Tracking former top members of the Assad regime https://www.nytimes.com/2025/10/16/world/middleeast/assad-regime-syria-exodus.html https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2025/10/15/world/middleeast/president-assad-syria-officials.html
GBR NFM Calling into Omaha radio from Israel, Nebraska Governor Jim Pillen claimed that Hamas fighters “cut live hostages, cut their hearts out, and ate their heart,” repeating debunked atrocity stories he said were told to him by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Pillen’s recent visit, billed as a “trade mission,” focused on expanding Nebraska’s beef exports and defense-tech ties with Israel.
Palestinian uber driver tonight, according to him he'd been here a year. Couldn't help but feel awful for everything. He did claim typical Jews control everything which wasn't great but outside of that seemed like a hardworking guy. If anyone uses this to relate to anything political then fuck off, just an absolute tragedy for those idiots trying to survive like the rest of us.
Illinihockey as those of us who followed the war not surprised to see Suheil al-Hassan (commander of Tiger Forces which was built out of Air Force Intelligence the most power intelligence agency) is in Russia but all previous reports I'd seen on reddit involved him being in the insurgency. Wild to see one of the big "resistance" leaders is in his mid 30s and unsurprisingly has a background in captagon trafficking. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miqdad_Fatiha
Awful situation for everyone involved you jusy hope the best for everyone. I know you will take this in context like it should but absolutely hilarious seeing Obama blamed for Arab Spring and subsequent conflicts. Like there is just no winning with some people. Was a fucked up situation in Syria from the begining, this Biden as vp is ignored despite realities of what he said
Feel like we should be more concerned about this or what's happening in Sudan than what's happening in Nigeria. Both Mali and Sudan have had large and ongoing Wagner (ie Russian) presence/operations over the last 3-5 years
Cannot render media: you may be using an incorrect URL. Not loading, so you'll have to go to bluesky to find this. Today's update is her car was found abandoned
arrested on trumped up charges The arrest of the IDF’s top lawyer will affect Israel’s political future— The Economist (@economist.com) 2025-11-05T16:25:36Z
War pays: Since the Oct. 7 attacks, Boeing has been awarded upward of $26 billion Israeli arms contracts with the U.S. Department of Defense alone, a recent Sludge analysis found
https://www.youtube.com/@Waka_LTL Youtube channel just discovered recently that has a ton of old Frontlines with a lot of them on the Gulf War 1 and 2, Saddam etc. Survival of Saddam from 2000 was interesting
U.S. Mercenary Firm Tied to Notorious Aid Scheme Is Recruiting for New Gaza Deployment UG Solutions, which provided security for the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, has been interviewing ex-soldiers for potential “robust security” operations. Sharif Abdel Kouddous Nov 19 UG Solutions, a leading U.S. military subcontractor that provided security for the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), is stepping up its recruitment efforts amid possible plans for several aid distribution sites to be set up in Gaza by next month, Drop Site has learned. A former army infantry officer who applied for a position as an “International Humanitarian Security Officer” at UG Solutions told Drop Site that a company official told him in an October 30th job interview that 12 to 15 sites were being planned to open in Gaza and that the company was “going to need a lot more guys.” The former army officer spoke to Drop Site on condition of anonymity, citing security concerns. The future of Gaza is at a critical juncture following this week’s Security Council vote to approve a U.S.-sponsored resolution authorizing an international stabilization force in Gaza, which would not fall under the command of the UN, but rather a so-called Board of Peace chaired by President Donald Trump. This committee would have sweeping authority over Gaza, including overseeing reconstruction, security, economic recovery, and coordinating the distribution of humanitarian aid. The use of private military contractors in aid distribution in Gaza first began in May with GHF opening four distribution sites in Gaza guarded by security contractors, many of whom were U.S. military veterans recruited by UG Solutions. For the four and half months that GHF operated in Gaza, more than 2,600 Palestinians seeking food were killed and over 19,000 wounded by Israeli forces or security contractors at or near aid distribution sites. The sites were dismantled after a U.S.