US officials see fall of Assad as opportunity to force Iranian regime change
With the fall of Syria’s Bashar al-Assad over the weekend and a new White House on the horizon, Iranian resistance leaders and U.S. lawmakers alike have begun expressing hope that Iran will topple its own leadership in a similar fashion, with U.S. help. “There’s a real chance for regime change right now, that’s the only way you’re going to stop a nuclear weapon,” Sam Brownback, former U.S. ambassador for International Religious Freedom, told Fox News Digital at a Senate panel on Iran on Wednesday. “It’s not just now or never, it’s now or nuclear,” he said, as Iran enriches uranium to near-nuclear-capable levels. A bipartisan group of senators spoke in support of toppling the Iranian Ayatollah Ali Khameini – both through a return to former President Trump’s “maximum pressure” campaign through sanctions and supporting the Iranian resistance movement – a piece that was missing during the first Trump administration. Khameini has ruled Iran for 35 years. THE RISE AND FALL OF BASHAR AND ASMA ASSAD “We have an obligation to stand together with allies in making sure this regime’s suppression will come to an end,” said Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J., at the event, which was hosted by the Organization for Iranian American Communities. “Iran is projecting only weakness,” said Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H. “Now is the time to think about how we invest more in the core values that we all share: democracy, human rights, justice for everyone.” “I have, for a long time, been willing to call quite unequivocally for regime change in Iran,” said Sen. Ted Cruz, R–Texas. It was a stronger message than has often recently been heard in Washington, D.C. circles, where there has been little appetite for getting further involved in the Middle East. “The ayatollah will fall, the mullahs will fall, and we will see free and democratic elections in Iran. Change is coming and it’s coming very soon,” the Texas Republican predicted. “We will return to a maximum pressure policy,” he added, “cut the cruel regime from resources from every direction possible – we are going to shut down nuclear research facilities, we are going to cut off their oil.” ISRAEL’S UN AMBASSADOR INSISTS NATION IS ‘NOT GETTING INVOLVED’ IN SYRIAN REGIME CHANGE “There is a cottage industry in Washington to promote the goals and objectives of this regime,” said Marc Ginsberg, former U.S. ambassador to Morocco. “You saw here there were Democratic senators to say to you, ‘We don’t buy this. We can make this a bipartisan effort.’” The Biden administration has issued Iran sanctions waivers in hopes of future nuclear negotiations, and has expressed no interest in helping to topple the ayatollah. On Wednesday, Biden renewed a sanctions waiver granting Iran access to $10 billion in payments for energy from Iraq. And asked if he would like to see Iran change its ruling system, Trump told Iranian American producer Patrick Bet David in October: “We can’t get totally involved in all that. We can’t run ourselves, let’s face it.” “I would like to see Iran be very successful. The only thing is, they can’t have a nuclear weapon,” he also said. But Brownback, a Trump appointee, insisted the U.S. must involve itself in regime change through supporting Iran’s opposition. “I think we need to support politically the opposition inside of Iran,” he said. “Provide them equipment, provide them information… the regime is not just going to walk away. You’ve got to force them out.” And Iran watchers believe the fall of Assad, who was heavily backed by Iran and its proxy force Hezbollah, is the perfect moment to do that. “The tectonic shift in the Syrian government… should mean to the people of Iran that change is in fact possible in the Middle East,” said Gen. James Jones, former White House national security adviser and supreme allied commander of Europe. “The change in administration has already caused tectonic shifts in geographic alignments,” he went on. “Appeasement does not work. Iranian regime does not do nuance.” Maryam Rajavi is president-elect of the National Council of Resistance of Iran, the main resistance group in Iran. “The people, who are deeply discontented and angry, along with the resistance units, who are part of the Army of Freedom and the main force of change in Iran, they are preparing an organized uprising,” she told the panel. Rajavi and her political group have a 10-point plan for regime change that calls for rebuilding an Iranian government based on separation of religion and state, gender equality, abolition of the death penalty and denuclearization. “Our goal is not to seize power but to restore it to its rightful owners, the people of Iran and their vote.” Unlike the first Trump administration, Iran is now facing military attacks on other fronts through its proxies Hamas in Gaza and Hezbollah in Lebanon. It’s unclear whether this weakened position would prompt them to bow to U.S. pressure or lash out even further. But one thing is clear: U.S. support for regime change would be a massive escalation in tensions between Washington and Tehran with unknown consequences.
