OT subject but worth a main-stream read- OT News Feeds...

Legume

What kind of cheese?

JohnInCarolina

Legume said:

What kind of cheese?

Swiss, I believe.  

fishlessman

cant wait til 2025, we will be orbiting close enough to pick up that aged moon cheese. theres a stump joke in there someplace

lousubcap

A good read and copied as it is behind a paywall.

"The House Mess Is What GOP Voters Wanted

This is chaos by choice, not by accident.

By Tom Nichols

This is an edition of The Atlantic Daily, a newsletter that guides you through the biggest stories of the day, helps you discover new ideas, and recommends the best in culture. Sign up for it here.

The ongoing drama over electing a speaker of the House is not about governance. It’s about giving Republican voters the drama-filled reality show they voted for and want to see—even at the expense of the country.

What the Voters Wanted

Like many Americans, I have been both fascinated and horrified by the inability of the Republican majority to elect a new speaker of the House. I admit to watching the votes like I’m rubbernecking at a car wreck, but perhaps that’s not a good analogy, because I at least feel pity for the victims of a traffic accident. What’s happening in the House is more like watching a group of obnoxious (and not very bright) hot-rodders playing chicken and smashing their cars into one another over and over.

As I watch all of this Republican infighting, I wonder, as I often do, about GOP voters. What is it that they think will happen if Jim Jordan becomes speaker? Jordan has been in Congress for 16 years, and he has almost nothing to show for it. He’s never originated any successful legislation, never whipped votes, never accomplished anything except for appearing on Fox and serving up rancid red meat to his Ohio constituents and MAGA allies.

And therefore, as speaker, he would … what? Order up more impeachments, perhaps of Biden-administration officials? Shut down the government? Pound the gavel and prattle on for hours in his never-take-a-breath style? (Jordan’s the kind of guy who probably would have interrupted the Sermon on the Mount.) Perhaps from a position of greater power, he could more effectively assist Donald Trump in undermining yet another election in 2024.

Maybe that’s why Trump endorsed him for speaker.

• Is that what Republican voters really want? Apparently so; as my friend Sarah Longwell, the founder of the anti-Trump Republican Accountability Project, told my Atlantic colleague Ronald Brownstein, “Even if he doesn’t make it, because the majorities are so slim, you can’t argue that Jim Jordan doesn’t represent the median Republican today.”
  

And that is the part we tend to overlook when we’re focused on the drama inside the Capitol: The disorder in the GOP caucus is not some accident or glitch triggered by a handful of reprobates, but rather a direct result of choices by voters. The House is a mess because enough Republican voters want it to be a mess.

This accusation might seem unfair: Jordan is just one member from a super-red (and blatantly gerrymandered) district, and many of his Republican colleagues are furious about this humiliating bungle. But right-wing voters have shown no inclination to punish people such as Matt Gaetz and other political vandals; indeed, Gaetz and his like-minded colleagues are rapidly becoming folk heroes in the Republican Party.

It’s not much consolation to recognize that the Republicans are now the party their voters want them to be. Their antics endanger us all, especially during multiple international crises when the United States needs to be unified and effective both at home and abroad. But to treat the GOP as merely dysfunctional is worse than a distraction; it is a fundamental error that offers the false hope that a mature and governing majority is somehow within reach, if only Jordan or Gaetz would get out of the way.

The real problem is that many Republican voters have now completely internalized the cynicism of Trump and the GOP opportunists around him, and they draw no connection between national politics and the ongoing health and security of the United States. These voters rely on everyone else (including those Americans they deride as the “deep state”) to keep the country functioning. They vote for masters of performative nonsense, such as Jordan and Gaetz, who do nothing for the “forgotten” working families in the places that the MAGA movement claims have been left behind by the rest of us.

The twists and turns of the Trump years, in which many elected Republicans became big spenders, critics of law enforcement, and apologists for the Kremlin, illustrated that MAGA voters have almost no interest in anything like conservatism, or even in coherent policy. Instead, they want to indulge resentments and grievances that have little to do with government and everything to do with boredom and dissatisfaction in their own lives. A few years ago, I wrote a book about how such voters project that anger and sourness onto everything around them. Their ennui spurs their desire to see chaos, so they argue that the existing order needs to be shaken up, or burned down, or defunded.

They think this way because they have never had to live under a government that has actually been shaken up, burned down, or defunded. Jordan and his colleagues (who have made entire careers out of encouraging such nihilism) are poor leaders but good politicians. They deliver what their voters really want: show trials and passion plays, and, mostly, to see other people unsettled and angry. These citizens vote not for determined legislators with complicated plans—that stuff is just so boring—but for entertaining rogues who can liven up the Fox prime-time hours.

Years ago, I thought that Republican voters would demand changes from the party if the GOP lost enough elections. But even losses don’t seem to matter in a party that is clearly more comfortable with performance art centered on imaginary grievances than with actual governing. The shenanigans of the past two weeks might even cost the Republicans control of the House in the next election—that’s one reason Jordan’s colleagues are trying to stop him—but that political collapse might not matter to right-wing voters. They’ll get another episode of their favorite show—and for them, maybe that’s enough."

lousubcap

Thursday Israel-Hamas update:

"U.K. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak arrived in Israel today. Sunak is expected to offer condolences to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu following the Hamas attack and to discuss the Israel-Hamas war. Reuters reports. 

