Roger Waters, not content with causing damage to the legacy of one of the world’s all-time greatest musical acts, now flirting with prison time in his relentless campaign with Israel; and speaking of disgrace, Kemi Badenoch makes a fool of herself yet again

Medios y Media/Getty Images

A couple of matters from my ancestral homeland that are bothering me at present:

Roger Waters could face prosecution in the UK after voicing support for the proscribed terrorist organisation Palestine Action—Enough, Roger. Stand down: you're in your eighties, and your reckless antisemitism (he can deny he hates Jews until he is blue in the face, he does) and misguided sympathy for the rank-and-file Palestinians who have been enabling Islamist extremist since Israel's founding and well before that even—have already cost David Gilmour and the Pink Floyd brand countless millions in recent years. Do not pursue martyrdom; exit the public stage and spend your remaining years in quiet retirement, and stop sullying the name and image of a legendary and noble brand. {Euronews 9 July}

AFP/Gettty

Meanwhile, in her latest address, Leader of the Opposition Kemi Badenoch has insulted disabled Britons and dared disgruntled Tories to defect to Reform UK. How much longer will the British people—and her own Conservative Party—tolerate this woman, of all people, branding a fair portion of them as lazy and appointing herself the supreme arbiter of British values? I do not even live in the UK (though I do not mind one bit imparting the truth that I am far more British by blood than a sizable share of modern British nationals, and certainly Kemi Badenoch) but listening to her spew this bile makes my blood boil. All she has achieved is accelerating the slow suicide of one of the world’s oldest and most storied political parties. Frankly, I could not care less if anyone takes issue with my tone. This is an international disgrace, a prime example of how much of the world—and the English-speaking world, at that—is now living under kakistocracy. {Sky News 10 July}

Copyright 2025, Arthur Newhook. @Sunking278 on X-TWITTER, and at the same handle on FACEBOOK. BLUESKY - @arthurnewhook.bsky.social. REDDIT - https://www.reddit.com/r/StopTheIdiocracy/new/. DONATIONS GRATEFULLY ACCEPTED at https://tinyurl.com/ArthurNewhook.

IF ONE ARRIVES HERE DEFENDING IRAN, EXCUSING HAMAS’S ATROCITIES IN GAZA, MISATTRIBUTING THOSE ATROCITIES TO THE WRONG PARTY, OR SLANDERING ISRAEL AND JEWS, DO NOT EXPECT ENGAGEMENT

At minimum — depending on your level of stupidity and malice — such comments will be deleted, and one will likely be blocked. Do not waste my time.

While I grapple with my own mental health struggles, I refuse to succumb to this epidemic of antisemitism and historical amnesia. History shows with grim clarity: civilisations that persecute Jews inevitably face ruin.

For millennia, the world has failed to eliminate the Jewish people — and it never will. I would wager with 98% confidence that none of these Israel/Zionist rage-merchants has ever been personally wronged by a Jewish individual. And even if they were, the perpetrator’s faith was irrelevant to the incident. Enough of these dangerous and irrational delusions. Israel is no enemy, nor are Jews. This truth must stand, unshaken. —Arthur Newhook, 19 June 2025.

Copyright 2025, Arthur Newhook. @Sunking278 on X-TWITTER, and at the same handle on FACEBOOK. BLUESKY - @arthurnewhook.bsky.social. REDDIT - https://www.reddit.com/r/StopTheIdiocracy/new/. DONATIONS GRATEFULLY ACCEPTED at https://tinyurl.com/ArthurNewhook.

Two dead in Israeli embassy massacre. As the gunman screamed 'Free Palestine' during his arrest, America's moral bankruptcy has been laid bare

AFP/Getty

VIDEO VIA BBC NEWS—the moment the Washington DC Jewish Museum shooting suspect is detained

Every remaining reasonably minded individual in the former United States who continues to value Israel and the Jewish people as friends—Democrat, Republican, or otherwise, all dwindling in number—must, at this very instant, forcefully reaffirm their unwavering solidarity. Antisemitism is running rampant across the political spectrum, and it is rapidly becoming perilous for Jews to merely exist in this dying nation. The West as a whole is being consumed by the same ancient hatred that birthed the Holocaust. Europe has been gradually succumbing to its Islamised hordes for the past two decades, yet until very recently America offered a safe haven, its populace overwhelmingly in support of Israel’s right to exist. A dramatic shift has undeniably occurred: a dark energy has taken root in hearts and minds. 

Increasingly, America’s useful idiots applaud as antisemitic mobs, or lone gunmen as was apparently the case in this incident, render the streets unsafe for Jews. It is 1938 replaying before our eyes. God will ensure that the former United States and its people are punished as severely as ordinary Germans were in the immediate aftermath of the Second World War; not solely for betraying the Jewish people, but for abandoning every value and tenet they ever purported to hold dear. Judgement invariably befalls nations that forsake the guardians of civilisation. —Arthur Newhook, 22 May 2025.