US oil and gas producers pressure House to pass pivotal permitting bill and get America ‘back on track’
A group of U.S. oil and gas producers is upping the pressure on House Speaker Mike Johnson to push through a major permitting reform bill, stressing in a letter Wednesday the urgency for the chamber to move swiftly on approving the legislation, which they see as crucial for attracting new investments in domestic oil and gas projects, bolstering national energy security and breathing new life into other long-stalled energy infrastructure projects. The letter, authored by a coalition of U.S. oil and gas groups who represent a combined 80% of domestic fossil fuel production, stressed the need for House Republicans to swiftly and “immediately” pass the Energy Permitting Reform Act, or the 2024 bill authored by Sens. Joe Manchin, I-W.Va., and John Barrasso, R-Wyo. They described that legislation as crucial to helping expedite actions for producers under the second Trump administration. PATEL ‘READY TO SERVE’ AS FBI DIRECTOR, SEEKS ‘SMOOTH TRANSITION’ AFTER WRAY RESIGNATION NEWS “While this bill is merely the first step towards comprehensive permitting reform in this country, we believe that passing the package now, at the end of the 118th, and then earnestly advancing additional National Environmental Policy Act reforms such as those being drafted by Chairman Westerman in the Natural Resources Committee, will ensure that America can get back on track as quickly as possible,” the letter said. Pressure on Johnson and House Republicans has mounted in recent days as lawmakers prepare for a final sprint before the end of the 118th session of Congress. Some have suggested the bill’s best chances of passage are by paring it with NEPA reform — likely efforts championed by House Natural Resources Committee Chairman Bruce Westerman, R-Ark., which could earn the permitting reform bill more buy-in from House Republicans. Its signatories included more than half a dozen major oil and gas industry groups, including the Gulf Energy Alliance, the U.S. Oil & Gas Association, and the Independent Petroleum Association, among others. In the letter, the groups pointed to an analysis from the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory that found that in 2000, it took an average of just two years for new U.S. energy infrastructure projects to go from being issued their first permit to becoming fully operational — a timeline, they noted, that has now extended to an average of more than five years for new projects. “Such delays discourage investment in these projects and threatens our energy security,” they said. “Many projects take even longer or are ultimately canceled as funding is lost or companies simply give up.” LEAVE THE OIL TO ME: TRUMP VOWS TO UNLEASH US ENERGY, UNDO KEY BIDEN RULES IN 2ND TERM “The Energy Permitting Reform Act must be treated as an urgent priority,” National Ocean Industries Association President Erik Milito told Fox News Digital in a statement. “With the transition to a new Congress and administration looming, this legislation is crucial for establishing a strong national energy and permitting policy framework that will propel federal support for American offshore energy well into the future.” “By simplifying the permitting process, we can boost our domestic energy production while maintaining environmental safeguards,” Milito said, adding, “These reforms reaffirm America’s commitment to leading the world in energy production, economic prosperity, and environmental stewardship.”In campaigning for president, Trump has vowed to “unleash” U.S. energy production, including oil and gas production, and to “frack, frack, frack.” President-elect Donald Trump blamed the Biden administration for what he views as recent failures in U.S. oil and gas production and used many of his campaign trail stump speeches to take aim at the administration for its outsize focus on electric vehicle manufacturing and production, as well as the shuttering of aging power plants and the spike in energy prices, which increased by as much as 50% in the Keystone State. Fox News Digital has reached out to Speaker Johnson’s office for comment on the letter.
