Tag: perpetual war

Israeli Foreign Ministry Says It Won’t Allow Aid Flotilla To Break Blockade on Gaza

The Israeli Foreign Ministry on Monday issued a threat to the Global Sumud Flotilla, which is attempting to break Israel’s starvation siege on Gaza, warning that it wouldn’t allow the boats to breach the Israeli blockade.

The Israeli Foreign Ministry has also labeled the flotilla as “Hamas,” suggesting that Israel may target the boats with military strikes. Earlier this month, two of the boats came under drone attack while they were in port in Tunisia, causing fires and damage but no injuries to the crew.

“Statement Regarding the Hamas Flotilla (‘Sumud’): This flotilla, organized by Hamas, is intended to serve Hamas,” the Israeli Foreign Ministry wrote on X. “Israel will not allow vessels to enter an active combat zone and will not allow the breach of a lawful naval blockade.”

The ministry said that if the “flotilla participants’ genuine wish is to deliver humanitarian aid rather than serve Hamas, Israel calls on the vessels to dock at the Ashkelon Marina and unload the aid there, from where it will be transferred promptly in a coordinated manner to the Gaza Strip.” But the IDF continues to block food aid and humanitarian goods from entering Gaza despite an ongoing famine in the Palestinian territory.

Dozens of boats are participating in the Sumud Flotilla, marking the fourth attempt this year to break Israel’s blockade, and the first time multiple vessels are being used in a single effort. According to a flotilla tracker, a total of 51 boats are heading to Gaza, with the majority currently off the coast of Libya.

The first boat to try to break the blockade this year, the Conscience, came under Israeli drone attack off the coast of Malta in May, halting its journey.

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Congress Must Not Rubber Stamp Trump’s Murder Spree

The Trump administration reportedly wants Congress to rubber stamp the president’s murder spree in the Caribbean and to endorse possible attacks on other countries:

Draft legislation is circulating at the White House and on Capitol Hill that would hand President Trump sweeping power to wage war against drug cartels he deems to be “terrorists,” as well as against any nation he says has harbored or aided them, according to people familiar with the matter.

When Congress approved the 2001 AUMF, it made the mistake of giving the president extraordinary, open-ended authority to wage war against Al Qaeda, which then morphed into a unending global campaign. Ever since then, every administration has abused that authority to target a number of armed groups that had nothing to do with the original attacks on the United States. The bill described in this report would be far worse than the 2001 AUMF by endorsing a much more wide-ranging campaign when there is absolutely no military threat to this country. Congress was wrong to endorse endless war in 2001. It would be insane to endorse an even worse version of endless war when there is no reason for it.

The Trump administration seeks to merge the “war on terror” with its new campaign against cartels by pretending that the latter are terrorists, but all of this is a lie. The drug trade is a serious problem, but it is not one that can be solved by the military. It is not terrorism, and drug traffickers aren’t terrorists. All that involving the military will do is kill a lot of civilians by design.

Drug traffickers aren’t lawful targets. Congress can’t give the president the authority to murder civilians. Trump’s barbaric boat attacks are illegal under U.S. and international law no matter what Congress does with this bill.

We need to reject the administration’s war framing in its entirety. While they may want to claim that there is an armed conflict that lets them kill these civilians, no such conflict exists. None of the groups that they have wrongly designated as terrorist organizations is engaged in an armed conflict with the United States. There is no war to be fought. When the administration uses force against alleged cartel members, they are just summarily executing suspected criminals outside the law. This is as illegitimate and despicable as it gets.

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Cuba’s Shadow Army in Ukraine: Havana’s Silent Alliance with Moscow

In Miami, we recently spoke with a Ukrainian citizen who was blunt: “A significant number of Cubans are fighting on behalf of Russia.” His certainty echoes what is now surfacing through intelligence leaks, investigative journalism, and testimonies.

This is not hearsay alone. It fits a wider pattern: a regime under economic collapse, an ally in need of soldiers, and a recruitment network that stretches from Havana to Tula.

