Combating terror from the skies: Trump’s team bolstering security to neutralize drone attacks - John Solomon

 

by John Solomon

Iranian proxies like Hamas and the Houthis have shown terror groups increasingly relying on inexpensive but potentially deadly commercial drones to wreak havoc.

 

With Iranian terror proxies like Hamas and the Houthis demonstrating they can use drone technology to kill civilians, President Donald Trump’s counterterrorism team is quietly fortifying America’s skies against future warfare from both state and non-state actors capable of using inexpensive flying machines to lethal effect.

Sebastian "Seb" Gorka, the Senior Director for Counterterrorism at the National Security Council, said he has been presiding over a task force designed to create a counter-drone strategy to protect the homeland based on an executive order Trump signed earlier in his second presidency. That includes an "America-first" approach to contracting, officials said.

"Idiots and evildoers"

“Every month, we are bringing together all of the government to make sure that we own the skies,” Gorka told Just the News. “The phrase I use is that idiots and evildoers will not be allowed to fly drones in U.S. airspace, threatening Americans.”

“We will have an arsenal of democracy and American companies will be building the flying machines, the counter drone equipment here in America to protect the American skies,” he said.

The lethality of inexpensive, abundant drones was first demonstrated in the Russia-Ukraine war. But U.S. officials reached fever pitch in concern after Hamas used drones to disable Israeli observation and air defense posts in its Oct. 7, 2023 terror attack that killed approximately 1,200 people.

Shortly thereafter, another Iranian proxy, the Houthis in Yemen, began adapting its attacks away from missiles to cheap drones, further heightening U.S. officials' concerns.

“While these attacks resulted in limited casualties, they were still effective in imposing economic costs—especially given the imbalance between the relatively low cost of drones and rockets and the high expense of counter-UAS technologies and air defense systems,” the U.S. military’s Combating Terrorism Center at West Point noted in a recent report.

“This shift marks a pivot toward stand-off terror warfare: cheaper, remote, and high-volume, yet strategically ineffective in achieving decisive outcomes,” it added.

You can read that full report here.

CTC-SENTINEL-062025_article-3.pdf

Trump signed a series of executive orders shortly after returning to the White House, not only prompted by Iran and its terror proxies but also because of a spate of unexplained drone sightings in New Jersey near his Bedminster golf resort. With the FIFA World Cup Games in 2026 and the Summer Olympics in Los Angeles in 2028, speed of action was a necessity,” officials said.

“It’s no accident, the very first meeting of the National Security Council after the inauguration of the president for the second time, was on the issue of drones, after that fiasco in Bedminster, where we had drones flying around under the Biden administration and nobody knew what they were,” Gorka told the Just the News. No Noise television show.

One focus is on contracting for counter-drone technologies, he added. “We're not going to buy Chinese drones anymore. We're going to make them here,” Gorka explained.  

As an aside, it won't be an easy task, given the anti-American sentiment that Socialist-leaning blue cities have expressed. The city-owned Brooklyn Navy Yard Development Corp. (BNY) declined to renew the lease of New York-based drone manufacturer Easy Aerial after activists targeted the company over its reported supply of drone systems to Israel. The decision was made in January and formally finalized by the Yard’s board last week.

Counter-drone capabilities being developed

One of the most visible new assets for the new strategy is the FBI’s National Counter-UAS Training Center (NCUTC), which was established last year to serve as the primary hub for training and certifying federal law enforcement in detecting and mitigating drone threats. The FBI and the Department of War have been collaborating on that initiative. 

The FBI “has put significant time and resources into developing our counter-drone capabilities and growing coordination with law enforcement on counter UAS (unmanned aircraft system) tech across the country,” Director Kash Patel said recently. “Unmanned aircraft are increasingly exploited by criminals, terrorists, and hostile foreign actors — making the counter UAS program a critical area for the FBI to modernize and adapt to stay ahead of the threat.”

"Our training center builds disciplined, safety-focused, coordinated counter-drone capability and supports preparedness for major national and international events like the FIFA World Cup 2026 and the 2028 Summer Olympics hosted in the U.S. This is an investment that will pay huge dividends for America’s national security in the years to come,” he added. 

Pentagon capable of knocking down hostile drones

The new capabilities have been visible already. Last week, the Department of War announced that drones flown by Mexican drug cartels had crossed over into U.S. airspace, leading to the shutdown of flights around El Paso, Texas. The airspace was reopened after the Pentagon disabled the drones, reportedly using new laser technology.

“Mexican cartel drones breached US airspace,” a Trump administration official told Just the News on Wednesday. “The Department of War took action to disable the drones. The FAA and DOW have determined there is no threat to commercial travel.” 

John Solomon

Source: https://justthenews.com/government/security/combating-terror-sky-trumps-team-bolstering-security-neutralize-drone-attacks

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Preparing for new Iran war, Israel escalating Lebanon strikes to cripple Hezbollah - report - Sam Halpern

 

by Sam Halpern

According to Maariv, since the start of February, the IDF has killed 12 Hezbollah and Islamic Jihad terrorists in the country.

 

Flames and smoke errupt from the site of an Israeli airstrike that targeted a house in the southern Lebanese village of Tair Filsay on November 19, 2025.

(photo credit: COURTNEY BONNEAU/Middle East Images/AFP via Getty Images)

The IDF has been escalating its strikes on terror targets in Lebanon in recent days in preparation for another round of war with Iran, N12 News reported on Monday evening.

According to the outlet, the military’s ramping up of attacks on these targets, which have seen strikes on Hezbollah’s operatives, rocket launchers, and weapons stores, has been part of an effort to cripple the terrorist organization’s ability to aid Iran in a potential conflict.

According to Maariv, since the start of February, the IDF has killed 12 Hezbollah and Islamic Jihad terrorists in the country.

