This story was originally published by the WND News Center.
For years, and especially in more recent history, various lies from Palestinians and other leftists about their "victories" in disputes with Israel have been accepted by people in the Middle East.
And often, the statements are acted on.
But that's now at an end, according to Bassam Tawil, a Muslim Arab based in the Middle East who writes for the Gatestone Institute.
Now, he said, people no longer are accepting the claims from the likes of Hamas and Hezbollah.
Those are Iran-sponsored proxies for violence against Israel in Gaza and Lebanon.
Tawil explained in his column that, "many Arabs are no longer fooled by the lies and propaganda of Iran's terror proxies in the Middle East. Over the past 14 months, Hamas and Hezbollah have dragged the Palestinians and Lebanese into wars that have claimed the lives of thousands of people — all to serve their patrons in Iran. Instead of admitting their defeat, both in the Gaza Strip and Lebanon, the terrorists, at the behest of Iran's mullahs, are continuing to sell imaginary victories to the Arabs to encourage them to join the Jihad (holy war) against Israel. The good news is that many Arabs are evidently aware of the lies and deceptions of Hamas and Hezbollah."
He explained, "After the recent ceasefire deal with Israel, supporters of the Iran-backed Lebanese terrorist group Hezbollah claimed 'victory.' Some celebrated the alleged victory by firing guns into the air and flashing V signs. Many Arabs, however, saying that Hezbollah had lost hundreds of its members, including top leaders, and caused significant damage to Lebanese homes and the country's economy, have been mocking the terrorist group."
He said the claims were like those from Hamas. "After earlier rounds of fighting with Israel that severely damaged the Gaza Strip's civilian and military infrastructure, Hamas commanders would typically emerge from the debris and proclaim 'victory.'"
But Tawil noted the responses of late, from Egyptian political analyst Abdul Latif Al-Manawi, who wrote, "I was not surprised when [Hamas leader Khaled Mashaal] announced Hamas's victory in the Gaza war. He said: 'Our losses are tactical, our enemy's losses are strategic, and victory is coming.' Is this how Mashaal sums up a whole year of devastation inflicted on the Palestinian people? If Mashaal means what he says, we have to ask him: Do the tactical losses he refers to include the war victims who have reached more than 42,000 Palestinians? Do they include more than 80,000 [Palestinians] who were injured? Do they include more than 90% of the Gaza Strip's population who have been displaced from their homes and neighborhoods that were razed to the ground? Victory, Khaled Mashaal, is not like this."
The column noted Hezbollah already has agreed "to disconnect itself from the war in the Gaza Strip and to withdraw its men from the border with Israel."
"This reversal is precisely why many Arabs cannot understand Hezbollah's claim of 'victory,' especially in light of the elimination of most of the group's top political and military leaders, including Hassan Nasrallah, killed by an Israeli airstrike on his bunker in Beirut last September," he explained.
The column also noted prominent Lebanese journalist Nabil Bou Monsef scoffed at Hezbollah's false victory.
"He accused Hezbollah of engaging in self-delusion, linking Lebanon to regional arenas (the Gaza Strip) and 'throwing Lebanon into a catastrophic massacre.'" His demand? "Where is the victory?"
Other responses included:
Tunisian philosopher Khaled Mansour: "Hezbollah's claim of victory over Israel is a farce and a mockery of the minds of the Lebanese and a 'political shamelessness' that is both laughable and disgusting!"
Lebanese lawyer Omar El-Yafi: "This is the text of Hezbollah's surrender that the Lebanese state agreed to, which stipulated that there would be no weapons on Lebanese territory except in the hands of the Lebanese army, in addition to other conditions, including the withdrawal of Hezbollah elements to the north of the Litani River. Where is the divine victory that these victors celebrate?"
Lebanese social media activist Fouad Tarabay: "Despite the killing of [Hassan] Nasrallah and most of the leaders of Hezbollah, 3,500 dead, 20 billion in material losses, 1.5 million displaced, and 46,000 housing units destroyed, they (Hezbollah) still say 'we won.' They fire their guns in celebration and raise the victory sign after the humiliating ceasefire agreement. What a complete farce and deception."
