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beguines · 4 months ago

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Seven major US labor unions representing about 6 million workers sent a letter to Joe Biden on Tuesday calling on his administration to "immediately halt all military aid to Israel" ahead of a visit to the US from Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel's prime minister, this week.

The unions that signed on to the letter include the Association of Flight Attendants (AFA), American Postal Workers Union (APWU), International Union of Painters (IUPAT), National Education Association (NEA), Service Employees International Union (SEIU), United Auto Workers (UAW) and United Electrical Workers (UE).

"Our unions are hearing the cries of humanity as this vicious war continues," said Mark Dimondstein, the APWU president, in a press release. "Working people and our unions are horrified that our tax dollars are financing this ongoing tragedy. We need a ceasefire now, and the best way to secure that is to shut off US military aid to Israel."

In the letter, the unions expressed concerns that the US president's three-part ceasefire plan announced in May 2024 has not been fully accepted as violence in Gaza has persisted.

"Large numbers of Palestinian civilians, many of them children, continue to be killed, reportedly often with US-manufactured bombs. Rising tensions in the region threaten to ensnare even more innocent civilians in a wider war. And the humanitarian crisis deepens by the day, with famine, mass displacement, and destruction of basic infrastructure including schools and hospitals. We have spoken directly to leaders of Palestinian trade unions who told us heart-wrenching stories of the conditions faced by working people in Gaza," wrote the unions in the letter.

"The time to act decisively to end this war is now. Stopping US military aid to Israel is the quickest and most sure way to do so, it is what US law demands, and it will show your commitment to securing a lasting peace in the region."

Earlier this year, US labor unions launched the National Labor Network for Ceasefire, which has been signed by dozens of local unions around the US, including the letter signatories and National Nurses United.

The letter comes as activists are planning protest demonstrations in Washington DC this week over Netanyahu's visit, his first to the US since 7 October. Thousands of protesters are expected to descend on Washington DC to call for an end to the US aid to Israel that has been fueling the war in Gaza.

#labor #cannot believe the iupat signed this #we love to see it

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the-garbanzo-annex-jr · 30 days ago

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By Eli Lake and Danielle Shapiro

Since the October 7 massacre, a small “charity” based in Canada has been ubiquitous on elite college campuses, celebrating the bloodbath at public rallies and seminars. The group is called Samidoun, and it claims to be an NGO advocating on behalf of Palestinian prisoners in Israeli prisons.

On Tuesday, the U.S. and Canadian governments put an end to that charade.

Samidoun is not a charity at all. Rather, it’s a group “that serves as an international fundraiser for the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) terrorist organization,” according to a press release issued Tuesday by the Treasury Department. The government describes it as a “sham.”

For anyone who has followed the history of Palestinian terrorism, PFLP is a name you’re no doubt familiar with. It was founded in 1967 as a Marxist revolutionary group, and was supported during the Cold War by China and the Soviet Union. In 1976, the PFLP teamed up with West Germany’s Baader-Meinhof group to hijack a flight from Tel Aviv, Israel, to Entebbe, Uganda, separating Jewish and non-Jewish passenger hostages. Eventually, Israeli commandos freed the hostages. The episode was turned into the movie 7 Days in Entebbe.

For most of the 1990s and 2000s, PFLP was largely an afterthought for both Israelis and Palestinians (though it did murder an Israeli tourism minister in 2001). That began to change in 2019, when the PFLP killed a 17-year-old girl in the West Bank with a roadside bomb that also injured her father and brother. Since then, the government of Israel has pressed its allies to designate Samidoun as a terrorist front for the PFLP. The designations from Canada and the U.S. on Tuesday are the culmination of that effort.

One place where that designation will have an effect is elite campuses, where Samidoun has long established itself as a partner—and funder—for anti-Israel student initiatives. Just in the past year, Samidoun has co-sponsored a divestment rally at Princeton, taught an “Abolish Imperialism” lecture at Harvard Law School and, most infamously, led a “Palestinian Resistance 101” teach-in at Columbia University that resulted in the suspension of multiple student organizers who used the event to “promote the use of terror or violence.”

As far back as 2017, Princeton’s Palestine club shared links from Samidoun’s media page and encouraged students to work with the group on initiatives to free a Palestinian activist who had assaulted an Israeli soldier. In 2022, Princeton’s Palestine club again partnered with Samidoun to lead a “Palestinian Prisoner Letter-Writing Session” on campus. This long and close relationship between Princeton students and faculty and Samidoun has been replicated at top universities across the country.

Matthew Levitt, a senior fellow at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy and a former FBI analyst and deputy assistant secretary of the Treasury Department, told The Free Press that the U.S. and Canadian governments have debated over the last year about designating Samidoun a terrorist group. Their reservation was due to the fact that Western governments do not sanction organizations based just on violent and hateful speech. “They have been saying horrible and nasty things,” Levitt said. “We don’t designate people for saying nasty things.”

What turned the tide, according to Levitt, was that Israel had accumulated mounds of evidence that Samidoun was, in effect, a fundraising arm for the PFLP. Some of this information has been available for some time. For example, Israel’s Ministry of Strategic Affairs and Public Diplomacy released a report in 2019 that detailed Samidoun’s role in raising money for the PFLP. That report claims that PFLP operatives transferred money from Lebanon to a man named Khaled Barakat when he was living in Europe. On Tuesday, Barakat was also designated as a foreign terrorist financier. His wife, Charlotte Kates, is Samidoun’s “international coordinator.”

In 2022, the Netherlands barred Kates and Barakat from entering the country where they had planned to land and then drive to a pro-Palestine march in Belgium. More recently, Germany designated Samidoun as a terrorist organization in November 2023.

Even though PFLP has not captured the headlines of better-known groups like Hamas or Hezbollah, it remains deadly. Although it was not involved in the original planning for October 7, the terrorist group joined the massacre once it was underway. NGO Monitor has published PFLP statements and Telegram posts that show its participation in the 2023 attack, joining after the first wave of Hamas operatives.

