Tag: the war of terror

FBI’s Warrantless Search Ruled Unconstitutional in a Blow to Government Spying

A case that started a decade ago with a New York City man’s arrest at John F. Kennedy Airport for allegedly trying to join a Pakistani terrorist group has now dealt a setback to government spying powers.

In a decision that could feed into a looming fight over government surveillance, a federal court ruled last month that FBI agents violated the man’s constitutional rights when they searched National Security Agency databases for information on him dozens of times without a warrant.

The decision gives a boost to the surveillance critics who have long asked Congress to impose a warrant requirement on “backdoor” searches of NSA data collected under Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, known as FISA.

Donald Trump’s nominee to lead the FBI, Kash Patel, has called for “major reform” of Section 702. He faces a Thursday confirmation hearing where surveillance hawks on the Senate Intelligence Committee could grill him about that position. Trump’s other nominees, however, have lined up to back the law.

The parties to the New York City case have not signaled whether they intend to appeal the ruling in the case against Agron Hasbajrami, who remains imprisoned. But if it stands, the decision could play a role in thecongressional debate over the spying law when it expires in April 2026.

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New York Times Complains Labeling Mexican Cartels Terrorist Organizations Will ‘Hurt The U.S. Economy’

As Donald Trump gets to work on his agenda, left-wing media organizations like The New York Times are already making fools of themselves.

On his first day in office, Trump signed an executive order designating Mexican drug cartels as foreign terror organizations.

His order stated:

The Cartels have engaged in a campaign of violence and terror throughout the Western Hemisphere that has not only destabilized countries with significant importance for our national interests but also flooded the United States with deadly drugs, violent criminals, and vicious gangs.

The Cartels functionally control, through a campaign of assassination, terror, rape, and brute force nearly all illegal traffic across the southern border of the United States.

In certain portions of Mexico, they function as quasi-governmental entities, controlling nearly all aspects of society.

The Cartels’ activities threaten the safety of the American people, the security of the United States, and the stability of the international order in the Western Hemisphere.

Their activities, proximity to, and incursions into the physical territory of the United States pose an unacceptable national security risk to the United States.

However, The New York Times is now arguing that this move will damage the U.S. economy because of the risk of businesses in both countries violating sanctions against terrorist groups.

Their article states.

The foreign terrorist designation could lead to severe penalties — including substantial fines, asset seizures and criminal charges — on companies and individuals found to be paying ransom or extortion payments.

U.S. companies could also be ensnared by standard payments made to Mexican companies that a cartel controls without the American companies’ knowledge.

As a result, companies in the risk-averse American financial sector may simply refuse to wire money to a Mexican factory, for example, to facilitate cross-border production and trade, or to wire money between personal accounts.

…

If money transfer companies like Western Union also stop transactions to Mexico over worries about properly vetting Mexican clients, it could affect the remittances the country relies on.

That would be devastating for the Mexican economy, which received $63.3 billion in remittances in 2023, nearly 5 percent of the country’s gross domestic product.

The Mexican peso has suffered as a result of the designation, as well as the looming threat of tariffs and trade barriers.

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US Launches Airstrike in Somalia, Claims 10 al-Shabaab Fighters Killed

US Africa Command said on Tuesday that its forces launched an airstrike in southern Somalia on December 31, which it claimed killed 10 al-Shabaab militants.

The command said the strike was launched on a town about 35 kilometers southwest of the southern port city of Kismaayo. AFRICOM claimed that its “initial post-strike assessment” found no civilians were harmed, though the Pentagon is notorious for hiding civilian casualties in Somalia.

AFRICOM framed the attack as a “collective self-defense airstrike” since it was launched in support of the Mogadishu-based government’s forces fighting on the ground.

“In addition to the airstrike, US forces provided support to Somali forces by evacuating Soldiers that were attacked while fighting the terrorist group,” AFRICOM said.

