Podcasts about Peshmerga

Join Chris Thrall in an gripping episode of Bought the T-Shirt Podcast as he sits down with Timmo, a former British Army soldier from the Royal Green Jackets. Tim shares his extraordinary journey of transformation, from serving in the British military to volunteering as a foreign fighter with the Peshmerga in Syria, battling ISIS, and later joining the Ukrainian Army to fight against Russia. This powerful conversation dives into Tim's experiences, motivations, and the challenges he faced on the frontlines of global conflicts. Don't miss this inspiring and thought-provoking story of courage, resilience, and dedication. Socials: instagram.com/chris.thrall youtube.com/christhrall facebook.com/christhrall christhrall.com Support the podcast at: patreon.com/christhrall (£2 per month plus perks) gofundme.com/christhrall paypal.me/teamthrall Our uncensored content: christhrall.locals.com Mailing list: christhrall.com/mailing-list/ Life Coaching: christhrall.com/coach/

SBS Kurdish was invited by the Australian Kurdish Society (AKS) to Newroz celebrations. While attending the event, we engaged with participants and asked the about the significance of Newroz in their lives. We spoke with writer Hamid Rashid Zarza, Shahla Saedi, Nejiba Talabani, Rebwar a Peshmerga veteran, Cemal Ismaili, writer Ashti Ibrahim Efendi, Nader Gariban - president of AKS, Sudabeh Fard and singer Serdar Qadir. - SBS Kurdî ji alîyê Civata Kurdên Australya (Australian Kurdish Society - AKS) ve bo ahenga Newrozê hat vexwandin. Em bi beşdaran re axifîn û me derbarê Newrozê û wateya Newrozê bo wan çî ye pirsî. Em bi nivîkar Hemîd Reşîd Zarza, Şehla Saedî, Necîba Telebanî, Rêbwar, Cemal Îsmaîlî, nivîskar Aştî Ibrahîm Efendî, Nader Xerîban - serokê AKS, Sûdabêh Fard û stranbêj Serdar Qadir re peyîvîn.

Emptiness.Based on a post by FinalStand, in 13 parts. Listen to the ► Podcast at Explicit Novels. I was a bit of a loss what to do as our sexual congress had gone in a totally different direction from what I had foreseen. Brandy seemed physically happy with the outcome yet her mind was conflicted. She slowly slipped to my right side before propping herself up. She didn't look at me. Her vision was locked onto her scattered articles of clothing.Dressing meant us heading back to my place then her having to confront Darius with all that had happened to her; and she'd liked being with me. She felt Darius was going to pierce any fable she created so leaving equated to pain and degradation for her. I believed Darius would punish her for his lousy planning. It was ludicrous to believe Brandy could entrap me.That might have been sadistic back-up plan. He could get one up on me, or blame Brandy for failing at the task he shoved upon her. Darius would beat her up over the failure. Brandy was so infatuated with him, she would willingly accept the fault was hers. His cruelty didn't excuse her stupidity, not in my mind. Still, I reached out and ran my fingers from mid-thigh to her underarm. That tickled so she turned to me and smiled.It was the first genuine sign of affection she'd ever shown me. I kept repeating the motion even after she put her head back on my chest. Brandy followed up her happy murmuring by stroking my cock. That turned into a hand-job. My pleasurable moans led to a blowjob and that graduated to a sixty-nine. I worked over her clit with my lips as I worked my fingers inside her vagina and ass hole.I was positive she'd had some intense anal sex this morning with Darius. Mom's forced enema hadn't helped her sphincter relax much at all. I fit two fingers inside her anus with little effort and, by her reaction, causing her nothing but sexual satisfaction. I admit I got carried away, altering between vaginal/anal intrusions, spanking her ass and unleashing my vitriol.I reminded her she'd treated me like filth beneath her heel, tried to have Darius bust me up, and he had failed, and I knew Darius had sent her to me today. He'd failed again, so had she and because of that I was going to own her ass multiple times before I let her go home. All of that blame and passion excited Brandy to a razor's edge.She was choking down my semen in no time. While she was nursing my cock (we were still '69'ing) back to health, I tore another climax from her. She was wearily working toward my third round when I enforced a bathroom and food break. I let this play out in the reverse of my experience, Mom and Dad.I followed Brandy around, hugging her from behind when she slowed down, or stopped. Initially she didn't know what to make of my snuggling affection though she quickly decided she liked it. She'd often lean back into my embrace. She also decided to open up a little bit. We were eating some Pimento Cheese sandwiches which she made while I poured us two tall glasses of lemonade.‘I like it when you spank my ass,' she mumbled around a mouthful of food. She wasn't being rude. She was giving herself an 'out' if I found her request annoying, or a cause for derision, a misunderstanding of what she'd said. I arched one eyebrow, stepped to her side, cupped her buttocks then gave the left one a sharp smack.