Hamas used North Korean weapons during its large-scale assault on Israel, experts and analysis suggest. A Hamas video and weapons seized by Israel since the assault indicate that the militant group used rocket-propelled grenade launchers from North Korea. This may be evidence of Pyongyang’s elicit trade networks to fund its nuclear weapons program. North Korea has denied the “groundless and false rumor.” Hyung-jin Kim, Kim Tong-Hyung and Jon Gambrell report for AP News. 

President Biden is expected to seek Congress’ approval for about $100 billion in emergency funds to arm Israel, Ukraine, and Taiwan, sources familiar with the matter said. Some of the funding would also be used to fortify the U.S.-Mexico border. The funding, which would cover an entire year, is intended to ensure U.S. security interests are not hampered by partisanship in Congress. It is unclear if Congress can quickly approve such a request, given that the House cannot undertake legislative activity without a speaker. Karoun Demirjian reports for the New York Times. "

lousubcap

Russia-Ukraine update:

"Ukraine’s economy is beginning to rebound as the country adjusts to the war, with a predicted growth of 3.5 percent this year. Domestic spending and continued foreign aid account for the growth. Ukraine’s economic output remains smaller than before the full-scale invasion. “Today, most Ukrainians understand that the war may be prolonged, and they need to continue living in these new circumstances,” said Andriy Cherukha, a Ukrainian business owner. Constant Méheut reports for the New York Times. 

President Emmanuel Macron reasserted France’s support for Ukraine during a telephone call yesterday with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Their conversation comes amidst concern that the Israel-Hamas war may affect the West’s support for Ukraine as it continues to fight Russia. However, NATO members affirmed to Zelenskyy earlier this month that they would sustain military support to Ukraine as winter sets in. Macron’s office said the “proliferation of crises would not weaken French and European support for Ukraine.” Sudip Kar-Gapta reports for Reuters.

Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov thanked North Korea for its support in the ongoing war on Ukraine, just days after the White House claimed North Korea had shipped more than 1,000 containers of munitions and military equipment to Russia. North Korea’s Foreign Minister said the countries were building “an unbreakable comradely relationship.” Lavrov also praised North Korea for “firmly defending its sovereignty and security and remaining unfazed by any pressure of the U.S. and the West.” NBC reports.

At least 10 people were killed in Russian attacks, including five who died after a missile hit a residential building in the southeastern city of Zaporizhzhia. The other deaths were reported in the central region of Dnipropetrovsk, the southern region of Kherson and the southern city of Mykolaiv. “The evil state continues to use terror and wage war on civilians. Russian terror must be defeated,” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy wrote on the Telegram messaging app.

General Oleksandr Tarnavskyi, who leads Ukraine’s military operations in the south, said troops from the Tavria, or southern group of forces, were “continuing their offensive” as part of a planned advance towards the Sea of Azov. “They have had partial success to the south of Robotyne,” Tarnavskyi wrote on Telegram.

Russian shelling around Avdiivka eased, but authorities said they expected Russia to escalate its assault on the front-line town in the coming days. Russian forces now control territory to the east, north and south of Avdiivka, gradually tightening the noose in a bid to push Ukrainian forces further from eastern Donetsk.

Ukraine’s General Staff, in its evening report, said forces had repelled attacks in several areas along the 1,000km (620-mile) front line – including 15 around the long-contested town of Maryinka in Donetsk region and 10 further north near Kupiansk.

Russia shot down two missiles over Crimea, the peninsula it annexed from Ukraine in 2014. Regional governor Mikhail Razvozhayev said one of the missiles was brought down over Sevastopol, home of Russia’s Black Sea fleet. He said the missile had detonated in a field, and that there had been no injuries or damage to infrastructure.

Russia’s defence ministry said air defence systems intercepted and destroyed 28 Ukrainian drones over its Belgorod and Kursk regions and over the Black Sea. It did not elaborate on these claims.

Russia’s Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu said the country was reinforcing its western border in anticipation of F-16 fighter aircraft being supplied to Ukraine in 2024."

Botch

lousubcap said:

Thursday Israel-Hamas update:

President Biden is expected to seek Congress’ approval for about $100 billion in emergency funds to arm Israel, Ukraine, and Taiwan, sources familiar with the matter said. 

And from WaPo this morning:

During a speech Wednesday in which he called for restraint in Israel’s response to Hamas, Biden announced $100 million in humanitarian assistance to Gaza and the West Bank.

    

fishlessman

Botch said:

lousubcap said:

Thursday Israel-Hamas update:

President Biden is expected to seek Congress’ approval for about $100 billion in emergency funds to arm Israel, Ukraine, and Taiwan, sources familiar with the matter said. 

And from WaPo this morning:

During a speech Wednesday in which he called for restraint in Israel’s response to Hamas, Biden announced $100 million in humanitarian assistance to Gaza and the West Bank.

    

if theres a difference between a million, billion, trillion, someone should tell joe.....100 mill isnt going to go too far with over 2 million people without food, water, electricity, first aide....

JohnInCarolina

fishlessman said:

Botch said:

lousubcap said:

Thursday Israel-Hamas update:

President Biden is expected to seek Congress’ approval for about $100 billion in emergency funds to arm Israel, Ukraine, and Taiwan, sources familiar with the matter said. 

And from WaPo this morning:

During a speech Wednesday in which he called for restraint in Israel’s response to Hamas, Biden announced $100 million in humanitarian assistance to Gaza and the West Bank.

    

if theres a difference between a million, billion, trillion, someone should tell joe....