For the first time since Angola in the 1970s, large numbers of Cubans are again fighting in a foreign war—not under their flag, but under Russia’s.

Evidence of Cuban Fighters in Ukraine

  • Initial reports (2023): In May 2023, Russian outlets in Ryazan reported Cubans signing contracts with the Russian Army in exchange for citizenship. By summer, videos surfaced of young Cubans claiming they had been deceived into combat.
  • Recruitment networks: In September 2023, Cuba’s government announced it had uncovered a trafficking ring and arrested 17 individuals.Yet evidence of continued flows emerged soon after, raising doubts about Havana’s sincerity.
  • OSINT confirmation: RFE/RL’s investigative unit Schemes documented Cuban recruits training at Russia’s 106th Guards Airborne Division in Tula, using social media geolocation and satellite imagery.
  • Ukrainian estimates: A Ukrainian diplomat told The Wall Street Journal in February 2024 that around 400 Cubans were on the front. Another MP cited 1,500–3,000. By June 2025, El País, citing Ukraine’s GUR intelligence, reported a cumulative 20,000 recruits since 2022, with 6,000–7,000 active at any given time. These figures remain unverified by Western intelligence but indicate the scale of concern.

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Estonia says UN Security Council to meet after 3 Russian fighter jets entered country’s airspace

Estonia said Sunday that the United Nations Security Council is going to meet after three Russian fighter jets flew into Estonian airspace late this week.

“In response to Russia’s blatant, reckless, and flagrant violation of @NATO airspace over Estonia on Friday—when armed MiG-31 fighter jets intruded into our territory for 12 minutes—the @UN Security Council will convene tomorrow, September 22, to address this breach of territorial integrity and the violation of the prohibition on the threat or use of force,” the Estonian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on the social platform X early Sunday morning.

Last Friday, three Russian fighter jets entered Estonian airspace, with the country’s top diplomat calling the incident an “unprecedented and brazen intrusion.”

Estonian Prime Minister Kristen Michal asked for NATO Article 4 consultations later Friday. Article 4 lets NATO members raise all issues threatening that country’s territorial integrity or political independence or security to fellow members.

“This morning, 3 Russian Mig-31 fighter jets entered Estonian airspace. NATO fighters responded and the Russian planes were forced to flee. Such violation is totally unacceptable. The Government of Estonia has decided to request NATO Article 4 consultations,” Michal said on X previously.

In its Sunday post, the Estonian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that “Russia’s reckless and aggressive actions, and its repeated violations of international law and the principles of the UN Charter, require a strong and united international response.”

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“Nuclear Bombs On Rent”? Has Saudi Arabia Just Rented Pakistan’s Nukes By Signing Strategic Mutual Defense Agreement?

In the grand halls of Riyadh’s royal palaces, where the air carries the smell of incense and strong purpose, two leaders came together on September 17, 2025. Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif signed a deal that feels like a big shake-up in the Middle East.

This Strategic Mutual Defense Agreement, or SMDA, says that if one country is attacked, it’s like attacking both.

This sounds a lot like NATO’s famous Article 5, where members promise to defend each other. But this agreement is different—it’s between just two countries, and it hints at Pakistan’s nuclear weapons, about 170 of them, which Saudi Arabia has wanted for years.

Has the Kingdom, which guards the sentiments of millions, basically rented a nuclear shield from its friend without building its own? Has Pakistan opened up a shop selling protection to other countries?

This isn’t just a simple agreement; it’s a smart move that could bring Islamic nations closer or start a big worry about nuclear spread from Iran to Israel. Pakistan has started a trend of ‘RENT THE BOMB’.

The signing event was full of symbols—green and white flags waving like proud banners, the two men in traditional robes and suits shaking hands under high ceilings. But behind the pictures lies a deeper story.

For more than 50 years, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan have been close allies. The Saudis have sent billions of dollars—over $30 billion since the 1980s—to help Pakistan with its military and economy.