‘I like that too,' I nodded hungrily. ‘You were right,' I added. She looked at me with curiosity. ‘You do give a good blowjob. I really liked it.' I didn't really know how to rate her. She was the second girl to ever give me fellatio, but the experience had been good for me. My simple praise put a spark back in her self-confidence.‘I told you I was,' she grinned triumphantly. I stepped up and gave her right buttock a quick slap.‘Don't forget I'm still angry with you,' I met her sultry gaze. A sexy side of her I'd never seen before shone forth. She was mixing fun and intercourse in a way new to her and she was finding the combination enjoyable.Without a doubt, Darius had played mind games with Brandy. My games were on a more direct level. I was still sure she was going to return to being Darius' fuck-slave and for the first time I felt sorry about that.‘What are you thinking about?' Brandy snuggled into me.‘I'm curious why you are still here,' I countered. That put her back into our ugly reality. She should be pushing me to take her back home, but she wasn't. ‘Let's go back to bed.' My offer evaporated her indecision. She took my hand and returned us to the bedroom. I spanked her exquisite ass a few more times on the way.Brandy made it clear what she wanted next. She crawled up to the head of the bed, put one pillow under her breast and a second one beneath her head all the while wiggling her ass in my direction. Lube; in the bedside table. I almost discounted it. Brandy was fairly loose. I still decided to err on the side of caution. I lubed up while she buried her face into a pillow in anticipation of what was to come.My trepidations were justified. Brandy's ass was an overly used tunnel. A few strokes verified that Brandy was only marginally enjoying the event all that much either. Diligence proved to be the most important Word of the Day. A dozen strokes in, Brandy gave a pleased grunt. I decided to alternate five slow, easy strokes followed by three rapid, hard and deep ones.That was the correct choice. Brandy began huffing and panting, thrusting back and giving her ass a clever twisting motion that increased the stimulation for us both. She knew what she was doing while I was a complete novice. I took her instruction and suggestions well, leading up to a thunderous orgasm on her part.Recalling her earlier request for post-climactic care, I took my penetrations nice and slow while she built back up her stamina. I couldn't explain it. Her anal passage was becoming just as snug as her vagina was, a perfect fit for my cock. The movement of my glans upon her back passage was driving her nuts.A few minutes of compassionate union saw Brandy forcing herself onto all fours. The look she gave me over her shoulder expressed an unspoken desire for my assistance. I took a stab at what she wanted by wrapping my arms around her waist and pulling her back up to my chest. My guess was almost what she intended. Brandy moved my hands to her breasts.Our height difference kept my kisses to the top of her head. I compensated by mauling her breasts, twirling her nipples and keeping up a rigorous breast play. She loved it. Brandy rocked back on my rod repeatedly, raising up then impaling herself with a downward push. I became absorbed in the sexual moment, losing track of whether this was one more orgasm for Brandy, or two.All I did know was when I finally came for the third time in this marathon coitus session, Brandy screamed like a banshee, shook as if she was having a seizure and then passed out. I couldn't immediately rouse her, so I quick-stepped (on my wobbly legs) to the bathroom, wetted a washcloth and rushed back to her side.I rubbed the cool cloth over her neck and cheeks until she revived. The collision of emotions in her eyes imparted a look I didn't then understand and would never forget. It was starting to get dark, so I recommended a shower before heading back. Brandy's silent depression wasn't something I could understand.She did hug me tight all the way home and made no protest when I snuck an arm around her waist as we went inside. We ran across Anita Turner, the downstairs maid, first.‘Ms. Carson, you need to call your Father,' she informed Brandy. She exhaled deeply, looked to me so I gave her my phone. Big Bob wanted confirmation that she was where she claimed to be.‘Yes Sir,' I stated. ‘We messed around the house for a bit, we have some swords, bows and stuff here; then we went out to the hunting lodge to make sure that it was habitable. You know, in case you, my Dad and my brothers want to go hunting when Deer Season comes around,' I bent the truth.That soothed Brandy's Dad though he did insist Brandy come straight home. She let him know her phone was kaput. I promised to give her a spare my Mom had. As I gave Brandy the phone, I reminded her that her father might check her phone log so she shouldn't make any other calls. I neglected to teach her how to clear that log, I was still fucking with Darius.Mom was sitting on the front porch swing as we stepped out the front door. I was planning on walking her to car because that felt like something a guy should do.