The funding requests are for two different things.

fishlessman

JohnInCarolina said:

fishlessman said:

Botch said:

lousubcap said:

Thursday Israel-Hamas update:

President Biden is expected to seek Congress’ approval for about $100 billion in emergency funds to arm Israel, Ukraine, and Taiwan, sources familiar with the matter said. 

And from WaPo this morning:

During a speech Wednesday in which he called for restraint in Israel’s response to Hamas, Biden announced $100 million in humanitarian assistance to Gaza and the West Bank.

    

if theres a difference between a million, billion, trillion, someone should tell joe....

The funding requests are for two different things.

yes, i know, and 100 million wont go very far. almost sure you can do the math

JohnInCarolina

fishlessman said:

JohnInCarolina said:

fishlessman said:

Botch said:

lousubcap said:

Thursday Israel-Hamas update:

President Biden is expected to seek Congress’ approval for about $100 billion in emergency funds to arm Israel, Ukraine, and Taiwan, sources familiar with the matter said. 

And from WaPo this morning:

During a speech Wednesday in which he called for restraint in Israel’s response to Hamas, Biden announced $100 million in humanitarian assistance to Gaza and the West Bank.

    

if theres a difference between a million, billion, trillion, someone should tell joe....

The funding requests are for two different things.

yes, i know, and 100 million wont go very far. almost sure you can do the math

OK fish.

Botch

My point (which I guess was missed) is that we're paying for the arms for one side to kill/maim the other side, and paying for that side's medical aid.  
    

JohnInCarolina

Botch said:

My point (which I guess was missed) is that we're paying for the arms for one side to kill/maim the other side, and paying for that side's medical aid.  
    

No, I got your point, @Botch.  I just didn't comment on it.  I don't think it's quite as black and white as that.  

lousubcap

More Israel-Hamas info, Thursday:

"What Biden got out of his Israel trip: Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi agreed to allow no more than 20 humanitarian aid trucks into Gaza, but they're not likely to be able to cross from Egypt through the Rafah gate and into Gaza until possibly Friday, Biden told reporters traveling back to the states on Air Force One Wednesday evening. There are lots of sections of road to repair, Biden said, and there are around 150 trucks waiting to enter Gaza with aid. 

For what it's worth, the United Nations' aid chief Martin Griffiths said Wednesday that Gaza needs 100 trucks of aid per day, as 2.3 million people suffer from dwindling food, water, fuel and medical supplies.

Biden: "If, in fact, [the 20 aid trucks] cross the border, the U.N. is going to be on the other side distributing this material—offloading it and then distributing it, which is going to take a little time to set up, probably." 

But if "Hamas confiscates it or doesn't let it get through or just confiscates it, then it's going to end," the president said, "because we're not going to be sending any humanitarian aid to Hamas if they're going to be confiscating it. That's the commitment that I've made."

Convincing Israel to allow aid to Gaza was at least as hard as convincing Egypt's El-Sisi. For Sisi, "there's wars going on on every side of his country," said Biden. But "Israel has been badly victimized" by the surprise attack from Hamas terrorists that began on October 7. But for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netahyahu and his war cabinet, "the truth is that if they have an opportunity to relieve suffering of people who are—have nowhere to go [from Gaza], they're going to be—it's what they should do." 

"My point to everyone is: Look, if you have an opportunity to alleviate the pain, you should do it. Period," Biden told reporters. "And if you don't, you're going to lose credibility worldwide. And I think everyone understands that.""

lousubcap

An article from The Atlantic- (I hope I got it out from behind the paywall).
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/crime/what-sidney-powell-s-deal-could-mean-for-the-fulton-county-case-against-trump/ar-AA1iwdXc?ocid=social-peregrine&cvid=d711b7adfd634928a6262b90c8cbf50b&ei=7&utm_

HeavyG

Botch said:

My point (which I guess was missed) is that we're paying for the arms for one side to kill/maim the other side, and paying for that side's medical aid.  
    

Does seem ironic.

The best course would be to fund neither "side".

Botch

"Irony" was the right word; thank you.  

JohnInCarolina

Botch said:

"Irony" was the right word; thank you.  

Like the good advice, that you just wouldn’t take.  

lousubcap

Friday Israel-Hamas update:

"The U.N. has made progress on an agreement to get aid into Gaza from Egypt, two officials said, providing few details. Under the agreement, international observers would inspect trucks before they enter Gaza, as Israel has demanded. Justin Porter reports for the New York Times. 

Egyptian construction crews are attempting to repair the Rafah border crossing, the last remaining access point into Gaza, which was damaged in the fighting. Israel said it would allow only food, water, and medicines to pass through. Twenty aid trucks may enter as soon as today. Thousands of tons of aid are near the border. Tom Bateman reports for the BBC News. 

The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) have continued to strike Gaza today, including in the south, where Palestinians were told to flee. The Israeli Defense Ministry has been evacuating communities inside Israel near Gaza and Lebanon. Today, it outlined evacuation plans for Kiryat Shmona, a town of more than 20,000 near the Lebanese border. The airstrikes and evacuation efforts may indicate preparations for the start of an IDF ground incursion into Gaza. Israel’s Defense Minister Yoav Gallant yesterday ordered ground troops to prepare to see Gaza “from the inside.” Najib Jobain, Samya Kullab, and Joseph Krauss report for AP News. 

