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Russia Rains Missiles Down on Kyiv in Major Strike, First in Six Weeks

Air defenses shot down all the incoming missiles, though 13 people including a child were injured by falling wreckage, Ukraine said.

Biden White House Is Funding Palestinian Security Forces

 

Fars Media Corporation, CC BY 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons

The Palestinian Security Forces (PASF) were founded by the US, UN, and Russia in 1993. They have been funded and trained by the US on and off ever since. Now, the Biden White House wants to boost the PASF through the U.S. State Department. Allegedly, this will contribute to regional stability, as the PASF could coordinate with the Israel Defense Force (IDF). Furthermore, there is some discussion of deploying the PASF into Gaza to maintain order.

Providing weapons, money, and training to the same authority that birthed Hamas and the PLO—what could possibly go wrong?

The Palestinian Security Forces (PASF), also known as the Palestinian National Security Forces (PNSF), began following the establishment of the Palestinian Authority (PA) through the Oslo Accords in 1993. The PASF was originally formed from the bodyguards and security personnel of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO). Under Yasser Arafat, the PASF grew into a larger, more formidable force.

After the death of Arafat in 2004, plans were made to rebuild the PASF. The following year, with support from the US, EU, UN, and Russia, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice announced the creation of the office of the United States Security Coordinator (USSC) for Israel and the Palestinian Authority. The goal was to remake the PASF as a multi-branch force as part of President George W. Bush’s Road Map to Peace.

The PASF consists of four branches: the Presidential Guard (PG), tasked with safeguarding the Palestinian president; the National Security Force (NSF), which ensures area security and aids the Palestinian Civil Police; the Palestinian Civil Police (PCP); and the Civil Defense (CD) directorate, responsible for basic firefighting and emergency response across the West Bank. All of the forces were largely trained by the Americans, with the PG being the only one extensively trained by the USSC.

After Hamas won the 2006 elections in Gaza, continued U.S. funding and training of the troops became more problematic. The situation became even more unstable in 2007 when tensions between Hamas and Fatah, another major Palestinian political party, escalated into violence, leading to a series of clashes between Hamas and Fatah forces in the Gaza Strip. Hamas emerged victorious in these clashes, effectively taking control of the Gaza Strip and ousting Fatah forces loyal to the Palestinian Authority led by President Mahmoud Abbas. This event is commonly referred to as the “Hamas takeover of Gaza” or the “Gaza coup.” It led to a split in Palestinian governance, with Hamas controlling the Gaza Strip while Fatah maintained control over the West Bank.

The Hamas/PLO split makes it very difficult for Gaza and the West Bank to work together, raising questions about how the US would train the security forces of both entities and who those entities would obey. Currently, the PASF exists and has troops in the West Bank, but they are being driven out of some towns by armed groups, and they have not received their salary in months, although the US regularly sends aid money.

One could easily ask why the White House is even trying. Hamas and the PLO have both been dubbed terrorist organizations. Under international law and US law, it is illegal to provide funding, training, and weapons to terrorists.

Not surprisingly, Israeli intelligence discovered that Palestinian Authority security personnel have been involved in terror attacks. According to a report from the Israeli NGO Regavim, 46 members of the Palestinian Authority Security Forces (PASF) lost their lives while engaging in terrorist activities aimed at or attempting to target numerous innocent Israelis. Additionally, 25 individuals were apprehended, and at least seven were injured. These findings suggest systematic wrongdoing within the PA’s ranks. The report goes on to allege that not only does the Palestinian Authority fail to condemn terrorism perpetrated by security force members, but it also celebrates them and provides financial assistance to the terrorists and their families.

The post Biden White House Is Funding Palestinian Security Forces appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

2012_Palestinian_National_Security_Forces_exercise_in_Gaza_(03)

Fars Media Corporation, CC BY 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

PHOTO: Florida Authorities Shoot 'Nuisance' Alligator that Bit Off Fisherman's Hand

An alligator attacked a fisherman in Leesburg, Florida, on Sunday and bit off his hand during the brutal encounter.

Study: Daily Cannabis Smokers 25% More Likely to Suffer Heart Attack, 42% Higher Stroke Risk

A study suggests daily cannabis users have a 25 percent increased risk of a heart attack and a 42 percent increased risk of a stroke.

Police: Baby Killed, Parents Injured in Attack by Family Dog in New Jersey

A baby was killed and the child's parents injured in an apparent attack by the family dog in New Jersey on Saturday, according to police.

40 State AGs Raise Alarm over Instagram and Facebook Account Hijacking

A coalition of 40 state attorneys general has issued a stern warning to Mark Zuckerberg's Meta, the parent company of Instagram and Facebook, regarding the alarming surge in consumer complaints about account takeovers and lockouts.

FBI: Cybercrime Epidemic Costs Americans $12.5 Billion in 2023

The FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) has revealed a staggering increase in financial losses due to cybercrime in the United States, reaching an unprecedented $12.5 billion in 2023. This represents a 22 percent jump in losses over 2022.

Report: U.S. Sees Spike in Attacks on Christian Churches

The United States has experienced a significant rise in attacks on Christian churches over the past five years according to a new report by the Family Research Council (FRC).

Lawsuit: Man Wakes Up to Scorpion Stinging Him in Groin at Las Vegas Resort

A California man is suing a Las Vegas resort after he said a scorpion stung him in a very sensitive area while he was sleeping.

