Tag: perpetual war

EXPOSED: Institute for the Study of War is Disinformation Factory Funded by Military Complex

The “non-profit” Institute for the Study of War (ISW) launders defense contractor cash into war-justifying disinformation, journalist and founder of Crowdsource the Truth Jason Goodman tells Sputnik, commenting on ISW’s Ukraine conflict coverage.

What Does ISW Say?

Reporting Ukrainian weakness is just Russian “disinformation”

Hit Russia harder and surge military production. Why? Because Russia seeks to “destroy NATO”.

Who Funds ISW?

Weapons-maker General Dynamics

Defense tech firm Avantus (now QinetiQ)

Global defense & intel contractor CACI International and many others

“[ISW] collected over $9 million in revenue [in 2023] alone — nearly all of it from undisclosed donors — and paid [founder] Kimberly Kagan herself over a quarter million dollars to peddle war escalation narratives under the banner of ‘trusted analysis’,” Goodman says.

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Palestinians flee intensified Israeli attacks after mass displacement orders in north Gaza

Israel intensified its aerial attacks and ground operations in northern Gaza on 30 May, as Palestinians began fleeing due to the massive-scale evacuation orders issued by the Israeli army the night before. 

Al Jazeera reported that “families were forced to wait until sunrise to begin escaping” due to the continuous attacks early on Friday, which began shortly after the order was issued. 

Since the early morning hours, Israel has been targeting homes and high-rise residential buildings in Jabalia al-Balad, Shujaiya, and Al-Tuffah, Palestinian media outlets reported. 

A woman was killed and several people injured in an Israeli airstrike on a house in Jabalia al-Balad.

Three people were also killed in an Israeli airstrike on the Saftawi area, north of Gaza City. In total, at least 18 people have been killed across Gaza since dawn. 

“There’s no safe place at all. Where can we go? We’re better off dying here than being displaced again, because death is more merciful than that. There’s bombing everywhere,” a Gaza City resident told Al Jazeera.

Israel’s latest evacuation orders were issued late on 29 May for almost all of Gaza City and other areas in the north. 

Around one million people who have already been displaced multiple times across the area are now being forcibly uprooted once again. 

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Erik Prince Involved In Deadly Drone Attacks In Haiti

The US-installed government in Haiti has turned to American mercenaries, including Erik Prince, to fight against armed groups that now control nearly all of Port-au-Prince. Drones operated by Prince’s firm have killed hundreds, but no high-value targets. 

According to the New York Times, Prince’s company has been operating drones in Haiti since March in an operation aimed at killing gang members. The Times notes the Haitian government has not announced any successful operations due to the program. 

Pierre Esperance, who leads the National Human Rights Defense Network, told the Wall Street Journal that more than 300 people have been killed in drone strikes over the last three months.

Additionally, Prince is ramping up for a larger operation. He is looking to send 150 mercenaries to Haiti this summer and has already shipped the arms to the nation. 

While now called Constellis Holdings, Prince’s defense contracting firm was initially named Blackwater. The company became infamous in 2007 when some of its mercenaries opened fire on civilians in Iraq, killing 17. 

Prince is a long-time ally of the US President, and the contractors responsible for murdering the Iraqi civilians were pardoned by Trump during his first term. 

Details of the current agreement between Prince and the Haitian government are unknown. The State Department denied that it is currently paying Prince. Although the US is funding Haitian police forces and Kenyan soldiers deployed to Haiti to help transfer power to the government. 

The current government in Port-au-Prince was installed by Washington last year after the collapse of the Ariel Henry administration. Henry was forced from power after he left Port-au-Prince to sign an agreement with the Kenyan government that allowed Nairobi to deploy its troops to Haiti. 

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Does No One Want Peace in Ukraine?

Peace talks between Russia and Ukraine have been rare since the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Part of the blame falls on Europe and the mainstream media for attempting to suffocate diplomacy.

When the first bilateral talks occurred in the early weeks of the war, the West, led by the United States, Britain and Poland discouraged them and nudged Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky off the promising path of peace and along the path of war with promises of whatever Ukraine needs for as long as they need it. An initialed draft of a peace plan yielded to three years of war.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said that Russian President Vladimir Putin “should be pressured, not negotiated with” and told Zelensky that Ukraine should “just fight.” The Americans, rather than encouraging diplomacy that could have saved hundreds of thousands of lives, prevented the poisoning of international relations and prevented the real risk of World War III, ramped up military aid and provided Ukraine with the most advanced weapons NATO had to offer.

Now there is hope of a resumption of those talks. Russian and Ukrainian delegations have met for the first time since those early talks for a first round of direct negotiations. And, once again, rather than nurturing them, Europe and the Western media are dismissing and suffocating them.