Fatal migrant gang stabbing leaves one teen dead
New York police are investigating a fatal immigrant gang stabbing in Lower Manhattan that left one teenager dead and another injured. The stabbing is believed to have erupted because of a dispute between migrant gangs that have taken over several New York City-run migrant hotels in the neighborhood, according to local news channel ABC7 NY. The two victims, both teenage migrants reportedly associated with a Venezuelan gang called “Los Diablos de la 42” (the devils of 42nd Street), were attacked by three unknown assailants at 7:43 p.m. on Dec. 5. The deceased victim, a 17-year-old named Yeremi Colino, was living in the Roosevelt Hotel in Midtown Manhattan, which is being used as a migrant shelter paid for by the City of New York. Colino was stabbed in the chest and was taken to a nearby hospital after a bystander called 911. Colino died from his wounds in the hospital. MIGRANT CRIME WAVE DURING BIDEN-HARRIS ADMIN UNDER SCRUTINY AMID SERIES OF ASSAULTS, MURDERS: A TIMELINE HERITAGE REPORT OFFERS ROADMAP TO DEFEAT TREN DE ARAGUA, THE MEGA-GANG TAKING OVER US CITIES The second victim, an 18-year-old migrant named Alan Magalles Bello, was stabbed in the arm by a screwdriver but is expected to recover. The three assailants, who were wearing COVID masks, were caught on camera. Police have yet to make any arrests. The incident was initially being investigated as a hate crime as early reports indicated the assailants attacked after asking the two victims if they spoke English. Several Democratic politicians rushed to condemn the attack as “racist.” According to local outlet amNewYork Metro, Congressman Dan Goldman, whose district includes portions of Manhattan, said that “two migrant teenagers were stabbed in our city because they didn’t speak English.” “I condemn this racist, xenophobic hatred in the strongest terms – it has no place in our city and must be rejected,” he said, adding that “these suspects must be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.” Police are no longer investigating the attack as a hate crime, however, after video footage indicated the confrontation unfolded over gang signs. According to ABC7 NY, video footage recorded the victims confronting the larger group asking; “Why are you flashing gang signs?” before a brawl ensued, which left Colino dead and Bello injured. The New York Post reported that both victims were associated with the “Diablos de la 42” gang, which has ties to the international Venezuelan terrorist group “Tren de Aragua.” ABC7 NY reported that the suspects are believed to be gang members in the Caribbean migrant community. New York Police Department Detective Bureau Assistant Chief Jason Savino said that the Diablos gang has issued messages mourning the loss of Colino and vowing revenge on the Caribbean gang.
Fetterman still enthusiastically supportive of Stefanik for US ambassador to UN: ‘Always was a hard YES’
After speaking with Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., reaffirmed his support for the congresswoman’s nomination to serve as U.S. ambassador to the United Nations. “Always was a hard YES for @EliseStefanik but it was a pleasure to have a conversation. I support defunding UNRWA for its documented Hamas infiltration and fully look forward to her holding the @UN accountable for its endemic antisemitism and blatant anti-Israel views,” Fetterman said in a post on X. The senator made the comments when retweeting Stefanik, who shared a photo of herelf and Fetterman doing a double thumbs up for the camera. FETTERMAN SLAMS LEGAL CASES AGAINST TRUMP, HUNTER BIDEN IN FIRST TRUTH SOCIAL POST: ‘CASES WERE BOTH BULLS—’ “Thank you to @SenFettermanPA for hosting a very productive meeting where we discussed our shared commitment to standing with Israel and combating antisemitism,” Stefanik said in her post. “Senator Fetterman shared his ideas for strong national security leadership and I highlighted my ideas on implementing President @realDonaldTrump’s America First peace through strength national security agenda,” Stefanik added Last month, President-elect Donald Trump announced Stefanik as his choice for the role of U.S. ambassador to the UN. FETTERMAN HAILS RUBIO AS ‘STRONG CHOICE’ FOR SECRETARY OF STATE, SAYS HE WILL VOTE TO CONFIRM HIM Fetterman described Stefanik and Sen. Marco Rubio, who Trump tapped to serve as Secretary of State, as “serious, qualified individuals,” indicating last month that he planned to vote in favor of confirming both of them. The Democratic lawmaker, an unflinching supporter of Israel, accused the UN of “rank, pervasive antisemitism,” noting, “I look forward to voting for @RepStefanik to continue a strong and unapologetic pro-Israel position.” After Trump tapped Dr. Mehmet Oz — who lost Pennsylvania’s 2022 U.S. Senate contest to Fetterman — to serve as Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services administrator, Fetterman indicated that he was open to supporting confirmation. FETTERMAN WOULD BE WILLING TO CONFIRM DR. OZ — ON ONE CONDITION CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP “If Dr. Oz is about protecting and preserving Medicare and Medicaid, I’m voting for the dude,” Fetterman noted.
