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☆ Syrian armed rebels enter Aleppo for the first time in 8 years
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-29 | by ( Boglarka Kosztolanyi | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: 1 min

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CNN —Syrian armed rebels have entered Aleppo just three days into their surprise offensive, marking the first time they have set foot in the country’s second largest city since government forces recaptured the city in 2016. Rebel forces launched a surprise attack this week, sweeping through several villages outside the city and reigniting conflict that had been largely static for years. “Our forces have begun entering the city of Aleppo,” said the newly formed rebel coalition, the Military Operations Command. Earlier Friday, the rebel group said it seized control of the Syrian government’s Military Scientific Research Center on the outskirts of Aleppo city after “intense clashes with the regime forces and Iranian militias.” It later shared a video of Syrian regime tanks leaving Aleppo as rebel forces advanced. Syrian opposition fighters enter the village of Anjara, west of Aleppo, on Thursday.

Persons: God, ”, Bashar al, Assad, “, Bassel al, President Assad, Omar Albam, SANA, Hassan Abdulghani, General Kioumars Pourhashemi, Abbas Araghchi, He’s, Dmitry Peskov, –, Russia – Organizations: CNN, Rebel, Military Operations Command, Syrian government’s, Scientific Research Center, Aleppo University, Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps, Free Syrian Army, United Nations Locations: Aleppo, Abidine, Anjara, ”, Aleppo University, Idlib, United States, Israel, Iran, Syrian, Russia, Syria, Saudi Arabia

☆ Rebels in Syria Reach Outskirts of Aleppo, in Biggest Advance in Years, Monitor Says
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-29 | by ( Raja Abdulrahim | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Syrian rebels reached the outskirts of the major city of Aleppo on Friday, according to the fighters and a war monitor, raising fears that the nation’s long-running civil war is reigniting with an intensity not seen in years. The Russian government confirmed that it was bombing Syrian rebels, but did not specify where. On the ground, the rebel fighters did not appear to meet much resistance from government forces, according to the rebels, Syrian media and the Observatory. The rebel offensive launched on Wednesday is the most serious challenge to President Bashar al-Assad’s regime in years. And the timing of it has raised questions about whether the rebels are trying to take advantage of weakness across an alliance with Iran at the center, and groups like Hezbollah in Lebanon and the Syrian regime closely aligned with it.

Persons: Bashar al Organizations: Government, Human Rights Locations: Aleppo, Russian, Idlib, Syrian, Iran, Lebanon

☆ Syria’s rebels exploit weaknesses in Iran’s proxies to launch surprise offensive
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-28 | by ( Mostafa Salem | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

On Friday, the armed rebel groups claimed to have entered the city, which has been under government control since 2016. The Syrian military said it’s “confronting terrorist organizations” and claimed to have inflicted “heavy losses” on the groups since Wednesday. Wednesday’s surprise operation marks the first significant conflagration between Syrian rebels and the regime since March 2020, when Russia and Turkey mediated a ceasefire in the north of the country. The militant group, which was credited for helping save the Assad regime from Syrian rebels, is now significantly weakened, with most of its leaders assassinated. Iran’s proxy Hezbollah has been instrumental in assisting Assad regain territory lost to militias and rebel groups.

Persons: SANA, Hassan Abdulghani, ” Abdulghani, it’s “, ”, Assad, –, Russia –, Izzettin Kasim, General Kioumars Pourhashemi, Abbas Araghchi, “ reactivating, “, Dmitry Peskov, Ukraine …, Nanar, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Tehran’s, Syria’s, Iran’s, Hawach, Hassan Nasrallah Organizations: CNN — Rebels, Syrian, CNN, United Nations, Free Syrian Army, Anadolu, Getty, Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps, Analysts, Crisis Locations: Syria, Aleppo, reigniting, ”, Idlib, Russia, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Iran, United States, Lebanon, Syrian, Gaza, Iranian, Israel, Ukraine, Brussels, Turkish, Damascus, Iran’s, Arab

☆ What a Deadly Offensive in Syria Means for a Stalled Civil War
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-28 | by ( Raja Abdulrahim | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

The largest offensive in years by Syrian opposition fighters against government forces has stirred fears of reigniting a civil war that has been mostly frozen for years. The new rebel push began Wednesday in Aleppo Province in northwestern Syria. On Thursday, the opposition forces advanced, capturing several new villages, according to a British-based monitoring group, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. The offensive aims to stop attacks by government forces and their Iran-backed militia allies, a rebel commander said. The group gathers information from a network of activists and others across Syria, and its numbers could not be independently verified.

