Latest news with #Hezbollah
Telegraph
an hour ago
- Politics
- Telegraph
The frontline in the war against Hamas is no longer in the Middle East
Militarily, Israel's campaign against some of the nastiest, most cunning terrorist forces that ever existed has been pretty darn successful. The IDF has torn through the heart of Hamas's power structure, killing off its thugs one by one, from Yahya Sinwar to Hakham Muhammad Issa Al-Issa, the military chief and October 7 mastermind who was reportedly eliminated this week. The Israelis have largely neutered Hezbollah, destroying vast numbers of its rockets and taking out much of its leadership. Bashar al-Assad is now a distant memory, and Jerusalem used the opportunity of his regime's collapse to wipe out large quantities of Syrian armaments. With its proxies humbled or gone, Iran was humiliated by Israel's aerial assault. The extent of the damage to the Iranian nuclear programme is disputed, but nobody can surely deny that the ayatollahs' ability to harm Israel and the West has been degraded. Unfortunately, on the other front in the war against Hamas, the enemy is global, worsening, and there is no end in sight. That is because in the case of Hamas's useful idiots in the West, the enemy lies within. It lies in seminar rooms, on campuses, in hospitals, schools, on the streets, and obviously all over our culture, as the 'death to the IDF' chants at Glastonbury make clear. This, of course, is only the real-world manifestation of an intifada already globalised on TikTok. There are daily reminders, each more ghoulish than the last, of how the enemies of freedom and justice are gliding to victory on this front, fuelling and, amazingly, lending legitimacy and momentum to a public, murderous passion against Israeli (and non-Israeli) Jews. Witness the reports of the treatment of Noa Argamani, one of the Israeli hostages kidnapped from the Nova music festival and rescued by Israeli forces in June last year, at an event in Canada the other day. She shared a post on X, stating that members of the University of Windsor's Palestinian solidarity group had surrounded a Jewish fundraiser she was attending, 'blocking the only entrance and shouting at Jewish attendees'. In a clip, a voice is heard shouting: 'Hamas is coming'. Argamani keeps a brave face. She says she will not let 'terror sympathisers control the narrative' but unfortunately no amount of right gets in the way of a world drunk, not for the first time, on wrong. Somehow, ferocious periods of moral and actual violence like the one we are in always seem to have Jewish lives as the punchline. There is something eerily familiar about it all. Hamas came. Hamas kidnapped me. Hamas murdered my friends. But I won; I survived. Now, I speak for those who can't. I'll keep exposing Hamas' crimes and fighting for the hostages' release—including my partner, Avinatan. I refuse to let terror sympathizers control the narrative. — Noa Argamani (@ArgamaniNoa) June 28, 2025 Efforts to defeat this hydra also appear to be failing. No sooner did Trump try to deport Mahmoud Khalil, Columbia University's pro-Palestinian activist, than he became the darling of the Left. I reckon we can expect a mayoral candidacy from him in future, should the likely tenure of Zohran Mamdani as the next mayor of New York, another man shot to prominence on the back of his criticism of Israel, ever come to an end. Outside of Gaza, in the streets of US cities, where Jews and Israelis until recently did not feel especially unsafe, the war is most decidedly hot, and literal, not figurative. If you were in any doubt about that, recall the fatal shooting of the Israeli embassy workers Yaron Lischinsky and Sarah Milgrim last month, followed by shouts of 'I did it for Palestine' by the alleged killer. Who can seriously say that such a horrifying act of evil will never happen again? Israel will never accept terror against its own people. It has proved that with devastating effectiveness in the time since October 7. The difference with the West is becoming ever more stark.