-brokered “ceasefire” agreement went into effect in Gaza on October 10. Spoiler The UG Solutions official who conducted the phone interview, Joel Reyes, told the former infantry officer that deployment to Gaza was expected by early to mid December with deployments lasting 90 days. The officer was told the salary would be $800 per day for a “static guard” and $1,000 per day for “mobile guard” duty, plus a $180 per diem. When asked what the job entailed, Reyes told the recruit it was “pulling security.” In response to inquiries about whether the claims of new aid sites in Gaza with a planned deployment for December were accurate, UG Solutions senior vice president of government affairs Jennifer Counter told Drop Site in an email that “UG Solutions is preparing for a wide range of potential scenarios in Gaza, ranging from an advisory role based on our experience from January 2025 to the present day, to a robust security presence in support of humanitarian aid delivery and possible technical assistance to the International Security Force.” There are other indications of ramped up U.S. presence being planned in Gaza. On September 25, just one day after the $30 million GHF contract officially ended, a new U.S. contract with a company called Q2IMPACT was initiated, amounting to $7 million over five years to “monitor the efficacy of humanitarian aid in Palestine and Lebanon.” Rob Jenkins, the former head of USAID’s Office of Transition Initiatives, and Sean Jones, a former USAID mission manager to Egypt, are senior advisers, according to Q2’s press releases. The former army officer first submitted an application to UG Solutions in June. Patrick Shoaff, a former Special Forces Green Beret who is the Director of Mission Support and Integration at UG Solutions, responded in an email in late July saying the former officer’s candidacy had moved forward in the recruitment process. The former officer did not hear from UG Solutions again until the October 30th phone call from Reyes. Four days after that call, the officer received an email from UG Solutions saying he was “prequalified for consideration in an upcoming overseas operation” in “a high-threat environment” and that a second interview would be scheduled. During the second interview on November 4, another UG Solutions official questioned the officer in more detail about his military background and deployments, and asked him to give an example of “an ethical dilemma” he faced during his military service, the officer recalled. The UG Solutions official, whose name the officer declined to disclose, said that, if accepted, there would be three to four days of training at a facility in New Bern, North Carolina. This would include training in “rules of escalation” and “humanitarian aid operations,” in addition to shooting examinations and other courses. The UG Solutions official asked if the officer would be willing to take orders from someone more junior in military rank. He also said they were looking for recruits willing to work on a long term basis for the company. On November 17, the officer received an email from Reyes rejecting his application and informing him that the company had “received many applications for this role and the search has been very competitive.” Reyes refused to comment when contacted several times by Drop Site. The role of GHF and private military contractors in any future aid distribution in Gaza has been highly contentious. In late August, as ceasefire negotiations were underway and Israel’s genocidal military assault was in full force, Hamas agreed to remove language that would have prevented the GHF from remaining in Gaza after the agreement went into effect in what was seen as one of several major concessions. In response to inquiries about whether UG Solutions was in discussions about guarding aid sites in Gaza in the coming period, Counter said: “We are prepared to provide security services to humanitarian aid sites in Gaza should the Board of Peace determine that distribution locations or storage areas need our skills and expertise,” in a reference to the Trump-led body to oversee Gaza that was authorized by the Security Council resolution this week. “UG Solutions is in on-going discussions with relevant stakeholders about the situation on the ground in Gaza, our experiences there, and ways that we can again assist the humanitarian aid system and distributions,” Counter said. “The passage of the U.S.-led U.N. Security Council resolution on 17 November 2025 will likely help bring clarity to next steps in Gaza and UG is prepared to respond rapidly should our services be requested.” Shortly after GHF operations began in Gaza in May, UG Solutions was quickly thrust into the spotlight over its conduct. In July, videos and accounts from two UG Solutions guards obtained by the Associated Press revealed that company subcontractors were firing live ammunition, stun grenades, and other weapons at nearly every distribution in Gaza, “even if there was no threat.” Later that month, Anthony Aguilar, a UG Solutions subcontractor who was deployed to Gaza, resigned over what he described as war crimes and crimes against humanity against Palestinians seeking food at GHF aid sites, which he called “death traps.” In August, several news outlets revealed UG Solutions had hired members of a U.S. biker gang with a history of anti-Muslim hate speech to serve as security guards in Gaza. In response to whether UG Solutions was stepping up recruitment in preparation of another deployment to Gaza, Counter told Drop Site: “Our recruitment is ongoing for Gaza and several other international projects, most of which require the same skill set that we deployed to Gaza.” She added, “Many members of our team who have spent the better part of 2025 in Gaza are eager to return to the Strip because they believe in the humanitarian mission there, built relationships with members