Organizations: Syrian, Human Rights Locations: Aleppo Province, Syria, British, Iran

☆ Syrian rebels launch major attack on regime forces in Aleppo province
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-27 | by ( Eyad Kourdi | Christian Edwards | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —Syrian rebels have launched a large-scale attack on regime forces in western Aleppo, according to a Free Syrian Army source and local residents, marking the first major flare-up in years between both sides. Rebels seized 13 villages, including the strategic towns of Urm Al-Sughra and Anjara, as well as Base 46, the largest Syrian regime base in western Aleppo, according to a Wednesday statement by opposition factions. It added that 37 people from the regime forces and allied militia were killed in the offensive. Wednesday’s surprise attack marks the first significant conflagration between Syrian rebels and the regime since March 2020, when Russia and Turkey mediated a ceasefire agreement in the country. The opposition factions conducting the offensive range from Islamic groups to the moderate Free Syrian Army, which was previously supported by the US and Turkey.

Persons: Bashar al, Assad, –, Russia – Organizations: CNN, Free Syrian Army, Assad . Rebels, Military Operations Command, United Nations Locations: Aleppo, Syrian, Urm, Russia, Turkey, Anjara, “, New Aleppo, Syria, Saudi Arabia, Iran, United States

☆ Hallucinogenic plants detected in residue from ancient Egyptian mug
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-26 | by ( Ashley Strickland | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

CNN —Researchers have discovered the residues of psychedelic drugs, bodily fluids and alcohol inside a 2,000-year-old mug, suggesting that ancient Egyptians imbibed hallucinogenic beverages during rituals. “Religion is one of the most fascinating and puzzling aspects of ancient civilizations,” Tanasi said in a statement. Researchers analyzed a 2,000-year-old Bes mug for chemical and DNA traces. Tanasi scanned the Bes mug to conduct a three-dimensonal study of the vessel. “Inebriation played an important ritual role in some ancient Egyptian festivals, especially festivals associated with the flooding of the Nile,” Barrett said.

Persons: ”, Branko van Oppen, Davide Tanasi, Tanasi, we’ve, “, Bes, ” Tanasi, Cassidy Delamarter, ” van Oppen, Cassidy, Betsy Bryan, Alexander Badawy, Bryan, ” Bryan, Caitie Barrett, Barrett, “ Inebriation, ” Barrett, Hathor, “ Bes Organizations: CNN —, Tampa Museum of Art, Institute for Digital Exploration, University of South, Egyptian Art, Johns Hopkins University, Cornell Locations: Egypt, University of South Florida, Saqqara, Giza, Cornell University’s

Senate Republicans derailed President-elect Donald Trump’s first jaw-dropping pick for attorney general, Matt Gaetz. But it’s unclear if they will be able to block any other controversial nominees despite skepticism from some rank-and-file Republicans. In the weeks since Trump’s dramatic election victory, the power struggle between the president-elect and independent-minded Senate Republicans has been playing out in plain view. Senators are getting a brief reprieve from questions about Trump’s nominees as they celebrate Thanksgiving. Some Senate Republicans who leveled some of the strongest criticism at Gaetz said they could live with Hegseth, despite the 2017 assault allegations.

Persons: Donald Trump’s, Matt Gaetz, MAGA, Tulsi Gabbard, Pete Hegseth, Robert F, Kennedy Jr, Hegseth, ”, Sen, Kevin Cramer, Joni Ernst, Kirsten Gillibrand, ” Cramer, “ I’m, Gaetz, Cramer, Gaetz's, Kevin McCarthy, —, JD Vance, Pam Bondi, Bondi, Trump, … ” Sen, Markwayne Mullin, Pete, Gabbard, Kennedy, Lisa Murkowski, Sen, Ron Johnson, ” Gabbard, Bashar al, Assad, “, ” Sen, Tammy Duckworth, Eric Schmitt, Steven Cheung, Bill Hagerty, Adam Schiff, he’s Organizations: Republicans, GOP, Trump, Senators, Armed Services Committee, Sens, Justice Department, Union, Centers for Disease Control, Food and Drug Administration, National Institutes of Health, RFK, Health, Fox News, Democratic, Armed Services, CNN, Press, “, ” Locations: Iowa, Florida, “ State, Alaska, Russia, Russian, Iraq, Japan

☆ Elon Musk brands Britain a 'tyrannical police state' and boosts far-right activist
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-25 | by ( Freddie Clayton | Freddie Clayton Is A Freelance Journalist Based In London. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +4 min

LONDON — He’s branded one U.S. ally's government “fascists” and another leader a “fool.” Now, Elon Musk has labeled Britain a “tyrannical police state” while endorsing calls for a new election and boosting a video from a jailed far-right activist. "The people of Britain have had enough of a tyrannical police state," Musk posted on his X platform, quoting a post about an online petition calling for another election that has now reached 2 million signatures. As Starmer's government works to overcome its own past public comments and build relations with Trump, Musk continues to attack it. Musk, who is known for picking fights online and retweeting far-right posts, also shared a post Saturday by Robinson — the jailed far-right activist and founder of the anti-immigrant English Defence League. Britain is not the only U.S. ally Musk has assailed publicly in recent weeks.