On Monday, the IDF confirmed that, over the past week, the 91st Division had killed four Hezbollah terrorists who had been operating to reestablish the organization’s infrastructure in Lebanon.

The latest strike on one of the terrorists who had been operating to rehabilitate the terror group’s infrastructure occured earlier that day in the Tallouseh area of southern Lebanon.

Smoke billows over Kfar Tebnit after an Israeli strike near Lebanon’s border with Israel, in Lebanon, September 18, 2025. (credit: Illustration/REUTERS/Ali Hankir TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY)

“As part of his role, [the terrorist] was responsible for the connection between the organization and the residents of the village on military and economic issues, and worked to seize private properties for terrorist purposes,” the IDF said at the time.

The military’s action marked the second terrorist it had killed in the country within a 12-hour period on Monday, the IDF noted.

IDF action comes amid Hezbollah ceasefire infractions

A ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah went into effect in November of 2024 following an intensive Israeli military campaign triggered by Hezbollah attacks that began the day after the October 7, 2023, massacre in southern Israel.

During the conflict, Israeli military action decimated Hezbollah’s ranks and senior leadership. Since the ceasefire went into effect, the IDF has continued to strike at terrorist operatives who have been engaging in activities that violate the ceasefire conditions.

In November of last year, the IDF said that it had killed Hezbollah had killed over 370 Hezbollah fighters since the ceasefire began. The following month, the military said the terror group had committed some 1,900 ceasefire infractions. 

Sam Halpern

Source: https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/defense-news/article-886906

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Judea and Samaria land registry to benefit ‘Jews and Arabs alike,’ says Smotrich - Akiva von Konigsveld, Amelie Botbol

 

by Akiva von Konigsveld, Amelie Botbol

"All we want to do is create order," the Israeli finance minister told JNS.

 

Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich leads a faction meeting of his Religious Zionism Party at the Knesset, the Israeli parliament in Jerusalem, Feb. 16, 2026. Photo by Yonatan Sindel/Flash90.

Jerusalem’s decision to resume the process of registering land in Judea and Samaria intends to put an end to the “current chaos that is bad for everyone—Jews and Arabs alike,” Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, who led the move, told JNS on Monday afternoon.

“We have been controlling Judea and Samaria for over 50 years, but the land registration process was halted—the British and the Jordanians registered 30% of the land, and we stopped it,” Smotrich explained, speaking at a meeting of his Religious Zionism Party in Jerusalem.

According to Smotrich, who also serves as a second minister in Israel’s Defense Ministry with responsibility for civilian matters in Judea and Samaria, “when land is not formally registered, it is not recorded anywhere; there are many mistakes, arguments and disputes.”

The current reality, he said, “the current chaos, is bad for everyone—Jews and Arabs alike. It harms rights. All we want to do is create order.”

Sunday’s decision to reopen land registration for the first time since the 1967 Six-Day War “does not dispossess anyone of their rights—on the contrary, it protects those rights,” the finance minister continued.

“Once there is an orderly registration in the land registry, everyone can bring their evidence, and land that is privately owned will be registered in that person’s name. Now they’re protected 200 years into the future,” he said, adding: “Everything will be recorded, everything will be transparent—and this is how it is done in every country.”

Announcing the decision on Sunday, Smotrich, Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz and Israeli Justice Minister Yariv Levin said that opening land registration would mean, among other things, “the registration of extensive areas in Judea and Samaria that belong to the state in the name of the state.”

The Cabinet decision “constitutes an appropriate response to the illegal settlement procedures that the Palestinian Authority is promoting in Area C in violation of the law and agreements,” the three concluded.

The Palestinian Authority, which Israel has said employs hundreds of workers to create its own registry with the help of European and other nations, said the move amounted to a “grave escalation and a flagrant violation of international law” and the “de facto annexation” by Jerusalem of Judea and Samaria.

P.A. leader Mahmoud Abbas urged on the international community, the U.N. Security Council and the United States, to intervene “immediately.”

U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres condemned Israel on Monday and called on the Jewish state to “immediately reverse these measures.”

“The secretary-general condemns the Israeli government’s Feb. 15 decision to resume land registration procedures in Area C of the occupied West Bank,” said his spokesman, Stéphane Dujarric.

“Such measures, including Israel’s continued presence in the occupied Palestinian territory, are not only destabilizing but, as recalled by the International Court of Justice, unlawful,” the spokesperson claimed.

However, the Regavim Movement, which has long been at the forefront of monitoring illegal Arab construction in Judea and Samaria, praised the Israeli government’s latest “historic Zionist decision” for the area.

“Under the auspices of the vacuum on the part of Israel, the Palestinian Authority began registering illegal land,” it said. “With the assistance of foreign governments, it registered in the ‘Palestinian land registry’ over 1.3 million dunams [130,000 hectares],” or 321,000 acres, according to Regavim.

Israel’s registry will “bring an end to a disgraceful freeze of nearly six decades that created a severe legal and administrative vacuum and opened the door to prolonged land disputes, document forgery and large-scale, unlawful land seizures,” the Israeli NGO concluded.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has led an unprecedented drive to expand control of Judea and Samaria, approving some 50,000 homes and more than 50 Jewish communities since December 2022.

Last week, the Cabinet had already approved lifting confidentiality from land registry records in the area; canceling restrictions on land sales to non-Arabs; and abolishing the need for prior approval for purchases.

Nearly 70% of Israeli citizens want Jerusalem to extend its full legal sovereignty over Judea and Samaria, according to a 2025 survey.

Fifty-eight percent of Israeli Jews believe that communities in Judea and Samaria contribute to the security of the country, according to a survey the Jewish People Policy Institute (JPPI) published on March 11, 2025.