Social media user Abu Al-Ahrar: "What kind of victory are you talking about? This is considered a defeat. Hezbollah rose up to support Gaza and said it will not stop until the siege on Gaza is lifted. How is this victory when Israel has eliminated all the leadership of Hezbollah? This is not called victory, but defeat."
Yemeni politician Ali Albukhaiti: "Hezbollah has surrendered, yet there are those who call it a victory!"
This story was originally published by the WND News Center.
There's no question that Joe Biden and Kamala Harris, with their extremist ideology on the issue of abortion, the wanton destruction of unborn children, ran an administration that actually put a bull's-eye on the backs of those who pursue pro-life goals.
They used the FBI and the Department of Justice to do that work, with charges against and prosecutions of groups and individuals who opposed the abortion industry mandates that they wanted to impose.
Now those bureaucracies have been warned by a member of Congress to keep all their records of those legal campaigns against pro-lifers.
The Daily Wire reports it is Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, who has dispatched a letter to the FBI and DOJ instructing officials to preserve all records of their prosecutions of peaceful pro-lifers.
He told the FBI's Christopher Wray and Attorney General Merrick Garland there are "serious questions" lawmakers must evaluate regarding how the Biden-Harris administration turned to the "weaponization" of the FACE Act.
That law makes it a crime to block the entrance to a health business, including abortion operations.
Roy heads the House Judiciary Committee's Subcommittee on the Constitution and Limited Government and said, "Congress has a sacred duty to preserve the rights of the American people, including the First Amendment, against any overreach by the Executive Branch. As we examine how to best protect Americans' fundamental freedoms, the Subcommittees must first understand how the DOJ and FBI enforce the FACE Act."
That law is supposed to also be used to protect both churches and crisis pregnancy centers, but the Biden-Harris team used it almost exclusively to jail grandmothers and others who were defending the unborn.
Roy wrote, "Since January 2021, the Civil Rights Division has brought a total of 24 FACE Act cases against 55 defendants, with only two of these cases – consisting of five defendants – concerning attacks on pregnancy resource centers.
"You should construe this preservation notice as an instruction to take all reasonable steps to prevent the destruction or alteration, whether intentionally or negligently, of all documents, communications, and other information, including electronic information and metadata, that are or may be responsive to this congressional inquiry."
This story was originally published by the WND News Center.
Introduction
For decades, the Iranian regime has been one of the principal sources of instability in the Middle East. Whether through its support for militias in Syria and Iraq, its arming of the Houthis in Yemen, its financing of Hamas, or its full support for Hezbollah in Lebanon, Tehran's foreign policy is built on expanding its regional influence through coercive and violent means.
At the same time, within its own borders, the regime continues to systematically violate human rights, repress democracy, and impose extreme repressive measures on its population.
In the face of this situation, the Iranian Resistance movement presents itself as a democratic alternative and a beacon of hope for a better future, not only for Iran but also for the entire region. This movement does not merely fight for freedom and equality in Iran; it also offers a model to end dictatorship, religious extremism and violence across the Middle East. Today, the international community has both the opportunity and the responsibility to better understand and actively support this movement.
The destabilizing role of the Iranian regime in the Middle East
Despite ceasefire agreements and diplomatic initiatives in the region, the Iranian regime's proxy forces continue to act aggressively. For instance, militias backed by Iran regularly attack Israel and American targets, even following the truce agreement in Lebanon.
Iran also persists in its meddling in Syria. Recently, Abbas Araqchi, Iran's foreign minister, stated that Tehran would be willing to send reinforcements to Syria if requested by Damascus.
If we assume that, however improbable – considering the various forces inalterably opposed to such a solution – the path to lasting peace in the Middle East lies in the creation of two independent states, Israel and Palestine, coexisting peacefully, then the Iranian regime has been one of the most prominent opponents of this vision. Since the early days of the Oslo Accords, Iran has supported acts of terrorism that undermine this goal. For instance, the assassination of Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri and Iran's involvement in Lebanon through Hezbollah have significantly contributed to the country's destabilization.