‘I told you not to fuck any of my Sons,' Mom taunted Brandy. Her voice shocked us.‘I; ah,' Brandy stammered.‘Mom, is this really the time?' I intervened.‘Yes it is Vlad,' Mom informed me kindly. To Brandy she was less kind, ‘You stupid, insipid tramp. Do you regret doing my boy yet?'‘No,' Brandy protested.‘You will,' Mom chuckled. ‘You will.' I had no idea what she was talking about. Brandy flashed me a concerned look. My face held no answers so we headed to her car in silence. I gave her one unexpected kiss on the lips. She responded with a ravenous French kiss. I remained standing, a prisoner of my uncertainty, as she drove away.‘Mom?' I asked when I got back to the porch. ‘What are you talking about Brandy 'regretting sleeping with me'?'‘Vlad, you are a big boy,' Mom began. ‘You know I like sex, right?' I nodded. ‘Your Dad is the best fuck I've ever had, period, end of statement.'‘It is not just him either,' Mom chortled. ‘All of us Samsonov husband and brides feel that way about our mates. Despite my experience and willpower, I couldn't get away. The first time we had sex, your Dad and I, I knew it was the best cock I'd ever had and ever would have.'‘Gee; thanks, but no thanks for that crumb of information,' I grimaced.‘Vlad, you know I like to get my way in all things,' she made sure she had my attention. ‘I told you one month after that night with your father, I came back to him and have never been with anyone else. That's because after your Dad, all other sex was boring and pointless. I couldn't have an orgasm without your Father's help. It is like that with all the Samsonov's, men and women.'‘That's your Secret Weapon?' I scoffed. ‘Magic Dicks?' Mom laughed at me.‘You'll see. Wait until Wednesday, Thursday at the latest. Brandy's not all that strong-willed. She'll be begging you for a second round. I have no doubt,' Mom smiled knowingly. Why my Mom had finally wander off to fantasy land was my source of worry for the rest of the weekend.The further adventures of the Samsonov boys in Black Racist Tyranny.RetributionSunday was a family outing to Big Bob's for Sunday football. This time, seven other Sheriff's Deputies (with their families) were there as well. Even the scumbag Deputy who had face-fucked Brandy Friday night was there with his wife and three year old daughter. He had this big ole shit-eating grin on his face when his eyes lit on Big Bob's pride and joy.It didn't take Clarence Peterson, that was the mother-fucker's name, long to corner Brandy in a bathroom. The hunters, not realizing they were the hunted, was a running epidemic in this burgh. I made triple sure I didn't fall into any sort of complacency.‘Hey Brandy,' he sneered at my 'supposed girlfriend' as she tried to stand up from the toilet seat. ‘I need a little relief.'‘I don't think; ‘ she mumbled.‘Bitch, I'm not asking you to think,' he grabbed her hair. ‘I want you; ‘‘What?' I stepped into the room, closing the door behind us. ‘Dummy, you want what?'‘If you know what is good for you, you will walk the fuck out of here,' he challenged me.‘Good idea,' I snorted. ‘Why don't I go out to the party, trick that pretty wife of yours into a dark room and face-fuck her? How does that sound, nigger?' Yes, I was a White boy calling a Black cop 'nigger'. I had chosen my culturally bankrupt words carefully with the intent to incite.He stormed my way ready to put me in my place. He was equipped with law enforcement level basic hand-to-hand training. I'd been play-fighting that for half my life. I couldn't openly bruise him. An arm bar fit the bill for keeping in place while I landed punch after punch into his crotch until he was halfway to his knees and crying for his Mamma.‘Now before you decide to turn this misunderstanding into an incident,' I whispered my threat into his ear. ‘You might want to consider Big Bob's new security system and how one of my Brothers is getting a record of what you just pulled (a lie).'‘You came into another man's house and tried to rape his womenfolk,' I cautioned him. ‘How would you like it if someone treated your wife that way?' I could see the complete lack of empathy on his part.‘From here on out, you don't touch Brandy,' I continued.‘As far as I'm concerned, the way you treat any woman is your permission slip to do the same thing to your wife. We might even make you watch, you cock-less piece of shit. Keep it sheathed around anyone but your wife. Got it?'‘Fuck off you bastard,' he spat. Thank the Almighty for that BBC arrogance.I twisted his trapped arm up then planted two steel toed boot kicks into his already tenderized scrotum. He almost passed out from the pain.‘Vlad?' Brandy worried.‘It is okay Brandy,' I smiled at her. ‘Go out and stand by your Daddy. I'll be with you soon enough.'Out she went, leaving me with the asshat.