Akiva von Konigsveld, Amelie Botbol

Source: https://www.jns.org/judea-and-samaria-land-registry-to-benefit-jews-and-arabs-alike-says-smotrich/

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Germany: Have Certain Terrorists Been Getting a Pass? - Robert Williams

 

by Robert Williams

German authorities, in fact, appear to have been hyper-focused on eliminating what they seem to see as political threats to their power instead of catching terrorists from the "left."

 

• It seems almost unbelievable that the German state, which intensely surveils citizens' every word on the internet, does not have the faintest clue who might be behind these terrorist attacks.

• These are the same authorities, after all, who send law enforcement to raid the homes of ordinary citizens for posting satirical comments about leading politicians, and for supposedly "inciting hatred."

• German authorities, in fact, appear to have been hyper-focused on eliminating what they seem to see as political threats to their power instead of catching terrorists from the "left."

• Even the BfV's former president, Hans-Georg Maassen, is under surveillance by the agency for being a "right-wing extremist." He lost that job in 2018 after expressing concern about the obvious Islamist threat from then Chancellor Angela Merkel's policy of flooding Germany with Muslim migrants and for, ironically, refusing to put the AfD under surveillance. He said, "I am not a tool of the governing parties, nor is it the BfV's job to undermine their political competitors."

• Perhaps if the German government had been more concerned with fighting terrorism and less with fighting legitimate political opposition, it might have been able to locate the actual terrorists?

On January 3, 2026, a reportedly leftist radical network, "Volcano Group", committed an arson attack against the power grid in Berlin, Germany, causing an electricity blackout that left 45,000 households and 2,000 businesses without heat and light during freezing winter temperatures for up to five days. Pictured: Volunteers from the Federal Agency for Technical Relief set up generator-operated streetlights near Mexikoplatz in Berlin during the blackout, on January 4, 2026. (Photo by Omer Messinger/Getty Images)

In the early morning hours of January 3, 2026, a reportedly leftist radical network, "Volcano Group" (Vulkangruppe), committed an arson attack against the power grid in Berlin, Germany, causing an electricity blackout that left 45,000 households and 2,000 businesses – approximately 100,000 people – without heat and light during freezing winter temperatures for up to five days. It was reportedly the longest blackout in Germany since World War II.

The radicals in Volcano Group claimed responsibility for the attack. In a statement, they said that the network had aimed to "cut the juice to the ruling class" and claimed that the attack was about action to protect the climate from fossil fuels, artificial intelligence and a "greed for energy."

Among those "ruling class" people who suffered the consequences of this terrorist attack were four hospitals, 74 care homes, and 20 schools. It has been more than a month since the attack, yet the authorities have arrested no one, seem bewildered, and are apparently so desperate that they have finally offered a million-euro reward to anyone with information that leads to the arrest of the attackers.

Volcano Group, far from being new, has, since 2011, perpetrated several other terrorist attacks "on critical points of public infrastructure," according to Germany's domestic intelligence service (Bundesamt für Verfassungsschutz, or BfV).

"In Berlin and Brandenburg, arson attacks have been committed at irregular intervals on... public infrastructure since 2011. After the crimes, anonymous authors who describe themselves as 'Volcano groups' publish letters of responsibility on relevant internet platforms. The attacks often have a noticeable impact on the population. For example, there have already been several power and telecommunications failures as well as disruptions to public transport. It can be assumed that there is a network behind the 'Volcano groups'... Ideologically, [they] can be assigned to the violence-oriented anarchist spectrum."

Despite these attacks occurring in Germany at intervals for more than a decade, including one against the Tesla factory in Brandenburg, curiously, no one has ever been arrested. It seems almost unbelievable that the German state, which intensely surveils citizens' every word on the internet, does not have the faintest clue who might be behind these terrorist attacks.

These are the same authorities, after all, who send law enforcement to raid the homes of ordinary citizens for posting satirical comments about leading politicians, and for supposedly "inciting hatred." Approximately every six months, most recently on June 25, 2025, German police, under the coordination of the Federal Criminal Police Office (BKA), carried out its "12th Day of Action to Combat Criminal Hate Postings". On this exalted occasion, it carried out a total of 46 searches, 66 interrogations, and 26 other measures nationwide, targeting suspected authors of "online hate speech and incitement."

Authorities, however, are unable to find or arrest a single perpetrator from the Volcano Group, which conducts actual terrorism?

In an interview for broadcaster ZDF, German Minister of the Interior Alexander Dobrindt said:

"We see very clearly that attempts are being made here to carry out attacks against infrastructure, against our economy, against the population, against society, which are ultimately intended to massively harm people and could even cost them their lives."

ZDF summarized Dobrindt's belief that far-left extremism in recent years has not been taken sufficiently seriously in Germany:

"In recent years, left-wing extremism has not received much attention and has no longer been seen as the threat of our time. There has also been 'a high degree of trivialization.' For example, the chairman of the Left Party said that left-wing crimes serve the common good."

That is quite an understatement. German authorities, in fact, appear to have been hyper-focused on eliminating what they seem to see as political threats to their power instead of catching terrorists from the "left." In May 2025, Germany's domestic intelligence agency classified Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) -- the party with the second-largest number of seats in parliament -- as a "confirmed right-wing extremist organization" after an "intense and comprehensive" examination, which included authoring a staggering 1,100-page report. Imagine if that same sort of dedication had been expended on arresting terrorists from Volcano Group.

As US Secretary of State Marco Rubio bluntly said at the time, this classification of AfD gave the BfV intelligence agency "new powers to surveil the opposition. That's not democracy - it's tyranny in disguise."

Since the classification, the AfD has been under expanded surveillance by authorities. This new snooping potentially includes the use of wiretaps, monitoring electronic correspondence and communications, and undercover informants to spy on party officials and anyone else connected with the AfD.