Historically, the Iranian regime's strategy resembles 19th century imperialist expansionism, aiming to maintain its grip on power by exporting violence beyond its borders. Based on archaic religious dogmas, this regime is entirely at odds with the values of the 21st century. To sustain itself, it relies on a dual strategy: brutal repression within its borders and the creation of crises abroad.
Since its establishment, the regime has carried out acts such as the 1979 hostage-taking at the U.S. Embassy and continues today to use terrorism and hostage-taking as tools of political pressure. Domestically, extreme practices such as amputation, forced blinding and the systematic execution of prisoners are shocking examples of its reliance on medieval methods.
As long as this regime remains in power, peace and coexistence in the Middle East will remain an illusion. Similarly, the concepts of democracy and freedom in Iran have no chance of emerging under its rule.
A practical roadmap to peace
Faced with such an oppressive regime, the natural response of the Iranian people has been to organize a widespread resistance. As the regime's first victims, members of the Iranian Resistance embody a credible alternative rooted in the ideals of freedom, equality and democracy.
The Iranian Resistance is not limited to fighting for freedom in Iran; it also provides a model to end decades of dictatorship, war and violence in a region marked by authoritarianism and appeasement policies.
Here are the key elements of the roadmap proposed by the Iranian Resistance:
1. Expansion of resistance units
Resistance units, consisting of small groups of three or more members, were established in 2015 to coordinate actions against the regime. Today, thousands of these units operate across Iran, deeply rooted in their local communities. This social connection allows them to operate securely while increasing their capacity for expansion.
Their primary mission is to counter the regime's repression by maintaining a climate of defiance and preventing society from succumbing to fear. These units currently carry out an average of 20 anti-repression actions per day, demonstrating their effectiveness.
These groups also play a crucial role in transforming social protests into genuine nationwide uprisings. For example, during the 2019 uprising, these units formed the backbone of the demonstrations, forcing the regime to resort to a bloody crackdown that left over 1,500 people dead.
Contrary to the regime's propaganda, which claims that its fall would lead to civil war or the fragmentation of Iran, the presence and organization of these resistance units ensure the country's territorial integrity while neutralizing repressive forces like the Revolutionary Guards.
2. The central role of women in the Resistance
Maryam Akbari Monfared, imprisoned for more than 15 years, is a symbol of Iranian women's resilience in the face of religious fundamentalism. Women occupy a central role in the Iranian Resistance, particularly by leading many resistance units. Their struggle not only exemplifies their quest for gender equality but also highlights their pivotal role in mobilizing and transforming Iranian society. The 2022 national uprising, marked by strong participation and leadership from women, showcased their power and determination to build a just and equitable society.
3. The historical and organizational experience of the People's Mojahedines Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK)
The People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK), with nearly 60 years of resistance against successive dictatorships of the Shah and the mullahs, forms the backbone of the Iranian Resistance.
Many of its members, who have often survived years of torture and imprisonment, are now based at Ashraf 3 camp in Albania. Their organizational expertise and unique experience make them essential to leading this movement.
4. The National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI): A democratic alternative
The National Council of Resistance, serving as the political core of the Iranian Resistance, is a unique coalition that brings together diverse factions under a clear guiding principle: neither the Shah nor the mullahs.
With 457 members, over 50% of whom are women, the NCRI demonstrates a commitment to equality and diversity. Its policy of positive discrimination ensures significant representation of women in the political leadership of Iran's future.
The NCRI's 10-point program includes the separation of religion and state, equality among ethnicities and religions, the abolition of the death penalty and a non-nuclear Iran. These universal democratic values form the core of its political vision.
Conclusion
The Iranian Resistance represents a viable and humane alternative to the mullahs' dictatorship. With increased support from the international community, it can not only liberate Iran but also establish peace and stability in a region plagued by decades of violence. Now is the time to stand alongside this movement of hope.
This story was originally published by the WND News Center.
One of the most intimidating talking points in recent years used by transgender activists against parents who object to chemical and body mutilation procedures on their children is that they have a choice:
A transgender daughter or a dead son, through suicide.
But now even one of the main promoters of the transgender agenda is admitting that's just wrong.