‘Boy,' he hissed through his agony. ‘You are going to get; ‘‘Cool enough,' I shrugged. I leveraged him over to the toilet and shoved his face into the commode. Had he not interrupted Brandy, she would have had time to flush.I let him thrash about a good deal before bringing his face out of the water. He immediately got combative so back in he went. It took four trips to the fetid pool for him to realize he was on the wrong end of police brutality.‘Just so we are clear, Clarence,' I lectured him.‘All I want is some respect and fair treatment. You've crossed Big Bob, my Dad and now me,' I reminded him. ‘In my opinion we've almost balanced accounts. Act like a married man and like someone who swore an oath to serve and protect, everyone. You cross the line again, you can bet we Samsonovs will find out about it.'‘We will assume the incident is you serving notice that you've vacated the human race and you will be dealt with like the piece of trash you've become. We are not the fucking KKK, Butt-Monkey. I don't think any man is less than me until he proves it. You have a family, your cock stays at home. You have a daughter. Do you want her growing up happy only to get cornered in a bathroom by some asshole who thinks he has the right to violate her?'I let him go and stood back.‘We are done unless you fuck up again. Make an issue of this and I'll make sure your wife is gobbling Big Bob's cock before Thanksgiving. Clean yourself up and enjoy the party, Clarence,' I sneered. I left him there, kneeling on the floor before the porcelain altar.He had hate in his eyes; and he was scared too. Having broken both the law and the covenant of marriage, he'd painted himself into a corner. Things were going according to plan. Kick the BBCs in their masculinity. How we would defeat the sexual addiction angle was still a mystery to me.I was looking for both Brandy and Clarence's wife. Mom had gotten to the latter first and was already insinuating herself into the woman's confidence. She was a born con artist. I found Brandy alone by the pool, rather shaken up. She gave a slight jolt when I wrapped my arms around her from behind.‘Oh, it is you,' she sighed with relief.‘You are my girlfriend, Brandy. You don't need to be afraid of me,' I soothed her. 'That's right Brandy' was the message. 'You can have a boyfriend who fucks you silly yet doesn't treat you like crap and scares you.' Darius didn't have to be an abusive bastard. He chose to be.He choose to make Brandy the pawn in his rage against Whites in general and Sheriff Carson in particular. 'Black Rage'? That was an excuse for lashing out at the weak, defenseless, innocent and uninformed. Worse, it was insulting, to Blacks. Why would Black people be less emotionally mature than any other human beings? Just saying the phrase made me feel racist.By that reasoning, any person of any race could be excused for going nuts because their lives had been harsh enough. Funny; if a White man had spontaneous rage issues he would be committed to a mental health facility, or sent to prison, and then forced to take medicine and submit to therapy.Child abuse, torment, broken homes, poverty, drug abuse and persecution were all excuses used by serial killers too. I preferred to see Black people as people and accountable to that standard of civility I held myself to. In the same manner, they were worthy of all the respect I showed my Father as long as they didn't prove otherwise. The only person I could stop from being racist was me. The rest had to be held to their own standards, period, end of statement.‘Thanks Vlad,' she pushed into me.‘You know,' I rested my jaw on the top of her head. ‘Standing by the pool reminds me that I've never seen you in a bikini.' She gave me a weak elbow to the ribs.‘You've seen me naked,' she teased me. She twisted enough so she could look up at my face. ‘Have you forgotten that already?'‘Not likely,' I bent my body so that I could kiss the tip of her nose. That caught her off guard yet she quickly rewarded me with an ass wiggle. ‘I take that back,' I looked away. ‘I've completely forgotten about it. Maybe you could show me what I've been missing sometime soon.' I got another ass wiggle.‘You are impossible,' she remarked loudly.In unison we looked toward the grill in time to see Big Bob sending a satisfied smile our way.‘Parents,' I protested to her softly. ‘Can't I just hold you without your Daddy making a big deal about it?' I had to head off her anger with her Dad from poisoning the gains I'd been making.‘Oh God, yes,' she sighed. There was a long break in the conversation.‘Are you going to give me trouble about still seeing Darius?' she questioned me.‘I'm not going to lie to you. I'm not happy about it,' I hugged her tighter. ‘But, I'm a man of my word and I said I wouldn't stand in your way. Don't ask me not to hate him.'‘Why would you hate him?' Brandy prodded me. I knew what she wanted.