Copyright 2025, Arthur Newhook. @Sunking278 on X-TWITTER, and at the same handle on FACEBOOK. BLUESKY - @arthurnewhook.bsky.social. REDDIT - https://www.reddit.com/r/StopTheIdiocracy/new/. THREADS - @arthurnewhook. DONATIONS GRATEFULLY ACCEPTED at https://tinyurl.com/ArthurNewhook.

Alito's 'Appeal to Heaven' flag: another Christian nationalist dog whistle

Photo: Michael Perez/AP

AP - The ‘Appeal to Heaven’ flag evolves from Revolutionary War symbol to banner of the far right

It is time to call these individuals, from leadership to the rank-and-file supporters, for what they truly are: terrorists. Just as most Muslims came to either embrace or tolerate Jihadist activity and extreme restrictions on their liberties and freedoms, American Christian nationalists are experiencing a similar process of radicalisation in our current era. Samuel Alito and Clarence Thomas should not serve upon the Supreme Court; instead, they should await trial on charges of sedition. A shame it is that, by and large, people consider not the all-too-real possibility of ‘The Handmaid’s Tale’ becoming reality when they vote for president, nor take more seriously the danger these holy rollers represent to us all.

Even the overturning of Roe v. Wade hath failed to kindle a fervent outcry from those sorely beset by this egregious encroachment upon the lives of women. What I discern at this present moment is a country that has given up, and is about to yield unto tyranny in exchange for the fleeting promise of a few extra dollars in their coffers (which will not materialise, of course). I behold a realm of defeated and tired souls, inclined to let the bully, Donald Trump, return to power for he hath cunningly vilified President Biden. Donald Trump should be the most despised man in America, yet it is Joe Biden who bears the brunt of hatred. The propaganda, the brainwashing, and the bullying, combined with the cruel realities of COVID, inflation, climate change, and global turmoil, have reduced the American people to crying for mercy and submitting to the authority of an evil cabal that intends to dictate every facet of their existence.

Yet, this shall prove a harsh reckoning; ere long, millions shall awaken to the grievous error they shalt have wrought (this November), and shall pine for the return of Joe Biden. For his own part, Mr. Biden may have to resort to extraordinary measures to save this country from itself whilst there is still time; yet, though I strive to lend my support and will unequivocally vote for him again, I harbour doubts as to whether he possesses the fortitude to endure much longer. Nor doth there dwell within the American masses any remnant of fighting spirit. 'Tis akin to the year 1932, and the fall of the Weimar Republic.

I can feel it in the air; America seems to be losing hope, mirroring the despair that once gripped Germany, and thus, they will endure the hardships the Germans were subjected to following World War II and the collapse of Nazism. However, unlike Germany, America will never recover or regain its global influence: the once mighty empire is in a state of inexorable decline. Ours is an empire plagued by divisions - too vast, too diverse, and too at odds with itself to ever truly be a nation in the sense that Germany, Japan etc. are nations. While this may sound overly pessimistic, remember that my faith in Americans died completely with the 2016 presidential election, and each passing day since has only reinforced the reasons as to why that faith is never coming back to life.

President Biden denounces ICC arrest warrant bid for Netanyahu, reiterates there is no moral equivalence between Israel and Hamas. {BBC 5/20} 

Слава Україні. Long overdue U.S. artillery shells finally arrive to assist Ukrainian fighters near Kharkiv. {Reuters 5/21}

Of course she is. No backbone, no integrity: Nikki Haley announces she will vote for Donald Trump. {BBC 5/22}

Trump camp to build ‘crypto army’, will begin accepting campaign donations in cryptocurrency. {AP 5/21}

Indian dictator Modi - leader of over 1.4 billion people - claims he is of divine birth, says ‘this energy could not be from my biological body’. {Business Standard 5/22}

Copyright 2024, Arthur Newhook. @Sunking278 and @FloydEtcetera on X, and at the same handles on FACEBOOK. MASTODON - @ArthurNewhook@mastodon.world, BLUESKY - @arthurnewhook.bsky.social. DONATIONS GRATEFULLY ACCEPTED at https://tinyurl.com/ArthurNewhook.

MORE ANECDOTAL EVIDENCE THAT ANTI-SEMITISM AND CONSPIRACISM ARE GOING MAINSTREAM IN #MURICA

Assorted American Nazis at the Charlottesville rally of 2017. Photo: Chet Strange/Getty Images

If there was ever a disheartening indication to me that humanity is facing dark times, it was today's discovery that a former girlfriend of mine - once the epitome of sweetness and kindness, with whom I shared many years - now disseminates QAnon conspiracy theories and virulent anti-Semitic content on her Twitter (X) account. I had been aware since 2016 of her support for Trump. We parted ways in 2017, partly due to our political disparities (i.e., even the most rational of Trump supporters morph into big babies whenever their idol is criticised). However, I never could have imagined that this woman would eventually embrace such ancient, hateful beliefs as the blood libel.