Persons: ”, Elon Musk, Musk, Donald Trump, Keir Starmer, Tommy Robinson, Taylor Swift, Stalin, Joseph Stalin, Robinson —, Robinson, Mark Kerrison, Starmer, Australia's, Olaf Scholz Organizations: Labour Party, Trump, NBC News, English Defence, Getty, Elon, Politico Locations: Britain, Soviet, British, London

Republican Sen. Bill Hagerty suggested Sunday that Americans don't care about traditional FBI background checks for President-elect Donald Trump's Cabinet picks as Democrats call for deeper vetting of executive branch nominees. An FBI background check, usually used during confirmation proceedings, would likely look into allegations such as that one. But Democratic lawmakers have argued that background checks for potential nominees are critical tools when vetting potential high-level appointees. “We require these background checks of DEA agents — drug enforcement agents. Many Republican lawmakers have agreed, rejecting the notion of doing away with FBI background checks.

Persons: Sen, Bill Hagerty, Donald Trump's, ”, Pete Hegseth, Hagerty, Jon Karl, Trump, ” Hagerty, Hegseth, Timothy Parlatore, hasn’t, Amy Klobuchar, ” Klobuchar, Trump's, Kevin Cramer, Susan Collins, Mike Rounds, “, ” Sen, Lisa Murkowski, it’s, ” Murkowski, Don Beyer, Ted Lieu, Donald Trump, Tammy Duckworth, Dana Bash, Tulsi Gabbard, Gabbard, Bashar al, Assad, ” Duckworth, Bash, Markwayne Mullin, Tammy, ” Mullin, Eric Schmitt, ” Schmitt, Adam Schiff, don’t, Kristen Welker, Schiff, Matt Gaetz's, he’s, Matt Gaetz, Robert F, Kennedy, Jr Organizations: Fox News, FBI, Department of Defense, Republican, Democratic, Office, CNN, United, United States Army, Trump Cabinet, Department of Health, Human Services, NBC News Locations: California, United States, Maine, Alaska, Russian, Hawaii, Russia, Ukraine, U.S

☆ Trump’s determination to install controversial picks faces next test
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-25 | by ( Stephen Collinson | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +12 min

Gabbard and another contentious Trump pick — Pete Hegseth, who has been tapped to lead the Defense Department — came under sharpened scrutiny Sunday as the spotlight shifted from Matt Gaetz, Trump’s toppled choice to be attorney general. Trump’s pick of Hegseth is also facing uncertainty after the release last week of a 2017 police report detailing an alleged sexual assault in California. But the withdrawal of Gaetz — who was already widely disliked in Congress — may leave senators feeling they owe the president-elect on his other highly controversial choices. Trump’s new selection for attorney general, Pam Bondi, is meanwhile being welcomed by many Republicans, suggesting she’ll have an easier path to confirmation than Gaetz. But that would still leave the question of who is acceptable to Trump while being confirmable in the Senate.

Persons: Donald Trump’s, Tulsi Gabbard, Pete Hegseth, Defense Department —, Matt Gaetz, Trump’s, ” Democratic Sen, Tammy Duckworth, Bashar al, Assad, she’s, Republican Sen, Markwayne Mullin, Dana Bash, Duckworth, Gaetz —, Pam Bondi, general’s, ”, Russell Vought, Trump, Tesla, Elon Musk, Vivek Ramaswamy, Scott Bessent, Howard Lutnick, Cantor Fitzgerald, They’ll, Mike Waltz, ” Trump, Vladimir Putin’s, —, he’s, Julian Assange, Edward Snowden, Gabbard, ” Sen, Adam Schiff of California, Gabbard’s, Mullin, “, ” Missouri Sen, Eric Schmitt, Tennessee Sen, Bill Hagerty, she’d, Hagerty, ” Oklahoma’s, James Lankford, Bashar, Lankford, Bondi, We’re, ’ ” Lankford, Christopher Wray, Kash Patel, Patel, Trump’s MAGA, CNN’s Kaitlan Collins, ” Patel Organizations: CNN, Trump, Defense Department, CNN’s, Union, ” Democratic, Republican, Fox News, Justice Department, Management, GOP, Treasury, “ Fox, Florida Republican, Electoral College, Senate, Democratic, US, Transportation, Trump’s “, House Intelligence, Press, Oklahoma Republican, Army, ”, NBC, ABC, “, intel, CNN Bondi, of Justice, FBI, Fox Business, Department of Justice Locations: CNN’s “ State, The Illinois, Washington, California, Florida, Ukraine, Moscow, Russia, Hawaii, Syria, Russian, Duckworth, “ State, Oklahoma and Missouri, ” Missouri, Japan, United States, Lago

☆ Meet the Press – November 24, 2024
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-24 | by ( ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +57 min

[END TAPE]KRISTEN WELKER:According to the Washington Post, President-elect Trump plans to fire the team that worked with the special counsel. So, I think President Trump is picking reformers for these Cabinet positions. After the midterms Joe Biden said that there was no way President Trump would ever be back in the White House. He's going to sign some executive actions, but he's also going to then begin to roll out this plan. I also think he's going to face some skepticism by Republicans on using the military, for instance, going kind of into different states.