‘I'm going to dislike any man who touches you, Brandy,' I nuzzled her hair. ‘White, Black, Yellow, Brown, Green, or Purple, I don't care. I know I can make you happier than Darius can. I'm man enough to trust you to figure that out on your own.' Another long pause.Big Bob was calling everyone over for their grilled meat of choice.‘What if he won't let me go?' she posed.‘Then I'll kick his ass and beat the crap out of every goon he puts between us,' I pledged. Brandy wanted a brutal competition as confirmation of her perceived self-worth.I took that sense of victory into Monday morning. I felt confident. I also had boarded up the proverbial windows and evacuated the low-lying areas because a hurricane was coming my way. There was no more confusion on Darius' part. I was the enemy he had to crush no matter what. My family would have to go down as well.It wasn't the smart move, but it was really his only move because calling for a truce wasn't in him. A real man would have looked at the possible costs versus the intended gains. Instead, a mad delusion gripped the opposition, Darius didn't give a damn about any of his supporters. His BBC culture encouraged him to think of every woman as a token to be taken from any man.It was insane for anyone to think they were safe from that toxin. What possible loyalties could have sprung from encouraging such insidious selfishness? It wasn't IF you would fuck a certain girl; it was when. Was a girl with a guy? She wouldn't always be under his protection and then it was BBC time. Would the guy get pissed his girl was being boinked?So? Girls were walking, talking sex orifices and that guy had just proved the girl who you thought was yours was really nothing but another cock-hungry slut. Very few women were truly respected anymore and those who thought they were safe had their heads hopelessly lost in the clouds. Wouldn't color save them? Why?The community had already given Black men a pass on predatory behavior toward Whites, forgetting they were people too. Exercising their BBCs gave them all the White cunt, lips and ass they could want. 'Want' being the key word. Black girls were just as sexually enticing as White girls. The boys were already skilled at violating their victims, willing, or unwilling.The same lies the BBCs told White girls work on Black girls too, because the truth they are nothing but hash-marks was too bitter a pill to swallow. Given his looks, natural talent and the thoughtless adoration of his community, Darius' blinding egotism was a given. The rest of the parasitical crowd had vested too much in their favored Son to restrain him now.That attitude greatly simplified the Samsonov stratagem to under-cut his latest efforts before they even got off the ground. He had racked up four more blackmail victims Friday night. Mom was taking that leverage away once school was in session by taking the evidence to the parents of the students in question. Painful? Yes.It was cauterizing the damage before Darius' crowd could turn it into a long festering wound. Our position was aided by the fact we didn't require the White families to do anything except to bring their kids into the loop. No active resistance was required, yet. All that was still coming. For me, it was another day in homeroom, talking with Kaelyne about her weekend.‘Hey Vlad,' Brandy's greeting had a bit more 'oomph' this morning. Taliyah was in her normal, tag-along spot with that accustomed slight smirk on her face. She was behind the times.‘Hey yourself, Brandy,' I smiled my girlfriend's way. ‘You look really nice today.' Brandy had been a bit unsure about the state of our détente. Taliyah and Kaelyne were floored by my propriety.‘Thanks, Vlad,' Brandy gave me a sultry twirl of her skirt before she sat down. She twisted to say something else, but my attention had already refocused on Kaelyne. I wasn't going to surrender my friendship with Kaelyne for Brandy.‘What where you saying about that female Peshmerga fighting against ISIS?' I picked up our conversation.Yep, petite Kaelyne was a gun-nut with a secret ambition to fight the patriarchal rapists of Mother Earth. She was enchanted by my tales of the Alaskan Wilderness and I found her; well, kinda neat. Kaelyne kept stammering her response while looking over my shoulder at Brandy. I followed that path back.‘Brandy, is there a problem?' I regarded her somewhat coldly.‘I wanted to talk to you about the Basketball team,' she kept shooting intimidation Kaelyne's way. The basketball angle was to remind Kaelyne I was a jock. Cheerleaders and jocks ran in the same social circles. Jocks and geeks didn't.The local twist on that quaint social custom was all the other athlete/jocks were Black, except for the token, 'Mamma paid my way onto the team' White boy; and now the Samsonov triplets. We three had no illusions about being welcomed by the Black athletic establishment. No matter what Brandy chose to believe, cheerleaders of both races were little more than easily accessible fuck-toys.My brothers had already razzed me about putting my cock into Brandy. None of us wanted anything to do with the rest of the cheerleader corps, though Mom insisted we consider the opportunity if it arose. That and give them the disinfectant treatment before penetrating any of their whore holes, and, due to the BBC preference to deep-throat and tea-bag their bitches, that included French kissing.