#samidoun #charity #terror supporters #pflp #canada #popular front for the liberation of palestine

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mariacallous · 2 months ago

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In the early hours of Sunday, Sept. 8, a Russian drone flew into Romanian airspace during a nighttime attack on Ukraine’s Danube River ports. Romania scrambled two F-16s to monitor the situation, according to the Romanian Defense Ministry. A day earlier, an Iranian-type Shahed drone armed with explosives flew from Belarus into Latvia—which is neither close to Ukraine nor on a direct flight path—and crashed near the Latvian city of Rezekne, about 35 miles from the closest section of the Belarusian border. Throughout the war, by accident or design, Russian missiles and attack drones have repeatedly infringed the airspace of Romania, Latvia, Poland, and other NATO members —and hit the alliance’s territory.

In late August, Kyiv asked European Union and NATO ministers to start shooting down Russian missiles and drones heading toward NATO over Ukraine. At first glance, this might seem like a request for NATO to step into the firing line and become a party to the war. For the Biden administration and some allied governments, becoming a direct participant in the war against Russia has been the darkest of red lines from the moment that Western intelligence services noticed Moscow’s preparations for invading Ukraine.

Establishing an air defense shield to protect NATO’s own eastern flank, however, does not translate to NATO’s entry into the war. The escalatory risk of NATO protecting its own territory can be controlled—even while a shield to head off Russian missiles and drones would have the secondary effect of providing parts of western Ukraine with much-needed air cover. Ultimately, a firm decision by NATO to act against repeated breaches of its airspace is likely to be de-escalatory. That’s because the real risk lies in letting Russia continue to test Western decision-making—and for the Kremlin to believe that it will meet no resistance when it escalates.

Ground-based air defense from various NATO member states—including Britain, France, the Nordic countries, the Netherlands, the Czech Republic, and other willing allies—could be deployed on the territory of Poland, Slovakia, and Romania at strategic locations along their borders with Ukraine. Allied aircraft operating in NATO airspace could also be used. The bloc would operate the shield entirely from allied territory and airspace, no weapons or troops would be placed inside Ukraine, and NATO aircraft would not enter Ukrainian airspace. The primary purpose of the air defense shield would be to prevent Russian attack drones and missiles from entering NATO airspace and hitting objects on the alliance’s territory.

Such an operation could be carried out on a bilateral basis or by a coalition of the willing. And it would not be a NATO-wide operation, given that Hungary would likely block any action by the alliance.

There have been regular instances of Russia breaching NATO airspace since the start of the invasion. Some of these incursions may well be accidental. In the first weeks of the invasion, a drone carrying explosives flew unhindered through Romanian and Hungarian airspace until it crashed next to a student dormitory in the outskirts of the Croatian capital Zagreb. In November 2022, a S-300 air-defense missile, possibly fired from Ukraine at a Russian target, went astray and killed two farmers in Poland.

But other instances do not seem so accidental. In March, a Russian missile—whose target and flight path were preprogrammed—spent 39 seconds traveling through Polish airspace before reentering Ukraine. Especially in light of deliberate Russian incursions in the Baltic Sea region and elsewhere, some of these incidents seem to be part of a systematic attempt by Russia to test NATO’s resolve and decision-making process.

This probing is dangerous and comes with a high risk of escalation. Not only could it lead to a Russian drone or missile hitting NATO territory and potentially killing civilians, but NATO would also then have to decide whether to respond to such an attack—including whether to invoke Article 5, the collective defense clause that requires the alliance to defend its members. The more that Russia probes without any NATO response, the greater the risk of an incident that would trigger Article 5.

An air defense shield to protect NATO would be a clear response to that Russian probing, with the welcome secondary effect of helping Ukraine. It would signal a more serious posture by Ukraine’s supporters and show that they are willing to regain the strategic initiative rather than merely reacting to events and drawing no red lines for Russia.

For Ukraine, the shield could help provide a degree of security along a corridor running along its western border, where drones and missiles would be engaged by the shield lest they cross into NATO territory. The depth of this corridor would depend on the types and number of air defense assets deployed. It would reduce or eliminate attacks on Ukrainian cities and critical infrastructure close to the border, such as the Danube ports and various electricity substations, transmission lines, and gas storage facilities.

It would also mean greater security for Ukrainian businesses and factories operating within the corridor, as well as a degree of humanitarian protection for civilians and civilian infrastructure, such as hospitals. Parts of Moldova, which is not in NATO, would fall within the corridor as well. The shield would not provide perfect protection everywhere, but it would certainly contribute more than what exists today.

A NATO air defense shield along the alliance’s eastern flank would also enable Ukraine to move some of its air defense systems from its western border closer to the front and the cities in the east, such as Dnipro and Poltava. This would strengthen Ukrainian air defense without additional systems leaving the armories of its Western allies.

The main objection to the air defense shield has been that it would prove to be escalatory by drawing NATO into direct confrontation with Russia. By shooting down Russian drones and missiles flying over Ukraine, the argument goes, NATO would become a party to the conflict and invite military retaliation by Russia, setting off a cataclysmic Russia-NATO war.

The opposite, however, is more likely to be true.

First, enforcing an air defense shield would not mean shooting down Russian fighter jets and killing Russian pilots. Russia does not fly crewed aircraft in western Ukraine precisely because of the high risk of Ukrainians shooting them down. Hence, the shield would only target uncrewed drones and missiles. For all its huffing and puffing, Moscow would be hard-pressed to make a credible case for retaliation against a country exercising its right of self-defense to shoot down a missile entering its airspace or heading in its direction.

Indeed, one could make a compelling case that NATO border states have an obligation to protect their citizens. Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski has stated that his and other countries have a duty to intercept Russian missiles before they enter NATO territory.