It is the Post Millennial that reported on the comments that came during this week's Supreme Court arguments on the issue.
The ACLU and Biden administration are in a lawsuit against the state of Tennessee over its common-sense new law that forbids those procedures on children, as a way of protecting them.
During the hearing Justice Samuel Alito spoke to ACLU trans attorney Chase Strangio and the concerns about suicide.
That issue was addressed in a United Kingdom document called the Cass Report, an investigation into that nation's treatment of gender dysphoric minors.
That showed "there was evidence that sex changes to treat gender dysphoria does not reduce incidents of suicide."
The report noted, "That so-called trans youth are more likely to commit suicide should they not be given medical sex change treatment has been a persistent argument by trans activists who insist that drugs and surgeries must be available to children and teens who claim to be the opposite sex."
Alito asked, "A lot of categorical statements have been made this morning in argument and in the briefs about medical questions that seem to me to be hotly disputed, and that's a bit distressing. One of them has to do with the risk of suicide. Do you maintain that the procedures and medications in question reduce the risk of suicide?" Alito asked.
Strangio said yes, explaining, "I do Justice Alito, maintain that the medications in question reduce the risk of depression, anxiety and suicidality, which are all indicators of potential suicide."
Is that clearly established? Alito asked. Can there be disagreement?
Again, Strangio said yes. "I think, as with all underlying questions of looking at evidence, there can be disagreement. I don't dispute that, but here and sort of going back to questions about the Cass Review, for example, the Cass Review only looked at studies up until 2022."
Alito pointed out, "I don't regard the case review as necessarily as a Bible or as something that's true in every respect. But on page 195 of the Cass Report, it says there is no evidence that gender affirmative treatments reduce suicide."
Strangio explained that as being "no evidence in the studies."
He said that's because there are few "completed suicides" but claimed studies show there is a "reduction in suicidality."
The report itself states, "Tragically deaths by suicide in trans people of all ages continue to be above the national average, but there is no evidence that gender-affirmative treatments reduce this. Such evidence as is available suggests that these deaths are related to a range of other complex psychosocial factors and to mental illness."
This story was originally published by the WND News Center.
A sheriff whose department several years ago implemented a program to predict crime, a move that resulted in the harassment of individuals in the county, has conceded its failure, its violation of the Constitution, and promised it will never return.
The decisions are the result of a lawsuit brought by the Institute for Justice over the schemes by the sheriff in Pasco County, Florida.
According to a report from the IJ, "For more than three years, the Pasco County, Fla., sheriff vigorously resisted a federal lawsuit brought by the Institute for Justice (IJ) challenging a controversial policing program that resulted in repeated harassment of children and their families. Today, on the eve of trial, the sheriff capitulated—admitting that the program resulted in repeated constitutional violations and pledging that it will never resume. "
The legal team explained the challenged program "has been compared to a real-life version of 'Minority Report.' Using a crude computer algorithm, designed to predict who would commit future crimes, the Pasco sheriff's office identified a list of 'prolific offenders.'"
Without evidence, people, many under 18, were placed on the list and their families "were subjected to 'prolific offender checks,' during which deputies looked to cite them for issues like having grass that was too long, missing house numbers, unvaccinated pets, and excessive window tint on parked cars."
It's now gone, the IJ confirmed.
"For years, the Pasco sheriff ran an unconstitutional program, harassing kids and their parents because a glorified Excel spreadsheet predicted they would commit future crimes," charged IJ lawyer Rob Johnson, "Today the sheriff acknowledged that dystopian program violated the Constitution and agreed never to bring it back."
In the agreement settling the dispute, the sheriff confirmed his program violated the Fourth Amendment because while law enforcement has an "implied license" to knock on any resident's door, the scheme involved officers who "exceeded" that by repeatedly confronting their targets.
"Second, the sheriff admitted that the program violated the First Amendment, which protects people from being punished for their 'intimate associations,' like with their family members," the IJ said.
Finally, the program violated the due process requirements of the 14th Amendment because the program interfered with the targets' "liberty interests."
The agreement also includes a "six-figure settlement for the plaintiffs," the IJ reported.