Even the BfV's former president, Hans-Georg Maassen, is under surveillance by the agency for being a "right-wing extremist." He lost that job in 2018 after expressing concern about the obvious Islamist threat from then Chancellor Angela Merkel's policy of flooding Germany with Muslim migrants and for, ironically, refusing to put the AfD under surveillance. He said, "I am not a tool of the governing parties, nor is it the BfV's job to undermine their political competitors."

Perhaps if the German government had been more concerned with fighting terrorism and less with fighting legitimate political opposition, it might have been able to locate the actual terrorists?

Robert Williams is based in the United States.

Source:https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/22281/germany-terrorists-volcano-group

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Enforcement agreements between ICE, local police climbed by 950% in Trump's first year of 2nd term - Just the News Staff

 

by Just the News Staff

The agreements are legal as part of the 1996 Immigration and Nationality Act. But the Obama administration ended the agreements in 2012, citing racial profiling and other similar issues.

 

Enforcement agreements between Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and local and state law enforcement agencies have massively increased during the first year of President Donald Trump’s second term in office. 

An analysis by the criminal justice reform advocacy group FWD.us, found that there has been more than a 900% increase, from 135 in January 2025 to now in which there are 1,372 agreements between local law enforcement agencies and ICE.  

The analysis was released Monday, according to The Hill. 

The agreements are legal as part of the 1996 Immigration and Nationality Act. But the Obama administration ended the agreements in 2012, citing racial profiling and other similar issues. 

From January 2025 through early September, the number of these so-called 287(g) agreements increased from 135 to 958. ICE announced at that time that it would fully reimburse participating local and state agencies for the annual salary and benefits of each eligible trained officer under that model.  

Just the News Staff

Source: https://justthenews.com/government/federal-agencies/enforcement-agreements-between-ice-local-police-climbed-950-trumps

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NYC staffer appointed by Mamdani says 'one Israeli left is too many' in resurfaced antisemitic post - Ariella Roitman

 

by Ariella Roitman

Achmat Akkad, who goes under the name BlackIntifada on X, was appointed by NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani as Community Engagement Training Specialist.

 

An armed member of the US Secret Service looks on as Pro-Palestinian demonstrators take part in the "National March on NYC for Gaza", organized by Palestinian-led community organization Within Our Lifetime (WOL), September 23, 2025

(photo credit: BING GUAN/REUTERS)

A New York City Health Department staffer wished for all Israelis to be wiped off the Earth in a resurfaced X/Twitter post, Jewish watchdog group Canary Mission revealed on Monday. 

Achmat Akkad, a community coordinator in NYC's health department since 2017, called for the eradication of Israelis on the social media platform, claiming that “one Israeli left in this world would be one too many!"

Among the other publications revealed by Canart Mission was a deleted November 10, 2021, post in which Akkad threatened that “Jews that don’t support apartheid are safe. Zionists aren’t!”

 

Canary Mission Exclusive: Mamdani’s appointee has been posting virulently antisemitic, anti-American content, and yet was elected to a public-facing NYC Health Department job. pic.twitter.com/MBrL3pHQLO

— Canary Mission (@canarymission) February 15, 2026

“Israel exists by sacrificing the blood of Black and brown people as an offering to white supremacy,” he said in another.

A year ago, Akkad also claimed that Zionists “are behind the attacks, far right parties being elected across the world, attacks on free speech, the wars in MENA, the dehumanization of Muslims, and an increase in police power."

NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani delivers a speech to members of the New York State Nurses Association union, next to U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT), during a picket outside Mount Sinai West in New York City, US, January 20, 2026. (credit: Eduardo Munoz/Reuters)

According to Canary Mission, Akkad, who since 2025 has used the X handle @BlackIntifada, was arrested at an anti-Israel protest in 2024. 

Achmat Akkad works at the NYC Dept. of Health and Mental Hygiene. He was arrested in 2024 for pro-Hamas agitation.

On Oct. 8, 2023, Akkad took to the streets to cheer on the massacre and told the Daily Mail that he had "no sympathy" for the Israeli civilians Hamas killed. https://t.co/kgqAbe2otZ pic.twitter.com/KUqzO4AeAo

— Yehuda Teitelbaum (@chalavyishmael) February 10, 2026

Akkad appointed by Mamdani

Multiple sources reported that NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani appointed Akkad as a Community Engagement Training Specialist. The appointment comes amidst backlash following the establishment of the “Global Oppression and Public Health Working Group” under Mamdani’s administration.

The group, whose goal is to explore how global oppression affects the well-being of certain communities in the city, has been criticized for focusing on international politics rather than core public health responsibilities, according to The Algemeiner, a NYC-based newspaper covering Jewish affairs. 

The New York Post reported that its participants, who often accuse Israel of genocide in Gaza, would meet "in the middle of the workday Tuesday at the agency's headquarters in Long Island City and remotely," while thousands of cases of flu and RSV spread across the five boroughs.

On Thursday, City Council Speaker Julie Menin called for a probe into the Department of Health over its “Global Oppression Working Group," alleging that taxpayer funds were being misused.

“Our health care officials should be fighting infectious diseases and addressing skyrocketing health care costs instead of spending public time debating geopolitics on city time,” Menin told The New York Post.

Ariella Roitman

Source: https://www.jpost.com/international/article-886892

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Don’t Let the Chinese Navy Invade Pearl Harbor… Again! - James E. Fanell

 

by James E. Fanell

Beijing’s charm offensive is no outreach but strategy: RIMPAC must remain closed to the PLA Navy, whose past “engagement” yielded spying, coercion, and weakened U.S. alliances.