Second, an air defense shield would aim to prevent Russian missiles and drones from striking inside the territory of a NATO ally, which could trigger the Article 5 mutual defense clause. In this sense, the shield would actually be de-escalatory in averting a possible Article 5-level crisis that could quickly spiral out of control. Russia’s ability to routinely breach NATO airspace without a reaction weakens the bloc’s deterrence and raises the likelihood that Russia will probe and provoke further.

Ukraine’s partners, most notably the United States and Germany, have imposed strict caveats on Ukraine’s use of Western weapons—even including those delivered by Britain or other Western partners—and shown considerable restraint in their support for Ukraine. In their view, this cautious approach prevents escalation. But the effect has been the opposite: Not standing firm and pushing back has been an invitation for Russia to prod, provoke, and raise the stakes. Paradoxically, restraint comes with a high risk of escalation.

In showing that it will continue to push against the West if unobstructed, the Kremlin is staying true to Soviet leader Vladimir Lenin’s famous strategic adage: “You probe with bayonets: If you find mush, you push. If you find steel, you withdraw.” An air defense shield on NATO’s eastern border could provide that steel.

Would Russia retaliate against a NATO ally for intercepting a drone or missile that might strike its territory? This is highly unlikely. Russian President Vladimir Putin has repeatedly shown that he takes Article 5 seriously, and a retaliatory strike against a NATO ally could draw in the entire alliance. He will not risk wider hostilities with NATO that he knows Russia would lose.

Putin would no doubt threaten retaliation and escalation, just as he did to try to stop the West from delivering tanks, missiles, and fighter jets to Ukraine. In each case, when allies finally provided the weapons, Putin’s threats proved hollow. Strangely, Western leaders still seem not to recognize how Putin uses threats to influence Western decision-making into the direction of restraint, self-deterrence, and an overabundance of caution.

Just like in Lenin’s adage, Russia often retreats when met with force. Take the case of the Russian Black Sea Fleet: After Ukraine managed to destroy one-third of the fleet, including its flagship, the battlecruiser Moskva, Russia responded by pulling back the surviving fleet from Crimea to get out of range, rather than step up its attacks. When faced with the choice between retaliation and retreat, Russia chose retreat. Similarly, following Ukraine’s incursion into Kursk—the first foreign occupation of Russia since World War II—Putin chose to play down the incursion’s importance rather than escalate.

When the history books are written about this war, a key lesson will likely be that the seemingly prudent but overly cautious approach by the West was a signal to Russia to start and expand its war. Much of what appeared de-escalatory on the part of the West was in fact escalatory, leading to a more brutal and longer war. And much of what appeared escalatory—such as Ukraine’s attacks on the Russian Black Sea Fleet, including with Western-provided missiles—was in fact de-escalatory.

Until decision-makers in Washington and Berlin understand this, Moscow will be pushing and probing where it can to test NATO’s resolve.

Throughout this war, the West has imposed red lines on itself. Putin has repeatedly threatened escalation and retaliation, but when tested, those threats and red lines have proved illusory. Providing an air defense shield operating from NATO territory would strengthen the alliance’s deterrence, help Ukraine, and lower the risk of escalation. It is time for Western allies to retake the strategic initiative and call Putin’s bluff.

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gremlins-hotel · 2 years ago

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Uniforms of the Cold War There were many pieces and variations of the uniforms for the emergent post-World War II powers. While they remained mostly styled after yesterday's uniforms, several changes came about to bring us the outerwear that most recognizes today. These renderings are not perfect, but they can hopefully provide a suitable image of the era.

[ sources ]

Capt Alfred F. Jones // U.S. Air Force After the Air Force was codified as an official military branch in 1947, we find Alfred sporting the 1949-1964 Air Force blue (shade 84*) Field/Service uniform. This version, rather than the McPeak Dress Jacket, is based upon the Eisenhower or 'Ike' Field Jacket (M1943 accompaniment) made famous by General Dwight D. Eisenhower. The Air Force did allow for the tan jacket typical of the time to also be worn - and for fellow Hetalians you will recognize the tan or olive drab Ike jacket as the typical choice for Alfred's Cold War dress - however, in 1949, the release of the Air Force Blue drove a push for a new wave of uniforms. Its accompanying garments should be as follows; shade blue 120 cotton poplin (pictured)/shade 126 cotton oxford undershirt; shade 84 service necktie**. The uniform can be worn with either the Service Dress Cap or the flight cap (pictured above), both required to be shade 84. As an officer, Alfred's flight cap bears a silver cord braid. Last but not least, the required dress shoes shall be black and socks shall be black. *The trousers should be the same shade as the jacket, but they were made darker for artistic reasons. **The necktie - while listed as shade 84 - often ended up darker than the jacket, likely due to material.

- - - - -

Kapitan Ivan Braginsky // Red Army (Artillery)* The uniforms of the immediate post-war Soviet Union, like the United States, closely followed those of the Great Patriotic War. Ivan wears a very short-lived uniform, perhaps misleadingly known as the 'Zhukov' officer dress, despite the fact that then-Minister of Defense Georgy Zhukov was a strong pillar against the naval-styled uniform. This style was produced from 1955-1957; from the death of Stalin until the end of Zhukov's tenure as Minister of Defense. It features the M55 Dress jacket in a stormy, steely blue-gray (listed officially as gray). This jacket may have been worn as a parade, dress, semi-dress, or even service jacket (sources vary) - pictured above is the 'Parade Walking-Out' version of the jacket. Paired with the M55 are the dark blue officer breeches of the time. These would have been upheld by suspenders and paired with no foot or leg wraps. Upon Ivan's uniform is featured red piping and black velvet hat banding denoting his service in the Armored and/or Artillery forces, in contrast to the raspberry of infantry. Ivan is far too large to fit inside a tank, so Artillery became his assignment. The Zhukov-style uniform is easily recognized by the gold cockade and leaves upon the visor of the officer's cap. Hidden by Ivan's scarf are notched lapels and black velvet panels. He wears a ceremonial belt worn in conjunction with the Parade Dress. *I apologize for this section being less detailed. Finding decent sources on Soviet-era uniforms in my region that aren't on apologist forums can be difficult as I do not have access to a more formal library or archive.

