Tag: perpetual war

Moscow Threatens Retaliation After Ukraine Strikes Russia With 6 US-Made ATACMS Missiles

Moscow has announced a very serious escalation out of Ukraine on Wednesday, with defense ministry officials saying that six US-made ATACMS ballistic missiles were launched against a Russian airfield inside the country’s sovereign territory.

Taganrog is a Black Sea port city in southwestern Russia, and was targeted in the heavy attack. The military claimed that all six were able to be intercepted and downed before reaching their target, with two reported intercepts by a Pantsir air defense system, and the others destroyed after electronic warfare systems diverted them.

“Missile fragments caused injuries among personnel. There was no destruction, but two buildings in the airfield’s technical area and three military vehicles sustained minor shrapnel damage. Civilian vehicles in a nearby parking lot were also damaged,” the Russian Defense Ministry statement said.

Apparently this damage occurred through “falling fragments of the missiles” according to the ministry, which also vowed that retaliation is coming for the strike.

“This attack by Western long-range weapons will not go unanswered, and appropriate measures will be taken,” it added, but without specifying anything further.

It appears that at least other drones or missiles which were part of the broader assault made it through Russian aerial defenses:

In the early hours of Wednesday, Dec.11, multiple explosions shook the city of Taganrog in Russia’s Rostov region, regional governor Yuri Slyusar reported, describing the attack as a “missile strike.”

The attack, reported around 4:20 a.m., triggered air defense systems and caused at least ten explosions, local residents told the Shot Telegram channel. Eyewitnesses suggested the target might have been a military airfield, according to CHEKA-OGPU Telegram channel.

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U.S. Gives Ukraine $20 Billion in Stolen Russian Assets

The Biden administration announced today that the U.S. will pump Ukraine with $20 billion in stolen Russian assets to keep the war going — which is part of a $50 billion effort by the G7 announced in October

“These funds – paid for by the windfall proceeds earned from Russia’s own immobilized assets – will provide Ukraine a critical infusion of support as it defends its country against an unprovoked war of aggression,” Janet Yellen, the secretary of the Treasury, said in a statement. She continued: “We are sending an unmistakable message of resolve by making Russia increasingly bear the costs of its illegal war, instead of taxpayers in our coalition.”

(U.S. taxpayers already sent Ukraine over $60 billion in weapons.)

The International Monetary Fund warned in May that the Western push to confiscate Russian assets or the interest on these funds could dramatically undermine the global monetary system.

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The Fight for Economic Freedom and the Lessons of Roger Ver

The system thrives on coercion, fear, and the risk of choice. At its core, this structure relies on convincing you that compliance is your only option. This is why I refuse to pay income taxes—not just because they are theft and robbery, but because allowing the state to take what is rightfully mine means actively participating in their destruction. Income taxes are the lifeblood of war, systemic violence, and the machinery that suppresses individual freedom. Every dollar taken from you funds the gears of oppression, ensuring the system thrives while your autonomy withers.

When you truly understand what your income tax dollars fund—bombs dropped on innocent civilians, campaigns of violence masquerading as diplomacy, and the erosion of basic liberties—it becomes impossible to remain moral and complicit. You cannot claim to value freedom while funding its destruction. The state counts on your obedience, not just through physical coercion but through psychological manipulation. By paying taxes, you’re not just a victim; you’re an enabler.

People like to argue that they have no choice. But there is always a choice, even if it comes with risks. This is where the state’s true coercion lies—not in the absence of options, but in the consequences of defiance. Fear of punishment keeps people compliant, locked in a cycle of obedience that prioritizes survival over ethics. Choosing to opt out means accepting those risks and reclaiming your autonomy. It’s not easy, but it’s necessary. The alternative is to remain shackled, perpetuating the system that thrives on violence, control, and exploitation.

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US joins Israel in destroying Syrian military facilities and its navy by launching attacks against ISIS targets in Syria – 350 Israeli strikes, 75 US strikes – so far.

It’s only a matter of time before the supporters of Assad are rounded up and “prosecuted”.

Here’s a few headlines, the first describes events so far.

Syria – live: Israel fires more than 350 strikes against Syria as Mohammed al-Bashir appointed temporary PM

Here’s a report of US strikes:

Shockwaves in Syria – U.S. Targets Extremists After Regime Topples | RightWing

And another from a UK tabloid about the looting of the presidential palace, Iranian, Italian and Iraqi embassies and the central bank.

Syrian rebels loot banks, ransack Assad’s millions & storm embassies after toppling tyrant as nation descends into chaos | The Sun

Lots of embedded videos and pictures in those articles.