Persons: KRISTEN WELKER, MATT GAETZ, Donald Trump’s, Matt Gaetz, SEN, KEVIN CRAMER, RON JOHNSON, PETER WELCH, Will Mr, Donald Trump, STEPHEN MILLER, Vladimir Putin, Adam Schiff of, Eric Schmitt of Missouri, Kelly O’Donnell, Jeh Johnson, Anna Palmer, Stephen Hayes, it’s, Kristen Welker, reconsidering, DONALD TRUMP, Gaetz, MARKWAYNE MULLIN, Trump, Pam Bondi, Bondi, Eric Trump, they're, Jack Smith, Pete Hegseth, Tulsi Gabbard, Bashar Assad, Nikki Haley, NIKKI HALEY, DNI, TOM HOMAN, Trump's, Russell Vought, Russ, who's, That's Russ, Schmitt, Press . SEN, ERIC SCHMITT, he's, Pam, should've, You've, everybody's, it's, Joe Biden, Merrick Garland, Kristen, Alvin Bragg, General Merrick Garland, I've, Jane Doe, Hegseth, didn't, there's, It's, She's, maybe's, Tulsi, I'm, We've, There's, He's, they've, Adam Schiff, Adam Schiff of California, Schiff, ADAM SCHIFF, Bashar al, Assad, Marco Rubio, Rubio, Debbie Wasserman Schultz, Gabbard, That's, —, Adam, Shifty, Donald Trump's, –, Harris's, Kamala Harris didn't, Joe Biden's, Biden's, Pelosi, Biden, Nancy Mace, Mace, Sarah McBride, McBride, Johnson, Kelly O'Donnell, KELLY O’DONNELL, Anna, we're, ANNA PALMER, JEH JOHNSON, we've, Lindsey Graham, I'd, Steve, STEPHEN HAYES, We're, Eric Schmitt, you've, Kelly, Scott Bessent, Newt Gingrich, Gingrich, NEWT GINGRICH, KELLY O'DONNELL, Let's, it's Trump, Obama, Tom Homan, Rand Paul, let's, Bob Gates, Leon Panetta, McConnell, They're, he'll, Mitch McConnell, Mitch McConnell's, Stephen, John Thune, Thune Organizations: Republicans, Biden Administration, Democratic, Adam Schiff of California, NBC, White, Homeland, Punchbowl News, The, Press, Justice Department, Pentagon, Republican Senators, BONDI, The Department of Justice, Washington Post, Trump, OMB, Press ., NBC News, Gaetz, DOJ, Patriot, White House, Department, Senators, Armed Services Committee, DNI, Democrat, intel, United States Senate, it's, Services, Judiciary, NATO, Capitol, Intelligence, Democratic Party, Homeland Security, Senate Republicans, Senate, Sears, Roebuck, FBI, Department of Defense, New, New York Cities, Biden, DOD, Republican Conference, Defense Locations: Ukraine, Washington, Florida, PRES, Pennsylvania, United States of America, New York, Atlanta, China, Russian, Hawaii, American, Europe, U.S, Russia, United States, America, Tulsi, –, Guantanamo

☆ America's allies in Syria hope they can sway Trump's decisions about US troops there
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-22 | by ( ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

AdvertisementUS troops remain in Syria to counter ISIS and patrol oil fields in the region. For almost a decade, US troops have been on the ground in Syria to assist Kurdish-led forces in the defeat of the infamous Islamic State. AdvertisementDuring his first term, Trump ordered the withdrawal of US troops partnered with the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces after ISIS' territorial defeat. Trump then backtracked and kept 900 US troops in Syria. Advertisement"We may have felt frustrated during Trump's first term due to his decision to withdraw American forces from Syria in 2019," Mohamad said.

Persons: Trump, tamp, Donald Trump, specter, Sinam Mohamad, Trump's, Mohamad, Bashar al, Assad, Mohammed A, Salih, Delil SOULEIMAN, Paul Iddon Organizations: ISIS, Syrian Democratic Forces, Office, Syrian Democratic Council, Autonomous Administration, North, Kurdistan Workers ' Party, Trump, Foreign Policy Research Institute, SDF Locations: Syria, Turkey, Kurdish, State, Russia, United States, East Syria, Syrian, Kurdistan, Ankara, America, Jordan, Hol, Afghanistan, Iran, North

She wrote two more bills that same week supporting Julian Assange and Edward Snowden, who were behind two of the biggest US national security leaks of the 21st Century. Both men are broadly seen as enemies of the state within the intelligence community. Gabbard proposed repealing Patriot ActIf confirmed, Gabbard will be the most markedly anti-surveillance official to lead the intelligence community in the post-9/11 era. Some prominent Republicans like former Trump national security adviser John Bolton and former Trump UN ambassador and 2024 GOP presidential candidate Nikki Haley have come out against her. Scott Olson/Getty ImagesGabbard is in many ways a stranger to the intelligence community.