In return, Pakistan has sent soldiers to protect Mecca and Medina, like during the 1979 takeover of the Grand Mosque, and trained Saudi troops to fight rebels. It was a fair trade:

Pakistan, stuck between big India and troubled Afghanistan, needed money to build its nuclear program after losing half its country in 1971. Saudi Arabia, surrounded by enemies like revolutionary Iran and Iraq, wanted a strong Sunni partner.

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US introduces bill to transfer frozen Russian assets to Kyiv

According to a document published by the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, several amendments must be made to laws signed by former President Joe Biden in 2024. These laws allow the US government to confiscate Russia’s frozen assets and provide military assistance to Ukraine. According to lawmakers from both parties, the Washington administration, in particular, should begin transferring the aforementioned funds to Kiev “every 90 days.” It is assumed that the top US diplomat would allocate at least $250 million to Ukraine during this period.

According to the bill, the Washington administration should “implement a robust, sustained diplomatic campaign to persuade US allies” to also start using at least 5% of frozen Russian assets in Ukraine’s interests. US lawmakers estimate that this would initially amount to approximately $15 billion. Senators believe that other countries should transfer funds to Kiev at least once every 90 days, according to a report by TASS.

In addition, senators want to require the Washington administration to report on the amount of Russian sovereign assets, including frozen assets, held outside the United States.

Since the start of the special military operation, the EU, Canada, the US, and Japan have frozen approximately $300 billion in Russian assets. Of these, about $5-6 billion are in the US, with most in Europe, including $210 billion held at the Euroclear international platform in Belgium. As the Russian Foreign Ministry has warned, Moscow will take immediate action in response to the possible confiscation of its assets in the West.

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Taliban Rejects Trump’s Call to Return Afghan Air Base to US Control

The Taliban regime on Sept. 21 rejected President Donald Trump’s call for the United States to regain control of the Bagram Air Base, the main base for U.S. forces in Afghanistan before their 2021 withdrawal.

In a statement, the Taliban emphasized that “Afghanistan’s independence and territorial integrity are of the utmost importance” and urged the United States to abide by the pledge it made under the 2020 Doha Agreement.

“It should be recalled that, under the Doha Agreement, the United States pledged that ‘it will not use or threaten force against the territorial integrity or political independence of Afghanistan, nor interfere in its internal affairs.’ Therefore, it is necessary that they remain faithful to their commitments,” the Afghan ruler stated.

The regime also expressed its intention to have “constructive relations” with the United States “on the basis of mutual and shared interests.”

“Accordingly, it is once again underscored that, rather than repeating past failed approaches, a policy of realism and rationality should be adopted,” it stated.

In response, Trump warned on the Truth Social platform that “bad things are going to happen” if the Taliban regime refuses to return control of the major air base to the United States.

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Adam Schiff, Tim Kaine Introduce Bill To Protect Caribbean Drug Traffickers From Trump Strikes

Sens. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) and Tim Kaine (D-Va.) introduced a resolution on Friday aimed at halting U.S. military strikes on drug trafficking operations in the Caribbean, saying the actions were launched without congressional approval.

The measure, filed under the War Powers Act, would prohibit use of the military against non-state groups involved in drug trafficking unless Congress authorizes it. War powers resolutions are privileged, meaning the Senate must take up the measure for debate and a vote.

The move follows two recent military strikes in the Southern Caribbean Sea—on Sept. 2 and Sept. 15—that targeted vessels that were carrying narcotics. Democratic lawmakers say they have not received key details about the incidents, including who was on board, the cargo, and the legal basis for lethal force.

President Donald Trump has said the vessels belonged to “extraordinarily violent drug trafficking cartels and narcoterrorists” operating out of Venezuela. He said the boats were carrying narcotics bound for the United States, calling them a direct threat to U.S. national security and vital interests.