Rather than throwing their influential weight behind Ukraine negotiating with Russia, Europe has pushed Ukraine to adopt maximalist terms that they know will force Russia to go on fighting. They try to convince the Trump administration that Putin is bent on conquering Europe and is only faking interest in peace. They push for more sanctions on Russia and more military aid for Ukraine.

Instead of pushing for peace, Germany’s new chancellor, Friedrich Merz, said on May 26 that Germany had removed range restrictions on weapons sent to Ukraine, restrictions that his predecessor, like the United States, had insisted on to avoid crossing red lines that could draw NATO into war with Russia and into a third world war.

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If Only Ukraine-Loving Senate Republicans Put Americans First For Once

Senate Republicans and their majority leader are Johnny-on-the-spot when it comes to punishing Russia with sanctions after bad Vlad Putin and crew upped their missile strikes against Ukraine. Political strongmen tend to get a little testy when they suspect the countries they’re attacking of trying to blow them up.  As Axios reported earlier this week, Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., was “ready to move on a popular, bipartisan sanctions bill if Russia won’t come to the table in good faith” on a peace deal. 

“Senate Republicans are seizing on President Trump’s growing frustration with Russian President Vladimir Putin to argue the time to impose fresh sanctions on Russia is now,” the news outlet reported. Axios apparently carpooled with the rest of the corporate news gang on the “angry” “frustration” talking points expressway.

Senate Republicans are mad as hell, and they’re not going to take it anymore.

Tough-talking Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., is buddying up with Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., on an economic sanctions bill aimed at bringing Russia to the negotiating table. Graham says there’s a “new sheriff in town. The old playbook won’t work this time.”  

But the old playbook remains sadly in fashion in so many ways in Washington, D.C. 

Wouldn’t it be swell if Senate Republicans displayed the same level of passion and urgency when it comes to cutting taxes, shrinking government, and protecting our borders? While a lot of Americans agree with Trump that “crazy” Putin may be “playing with fire,” they would like to see their representatives in Washington, D.C., take some interest in pressing matters at home.

Whatever you think of President Trump’s “One, Big, Beautiful Bill,” and the House-passed reconciliation package as it stands is colossal, it does deliver on key policy issues Americans overwhelmingly support. Topping that list is the huge provision that locks in the wildly popular tax cuts Trump signed in his first term. When the clock strikes 2026, the law preventing the IRS from grabbing more of your hard-earned money turns back into a pumpkin without action from Congress. 

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China Has ‘Aggressively Penetrated’ Whole of UK Economy, Admits Govt.

The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has successfully penetrated every sector of the United Kingdom (UK)’s economy as a result of the government’s willingness to accept Chinese money without asking questions, so says the UK Parliament’s Intelligence and Security Committee in a report published Thursday.

The CCP has “prolifically and aggressively” targeted Britain’s industrial and energy sectors as a means of gaining control and influence over the British nation and its interests. It has also been “particularly effective” at using its money and influence to buy up universities and academia to ensure criticism of the party is suppressed and that Chinese values and narratives are pushed “at the expense of the West,” the report states.

The UK is one of China’s main targets due to its close relationship with the United States as well as the UK’s position as an “opinion former,” claims the Intelligence and Security Committee’s chairman, Julian Lewis.

The UK government has done little to counter the threat, instead choosing to take Chinese money while turning a blind eye to “China’s sleight of hand.” The report explains:

“The lack of action similarly to identify and protect UK assets from a known threat is a serious failure, and one that the UK may feel the consequences of for years to come.”

The UK is now “playing catch up,” but “[t]here is no evidence that Whitehall policy departments have the necessary resources, expertise or knowledge of the threat to counter China’s approach,” the report adds.

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Israeli Drone Strike Killed South Lebanon Municipal Worker Fixing Water Well

Israel continues to carry out its daily airstrikes against southern Lebanon, and continues to claim they’re killing Hezbollah figures despite evidence to the contrary. Thursday, the deadly drone strike came against the town of Nabatieh al-Fawqa.

The strike hit a forest on the town’s periphery, killing one person who Israel described as a “Hezbollah terrorist” and was working on restoring some sort of Hezbollah site involved in firing on Israeli territory. That’s the official Israeli story at least, and as usual, they provided no evidence to confirm it.

Mayor Zein Ali Ghandour was quick to offer a correction, however. Ghandour reported that the man killed was Mahmoud Hasan Atwi, a municipal employee, and that he was in the forest to work on a water well in the area.

This is just the latest of several thousand Israeli ceasefire violations since the truce went into effect in November. Those strikes have killed over 200 people, most of whom have never been conclusively identified.

The IDF though, when it comments at all on who they killed, virtually always declares the slain to be Hezbollah commander of some sort or another, and declares their very existence to be a violation of the ceasefire.