Persons: Donald Trump’s, spymaster, Tulsi Gabbard, Daniel Ellsberg, Gabbard, ”, Ellsberg, Julian Assange, Edward Snowden, It’s, MAGA, Trump, Assange, Marco Rubio, Elise Stefanik, Mike Waltz, she’s, scot, Jamil Jaffer, George W, Bush, White, George Mason University’s, Snowden, Alexandria Ocasio, Cortez, Assange —, Sen, Rand Paul, Justin Amash, Matt Gaetz, Gabbard’s Snowden, Bill Pugliano, Tulsi, Drew Angerer, Glenn Gerstell, —, Gerstell, ” Gerstell, She’s, neocons, ” “, Vladimir Putin’s, Biden, “, Hannity, Steven Ferdman, cynically, John Bolton, Nikki Haley, DNI, ” Haley, Hillary Clinton, Assad, Obama, Tom Williams, CNN Gabbard, Bashar Assad, Nancy Pelosi, Gabbard’s, we’ve, Trump’s, Qasem Soleimani, ” ‘, Donald Trump, Scott Olson, Democratic Sen, Chuck Schumer, ” Gabbard Organizations: CNN, Democratic, Pentagon, The New York Times, Washington Post, US, National Intelligence, Republican Party, WikiLeaks, National Security Institute, George, National Security Agency, — Democratic, Trump, FBI, Fox, Patriot, Foreign Intelligence, Congress, Capitol, Defense Department, Democrat, Republican, NATO, Fox News Channel Studios, Trump UN, GOP, blindsided, Hawaii National Guard, House Armed Services Committee, Syrian, ISIS, Democratic Party, Lawmakers, Gabbard Locations: Syria, Ukraine, Russia, Alexandria, —, Washington, Detroit , Michigan, Gabbard, Washington ,, China, Hawaii, American, Moscow, New York City, Kremlin, Iraq, Lebanon, Ohio, La Crosse , Wisconsin, United States

☆ How different a commander in chief will Trump be?
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-17 | by ( Peter Bergen | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +27 min

On the face of it, there are sizable differences in foreign policy between Trump and President Joe Biden. In October, the Biden administration again helped to intercept a barrage of around 200 Iranian ballistic missiles, which also caused minimal damage to targets in Israel. Bringing US troops homeIn 2020, the Trump administration signed a US withdrawal agreement from Afghanistan with the Taliban. But after McMaster was pushed out of office in 2018, the Trump administration negotiated with the Taliban the withdrawal agreement of all US forces from Afghanistan. Nonetheless, the incoming Trump administration seems intent on resurrecting Schedule F, an executive order issued in the last months of the first Trump term.

Persons: sneezes, Trump, Donald Trump’s, Joe Biden, —, Biden, Trump’s, shored, Donald Trump, Xi Jinping, Andrew Harnik, ”, Benjamin Netanyahu, Netanyahu, Ahmad Gharabli, Israel, Jared Kushner, Qasem Soleimani, Mike Huckabee, Israel — Huckabee, David Friedman, Reagan, JD Vance —, H.R, McMaster, Nikki Haley, Mike Pompeo, Haley, Pompeo, Elise Stefanik, Mike Waltz, Florida, George W, Bush, Pete Hegseth —, Lloyd Austin, Jim Mattis, Robert Gates, John Ratcliffe of, Tulsi Gabbard, Vladimir Putin, Basher al, Assad, Putin, Diego Fedele, Ukraine doesn’t, John Bolton, Mark Rutte, Tom Homan, Homan, ” Trump, CNN’s Priscilla Alvarez, “ It’s, Maura Healey, Stephen Miller, CBS’s, Camp David, It’s, Kim Jong Un Organizations: CNN, Trump, NATO, Ukraine, White, of, Biden, CIA, Liberation Army, Center for Strategic, International Studies, Obama, Getty, West Bank, Abraham Accords, Arkansas Gov, US Defense Intelligence Agency, ISIS, McMaster, UN, GOP, Republican, Special, House Armed Services Committee, Pentagon, Fox News, Senate, Republicans, US Civil, Policy, State Department, Department of Homeland Security, Policy Institute, Rep, House Intelligence, NATO Trump, US Congressional Research Service, Joint Assault Brigade, National Police, of Homeland, American Immigration Council, NBC News, US Bureau of Prisons, Massachusetts Gov, National Guard, Congress, Washington Post, H.R, North, America Locations: Paris, Russia, China, Beijing, South China, United Kingdom, Australia, Taiwan, Washington, United States, Gaza, Lebanon, Iran, Iranian, Syria, Israel, Yemen, Jerusalem, AFP, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Afghanistan, Pakistan, John Ratcliffe of Texas, Hawaii, Ukraine, Dnipro, Soviet, Toretsk, Crimea, Japan, NATO, “ Russia, Baltic, Western Europe, ”, Korean, North Korean