[ sources ]

#hetalia #historical hetalia #aph america #aph russia #hws america #hws russia #alfred f jones #ivan braginsky #alpha romeo tango #alfred f. jones // daring to fly #ivan braginsky // Не остаться в этой траве #i forgot to link all the forums i trolled for soviet uniform information because godDAMN i'm telling you #it took me two and a half hours to find what i even did to draw ivan as you see him #and he's so not perfect #but it's 2:40 am

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tomorrowusa · 6 months ago

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It's was 800 days ago that Putin began his 3-day "special operation" in Ukraine. In addition to the war crimes and attempted genocide in Ukraine, Russia has managed to inflict quite a bit of harm upon itself.

We may not know for sure until after the war how many Russians died or were seriously wounded in Putin's sociopathic illegal war of aggression, but France has an estimate which surpasses those of other NATO sources.

French Foreign Minister Stéphane Sèjourné stated that France estimates Russia has suffered 500,000 military casualties – both killed and wounded – since its full-scale invasion of Ukraine began. [ ... ] On the possibility of NATO troop deployments, the minister echoed French President Macron’s stance, stating Europe must overtly warn Russia that when continental peace and European security are threatened, no option is off the table. However, Sèjourné stressed France’s relations with Russia remain “based on mutual respect between our peoples,” even as he condemned the “reckless” Russian authorities disregarding international laws and human lives.

Putin is ramping up aggressive acts against the West.

Russia blamed for GPS interference affecting flights in Europe

German foreign minister says Russia will face consequences for monthslong cyber espionage

To Putin, who still mourns the collapse of the totalitarian Soviet Union, the Cold War never ended.

Putin's invasion shows that he will violate treaties and international agreements to achieve his revanchist goals. There's no reason to expect him to honor any new agreements regarding Ukraine.

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julesofnature · 2 years ago

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Life seeks life and loves life. The opening of a catkin of a willow, in the flight of the butterfly, in the chirping of a tree-toad or the sweep of an eagle - my life loves to see how others live, exults in their joy, and so far is partner in their great concern.

Edward Everett Hale was an American author, historian, and Unitarian minister, best known for his writings such as "The Man Without a Country", published in Atlantic Monthly, in support of the Union during the Civil War. He was the grand-nephew of Nathan Hale, the American spy during the Revolutionary War. Wikipedia

#Edward Everett Hale

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usafphantom2 · 9 months ago

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Russia threatened to shoot down French AWACS over the Black Sea

Fernando Valduga By Fernando Valduga 02/23/2024 - 00:08in Military, War Zones

Russian forces threatened to shoot down a French surveillance plane that patrolled international airspace over the Black Sea, a sign of Moscow's increasingly aggressive behavior as the invasion of Ukraine struggles to move forward, French defense officials said on Thursday.

“A Russian air traffic control system threatened to shoot down French aircraft in the Black Sea when we were in a free international zone where we patrolled,” French Defense Minister Sébastien Lecornu told RTL radio.

A French military spokesman, Colonel Pierre Gaudillière, said Lecornu was referring to an incident in mid-November that involved one of the four gigantic E-3F of France's Airborne Alert and Control Systems, or AWACS, surveillance aircraft flying over international waters in the Black Sea. Gaudillière described the incident as unprecedented for the French pilots in that region.

“Through a radio exchange, the pilots were threatened by the Russians,” Gaudillière said.

“It was a particularly aggressive radio exchange,” he added. "It's the first time."

Two other authorities said that the conversation was in English and that Russian air traffic control said that their forces would "destroy" the French aircraft. The authorities spoke on condition of anonymity for discussing the confidential details.

In his radio interview, Lecornu said that Russia is returning to a "particularly aggressive" posture that recalls the behavior of the former Soviet Union during the Cold War.

“Russia's behavior in 2024 is not related to what we saw in 2022 and, obviously, before the aggression in Ukraine,” the minister said. "This is explained by the fact that Russia is in difficulty on the battlefield in Ukraine."

French air force pilots regularly patrol NATO's eastern flank, part of the efforts of the military alliance of 31 nations to strengthen their defenses since Russia launched the large-scale invasion of Ukraine two years ago on Saturday.

On board a French air force AWACS flight to the Black Sea coast in January, one of the pilots told the Associated Press that they seek to calm any tensions if they are intercepted by Russian planes, which he said was rare.

“Our orders must be, say, passive,” said the pilot, Major Romain. "For a civilian, let's say 'educated'".

Flying well above the Black Sea coast, the French AWACS use their powerful radar and other surveillance equipment to spy on the Crimean Peninsula, which was taken from Ukraine by Russia and annexed in 2014. Flights can detect missile launches, aerial bombardments and other military activity in the Ukraine war.

Russian pilots have sometimes made it clear that they do not like to be observed.

In 2022, a Russian fighter launched a missile near a British Air Force RC-135 Rivet Joint surveillance aircraft that was flying in international airspace over the Black Sea, the British government said. The United States government released a video in March 2023 of a Russian jet fighter dumping fuel into a U.S. Air Force surveillance drone. The drone crashed into the Black Sea.

Source: AP

Tags: Armée de l'air - French Air Force/French Air ForceMilitary AviationE-3 SentryWar Zones - Russia/Ukraine

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Fernando Valduga

Aviation photographer and pilot since 1992, he has participated in several events and air operations, such as Cruzex, AirVenture, Dayton Airshow and FIDAE. He has works published in specialized aviation magazines in Brazil and abroad. He uses Canon equipment during his photographic work in the world of aviation.

