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Posts posted by Viper
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39 minutes ago, Catpfish said:
Also wonder if Neo was shooting for a Texas flag and came up a little short with the flag of Chile
Hence the aggy part
Also this seems good news
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3 hours ago, KYHorn said:
Given the flags he's either Russian or an aggy.
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1 hour ago, MillerEP said:
To really make it embarrassing, 16 ambassadors from NATO in Hungary showed up to sit and watch the vote, and they're the only ones who showed up:
Yeah this is our ambassador throwing some serious diplomatic shade at Orban and his party
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6 minutes ago, bolverk said:
I'm not sure this type of post is helpful. I mean, I could respond by posting lots of other videos and stories of IDF soldiers and West Bank settlers killing innocent Palestinian women and children who did nothing wrong, but then we'd quickly get into a back-and-forth shitfest of finger-pointing and name-calling.
good point, but I would think it's important to counter misinformation that gets spread around so fast, especially given how uninformed people are on both sides.
In actual news it sounds like Hamas is denying they've turned down the ceasefire deal and seem to still be negociating
https://www.jpost.com/israel-hamas-war/article-785095
QuoteHamas denies rejection of hostage, ceasefire deal, says will deliver answer soon
According to the report, the terror organization is set to demand an increase in the number of Palestinian terrorists released from Israeli prisons.
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Knife attack in what I assume is a west bank border
(warning somewhat graphic)
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27 minutes ago, atomheartbevo said:
Agreed, but as the posts @Viper mentioned pointed out (besides the “888” thing the bots were using to recognize each other), Americans don’t think in terms of warm water ports, we just think in terms of ports. Even when we were just the thirteen colonies, we still had warm water ports.
This is just the tip of the iceberg though - this kind of disinformation from Russian bots is ramping up big time, and right now it’s focused on reducing aid to Ukraine.
It's just an anecdote, but I would be very interested in an actual study on this
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Proportional response and deterrence seem to be mutually exclusive at this point. It's getting to the point where, constitutionally, we need to declare war and put and end to these attacks if we're going to stay in the area.
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- Popular Post
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A look at how the EU maneuvered Orban into agreeing to give aid to Ukraine
QuoteThe New York Times tells how EU leaders danced over Orban to convince him to lift the block on the €50 billion package to Ukraine.
It was a game of good cop and bad cop, writes the NYT. Some leaders jokingly told Orban they would send him bills for the nights they spent with him in Brussels trying to persuade him to support funding for Ukraine. Others were not joking and said that they would begin the procedure for excluding Hungary from EU procedures. Still others offered him a friendly late-night drink so he could complain about how the evil European bureaucracy had united against him for ideological reasons.
“Bad Cop” was played by the President of the European Council, Charles Michel. On Monday, he summoned Orban and bluntly stated that he would not see the right to veto the aid package for Ukraine in a year. Michel put his “nuclear option” on the table: he told Orban that he would face a procedure for depriving him of his vote in the EU - an unprecedented step for the EU.
On Wednesday evening, Orban met with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, his comrade in far-right ideology. It was a meeting over a bottle of champagne on green velvet armchairs in the premier room of the exemplary five-star Amigo Hotel in the heart of Brussels. Meloni gently convinced Orbán that it would be much more profitable for him to join the EU’s common line, it would be better for everyone.
The next move was Emmanuel Macron. The French President suggested that Orbán make some changes to the EU joint statement, which would take into account some of Orbán's complaints about the EU. (The EU is blocking €20 billion from Hungary due to problems with corruption and democracy caused by Orban's 17 years in power. [The EU will not release these funds to Orban in exchange for the Ukraine deal].
In parallel, at the other end of the street at the EU headquarters, a meeting of the rest of the EU leaders was taking place - it was attended by Olaf Scholz, Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte, Charles Michel and everyone else. Orbán was not there. This was a signal to Orbán: the offers from Meloni and Macron were the most he could get. Otherwise, they will agree without him.
Orban capitulated.
NYT notes that Ukraine for Orban is a pawn in his long-term game, his main goal is to organize a populist and nationalist uprising against European liberal elites. This campaign appears to be failing.