‘I'll catch up with you at lunch,' I suggested. We knew that was Darius-time. There was nothing like creating a scheduling conflict with the onset of the new week and our new relationship.‘The Squad (cheerleading squad) has a practice meeting at lunch,' Brandy reminded me; that she and the girls were required as cock-sluts during lunch.‘How about we meet up at the end of lunch then?' I offered.‘Okay,' she turned her somewhat brittle smile to me. ‘As co-Captain of the Cheer Squad, I need to coordinate activities with all the athletic teams.' We had three school teams: football, basketball, and Track and Field. The third group didn't get Brandy's support.‘He's not likely to be selected team captain,' Taliyah pointed out. That was unfair. Very likely true, but still bigoted and biased.‘I'm hoping it will be Kaja,' I responded. ‘She's a hell of threat plus she'd got a good head for the game.'‘She's a girl,' all three girls around me spouted. Ms. Alice Thomas, our homeroom teacher, called things to order. We got the regular announcements out of the way and one 'gem'. The School Board had hired a new 'interim' Principal. He was, surprise, surprise, Black (I was actually wrong about that, more later). This time, he was a Canadian Black man.The morning was much the same as last week; more sneak attacks, slights and racial slurs. My brothers and I knew how the teachers would treat us. We had broken them down into three groups: the Racists (yeah, I know, Black People Can't be racists), the Cock-suckers (their BBC masters were pissed with us, so those teachers were pissed with us), and the Doomed (victims of blackmail forced to torment us).The Doomed were the nicest. Their heart wasn't in their efforts to annoy us. All they did was make the minimally required dubious efforts to single us out for maltreatment. The first two groups came at us with some real hatred. Those 'educators' were openly disdainful. We didn't mind. Samsonovs respected authority until it stopped being fair and impartial.On the way to lunch, Mikhail and I began our school counter-offensive. As two punks tailed him into a security camera blind spot, I cut off the lights so they could be highlighted by external illumination. Then the beat down began. We grappled them with one hand and landed body-blow after body-blow with the other. We'd split up and slipped back into the school crowd before anyone was the wiser.‘Vlad?' Taliyah yanked on my arm in the hall during the 5th/6th period break. When I turned around, ‘Vlad.' She came close to me and pulled me into a door sill. ‘Vlad; umm; why don't you go by the infirmary?'‘What? Please don't think I like, or trust you, Taliyah. I see how you look at Brandy and that ain't love,' I chided the Black cheerleader.‘I don't like you either, Vlad,' she glared, ‘but; Brandy; she pisses me off at times, but we've been close since seventh grade and; go see for yourself.' With that, she took off. To go, or not to go; that was the dilemma. Taliyah's actions were unusual and out of character for the player she thought she was. I went with the bizarre and the belief that even bad people can be humane.I found Brandy on the nurse's couch looking pretty damn miserable. She'd been crying and appeared distraught. The nurse was sitting in the corner, talking amiably on her cell phone.‘Brandy?'‘What are you doing here?' the nurse, Tasha Cooke, tried to block me.Had she been paying attention to her sole patient she might have been effective at that.‘Brandy, I'm just stopping by to say 'hey',' I said as I hovered in front of her.‘Vlad,' she sniffled. ‘Nothing is wrong.' Clear lie. ‘I'll be okay.'‘Now would you get out, boy?' Nurse Cooke grabbed my left bicep.‘I'm her boyfriend,' I shot a furious look Cooke's way. ‘I'm going to call her Father and see what he says about Brandy and your treatment of her.'‘Vlad, don't,' Brandy grabbed my hand that was reaching for my phone.‘Boyfriend,' Nurse Cooke snidely muttered under her breath.‘That's right,' my voice took on a tiger's rumble. ‘I'm the one here when she is in distress, not some cock-sucking loser who things he owns her.' Our eyes clashed. ‘Make sure you tell Darius I said that too,' I taunted her.‘White boy, you don't know what's going on,' Tasha taunted right back.‘Tasha Cooke, older sister of Nefrititi Cooke who was recently fired by my Mom for being niggardly,' I fiercely grinned. ‘Mother of three. Never married. It was relayed to me you are more of a bitch than your sister, so no man wants to hang around after he's done his business. What exactly don't I understand, Ms. Cooke?' I wasn't calling her a 'bitch'.That would have been bad. No, I was staying I had heard someone called her a 'bitch' and was relaying that information.‘Ah,' she stuttered. ‘Have you been stalking me?'