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queen-mabs-revenge · 1 year ago

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The Department also does not appear to inspect the planes that land in Ireland, to ensure they are carrying what their applications say. In the same response to Pringle, Minister Chambers said “insofar as it can be determined, there is no record of an inspection of a civil aircraft having been carried out pursuant to these Orders”. A Department spokesperson told Village: “While the orders do provide for the inspection of a civil aircraft to ensure compliance, it is only whenever it appears that a flight would be in contravention of them. There is no provision for such an inspection without this prerequisite”.

the so-called neutral irish state runs a defacto us military base out of shannon airport; it has granted a record number of exemptions to the ban on transport of munitions through ireland in october, and it's asking us and airport workers to take the word of the united 'i saw those 40 beheaded babies with my own eyes' states on what, when, and where those munitions are going.

the irish state deserves no accolades for any of the meagre verbal concessions it's given to appease the public when it is literally materially aiding and abetting the us imperial war machine and actively refusing to confirm what's going through the country so they can plead not guilty via ignorance.

unions representing workers there shouldn't stand for denying the workers they represent consent to not participate in genocide, and if they do it's a gross dereliction of duty to the palestinian people first and foremost, but also the workers at shannon airport, and the irish people demanding action in support of palestine.

#ireland #free palestine #free gaza #irish politics #the irish state is absolute trash and is doing worse than nothing for gaza #bc they're presenting as an ally while helping send bombs to aid the slaughter #fucking disgusting state

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as83rrzz · 11 months ago

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Rudolf Hess

As a Christmas special, I decided to write out a quick biography for Rudolf Hess with about only 40 minutes on my hands. [quite fitting I chose Rudolf for this]

THIS POST DOES NOT SUPPORT THE N*ZI IDEOLOGY, IT IS PURELY EDUCATIONAL

Rudolf Walter Richard Hess [26 April 1894, Egypt – 17 August 1987, Germany] was a devoted and leading politician of N*zi Germany and a member of the National Socialist German Workers' Party [NSDAP], his rank was Reichsleiter, the second highest rank in the N*zi Party and the deputy Führer of Ad*lf H¡tler.

During the onset of World War One, Hess was recruited as an infantryman for the Imperial German Army, being wounded numerous times, and was commended with the Iron Cross [Second Class], in 1915 for his service in the war. Approaching the end of the First World War, Hess applied himself for aviator training but relinquished this occupation after not finding any needed physical commitment in that role.

In December 1918, Hess resigned from the armed forces and applied to the University of Munich for geopolitics in 1919.

Upon joining the N*zi Party on 1 July 1920, Hess contributed to the failed N*zi attempt to take authority of the Bavarian Government alongside H¡tler for the Beer Hall Putsch, 8 November 1923.

H¡tler and the N*zi members who contributed to this act, including Hess served a prison sentence afterward. Hess collaborated with H¡tler during the writing of Mein Kampf during their imprisonment.

After being released from prison, the N*zi movement continued, leading H¡tler to become Chancellor in January 1933. Hess was selected as a member of the Reichstag during the March elections, Following with him being nominated for the role of Deputy Führer of the N*zi Party in April.

Hess continued to rise up the N*zi ranks, becoming a Reichsleiter of the N*zi party in June and then a government Minister without Portfolio in December 1933.

Hess was appointed to the Cabinet Council in 1938 and then the Council of Ministers for the Defence of the Reich in August 1939, becoming one of the highest-ranking and most trusted members of the N*zi Party.

H¡tler named Hess as next in line to Hermann Goring as his official successor on 1 September 1939, now appearing on behalf of H¡tler during rallies and speaking events and signing into law, and additionally much of the Government's legislation. This includes the 1935 Nuremberg Laws that led to the events of the H*locaust.

Hess flew a solo flight to Scotland, on 10 May 1941, with the intention to order peace talks with the Duke of Hamilton. Hess was arrested immediately on sight by the British authorities upon his arrival and was held under custody until the end of the Second World War.

Hess attended the 1946 Nuremberg trials when returned to Germany and was charged of being a major war criminal. [Interestingly, Hess stated he believed to be suffering from serious amnesia during the majority of his trail, only to later admit to the court he was being satirical]

Hess was convicted of war crimes against world peace and alliance with the rest of the members of the Third Reich when committing these acts. Hess was sentenced to life in Spandau Prison, his family members and politicians failing to attempt to persuade the Soviet Union for his release.

In addition to being the only prisoner in Spandau, Hess committed suicide in 1987 while still under custody by hanging himself, aged 93.

Spandau prison was quickly demolished after Hess's suicide to prevent it from becoming a place of worship from the Neo N*zis. Carved into Hess's grave was the inscription, 'Ich hab's gewagt' [Translating to 'I dared it'].

In 2011, Hess's gravesite was refused to be further leased by the authorities, his body was ordered to be exhumed and then cremated, along with his gravestone destroyed.

[Rudolf Hess, 1939]

#reichblr #rudolf hess #ww2 germany #ww2 history

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toiletpotato · 11 months ago

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the caption for the picture in the article states "NZ Prime Minister Chris Luxon's office has confirmed taxpayers paid for his Māori language classes."

article transcription below "keep reading"! (emphasis mine)

written by Ben McKay, last updated at 2.15 am on 18 Dec 2023

As New Zealand grapples with a new style of government and approach to the Māori language, Prime Minister Chris Luxon has fallen foul of his advice to the public service.

Mr Luxon appears guilty of a double standard after scolding bureaucrats for taking cash bonuses for understanding the Māori language, te reo, while using taxpayer funds to learn it himself.

Mr Luxon recently confirmed his government would axe payments to te reo-speaking public servants and criticised those who took the bonuses.

"People are completely free to learn for themselves," he said.

"That's what happens out there in the real world, in corporate life, or any other community life across New Zealand.

"I've got a number of MPs, for example, that have made a big effort to learn te reo ... they've driven that learning themselves because they want to do it.

"In the real world outside of Wellington and outside the bubble of MPs, people who want to learn te reo or want to learn any other education actually pay for it themselves."