of the community, and wish to help those suffering from the effects of war.” Last month, the North Carolina chapter Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-NC), along with other local groups, called on the North Carolina secretary of state and the state attorney general to investigate UG Solutions, which is based in Davidson, North Carolina, for its actions in Gaza. “Companies incorporated in North Carolina must not be complicit in war crimes or human rights abuses abroad,” Al Rieder, the manager of CAIR-NC, said in a statement. “The evidence that a North Carolina-based company allegedly participated in attacks on starving civilians in Gaza is horrifying. We are urging the state’s top officials to uphold the law and ensure that North Carolina is not used as a base for operations that contribute to the suffering of innocent people.” Since the ceasefire went into effect on October 10, Israel has violated the deal by continuing to attack Gaza, killing at least 290 Palestinians, and by not allowing the agreed upon 600 aid trucks per day into Gaza—what the United Nations has said in the past is the bare minimum amount needed. In August, the world’s leading expert on food crises, the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification, declared a famine in Gaza. Over 450 Palestinians, including over 150 children, have died of starvation and malnutrition in Gaza between October 2023 and the end of September, according to the Gaza health ministry. Alexandra Hall with Adalah Justice Project and Jack Poulson contributed to this report.
The Genocide in Gaza A series of Israeli attacks on Gaza City and Khan Younis yesterday killed at least 33 Palestinians—including 12 children and 8 women—and injured 88, Al Jazeera reported. A family of five was killed when a strike hit a residential building in Gaza City’s Zeitoun neighborhood, while other attacks in the city left more than ten people dead, according to the Gaza Civil Defense Chief. Additional strikes hit an UNRWA building west of Khan Younis, a group near the Shujaiya junction on Salah al-Din Street, and the Bulbul family home in Shujaiya, killing several more and injuring dozens. Israel claims that it began its attack in response to a Hamas ceasefire violation, which it claimed without evidence, and the attacks remain ongoing. Israel pushed westward into eastern Gaza City on Thursday—advancing tanks and moving the yellow concrete barriers that mark the ceasefire withdrawal line roughly 300 meters into Al-Tuffah and Al-Shujaiya—after strikes a day earlier killed dozens of Palestinians, according to Drop Site contributor Abdel Qader Sabbah. Families awoke to find themselves behind the shifted line as Israeli forces shelled the area, prompting renewed displacement. Hamas spokesperson Hazem Qassem called it a “blatant violation” of the ceasefire maps and urged mediators to intervene. See our exclusive footage here. Taher al-Nounou, media adviser to Hamas’ political bureau, accused Israel of “false and fabricated” claims that the resistance violated the ceasefire, saying there was “no gunfire at Israeli forces” and that Israel is using the allegation as “a pretext to justify their crime” after killing 28 Palestinians in new strikes. He said Israel has killed more than 300 Palestinians since the ceasefire began and is “escaping the obligations of this agreement” in line with “Netanyahu’s political agenda,” urging Washington to enforce the deal it guaranteed and calling on Egypt, Qatar, and Turkey to intervene. Al-Nounou added that the resistance will not negotiate about surrendering its weapons, arguing that ending the occupation and preserving its arms are “inseparable.” The planned meeting in Istanbul yesterday between U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff and Hamas leader Khalil al-Hayya was canceled, according to multiple outlets. Israel Hayom reports that U.S. officials no longer expected “the desired results” and were reassessing their approach. Axios, citing a senior U.S. official, disputes claims that Israelis pressured the Americans to cancel the meeting, and says Witkoff’s trip was planned around a separate meeting with President Zelensky. After that meeting was canceled, the official said there was “no point” in traveling solely to meet Hamas leaders. UN Special Rapporteur Francesca Albanese said the Security Council’s recent ceasefire resolution “runs counter to the Palestinian right to self-determination,” arguing it cements external control over Gaza’s governance, borders, security, and reconstruction while ignoring Israel’s “ongoing unlawful siege, occupation, racial segregation and apartheid.” She said the U.S.-chaired “Board of Peace” would impose American and Israeli prerogatives and leave Palestinians under “a puppet administration,” insisting any international presence must ensure Israel’s withdrawal from the Strip, protect civilians, and support the right of Palestinians to determine their own political future. Journalist Motasem Dalloul says Israel is manufacturing pretexts to strike Palestinians, alleging that Hamas attacked them to justify bombing targets the military had already selected. He argues the army “loads its bank of targets” and then invents supposed Palestinian “violations” to create a retaliatory rationale, saying “This is exactly what’s happening.”