The U.S. Navy in the northern Red Sea intercepted drones and three land-attack missiles launched by Houthi militants in Yemen yesterday. While the precise target was unclear, a Pentagon spokesperson claimed the missiles were “potentially” aimed at Israel. No injuries were reported following the incident. The incident comes after a series of separate Shia militant attacks on U.S. troops in Syria and Iraq, following warnings from Iraqi militant groups concerning U.S. support for Israel in the conflict in Gaza. Gem O’Reilly reports for BBC News. "

lousubcap

Friday Russia-Ukraine update:
"Ukrainian troops have crossed onto the Russian-occupied eastern bank of the Dnipro River, the Ukrainian military appeared to confirm. U.S.-based Institute for the Study of War confirmed that Ukrainian troops have proceeded about 2.5 miles east of the river. While Ukrainian forces previously conducted raids across the river, the present push could indicate a larger counter-offensive is being planned. Jaroslav Lukiv reports for the BBC News. 

General Valerii Zaluzhnyi, commander-in-chief of Ukraine’s armed forces, said troops faced a renewed Russian onslaught in the eastern city of Avdiivka. “The enemy is not relenting in attempts to break through our defences and surround [Avdiivka],” Zaluzhniy wrote on Telegram. He said the Russians were bringing in assault units and large amounts of armoured equipment as well as deploying aircraft and artillery. Russian accounts of the fighting said its forces had destroyed a command point near Avdiivka and repelled 11 Ukrainian attacks near Kupiansk.

Oleksandr Shtupun, the spokesperson for Ukraine’s southern group of forces, said Ukrainian troops had advanced 400 metres (a quarter of a mile) to the southwest of the village of Verbove in the southern Zaporizhia region. Verbove is a few kilometres east of Robotyne, a village recaptured by Ukraine last month in its drive towards the Sea of Azov.

The Ukrainian military said Russian forces carried out new air attacks in eastern, southern and northern Ukraine using 17 different weapons – including ballistic and cruise missiles and attack drones – on industrial and civilian infrastructure as well as military targets. Ukrainian forces shot down three drones and one cruise missile, it added.

Russia’s defence ministry said it scrambled two Su-27 fighter jets to prevent three United Kingdom military planes – a reconnaissance plane accompanied by two fighters – as they approached Russian airspace over the Black Sea."

lousubcap

More Friday Israel-Hamas reading material:
"Among other works, Yuval Noah Harari is the author of Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind. He's recently turned his attention to perhaps the most complex and conflicted recent history of humankind; the Middle East crisis. Unsurprisingly, he's written a clear, evenhanded, absolutely must-read piece for WaPo (Gift Article): Is Hamas winning the war? Below are a few key excerpts.

On Hamas, Harari explains what many in America (including college presidents) don't seem to understand. The terror group is not after peace or a two-state solution or a better life for residents of Gaza. "Hamas launched this war with a specific political aim: to prevent peace ... Hamas slaughtered hundreds of Israeli civilians, in the most gruesome ways it could devise. The immediate aim was to derail the Israeli-Saudi peace deal. The long-term aim was to sow seeds of hatred in the minds of millions in Israel and across the Muslim world, thereby preventing peace with Israel for generations to come." (You can dislike the current Israeli government, you can be pro-Palestinian, like so many victims on October 7, you can be pro-peace and want a two-state solution, you can and should mourn for the innocent lives being lost, but you can't be pro-Hamas.)

We're all justifiably worried about the civilians paying a price for the crimes of Hamas. What does Hamas think about their human shields? "Doesn’t Hamas care about the suffering this war inflicts on Palestinian civilians? While individual Hamas activists surely have different feelings and attitudes, the organization’s worldview discounts the misery of individuals. Hamas’s political aims are dictated by religious fantasies ... For Hamas, Palestinians killed by Israel are martyrs who enjoy everlasting bliss in heaven. The more killed, the more martyrs."

On the response of the far left in America, especially on college campuses: "They absolve Hamas of any responsibility for the atrocities committed in Be’eri, Kfar Azza and other Israeli villages, or for the humanitarian crisis in Gaza. Instead, these organizations place 100 percent of the blame on Israel. The link between the radical left and fundamentalist organizations such as Hamas is the belief in absolute justice, which leads to a refusal to acknowledge the complexity of realities in this world." (With all of today's sensitivities on college campuses, you'd think they'd be triggered by terrorism.)

On the damage done by Netanyahu (in addition to being the leader of the biggest security failure in Israel's history): "For more than a decade, Israeli governments led by Netanyahu abandoned all serious attempts to make peace with more moderate Palestinian forces, adopted an increasingly hawkish policy regarding the occupation of disputed territory and even embraced the right-wing messianic ideas of Jewish supremacy."

On the dangers of BiBi playing into the hands of Hamas: "As the bodies keep piling up, who will win this war? Not the side that kills more people, not the side that destroys more houses and not even the side that gains more international support — but the side that achieves its political aims. Hamas launched this war with a specific political aim: to prevent peace ... If Hamas’s war aims are indeed to derail the Israeli-Saudi peace treaty and to destroy all chance for normalization and peace, it is winning this war by a knockout. And Israel is helping Hamas, largely because Netanyahu’s government seems to be conducting this war without clear political goals of its own."