‘Nope,' I shook my head. ‘The 4-1-1 on you wasn't even difficult to obtain.‘Now give us some space before I start to think you don't like me,' I added. She didn't like me. I didn't care. I wanted to talk to Brandy without this cunt standing over my shoulder. Tasha backed off, then mumbled something about going out for a smoke. With her gone, I hugged Brandy and kissed her on the top of her blonde head.‘I have to get to class,' I told her. I kissed the top of her head again which resulted in Brandy pressing her head into my shoulder and her breasts against my torso. ‘I'll catch up with you later.' I separated from her. I wasn't going to rip her about letting Darius get away with whatever happened. That wasn't an argument I could win.Twenty minutes later the Samsonov triplets were sitting in the Vice Principal's office, listening to her bitching us out. She was going to roast our chestnuts on an open-fire, BBQ our ham hocks and exile us from school.‘For what?' I inquired.‘You beat up two nice, young, upstanding African-American men,' she growled.‘Evidence would be nice,' I grinned.‘They saw you three bastards attacking them. That's all the proof I need,' the VP glared. Somehow, she sensed a trap.‘So, these two unnamed guys claim the three of us beat them up; where? When?' I kept at her.‘That doesn't matter, you little bastards. They made the complaint and I believe them. You are looking at a one week suspension and you are being booted off the basketball team,' she turned viciously victorious. We three kept smiling.‘Wait, are you recording this conversation?' she gasped. Three phones came up, we all hit 'upload' and showed her the screens. ‘Give me those,' she snapped. We handed her the phones, the 'burner' phones dedicated to this round. Mom was a prophetess for some Dark Pantheon, no doubt. ‘How do you delete those files?' she mumbled as she played with the buttons.‘That would require a password which I doubt any of us recall right now,' Alexander informed her. The VP, Mrs. Janice Russell, looked ready to erupt. ‘I will make it easy on you, Ms. Russell. Ms. Blanchard can verify I was with her from 12:35 to 1:10 when you summoned me here. Before that, all three of us were in the cafeteria. Your cameras will prove that.'‘That means, B; ,' Mikhail snarled, ‘The three of us couldn't have beat up anyone since before home room. That means those whiny, little natty-haired bastards lied to you on an official complaint.'‘Yes, my brothers and I can't thank you and your 'boys' enough for getting overly-greedy,' I added.Vice Principal Russell's mouth gaped like that of a drowning fish.‘None of us are going to sweat about these false accusation,' I smirked. ‘We three are going to drop hints to everyone who counts you were super-nice to us and let us off with a 'stern warning'. I'm sure so very many of your fans will be pleased with you giving the three most hated White boys in school a pass.'‘I did no such thing,' she protested. I could see that creeping fear in her eyes.‘Well, unless you want to be brought before the State Board of Education, you are letting us walk,' I pointed out.‘You have nothing,' she shook her head.‘We have had several run-ins with you, we have you setting up our Mother by threatening Mikhail and we have you facilitating the Principal's attack,' I reminded her.‘I did no such thing,' she protested.‘Nice try. Either you are an idiot to not know what has been going on under your nose the past ten years as you handed female student after female student and concerned mother after concerned mother over to our former Principal, or you were in cahoots. Either way, you are toast,' I countered.‘You can't tie me to that,' she gobbled with some real concern.‘Like us, you are White, Ms. Russell,' I snorted with amusement. ‘The Black community will rally around that fat bastard. Who has your back? If you think it is the Coach, you clearly haven't noticed how he looks at the female student body.' The 'Ms.' was on purpose; an indicator she wasn't being much of a wife in our eyes.‘Hell, they might even pin his extracurricular activities, you manipulating a man with a sexual addiction he had no control over, on you because you pretty much made him a victim too,' Alexander piled it on. ‘There goes any hope of a teaching job anywhere.'‘Your husband will lose all his Black clients; and most of the White ones too,' Mikhail grinned like a shark.‘No; no, that wouldn't happen,' she muttered.‘You are having a rather indiscreet affair with the Coach although you are a married woman. Basically, both of you are liars, deceivers and abuse your authority,' I continued. ‘If the Coach really wanted you, you'd be his wife by now; but nah; he's stringing you along.'‘Yeah, that's loyalty for you,' Alexander tagged in. ‘Except you aren't loyal to your husband, so why would any man be loyal to you?'‘Shut; Shut Up!' she screamed. ‘Get out; ‘ Out we went.