By Seth Frantzman | April 16, 2025

U.S. Army Soldiers assigned to 4th Platoon, Alpha Company, 1st Battalion, 32nd Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division, set up a mortar weapon system during a patrol of the Deconfliction Zone at Al-Tanf, Syria, Dec. 23, 2024. These regular patrols enable Coalition forces to maintain security and stability within the Combined Joint Operations Area.
(U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Fred Brown, Public Domain)

US forces in Tanf continue to train with Syrian partner forces and support their work securing an area of southern Syria near the Iraqi and Jordanian borders.

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Thomas McInerney, LTG, USAF (Ret) & Paul E. Vallely MG, US Army (Ret)

Guest Editorial: Cynical Publius | April 16, 2025

By U.S. Navy – Vice Admiral Shoshana S. Chatfield, Public Domain

Politics is the domain of the president, not the oath-bearing members of the uniformed services. There is a cancer in America’s military ranks, and it must be expunged before it’s too late. That cancer lies in uniformed service members’ widespread rejection of the uniquely American concept of civilian control of the military and disregard for the absolute necessity that America’s military officers remain apolitical in the face of the constitutional will of the electorate.

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Peloni:  As Erdogan espouses ever greater Jihadi rhetoric, it is important that his access to the most advanced Western military hardware should be restricted.  The expansion of his realm to now include northern Syria demonstrates his expansionist rhetoric is quite material in nature, demonstrating the need for a more restrictive approach towards Turkey as discussed below.  As the authors explain, the Trump administration should react in a way which will restrain Erdogan rather than appease him.

Recep Tayyip Erdo?an in Kahramanmara?, May 2023 (Photo By Voice of America, Picryl,  Public Domain)

Turkey and Israel held talks last Wednesday aimed at avoiding a confrontation in Syria as Ankara continues to pursue greater influence in a post-Assad Syria, including through an increased military presence. With Turkey again throwing its military weight around the Middle East and President Recep Tayyip Erdogan asserting Ankara’s central role in European security, it is worth taking stock of Turkey’s actual military capabilities and foreign policy objectives.

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Peloni:  A very enlightening, while very disturbing report.  The loss of fidelity within the Peer Review process described here is a complete betrayal of the most important element of the research process – its validation.  Indeed, the Peer Review process is intended to provide a level of oversight such that the details described in the research has in fact been held to the highest standard and tested with the greatest sense of scrutiny possible.  Yet, when the process meant to validate medical research is found to actually include the researchers themselves in discarding critiques of their own work, it can only serve to defeat and betray the very foundation of trust which should be held as sacrosanct in medical science.   The fact that this was done surreptitiously, without disclosing the role being played by the research authors, only serves to make this defeat and betrayal all the more potent, while also making this report all the more relevant and revealing.

Yaakov Ophir & Yaffa Shir-Raz | Brownstone Institute | April 14, 2025

COVID-19 vaccination center, fair grounds Cologne, 1st vaccination

This article tells the story of one of the most disturbing breaches of scientific ethics we’ve encountered in our academic careers—buried in the peer-review process of one of the world’s leading vaccination journals, in the midst of a global health crisis.

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Peloni:   Highly Recommended 6min. Video.  Mark Levin explains that Israelis live under Judicial tyranny and discusses many of the threats which this tyranny holds over the Israeli people.

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— Benjamin Netanyahu – ?????? ?????? (@netanyahu) April 16, 2025

by Seth Mandel | Commentary | April 17, 2025

Image made with AI

The revelation that President Trump “waved off” an Israeli-led strike on Iran’s nuclear program is the second-most newsworthy part of the big New York Times scoop that broke yesterday. More significant is the fact that the article exists at all, and was published at this moment.

