place used for recording will be dealt with severely."

HTS also announced that "no one can bear arms but the state". The ban includes Christians in Wadi al-Nasara, also known as "Valley of the Christians," who may need a way of defending themselves, given the threats against them. According to local reports, the HTS policy of disarming Christians in Wadi al-Nasara began on December 29.

Just days after the collapse of the Assad regime and the formation of a new interim government led by the HTS, alarming reports of anti-Christian violence and discrimination were already spreading across Syria.

Two Greek Christians, Samaan Satme and Helena Khashouf, from the village al-Jamasliyye, were murdered in their home. Their relatives said Satme was beheaded and Khashouf was shot dead. Meanwhile, a Christian priest in Homs reported that a group of Muslims first ridiculed Christian farmers in a Christian village, then beat them for being "infidels."

Video footage has also surfaced on social media of jihadists from HTS factions desecrating the Hagia Sophia Greek Orthodox Church in al-Suqaylabiyah. The Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Hama was fired on, and nearby Christian graves desecrated. Masked men in al-Suqaylabiyah burned down a tall artificial Christmas tree in the main square, while, according to videos, stopping observers and firefighters from extinguishing the fire.

Other disturbing footage emerged from Hama. The video shows a Muslim sheikh and Islamist radicals entering a Christian man's home to "invite him to Islam." The unease on the man's face is visible as the group insists that they are acting as "callers to Allah's message."

Still other footage shows a liquor store being broken into and vandalized in the Antiochian Greek town of Kafr Buhum.

The Greco-Syrian Nation, a digital platform that serves as an online voice for the Syro-Greek people, posted on X:

"The new HTS-controlled government is allowing Rum [Greek], Syriacs [Assyrian Christians], and Alawites to be targeted and scapegoated as if they were responsible for the crimes of the previous 'infidel' [kafir] regime. Meanwhile, their social media pages joke about committing genocide against Rum, Syriacs, and Alawites."

The post also called on Greeks, other Christians and their supporters to organize protests, demonstrations and rallies around the world to support Christians in Syria.

Meanwhile, the leader of HTS, Ahmed al-Sharaa, better known as Abu Muhammad al-Jolani, has openly stated that his goal is to establish sharia law: "Syria will be governed by the shari'a of Allah," he has pledged. He has already banned music from restaurants and cafés. The HTS leadership was historically composed of Islamists, with links to the Islamic State (ISIS) and al-Qaeda. The group is largely supported by Turkey.

The Biden administration, apparently never to be deterred from a woozy hope of bringing terrorists in from the cold (such as here, here, here, here and here), just removed a $10 million bounty from Jolani's head.

Syria's HTS regime has appointed Anas Hassan Khattab, a former Al-Qaeda commander and a UN-designated terrorist, to head the General Intelligence Service (Mukhabarat). In 2012, the U.S. designated Khattab a terrorist and sanctioned him for funding and logistically supporting al-Qaeda to facilitate terrorism. In 2014, the UN Security Council included him in the sanctions list for his links with al-Qaeda.

HTS's predecessor, the al-Qaeda affiliate Jabhat al-Nusrah, also known as the "Nusrah Front," was al-Qaeda's former branch in Syria. Nusrah's leader, Jolani, is now leader of HTS. In 2018, HTS was added to the State Department's existing designation of Jabhat al-Nusrah as a Foreign Terrorist Organization.

HTS established its base of operations in northern Syria's Idlib, at the Turkish border, taking over the province in 2015. Since then, it has since persecuted non-Muslims and non-Arabs. The violence in Idlib resulted in the killing of hundreds of civilians, and the displacement of hundreds of thousands.

According to a report by the organization "Syrians for Truth and Justice," after HTS terrorists took over Idlib, many Christian families fled, leaving all their property behind. In 2018, HTS started confiscating homes and businesses belonging to Christians who had been forced by terrorism to leave the city. The report added:

"In 2015, the church of Idlib was seized by groups affiliated to Al-Nusra Front/Jabhat al-Nusra, who turned part of it to a Sharia institute and used the other parts as accommodations for their fighters."

The human rights organization Open Doors reported in January 2024:

"Christians are particularly under pressure in the last bastions of control by radical Islamic groups... where IS and Turkish military and Turkey-supported opposition forces have attacked civilian and church targets."

Under HTS-control in Idlib, Christian clergy are not allowed to walk in public wearing any clothing that makes them recognizable as priests or pastors. Crosses have been removed from church buildings.

In 2019, HTS arbitrarily arrested scores of residents in areas under their control in Idlib, Hama, and Aleppo governorates, apparently because of their peaceful work documenting abuses or protesting the group's rule.

Now that HTS jihadists have taken over Syria, the lives of Christians and other minorities there, such as the Kurds, are at stake.

The Church has been present in Syria since the time of the New Testament, where the conversion of Saul/Paul on the road to Damascus is mentioned. In the 7^th century AD, when an Islamic army invaded and conquered Byzantine-ruled Syria, Christianity was its majority religion. Throughout the following centuries under Islamic rule, Syria's Christians have been exposed to harsh discrimination and today are a persecuted minority.

They have also suffered greatly from the effects of the civil war in Syria. It is estimated that only one-third of the 1.5 million Christians who lived in Syria before the war remain.

In spite of the danger that Syria's new terrorist rulers may completely end the presence of any Christians in Syria, the international Christian community has yet to protest.

The total number of Orthodox Christians in the world is estimated at about 300 million. The majority-Orthodox countries of Greece, Bulgaria, Romania, Estonia and Cyprus are all EU members – yet no one has even brought the situation of Syrian Christians to the agenda of the EU or the UN.

Russia and the Russian Orthodox Church are the largest Orthodox entities, yet they still have not publicly addressed the situation of the Syrian Christians, or even attempted to send humanitarian aid.

The Vatican's investment office in 2023 made a profit of €45.9 million (USD $49.6 million). Yet, no concrete step has been taken by the Vatican to help Christians in Syria.

Sadly, most Christians, with a few impressive exceptions, do not seem to be supporting their Christian brethren in Syria, just as they basically do not seem to be supporting persecuted Christians in Nigeria, Somalia, Libya, Eritrea, Yemen, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sudan, Iran, Afghanistan, China or Egypt.

So far, the US government, which at least officially promotes universal respect for religious freedom, has, under the Biden administration, allowed Turkey to help HTS conquer Syria.

One hopes that the incoming Trump administration will right this wrong and not allow the new Sunni "head of the octopus," through its al-Qaeda-affiliated proxy, the HTS, to run Syria.

Uzay Bulut, a Turkish journalist, is a Distinguished Senior Fellow at Gatestone Institute.

Source: https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/21272/syria-christians-threat

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