Trumpism is an incremental mental disorder, one that typically starts off innocently enough for most, but ultimately consumes the hearts and minds of its followers, leading towards hateful ideologies such as Nazism. However, it's not just Trump supporters who exhibit concerning tendencies; it is all the leftists who are quick to blame Israel and our own government for the actions of Islamist extremists, true to their long-standing and petulant refusal of over twenty years to acknowledge the true threat posed by Islamist terrorists.Anti-Semitism is becoming increasingly prevalent across the political spectrum, and it achieves no positive outcomes or offers any solutions except more hate and violence.

Large segments of the American populace are increasingly turning against Israel, blaming the victims and siding with the oppressors (Hamas), while simultaneously Vladimir Putin's popularity among Americans soars along with anti-Ukrainian sentiment. What kind of monsters are Americans becoming? I find it increasingly difficult to recognize this nation and much of its populace, and genuinely feel as though I am trapped in a bizarre fever dream. Unfortunately, these dire circumstances will only worsen, particularly as the younger generations come of age, their brains addled by (among other things) video games and Tik Tok. The irreversible decline and eventual disintegration of the United States are inevitable now, as the election of 2016 opened the Gates of Hades. There is no saviour in sight to prevent our self-inflicted demise (if America is the new Babylon of prophecy, as I’ve long suspected, then the Bible tells us that God is not going to save it); nobody will be left to pick up the shattered pieces when the inevitable collapse occurs.

Copyright 2024, Arthur Newhook. @Sunking278 and @FloydEtcetera on X, and at the same handles on FACEBOOK. MASTODON - @ArthurNewhook@mastodon.world, BLUESKY - @arthurnewhook.bsky.social, and @arthurnewhook on POST. DONATIONS GRATEFULLY ACCEPTED at https://tinyurl.com/ArthurNewhook.

Decency hath forsaken this abode. In a country fraught with ludicrous partisanship and division, denizens from both the left and the right forsake our allies, and, instead, warmly clasp hands with our most malevolent adversaries

Pray, where doth sanity and virtue reside in this bloody country? Much of the American left doth point accusing fingers at Israel in the face of assault, with too many openly applauding Hamas; all disseminating untruths they fervently wish to embrace. The true hues of Jew-hatred are becoming manifest on each side. Most of the American right doth lay blame upon Ukraine for the onslaught, with many boldly extolling Vladimir Putin and reproving (the Jewish) Mr. Zelensky; all spreading falsehoods. Extremes in both factions (arguably the majority of everybody now, the centre hath witherered) do heap blame upon the victims of terrorism, oppression, and anti-semitism. And how quick are each extreme to lay blame upon President Biden, the actual grown-up and decent, sensible human being in the room? Left and right, they cheer on the literal murderers, terrorists, and despots of their choosing, performing and thinking as their leaders dictate.

In these times, I am thoroughly repulsed and oft find myself in solitude with my steadfast beliefs. Uphold Israel, champion Ukraine, and cease the dissemination of propaganda and fabrications, predominantly spawned in the troll factories of St. Petersburg and Beijing, be it from the left or the right. If a bumbling soul and a virtual cripple such as I can discern these matters, what ails everyone else? Alas, I detest these times, and they will become darker still. Aye, far darker. Lunatics of all persuasions are steering us not merely toward a domestic civil conflict but straight into World War III. A lamentable state, indeed. Nick work, #Murica, nation of f**king imbeciles.

Copyright 2023, Arthur Newhook. @Sunking278 and @FloydEtcetera on X, and at the same handles on FACEBOOK. MASTODON - @ArthurNewhook@mastodon.world, BLUESKY - @arthurnewhook.bsky.social, and @arthurnewhook on POST and THREADS.

A few words for the leader of the Roman Catholic church regarding the prelate’s meetings with Israelis and their opponents

Pope Francis in St. Peter’s Square. Photo: AP Photo/Andrew Medichini

AP: Pope meets relatives of Israeli hostages and Palestinians in Gaza and sets off firestorm over words - Señor Bergoglio, and all those who have need to hearken so: This war shall cease only upon the complete obliteration and dismantling of Hamas. Israel engages in battle for its very survival, it has the right to exist. As for the denizens of Gaza - much akin to adherents of #Cult45 in the 'red' states, only on a greater scale - suffer under the oppression wrought by their own kin. Cease this equivocation, bothsidesism, for it hath only contributed to the proliferation of the antisemitic rhetoric that is reaching an intolerable extent. 