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By Marziyeh Amirizadeh

Evin Prison (Photo By Koosha Mahshid Falahi/Mizan News Agency, Attribution)

As an Iranian-born Christian who survived the brutality of Iran’s Evin Prison because of my faith, I’ve witnessed and suffered the Islamic regime’s cruelty firsthand: their lies, their oppression, their unrelenting hatred for, and repression of, any freedom. When I hear about the United States negotiating with Iran’s Islamic leaders, my heart aches for both my homeland and my adopted country, America. Negotiation with this regime is not just futile—it’s dangerous. Those who champion an “America First” approach, yet shy away from maximum pressure on Iran are mistaken, either avoiding or ignorant of the truth that the regime’s very survival threatens us all. The only solution for Iran, for America, and for the world is regime change—a new Iran, free from misogynist Islamic extremism, that will align with the values of liberty and peace for which America stands and should be supporting.

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Peloni:  I think the simultaneous assertions made by the State Dept, Trump’s Press Secretary, and Witkoff’s own reversal have made Trump’s position clear.  Iran will not be permitted to pursue its nuclear program, period.  This is because Trump recognizes Iran’s nuclear program as a threat to both the Big Satan as well as the little Satan.  He has also noted that he will not allow Iran “tapping us along” with protracted negotiations.  He prevented Israel’s attack pending the current negotiations, and the release of news about this attack will provide an added context to the Mullahs’ calculus in proceeding with the negotiations, along with the assertions about ending Iran’s nuclear program.  There is a deadline in place, so we will see how the Mullahs ultimately proceed, but Trump has made his position clear, and it is quite distinctly different from the Biden proposals which Witkoff has recently recanted.

Is Witkoff breaking new ground or repeating Biden’s errors?

by Daniel Greenfield  •  Gatestone Institute  •  April 17, 2025

What new solutions has Steve Witkoff come up with? The Obama ones. Negotiate with terrorists. Pretend they’re reasonable. Give them what they want. Act confused when it doesn’t work out. Pictured: Witkoff on the grounds of the White House on February 4, 2025, in Washington, DC.  (Photo By Unknown author – Facebook, Public Domain)

• Witkoff, whatever his flaws, is far more honest than his PR men on X or Capitol Hill, and has never denied that he was just implementing the policies of the Biden administration.

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Peloni:  The false flag attempts made by the US against Israel were an intolerable betrayal.  I look forward to seeing what the US Congressional investigations turn up.  The ensuing fallout in both the US and Israel will likely be quite considerable.

Prof. Moshe Cohen-Eliya | X | April 17, 2025

Demonstrating against Bibi’s and Yariv Levin’s plans to suppress the Supreme Court (Photo By Oren Rozen – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0)

U.S. Funds Used to Undermine Netanyahu Government

A new Wall Street Journal report reveals that the Biden administration directed U.S. taxpayer money to Israeli NGOs that were actively involved in protests aimed at toppling Prime Minister Netanyahu.

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Diane Bederman | April 15, 2025

Democracy in America by Alexis de Tocqueville is universally regarded as one of the most influential books ever written about America. The greatest danger Tocqueville saw was that public opinion would become an all-powerful force, and that the majority could tyrannize unpopular minorities and marginal individuals.(emphasis mine)

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Peloni:  This provides greater clarity on the situation erupting in the US State Dept and Rubio’s changing position.

Reagan Reese  | Daily Caller | April 16, 2025

Secretary of State Rubio being sworn in as Secretary of State (Photo by By Office of Vice President of the United States – Twitter, Public Domain)

Inside the State Department, a battle is brewing over how to implement President Donald Trump’s agenda to dismantle the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID)

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Peloni:  With Trump’s diplomatic initiative in play, the notion that Israel would gain US support in attacking Iran was not realistic, and the simple reality is that Israel needs US support, if not during an operation against Iran, certainly during the aftermath to help deal with the expected missile barrage.  While Trump made known his own efforts to re-engage with the Mullahs, Bibi afterwards made his own Red Lines crystal clear: Iran must not be allowed to maintain its nuclear program.  And on this point at a minimum, Trump and Bibi are completely in sync.  This fact has been made certain for all in the aftermath of the critical missteps and corrections made by Witkoff in recent days.