“If you are transporting drugs that can kill Americans, we are hunting you,” Trump said after the Sept. 15 operation, which killed three people. He added there was “recorded evidence” that drugs were on board, including large bags of cocaine and fentanyl scattered in the water after the strike.

“Congress alone holds the power to declare war,” Schiff said in announcing the resolution. “And while we share with the executive branch the imperative of preventing and deterring drugs from reaching our shores, blowing up boats without any legal justification risks dragging the United States into another war and provoking unjustified hostilities against our own citizens.”

Kaine alleged the Trump administration had failed to explain why standard interdiction methods were not used.

“President Trump has no legal authority to launch strikes or use military force in the Caribbean or elsewhere in the Western Hemisphere,” Kaine said, adding that “Congress simply cannot let itself be stiff-armed as this administration continues to flout the law.”

The White House has said the earlier strike on Sept. 2 targeted the operations of Tren de Aragua, a Venezuelan transnational gang designated as a foreign terrorist organization, and that it was conducted in defense of U.S. national interests.

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Netanyahu Fumes as UK, Canada, Australia, and Portugal Announce Recognition of Palestinian State

The UK, Australia, Canada, and Portugal all announced on Sunday their formal recognition of a Palestinian state, a step that comes a day before the opening of the UN General Assembly in New York.

“Today, to revive the hope of peace for the Palestinians and Israelis, and a two-state solution, the United Kingdom formally recognises the State of Palestine,” British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said in a post on X.

In response to the announcements, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed that there would never be a Palestinian state and bragged about his work over the years to prevent one.

“It’s not going to happen. There will be no Palestinian state to the west of the Jordan River,” Netanyahu said. “For years, I have prevented the creation of that terror state, against tremendous pressure, both domestic and from abroad.

The Israeli leader also said Israel would continue expanding Jewish settlements in the Israeli-occupied West Bank. “Moreover, we have doubled the Jewish settlement in Judea and Samaria, and we will continue on this path,” he said.

The Trump administration has discouraged its allies from recognizing a Palestinian state and has banned Palestinian Authority officials from attending the General Assembly. Trump has previously threatened a trade deal with Canada over its plans to recognize Palestine.

Netanyahu said that he will announce his response to the Western countries recognizing Palestine after he returns from the US. The Israeli leader will attend the General Assembly in New York and is expected to travel to Washington for his fourth White House visit of the year.

Netanyahu and his government are considering annexing parts of the West Bank, and some Israeli officials called for the Israeli prime minister to take the step after the UK’s announcement.

“The days when Britain and other countries determined our future are over, the mandate has ended, and the only response to the anti-Israeli move is sovereignty over the homeland of the Jewish people in Judea and Samaria, and the removal of the foolish idea of a Palestinian state from the agenda forever,” Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich wrote on X. “Mr. Prime Minister, this is the time, and it is in your hands.”

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Donald Trump vows to defend Poland if it came up against Russia after its drones sparked ‘biggest escalation since WWII’

Donald Trump has vowed to defend Poland if it came up against Russia after its drone incursion sparked the biggest escalation since World War II. 

The US President made the commitment when speaking to journalists gathered outside the White House today as he left to attend the memorial for assassinated conservative activist Charlie Kirk. 

He was asked: ‘Will you help defend Poland and the Baltic States from Russia if Russia keeps escalating?’

The American premier responded: ‘Yeah, I would, I will.’ 

It comes after suicide drones sent by Russian president Vladimir Putin ‘repeatedly violated’ Polish airspace earlier this month during a Kremlin attack on Ukraine. 

The Nato country was forced to scramble its air defenses to take out the craft in the early hours of September 10 – in its first engagement since the Russia-Ukraine war began in February 2022. 

Some 19 Shahed-2 drones entered Polish airspace with at least three shot down – and just days later, another was neutralised over Poland’s presidential palace. 

It saw Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk warn ‘we are closer to war than any time since World War II’ as he denounced the ‘large-scale provocation’, which tests ‘Nato’s response threshold’. 

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