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Zaluzhnyi penned an essay for CNN about the war. Very interesting timing given the firing rumors
Ukraine’s army chief: The design of war has changed
Opinion by Valerii Zaluzhnyi
5 minute read
Updated 3:51 PM EST, Thu February 1, 2024QuoteEditor’s Note: Valerii Zaluzhnyi has been Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine since 2021. This article was written before an expected announcement of his dismissal. The views expressed in this commentary are his own. Read a detailed CNN analysis of this article here, and the full essay here.
CNN
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The Second World War drew to a close almost 80 years ago, but its legacy in defining the strategic vision of war persists to this day.Whatever remarkable advances there have been in the fields of aviation, missile technology and space-based assets, for instance, the concept of victory remains unchanged: to destroy the enemy and to capture or liberate territory.
And yet, each war is unique.
And there is no greater challenge facing the military commander, in my opinion, than understanding – in good time – how each war is shaped differently.Firstly, by technological progress, which determines the development of weapons and equipment.
And, secondly, by political conditions at home and abroad, and the economic environment.
Victory needs a unique strategy and follows a unique logic.
It is well known by now that a central driver of this war is the development of unmanned weapons systems.They are proliferating at a breathtaking pace and the scope of their applications grows ever wider.
Zelensky set to announce dismissal of Ukraine’s top commander within days as rift grows over war, source says
Crucially, it is these unmanned systems – such as drones – along with other types of advanced weapons, that provide the best way for Ukraine to avoid being drawn into a positional war, where we do not possess the advantage.But while mastery of such technologies is key, it is not the only factor influencing current strategy.
We must contend with a reduction in military support from key allies, grappling with their own political tensions.
Our partners’ stocks of missiles, air defense interceptors and ammunition for artillery is becoming exhausted, due to the intensity of hostilities in Ukraine, but also from a global shortage of propellant charges.Russia, taking note of how developments in the Middle East have distracted international attention, might seek to provoke further conflicts elsewhere.
The weakness of the international sanctions’ regime means Russia, in partnership with certain others, is still able to deploy its military-industrial complex in pursuit of a war of attrition against us.
We must acknowledge the significant advantage enjoyed by the enemy in mobilizing human resources and how that compares with the inability of state institutions in Ukraine to improve the manpower levels of our armed forces without the use of unpopular measures.
We must contend with a reduction in military support from key allies.
Finally, we remain hamstrung by the imperfections of the regulatory framework in our country, as well as the partial monopolization of the defense industry. These lead to production bottlenecks – in ammunition, for instance – which further deepen Ukraine’s dependence on its allies for supplies.
Our combat experience, particularly since 2022, is unique – but in the interests of victory, we must constantly find new ways and new capabilities to help us gain an advantage over the enemy.Perhaps the number one priority here is mastery of an entire arsenal of (relatively) cheap, modern and highly effective, unmanned vehicles and other technological means.
Already such assets allow commanders to monitor the situation on the battlefield in real time, day and night, and in all weather conditions.
But not only that.
They provide real-time intelligence allowing the adjustment of fire around the clock, without pause – giving us the ability to deliver high-precision strikes against enemy targets in forward positions and in depth.
In short, this means nothing less than the wholesale redesign of battlefield operations – and the abandoning of outdated, stereotypical thinking.
Russia’s frozen assets are generating billions. The EU is getting ready to send them to Ukraine
New operations might include digital field creation, radio-electronic environment control, or a combined operation using attack drones and cyber assets.
Such operations will be coordinated and conducted under a single concept and plan.Crucially, the aim will not always be solely combat in focus.
It might seek to reduce the economic capabilities of the enemy, or to isolate, or wear him down.
Attack operations can have psychological objectives.
That said, for the time being, the priority remains improving the situation on the battlefield.
And here, technology boasts an undoubted superiority over tradition.
The remote control of these assets means fewer soldiers in harm’s way, thus reducing the level of human losses.It offers the opportunity to reduce (though certainly not eliminate) reliance on heavy materiel in combat missions and the overall conduct of hostilities.