French Police Launch Manhunt for Synagogue Attacker in Paris

French authorities are searching for an assailant who attacked a man leaving a synagogue in Paris, Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin said.

NYC Woman Nabbed After Attack on Subway Cellist Is Released Without Bail

A suspect with a criminal history was caught Wednesday after being accused of attacking a cellist playing in the New York City subway.

Non-State Actors: Growing National Security Threat

 

By Magharebia – Al-Qaeda creates Touareg-led brigade | القاعدة تنشئ كتيبة بقيادة طوارقي | Al-Qaida crée une brigade dirigée par des Touaregs, CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=23633229

 

“Armies are always training to fight the last war.”  Old military saying.

The Houthi attacks on merchant vessels in the Red Sea serve as a stark reminder of the threat non-state actors pose to the security of the United States and the world. Australia’s dispatch of its navy to participate in Operation Prosperity Guardian, despite being half a world away from its shores, underscores the global nature of the crisis posed by non-state actors. With their emergence, traditional concepts and strategies of warfare are rapidly becoming outdated, prompting a critical need for a new approach to national defense. Simply relying on conventional military might is no longer sufficient; the Department of Defense must adapt and innovate to effectively counter evolving threats.

Simultaneously, the ongoing threat from state actors armed with conventional and nuclear weapons underscores the complexity of modern security challenges. Additionally, the potential for state sponsorship of or influence on non-state actors introduces further complexity, requiring military strategists to adopt a balanced and nuanced approach to effectively tackle these diverse threats.

Transnational terrorist organizations and transnational crime groups are growing in number and in their geographic range. Islamic extremist groups have cells all over the world and are often aligned with local crime or terrorist organizations. Transnational organized crime, such as “mafia” from Russia, China, or Albania, is engaging in a wide variety of business lines from prostitution to drugs and gambling. Increasingly, financial crimes such as telephone and internet scams or credit card theft or cloning can be traced back to these groups. The internet and modern telecommunications allow them to work from anywhere in the world. AI and language tools help them overcome natural barriers that once suppressed their activities. And open US borders allow these groups to place agents within the U.S.

The Mexican drug cartels are a prime example of a modern, transnational crime organization. In addition to flooding America’s streets with illicit drugs, they are also the largest human traffickers, bringing illegals into the United States. They have associations with street gangs in the US who help with drug distribution, managing prostitution, as well as doing collection and enforcement. Throughout Latin America, cartels have destabilized the local governments and economic system to such a point that they are driving a flood of illegal immigration into the United States.

Russia’s private military company (PMC), Wagner Group, or Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Force (IRGF) operate in theaters ranging from Africa and the Middle East to Central and South America. They provide training, weapons, sometimes money, and combat support to despicable actors around the globe. While the Kremlin or Tehran may be controlling the reins of these attack dogs, both governments can claim plausible deniability and dispatch these forces to undertake operations that would trigger an international incident or a war if conducted by uniformed armies.

State-supported militias are changing the face of warfare. The United States was accused of war crimes for bombing Houthi positions in Yemen, with critics arguing that Yemen and the Houthis are not synonymous. And while bombing Tehran would most likely cripple the IRGC’s destabilizing activities, it would be considered a crime under international law.

Along with the rise of state-supported threat actors are private companies that sell their services to combatants. Elon Musk’s SpaceX aerospace company provided Starlink terminals to Kyiv, and the Canadian geo-intelligence firm MDA provided the Ukrainians with satellite imagery to track Russian troop movements. These are examples of Western firms aiding “the good guys” as chosen by their governments. But what about foreign firms from threat countries assisting the “baddies”?

The US is now sanctioning or considering sanctioning a number of Chinese firms that are aiding Russia. At the same time, China, taking a cue from Russia’s Wagner Group, is expanding its Private Security Companies (PSC), deploying them around the world. Compared to Wagner, there is much less risk that they would actively engage in combat, but they pose a tremendous espionage and diplomatic power threat, as they saturate pockets of the globe where China has investment interests.

Cyber threats, hacking, are a growing area of concern for the US government. These can come from state actors, non-state actors, private companies working on behalf of a foreign government, or transnational criminal or terrorist organizations. With the growth of artificial intelligence (AI) and digital platforms, small, well-equipped, and well-trained groups can pose as great a threat as a large conventional military, taking down US infrastructure, telecommunications, or financial networks. Unmanned systems (UxS), killer drones, and additive manufacturing (also known as 3D printing) multiply the danger.

The new nature of warfare is that wars are undeclared and unconventional. A response from the US military would be called a war crime by the international community. And so, each threat is being handled in isolation, and the resolution of one attack does not prevent the next one. To adequately protect the nation, the intelligence agencies, along with Homeland Security, Space Force, and the Cybersecurity Infrastructure Agency (CSIA), will play a larger role. At the same time, because these threats can emerge from anywhere at any time, there are likely to be restrictions on personal freedoms in the US, a precedent most of us do not want to see.

The post Non-State Actors: Growing National Security Threat appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

Al-Qaida_crée_une_brigade_dirigée_par_des_Touaregs_(8246938011)

By Magharebia - Al-Qaeda creates Touareg-led brigade | القاعدة تنشئ كتيبة بقيادة طوارقي | Al-Qaida crée une brigade dirigée par des Touaregs, CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=23633229
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