Since the ceasefire, Hezbollah has not launched a single strike on Israel. The group has handed over functionally all of its sites south of the Litani River to the Lebanese Army, and the Lebanese government reported some 80% of those sites have already been dismantled.

It’s difficult to say Lebanon will ever destroy all those sites to Israeli satisfaction, however, because every time a Lebanese government bulldozer is clearing a farmer’s field, Israel declares it to be the revitalization of a Hezbollah infrastructure and attacks the bulldozer.

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Smotrich Calls For ‘Rebuilding Temple’ During Jerusalem Day Celebrations

Far-right Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich has called for the rebuilding of a Jewish temple on the site of Al-Aqsa Mosque and for the expansion of Israel’s borders and Jewish settlements in Gaza.

In speech addressing crowds at a Jerusalem Day rally on Monday, which celebrates Israel’s occupation of the old city of Jerusalem, Smotrich also called for “complete redemption” and reconstruction of “the Temple here,” referring to Al-Aqsa Mosque, which settlers had raided earlier.

“We are conquering the Land of Israel, liberating Gaza, settling Gaza and defeating the enemy,” Smotrich said to crowds that had chanted “death to Arabs” as they marched through Jerusalem’s Old City and attacked Palestinians. 

“With God’s help, we will expand Israel’s borders, bring about complete redemption, and rebuild the Temple here,” he said.

Smotrich also reiterated his calls for Jewish settlement in Gaza, declaring that “Israel is not afraid of the word occupation”.

“Some people are afraid of victory. We are not afraid of victory,” he said. “Lets give strength to our brave and heroic fighters”.

Several attacks and brawls were caught on film during Jerusalem Day marches…

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Trump Admin Refuses To Confirm Whether It’s Lifted Range Restrictions On Missiles To Ukraine

Press pool reporters were left frustrated Tuesday afternoon when during a State Department briefing the Trump admin spokesperson refused to comment on German Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s announcement that the United States and European allies had lifted “absolutely” all restrictions on the range of arms sent to Ukraine.

State Department Spokesperson Tammy Bruce said when pressed by reporters, “I’m not going to discuss that. I’m not going to confirm that.” The Kremlin has responded by saying the decision was potentially dangerous and runs counter to attempts at a settlement. Still, there’s been no confirmation from the governments named by Merz, especially the US. Here is how Russia’s RT presented the televised exchange:

German chancellor says US, UK and EU all gave Kiev permission to fire longer-range missiles at Russia Trump’s government sounding more and more like Biden’s…

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Israeli Bombs, Gas Nearly Killed American Held By Hamas in Month Before Release

The father of Israeli-American IDF soldier Edan Alexander revealed that his son was nearly killed in an Israeli attack one month before Hamas released his son. The attack happened after Tel Aviv shut down the initial talks between Hamas and the Trump administration to ensure his release. 

According to an account by Alexander’s father, on April 14, Israel dropped multiple bombs above the tunnels where his son was held. The bombing created a toxic gas that nearly suffocated Edan to death. A second strike caused the tunnel he was in to collapse as he was fleeing the gas, nearly burying Alexander. 

In a statement from Edan relayed through his father, he explained how he was nearly killed by Israel. “I thought that was it, I’m dead. I managed to miraculously survive for a year and a half, but now it’s the end. I’m going to suffocate here in the tunnel,” he said. 

“We started to run away, and there was some kind of corridor — a very, very long corridor — I don’t know what was there on the other side, probably a connection to another route. We started running in that direction and then, suddenly, another bomb fell right above.” He added, “When the second bomb fell, and everything collapsed and we were buried underneath. It was the scariest moment of all time in captivity.”

Alexander is an American who was born in New Jersey. He enlisted in the IDF and was serving in a tank unit on October 7 when he was captured by Hamas. Alexander sustained injuries to his shoulder and hands during the Israeli attack that he is still recovering from. 

The date of the attack that nearly killed Alexander is notable as that same day, IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir said that Tel Aviv knew the location of the hostages and the operations would not endanger their lives. 

Additionally, the attack followed the initial push by the Trump administration to secure the release of Alexander, who was the only living American held by Hamas. In March, Trump’s Hostage Envoy Adam Bohler engaged in direct talks with Hamas on securing Alexander’s freedom. 

However, at that time, Tel Aviv lashed out at Bohler for attempting to make a deal and the talks ended. Early this month, the talks resumed when Hamas agreed to release Alexander as a unilateral show of good faith. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Tel Aviv would not make any concessions to facilitate the release of Alexander. 

An official told The Times of Israel that Tel Aviv opposed Alexander’s release out of concern that Trump may lose interest in Gaza if there are no American hostages.

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