I do perceive Islamists and their accomplices, as well as all who form #Cult45 in #Murica, as greatly resembling each other. The Arab Muslims dwelling in Gaza and the West Bank endure hardship for the reason that many amongst them were long since indoctrinated to accuse Jews, Christians, and anyone but their actual oppressors for their wretchedness. Especially in rural domains, the diverse factions constituting the Trump alliance suffer due to their consistent voting against their own welfare. I harbor little compassion for those who lend their support to the Fascist Trump and the traitorous modern GOP, nor do I possess much pity for most 'Palestinians.' Ye have all brought these miseries upon thyselves, and, alas, upon the rest of us as well.

Pray for peace as thou wilt, Pope Francis, but relative tranquility shall only arise through the utter destruction of the agents of death - chiefly Hamas, and all the other bands of Jihadi terrorists that ply their trade in the region. Peace for Israel shall emerge from the crucible of conflict, and none have the authority to pass judgment upon Israel for it. Across centuries, Jews have waged battles for their very survival in every corner of the globe they've dwelt. The Holocaust ought to stand as the ultimate admonition, yet multitudes in this world yearn to reenact its horrors, and their unholy numbers swell. There exists no moral equivalence; Israel must prevail, whatever the cost!

Copyright 2023, Arthur Newhook. @Sunking278 and @FloydEtcetera on X, and at the same handles on FACEBOOK. MASTODON - @ArthurNewhook@mastodon.world, BLUESKY - @arthurnewhook.bsky.social, and @arthurnewhook on POST and THREADS.

The left-hand washing the right-hand: The epidemic of anti-Israeli and anti-Jew sentiment on the hard-left helps no one of goodwill, only tyrants

The anti-Semitic, anti-Israel faction of the Democratic Party must be silenced without delay, beginning yesterday. We have literal Nazis with designs on reclaiming the White House, and they hold a potent position in Congress. Half the land doth mindlessly lament President Biden's age, the enduring presence of COVID (as I have personally encountered of late), and a multitude of other quandaries. Yet these left-wing nutjobs wouldst instead point accusatory fingers, espouse conspiracy theories, and weep for repressive individuals who would not hesitate to slay them (and the rest of us) without a second thought. Verily, if these leftists are to extend their sympathy to a bunch of Islamist barbarians, why do they not shed tears for the plight of the ordinary Trump-supporting fellow (#Cult45)? Those fools probably hate any American to the left of Attila the Hun more than any Islamist half a world away, yet these bloody leftists cry for these foreign murderers. In a circuitous manner, here is precisely what hath transpired: The left-hand once more washes the right-hand, and all of you expressing support for the ‘Palestinians’ - however well-intentioned or not one may be - are falling for these lies, hook, line, and sinker. You are helping Donald Trump to reclaim the White House, and thine hands art stained with blood! Cast not Israel as a scapegoat, nor lay blame upon the Jews. #StandWithIsrael and stand against barbarism and repression. 

Copyright 2023, Arthur Newhook. @Sunking278 and @FloydEtcetera on X, and at the same handles on FACEBOOK. MASTODON - @ArthurNewhook@mastodon.world, and @arthurnewhook on POST and THREADS.

Why is America still funding the Taliban?

World Atlas

OUTRAGE: ‘The US government’s Afghanistan watchdog told lawmakers Wednesday that he cannot say with certainty that US aid to the country is “not currently funding the Taliban.”’ - Simple solution here: Cut off all aid to Afghanistan, once and for all. Americans and many others gave their blood for those people over a twenty-year period, and this is the thanks they get in the end? Use those funds to help fund Ukraine’s defense against Russian aggression. On that note, isn’t it amazing that Ukrainians are fighting like Hell and greatly appreciate every bit of aid they receive; yet, Americans are intent on seeing Ukrainians as to blame for their plight, and Putin as a strong, steady leader who is only defending his country. Furthermore, the threat of Islamic terrorism has completely faded from the minds of Americans, and the Taliban now appears to be a role model for these populists and Christian nationalists. In 2021, led on by our sleazy media and seditious lawmakers, the American people shamefully threw a giant hissy-fit over the ‘botched’ withdrawal from Afghanistan; they pointed the finger of blame at President Biden and the U.S. Armed Forces, but not the Taliban. No more money spent, no more blood given for Afghanistan, for they had their opportunity for liberty and decided they didn’t want it. Much the same as is happening now here in #Murica. {CNN 4/19}

Copyright 2023, Arthur Newhook. @Sunking278 and @FloydEtcetera on TWITTER, and at the same handles on FACEBOOK. MASTODON - @ArthurNewhook@mastodon.world, and POST - @arthurnewhook.

Setting the record straight on Trump’s involvement in and crusade against Ukraine, and ode of sorts to Poland, and the importance of having pencil and paper on hand at all times

Alexei Alexandrov/AP

Just a quick update this Saturday afternoon. I’m tired …

Zelenskyy demands strong global response to Kramatorsk train station bombing (AP 4/09)

The truth about Trump and Ukraine - An absolute must-read, been meaning to post this for days now. Our former president has blood on his hands, re: Ukraine. (Seth Abramson 3/30)

Hats off to Poland: Poland, indeed, has been exceptional in its openness to its neighbors. There are, however, some very real concerns about their government and its commitment to democracy. I trust those issues will be worked out, and Poland is going to emerge as a global leader.