However, Mr Luxon did not follow his advice.

After repeated requests, the prime minister's office confirmed taxpayers paid for Mr Luxon's classes through a budget offered to the leader of the opposition, saying it was "highly relevant" to his role.

"I think it makes me a better prime minister," he said on Monday.

Opposition Leader Chris Hipkins said te reo was "a national treasure" and learning it should be incentivised.

"Christopher Luxon should be commended for learning Māori, but it's absolute hypocrisy for his government to then set about cancelling the taxpayer subsidies he used to do so, thus denying others that same opportunity," he said.

Waste watchdog the New Zealand Taxpayers' Union called on Mr Luxon to pay back the tuition costs.

Mr Luxon's right-leaning coalition of the National, ACT and NZ First parties has already strained relations with many in Māoridom, particularly over plans to wind back te reo use as championed by the Labour government.

Public servants have been told to communicate in English while public bodies - such as Waka Kotahi for the New Zealand Transport Agency - must revert to using their English-language name first.

Detractors say the government is bashing a minority and inflaming a culture war while the government argues changes have confused non-te reo speakers.

Te reo use is on the rise in NZ but remains a second language.

Competent speakers have grown from six to eight per cent from 2016 to 2021, including 23 per cent of Maori, up from 17 per cent.

Assimilationist governments banned the language in schools for much of the 20th century, causing trauma for many Māori.

Some government members are hostile to te reo use, with Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters believing Aotearoa, the Māori term for NZ, is illegitimate.

In parliament last week, the 78-year-old declined to answer a question in te reo from Rawiri Waititi, the Māori Party co-leader who has mobilised thousands to protest the new government.

Mr Luxon insisted he supported the language and wanted others to learn too.

"It's a fantastic language," he said.

"I wish I had learned as a younger person ... I'm trying to learn.

"I've found it actually very hard."

Mr Luxon had a chequered record with the Indigenous language in his former role as Air New Zealand's chief executive.

Under his leadership, stewards began using te reo greetings such as "kia ora" for hello and "ma te wa" for see you soon.

In September 2019, the airline sought to trademark "kia ora" - the name of its in-flight magazine.

After consultation with Māori leaders, and a local and international backlash, Air New Zealand abandoned the bid a week later.

#nzpol #aotearoa #new zealand #makes no sense!!!

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brookstonalmanac · 3 months ago

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Events 8.20 (1920-1990)

1920 – The first commercial radio station, 8MK (now WWJ), begins operations in Detroit 1920 – The National Football League is organized as the American Professional Football Conference in Canton, Ohio 1926 – Japan's public broadcasting company, Nippon Hōsō Kyōkai (NHK) is established. 1938 – Lou Gehrig hits his 23rd career grand slam, a record that stood for 75 years until it was broken by Alex Rodriguez. 1940 – In Mexico City, exiled Russian revolutionary Leon Trotsky is fatally wounded with an ice axe by Ramón Mercader. He dies the next day. 1940 – World War II: British Prime Minister Winston Churchill makes the fourth of his famous wartime speeches, containing the line "Never was so much owed by so many to so few". 1940 – World War II: The Eighth Route Army launches the Hundred Regiments Offensive, a successful campaign to disrupt Japanese war infrastructure and logistics in occupied northern China. 1944 – World War II: One hundred sixty-eight captured allied airmen, including Phil Lamason, accused by the Gestapo of being "terror fliers", arrive at Buchenwald concentration camp. 1944 – World War II: The Battle of Romania begins with a major Soviet Union offensive. 1948 – Soviet Consul General in New York, Jacob M. Lomakin is expelled by the United States, due to the Kasenkina Case. 1949 – Hungary adopts the Hungarian Constitution of 1949 and becomes a People's Republic. 1955 – Battle of Philippeville: In Morocco, a force of Berbers from the Atlas Mountains region of Algeria raid two rural settlements and kill 77 French nationals. 1960 – Senegal breaks from the Mali Federation, declaring its independence. 1962 – The NS Savannah, the world's first nuclear-powered civilian ship, embarks on its maiden voyage. 1968 – Cold War: Warsaw Pact troops invade Czechoslovakia, crushing the Prague Spring. East German participation is limited to a few specialists due to memories of the recent war. Only Albania and Romania refuse to participate. 1975 – Viking program: NASA launches the Viking 1 planetary probe toward Mars. 1975 – ČSA Flight 540 crashes on approach to Damascus International Airport in Damascus, Syria, killing 126 people. 1977 – Voyager program: NASA launches the Voyager 2 spacecraft. 1986 – In Edmond, Oklahoma, U.S. Postal employee Patrick Sherrill guns down 14 of his co-workers and then commits suicide. 1988 – "Black Saturday" of the Yellowstone fire in Yellowstone National Park 1988 – Iran–Iraq War: A ceasefire is agreed after almost eight years of war. 1988 – The Troubles: Eight British soldiers are killed and 28 wounded when their bus is hit by an IRA roadside bomb in Ballygawley, County Tyrone. 1989 – The pleasure boat Marchioness sinks on the River Thames following a collision. Fifty-one people are killed.

#Events

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belongstolove · 4 months ago

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"Ahmed Shihab-Eldin

BREAKING NEWS: 7 unions, representing nearly 6 million workers in the U.S. have signed a letter demanding that President Biden "immediately halt all military aid to Israel," just a day after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu landed in DC and is expected to speak before tomorrow.

The unions that signed on to the letter include:

The Association of Flight Attendants (AFA),

American Postal Workers Union (APWU),

International Union of Painters (IUPAT),

National Education Association (NEA),

Service Employees International Union (SEIU),

United Auto Workers (UAW) and

United Electrical Workers (UE).

Workers, students, and people from all walks of life will be at the Capitol TOMORROW to issue a warrant of arrest to war criminal Benjamin Netanyahu.

DC Turn it up and turn out."