Israel is going to establish a “sterile zone” beyond the Golan Heights whilst the US is poised to recognise the rebel leader, as he says that elections will be held by March 2025.

There is no mention of UK and EU military involvement.

No doubt tens of billions of dollars are on the way from NATO countries – starting with humanitarian aid to the areas that have been blown to bits.

There are estimates of a million displaced Syrians out of the country’s 22 million or so remaining people.

There is also no news of any Russian, Iranian, Iraqi or Turkish military operations. Neither is there any news about the activity of Kurds seeking to establish an autonomous region in the north of Syria.

Right now, the Israeli and US forces are acting with impunity and with no consequences for their actions.

I doubt this is the end of the conflict or its repercussions.

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IDF Tanks Reach Just 25km From Damascus As Netanyahu Declares Golan Is ‘Ours Forever’

With Assad overthrown and Syria in shambles, Israel has declared the permanent annexation of the Golan Heights. “The Golan Heights,” announced Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, “will forever be an inseparable part of the State of Israel.”

He said that control over this historical Syrian territory “guarantees” Israel’s security and sovereignty and is of “great importance”. The announcement came as Israel pounded with airstrikes numerous Syrian bases, abandoned army assets, parked warplanes and helicopters, and even naval ships off Latakia.

The attacks kept going throughout the night, as Israeli and international sources describe:

Regional security sources and officers within the now-fallen Syrian army who spoke to Reuters described Tuesday morning’s airstrikes as the heaviest yet, hitting military installations and airbases across Syria, destroying dozens of helicopters and jets, as well as Republican Guard assets in and around Damascus.

“The rough tally of 200 raids overnight had left nothing of the Syrian army’s assets, said the sources,” the report adds.

Netanyahu further hailed that this signals the start of a “new and dramatic chapter” in the history of the Middle East. He called Assad a “central element of Iran’s axis of evil” but that Iran over-invested and everything collapsed.

Israeli media has further confirmed that after Israeli forces crossed the Golan area deeper into southern Syria, establishing a so-called security and buffer zone, IDF tanks are closer to the Syrian capital than ever before in history.

The Times of Israel details:

An Israeli military incursion into southern Syria has reached about 25 kilometers (16 miles) southwest of the capital Damascus, two regional security sources and one Syrian security source says.

The Syrian security source says Israeli troops reached Qatana, which is 10 kilometers (6 miles) into Syrian territory, east of a demilitarized zone separating the Golan Heights from Syria.

Despite the claims, the IDF has indicated that it only plans to operate on the ground inside the buffer zone, and not beyond it.

Some critics of the now ruling Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) have pointed out that this supposed “revolution” has resulted in a situation where Turkey is carving up the north and Israel is carving up the south, while the whole country is defenseless, without anti-air protection, against Israeli strikes.

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Israeli airstrikes, artillery shelling pound south Lebanon in latest ceasefire violations

Tel Aviv continued its relentless attacks on southern Lebanon on 10 December, carrying out several strikes, including an attack on the Lebanese Civil Defense – violating the ceasefire reached between Lebanon and Israel late last month. 

Several Israeli attacks struck south Lebanon on Tuesday. Al Mayadeen’s correspondent reported that a Lebanese citizen was killed in an Israeli airstrike on the town of Bint Jbeil. 

Israeli forces also targeted rescue teams trying to retrieve bodies in the south. 

“An Israeli helicopter chased Lebanese Civil Defense personnel while they were trying to retrieve the bodies of martyrs from the southern Lebanese town of Shamaa, forcing them to withdraw, and targeting the location they were in with artillery shelling,” Al-Akhbar newspaper reported. 

It reported earlier on 10 December that “a joint patrol of the Lebanese army and the Polish unit in UNIFIL was subjected to warning fire from Israeli forces while trying to open the Aitaroun–Bint Jbeil highway, which had been blocked by the Israelis last Thursday.”

According to Lebanon’s National News Agency (NNA), Israeli troops opened fire at the outskirts of the town of Shaqra and other areas in the south, and fired artillery at the outskirts of Sheheen and Al-Jubain. 

NNA also reported “massive bombings” in the town of Khiam, while Israeli troops continued to demolish homes and buildings in the area. 

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Pete Hegseth, a ‘Recovering Neocon?’

Politicians frequently “change their minds.” In principle, willingness to change one’s mind is a laudable trait, whether you’re a politician or any other type of person. To absorb new information, and then adjust one’s outlook in accordance with that information, is a prudent habit to cultivate for anyone who wants to engage constructively with the world. However, the propensity of political figures to “change their minds” usually requires an extra layer of critical examination, unless you’re inclined to just credulously accept their self-serving bulls**t.

