News of the World

[kyonides]

Defense Secretary Issues Prepare-to-Deploy Orders for U.S. Troops to the Middle East

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin placed additional U.S. troops on prepare-to-deploy orders to the Middle East Sunday after speaking with President Joe Biden.

“I have placed an additional number of forces on prepare to deploy orders as part of prudent contingency planning, to increase their readiness and ability to quickly respond as required,” he said in a statement.

The number of forces put on prepare-to-deploy orders was not specified, but the Pentagon has previously confirmed the number was roughly 2,000. Some troops would come from the U.S. and some from within Europe or other areas of operation.

Austin said he has also activated the deployment of a Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) battery as well as additional Patriot battalions to locations throughout the region to increase protection for U.S. forces.

Iranian proxy forces have recently launched attacks against U.S. facilities in Iraq, Syria, and fired rockets from Yemen, which were shot down by a U.S. guided missile destroyer.

Austin also said in his statement the decision came after detailed discussions with Biden on “recent escalations by Iran and its proxy forces across the Middle East Region.”

He said the steps were to “bolster regional deterrence efforts, increase force protection for U.S. forces in the region, and assist in the defense of Israel.”

Former German Chancellor Claims Biden Administration Blocked Ukraine from Agreeing to Peace Deal in 2022

In an interview with the Berliner Zeitung newspaper, Gerhard Schröder, who served as Chancellor of Germany from 1998 to 2005, claimed that hundreds of thousands of lives could potentially have been saved if not for pressure exerted on Kyiv by Washington to reject peace negotiations with Moscow.

Schröder, who has faced criticism over his friendship with Vladimir Putin and his business ties in Russia, including as a broad member of the Nord Stream 2 AG, revealed that last year he was asked by Ukraine to act as a mediator with Moscow to seek a peaceful end to the conflict after the Russian military invaded the former Soviet state.

“The only people who could settle the war against Ukraine are the Americans,” the former chancellor said. “At the peace negotiations in March 2022 in Istanbul with [now-Ukrainian Defence Minister] Rustem Umerov, the Ukrainians did not agree to peace because they were not allowed to. They first had to ask the Americans about everything they discussed.”

“The war could be ended if geopolitical interests were not at play,” he added.

Schröder said that he had two conversations with Umerov, as well as a private discussion with Vladimir Putin and then with the Russian president’s envoy. He said that Umerov expressed willingness to agree to terms that would give safety guarantees to Kyiv while addressing several key concerns of the Kremlin, such as Ukraine committing not to join NATO and introducing reforms to grant more autonomy to the heavily ethnic Russian Donbas region.

He makes me ask myself if those are his actual words or Putin's.

London Police Declare Calling for Jihad Is Lawful as Word has ‘Number of Meanings’

An estimated 100,000 anti-Israel protesters took to the streets of London on Saturday. Ahead of the demonstration, the Met police warned activists that they may face arrest if they were seen to be supporting proscribed terror groups like Hamas.

However, while several people were arrested and some investigations continue, the police force drew considerable backlash for appearing to excuse calls for jihad.

Responding to footage of a speaker calling for jihad while standing in front of a placard calling on the “Muslim armies” of the world to attack Israel, the Met said on X: “The word jihad has a number of meanings but we know the public will most commonly associate it with terrorism.

“We have specialist counter-terrorism officers here in the operations room who have particular knowledge in this area. They have assessed this video, filmed at the Hizb ut-Tahrir protest in central London today, and have not identified any offences arising from the specific clip.

“However, recognising the way language like this will be interpreted by the public and the divisive impact it will have, officers have identified the man involved and will be speaking to him shortly to discourage any repeat of similar chanting.”

This sounds like a sad joke for any Jew or anybody else with beliefs that are contrary to those proclaimed by such protesters. Or should we call them pro-terrorists?

Australian Prime Minister to Visit with China’s Xi in Hopes to Boost Trade

Australia’s prime minister will visit China in early November to meet President Xi Jinping, Canberra confirmed Sunday, as the two trading partners work to repair a once-frosty relationship.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese locked in the trip — from November 4 to November 7 — after China agreed to review hefty tariffs on Australian wine which had sparked a festering World Trade Organization (WTO) dispute.

It also follows the release of Australian journalist Cheng Lei, deported from China earlier this month after being detained for three years on espionage charges widely seen as politically motivated.

“I look forward to visiting China, an important step towards ensuring a stable and productive relationship,” Albanese said in a statement.

“I welcome the progress we have made to return Australian products, including Australian wine, to the Chinese market.”

Israeli President: Hamas Terrorists Had Instructions to Manufacture Cyanide Gas

Israel’s ceremonial president, Isaac Herzog, told Britain’s Sky News on Sunday that Hamas terrorists were found with USB drives that included instructions on how to manufacture cyanide gas for use against Israelis.
...
“It’s official Al Qaeda material. We’re dealing with ISIS, Al Qaeda, and Hamas,” Herzog told Sky News, holding a printout of a file obtained from a USB found on one of the dead terrorists killed during the attack on Oct. 7.

“In this material, there were instructions how to produce chemical weapons. This is — it speaks about arson and it speaks about various chemicals that come out and produce chemical weapons.”

Cyanide was used as a chemical weapon during the First World War, though questions remain about its lethality in battlefield conditions outdoors. It may have been intended for indoor use — and perhaps could be used against Israeli soldiers fighting in tunnels in Gaza.