Of course Israel must defang Hamas, not just for revenge, but because it's a requirement of "any chance of future peace, because as long as Hamas remains armed, it will continue to derail any such efforts." (Again, if you are pro peace, you are anti-Hamas. Period.) On the Israeli side, the biggest impediment to a peaceful, post-Hamas world is the terrible, extreme government that Netanyahu has pieced together to remain in power. As Harari explains: "Having been deeply involved in Israeli politics for the past year, I fear that at least some members of the current Netanyahu government are themselves fixated on biblical visions and absolute justice, and have little interest in peaceful compromise." (I didn't say the piece was optimistic, but it really is a must read.)

+ Tom Friedman on the conflict being felt by so many pro-peace Israelis right now, who need protection and security, but have contempt for the person leading the effort. "Bottom line: Netanyahu has a completely incoherent strategy right now — eliminate Hamas in Gaza while building more settlements in the West Bank that undermine the only decent long-term Palestinian alternative to Hamas, the Palestinian Authority, which Israel needs to safely leave Gaza." NYT (Gift Article): To Win the War, Defeat Hamas and Stop Settlements.

+ As opposed to how unlucky Israel is with their current leader, America is fortunate in theirs. In his speech on defending Ukraine and defeating Hamas, Joe Biden was pitch perfect; from explaining what's at stake abroad, to restating what's required from us here at home, to warning against repeating mistakes America made in our post 9-11 rage. "History has taught us that when terrorists don’t pay a price for their terror, when dictators don’t pay a price for their aggression, they cause more chaos and death and more destruction. They keep going, and the cost and the threats to America and to the world keep rising. If we don’t stop Putin’s appetite for power and control in Ukraine, he won’t limit himself just to Ukraine." Here's Biden's full Oval Office speech: We're facing an inflection point in history.

+ Want a glimpse of just how difficult it is to negotiate in the region. Here's an example from Hussein Ibish in The Atlantic (gift article): The Reckoning That Is Coming for Qatar. "Doha faces the looming risk of being called to account over its record of support for such radical Islamist groups, and especially for Hamas ... At the same time, Qatar has long been a key U.S. partner in the Middle East.""

lousubcap

Monday Israel-Hamas update:

"The Israeli Defense Forces issued an apology after one of its tanks “accidentally fired” at an Egyptian post near the border crossing at Kerem Shalom yesterday. The Egyptian military confirmed the border guards sustained minor injuries in the incident. The Washington Post reports. 

A second aid convoy entered Gaza through the Rafah border crossing from Egypt yesterday. It comes after U.S. President Biden and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu agreed there would be a “continued flow of this critical assistance” into Gaza. The U.N. said the delivery was a “glimmer of hope,” yet it is only a fraction of what is needed in Gaza. The Washington Post reports.  

Low fuel supplies mean hospitals in Gaza may stop operating soon as Israel’s blockade on Gaza takes its toll. Aid workers said that 130 premature babies are at “grave risk” across six neonatal units in Gaza. About seven of nearly 30 hospitals in Gaza have shut down due to damage from airstrikes and a lack of electricity, water, and other supplies. None of the trucks in the aid convoys let into Gaza contained fuel as Israel fears Hamas may use the fuel against Israel. Wafaa Shurafaa, Samy Magdy and Samya Kullab reports for AP News. 

At least 30 people, including children, were killed in a bombing of Jabalia refugee camp in Gaza, Palestinian Civil Defense said. Jabalia is the eighth largest refugee camp in Gaza, according to the U.N. While the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) did not confirm whether the camp was hit, an IDF spokesperson did say over 320 military targets in Gaza were struck within 24 hours. NBC News reports. 

The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) struck a mosque in Jenin in the northern occupied West Bank yesterday after it alleged that Hamas was using it as a “terrorist compound.” Two people were killed in the strike, Palestinian Authority officials said. The IDF claimed those killed were planning an “imminent terror attack.” While IDF raids on the occupied West Bank are common, the use of airstrikes is unusual. BBC News reports. 

During a visit to northern Israel, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israelis are “in a battle for our lives. A battle for our home, this is not an exaggeration, this is the war. It’s do or die – they need to die.” Ece Goksedef reports for BBC News. 

The Iranian-backed Hezbollah militant group in Lebanon has increased its attacks on Israel, raising fears of regional escalation. Israeli Defense Forces also carried out airstrikes into southern Lebanon and struck airports in the Syrian cities of Damascus and Aleppo. Noga Tarnopolsky and Rick Noack report for the Washington Post. "

Edit to add the below:

Iran’s Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian warned the United States and Israel that the Middle East could “go out of control” if the war in Gaza does not end. Amir-Absollahian said the U.S. was also “to blame” for providing military support to Israel. Ece Goksedef reports for BBC News. 

Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin yesterday warned that U.S. troops could face an escalation in attacks in the Middle East. The U.S. Navy shot down over a dozen drones and four cruise missiles fired by Iranian-backed Houthi militants from Yemen last week. Drones and rockets also targeted two U.S. bases in Iraq. There are 2,500 U.S. troops in Iraq and 900 in Syria. Arshad Mohammed and Kanishka Singh report for Reuters. 

The Biden administration asked Israel to delay its ground invasion of Gaza to secure more time to negotiate the release of hostages and allow humanitarian aid into Gaza, several U.S. officials said. The invasion has been repeatedly delayed, four senior Israeli defense officials said, without giving a reason. Officials stressed that the United States has not demanded a delay and remains supportive of Israel’s actions. The Israeli Embassy in Washington said, “the U.S. is not pressing Israel in regards to the ground operation.” U.S. officials are wary of being seen to pressure Israel as that may boost Iran’s narrative that Israel is merely a proxy for the United States. Edward Wong, Eric Schmitt, Michael D. Shear, and Ronen Bergman report for the New York Times. 