At least 16 killed in Burkina Faso army base attack by jihadists following January military coup (Reuters 4/08)

Unsolicited life advice: While writing blog articles and posting on social media, or even just in one’s everyday activities, having a pencil and notepad or notebook on hand is essential. Writing things down, by hand, improves our memories and keeps us (at least, relatively) sharp. I got away from this habit for a long time, and now I am correcting course. Truly, I have little other choice, given how scatterbrained my alcohol-addled, battle-scarred ass is.

Copyright 2022, Sunking278. Stay up-to-date: Twitter – @Sunking278 and Facebook – click here. DONATIONS - click here.

Ungrateful, cowardly Afghanis bemoan the Biden Administration redirecting central bank funds to 9/11 victims

Kiana Hayeri/NYT

For twenty long and thankless years, Americans soldiers gave their blood for these ingrates and cowards, and American taxpayers spent unholy amount of money to assist (key word) in the rebuilding of their pathetic wasteland of a country. It is 100% the responsibility of Afghani citizens that the Taliban is ruling over them once again. The Biden Administration’s greatest accomplishment to date is getting our military out of that hellhole, for which they took nothing but grief from nearly all sides. The nerve of any of these people to say America has been ‘cruel’ and has betrayed them. In hindsight, perhaps Afghanistan should have been nuked into oblivion on September 12, 2001. Only half-kidding there. New York Times -  

KABUL, Afghanistan — Many Afghans said they were outraged by the Biden administration’s decision to divert billions in frozen assets from the Afghan central bank to American families of 9/11 victims, as Afghanistan hurtles deeper into economic catastrophe. 

The move, which would effectively bankrupt the country’s central bank, adds to the growing animosity that many Afghans have felt toward the United States since the troop withdrawal that paved the way for the Taliban’s takeover of the country in August. 

“It is a cruel act and a betrayal of the rights of the Afghan people,” Fazl Ahmad, a shopkeeper in Kabul, the capital, said on Saturday. “It is clear that the poor economic situation right now is due to the U.S. economic constraints on Afghanistan.” 

After the Taliban seized power, the Biden administration froze the roughly $7 billion in central bank assets that the now-defunct Western-backed government had on deposit at the Federal Reserve Bank in New York, amid uncertainty over who — if anyone — now had the legal authority to gain access to the account. 

On Friday, the Biden administration began a process aimed at letting relatives of victims of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks who have legal claims against the Taliban pursue $3.5 billion of those assets. The Taliban sheltered Qaeda leaders who planned the Sept. 11 attacks during the Taliban’s previous rule of Afghanistan. 

The White House said a roughly equal amount would be steered toward humanitarian aid for Afghanistan, which is facing one of the world’s worst humanitarian catastrophes. In a statement, it said the move was “designed to provide a path for the funds to reach the people of Afghanistan, while keeping them out of the hands of the Taliban and malicious actors.” 

But for many Afghans, the decision to put half of the assets into American hands amplified frustrations about the stranglehold that the United States has had on the country’s financial system since it withdrew its troops. (Read more)

Copyright 2022, Sunking278. Stay up-to-date: Twitter – @Sunking278 and Facebook – click here. DONATIONS - click here.

The only good Islamist is a dead Islamist: ISIS leader killed by U.S. special operations forces in Syria

AP/Ghaith Alsayed

A hearty congratulations to the U.S. special operations forces involved, and to President Biden for authorizing the attack. America needed ‘a win’ of some sorts at this moment, not that I expect the ingrates that populate this country are going to give any credit where due. Nor is it likely that the vicious MSM – who twisted reality and turned the public against the president following the (successful, and necessary) withdrawal from Afghanistan – are going to give the president and the military any credit for anything. No matter, good prevailed for once in Syria. Via AP -  

ATMEH, Syria (AP) — The leader of the violent Islamic State group was killed Thursday, blowing himself up along with members of his family during an overnight raid carried out by U.S. special operations forces in northwestern Syria, President Joe Biden said. 

The raid targeted Abu Ibrahim al-Hashimi al-Qurayshi, who took over as head of the militant group on Oct. 31, 2019, just days after leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi died during a U.S. raid in the same area. Biden said al-Qurayshi died as al-Baghdadi did, by exploding a bomb that killed himself and members of his family, including women and children, as U.S. forces approached. 

The operation came as IS has been trying for a resurgence, with a series of attacks in the region, including an assault late last month to seize a prison in northeast Syria holding at least 3,000 IS detainees, its boldest operation in years. 

“Thanks to the bravery of our troops this horrible terrorist leader is no more,” Biden said. He said al-Qurayshi had been responsible for the prison strike, as well as genocide against the Yazidi people in Iraq in 2014. 