"For years, the Pasco sheriff's office treated me like it could do anything it wanted," Darlene Deegan said. "But today proves that when ordinary people stand up for themselves, the Constitution still means what it says."
Evidence uncovered during the development of the case found that one deputy stated as his agenda against one target, "The goal is to get them to move away or go to prison."
Another deputy bragged about getting his targets evicted from their homes.
The institute also confirmed it found "hundreds of hours of body camera footage, vividly depicting the harassment of plaintiffs and their families. In one video, deputies walk around the back of a plaintiff's house late at night and knock on his window, telling him to come out of the house so they can write him a code citation. In another video, a deputy expressly tells a plaintiff that they are writing her citations because her son was on their offender list. In another, one deputy tells another they are going to 'keep on harassing them, every single day.'"
This story was originally published by the WND News Center.
David Hogg, a student-turned-antigun-activist following a shooting at his school, has begun promoting himself to a leadership post in the Democrat party, and the online trolling erupted immediately.
"This the guy who stood on the bodies of his dead classmates to be famous, right?"
"I cannot tell you how much I want this to happen."
"Please, keep filling Democrat leadership with extremists. It helps."
And, "HAHAHAHA. I hope he does run, this guy is a moron," were among the responses as soon as Hogg said on television he would like to be DNC vice chairman.
The Washington Examiner cited how Hogg "got trolled" across social media after stating he would consider a run to become part of the Democratic National Committee.
"I'm considering it because I think that, one, obviously, I think we need a new generation in the DNC. If this election has taught us nothing else, I think we need an intergenerational coalition as a party."
His comments came during an interview with leftist CNN.
"This is what happens when everyone gets a participation trophy!" one commenter said.
Hogg continued, "I think what the party needs to do is open its eyes and take its fingers out of its ears. We can just surround ourselves with people that agree with us a lot of the time, in terms of the party leadership and also within the party itself, and think that's just who we need to be talking to constantly instead of listening to people who don't agree with us."
He said Democrats' "condescending tone" is causing voters to see them as "out of touch" elitists.
In fact, during the 2024 presidential election, President-elect Donald Trump increased support for the Republican party in just about every demographic category, as the GOP now is considered the party of the "working man."
Hogg has made his reputation as a gun control extremist following a shooting at his school, Stoneman Douglas High. He's helped lead a bunch of protests, marches, and boycotts.
He helped start, then left, a pillow company, and founded a political action network.
On Feb. 14, 2018, when a former student went to the school and started shooting people, Hogg hid in a closet.
After the shooting, he made himself a point person for demands for gun control.
He has claimed people have no right to have a gun under the Second Amendment, in stark opposition to the U.S. Supreme Court's opinion on that issue.
He charges that the Second Amendment is about states having a national guard.
This story was originally published by the WND News Center.
A constitutional expert is issuing a warning about this being the season for a "smash-mouth Santa" after a coalition of leftists launched a promotion of merchandise that celebrates Antifa.
That's the far left ideology that is personified in militant rioters who, following the death of George Floyd, inflicted billions of dollars in damages on America cities from coast to coast, for a political cause.
It is law professor, legal commentator and constitutional expert Jonathan Turley who cited the sales gimmick, and said right now, with tensions following the 2024 presidential election, it "is not the time to go full naughty list to celebrate a group that regularly beats reporters and others with opposing viewpoints. While this may appeal to your own special smash-mouth Santa, tis the season for political violence."
Antifa is characterized as left-wing and anti-fascist and anti-racist, although some of its agenda points would inflict more racism in order to address the racism it sees.
It has no control center, as it involves a multitude of decentralized groups that use incivility and violence to achieve their aims.
Doxing, harassment and property damage often are associated with the "left-wing ideologies" as they are described online, and their "anti-authoritarian, anti-capitalist, and anti-state views."
Fox News earlier documented the products, including an "ANTIFA Baby Onesie" being offered by an organization of former staffers for Barack Obama.
Fox reported, "The items can be bought via a digital merchandise store run by Crooked Media, which was co-founded in 2017 by former Obama staffers Jon Favreau, Jon Lovett and Tommy Vietor. Oftentimes referred to as the 'Obama bros,' the three communications professionals co-host 'Pod Save America,' one of the most listened-to political podcasts in the nation, per Apple Podcasts U.S. rankings."