U.S. officials are concerned that Israel may open a second front against Iranian-backed Lebanese Hezbollah, as hawkish elements in the Israeli government call for attacks in Lebanon. Yoav Gallant, the Israeli defense minister, previously pushed for a pre-emptive strike on Hezbollah following the Hamas attack. Israel would face significant challenges in a war against both Hezbollah and Hamas, say officials familiar with intelligence reporting. Edward Wong, Ronen Bergman, and Julian E. Barnes report for the New York Times."

lousubcap

Monday Russia-Ukraine update:

Russian forces committed war crimes in Ukraine, including torture, rape, killings, and the removal of Ukrainian children, according to new evidence in a U.N. Human Rights Council commissioned report. The report focused on the southern regions of Kherson and Zaporizhzhia. While the U.N. has reported on Ukraine’s abuse of Russian prisoners of war, prosecutors and human rights groups say the scale is much smaller than Russia’s abuses. Constant Méheut reports for the New York Times. 

China’s export restrictions have led to a decrease in drones available to Ukraine, causing fears over their long-term ability to fight the ongoing war with Russia. The restrictions imposed by the Chinese government in September require export licenses and end-user certificates for drones weighing more than 8 lbs. The Royal United Services Institute think-tank claims Ukraine is losing around 10,000 drones per month. The restrictions have also “seriously complicated” China’s drone supplies to Russia, with Russian buyers relying more on intermediaries like Kazakhstan, Kommersant, a Russian newspaper said. Vitaly Shevchenko reports for BBC News. 

A Russian anti-aircraft missile killed six postal workers and injured 17 others following a strike on a mail facility near Kharkiv on Saturday. The blast, which was the most fatal attack on civilians in the region since a Russian missile killed more than 50 people in the city earlier this month, caused large-scale debris around the sorting center. The city’s close proximity to the Russian border limits the ability to predict and respond to attacks – it is reported that the strike hit the center just 30-40 seconds after the air raid alert sounded. Francesca Ebel and Isobel Koshiw report for the Washington Post.

Russian forces kept sustained pressure on Avdiivka in Ukraine’s east with the General Staff of Ukraine’s Armed Forces saying that Ukraine’s troops had repelled nearly 20 Russian attacks around the largely ruined town. Russian air attacks also hit nearby villages, it said.

Speaking in his nightly video address, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the situation in Avdiivka and the nearby town of Marinka was “particularly tough. Numerous Russian attacks. But our positions are being held”.

Russia’s defence ministry said it foiled several attempts by Ukrainian units to cross the Dnipro River in the southern Kherson region. The ministry said Ukrainian “sabotage and reconnaissance” teams were stopped while trying to cross the river near the villages of Pridniprovske, Tiahynka and Krynky."

lousubcap

Tuesday Israel-Hamas update:

"The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) have ramped up airstrikes on Gaza, hitting over 400 militant targets last night, the IDF said. Dozens of Hamas fighters, including three deputy battalion commanders, were killed, the Israeli military added. Israeli Chief of Staff Lieutenant General Herzi Halevi said yesterday, “we are well prepared for the ground operations in the south.” The Palestinian health ministry in Gaza said that over 5,000 people have been killed since the Israel-Hamas war began. Nidal Al-Mughrabi and Ari Rabinovitch report for Reuters. 

Militancy in the West Bank is increasing following a rise in Israeli counterterrorism operations. Palestinian officials said over 1,400 people have been arrested in the West Bank since the Israel-Hamas war began. Israel’s pre-emptive operations in the West Bank to hinder armed action have had a counterproductive effect, prompting the radicalization of young men, Tahani Mustafa, a senior analyst on Palestinian affairs at the International Crisis Group, said. Susannah George and Sufian Taha reports for the Washington Post. 

The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF), which are poised to invade Gaza, continue waiting for political leaders’ greenlight. The government tried to quell concerns that it was in disarray yesterday when Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, and military chief of staff, Lt. General Herzi Halevi, jointly stated their “total and mutual trust.” While the delay may allow Israel to continue hostage negotiations and drain Hama’s resistance with airstrikes, the delay could also weaken international support for Israel’s invasion. Isabel Kershner reports for the New York Times. 

The Biden administration is planning for the possibility that hundreds of thousands of U.S. citizens in the Middle East will need to be evacuated if the Israel-Hamas war continues, U.S. officials have said. The State Department estimates that around 600,000 U.S. citizens are in Israel, and another 86,000 were in Lebanon when Hamas attacked. Officials consider this large-scale evacuation to be a worst-case scenario, with other outcomes seen as more likely. Yasmeen Abutaleb, Dan Lamothe, John Hudson and Michael Birnbaum report for the Washington Post. 

The Pentagon has sent military advisers, including a Marine Corps general, and air defense systems to Israel in support of its anticipated invasion of Gaza. The advisers will share lessons with Israel that the United States learned in its urban warfare in Iraq. It is hoped the advisers will help minimize civilian casualties. The Pentagon hopes this will both prevent the escalation of the Israel-Hamas war and help protect U.S. personnel who have been attacked in actions they claim were likely endorsed by Iran.Tara Copp and Aamer Madhani report for AP News. 