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Twisting the Terrorism Narrative

There was absolutely nothing stopping them. But not one single member of Western mainstream media ever visited a bomb site in Lebanon to verify whether Israeli claims it was a Hezbollah base or missile site were true because they knew the answer is negative, as I found across dozens of bomb sites, and that is not the narrative they are paid to promote.

But when a narrative they are paid to promote came to the fore, they flocked to Damascus – driving right past the bombed civilian homes, ambulance centres and schools of Lebanon’s Bekaa Valley to get there – to promote Syria’s new Israel-, U.S.A- and Turkey-sponsored “democratic” government of entirely “reformed” HTS (Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham) Wahhabists.

Now in the past I had unfortunate arguments with some who broadly take a similar view of politics to me – Vanessa Beeley comes to mind – because I was never a fan of the Assad regime and its human rights record. Nevertheless, I consistently preferred Assad to the NATO-, Gulf- and Israel-sponsored extremist Wahhabi “rebels” who were fighting him.

But you can acknowledge Assad’s human rights abuses without subscribing to the ludicrous atrocity propaganda that spewed out of the mainstream media – 150,000 prisoners in one jail, 100,000 people in a mass grave, the “body press” whose plywood-pressing surfaces were peculiarly unstained, the suntanned American prisoner who had been “locked in a room for seven months”, the splendidly groomed dissident prisoner “rescued” by CNN.

Atrocity propaganda is as old as warfare. Like the “60 beheaded babies” of Oct. 7, or the 100,000 prisoners in a mass grave, it will doubtless recur indefinitely despite being nonsense. The installation of HTS by the NATO powers and Israel was a propaganda orgy of “joy” and “liberation.”

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HERE WE GO: Far-Left Orleans Parish DA Calls for Imposing Fascist European-Style Spying Measures on Americans to ‘Stop’ Future Terror Attacks

Radical leftists are wasting absolutely no time trying to capitalize on yesterday’s terror attack in New Orleans, following the advice of Rahm Emanuel to “never let a crisis go to waste.”

As The Gateway Pundit reported, a homegrown Islamist terrorist mowed down dozens of innocent revelers celebrating the New Year on Bourbon Street in a white pickup truck. At least 15 people perished, with at least 35 more wounded.

The suspect, identified as 42-year-old Shamsud Din Jabbar, later died during the gunfight with police.

Soros-Backed Orleans Parish District Attorney Jason Williams appeared on MSNBC this morning to give his take on the evil attack. Like a true Marxist, Williams decided to utilize this evil attack as an opportunity to demand changes to the everyday lives of Americans.

He opened his screed by proclaiming that Americans were going to have have to make privacy sacrifices to the state, especially during large gatherings.

“Things are going to have to change…I think you’re going to see a lot of things change in the city of New Orleans and actually, I think you are going to see a lot of things change in this country in terms of how we handle large-scale events where there is pedestrian access and where there are large-scale vehicles allowed,” Williams stated.

“I think you’re going to see things change in terms of the level of surveillance that we have in this country,” he added.

His rhetoric grew more troubling when he scoffed at Americans who value liberty and revealed his ideal solution to supposedly stop terror attacks: European-style spying on ordinary citizens walking the streets.

European nations like the United Kingdom utilize this spying tool not to protect law-abiding constituents, but to control them. For example, European authorities have used surevillance for years to track drivers anywhere on the continent.

“We push back against some of that. But when you look at places like the UK and other European places where CCTV is very commonplace. it can look for signs or indications of an attack,” Williams concluded.

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Top 9/11 Lawyer Michael Barasch Slams Biden Plea Deals: ‘Devastating Betrayal’ of Families

The rejection of Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin’s revocation of 9/11 plea deals represents a “devastating betrayal” of grieving families, according to renowned 9/11 attorney Michael Barasch, a leading advocate for victims of the tragic September 11 attacks, who insisted that Americans “deserve answers, not compromises.”

Prominent 9/11 attorney Michael Barasch slammed the Biden administration’s handling of plea agreements for 9/11 terrorists, calling it a blow to “thousands of families who have endured 23 years of grief, unanswered questions, and hollow promises of justice.”  