The report noted the violence associated with the political agenda: "'ANTIFA' is a common term used to refer to far-left 'anti-fascists' who were at the forefront of the George Floyd protests during the summer of 2020. Many of those protests devolved into violent riots, even resulting in the deaths of dozens of people and billions of dollars in property damage because of the unrest. Following that summer, ANTIFA continued to deploy violent tactics."
Turley said, "It appears no liberal Christmas is complete without the ultimate stocking stuffer: an actual stocking to wear over your face while rioting. While not yet selling face coverings for anonymous violence, Crooked Media … is selling a line of Antifa items for liberals wanting to make a statement against any 'Peace on Earth.'"
He explained, "There is no apparent backlash for their support of one of the most violent groups in the world, which routinely attacks journalists and anyone who holds opposing views. Imagine the media response if a conservative site started selling 'Proud Boy' items."
He explained, "As discussed in my new book, 'The Indispensable Right: Free Speech in an Age of Rage,' I explore the history of Antifa as a movement that began in Germany:"
That is: "Antifa originated with European anarchist and Marxist groups from the 1920s, particularly Antifaschistische Aktion, a Communist group from the Weimar Republic before World War II. Its name resulted from the shortening of the German word antifaschistisch. In the United States, the modern movement emerged through the Anti- Racist Action (ARA) groups, which were dominated by anarchists and Marxists. It has an association with the anarchist organization Love and Rage, which was founded by former Trotsky and Marxist followers as well as offshoots like Mexico's Amor Y Rabia. The oldest U.S. group is likely the Rose City Antifa (RCA) in Portland, Oregon, which would become the center of violent riots during the Trump years. The anarchist roots of the group give it the same organizational profile as such groups in the early twentieth century with uncertain leadership and undefined structures."
He noted the movement has threats built in.
"Former Democratic National Committee deputy chair Keith Ellison, now the Minnesota attorney general, once said Antifa would 'strike fear in the heart' of Trump. This was after Antifa had been involved in numerous acts of violence, and its website was banned in Germany. Ellison's son, Minneapolis City Council member Jeremiah Ellison, declared his allegiance to Antifa in the heat of the protests this summer. During a prior hearing, Democratic senators refused to clearly denounce Antifa and falsely suggested that the far right was the primary cause of recent violence. Likewise, Joe Biden has dismissed objections to Antifa as just 'an idea.'"
Liberals, this season, "can bring a small part of that political violence into their homes for the holiday to pledge that there will be no peace or silent nights so long as opposing views are heard," he warned.
This story was originally published by the WND News Center.
A union official for the organization representing U.S. Capitol Police has blasted the special treatment given by the government to the officer who shot and killed Ashli Babbitt during the protest-turned-riot on Jan. 6, 2021.
That was the day hundreds of people mostly walked into the Capitol and looked around in their protest of what they saw as Joe Biden's illicit presidential race victory, a race that was under significant undue influences such as the FBI's interference.
Among those protesters, a few rioted, vandalizing the building.
Just the News reports that a statement it obtained from U.S. Capitol Police union chairman Gus Papathanasiou said the special treatment for Michael Byrd was wrong.
"What a slap in the face to the rank and file officers of the USCP, especially all who were on duty on J6," he said.
The publication earlier had reported that House Democrats had pushed the police department to give special benefits to Byrd, including a $37,000 retention bonus, help with $160,000 in fundraising, housing, and a promotion from lieutenant to captain.
All that surpassed the help given other officers who were at the Capitol that day.
The report said Papathanasiou demanded that Byrd be forced to repay the benefits that were more than what other officers got.
"Not sure what makes Mike Byrd so special that he thinks he needed to be 'taken care of' by the Department. USCP should give every officer a $37k bonus or have Mike Byrd pay it all back," he said.
Byrd's lawyer and Capitol Police officials didn't return messages seeking comment.
The publication said it reviewed internal emails and found Byrd was unhappy with all the benefits and was dealing with at least one Democrat in the administration to get even more.