The Hill
an hour ago
- Business
- The Hill
Trump should weaponize the Financial Action Task Force to make America safer
President Trump promised to make America safer, stronger and more prosperous. To fulfill that vision, he is already deploying bold leadership. But he also has at his disposal underused tools that can maximize U.S. leverage without relying on foreign aid or military deployments. The Financial Action Task Force is exactly that kind of instrument: a high-impact, low-cost global watchdog that targets the arteries of illicit finance. The Financial Action Task Force isn't a bureaucracy or a treaty-bound institution. It's a results-driven enforcement regime with teeth. By controlling access to global financial systems, the Financial Action Task Force can compel reforms in countries that sponsor terrorism, enable kleptocracy or tolerate organized crime. It's a tool of pressure that strikes where it matters most: capital and markets. And it fits naturally with the president's transactional, results-focused style. The most compelling case for the task force's power isn't theoretical — it's real. In 2018, the Financial Action Task Force gray-listed Pakistan for failing to curb terrorist financing. The fallout was swift. Foreign investment dried up, banks pulled back and multilateral lenders grew wary. The financial squeeze was real — and effective. What followed was a sweeping reform campaign. Over four years, Pakistan passed dozens of laws, empowered regulators, froze assets of proscribed groups and brought prosecutions under revamped statutes. The Financial Action Task Force verified that Pakistan had completed all 34 required actions and removed it from the gray list in 2022. Pakistan remains under post-delisting monitoring. The Financial Action Task Force and its members, including the U.S., continue to assess compliance. Given Pakistan's sustained reforms, that status should be extended in good faith — demonstrating that countries which follow the rules earn lasting recognition. This isn't about rewarding friends — it's about reinforcing the Financial Action Task Force's credibility. When countries respond to pressure with meaningful reform, they should be acknowledged. That sends a message to others: the system works, and performance earns a path back to legitimacy. Lebanon offers the opposite example. Once a financial hub, it has collapsed into dysfunction. Since 2019, Lebanon has suffered one of the worst economic meltdowns in recent history, driven by corruption and mismanagement. Former central bank governor Riad Salameh faces international investigation for laundering hundreds of millions of dollars. Trust in the banking sector has vanished. Hezbollah, a U.S.-designated terrorist group, freely exploits the chaos in Lebanon, financing itself through narcotics, smuggling and unregulated remittance networks. The Financial Action Task Force's mission is to prevent exactly this. Yet Lebanon has not been gray-listed. That's a serious oversight. A listing would pressure Lebanese elites, constrain Hezbollah's funding channels and expose Iranian influence — all without deploying a single U.S. asset. It would show that the global financial system has rules, and they are enforced. Other countries also demand scrutiny. Turkey is already gray-listed but shows inconsistent implementation. Nigeria, with its vast informal economy and entrenched corruption, remains a potential hub for illicit flows. These gray-zone economies blur the lines between legal and criminal finance. The Financial Action Task Force gives the U.S. a way to highlight these risks — and demand reform — without direct intervention. The Financial Action Task Force is tailor-made for Trump's approach to global engagement. It relies on measurable benchmarks and delivers tangible consequences. It doesn't care about ideology. It cares about enforcement, audits, prosecutions and safeguards. That makes it the perfect fit for a doctrine based on leverage and accountability. To fully unlock the Financial Action Task Force's potential, President Trump should: Skeptics claim multilateralism has no place in nationalist policy. But the Financial Action Task Force isn't the United Nations. It's a coalition of financial powers — many U.S.-aligned — that enforces rules through markets, not mandates. It doesn't issue demands — it denies access. That's why it works. The Financial Action Task Force lets the U.S. shape behavior globally through compliance. No tanks. No foreign aid. No drawn-out negotiations. Just access — or the loss of it. In today's world, real power lies not only in weapons, but in finance. In deciding who moves money, who attracts capital and who retains legitimacy. Trump understands deals. The Financial Action Task Force is a deal: meet the standard, and you're in. Fall short, and you're out. We have seen the positive impact the Financial Action Task Force has had on Pakistan. Using Pakistan as an inspiring example, President Trump should strongly advocate the task force be effectively applied to other nations. That's not globalism. That's leverage. And it's a roadmap to a world that's safer, stronger and more prosperous — on America's terms. Christopher Shays served in Congress from 1987 to 2009. He held key committee leadership positions overseeing budgets for the departments of Defense and State.