 

This past week, the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) ideological mouthpiece, the Global Times, published a psychological operations (PsyOp) piece entitled “More differences mean you need more exchange programs” that rhapsodized about enhancing engagement between the People’s Republic of China (PRC) and the U.S. However, the article was a shot across the bow in the CCP’s renewed cognitive warfare campaign against America’s national security posture in the Pacific. The bottom line up front: the CCP is laying the groundwork to appeal to the Trump administration to re-invite the People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLA Navy) to participate in the 30th iteration of the Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC), the world’s largest international maritime exercise, scheduled for summer 2026. President Trump cannot allow this to happen.

The author’s formulaic PsyOp piece begins by extolling the warm ‘Aloha Spirit’ the PLA Navy experienced during its previous visits to the Hawaiian Islands. Then, the author subtly segues to the real Global Times agenda: that the PRC has not been invited to a RIMPAC naval exercise since 2016. Additionally, the author asserts, incorrectly, that “China was invited for the first time in 2014 and the second time in 2016.”

As a leading propaganda outlet for a totalitarian regime, Global Times has little interest in getting petty issues such as “facts” right, but for the record (and known from the author’s first-hand experience), the PRC was invited to RIMPAC 2012 by then Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta. The Chinese feigned outrage over being invited to participate as observers instead of being allowed to send warships to their first RIMPAC—a standard protocol for all first-time participants. To add insult to ingratitude, because of this perceived slight, then-PLA Navy Chief Admiral Wu Shengli dispatched an intelligence-collection ship (AGI) to Hawaii to spy on the exercise. Even though this PLA Navy AGI was present and spying on the exercise, then-Commander of U.S. Pacific Command Admiral Sam Locklear inexplicably refused to publicize its presence until after the exercise was concluded.

Following the Global Times formula, the writer then bemoans the first Trump administration for disinviting China to the 2018 RIMPAC—something the author alleges was “a horrible mistake.” On the contrary, it was an unprecedented and wise decision. Fortunately, Trump’s former Deputy National Security Advisor, Matt Pottinger, understood both the insidious nature of the CCP’s “elite capture” political warfare strategy and how the CCP used military-to-military exchanges to promote “engagement” as a tool to spy on and weaken America’s network of alliances in the Pacific. He saw through Beijing’s ruse to capture American elites with theatrically forlorn allegations that there have been an inadequate number of engagements between the two countries and that such engagement is “critical” for the U.S. to avoid misunderstanding and miscalculation regarding the PRC.

Then, consistent with Global Times journalistic ethics, its propagandist takes the Big Lie to a new level. First, he acknowledges that there have been “stories” about Chinese and U.S. naval warships coming in close contact in the South China Sea. Childish obfuscation, of course, as there have been repeated, verified reports of unsafe encounters at sea, all of which were initiated by the PLA. Then the writer takes the PsyOp piece into pure fantasyland by alleging: “But the situation got defused because it turned out that the two captains knew each other from the RIMPAC drills and ended up chatting about the lunch they had that day.” All a lie, but still a powerful narrative for those in Washington, DC, who are willfully ignorant, intellectually dishonest, and/or remain lifelong adherents to the school of unconstrained and unaccountable engagement with the PRC.

Despite its egregious simpering and spying that should have precluded any follow-on invitation to RIMPAC, Secretary Panetta eagerly solicited the PLA Navy to join RIMPAC 2014. Unsurprisingly, the PRC accepted, much to its delight. It must have been immensely gratifying to see how well the CCP had managed its cognitive supremacy over what constituted American national defense leadership at that time.

For the 2014 RIMPAC exercise, the PLA Navy dispatched four warships to Pearl Harbor. This author visited these ships during this unprecedented port call. Yes, unprecedented, as no adversary of the U.S. had sent an armed naval flotilla of this size to Pearl Harbor since the Imperial Japanese Navy bombed the same harbor on December 7, 1941.

It was during RIMPAC 2014 that the pro-CCP “Engagers” within the Department of Defense and Intelligence Community came out in their full support of the PLA Navy’s visit and sold the Obama Administration on the “benefits” of having four PLA Navy warships pierside in Pearl. They naively assumed there was no serious threat posed by the thousands of PLA sailors allowed free access around the harbor, the home to the U.S. Pacific Fleet Headquarters and the Submarine Forces Pacific Fleet Headquarters. The same PLA officers and sailors were also allowed to roam freely around Honolulu, where they supported CCP United Front operations, according to reports from those tracking the off-base activities. Further, while other allied nations participating in this RIMPAC may have felt pressure from the then U.S. Pacific Fleet Commander, Admiral Harry Harris, to publicly welcome PLA participation, in private, these same nations conveyed deep concern that the presence of the PLA in the exercise was, at a minimum, intimidating and counterproductive.

If this were not enough, the Obama administration once again invited the PRC to RIMPAC 2016. This time, the PLA dispatched five warships to the exercise in Pearl Harbor and in Hawaiian waters. By this time, the CCP was confident enough in its PsyOp to have the PLA Navy “call the shots” for the RIMPAC exercise by ignoring its central tenets of reciprocity, cooperation, and diplomatic courtesy. During this RIMPAC, the PLA Navy barred Japanese Navy officers from boarding a PLA Navy warship during the in-port “open ship” phase of the exercise. It was an unprecedented breach of protocol.

Worse still, and as a sign of just how successful the CCP’s elite capture had been against the U.S. military, the then-Commander of the U.S. Pacific Command and former U.S. Pacific Fleet Commander, Admiral Harry Harris, and the then-Commander of the U.S. Pacific Fleet, Admiral Scott Swift, effectively turned their backs on our treaty ally, Japan. These two four-star U.S. Navy admirals neither requested an apology from the PLA Navy side nor, even more appropriately, requested the PLA Navy’s expulsion from the exercise and return to the PRC. While our Japanese allies made a public show of shrugging off this egregious PLA insult and cowardly U.S. response, those who follow Japan-U.S. relations understood that it really bothered our Japanese Self-Defense Force allies. And rightly so. Like the Obama administration’s abandonment of our treaty ally, the Philippines, over the PRC taking Scarborough Shoal in 2012, this was a damning signal of U.S. unreliability, not lost on the rest of Asia. Even more so than in 2014, other nations participating in RIMPAC 2016 found the PLA presence to be harmful and counterproductive. There is no evidence that any senior American leader showed any interest in our allies’ deep concerns, though.