And it opens up the possibility of inflicting sudden massive strikes against critical infrastructure facilities and communications hubs without deploying expensive missiles or manned aircraft.
Further advantages will become clear over time, though of course the enemy will all the time be looking for ways to defend against such operations and to seize or regain the initiative.
So, defense systems too need constant improvement, as do countermeasures targeting the use of new technology by the enemy.
The challenge for our armed forces cannot be underestimated.
It is to create a completely new state system of technological rearmament.
Taking everything into account at this moment, we think the creation of such a system could be achieved in five months.
Our partners are of the same view.
This time will be spent creating an appropriate organizational structure, filling and equipping positions, providing training and support, building out the supporting infrastructure and logistics, and developing a doctrinal framework.
In conclusion, in 2024, we must focus our main efforts in three areas.
Creating a system to provide our armed forces with high-tech assets.Introducing a new philosophy of training and warfare which takes account of restrictions in assets and how they can be deployed.
And mastering new combat capabilities as soon as possible.
We already possess capabilities to eliminate the enemy and ensure the existence of statehood.
Our goal must be to seize the moment – to maximize our accumulation of the latest combat capabilities, which will allow us to commit fewer resources to inflicting maximum damage on the enemy, to end the aggression and protect Ukraine from it in the future.
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Sounds like Hamas' has agreed to the ceasefire to release all the hostages so that's some good news. This might be one of the reasons why.
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18 minutes ago, 956 Worldwide said:
Ukraine’s Military Intelligence says they’ve gotten another Russian ship, the Ivanovets missile corvette.
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UNWatch is enjoying their "I told you so" moment with the UNRWA firings and scandal.
QuoteThe Case Against UNRWA
Testimony by UN Watch Executive Director Hillel Neuer before the United States Congress, House Committee on Foreign Affairs, Joint Hearing of the Subcommittee on Oversight and Accountability and the Subcommittee on Global Health, Global Human Rights, and International Organizations, January 30, 2024
Chairmen, Ranking Members, and Members of the Committee: Thank you for inviting me to testify today. For years, we have been told by UNRWA and its supporters that the agency performs “lifesaving work” and that its teachers offer Palestinian students an education that “promotes human rights, tolerance, equality, and non-discrimination.”
Today, more than ever before — and I mean literally today, in light of the bombshell news reports in yesterday’s Wall Street Journal, Reuters, and elsewhere — we now know this has been a lie.
From these and other revelations of the past few days, we know that in Gaza, at least 12 UNRWA employees personally participated in the massacre of October 7th, which involved the murder of 1,200 Israelis along with mass rape, torture, and mutilation. Secretary of State Blinken said yesterday, “These intelligence reports are highly, highly credible.”
The world also learned yesterday that 1,200 UNRWA employees in Gaza are part of Hamas or Islamic Jihad, meaning actual operatives within the political and military organizations.
Finally, an estimated 6,000 UNRWA employees, being half of the UNRWA workforce in Gaza, have close family members in these terrorist organizations.
Now, UNRWA’s top donors, the United States, Germany, Britain, Canada, and many others have just announced they’re freezing funds.
Accordingly, I have come here from Geneva today to bring before the Congress our case against UNRWA.
I have come here to ask the Congress of the United States, which is the largest donor to UNRWA at over $300 million a year, to not just suspend, but to end the funding for good — and to take the lead in dissolving an organization that is riddled with incitement to hate, involvement in terrorism, and the perpetuation of war.
Members of the committee will find all of the evidence that I present here on our website under “The Case Against UNRWA”: unwatch.org/unrwa-obstacle…
Now, on Friday, Secretary-General Guterres announced that he was “horrified” to learn that members of his UNRWA staff were implicated in terrorism.
Members of the Committee: I am here to bear witness and testify that Secretary-General Guterres, the head of UNRWA Philippe Lazzarini, their predecessors, and their senior colleagues, could not possibly have been shocked that UNRWA employees are implicated in terrorism.