☆ Will Tulsi Gabbard bring a pro-Russian bias to intelligence reporting?
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-16 | by ( Dan De Luce | Dan De Luce Is A Reporter For The Nbc News Investigative Unit. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +8 min

Former Rep. Tulsi Gabbard, D-Hawaii, at the Faith & Freedom Coalition's 2024 Road to Majority Conference, in Washington, DC., on June 21. But current and former intelligence officials fear that Gabbard will refuse to relay intelligence reporting that doesn’t fit in with her — or the president’s — worldview. “Would that predisposition translate into pressure on analysis to fit the administration’s policy goals?” one senior former intelligence official said. “We’ll see.”Previous administrations have clashed with the CIA and intelligence agencies over assessments that didn’t support their policy agendas or their views about a particular threat or an adversary’s intentions. The DNI’s job “is to define the world as it is, as opposed to advocating for a world as you want it to be,” the former intelligence official said.

Persons: Tulsi Gabbard, “, ”, Gabbard, Michael Brochstein, Donald Trump’s, George W, Saddam, Trump, Vladimir Putin, Bashar al, Assad, ” Gabbard, Syria’s Assad, Matt Gaetz, autocrats, Putin, Egypt’s Abdel Fattah el, Sissi, Narendra Modi, Modi, Jason Crow, ” Crow Organizations: NATO, Former, Faith, Majority Conference, Senate, CIA, Democratic, Indian, Modi, House Intelligence, NBC News Locations: Russia, Ukraine, Kyiv, Hawaii, Western, Washington ,, Former U.S, New Hampshire, Syria, Washington, Ukrainian, DNI, Cairo, United States, U.S, autocrats, United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, New Zealand

CNN —President-elect Donald Trump’s transition team is bypassing traditional FBI background checks for at least some of his Cabinet picks while using private companies to conduct vetting of potential candidates for administration jobs, people close to the transition planning say. It also reflects Trump’s deep mistrust of the national security establishment, which he derides as the Deep State. If Gaetz does not participate in the vetting process, the FBI could still try to do a basic investigation at the request of the Senate. Instead, Trump’s transition team has been focused on conducting its own internal vetting of candidates for top administration jobs. So if Trump’s team continues to skirt the vetting process, those tapped for key roles wouldn’t be able to receive briefings until then.

Persons: Donald Trump’s, Trump, Matt Gaetz, Tulsi Gabbard, Dan Meyer, “, ”, Trump’s, Gaetz, Gabbard, Bashar al, Vladimir Putin’s, Biden, Jared Kushner, won’t, wouldn’t, Mike Waltz Organizations: CNN, Trump, FBI, Justice Department, NATO Locations: Washington, Washington ,, Florida, Syria, Russia, Assad, United States, Ukraine, Moscow

☆ Trump’s latest controversial Cabinet pick could have a huge impact on Americans’ health and lives
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-15 | by ( Stephen Collinson | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +11 min

The president-elect’s previous selections for director of national intelligence, attorney general and defense secretary could change the country and the world in the long term. The US Department of Health and Human Services secretary has a massive platform and huge power to influence the information that Americans have and the choices they make. “I guess if you like health and you like people who live a long time, it is the most important position,” Trump said. Christina House/Los Angeles Times/Getty ImagesAnother health expert and former US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention acting director condemned the pick. The highly contagious disease is preventable with two doses of the measles vaccine that most Americans get as kids.

Persons: Donald Trump’s, Robert F, Kennedy Jr, “, Kennedy, Trump’s MAGA, Kennedy’s ascendency, Bobby ’ Kennedy, ” Trump, Bobby, ”, Matt Gaetz, Trump, Pete Hegseth, Tulsi Gabbard, Bashar al, Assad, Carlos Barria, Jake Tapper, Indiana Sen, Jim Banks, Jake, Donald Trump, ” Banks, —, ’ Kennedy, he’d “, Dr, Ashish Jha, Covid, CNN’s Wolf Blitzer, Jha, Christina House, Richard Besser . Besser, CNN’s Kaitlan Collins, kindergartners, Mandy Cohen, CNN’s Meg Tirrell, who’s, ” Cohen, Lex Fridman’s, CNN’s Kasie Hunt, don’t, –, ’, won’t, Mitch McConnell — Organizations: CNN, National Institutes of Health, RFK Jr, Trump, US Department of Health, Human Services, Trump’s, Fox News, America, Reuters, Biden, Brown University’s School of Public Health, Republican, Democratic, “ RFK, Los Angeles Times, US Centers for Disease Control, World Health Organization, CDC, Milken, Health Summit, Trump Cabinet, Senate, FBI, GOP Locations: Lago, Florida, Palm Beach , Florida, Washington, Huntington Park , California