"We play the game as you request and then once we're in compliance You guys change the rules on us," he wrote to Thomas DiBiase, general counsel for the Capitol Police, after he was told he couldn't access cash from a memorial fund right away.
Byrd also has been a controversial figure over his extensive record of rules infractions, including firing a gun at a stolen vehicle in a residential neighborhood while off duty and leaving his gun unattended in a public restroom.
The report explained Rep. Barry Loudermilk of the House Administration Oversight Subcommittee confirmed there were at least three other referrals to the Office of Professional Responsibility, but those records now are missing.
In an interview on the "Just the News, No Noise," TV show, Loudermilk explained the political pressure on Capitol Police to provide Byrd benefits was "highly inappropriate."
Papathanasiou said an investigation by the incoming Congress would be appropriate.
"I'm curious, what else is the USCP covering up? I truly hope the new Congress comes in to conduct a deep dive investigation into all of this and the top brass of the USCP, to include the IG office and OGC," he said.
A separate wrongful death case has been filed against the government on behalf of Babbitt's family by Judicial Watch.
Spokesman Tom Fitton told Just the news Byrd never should have had a firearm in the first place.
Byrd has claimed Babbitt, trying to climb through a broken window, was a "threat" to the House of Representatives.
He also admitted he didn't know whether she was armed or unarmed. She was unarmed.
This story was originally published by the WND News Center.
JERUSALEM – The hits from international organizations keep on coming at Israel; the latest iteration in the form of a nearly 300-page report from the supposed human rights organization Amnesty International, which accused the Jewish state of committing genocide in Gaza.
Amnesty International pulled no punches, titling its report, "'You Feel Like You Are Subhuman': Israel's Genocide Against Palestinians in Gaza" on the organization's website under the headline: "Israel is committing genocide against Palestinians in Gaza." Amnesty said Israel sought to deliberately destroy Palestinians by mounting deadly attacks, demolishing vital infrastructure and preventing the delivery of food, medicine and other aid.
The report grudgingly admitted Hamas committed atrocities, the brutal murders of some 1,200 civilians of Oct. 7, 2023, which ignited the war, although it was quick to denounce Israel, and claimed the response to the onslaught could not be justified.
However, this fails to take into consideration a number of factors. There was a ceasefire at 6:28 on Oct. 7, which Hamas, and the thousands of Gazans who poured through the gaps in the border fence, obliterated in their videoed campaign of murder, pillage, rape, and destruction, as the terrorist group orchestrated the largest single most deadly massacre of Jews in some 80 years. It also ignores Hamas leaders' own words, when they exclaimed repeatedly that given half a chance they would gladly and willingly carry out further atrocities. Israel has pointed out it was Hamas' actions and intentions which should be described as genocide, not the war it has fought to dismantle Gaza's terrorist infrastructure.
Amnesty said the United States and other allies of Israel could be complicit in genocide, and called on them to halt arms shipments.
"Our damning findings must serve as a wake-up call to the international community: this is genocide. It must stop now," Amnesty International chief Agnès Callamard said in the report. Callamard was previously the Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary, or arbitrary executions appointed by the United Nations Human Rights Council, and the former director of the Columbia University Global Freedom of Expression project. Given both of these two institutions' animus toward the Jewish state, it should come as no surprise she has given her name to a report such as this.
The report makes multiple suggestions for how the international community should heap pressure on Israel, yet it makes no mention of the 100 hostages still held in Hamas captivity. It is thought only about 50 of them are still alive; and the fate of the youngest of them – Kfir Bibas – who was only nine-months old when abducted is still unknown.
Amnesty International said it reviewed over 100 statements by Israeli government and military officials and others since the start of the war that "dehumanized Palestinians, called for or justified genocidal acts or other crimes against them," as part of its self-appointed remit to investigate the genocide claims. It clearly solicited information and data from workers – likely Hamas-aligned on the ground in Gaza – yet it did not interview or seek comment from those on Israel's side.