Because for the past nine years, and Chairman Smith knows this very well, we’ve been uncovering, publishing, and submitting to the UN, to UNRWA, evidence of widespread and systematic incitement to jihadi terrorism, the praise of Nazi leader Adolf Hitler, calls to slaughter Jews on the part of UNRWA teachers, school principals, and other employees.
These reports range from 10 to 200 pages. For example, just in November, we sent a report on 20 teachers who celebrated the October 7th massacre. unwatch.org/report-u-n-tea…
In March, together with IMPACT-se, we identified 133 UNRWA teachers and staff who promoted hate and violence in social media. unwatch.org/un-teachers-ca…
In June 2022, we released a report called “UNRWA’s Teachers of Hate.” unwatch.org/exposed-un-tea…
It included the following Facebook post by Elham Mansour, an UNRWA teacher: “By Allah, anyone who can kill and slaughter any Zionist and Israeli criminal and doesn’t do so, doesn’t deserve to live. Kill them and pursue them everywhere. They are the greatest enemy. All Israel deserves is death.” unwatch.org/elham-mansour-…
This is an UNRWA teacher’s statement on Facebook. We sent it to the UN. They did nothing.
We sent them reports in 2021: unwatch.org/report-un-teac…
In 2019: unwatch.org/exposed-unrwa-…
In 2017: unwatch.org/130-page-repor…
And in 2015, numerous reports:
• Nov. 30, 2015: unwatch.org/report-despite…
• Oct. 19, 2015: unwatch.org/issue-551-unrw…
• Sept. 1, 2015: unwatch.org/images-of-unrw…
* Aug. 23, 2015: unwatch.org/unrwa-posts-an…
They never contacted us for information. They refused our repeated written requests to meet to discuss the problem.
They cannot say they didn’t know. Mr. Guterres knew. The head of UNRWA knew. The United Nations knew. They simply chose not to act.
But it’s much worse than that. From the beginning, their response to our reports was to attack us for doing the work they failed to do.
If we look at Chris Gunness, the longtime UNRWA spokesman — he’s now come back as a surrogate, giving interviews on Al Jazeera — he said on Twitter the following, in response to our reports:
• “Appeal to journalists: please don’t turn UN Watch’s baseless allegations about antisemitism into a he-said-she-said story. It’s a non-story.”
• “UN Watch makes a fool of itself again. Credibility dead in the water. Will anyone believe them again?”
• “Interested to find out more about UN Watch’s political and financial affiliations since its establishment. Can anyone advise?”
unwatch.org/unrwas-chris-g…
This was their response — to smear the messenger. They are not interested in finding out the root problem of incitement to terrorism.
In June 2022, when under pressure from the U.S. they had to suspend six out of 10 of their employees whom we had exposed, UNRWA Deputy Commissioner-General Leni Stenseth — who’s now the Director General of the Norwegian Foreign Ministry — informed donor states, and put it on her website, that “the real intent of UN Watch, is to destroy and not build and to invite conflict, not build a lasting peace.” unrwa.org/newsroom/press…
Now, the U.S. and other donors have asked UNRWA to investigate and to ensure accountability. I can tell you, for a decade, UNRWA has shown itself to be unwilling, unable, and unfit.
Today I wish to present our new report, called “UNRWA’s Terrorgram” which I’ve handed to each of the members and it’s on our website: unwatch.org/unrwa-terrorgr…
In this report, we document a telegram chat group of over 3,000 UNRWA teachers in Gaza that is replete with messages, photos, and videos cheering and celebrating the massacre of October 7th.