NBC News
an hour ago
- Politics
- NBC News
As dust settles on Iran, Israel focuses on diplomacy with Mideast neighbors
TEL AVIV — As the dust settles on Iran after unprecedented Israeli and American attack s, the U.S. and Israel have shifted their focus toward an ambitious diplomatic push they hope will translate into the kind of enduring political stability that has evaded the region for decades. Despite apparent Iranian unwillingness, President Donald Trump is pushing for more talks with Tehran about its nuclear program. But Israel appears more interested in formalizing diplomatic relations with some of its long-standing adversaries, as well as ending the 18-month conflict in Gaza — which Trump has repeatedly pleaded for. 'This victory presents an opportunity for a dramatic widening of peace agreements,' Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a statement Thursday. 'We are working on this with enthusiasm.' The previous Trump administration brokered what it called the Abraham Accords, in which Israel established diplomatic relations with the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain and later normalized its relations with Morocco in 2024 and Sudan, though that deal has yet to be ratified. Having devastated the powerful, Iran-backed Hezbollah militant group in Lebanon, its northern neighbor, and seen a Tehran-friendly regime toppled in Syria to the east, Israel is now interested in establishing formal diplomatic relations with both countries, Foreign Minister Gideon Saar said Monday The shift represents a broader change in Israeli policy toward its neighbors. Until around two weeks ago, Israel's modus operandi was to assert military dominance as a political strategy, according to Michael Oren, who served as the country's ambassador to the U.S. from 2009 to 2013. 'Now it's the first time that I've seen in history when we have the opportunity to make the strategy the strategy. It's not a tactic,' Oren, a former member of Israel's Knesset, or parliament, who served as deputy minister in the prime minister's office, told NBC News in a phone call on Friday. Before the Hamas-led terror attacks on Oct. 7, 2023, Israel relied on a method known in Hebrew as 'mowing the grass.' The term was used by strategists to describe the country's periodic attacks against Palestinian militants and their supply of weapons in Gaza, attacks that faced widespread criticism from rights groups often because of the disproportionate number of deaths caused by Israeli forces. The phrase could also apply to Israel's behavior toward Iran and its proxies in taking out military commanders, nuclear scientists and senior advisers to the country's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, while attacking nuclear and military sites. In Lebanon, it has wiped out large swaths of Hezbollah's leadership. Today, Netanyahu's most formidable challenge will be finding a resolution to end the conflict in Gaza, where, despite nearly 20 months of war, Hamas remains nominally in control. Under pressure from Trump, who on Truth Social on Sunday again called for a 'deal in Gaza' and to 'get the hostages back,' the negotiations are also still captive to the same disagreements that have long delayed a deal. Hamas has refused to release its remaining hostages and surrender — key demands of far-right members of Netanyahu's government, including Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and Itamar Ben Gvir, his national security minister, both of whom have threatened to quit and bring down the fragile coalition if he does otherwise. Along with other lawmakers they have also called for the complete destruction of Hamas. Hamas, meanwhile, has demanded a permanent truce, a complete withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza and guarantees about humanitarian aid. The decline of power in Iran, Hamas' primary patron, will likely sap the group's confidence and influence, according to Yohanan Plesner, the president of the Israel Democracy Institute, an independent research center. 'From an Israeli standpoint, this is a dramatic shift in the acceptance for the Jewish state in the region,' added Plesner, a former member of the Israeli parliament. But he cautioned that as long as Hamas is the governing body in Gaza, a deal to end the war there 'will be something that is possible but it will be very difficult for the Israeli government to swallow.' For now, Israel is in the ascendancy: Iran's nuclear program has been badly damaged, its 46-year-old Islamic regime is weakened and its proxy groups and allies throughout the region have been extensively damaged. Perhaps most important is that while the Israeli and U.S. attacks on Iran were publicly criticized, they were also quietly welcomed by its Arab neighbors, many of whom were quicker to condemn Iran's reprisal attack on the U.S. military base in Qatar than the American attack on Iran. For decades Iran has fostered allied regimes and proxy militia throughout the Middle East in order to fight Israel, its major ally in the region, the United States, and Shiite-majority Iran's adversaries among the Sunni-led Gulf kingdoms. Israel will now need those states to blaze a path toward an enduring peace, analysts said, or risk inflaming regional conflict even more. 'I think we see imperial Iran is in retreat,' Abdulkhaleq Abdulla, an associate professor of political science at the United Arab Emirates University in Al Ain, said in a phone interview last week. 'It probably means a more stable Middle East, a more stable region.' Israel and the United States would do better to cultivate what Abdullah described as an 'Axis of Moderation' of monied Gulf Arab kingdoms, many of whom have normalized relations with Israel — a play on the 'Axis of Resistance' used to describe Iran and its regional proxy groups that Israel has largely defeated. Israel has nonetheless made clear its intention to continue attacking Iran's nuclear program should a perceived need arise. And in Gaza and Lebanon, it has continued to launch regular strikes against what it says are militant targets long after ceasefires were put in place. But Trump, whose angry outburst appeared to rein in an Israeli strike on Iran after he declared a ceasefire in the region, has shown he is capable of halting Israel's responses. Oren said this could help pave the way toward lasting stability by restraining Israel's more militant instincts. 'The difference between tactics and strategy is in the hands of Donald Trump,' Oren said. 'To the greatest extent in Israel's history, our fate is in the hands of one person, and it's not the prime minister.'