Barasch, whose firm represents over 40,000 victims of 9/11, voiced outrage over the potential removal of the death penalty for those responsible for the attacks, calling it “clear beyond a reasonable doubt that these terrorists are guilty and deserve execution.” 

“As a human being, I understand the unbearable burden placed on families who have waited 23 agonizing years for closure—had this plea not happened, they would face the possibility of another decade of litigation, uncertainty, and delay,” he stated.  

Highlighting the ongoing health crises stemming from Ground Zero exposure, Barasch pointed to data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control showing over 6,900 deaths and 69 types of cancer linked to the toxic aftermath of the attacks. 

“The truth is undeniable: 9/11 didn’t end on 9/11. Its deadly aftermath continues to claim lives every single day,” he said.  

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Biden Regime to Remove $10 Million Bounty on Syrian Terrorist Leader Abu Mohammad al-Jolani Following Assad’s Overthrow

The Biden regime is set to rescind the $10 million bounty on Abu Mohammad al-Jolani, leader of the jihadist terrorist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), following his pivotal role in toppling Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s regime.

This decision coincided with al-Jolani’s initial direct talks with U.S. diplomats in Damascus.

Abu Mohammad al-Jolani, now referring to himself by his birth name as Ahmed al-Sharaa (Muhammad al-Jawlani), is the leader of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), a Syrian militant group that evolved from the al-Qaeda affiliate Jabhat al-Nusra.

Following the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s regime, Jolani and HTS now control significant parts of Syria, including the capital city, Damascus.

He remains closely associated with the ANF faction and its al-Qaeda ties, raising questions about governance, stability, and the group’s true intentions.

Al-Jolani has been working to persuade the international media and foreign powers that he has transitioned from a terrorist commander to a statesman, but skepticism remains about whether such a transformation is genuine. Even if his intentions are sincere, HTS does not control all of Syria.

Power is shared with groups like the Syrian National Army (SNA), a Turkish-backed coalition of rebel factions operating primarily in northern Syria.

Now, the Biden regime is set to rescind the $10 million bounty placed under the State Department’s Rewards for Justice program on Abu Mohammad al-Jolan.

However, the U.S. State Department, while lifting the bounty, continues to designate HTS as a terrorist organization.

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Who is the World’s Most Dangerous Terrorist Organization?

Who is the world’s most dangerous terrorist organization?

Look no further than the grand accuser and the one who sits high and mighty in judgment of others.

Earlier this week, Ukraine openly boasted of assassinating a top Russian general outside his home in Moscow.

Lt. General Igor Kirillov was killed when a bomb attached to a scooter was detonated remotely upon him leaving his apartment early in the morning. One of his assistants was also killed.

Russia on Tuesday criticized Ukraine’s Western allies, accusing them of being complicit in the general’s murder. It was easy to come to this conclusion after no one in any official capacity in Washington, London, Paris or Berlin condemned the killing.

Western politicians and media love to characterize Putin as a dictator of the worst sort, a “KGB thug.” I hear a lot of conservative pundits using this same language and I find it laughable in its hypocrisy.

When has Putin ever reached across the Atlantic and assassinated an American general on U.S. soil? I don’t recall ever reading of such an incident but, if I am having a senior moment, please, someone, refresh my memory.

Moscow’s foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova accused the West in a Telegram post of “approval for war crimes by fighters of the Kyiv regime” and said “all those who welcome terrorist attacks or deliberately hush them up are accomplices.”

This also hearkens back to past reports exposing a CIA program to train and assist Ukraine’s special forces and intelligence in sabotage and cross-border targeted assassinations.

Lest you think this is just a clever piece of Russian propaganda, think again. It’s been reported even by a prominent member of the American deep-state media.

Last year, The Washington Post published a report on how Ukraine’s intelligence services were capable of carrying out assassinations inside Russia thanks to support they have been receiving from the CIA since 2014.