President Biden confirms willingness to engage in ceasefire talks between Israel and Hamas on the condition that remaining hostages are released. He added, “we should have those hostages released and then we can talk.” John Kirby, national security spokesperson, said yesterday that a number of Americans are still being detained as hostages, and over 10 Americans remain unaccounted for. Alex Gangitano reports for The Hill."

lousubcap

Tuesday Russia-Ukraine update:

Ukrainian spy agencies have been conducting operations against Russia, following training and equipment deliveries from the CIA, according to current and former Ukrainian and U.S. officials. The CIA has a significant presence in Kyiv and has trained and shared technology and intelligence with its Ukrainian counterparts since 2015. While the CIA has not been involved in targeted killings, it has enhanced Ukraine’s intelligence capabilities. Greg Miller and Isabelle Khurshudyan report for the Washington Post. 

Russia’s foreign ministry confirmed they have increased bilateral relations with Iran, following a meeting between Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi in Tehran. The meeting took place in a “trusting atmosphere,” and there was an “emphasis on further building up the entire complex of multifaceted Russian-Iranian partnership,” the Russian foreign ministry’s statement said. Lavrov also participated in talks hosted by Iran, intended to bring peace to the South Caucasus following Azerbaijani’s recapture of Nagorno-Karabakh, which forced thousands of ethnic Armenians to vacate the area. Lidia Kelly reports for Reuters.

Russian forces kept up pressure in the devastated city of Avdiivka as it sought to cut off its only supply routes. The General Staff of Ukraine’s armed forces said its troops repelled about 10 Russian attacks on Avdiivka, while Vitaliy Barabash, head of Avdiivka’s military administration, said there were round-the-clock attacks on Avdiivka’s town centre. “A very difficult situation with supplies, with 22km [15 miles] of road constantly under fire, day and night,” Barabash told United States-funded Radio Liberty. “This complicates evacuation and delivery of aid. The enemy is trying to cut it off. Any movement is a signal to open fire.”

Ukraine said it shot down 14 attack drones and a cruise missile fired by Russia at its south and east, but debris from one of the drones damaged a warehouse at the Black Sea port of Odesa. Governor Oleh Kiper said no one was reported injured. There was no comment from Moscow, which denies targeting civilian infrastructure.

Ukraine’s spy service was behind last year’s killing of Darya Dugina, and smuggled the parts of the bomb into Russia inside a cat carrier, according to The Washington Post. Dugina, who was 29, was killed in a car bombing outside Moscow in August 2022. Her father, Aleksandr Dugin, is an outspoken advocate for the invasion of Ukraine and a supporter of President Vladimir Putin."

lousubcap

Wednesday Israel-Hamas update:

"Israeli Defense Forces killed over 700 Palestinians, including 305 children, following airstrikes in Gaza over the past 24 hours, the Gaza Health Ministry, a Hamas-run institution, said. The ministry claims nearly 5,800 people have been killed in Gaza since the Israel-Hamas war began. David Gritten reports for BBC News.

Israel will not permit fuel deliveries into Gaza, Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) spokesperson Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari said, after claiming U.N. fuel was being “stolen by Hamas.” Hagari’s comments appear to be at odds with an earlier IDF statement that fuel would be allowed for humanitarian activities in Gaza. Hospitals in Gaza are reducing their capacity to save what little fuel remains. Tamar Michaelis and Eve Brennan report for CNN. 

Yocheved Lifshitz, the 85-year-old Israeli peace activist whom Hamas released after being held hostage for 17 days, offered insights into Hamas’ tunnel network beneath Gaza. Describing the tunnels as “a spider web,” Lifshitz foreshadowed the difficulties the IDF could face in an anticipated ground invasion of Gaza. She said “we walked for kilometers underground,” passing rooms that could contain dozens of people. The extensive tunnel system is believed to be hiding weapons, fighters, and hostages. Aaron Boxerman reports for the New York Times.

Israel has blocked visas for U.N. officials following comments made by Secretary-General António Guterres about how the Hamas attacks “did not happen in a vacuum.” “It’s time we teach [the U.N.] a lesson,” Ambassador Gilad Erdan said of the decision. Israel already refused a visa application by the U.N. Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator Martin Griffiths. Lianne Kolirin reports for CNN. 

Iran and its allies have increased efforts to send weapons into the West Bank, raising fears of a second front in the Israel-Hamas war. A senior Jordanian security official said the networks of weapons smugglers are growing, assisted by the Syrian government and Iranian-backed Hezbollah militant group in Lebanon. Iran has been focused on arming the Palestinian Islamic Jihad in the West Bank, according to Michael Horowitz, the head of intelligence at an Israeli-based risk consulting firm. Sune Engel Rasmussen and Benoit Faucon report for the Wall Street Journal."

lousubcap

Wednesday Russia-Ukraine update:

"A significant infrastructure facility in Khmelnytskiy, western Ukraine, was damaged by debris caused by a Russian drone attack last night, a senior official confirmed today. The attack damaged both residential and non-residential facilities, and at least 16 people were injured. The Ukrainian military has since confirmed that their air forces intercepted all 11 Russian drones that were launched at Ukraine overnight. Reuters reports. 

 Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy claims that his country’s recent attacks have denied the Russian fleet access to safe bases and maritime corridors in the Western region of the Black Sea. The announcement comes as Kyiv’s military aims to push Russia’s occupying forces out of the Crimean Peninsula. At a diplomatic summit of the Crimea Platform, Zelenskyy also alleged that the capability of Ukraine to strike Crimea is coming closer, although no further details were provided. Hanna Arhirova reports for AP News.  