Scholarship programs slapped with lawsuits for alleged discrimination against White men
FIRST ON FOX: Two scholarship programs for “underrepresented” minorities are being slapped with lawsuits for allegedly discriminating against White people. The nonprofit organization Do No Harm (DNH) is challenging the Society of Military Orthopaedic Surgeons’ (SOMOS) E. Anthony Rankin Scholarship Program on behalf of a DNH member who said he could not continue with the application process because he is a White male. The program, which is “meant for underrepresented medical students,” matches students with a “U.S. Military host” at one of two medical centers, the complaint states. The program spans four weeks, during when students can receive up to $12,000 “to cover ‘travel, housing, and daily per diem for the duration’ of their time hosted by the military,” the filing reads, quoting the program’s website description. SUPREME COURT REJECTS BOSTON PARENTS’ APPEAL CLAIMING RACIAL BIAS IN ADMISSIONS POLICY “Member A was hurt and dismayed that SOMOS would use his race — which he cannot control — to preclude him from participating in the program and learning from some of the country’s most distinguished orthopaedic surgeons in service of our nation’s military and veteran communities,” the complaint states. DNH also named as defendants Director of the Defense Health Agency Telita Crosland and Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, as well as others in their official capacities, arguing that they are violating the Fifth Amendment by operating “in partnership with SOMOS, a race-based service-learning program” for students interested in orthopedic surgery. “But the program excludes white, male applicants,” the complaint states. DNH is asking for a permanent injunction barring enforcement of the program’s requirements and, if necessary, “a preliminary injunction barring Defendants from enforcing the program’s racial requirement.” GORSUCH MAKES IT CLEAR THAT NIXING AFFIRMATIVE ACTION WAS STOPPING RACE DISCRIMINATION DNH is also challenging the University of Colorado’s “Underrepresented Minority Visiting Elective Scholarship” on behalf of one member “who is ready and able to apply for the scholarship” but cannot because of his race. The scholarship is offered via the university medical school’s Radiation Oncology Department within the school’s visiting elective rotation. The scholarship covers “up to ‘$2,000 reimbursement’ for ‘the cost of lodging, travel, and related expenses for [the] four-week elective,’” the initial complaint states. In order to apply for the scholarship, the visiting medical student must comply with several requirements, including being enrolled at an accredited medical school and being in good standing. The applicant is also required to submit a “brief statement of interest.” “Scholarship is prioritized based on the applicant’s interest in pursuing a career with underserved populations, service, leadership, and academic achievement,” the filing says, quoting the scholarship description found on the school’s website. “But the scholarship is not open to everyone,” the complaint states. The filing says the scholarship specifies eligibility is open to those “‘who identif[y] with groups who are recognized as historically underrepresented in medicine including but not limited to African American/Black, Native American, Hispanic/Latino, Pacific Islander, LGBTQ+, or those from a disadvantaged socioeconomic background.’” The website itself says the scholarship includes but is “not limited to” those races. The complaint states the plaintiff is a DNH member and “meets all nonracial eligibility requirements” for the scholarship. PARENTS ASK SUPREME COURT TO TAKE UP CASE TO RESTORE OPT-OUTS FOR INSTRUCTION ON GENDER AND SEXUALITY “Although Member A meets all the nonracial eligibility requirements and would be a strong candidate for the scholarship, Member A is not eligible to apply because he is a