About 50 U.S. special operations forces landed in helicopters and attacked a house in a rebel-held corner of Syria, clashing for two hours with gunmen, witnesses said. Residents described continuous gunfire and explosions that jolted the town of Atmeh near the Turkish border, an area dotted with camps for internally displaced people from Syria’s civil war. 

Biden said he ordered U.S. forces to “take every precaution available to minimize civilian casualties,” the reason they did not conduct an airstrike on the home. 

First responders reported that 13 people had been killed, including six children and four women. 

Pentagon press secretary John Kirby said U.S. forces were able to evacuate 10 people from the building: a man, a woman and four children from the first floor and four children from the second floor. He said when al-Qurayshi detonated the bomb, he also killed his wife and two children. Kirby said that U.S. officials were conducting an assessment to determine whether American action resulted in any civilian deaths. 

U.S. forces took fingerprints and DNA, which confirmed al-Qurayshi’s death, officials said. 

Biden, along with Vice President Kamala Harris and senior national security aides monitored a live-feed of the operation from the White House Situation Room according to an official. The president was kept abreast of the commandos’ long flight out of Syria by National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan overnight. 

The operation marked a military success for the United States at an important time after setbacks elsewhere — including the chaotic Afghanistan withdrawal — had led allies and opponents to conclude U.S. power globally was weakening. (Read more)

Copyright 2022, Sunking278. Stay up-to-date: Twitter – @Sunking278 and Facebook – click here. DONATIONS - click here.

FBI swat team delivers a peaceful end to hostage standoff inside a Texas synagogue, as hostages are safely freed and Islamist gunman is shot dead

Elias Valverde/The Dallas Morning News via AP

A lunatic holds Jewish congregants hostage at a Texas synagogue, demanding the release of convicted murderer and al-Qaeda sympathizer Aafia Siddiqui. After a long stand-off, four hostages are safe and the gunman has gone to meet his seventy-two virgins. As the details of this terrorist act unfolded on Saturday, nearly everyone I saw on social media was quick to immediately assume it must have been an ultra right-wing, Trump-supporting nationalist that was responsible. Which is really telling about where we are as a country. Left or right, everyone appears to have willfully forgotten the ongoing threat radical Islam poses; more to the point, Americans have decided their domestic political opponents are the real enemy and the Muslim extremists no longer are anything but some minor nuisance. This individual acted alone, but the next attack is likely to be more coordinated, and – once again - result in mass causalities. And all Americans will do afterward is engage in hand-wringing and finger-pointing at ‘the other side’ for allowing it to happen, when there is no shortage of collective responsibility to go around. The tenuous unity we (briefly) had in 2001 is no longer possible under any circumstance. Via the AP - 

COLLEYVILLE, Texas (AP) — Four hostages are safe and their captor is dead after an hourslong standoff that began when the man took over services at a Texas synagogue where he could be heard ranting on a livestream and demanding the release of a Pakistani neuroscientist who was convicted of trying to kill U.S. Army officers in Afghanistan. 

One hostage held Saturday at Congregation Beth Israel in Colleyville was released during the standoff; three others got out about 9 p.m. when an FBI SWAT team entered the building, authorities said. The hostage taker was killed and FBI Special Agent in Charge Matt DeSarno said a team would investigate “the shooting incident.” 

Video from Dallas TV station WFAA shows people running out a door of the synagogue, and then a man holding a gun opening the same door just seconds later, before he turns around and closes the door. Moments later, several rounds of gunfire can be heard, followed by the sound of an explosion. 

FBI and police spokeswomen declined to answer questions about who shot the man. 

DeSarno said the hostage taker was specifically focused on an issue not directly connected to the Jewish community, and there was no immediate indication that the man was part of any broader plan. But DeSarno said the agency’s investigation “will have global reach.” 

It wasn’t clear why the attacker chose the synagogue. 

Law enforcement officials who were not authorized to discuss the ongoing investigation and spoke to the AP on the condition of anonymity earlier said that the hostage-taker demanded the release of Aafia Siddiqui, a Pakistani neuroscientist suspected of having ties to al-Qaida. He also said he wanted to be able to speak with her, according to the officials. Siddiqui is in federal prison in Texas.  

DeSarno said Saturday night that the man had been identified “but we are not prepared to release his identity or confirm his identity at this time.” (Read more)

Copyright 2022, Sunking278. Stay up-to-date: Twitter – @Sunking278 and Facebook – click here. DONATIONS - click here.

DHS issues holiday alert warning of domestic terrorism threat

Alex Wong/Getty Images

In addition to the continuing threat global Jihadists pose, the Department of Homeland Security is showing increasing concern about homegrown terrorism. Considering we had a genuine homegrown terrorist attack on the United States Capitol this past January 6, it is no longer hyperbole to say our own people are now more of a threat to the homeland than foreign actors. And what a sad commentary that is -

WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. faces a “heightened threat environment” from domestic extremists and people inspired by foreign terrorist groups with the approach of the holiday season, the Department of Homeland Security warned Wednesday.