When a political figure resolutely declares that they have an unflinching ethical or policy conviction, and then go on to abandon that conviction, at minimum this should obligate some explanation for the shift. If the explanation reflects a sincere and transparent reevaluation of certain facts or premises, that’s one thing to consider. If the explanation reflects naked expediency and opportunism, that’s another thing. If no real explanation is provided at all, that’s something else entirely. “Mind-changing,” thus, is not a virtue unto itself — nor is it necessarily a defect. The crucial factor is the accompanying explanation (or lack thereof), and how much soundness one ascribes to it.

For instance, if Bernie Sanders suddenly announced tomorrow that he was no longer in favor of imposing higher taxes on billionaires, that would certainly raise doubts as to the veracity and coherence of his life-long political project. If Thomas Massie declared he was suddenly in favor of the state controlling key economic sectors, that too would make one wonder about the fundamental reliability and consistency of his long-articulated worldview. So, while political figures are certainly free to “change their mind” about things, the rest of us are also free to make judgments about whether those “mind-changes” are credible.

How, then, to evaluate the claimed “mind-change” of Pete Hegseth, Donald Trump’s nominee for Secretary of Defense? In the recent past, Hegseth wasn’t just a casual supporter of the Iraq War — he was a full-blown professional pro-war activist and lobbyist, whose entire career was conjoined with his strident pro-war advocacy. Hegseth ran a group called “Veterans for Freedom,” whose explicit purpose was to pressure Congress to support the Iraq War and galvanize public opinion behind George W. Bush’s foreign policy, including by appearing in the media to make robust pro-war arguments — a role which Hegseth eventually marshaled into a gig on Fox News. As Hegseth fondly recounted in his 2020 book, American Crusade, one of the group’s primary tasks was to tour around the United States exhorting fellow citizens to join their pro-war cause. “We gave speeches aimed at building support for the war,” Hegseth recalled. “I believed in the mission we had in Iraq.”

But nowadays, Hegseth appears to be singing a different tune. In a podcast appearance last month, host Shawn Ryan asked: “Should we have been in Iraq?” To which Hesgeth replied: “I was a huge proponent of it at the time, but in retrospect, absolutely not,” adding, “I’ve been a recovering neocon for six years now.”

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Latest Statistics on Gaza Genocide Revealed – What We Know?

The Government Media Office in the Gaza Strip publishes an update on the most important statistics of the genocidal war waged by the Israeli occupation. This is what we know.

The government media office in Gaza announced that Israel has committed 9,905 massacres in the Gaza Strip, including 7,160 massacres against Palestinian families.

The numbers were released as part of the latest update on the Israeli genocidal war on the Gaza Strip since October 7, 2023.

The report said that the Israeli occupation exterminated 1,410 Palestinian families, and completely erased them from the civil registry. This means that these families have lost the father, mother and all other family members. 

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Muhammad al-Bashir Authorized to Form Interim Government in Syria

Mohammed al-Bashir, the head of the so-called “salvation government,” said on Tuesday that the Syrian opposition had authorized him to form an interim government in the country.

“By decision of the General Command, we have been authorized to form an interim government. This will be done tentatively by March 1, 2025,” al-Bashir told Al Hadath broadcaster.

The so-called “salvation government” was formed by opposition forces in Idlib since January 2024.

Syrian armed opposition groups captured Damascus on Sunday. Syrian Prime Minister Mohammad Ghazi al-Jalali said that he and 18 other ministers had decided to remain in the capital. Jalali also said he was in contact with the leaders of militant groups that had entered the city. The Russian Foreign Ministry said that Syrian President Bashar Assad had stepped down and left Syria after negotiations with some participants in the Syrian conflict.

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What we know about Mohammed al-Bashir, head of Syria’s interim government

On December 10, 2024, news emerged about the appointment of Mohammed al-Bashir as the head of Syria’s interim government. The decision was made at a joint meeting of the Council of Ministers, which previously reported to President Bashar Assad, and an alternative government formed by opposition groups in 2017. The interim government’s mandate is expected to last three months.

Mohammed al-Bashir was born into a Sunni family in Syria’s northwestern Idlib province in 1983. In 2007, he received a degree in technology from Aleppo University and, in 2021, earned a Sharia law degree from Idlib University. He also completed a course in administration and project management and worked at a plant belonging to the Syria Gas Company.

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