white, straight male and does not identify as any other ethnicity,” the complaint says. DNH is seeking a declaratory judgment that the scholarship violates the Equal Protection Clause and Title VI, as well as a permanent injunction “barring Defendants from seeing or considering applicants’ race when selecting the recipients” for the scholarship. “When we’re all on the operating table with a broken leg, we want the best surgeon. We don’t want someone based on the color of their skin, and we want merit,” Dr. Jared Ross, Senior Fellow with Do No Harm, told Fox News Digital. “And unfortunately, in the name of diversity — which is a laudable goal, having people from different backgrounds — we have essentially instituted discrimination and racial quotas to get to what the other side calls ‘equity.’” The U.S. Supreme Court rejected the use of race as a factor in college admissions in a 6-3 decision in 2023. The justices decided two separate legal challenges over just how Harvard University – a private institution – and the University of North Carolina – a public one – decide who fills their classrooms. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Student activist group Students for Fair Admissions brought cases against both universities. The group initially sued Harvard in 2014 for violating Title VI of the Civil Rights Act, which “prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, or national origin in any program or activity that receives Federal funds or other Federal financial assistance.” Fox News Digital reached out to SOMOS, the Defense Department and the University of Colorado for comment.
Illinois governor says ‘violent’ illegal immigrants should be deported, open to meeting with Trump officials
The Democratic governor of Illinois, J.B. Pritzker, says he agrees with one part of border czar appointee Tom Homan’s historic mass deportation campaign under the incoming Trump administration. Pritzker was responding to comments made by Homan at the Northwest Side GOP gathering that happened Monday evening, according to FOX 32 Chicago, where he threatened to deport millions of undocumented immigrants. The move would impact tens of thousands of undocumented immigrants in Chicago and Illinois. “Violent criminals who are undocumented and convicted of violent crime should be deported,” Pritzker said at an unrelated news conference, the local station reported. “I do not want them in my state, I don’t think they should be in the United States.” Homan has said no one is off the table when it comes to deportations, although public safety threats will be the priority. He directly mentioned Pritzker and Mayor Brandon Johnson in his remarks. CHICAGO RESIDENTS SLAM THE ‘STUPIDITY’ OF MAYOR BRANDON JOHNSON’S LIBERAL POLICIES DURING CITY COUNCIL MEETING “If your Chicago mayor doesn’t want to help, he can step aside,” Homan said. “But if he impedes us, if he knowingly harbors an illegal alien, I will prosecute him.” Pritzker has said he would welcome a meeting with Homan or the incoming Trump administration, according to FOX 32, but no one has reached out to him. NEW DATA REVEALS AMERICA HAS TENS OF THOUSANDS OF NONCITIZENS FROM US ADVERSARY WITH DEPORTATION ORDERS Illinois republicans not only urge Pritzker to work with Homan, but say the state should repeal sanctuary laws that generally limit law enforcement’s cooperation with ICE. Currently, 1.4 million noncitizens have deportation orders but are not currently in Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention, according to new figures obtained by Fox News. The top countries of nationals on the list include Mexico (252,044), Guatemala (253,413), Honduras (261,651) and El Salvador (203,822). Other countries include China, which has 37,908 nationals on the docket with final orders of removal, Haiti (32,363), Iran (2,618), Pakistan (7,76), Uzbekistan, (975) and Venezuela (22,749). Fox News’ Adam Shaw and Bill Melugin contributed to this report.