While DHS said it had no credible information on a specific threat, the agency warns in its latest national terrorism advisory bulletin that mass gatherings for the upcoming religious holidays could be potential targets, including from people and organizations seeking to exploit resentment over pandemic lockdowns and recent events such as the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan.

“The Homeland continues to face a diverse and challenging threat environment,” it said.

This is the fourth time this year the agency has issued a bulletin, highlighting the perceived danger from a volatile mix of domestic extremists, often motivated by racially or ethnically motivated hate, and homegrown extremists inspired by overseas groups. It reflects a shift from the focus on al-Qaida and other organizations following the creation of DHS after the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.

It also comes in an environment that has been super-charged by online propaganda and conspiracy theories as well as anger over the economic turmoil caused by the pandemic. DHS warned that extremists will pose a “significant threat” at least into 2022.

Timothy Langan, the assistant director of the FBI’s counterterrorism division, made similar points last week in an appearance before the House intelligence committee. He said the threat from domestic terrorism has “significantly increased” in the last 18 months, with the agency currently conducting about 2,700 investigations on violent domestic extremists. (Read more)

Copyright 2021, Sunking278. Stay up-to-date: Twitter – @Sunking278 and Facebook – click here.

U.S. Navy aircraft carriers likely to remain in the Arabian Sea and Persian Gulf to patrol Afghanistan and other Middle Eastern hotspots

AP

Politico - 

The American military’s involvement in Afghanistan could soon become largely the Navy’s responsibility, an ironic twist for a counterterrorism mission in a landlocked country.

Although the Navy has long privately bristled at the requirement to deploy one or even two aircraft carriers at a time to the Arabian Sea and Persian Gulf to support the ground fights in Afghanistan, Iraq and Syria, the lack of U.S.-controlled airfields near Afghanistan could mean more planes taking off from decks at sea.

And that could set off a fresh round of requests for more funding — and more hand-wringing among those who want the U.S. military to focus more on China.

“I think a lot of that mission is going to fall on the Navy,” said a Navy official who requested to speak on the condition of anonymity because the Pentagon’s plans have yet to be finalized. “This is a great example of why we need more money to operate forward — things like this are what we’re built to do, but we need the funding and support to keep doing it, and that hasn’t always been there.” (Read more)

Copyright 2021, Sunking278. Stay up-to-date: Twitter – @Sunking278 and Facebook – click here.

President Biden warns more Afghanistan terror attacks ‘highly likely’ in next few days, vows more airstrikes against ISIS-K

AFP

There was never going to be a good or easy way out. - 

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden vowed Saturday to keep up airstrikes against the Islamic extremist group whose suicide bombing at the Kabul airport killed scores of Afghans and 13 American service members. Another terror attack, he said, is “highly likely” this weekend as the U.S. winds down its evacuation. 

The Pentagon said the remaining contingent of U.S. forces at the airport, now numbering fewer than 4,000, had begun their final withdrawal ahead of Biden’s deadline for ending the evacuation on Tuesday. 

After getting briefed on a U.S. drone mission in eastern Afghanistan that the Pentagon said killed two members of the Islamic State group’s Afghanistan affiliate early Saturday, Biden said the extremists can expect more. 

“This strike was not the last,” Biden said in a statement. “We will continue to hunt down any person involved in that heinous attack and make them pay.” He paid tribute to the “bravery and selflessness” of the American troops executing the hurried airlift of tens of thousands from Kabul airport, including the 13 U.S. service members who were killed in Thursday’s suicide bombing at an airport gate. 

The evacuation proceeded as tensions rose over the prospect of another ISIS-K attack. 

“Our commanders informed me that an attack is highly likely in the next 24-36 hours,” Biden said, adding that he has instructed them to take all possible measures to protect their troops, who are securing the airport and helping bring onto the airfield Americans and others desperate to escape Taliban rule. (Read more)

Copyright 2021, Sunking278. Stay up-to-date: Twitter – @Sunking278 and Facebook – click here.

United only in hatred for humanity: ISIS-K, offshoot of the world’s deadliest Islamist terror group, but also sworn enemy of the Taliban

NYT

Say, didn’t the former administration claim to have destroyed ISIS? What is ISIS-K? The terror group believed to be behind Kabul airport explosions -  

Washington: Explosions outside the Kabul airport that have caused multiple casualties come as Biden administration officials have been alarmed in recent days by threats at Hamid Karzai International Airport by IS-K or ISIS-K, a terrorist group that is a sworn enemy of the Taliban. 

A senior US intelligence official said while no formal attribution has been made, all signs — and recently gathered intelligence — point to IS-K, an offshoot of Islamic State, as the culprits. 