Western Telegraph
4 hours ago
- Politics
- Western Telegraph
Murdered MP's daughter says decision not to prosecute Kneecap ‘disappointing'
Katie Amess told the PA news agency that the 'consequence of such rhetoric are all to real', adding: 'We cannot stand by while threats against public servants are normalised.' Videos posted online appeared to show the Belfast-based trio shouting 'up Hamas, up Hezbollah', with one clip in November 2023 appearing to show one member of the group saying: 'The only good Tory is a dead Tory. Kill your local MP.' Katie Amess, the daughter of Sir David Amess, said the decision to take no further action against Kneecap was 'deeply disappointing' (Stefan Rousseau/PA) The Metropolitan Police said no further action would be taken in relation to the comments because any alleged minor offences committed by the group were 'beyond the statutory time limit for prosecution'. The force said more serious offences were considered, but no further action was taken based on the available evidence. Reacting to the decision not to prosecute, Ms Amess told PA: 'It is deeply disappointing that no charges will be brought against Kneecap following their disgraceful comments about killing MPs. 'It was deeply upsetting for my family when we were made aware of what they said. 'There must be no place in our society for hate speech or calls for violence. 'Anyone who incites or encourages harm against others should be held fully to account and face the full force of the law. 'We cannot stand by while threats against public servants are normalised or brushed aside. 'The consequences of such rhetoric are all too real and devastating as my family sadly know only too well.' Kneecap previously apologised to the families of murdered MPs, but claimed footage of the incident had been 'exploited and weaponised'. In a statement, the Met said: 'We understand the impact this decision may have on MPs and their staff. 'The safety and security of MPs is something that is taken extremely seriously across the whole of policing. 'MPs who may be concerned about their safety can contact their dedicated local Operation Bridger officer, who can provide further advice and support.' In a separate probe, police are investigating whether one of the trio suggested fans 'start a riot' outside his bandmate's upcoming court appearance. Liam Og O hAnnaidh, who performs under the name Mo Chara, is due to appear at Westminster Magistrates' Court on August 20 after allegedly displaying a flag in support of proscribed terrorist organisation Hezbollah at a gig in November last year.