5 biggest FBI scandals during Christopher Wray’s tenure as director
FBI Director Christopher Wray announced that he will step down from the helm of the federal law enforcement agency ahead of President-elect Donald Trump’s administration. “After weeks of careful thought, I’ve decided the right thing for the Bureau is for me to serve until the end of the current Administration in January and then step down,” Wray said during a town hall on Wednesday, announcing his resignation. “My goal is to keep the focus on our mission – the indispensable work you’re doing on behalf of the American people every day. In my view, this is the best way to avoid dragging the Bureau deeper into the fray, while reinforcing the values and principles that are so important to how we do our work.” Fox News Digital looked back on the director’s last seven years with the federal agency, compiling five of the biggest controversies that rocked the bureau, as well as the Biden administration overall. WHO IS KASH PATEL? TRUMP’S PICK TO LEAD FBI HAS LONG HISTORY VOWING TO BUST UP ‘DEEP STATE’ Approximately 30 armed FBI agents converged on Trump’s Mar-a-Lago home in Florida in August 2022 to execute a search warrant regarding classified documents in the former president’s possession. The unprecedented raid included agents rifling through former and upcoming first lady Melania Trump’s wardrobe. The agents seized 33 boxes of documents amid the search warrant. “He invaded my home. I’m suing the country over it. He invaded Mar-a-Lago. I’m very unhappy with the things he’s done. And crime is at an all-time high. Migrants are pouring into the country that are from prisons and from mental institutions, as we’ve discussed. I can’t say I’m thrilled,” Trump said of Wray during an interview with NBC that aired Sunday. Earlier this year, it was revealed the Biden administration authorized the use of deadly force during the raid. The jarring revelation added fuel to the fire of conservatives slamming the raid, though the FBI clarified that the same language was used in a similar search warrant for President Biden’s Delaware home. SPECIAL COUNSEL, IRS WHISTLEBLOWERS SAY DON’T BUY BIDEN ‘SPIN’ ABOUT HUNTER BIDEN LEGAL SAGA Republican Sen. Chuck Grassley, who called for Wray’s resignation in a scathing letter earlier this week, argued there were “serious questions” revolving around the raid considering Trump had been cooperating with investigators regarding the classified documents. “This raid occurred despite serious questions about the need for it. President Trump apparently was cooperating with the investigation, notwithstanding liberal press reports. He voluntarily turned over 15 boxes of documents months before the FBI’s drastic escalation,” Grassley continued, adding that former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton never faced such a raid “even though she and her staff mishandled highly classified information while using a non-government server.” Trump, in reaction to Wray’s resignation, again railed against the “illegal” raid on Mar-a-Lago. RAID ON TRUMP’S MAR-A-LAGO ESTATE QUESTIONED BY SOME LEGAL SCHOLARS “Under the leadership of Christopher Wray, the FBI illegally raided my home, without cause, worked diligently on illegally impeaching and indicting me, and has done everything else to interfere with the success and future of America. They have used their vast powers to threaten and destroy many innocent Americans, some of which will never be able to recover from what has been done to them,” he wrote on Truth Social. Wray testified before the House Judiciary Committee in July and defended that he “would not call it a raid” on Mar-a-Lago, instead saying the FBI conducted “the execution of a lawful search warrant.” GRASSLEY RIPS WRAY’S ‘FAILED’ LEADERSHIP AT FBI WITH 11 PAGES OF EXAMPLES IN BLISTERING ‘NO CONFIDENCE’ LETTER In January 2023, conservative lawmakers slammed an internal FBI memo from the Richmond field office, titled “Interest of Racially or Ethnically Motivated Violent Extremists in Radical-Traditionalist Catholic Ideology Almost Certainly Presents New Mitigation Opportunities.” The memo identified “radical-traditionalist Catholic[s]” as potential “racially or ethnically motivated violent extremists” and said that “racially or ethnically motivated violent extremists (RMVEs) in radical-traditionalist Catholic (RTC) ideology almost certainly presents opportunities for threat mitigation through the exploration of new avenues for tripwire and source development.” The memo was rescinded, but lawmakers scrutinized Wray as to why Americans were targeted due to their religious beliefs – which defies the U.S. Constitution. Twenty Republican lawmakers wrote in a letter to Wray last year, saying that the memo “singled out traditional Catholics for their pro-life views, accusing RTCs of ‘hostility towards abortion-rights advocates’ in the aftermath of the Dobbs decision…” “This specific call out to pro-life views is of even greater concern, considering the slow rate of investigation and response to the violent attacks that a number of pro-life pregnancy centers and Catholic Churches have experienced since the Dobbs decision was leaked in May of last year,” they wrote. Wray said in a 2023 Senate Judiciary hearing that, “We do not and will not conduct investigations based on anybody’s exercise of their constitutionally protected religious [expression].” HEAVILY REDACTED RECORDS SHOW FBI’S TARGETING