☆ Syria: Fifteen killed in Israeli strikes on Damascus, state media say
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-14 | by ( Mostafa Salem | Eyad Kourdi | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —Fifteen people were killed and 16 others injured in Israeli strikes on Damascus in Syria, state media SANA said, citing a military source and marking one of the deadliest strikes in months to hit the Syrian capital. The strikes targeted several residential buildings in the upscale Mezzah neighborhood in the capital and the Qudsaya area in the Damascus countryside, Syrian state media reported. Among those killed were women and children, Syrian state media added. The strikes targeted a residential building in the Sayyidah Zaynab area of the Damascus countryside, with women and children among those killed, SANA said. On November 4, SANA reported Israeli strikes in Sayyidah Zaynab the same day the IDF said Israeli Air Force fighter jets struck Hezbollah intelligence infrastructure in the Damascus area.

Persons: SANA, Jihad, “, ” SANA Organizations: CNN, Israeli Air Force Locations: Damascus, Syria, Jihad, Gaza, Syrian, Israeli, Mezzah, Riyadh, Israel, Sayyidah, Lebanon, Qusayr, Homs

☆ Why Trump is trying to outrage Washington with his controversial Cabinet picks
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-14 | by ( Stephen Collinson | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

CNN —Donald Trump’s increasingly provocative Cabinet picks have left some Republican senators aghast and Washington in shock. The dismay engulfing establishment elites contrasted with the euphoria rocketing through conservative networks and social media among Trump fans. News that Hegseth had been picked to lead the Pentagon rocked Washington the night before the Gaetz pick and sparked similar questions about Trump’s motives. And she was accused of “parroting” false propaganda from America’s premier espionage adversary, Russia, by no less than Utah GOP Sen. Mitt Romney. Not all Trump’s picks are contentious.

Persons: Donald Trump’s, aghast, Florida Republican Matt Gaetz —, Justice Department —, Tulsi Gabbard, Trump’s MAGA, Pete Hegseth, Geraldo Rivera, Gaetz —, Trump, ‘, Anthony Scaramucci, CNN’s Jake Tapper, Pennsylvania Democratic Sen, John Fetterman, CNN’s Manu Raju, “, —, Gaetz, Elie Honig, Hegseth, Gabbard, ”, Bashar al, Assad, Utah GOP Sen, Mitt Romney, Florida Sen, Marco Rubio, Rubio, Alaska Sen, Lisa Murkowski, Maine Sen, Susan Collins, Iowa Republican Sen, Joni Ernst, South Dakota Sen, John Thune, Thune, Matt Gaetz, Alabama Sen, Tommy Tuberville, Republicans — you’re, ” Tuberville, acquiesce Organizations: CNN, Florida Republican, Justice Department, Democratic, Fox News, Trump, Senate, Pennsylvania Democratic, Gaetz, FBI, CNN International ., Pentagon, Fox, Defense Department, Utah GOP, GOP, Republican Trump, Iowa Republican, South Dakota, Republican, Republicans, Pennsylvania Senate, Treasury, Health, Human Services, Republican Senate Locations: Washington, Florida, Pennsylvania, Russia, America, Iraq, Afghanistan, Hawaii, Utah, China, Alaska, South, Alabama

☆ Trump names former House Democrat Tulsi Gabbard to be director of national intelligence
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-13 | by ( Zoë Richards | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Former Rep. Tulsi Gabbard (R-HI) takes the stage during a Republican presidential nominee, former U.S. President Donald Trump campaign rally at Lancaster Airport on November 03, 2024 in Lititz, Pennsylvania. President-elect Donald Trump on Wednesday said that he will nominate Tulsi Gabbard, a former House Democrat who became a high-profile Trump supporter, to be director of national intelligence. "For over two decades, Tulsi has fought for our Country and Freedoms of all Americans," Trump said in a statement. In August, she endorsed Trump, began working as a co-chair for his transition team and helped him prepare for his debate against Vice President Kamala Harris. Before campaigning for president, Gabbard served in the House from 2013 to 2021 and was vice chairwoman of the Democratic National Committee from 2013 to 2016.