Morocco World
4 hours ago
- Politics
- Morocco World
Despite Mounting Evidence, Bolton Downplays Polisario's Terrorism Against Morocco
Rabat – Former US National Security Advisor John Bolton– a vocal advocate for Polisario and its separatism claims targeting Morocco's sovereignty over its southern provinces in Western Sahara – recently attempted to downplay Polisario's terrorist links despite mounting evidence of their extremist activities and security threats undermining not only Morocco's stability but the whole region. Bolton, who is also widely seen as a warmonger, claimed that he saw no warning signs in regards to the Polisario Front during his visits to Tindouf. 'I've been to Tindouf, I think the first time was about 30 years ago. I saw no signs of Marxists, jihadists, or Iranians, or anything like that,' he claimed, downgrading Polisario's terror links. Bolton made his remarks in an interview with Oltralectura published on June 28, in which he dismissed growing concerns over the Polisario terrorist links as nothing more than 'Moroccan propaganda.' Overlooking Morocco's genuine efforts to find a political solution to end the Western Sahara dispute, Bolton called such accusations 'desperate propaganda' and 'outrageous,' claiming that there has been no evidence of terrorist attacks led by the separatist group. The claims came amid an increasing number of international appeals from officials, security experts, and research institutions urging the global community to address the Polisario's escalating security threat in the Sahel region. Blood-thirst amid warnings One such appeal even specifically came from within the halls of the US Congress. On June 27, Republican Congressman Joe Wilson submitted a bipartisan bill, officializing his appeal seeking to classify the Polisario Front as a foreign terrorist group. Wilson labeled Polisario as a 'Marxist militia backed by Iran, Hezbollah, and Russia, providing Iran a strategic outpost in Africa and destabilizing the Kingdom of Morocco, a US ally for 248 years.' Morocco cut ties with Iran in 2018, citing evidence of collusion between the Polisario Front and Iran's proxy Hezbollah, specifically accusing Tehran of providing the separatist group with military and logistical support. At that time, Morocco's Minister of Foreign Affairs, Nasser Bourita , said that Morocco provided detailed evidence of this collusion. 'The file was carefully prepared, for weeks, on the basis of information collected and cross-checked over several months,' said Bourita, adding that the document summarizes 'proven and precise facts: dates of visits by senior officers of Hezbollah in Algeria, dates and venues of meetings with Polisario officials, and a list of names of agents involved in these contacts.' Turning a blind eye to international appeals Many think tanks and academic research, and news publications have documented these ties between Iran and Polisario under Algeria's watch. In April, a report from the Washington Post highlighted the collaboration between Algiers and Iran-backed Hezbollah, using Polisario as a political tool to undermine Morocco as well as other countries like Syria. The report quoted sources who confirmed that Hezbollah trained Polisario to propel its interests. 'Over the years, Iran has fostered a wide array of proxy groups to advance its interests,' the report said, quoting a regional official and a third European official who said Iran trained fighters from the 'Algeria-based Polisario Front' that are now detained by Syria's new security forces. Several reports also exposed Algeria's propaganda, dismissing Polisario's self-portrayal as a liberation movement. In April, a report by the Hudson Institute described the separatist group as a paramilitary organization that functions as a 'destabilizing militia.' It also documented how Polisario's activities 'go far beyond the standard for a terror designation,' a statement echoed by the American Enterprise Institute, urging the UN to cease recognizing the Polisario Front as the legitimate representative of the Sahrawi people. Fast forward to now, when Bolton's advocacy for Polisario comes on the heels of a recent terrorist attack in Es-Semara, widely attributed to the Polisario. On Friday of last week, converging reports said four projectiles landed near the city in southern Morocco. Although no injuries or damages were reported, the Polisario's staged attack caused widespread chaos and alarm among civilians. This is not the first time Polisario has carried out terrorist attacks against Morocco. In 2023, also in Es-Semara, the separatist group launched a strike that killed one person and injured three others. Last year, Polisario also targeted a Green March ceremony in Laayoune. Threatening tourists, businesses Further confirming the terrorism accusations, the separatist group militias have made it clear that they have no interest in ceasing their attacks, even threatening tourists and businesses alike. In May, Members of the Polisario leadership, including Mustapha Sidi Ali El Bachir, conveyed the separatist group's terrorist threats , noting that foreign investors and tourists visiting southern provinces are 'in great danger.' The Polisario member appeared in a threatening video on May 1 published on YouTube, saying that in line with the group's statement from November 13, 2020 – which announced the 'return to war' – that 'any foreign investor or tourist in the Sahara is putting their life at risk.' 'Let the Sahrawi stay away from foreigners and not come telling us they're civilians or innocent. This is not a tourism context, but a wartime context,' he added. With all of this mounting evidence, it is increasingly clear that Bolton's statements contrast with the growing international consensus, from both within the former security advisor's own country and around the world, that the Polisario Front is posing a regional danger that must be addressed and taken seriously. Tags: algeria western saharaJohn Bolton