OF CATHOLICS WENT BEYOND WHAT IT CLAIMED: WATCHDOG The FBI also came under fire during Wray’s tenure when the FBI raided a home and arrested a pro-life man in Pennsylvania in 2022. Mark Houck, a Catholic dad of seven who would often pray outside a Philadelphia abortion clinic, was arrested at his rural Pennsylvania home in Kintnersville by the FBI. The arrest stemmed from an altercation he had with a Planned Parenthood escort in Philadelphia in October 2021. Houck was accused of pushing the abortion clinic escort, who allegedly verbally harassed Houck’s 12-year-old son outside the clinic. The Biden administration alleged Houck violated the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act, which makes it a federal crime to use force with the intent to injure, intimidate and interfere with anyone because that person provides reproductive health care. Houck was acquitted by a jury last year after arguing that he was protecting his son. He and his wife Ryan-Marie argued the FBI used excessive force during the arrest, filing a lawsuit against the DOJ earlier
How the US funds Israel’s war on Gaza
Money Works The United States has backed Israel in its ongoing war on Gaza for more than a year, providing substantial military aid worth billions of dollars. But this financial support never actually leaves the US. Find out how this funding system works. Published On 12 Dec 202412 Dec 2024 Adblock test (Why?)
At a Syria morgue, people search for loved ones killed by Assad regime
Mohammad Chaeeb spoke softly into his phone, telling a relative the grim news: he found his brother at the Al-Mujtahid Hospital morgue. “I saw him and said my goodbyes,” he said. His gaze lingered on the blackened body of Sami Chaeeb, whose teeth were bared and whose eye sockets were empty. It looked as if he had died screaming. “He doesn’t look normal. He doesn’t even have eyes.” The dead man was jailed five months ago, disappearing into a dark prison system under the rule of President Bashar al-Assad. His body is just one of many found in Syrian detention centres and prisons since Assad’s government fell last weekend. Nearby, forensic workers worked rapidly to identify the bodies and hand them over to relatives. Yasser Qasser, a forensic assistant at the morgue, said they received 40 bodies that morning from the hospital, that were being fingerprinted and having DNA samples taken. The staff had already identified about eight bodies, he said. “But dozens of families are arriving, and the numbers don’t match.” Syrian citizens carry the body of Sami Chaeeb, 34, after his body was found at the Al-Mujtahid Hospital morgue in Damascus [Hussein Malla/AP Photo] Some bodies came from the notorious Sednaya prison, still dressed in prisoner uniforms, Qasser said. Advertisement His colleague, Dr Abdallah Youssef, said identifying all of them would take time. “We understand the suffering of the families, but we are working under immense pressure. The bodies were found in salt rooms, exposed to extreme cold,” he said. Morgue officials who examined the corpses have seen bullet wounds and marks that appeared to be the result of torture, he added. An estimated 150,000 people have been jailed or reported missing in Syria since 2011 when peaceful antigovernment protests descended into war. Under al-Assad’s rule, any whiff of dissent could send someone to prison immediately. For years, it was a sentence akin to death, as few ever emerged from the system. Quoting testimony from freed prisoners and prison officials, Amnesty International has reported that thousands of Syrians were killed in frequent mass executions. Prisoners were subjected to constant torture, intense beatings and rape. Inmates frequently died from injuries, disease or starvation. Some fell into psychosis and starved themselves, the human rights group said. Hilala Meryeh, a 64-year-old Palestinian mother of four, weeps in the middle of an identification room after finding her son’s body at the Al-Mujtahid Hospital morgue [Hussein Malla/AP Photo] Among the bodies at the morgue on Wednesday was Mazen al-Hamada, a Syrian activist who fled to Europe but returned to Syria in 2020 and was imprisoned upon arrival. His mangled corpse was found wrapped in a bloody sheet in Sednaya. Hilala Meryeh, a 64-year-old Palestinian mother of four, stood in the dingy identification room, bags of bodies all around her. She had just found one of her sons. Advertisement Her four boys were arrested by the former Syrian regime in 2013 during a crackdown on the Yarmouk Palestinian refugee camp. She still needed to find three. “I don’t know where they are,” she said. “Give me my children, search for my children!” Other Syrians, like Imad Habbal, stood motionless in the morgue, coming to grips with the reality and injustice of their loss. Habbal gazed at the body of his brother, Diaa Habbal. “We came yesterday, and we found him dead,” he said. “They killed him. Why? What was his crime? What did he ever do to them? Just because he came back to his country?” Diaa Habbal, a Syrian who had been living in Saudi Arabia since 2003, returned to Damascus in mid-2024 to visit his family, his brother said. He was arrested by the Syrian military police six months ago on charges of evading military service. With trembling hands, Imad Habbal lifted the covering, his voice breaking as he wept and spoke to his brother. “I told you not to come,” he said. “I wish you didn’t come.” Adblock test (Why?)