Predictably, the backlash has been swift against the organization, with even the Israel branch of the group, a locally registered non-profit which is legally independent from the parent organization, distancing itself from the findings. It did concede the IDF's actions in Gaza "establish suspicions of widespread violations of international law and may amount to crimes against humanity and ethnic cleansing," but it quite explicitly stopped short of described the conduct of the war as tantamount to genocide.
It echoed what many commenters on the X platform noted, namely that Amnesty International needed to alter the accepted definition of the term genocide to be able to make the claims of genocide. "Our careful analysis does not accept the findings meet the definition of genocide, as carefully formulated in the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide," it added. Furthermore, it doesn't appear Amnesty International even consulted with Amnesty Israel over any of its so-called findings.
Israel's Foreign Ministry excoriated the report labeling the group "deplorable and fanatical." It accused the organization of producing a "fabricated report that is entirely false and based on lies."
NGO Monitor, a Jerusalem-based institute that works to hold organizations such as Amnesty International to account, called the report "a sham," and labeled it an "immoral attack" and "blatant genocide inversion." It alleged even some of Amnesty's own employees admitted the research was highly questionable and that it was effectively attempting to shoehorn an "investigation" into a conclusion it had already drawn.
This story was originally published by the WND News Center.
JERUSALEM – The United Nations, which has found ways – almost daily – to cover itself in ignominy, succeeded yet again when it passed three recent non-binding resolutions related to Israel, highlighting again it has an unhealthy obsession with the Jewish state.
On December 3, the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) adopted a resolution for Israel to unilaterally withdraw from Judea and Samaria, Gaza, and East Jerusalem. In doing so, it perfectly mirrored maximalist Palestinian demands… short of getting rid of the whole of the State of Israel entirely. The resolution also implemented the establishment of a June 2025 conference, whose sole purpose is to "urgently chart an irreversible path toward" a Palestinian state.
Reut Shapir Ben-Naftaly, Israel's U.N. political coordinator, called the measures a "reckless disregard for the truth" and declared that "the U.N.'s entrenched anti-Israeli bias has been laid bare for all to see," according to the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies.
In addition to this resolution, the UNGA also decreed Israel has no business being on the Golan Heights and passed a motion saying it should withdraw. There is much about this resolution that is truly astonishing. The U.N. estimates Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, who is currently fighting a rearguard action – along with his Russian and Iranian backers – to repel the advance of Sunni Muslim jihadists – has killed some 300,000 people in the Syrian civil war, which began in 2011. Other estimates put the more likely figure at double that; it is interesting to note the U.N. will accept inflated casualty figures from the Gaza Health Ministry, i.e. Hamas, about allegedly entirely non-combatants "indiscriminately killed by a genocidal army," but will massively underplay the number of deaths when Israel is not involved. Additionally, the war has displaced – both internally and externally – approximately half of Syria's pre-war population of 20 million people.
Furthermore, this ignores returning U.S. President Donald Trump's unilateral acknowledgement of Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights in March 2019, which the country seized in the 1973 Yom Kippur War, which it annexed in 1981, and which was won at an extremely high cost in terms of men and materiel. Israel only has control of about seven percent of the Golan Heights' area; Syria still controls the vast majority – although not the part where they would be able to more easily fire directly into Israel's Galilee, including the fertile Jezreel Valley. Considering the instability sweeping throughout Syria, the UNGA's decision seems irrational at best, unless one takes the view it would like to either a) prop up the Assad regime and/or b) allow jihadists easier access to Israeli targets.
WATCH: Trump formally recognizes Israel's annexation of Golan Heights
The third and final piece of this puzzle was the move to fund a division dedicated to pushing the Palestinian agenda. The division oversees the International Day of Solidarity With the Palestinian People, which has featured speakers at U.N. events calling for the elimination of Israel, and UNISPAL, a body dedicated to disseminating pro-Palestinian information.
There is also a deep irony that on Wednesday, the United Nations unveiled a new photographic exhibit that includes entries from so-called journalists who embedded themselves with Hamas fighters who broke into Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, and witnessed some of the worst of the massacres. It would be one thing if they were merely recording events for posterity, however, one has to question a tweet, which crowed, "We have sex slaves," followed by a laughing emoji.