Which brings us to the current CCP PsyOp to force the PLA Navy into RIMPAC 2026.

This concern is accentuated by the statement in the latest U.S. National Defense Strategy (NDS) that the Department of War “will therefore seek and open a wider range of military-to-military communications with the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) with a focus on supporting strategic stability with Beijing as well as deconfliction and de-escalation.” This statement is an invitation to disaster, as it will be used by the CCP to reinsert the PLA Navy into RIMPAC 2026. This legitimate concern is further accentuated by the President’s upcoming visit to Beijing in April and the importance the President has placed on signing an economic trade deal with Chairman Xi Jinping.

While the President’s visit and trade deals are of great importance, the President should not be deceived by either Xi Jinping or by pro-engagement advocates who will suggest that the President can use RIMPAC as a negotiating tool to finalize his economic agenda.

History has shown that the PRC desires to attend RIMPAC for its own selfish national security objectives: 1) to gain more intelligence on the U.S. military/navy in order to destroy it when it is strong and confident enough to do so, and 2) to diminish America’s network of alliances in the Indo-Pacific. Japan and the Republic of the Philippines, among other frontline states in Asia and the Pacific Islands, will be especially chagrined and confused at a PLA Navy presence in RIMPAC 2026.

The U.S. naively invited the PLA to three previous RIMPACs. In return, the PLA used that opportunity to gain access to our military installations and forces and surrounding communities for intelligence and political warfare purposes. Further, the PRC also used its overbearing presence in previous RIMPACs to undermine American alliances. The President cannot let this happen again.

President Trump must resist both the PRC PsyOp efforts and the PRC enablers within the U.S. government to avoid yet another Pearl Harbor invasion.

***

James E. Fanell served as a career naval intelligence officer whose positions included senior intelligence officer for China at the Office of Naval Intelligence and chief of intelligence for CTF-70, Seventh Fleet, and the U.S. Pacific Fleet. He is the co-author of the book Embracing Communist China: America’s Greatest Strategic Failure.

Source: https://amgreatness.com/2026/02/17/dont-let-the-chinese-navy-invade-pearl-harbor-again/

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Former Oxfam CEO accuses group of ‘toxic antisemitic culture’ - JNS Staff

 

by JNS Staff

“Superpower NGOs are being exposed from the inside—their anti-Israel rot bared for all to see,” NGO Monitor stated.

 

Halima Begum, former CEO of Oxfam, speaking to Britain’s “Channel 4.” Source: Emily Schrader/X.

Halima Begum, a former CEO of Oxfam Great Britain, who resigned from the global charity in December, has accused the charity of antisemitism.

Begum was forced out of Oxfam over accusations she bullied staff. She is suing the organization, which she accused of having a “toxic antisemitic culture” at a recent employment tribunal. She also accused the group of sexism.

In an interview with Britain’s Channel 4 on Feb. 13, Begum said Oxfam placed an excessive focus on Gaza within the organization. “It always felt as though we were disproportionately working around the crisis in Gaza.”

She said that Oxfam was quick to accuse Israel of genocide. “To use the word ‘genocide’, it has to be something we arrive at with consultation and evidence and good legal advice, and to try and use that term before we are ready as an organization feels quite risky to me,” she said.

Oxfam is a British-founded confederation of NGOs purportedly battling global poverty.

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Amichai Chikli, Israel’s minister for Diaspora affairs and combating Antisemitism, said: “The CEO’s public statements reflect the narrative and intensity of antisemitism within Oxfam. Dr. Begum herself, who is Muslim, has been a vocal critic of the State of Israel. Therefore, when she testifies about the level of antisemitism within the organization and levels these accusations herself, her remarks should resonate around the world all the more.”

The ministry’s director general, Avi Cohen-Scali, added: “This is yet another example of the hypocrisy and antisemitism within international organizations that cloak themselves in a humanitarian mantle.”

NGO Monitor, a Jerusalem-based watchdog group, issued a statement regarding Begum’s remarks: “Revelations of vicious antisemitism and anti-Israel bias at Oxfam are as predictable as they are tragic.

“Former Oxfam CEO Halima Begum’s assertions of overt bias—along with pressure to prematurely brand the Gaza war a genocide without evidence—echo developments at other NGOs, where activism and bigotry have replaced objectivity and universal human rights,” NGO Monitor said.

“At Human Rights Watch, for example, a major internal blowout over a leaked anti-Israel report has cost the organization its Israel/Palestine desk and exposed the degree to which antisemitic zealots have been given free rein to shape the human rights industry to their warped liking,” it added.

“Slowly, superpower NGOs are being exposed from the inside—their anti-Israel rot bared for all to see. A major return to founding principles is required to ensure that human rights once again become driving ideals inside the world’s most influential NGOs,” the group concluded. 

JNS Staff

Source: https://www.jns.org/former-oxfam-ceo-accuses-group-of-toxic-antisemitic-culture/

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US and Iran conclude round of nuclear talks in Geneva as threat of war looms - Reuters, Danielle Greyman-Kennard, James Genn

 

by Reuters, Danielle Greyman-Kennard, James Genn

Araghchi demanded that explicit reference to the possible use of force by the US be brought to an immediate, unconditional end.