Biden aides in Middle East in diplomatic push for Syria, Gaza
Two-pronged diplomatic push sees Blinken covering Jordan, Turkiye, while Sullivan holds talks in Israel, Qatar and Egypt. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has arrived in Jordan, launching a crisis tour of the Middle East following the removal of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. The outgoing US diplomat, who is calling for an “inclusive” process to form Syria’s next government that protects minorities, touched down in the Red Sea city of Aqaba on Thursday, heading straight to a meeting with King Abdullah II before a trip to Turkiye later in the day. Blinken’s trip comes days after opposition forces launched a lightning offensive spearheaded by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), a group formerly affiliated with al-Qaeda, ending five decades of brutal rule by the al-Assad family. Announcing the trip, the State Department said Blinken would call for a Syria that is not “a base of terrorism or posing a threat to its neighbours” – a nod to the concerns of Israel and Turkiye. Since al-Assad’s flight to Russia on Sunday, Israel has attacked Syria hundreds of times, hitting airports, air defence facilities and other infrastructure, and deploying its military to the buffer zone along the occupied Golan Heights separating Syria and Israel since 1974. Advertisement Turkiye, for its part, has funded Syrian rebel fighters – known as the Syrian National Army (SNA) – to battle the Kurdish-led, US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), pushing the group out of the northeastern city of Manbij. Ankara views the SDF, which has carved out self-ruled territory in the country’s east, as a “terrorist” group and wants to reduce its presence near its borders. Blinken’s diplomatic push on Syria comes as leaders of the Group of Seven (G7) major democracies issued a statement emphasising that al-Assad should be held accountable for his crimes. Shaping Biden’s legacy In parallel with Blinken’s tour, National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan will meet Israeli leaders in Jerusalem on Thursday and then travel to Qatar and Egypt. Both Blinken and Sullivan will be trying to make progress towards a deal to end the 14-month war in Gaza and win the release of the remaining captives held there by Palestinian armed group Hamas. The Biden administration hopes that the recent ceasefire agreement between Israel and Iran-backed Lebanese armed group Hezbollah, combined with the removal of Tehran ally al-Assad could help build momentum towards a Gaza deal after months of unsuccessful diplomacy. The high-level tours could help shape Biden’s legacy in the Middle East in the last weeks of his term before former President Donald Trump returns to the White House on January 20. However, it is unclear whether Biden has enough leverage in the region to secure major deals before he leaves office. Advertisement Hamas wants an end to the war before the captives are released but Netanyahu has insisted that it reserves the right to carry out military operations. Israel also does not want Hamas to govern Gaza. Trump warned last week there would be “hell to pay” in the Middle East if captives held in Gaza were not released before his January inauguration. On Tuesday, White House national security spokesperson John Kirby applied pressure for a deal, saying Hamas was “increasingly isolated” and should realise the “cavalry is not coming to rescue them”. Adblock test (Why?)