It includes, for example, Safaa Mohammed Al-Najjar, on the morning of October 7th — she’s an UNRWA teacher of computers in Gaza, an administrator of this Telegram group — she celebrated the massacre, posting videos. She praised the Hamas “mujahideen,” the holy warriors, as they massacred, mutilated, and raped Israelis. unwatch.org/safaa-mohammad…
UNRWA English teacher Abdallah Mehjaz shared a message from Hamas urging Gazans to stay put, to ignore Israeli messages asking them to evacuate for their safety, effectively doing the work of Hamas, to ask Gazans to be human shields. This is an UNRWA teacher.
unwatch.org/abdallah-mehja…
Israa Abdul Kareem Mezher, an elementary school teacher, celebrated the Hamas terrorists saying: “May Allah keep their feet steady and guide their aim.” When a group member wondered what these “heroes,” the terrorists, as they were perpetrating the massacre, were brought up on, Mezher replied, “They imbibed jihad and resistance with their mother’s milk.” And a few days later, this UNRWA teacher asked Hamas to execute their Israeli hostages. unwatch.org/israa-abdul-ka…
When Stéphane Dujarric, the UN spokesman, was asked about our information, he replied on January 11th: “I mean, UN Watch, they have a track record. And I think from our end it speaks for itself.” He tried to disparage us. twitter.com/HillelNeuer/st…
Just to conclude: We have massive incitement to terrorism.
Prominent people have said, “Well, bad apples... It’s just a few bad apples.” No. We’re talking about 1,200 UNRWA staff who actually belong to the terrorist organizations; 3,000 UNRWA teachers in this Telegram group; 6,000 UNRWA employees whose family members belong to Hamas or Islamic Jihad. This is not a problem of “bad apples”; UNRWA is rotten to the core.
So we’ve talked about incitement; we’ve talked about acts of actual violence; finally, let’s get to the core problem, and with that I conclude.
The core problem of UNRWA, the very purpose of the agency, is to perpetuate the war of 1948, to send the message to Palestinians that the war of 1948 is not over. Don’t use cement to build homes, hospitals, and schools here in Gaza. Use it to build hundreds of miles of terror tunnels, to tunnel into Israel, to invade Israel, to go back to where your true homes are. That is the message of UNRWA.
So we should not be surprised by what happened on October 7th because that is the message that these Palestinians got for more than 70 years in UNRWA schools.
UNRWA is a failure. We have to recognize what the Swiss Foreign Minister Ignacio Cassis said. And Switzerland is a country that historically supports the UN. He said the following: “UNRWA has become part of the problem. It supplies the ammunition to continue the conflict. By supporting UNRWA, we keep the conflict alive. It’s a perverse logic.” twitter.com/HillelNeuer/st…
And I’m here to say: If the United States and other governments that fund UNRWA truly care about helping Palestinians and Israelis, it’s time to put an end to this perverse logic.
We are asking Congress to take the lead in dissolving this agency.
Thank you very much.
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5 hours ago, KYHorn said:
$500b? Isn't that like 6 times their military budget? Did they mean $500m or ₽500b?
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8 hours ago, closetojumping said:
They were steered to him by a very friendly $9.95er and a Houston trainer. They only took him reluctantly after missing on others. I have a hard time giving Herman and crew credit, but I understand how it looks from a distance.
Guess we all owe EJ an apology
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25 minutes ago, DDD Dad said:
Community notes indicate the second video is 9 years old.
Thanks I'll remove it
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If anyone had any doubt that Israel was serious about hunting down Hamas leaders.
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Could be a sign they're going to move toward more unconventional tactics to attack Russia. Possibly compounded by the drop in supplies provided by the US and Europe.
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Long threat, you can read the article and the unroll link
https://threadreaderapp.com/thread/1751834974100054211.html
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- Popular Post
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Cie la Russie
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This is what I was saying earlier the hope is regarding splitting the Ukrainian aid. We shall see
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51 minutes ago, 956 Worldwide said:
Fellas, how many murdering, rapine terrorists is too many for an international agency to employ? lol at “we fired them though!”
I've seen halts on UNRWA funding announced by US, UK, Germany, Australia, Canada, Finland, and Italy so far. That accounts for over $420 MILLION in funding to UNRWA in 2022 .
Also looks like Israel is getting ready to cut off the Egyptian border
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$9.95 worth every penny
in 🤫$9.95🤫
Posted
Is this the kind of stuff the NCAA is going after Tennessee for? I assume based on these quotes that there will be more investigations. I guess it's just a question of if the govt allows the rules (and how soon the BIG10 and SEC leave the NCAA)