 

People carry "Lion and Sun" pre-Iranian Revolution national flags as they gather near the United Nations office, as the second round of nuclear talks between U.S. and Iran takes place, in Geneva, Switzerland, February 17, 2026.

(photo credit: REUTERS/PIERRE ALBOUY)

 

The United States and Iran concluded their second round of indirect talks in Geneva on Tuesday over their long-running nuclear dispute, with a senior Iranian official asserting that negotiations hinge on Washington avoiding unrealistic demands as the US masses a battle force in the region.

US envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner took part in the negotiations, which are being mediated by Oman, a source briefed on the matter told Reuters, alongside Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi.

Reuters reported that, according to Araghchi, the initial meetings resulted in "an understanding on main principles" between the US and Iran.

Araghchi also stated that the two parties still have issues to address, but that there have been positive developments compared to the previous round of talks. He also said that both parties would work on potential agreement documents and exchange them, emphasizing that this does not mean that the two countries will reach an agreement soon, but that "the path has started."

Productive discussions were also held with Rafael Grossi, Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency, Araghchi added.

He also demanded that explicit reference to the possible use of force by the US be brought to an immediate, unconditional end.

An Iranian official told CNN that Iran's delegation will head back to Tehran tonight, now that the talks have concluded.

Iranian dissident media Iran International reported that, as Iran's delegates left the Omani embassy, a group of protesters threw tomatoes at their vehicles and shouted "Death to terrorists."

Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei denounced the US's attempt to limit Iran's nuclear potential in a series of posts on X/Twitter as talks were ongoing, claiming that the nuclear industry is "among the nation's rights."

"Peaceful nuclear industry is not for war; it is for running the country - for agriculture, for treatment and healthcare, and for everything that depends on energy," he wrote. "What does it have to do with you Americans?"

Peaceful nuclear industry is not for war; it is for running the country—for agriculture, for treatment and healthcare, and for everything that depends on energy. This is among the nation’s rights. What does it have to do with you Americans?

— Khamenei.ir (@khamenei_ir) February 17, 2026

He also made appeals to the International Atomic Energy Agency, stating that nuclear energy is an "undeniable right" contained within the organization's guidelines.

In another post, he argued that attempts to limit Iran's weaponry were "irrational," arguing that "without deterrent weaponry, a country will be crushed by the enemy."

US President Donald Trump said that he would be involved "indirectly" in the Geneva talks and that he believed Tehran wanted to make a deal.

"I don't think they want the consequences of not making a deal," Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One on Monday. "We could have had a deal instead of sending the B-2s in to knock out their nuclear potential. And we had to send the B-2s."

A previous attempt to revive talks was underway in June last year when Israel launched a bombing campaign against Iran, and was then joined by US B-2 bombers that struck nuclear targets. Tehran has since said it has halted uranium enrichment activity.

A senior Iranian official told Reuters on Tuesday that the US's seriousness on lifting sanctions on Iran and avoiding unrealistic demands are key to ensuring effective talks in Geneva.

The official, who declined to be named, said Tehran was coming to the negotiating table with "genuine and constructive proposals."

The meeting took place at the residence of the Omani ambassador to the UN amid a heavy security presence. Some cars with Iranian diplomatic license plates were visible outside.

The US military is preparing for the possibility of weeks of operations against Iran if Trump orders an attack, two US officials told Reuters.

On Monday, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio told a news conference in Budapest that it was hard to do a deal with Iran, but the US was willing to try.

Iran's IRGC Navy launches maritime drill in Strait of Hormuz, one day before US nuclear talks

One day before talks were due to resume, Iran held a military exercise in the Strait of Hormuz, which was an attempt by Tehran to push back against the US, a person familiar with the matter told The Jerusalem Post.

The exercise was reported by Iran’s semi-official Tasnim News Agency, which is affiliated with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).

It focused on the regime’s naval forces and was reportedly carried out under the supervision of the IRGC Commander Maj.-Gen. Mohammad Pakpour.

The exercise was aimed at assessing the readiness of Iran’s naval operations units and to review security plans and scenarios for “reciprocal” military action by the IRGC, Tasnim reported.

The Strait of Hormuz is a channel between the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman. It is the only sea passage from the Persian Gulf to the open ocean, making it a strategically important choke point. Iranian hardliners have pushed for the Strait of Hormuz to be blocked in response to growing tensions with Washington.

The force was anticipated to offer a “decisive” response to any “anti-security plots in the maritime domain,” a source affiliated with the IRGC told Tasnim.

The exercise was carried out as Tehran is anticipating potential military action from the US.
Iran has begun efforts to fortify its nuclear facilities, especially those that were damaged during the US airstrikes last June.

Araghchi meets IAEA's Grossi to discuss nuclear talks

Iran's Araghchi on Monday met Rafael Grossi, head of the IAEA in Geneva, to discuss cooperation with the nuclear watchdog and technical aspects of the impending talks with the US.

On Tuesday afternoon, Witkoff and Kushner will participate in three-way talks with Russia and Ukraine as Washington attempts to coax Ukraine and Russia into an agreement to end Moscow's four-year-old invasion of Ukraine, the source said.

On Sunday, Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Majid Takht-Ravanchi told BBC that the "ball" for negotiations was "in America's court to prove that they want to do a deal," and that "If the US is sincere, I'm sure we will be on the road to an agreement."

He also claimed that Tehran had offered to dilute its 60%-enriched uranium to prove its willingness to reach a compromise.

"We are ready to discuss this and other issues related to our program if they are ready to talk about sanctions," he told the British public broadcaster.

He did not reply to a question on whether Iran would agree to ship out its stockpile of highly-enriched uranium out of Iran as it did in 2015, saying it was "too early to say what will happen in the course of negotiations." The Islamic Republic currently holds a stockpile of over 400kg. of highly-enriched uranium per the BBC's report.