Ukraine’s newly formed Siberian Battalion recruits Russian citizens to help the ongoing fight against Moscow. An anonymous Ukrainian military officer confirmed that the majority of the unit’s 50 members are indigenous people of Siberia who are eager to fight against what they perceive to be Russian imperialism both inside their homelands and in Ukraine. Many recruits entered Ukraine via third countries. Military analysts say that other Russian regions home to indigenous peoples, such as Buryatia, constitute a disproportionate number of soldiers in the Russian army. Max Hunder reports for Reuters."

lousubcap

More on Israel-Hamas today, 10/25:

"America’s top diplomat warned Iran against attacking U.S. troops in the Middle East. Speaking at what the Wall Street Journal described as a “tense” meeting of the United Nations Security Council on Tuesday, State Secretary Antony Blinken said, “If Iran or its proxies attack U.S. personnel anywhere, make no mistake: We will defend our people, we will defend our security—swiftly and decisively.”

Blinken asked all 15 nations represented Tuesday to pressure Iran against escalation in the region. “Tell Iran, tell its proxies—in public, in private, through every means—do not open another front against Israel in this conflict; do not attack Israel’s partners,” he said. “Act as if the security and stability of the entire region and beyond is on the line,” he added, “because it is.”

Blinken also met with eight Middle East diplomats while in New York on Tuesday. Those included Algerian Foreign Minister Ahmed Attaf, Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry, Jordanian Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi, Libyan Acting Foreign Minister Taher al-Baour, Palestinian Authority Foreign Minister Riad al-Malki, Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan Al-Saud, UAE Minister of State Reem Al Hashimy, and Arab League Secretary-General Ahmed Aboul Gheit.

The leader of Iran-backed Hezbollah met with senior Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad officials in Beirut on Wednesday, the Associated Press reported. According to a short statement the three released afterward, the three armed groups want to stop Israel’s “treacherous and brutal aggression against our oppressed and steadfast people in Gaza and the West Bank,” and they hope somehow for what they called “a real victory for the resistance in Gaza and Palestine.”

Turkey’s president: “Hamas is not a terror organization; it is an organization of liberation, of mujahedeen who fight to protect their land and citizens,” President Recep Tayyip Erdogan told lawmakers Wednesday, according to the New York Times, which stressed “these comments go directly against fellow NATO nations including the United States.”

Jordanian King Abdullah II warned his French counterpart the war on Gaza “may lead to an explosion of the situation in the region,” according to a readout from officials in Amman. French President Emmanuel Macron is visiting the region after his American, British, and German counterparts met with officials in Tel Aviv. Macron had suggested the U.S.-led counter-ISIS coalition expands its targets to include Hamas. However, none of Macron’s western allies seem to share his interest in expanding that other regional conflict, which already spans several continents and nearly a dozen countries. "

HeavyG

"Yocheved Lifshitz, the 85-year-old Israeli peace activist whom Hamas released after being held hostage for 17 days, offered insights into Hamas’ tunnel network beneath Gaza. Describing the tunnels as “a spider web,”"

I'm curious aboout Hamas' tunnels and how many watertight bulkheads they may have installed in their tunnel network.
The IDF should start pumping the Mediterranean Sea into them so we can find out.

lousubcap

And this on Israel-Hamas:

President JOE BIDEN said last night that “the Israelis are making their own decisions” on whether and how to invade Gaza. What he didn’t say was how he’s pushing Israel to develop three separate plans before launching the dangerous campaign.

Based on public reporting and conversations with six officials, who all were granted anonymity to detail sensitive discussions, Washington wants Israel to outline what governance in Gaza will look like after an invasion, how it will reduce civilian harm in dense urban environments and how to free as many hostages as possible.

U.S. and Israeli officials have pushed back strongly on the idea that Israel is waiting on a green light from Washington to launch the ground invasion. One official insisted that Israel will decide when to stream into Gaza, but noted that the U.S. would give an implicit thumbs up whenever those three requests had been satisfactorily fulfilled.

Spokespeople for the White House and the Israeli government declined to provide comment for this newsletter.

The post-invasion plan concerns are the most known, as stories in The New York Times and Financial Times show Washington isn’t convinced Israel has a path to outright victory against Hamas in the enclave of 2.3 million people. As one person familiar told the FT: “There is no plan for the ‘day after’ … The Americans went crazy when they realized there was no plan.”

BTW- we went in to Iraq and Trashcanistan without a plan for the "day after" and look how that ended. 

The Powell Doctrine-worth a read for our current leaders: (Applicable to any country considering war)

The Powell Doctrine states that a list of questions all have to be answered affirmatively before military action is taken by the United States:

1. Is a vital national security interest threatened?
2. Do we have a clear attainable objective?
3. Have the risks and costs been fully and frankly analyzed?
4. Have all other non-violent policy means been fully exhausted?
5. Is there a plausible exit strategy to avoid endless entanglement?
6. Have the consequences of our action been fully considered?
7. Is the action supported by the American people?
8. Do we have genuine broad international support?[2]

As Powell said in an April 1, 2009, interview on The Rachel Maddow Show, it denotes a nation's exhausting of all "political, economic, and diplomatic means", which, only if all were futile, would result in the condition that the nation should resort to military force. Powell has also asserted that when a nation is engaging in war, every resource and tool should be used to achieve decisive force against the enemy, minimizing casualties and ending the conflict quickly by forcing the weaker force to capitulate."