Persons: Tulsi Gabbard, Donald Trump, Tulsi, Trump, Gabbard, Kamala Harris, Joe Biden, George W, Bush, Bashar al, Assad, We've, Trump's Organizations: Republican, Lancaster Airport, Democrat, Trump, Freedoms, Intelligence, Democratic Party, Republican Party, Democratic, Democratic National Committee, Army Reserve, Democrats Locations: Lititz , Pennsylvania, East, Africa

☆ UN sounds alarm at Israel’s ‘severe violations’ at key buffer zone with Syria
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-13 | by ( Nadeen Ebrahim | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

CNN —The United Nations has accused Israel of “severe violations” of a 50-year-old agreement with Syria, saying it has engaged in “engineering groundwork activities” that encroach on a key buffer zone in the Golan Heights. The Israeli military said the strikes were part of a larger effort to target the capabilities of a Hezbollah unit responsible for weapons smuggling. Saban said that Hezbollah is unlikely to try and trigger an Israeli military offensive from the Golan, however. In July, the IDF said it struck Syrian military infrastructure in retaliation for alleged breaches. “The IDF holds the Syrian military responsible for all activities occurring within its territory and will not allow any attempts to violate Israeli sovereignty,” the Israeli military said.

Persons: Israel, UNDOF, ”, Yasushi Kaneko, Navvar Saban, Golan, ” Saban, Majdal Shams, Saban Organizations: CNN, United Nations, UN, Observer Force, Planet Labs, European Space Agency, Israel Defense Forces, Labs, Alpha, IDF, Israel, Yomiuri Shimbun, AP, Harmoon, for Contemporary Studies, Lebanese, Syrian Foreign Ministry, Defense Ministry Locations: Syria, Golan, Israel, Jubata Al Khashab, Majdal Shams, Jordan, Lebanon, Iran, Iraq, Syria Israel, Tehran, Damascus, Majdal, Qusayr, Homs

☆ Iran has developed fentanyl-based chemical weapons
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-10 | by ( ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

These chemical weapons affect a victim's central nervous system. AdvertisementIran has developed chemical weapons based on synthetic opioids such as fentanyl, warns a US expert, powerful agents that could incapacitate soldiers or civilians when added to grenades or artillery. (The US, in contrast, completed the destruction of its chemical weapons in 2023.) Nonetheless, chemical weapons do have a frightening aura, even if fentanyl gas is nowhere near as deadly as nerve gas. "I think that many, many people would see it that way because you're talking about chemical weapons," Levitt said.

Persons: —, Iran's, Matthew Levitt, Levitt, they've, Iran —, Hossein University, Israel, Michael Peck Organizations: Service, Pharmaceutical, PBA, Combatting Terrorism, The U.S, Government, Washington Institute, Convention, Iran's Chemistry Department, IHU, Department, State Department, Commandos, CTC, Defense, Foreign Policy, Rutgers Univ, Twitter, LinkedIn Locations: Iran, West, The, Iraq, Israel, Syrian, —, Iranian, Moscow, Vietnam, Tehran, Galilee, Lebanon, Forbes

☆ Trump will shake the world up. Maybe that’s what it needs
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-09 | by ( Nick Paton Walsh | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

To be clear: Trump does not inherit a world at peace, where America’s unquestioning role as a beacon of freedom and moral superiority has brought enduring calm. Yet Tehran now has experience of Trump as someone willing to be wildly incautious and unafraid of international norms. As President Joe Biden - who did all he could to avoid war with Iran - leaves power, Iran looks incredibly weak. But in the current moment we are at in the war, Ukraine is equally in need of time to regroup and rearm. Does Putin risk Trump taking greater personal offense if that same deal is later betrayed, and their entente exposed as a sham?

Persons: Donald Trump’s, George W, Bush, Pervez Musharraf, Trump, America’s, Benjamin Netanyahu, Alex Brandon, Vladimir Putin, Biden, Qasem Soleimani, Netanyahu, Joe Biden, Xi Jinping, Nina Liashonok, Volodymyr Zelensky, ”, Putin, bode Organizations: CNN, Biden, Trump, Israeli, ISIS, Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps, US, Ukraine, Residents, NATO, Putin Locations: America, Lago, Iran, Turkey, Syria, Afghanistan, Ukraine, Israel, Gaza, Lebanon, Baghdad, Tehran, China, Taiwan, Beijing, Moscow, Russia, Odesa, Europe

Israel announced Sunday that it carried out a special ground operation in Syria "in recent months," according to a statement from the Israel Defense Forces. The IDF also say they detained an "Iranian terror network operative" during the mission, who they identified as Ali Soleiman al-Assi. The ministry added that the strikes hit a military site in Hama and a car assembly plant in Hassia. Syrian state television also reported that the strikes hit vehicles loaded with medical and relief supplies and ignited a large fire in the area. Israel has vowed to stop Iranian entrenchment in Syria, particularly since Syria is a key route for Iran to send weapons to the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah.

Persons: Israel, Ali Soleiman, SANA Organizations: Sunday, Israel Defense Forces, IDF, Hezbollah, Hamas Locations: Syria, Israel, Hama, Hassia, Iran, Lebanese, Gaza

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