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How the West Rebranded Al-Qaeda’s Jolani

Corporate media is heralding the fall of Bashar al-Assad and the emergence of Abu Mohammed al-Jolani as the new leader of Syria, despite his deep ties to both Al-Qaeda and ISIS.

“How Syria’s ‘diversity-friendly’ jihadists plan on building a state,” runs the headline from an article in Britain’s Daily Telegraph that suggests that Jolani will construct a new Syria, respectful of minority rights. The same newspaper also labeled him a “moderate Jihadist.” The Washington Post described him as a pragmatic and charismatic leader, while CNN portrayed him as a “blazer-wearing revolutionary.”

Meanwhile, an in-depth portrait from Rolling Stone describes him as a “ruthlessly pragmatic, astute politician who has renounced ‘global jihad’” and intends to “unite Syria.” His “strategic acumen is apparent,” writes Rolling Stone, between paragraphs praising Jolani for leading a successful movement against a dictator.

CNN even scored an exclusive, sit-down interview with Jolani, even as his movement was storming Damascus. When asked by host Jomana Karadsheh about his past actions, he responded by saying, “I believe that everyone in life goes through phases and experiences … As you grow, you learn, and you continue to learn until the very last day of your life,” as if he were discussing embarrassing teenage mistakes, not establishing and leading the Al-Nusra Front, Al-Qaeda’s franchise in Syria.

This is a far cry from the first time CNN covered Jolani. In 2013, the network labeled him one of “the world’s 10 most dangerous terrorists,” known for abducting, torturing and slaughtering racial and religious minorities.

Still on the U.S. terrorist list today, the F.B.I. is offering a $10 million reward for information about his whereabouts. Washington and other Western governments consider Jolani’s new organization, Hay?at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), as one and the same as Al-Qaeda/Al-Nusra.

This poses a serious public relations dilemma for Western nations, who supported the HTS-led overthrow of President Bashar al-Assad. And thus, Politico and others report there is a “huge scramble” in Washington to remove HTS and Jolani from the terrorist list as quickly as possible.

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US In ‘Direct Contact’ With Designated Terror Group HTS, Blinken Admits

The US has made “direct contact” with the group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) under Abu Mohammad al-Jolani which now holds Damascus and most major Syrian cities in the wake of Assad’s fall.

“We’ve been in contact with HTS and with other parties,” US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said following talks with Arab diplomats in Aqaba, Jordan.

This is the first official acknowledgement that the Biden administration is interacting with HTS, which has long been an officially US-designated terror organization, as it originated as Syrian al-Qaeda. Jolani also was once the personal envoy of ISIS terror leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi.

NBC News has underscored, “The U.S. designates HTS a terrorist organization, making it legally impossible to work with the group, but contact underscores ongoing efforts to change that designation as the U.S. and its allies look to support Syria’s transition from Assad rule.”

A statement from Blinken’s meetings in Aqaba and signed by representatives of the US, EU, Turkey and several Arab countries called for a “a more hopeful, secure and peaceful future”. It urged the protection of women and all ethnic and religious minorities, and for the preventing of “the reemergence of all terrorist groups.”

Also, Jordan’s foreign minister stressed that regional powers don’t want to see post-Assad Syria “descend into chaos”. Given that it remains formally listed as a terror group, HTS was not represented in the Jordan meeting.

The EU has also listed HTS as a terror group. Jolani still has a $10 million bounty on his head. Ironically he has been seen openly at well-known areas of Damascus, and the US could target him if it wanted to – but is clearly not.

“As we see Syria move in that direction and, in a Syrian-led and Syrian-owned process, take these steps, we in turn will look at various sanctions and other measures that we’ve taken and respond in kind,” Blinken said from Aqaba.

Blinken affirmed the US position on Syria has been “communicated” to the new HTS leaders. Ironically, this comes after years of the US refusing to engage diplomatically with Bashar al-Assad, who was a secular ruler.

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