"Our understanding is that they have come to the conclusion that if you want to have a deal, you have to focus on the nuclear issue," Takht-Ravanchi said.

"The issue of zero enrichment is not an issue anymore, and as far as Iran is concerned, it is not on the table anymore," the minister claimed.

Reuters, Danielle Greyman-Kennard, James Genn

Source: https://www.jpost.com/international/article-886942

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The top elites losing power and position over Epstein fallout - Ben Whedon

 

by Ben Whedon

Speculation over Jeffrey Epstein’s relationships with powerful global figures has attracted attention for years, and interest has only grown since President Donald Trump signed a law mandating the DOJ release its files on the case.

 

The Trump Department of Justice has faced intense scrutiny for its handling of the Jeffrey Epstein files and prosecutors' decision not to bring charges against anybody found in the million-plus-page dossier to have associated with the now-deceased sex-crime offender. But that hasn’t stopped other countries and the private sector from tearing down their own implicated elites.

The most clear example is perhaps former Prince Andrew, Duke of York, whose email exchanges with Epstein along with pictures of him next to women appeared in a recent batch of publicly released files. 

King Charles III late last year formally stripped Andrew of all royal titles, and he was evicted from his residence as a consequence. The move followed long-time concerns and controversy about Andrew's personal and official diplomatic relationship with the wealthy Epstein, which resulted in the Royal Family retiring him from public life years ago, largely after a following a botched interview in which Andrew attempted to defend himself. Still, he is not expected to face criminal prosecution. 

Among the others are:

Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem

Bin Sulayem was the chairman and CEO of DP World until earlier this month, when the Dubai government announced the appointment of a new CEO and chairman, without mentioning Bin Sulayem.

His exact relationship with Epstein remains somewhat unclear, though he was one of six men whom Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., named on the House floor as having a connection to Epstein. Four of the men were later revealed to merely be part of a lineup and had no meaningful connection to Epstein in their own right.

Peter Mandelson and Morgan McSweeney

The United Kingdom sacked its ambassador to the United States in September over revelations he maintained a closer relationship with Epstein than was previously known. The scandal also claimed the post of UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s chief of staff, Morgan McSweeney, who resigned this month over recommending Mandelson for the post.

The development led some to speculate that Starmer himself would follow suit, though he has thus far remained in his position.

Mona Juul

Norway, in particular, has seen a multitude of high-level officials face charges, resign, or lose their positions over the Epstein issue. The former Norwegian ambassador to the UK resigned last week following revelations that her husband received $10 million in Epstein’s will.

Juul and her husband, Terje Rød-Larsen, were key diplomats in negotiating the Oslo Accords in a bid to broker an Israeli-Palestinian peace agreement. She previously downplayed the family’s connection to Epstein, according to the Independent.

Thorbjorn Jagland

The former prime minister of Norway was charged with “aggravated corruption” last week in connection with a criminal probe over his ties to Epstein. Jagland led Norway from 1996 to 1997 and served as Secretary general of the Council of Europe from 2009 to 2019.

Jagland also chaired the Norwegian Nobel Committee from 2009 to 2015 and the investigation stems from his possible receipt of gifts, travel, loans, and other perks in connection with his post, the Associated Press reported.

Americans

Kathryn Ruemmler, the chief legal officer for the U.S.-based, multi-nation investment bank Goldman Sachs, announced last week that she would resign her post at the end of June. 

Her decision followed revelations that Epstein had contacted her in the wake of his 2019 arrest. Though Ruemmler previously admitted to knowing Epstein, she had claimed that they maintained only a professional relationship.

The document releases, however, showed that the pair maintained more familiar ties and that she even referred to him as “Uncle Jeffrey.” Ruemmler was also a confidant of Epstein and offered him legal advice on how to address the criminal allegations against him.

And this past weekend, Casey Wasserman, a top Hollywood talent agent whose clients include singers Chappell Roan, Ed Sheeran and Kendrick Lamar, said he was selling his business after communications with convicted Epstein associate Ghislaine Maxwell were exposed as part of the DOJ's most recent Epstein files dump. 

In 2019, then-Labor Secretary Alex Acosta resigned as a result of his role as U.S. Attorney in Florida in the 2008 plea deal for Epstein, in which he pleaded guilty to procuring a teenager for prostitution and soliciting a prostitute. 

No major political figure appears to have lost his or her job since Trump signed into law in late-2025 Congress's Epstein Files Transparency Act, which required the DOJ to publicly release nearly all documents, records and files related to the investigation and prosecution of Epstein and Maxwell. Epstein died in a New York City correctional facility in 2019 awaiting trial on federal sex-crime charges. 

However, the recent Epstein revelations have rocked the Trump Cabinet and forced Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick to admit that he did visit Epstein’s private island in 2012, years after Epstein pleaded guilty to procuring a child for prostitution.

Lutnick has denied wrongdoing and Trump has not sought his resignation. He previously claimed to have fully severed his relationship with Epstein in previous years.

Former President Bill Clinton’s ties to Jeffrey Epstein have long been public, though he and his wife, Hillary Clinton, have not escaped public scrutiny in the latest round. The pair defied subpoenas to testify before the House Oversight Committee this year, leading the panel to threaten contempt of Congress charges.

They staved off a contempt vote after agreeing to cooperate with the probe, but have sought a public hearing rather than a private deposition. They are not expected to face any criminal charges in connection with Epstein.

This past weekend, Hillary Clinton, a former secretary of state, said the Epstein files include “very troubling and really horrific information."

 

Ben Whedon is the Chief Political Correspondent at Just the News. Follow him on X.

Source: https://justthenews.com/politics-policy/tuethe-top-elites-losing-power-and-position-over-epstein-fallout

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