US officials, including President Joe Biden, had been warning of the threat of Islamic State terror attacks at the Kabul airport, which is being guarded by the Taliban as Americans and Afghan allies seek to leave the country. 

Douglas London, the CIA’s former top counterterrorism chief for the region, including Afghanistan, said the threat posed by IS-K is now higher because of the vacuum created after the Taliban toppled the Afghan government within a matter of days. 

The Pentagon inspector-general, in a report released last week, noted IS-K had lashed out in the last months of the now-ousted Afghan government, seizing on its weakness. 

“[IS-Khorasan] exploited the political instability and rise in violence during the quarter by attacking minority sectarian targets and infrastructure to spread fear and highlight the Afghan government’s inability to provide adequate security,” the report said. (Read more)

Copyright 2021, Sunking278. Stay up-to-date: Twitter – @Sunking278 and Facebook – click here.

Kabul airport bombing; scores killed or injured, including U.S. servicemen

Getty Images

BBC - Kabul airport attack: What do we know?

Finish getting our people out of the s**thole as quickly as possible, and then Afghanistan and everyone left in it can rot for all I care. Americans, among other nations, gave these barbarians twenty years of blood and treasure, and this is the thanks we get. F**k Afghanistan and everyone living in it, they deserve what they got, and that is all there is left to be said. Not our problem anymore.

Copyright 2021, Sunking278. Stay up-to-date: Twitter – @Sunking278 and Facebook – click here.

Jennifer Rubin: President Biden gave the best possible defense of his Afghanistan withdrawal

Washington Post

Much of the news media is irresponsibly second-guessing and blaming President Biden for the debacle in Afghanistan. Just as irresponsible in doing so as the GOP. Are regular Americans capable of seeing through this garbage? Jennifer Rubin - 

President Biden’s case for the fruitlessness of a continued military mission in Afghanistan got a boost as the Afghan army melted away, and its leaders fled practically overnight. During remarks from the White House on Monday, Biden made a strong point — one likely to find receptive ears among voters — that he refuses to maintain the lie to Americans that victory is around the corner. 

"We gave [Afghans] every chance to determine their own future. What we could not provide them was the will to fight for their future,” Biden said. He argued, “If Afghanistan is unable to mount any real resistance to the Taliban now, there is no chance that . . . one more year, five more years or 20 more years of U.S. military boots on the ground would have made any difference.” Americans who are disgusted watching Afghan forces cut deals with the Taliban and flee will likely share that view. 

If Biden got something wrong, it is that he gave too much credence to military leaders who had assured him that the situation in Afghanistan was improving. He wisely conceded the collapse of the Afghan forces happened faster than expected. The assumption that Afghan military forces would survive more than a week was as flawed as the assessments of the 20-year conflict. 

The assumption that Afghan helpers are already lost to the butchery of the Taliban, however, smacks of defeatism. The United States must deploy sufficient troops and conduct a massive rescue of the tens of thousands of vulnerable Afghans. Indeed, Biden vowed in his address: “We’re taking over air traffic control. . . . Over the coming days, we intend to transport out thousands of American citizens who have been living and working in Afghanistan,” he vowed. “We will also continue to support the safe departure of the civilian personnel of our allies.” The president’s success in pulling this off will determine how history judges his decision. 

The pronouncement from many in the media that the United States has abandoned Afghan allies is premature — the sort of snap judgment common on Twitter but utterly inappropriate in assessing a war in which virtually ever actor has been responsible for gross errors. Could the administration at least be given a chance to try to rescue Afghans, in concert with allies? Could it compensate its wrongfully rosy projections on how long Afghan security forces would last by sending additional forces to remain until we remove our Afghan partners? That’s what Biden proposes; we should pray he follows through. (Read more)

Copyright 2021, Sunking278. Stay up-to-date: Twitter – @Sunking278 and Facebook – click here.

Useless nationalist populists pointing the finger of blame at President Biden on Afghanistan is par for the course; they have nothing else to fall back on

The only modus operandi the nationalist populist right has these days is to blame the president for anything and everything; in the case of Afghanistan, conveniently forgetting it was their orange savior who was president the last four years and who did next-to-nothing to shore up our Afghan allies, and even signed a treaty with the Taliban. Of course, now Republicans are backtracking, deleting a webpage that celebrated Trump’s aforementioned Taliban deal, and former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo claiming they ‘never trusted’ the Taliban. Throwing everything at the wall and seeing what sticks is all these fire-breathing malcontents have to counter President Biden. Sad to say, by this time next week most everyone will have forgotten Afghanistan - that's just the way our news cycle and our short attention spans work now. But whether it’s Afghanistan, COVID-19, the situation at the southern border, infrastructure, health care, so forth, all the right can do is assign blame. They’re damn good at that, but they’ve proven time and again they are lousy at coming up with their own solutions.

Copyright 2021, Sunking278. Stay up-to-date: Twitter – @Sunking278 and Facebook – click here.