Notably, when, more likely than if, US negotiations fail with Iran, Israel must act to end Iran’s nuclear program, with or without US support.  But it would be better with US support, as the fallout would be less catastrophic and the success of the operation will be greater.

Israeli opposition leaders criticize PM Netanyahu for empty threats against Iran

All Israel News Staff | Published: April 17, 2025

Donald Trump (Photo By Gage Skidmore from Peoria, AZ, United States of America, CC BY-SA 2.0)

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Peloni:  Highly recommended video.  Note full text and correction below tweet.

Masha Kleiner | X | Jan 18, 2025

At a time when Israel is being attacked by the Islamic regime and its endless proxies, and while the Jewish diaspora is facing an unprecedented rise in antisemitism in modern times, both in Canada and worldwide, some Jewish organizations and activists choose to support BDS and… https://t.co/PSMoNhj5Cq pic.twitter.com/RSxcZDIupR

— Masha Kleiner (@mashakleiner) January 19, 2025

Text: 

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Peloni:  Is Rubio a changed man, a former member of the Republican wing of the Uniparty turned into a MAGA faithful?  Or is he merely positioning himself for a better grasp as Trump’s successor over the clearly outmatched Vance, in hopes of leading the Deep State back to power after Trump term ends?  As is true with the removal of the Censorship Apparatus, Rubio’s pursuit of the MAGA agenda will only last as long as he wants it to, making the issue of his sincerity in becoming a MAGA devotee overnight a critical point of interest to Trump’s supporters.  Choose carefully what you take from this.

Sundance | April 16, 2025

The State Dept. Global Engagement Center was the epicenter of the Dept of State operation to control speech on social media platforms.  Following revelations from within the Twitter Files, and facing increasing scrutiny, the GEC operation was shut down – but the remnants of the operation remained active within the State Dept.

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Thomas McInerney LTG, USAF (Ret) & Paul E. Vallely MG, US Army (Ret)

Guest Editorial: Bill Gertz | April 15, 2025

The new chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff has warned that the U.S. military currently is unable to deter China and other adversaries and called for urgent defense reforms. Gen. John Caine, who was sworn in as chairman on Monday, stated in recent Senate testimony that the weaknesses include an inability of the military system to support and respond rapidly to a conflict. “The U.S. does not have the throughput, responsiveness, or agility needed to deter our adversaries,” Gen. Caine stated in written answers to the Senate Armed Services Committee.

The disclosure comes as the U.S. military is facing potential conflict with China in the Taiwan Strait where the commander of the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command has said China has been rehearsing for large-scale military operations against a key U.S. partner, Taiwan. Adm. Sam Paparo, the commander, told a Senate hearing last week that China is engaged in “unprecedented aggression” against Taiwan. Adm. Paparo said U.S. forces can deter China and prevail in a conflict but warned that “the margin is eroding.” The command needs “additional sustained investment” in long-range weapons and a strengthening of air and missile defenses with drones and artificial intelligence, Adm. Paparo said.

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By Hugh Fitzgerald | April 15, 2025

The Israelis are constantly working to improve their weaponry, both as to performance and as to cost. The Iron Dome anti-missile system, first introduced in 2006, has been impressive enough, capable of intercepting more than 90% of the missiles launched toward Israel. However, it is expensive: each interception requires the firing of two Tamir missiles. Each Tamir missile costs $40,000, meaning that each interception costs $80,000. But now the Israeli scientists at Rafael and Elbit have developed a high-energy laser system that will reduce the cost of such interceptions to the scarcely believe price of two dollars. Here are some details from an October 2024 story that remains pertinent:

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Tariffs built America

by Daniel Greenfield | April 16, 2025

The Father of the Constitution was also the father of tariffs. Indeed, the first piece of legislation passed was James Madison’s Tariff Act. Madison, known as the Father of the Constitution, saw tariffs as a driving purpose of the Constitution and a sustaining force of the new government.

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