#workers rights #union #solidarity #free palestine #endisraelsgenocide #israel is a terrorist state #disclose divest #divestfromisrael #boycott israel

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saintmeghanmarkle · 7 months ago

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Nigeria Trip by u/millioneura

Nigeria Trip Has anyone seen the news the Harkles are headed to Nigeria? https://ift.tt/MVhOWtS Remember when she met Harry how she went on a Malta heritage trip? What if she's trying to recreate Gabrielle Union type birthday documentary for Netflix? We know she is doing a cooking show for Netflix and needs content but she's also falling out of favour with the black community since Tyler, Michelle, Oprah & Beyonce shunned her. There's also the ongoing African park scandal engulfing Hazbeen. So what if this trip is to:A) Remind everyone she is black - 43% Nigerian (Can't wait to see how much bronzer she wears)B) Mess with the algorithm so when you Google Harry & Africa the park scandal doesn't come up instead it's a military honour C) Get good content for Netflix since their original Africa trips weren't recorded and get content that ties her to African ancestry. The only good thing is the Harkles accepting a trip sponsored by a foreign government using their British titles may cause Parliament to act hastly and remove their titles and even the U.S. may get involved. The Nigerian Minister of Defense invited them using their titles. This is a big no-no for a private British & American citizen. Who is paying for their flight? Also I saw someone commenting of if Roachel will make an appearance at InGriftUs and I think this trip is her way of getting attention, flying in quickly to get some pap pics and she can look like a humanitarian bc they will fly together to reduce carbon emissions. post link: https://ift.tt/SKQfUA5 author: millioneura submitted: April 28, 2024 at 08:40PM via SaintMeghanMarkle on Reddit disclaimer: all views + opinions expressed by the author of this post, as well as any comments and reblogs, are solely the author's own; they do not necessarily reflect the views of the administrator of this Tumblr blog. For entertainment only.

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ukrainenews · 2 years ago

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Daily Wrap Up May 8-10, 2023

Under the cut:

A Ukrainian military unit said on Wednesday it had routed a Russian infantry brigade from frontline territory near Bakhmut, claiming to confirm an account by the head of Russia's Wagner private army that the Russian forces had fled. Later in the day, Colonel General Oleksandr Syrskyi, who heads Ukraine's ground forces, said Russian units in some parts of Bakhmut had retreated by up to 2 km (1.2 miles) as the result of counterattacks. He did not give details.

The Kremlin-backed authorities in the occupied Ukrainian city of Kamianka-Dniprovska in the southern Zaporizhzhia region are evacuating families and public sector workers further into Russian-held territory, the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine said in a statement.

Russian shelling has killed a woman in Kherson oblast’s Kakhovskyi district on the Dnipro river, the Ukrainian prosecutor general’s office reported on Wednesday.

The UK foreign secretary and US secretary of state have urged Russia not to use global hunger as a tool of war in the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, as discussions continue about the resumption of the Black Sea grain deal.

The May 9 Victory Day parade in Moscow's Red Square highlighted the equipment and strategic communications challenges the Russian military has faced during its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, according to the U.K. Defense Ministry. Over 8,000 military personnel reportedly participated in the parade, but most were auxiliaries, paramilitary forces, and military academy cadets, the ministry wrote in its latest intelligence update. An old T-34 from a ceremonial unit was the only tank on this year's Victory Day parade, which is a substantial downsize from the usual number of vehicles shown at the event held annually to commemorate the Soviet Union's victory against Nazi Germany in 1945.

Later in the day, Colonel General Oleksandr Syrskyi, who heads Ukraine's ground forces, said Russian units in some parts of Bakhmut had retreated by up to 2 km (1.2 miles) as the result of counterattacks. He did not give details.

Wagner units have led a months-long Russian assault on the eastern city, but Ukrainian forces say the offensive is stalling.

Moscow has not commented on reports that its 72nd Separate Motor-rifle Brigade had abandoned positions on the southwestern outskirts of Bakhmut. Reuters was unable to independently confirm the situation on the ground.

A Russian brigade is typically formed of several thousand troops. Bakhmut is the primary target of Moscow's huge winter offensive and scene of the bloodiest ground combat in Europe since World War Two.

Ukrainian Deputy Defence Minister Hanna Malyar, writing on Telegram, said pro-Kyiv units had not lost a single position in Bakhmut on Wednesday.

Wagner boss Yevgeny Prigozhin, who has repeatedly accused Moscow's regular armed forces of failing to adequately support his men, said on Tuesday the Russian brigade had abandoned its positions.

"Our army is fleeing. The 72nd Brigade pissed away three square km this morning, where I had lost around 500 men," Prigozhin said.

'SITUATION REMAINS DIFFICULT' In a statement, Ukraine's Third Separate Assault Brigade said: "It's official. Prigozhin's report about the flight of Russia's 72nd Independent Motorized Rifle Brigade from near Bakhmut and the '500 corpses' of Russians left behind is true."

Ukraine's eastern military command said the Russian brigade had been heavily damaged, although it said Russia was still trying to capture the rest of the city.

"Unfortunately they have not destroyed the whole (Russian) brigade yet," Serhiy Cherevatyi, spokesperson for the eastern military command, said in televised comments.

"The situation (in Bakhmut) remains difficult because for the enemy, despite all the white noise Prigozhin is trying to create, it (Bakhmut) is (still) the main direction of attack," he said.

Early on Wednesday the Third Separate Assault Brigade, which was formed last year from the nationalist Azov Battalion, reposted a video of one of Azov's founders, Andriy Biletsky, who said his forces had "defeated" the Russian brigade.

"The attacks were implemented within a territory 3 km wide and 2.6 km deep, and this entire territory is completely liberated from the Russian occupying forces," he said.

Since last week, Prigozhin has repeatedly threatened to pull Wagner out of Bakhmut unless Russia's regular armed forces send more ammunition. In his latest remarks on Wednesday he said his troops were receiving only 10% of the shells they needed.