Revisiting this it's a basic way a strongman operates and what Trump wants. When that's the case you're also at the will of said strongman, like when Bashar's wife Asma al-Assad took over a bunch of Rami Makhlouf's assets (formerly richest man in Syria). https://www.arabnews.com/node/1669696/middle-east I didn't follw things much for years once it looked like Assad had won but period between 2020 and 2024 is fascinating. Syria basically devolved into a narco-state smuggling captagon in order to make money and Bashar swallowing up everything for himself.
Illinihockey not trying to be a dick with tag but just interesting to see these former Assad guys (bottom link shows NYT article). I guess they do see "Alawite-stan" or whatever on the coast as a possibility. Suheil al-Hassan is the fascinating one, Assad propaganda made him out to the best commander since Patton. He commanded the "Tiger Forces" which was a mix of a bunch of units but literally only halfway effective unit from 2014-15 onward. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Suhayl_al-Hasan https://archive.is/rR0mq
the only way I could see this succeeding would be a complete balkanization of Syria with the Druze and Kurds breaking away at the same time but that would be a disaster. Almost assuredly Turkey would send in troops to try to grab parts of northern Syria and massacre the Kurds. I see why Syria is doing everything it can to get the US on its side.
The numbers mentioned (100k plus fighters) seemed absolutely insane. Even in like 2015 the Alawite communities were devestated with the number of men lost and it only got worse. Will admit I was guilty of falling for Syria/Russia propaganda, 2016 internal Russian report that Syrian army only had 25k men available for offensive operations rings true. Druze are too small to exist as a nation and it's just never gonna happen for the Kurds. Trump views al-Sharaa as a winner and more importantly Saudi wants him to succeed so I'm sure we'd give support. I'm genuinely impressed by al-Sharaa, guy navigated fucking minefields to get where he is and at least says the right things.
I support the Iranian people as this is rebellion against repression. No idea about anything but supporting actual oppression should be lionized.
I’m sure Iran will start shooting and mass arresting protestors soon. Then in a couple of months there will be mass executions again and the collective world will shrug. From everything I’ve read the younger generation is very against the regime but pretty powerless to overthrow it since the military is so beholden to them
Read recently the leadership under the ayatollahs have been paralyzed as they are one bad move away from the country’s infrastructure crumbling. If protest ramp up I’m sure they will go heavy handed but at some point it will backfire no?
there is no backfiring though. It’s like Russia, the people in charge own the military. They’ll kill or oppress whoever they have to until they win
Is there an appetite to continue to mow down their own people? At a certain point something will give.
No Suleimani or other coordinators available makes this different in some sense. Easy to make clickbait predictions but I don't think anyone has a clue. Agreed about younger generation seems like that has been a thing for a while now and those people are growing up.
I’ve also read that a lot of the places the Iranian army suppressed past protests from were destroyed in the 12 day war and a lot of the people that ran those places were killed. Still don’t think anything will come from these protests but they have a better shot now of succeeding then before
Looking more and more like the protests could be talking over the country. Have a couple Iranian friends who felt this time could be different, that up and down the lineup change would be a strong option. Obviously things can change in a heartbeat.