As well as clashing repeatedly with Russia's defence ministry, Prigozhin has also expressed concerns about a long-promised Ukrainian counter-offensive to recapture some of the territory that Russia occupied after the 2022 invasion.

-via Reuters

“On May 8, the Russian occupiers began to evacuate preschool and school-age children with their parents, as well as teachers and other public sector employees from the city of Kamianka-Dniprovska in Zaporizhzhia Oblast,” the statement read. “There were not many willing participants.”

Late Thursday, Yevgeniy Balitskiy, the acting governor of the occupied parts of the Zaporizhzhia region – who is backed by Russian President Vladimir Putin – announced his administration would evacuate people from places near the war’s southern front line.

Yesterday, Yurii Malashko, Ukraine’s governor of Zaporizhzhia, said in a television interview that he understood some Moscow-backed officials were leaving occupied towns, and offering to evacuate people with Russian passports, ahead of the anticipated Ukrainian counteroffensive.

“We have also heard that they take civilians, including children, to Berdiansk first of all. Then they go either to Crimea or towards the [occupied] Donetsk region,” Malashko said. Ivan Fedorov, the Ukraine-elected mayor of Melitopol — a city in Zaporizhzhia — told Ukrainian TV that it was not a “mass evacuation,” but rather “some hundreds evacuated for show.” He claimed that Russia was sending more forces to the southern front line and that, in Melitopol, troops had started mining administrative buildings, kindergartens and schools.

Fedorov advised people in the occupied areas to be prepared for the counteroffensive by finding shelter, charging power banks and stocking up on food and water.

-via CNN

~ Russian shelling has killed a woman in Kherson oblast’s Kakhovskyi district on the Dnipro river, the Ukrainian prosecutor general’s office reported on Wednesday.

Russian forces reportedly shelled the district at about 5pm. The attack also damaged residential buildings and farms in the area.

An investigation is under way and the prosecutor general’s office said that a war crimes inquiry had been launched.

-The Guardian

Speaking at a joint press conference in Washington, James Cleverly and Antony Blinken spoke about the war, as well as relations with China and the recent evacuation of nationals in Sudan amid the country falling into civil war.

Speaking first, Blinken said: “We are urging Russia to extend and expand the Black Sea grain initiative. In recent days, Russia has once again returned to blocking ships from sailing to Ukrainian ports to pick up grain. A cynical action, that directly results in less food getting to global food markets and to human beings in Africa, in the Middle East and around the world who need that food.

“While we are grateful for the tireless efforts of [UN] general secretary Guterres, our colleagues in Turkey, working to break this impasse, the world shouldn’t need to remind Moscow every few weeks to stop using people’s hunger as a weapon in their war against Ukraine.”

The UK prime minister, Rishi Sunak, will visit the US in June, where he will meet Joe Biden in Washington. London will host the Ukraine rebuilding conference in the same month, in an attempt to examine how cities, towns and infrastructure will recover post-conflict.

Cleverly struck the same tone. After thanking Blinken for his remarks, including congratulations sent to King Charles III on his coronation, the foreign secretary said: “Just as we did with Sudan, we remain focused on the needs of some of the poorest people in the world. I echo your comments on the Black Sea grain initiative.

“It is completely wrong that Russia uses the hunger of some of the poorest people in the world to pursue leverage in this conflict. They should resign the Black Sea grain initiative and do so immediately, they should unlock the supply of food to go to those people around the world who need it most and it is perverse that they are using hunger in the developing world as leverage in their conflict in Ukraine.”

-via The Guardian

Over 8,000 military personnel reportedly participated in the parade, but most were auxiliaries, paramilitary forces, and military academy cadets, the ministry wrote in its latest intelligence update.

"The only personnel from deployable formations of regular forces were contingents of Railway Troops and military police."

An old T-34 from a ceremonial unit was the only tank on this year's Victory Day parade, which is a substantial downsize from the usual number of vehicles shown at the event held annually to commemorate the Soviet Union's victory against Nazi Germany in 1945.

"Despite heavy losses in Ukraine, Russia could have fielded more armored vehicles," reads the ministry's update. "The authorities likely refrained from doing so because they want to avoid domestic criticism about prioritizing parades over combat operations."

Earlier, six Russian regions, Russian-occupied Crimea, and 21 cities had canceled their parades due to security concerns. The traditional March of the Immortal Regiment, where families show photos of fallen veterans of the Second World War, and Russian dictator Vladimir Putin's reception after the parade, were also canceled.

In 2022, large-scale parades were held in Moscow and other cities in Russia despite the full-scale war raging in Ukraine.

-via Kyiv Independent

Russian soldiers are preventing employees of the occupied Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant from evacuating a nearby frontline town with their families, Ukraine's military said Wednesday.

"In Enerhodar, the Russian occupiers organized a so-called 'evacuation' for family members of Zaporizhzhia NPP employees — yet employees of the power plant are not allowed to leave the city," Ukraine's General Staff of the Armed Forces said in a statement. Russia-backed authorities have ordered the evacuation of thousands of civilians along the southern front as a Ukrainian counteroffensive looms.

Enerhodar, where most of the nuclear plant’s staff live, was among 18 settlements whose residents were evacuated over the weekend. The evacuees were moved to recreation centers and hotels in the southern towns of Berdiansk and Kyrylivka, while others were taken to Russia's Rostov region, Ukraine's military said.

Remember: The Zaporizhzhia plant is Europe’s largest nuclear power station and has been held by Russian forces since early in the invasion last year. It is mostly operated by a Ukrainian workforce.

The plant's position on the front lines means shelling in the surrounding towns and near the facility is common. The UN's nuclear watchdog again raised concerns earlier this week about safety at the plant, describing the situation as being "increasingly unpredictable."

-via CNN

#daily update #ukraine #russia #war in ukraine #zaporizhzhia #bakhmut #us #UK #zaporizhzhya nuclear plant

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