‘We beat that because of one little lie,' Mikhail chortled. ‘One lie, had they stuck with the facts, stupid bastards.'As we headed down the main corridor, classes let out for sixth period. As we passed Darius and some of his hoodlums, we laughingly chorused,‘Loser,' at him in front of a whole crowd of students. Darius' face darkened with rage. We stumped him then by doing the unexpected, we ran for it.The pattern for many basketball practices were set. The Ass Coach split up our alliance every chance he got, because we repudiated and ridiculed his style of coaching. It was hard for any of our group to score in individual scrimmages when our 'team mates' would never give us the ball. The guy whose jaw was broken by Mikhail was sidelined.Every time one of the Black athletes popped Kaja, Mikhail tied a knot on a piece of cord and waved it in the direction of the offender. Curiosity finally got to one of the other guys.‘You practicing to be a Boy Scout?' he scoffed.‘Nah. When I get angry, I tie a knot. When the time comes, I'll remember what each knot was for and untie it; if you get my drift,' Mikhail didn't even bother to look up.‘You think that makes you scary, needle-dick?' he took a step toward my brother.‘I don't give a damn what you think,' Mikhail said as he stood. ‘What I do know is that, unlike you and your buddies, I possess a personal code of Honor. I'm worthy of respect because of that. In turn, I show respect to those who show they've earned it; people like Kaja. Your sorry ass?; You don't matter,' Mikhail's temper was simmering.‘I'm not afraid of you,' the Black player postured.‘That's your mistake,' Mikhail chuckled. ‘There is a world full of the graves of dumb-fucks who didn't know when to be afraid. By no means consider yourself unique.'

In this episode of Urban Valor, we welcome back Army and Marine veteran Harry Martinez. Last week, Harry shared his journey growing up in Brunswick, NJ, joining the Army National Guard, and later transitioning to the Marines where he became part of the 1st Battalion 6th Marines Sniper Platoon as a PIG (Professional Instructed Gunman). This week, Harry reflects on his combat deployments. Still, the focus shifts to a powerful story about how he and his two Marine combat veteran sons teamed up with the Peshmerga to fight ISIS in Iraq as civilians. Harry how, after overhearing his sons' plans to join the fight, he felt compelled to go with them, unable to let his bloodline face the danger alone. In the end, this experience impacted his mental health, fighting alongside his sons.

Welcome to 'The Kurdistan in America' podcast, the official podcast of the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) Representation in the United States. In this episode, host Delovan Barwari welcomes Professor David Romano, the Thomas G. Strong Chair in Middle East Politics at Missouri State University.Dr. Romano is the author of "The Kurdish Nationalist Movement" and the co-editor of "Conflict, Democratization, and the Kurdish Issue in the Middle East" and "The Kurds in the Middle East: Enduring Problems and New Dynamics." His work has also appeared in prestigious journals.In this episode, we delve into the impact of the conflict between Israel and Iran on Kurdistan and Iraq, as well as the Erbil-Baghdad disputes, with a particular focus on the Iraqi Supreme Court rulings. We also discuss potential avenues for US intervention to mitigate these disputes. Professor Romano shares personal reflections on his experiences visiting Kurdistan.Stay tuned for this informative conversation with Dr. David Romano.

Welcome to 'The Kurdistan in America' podcast, the official podcast of the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) Representation in the United States. In this second episode of season five, hosted by Delovan Barwari, we are honored to have a very special guest, Mr. Falah Mustafa.Mr. Falah Mustafa, Special Assistant for Foreign Affairs to the President of Kurdistan Region, His Excellency Nechirvan Barzani, delves into the recent visit of the Kurdistan Region Presidency delegation to Washington DC. From navigating the complexities of Erbil-Baghdad relations to discussing potential US intervention to mitigate disputes, this conversation offers invaluable insights into Kurdistan's geopolitical dynamics.Moreover, Mr. Mustafa shares personal reflections on his birthplace and memorable experiences visiting Washington DC, providing a unique blend of personal narrative and diplomatic analysis.Join us on 'The Kurdistan in America' for engaging dialogue, expert analysis, and a deeper understanding of US-Kurdistan relations, along with valuable insights about the political situation in Iraq, Kurdistan, and the broader region.

The summer of 2020 was a hinge point in American history. The murder of George Floyd by Minneapolis police inspired racial justice demonstrations nationwide. At the time, the FBI was convinced that extreme Black political activists could cross the line into domestic terrorism – a theory federal agents had first termed “Black identity extremism.” That summer, Mickey Windecker approached the FBI. He drove a silver hearse, claimed to have been a volunteer fighter for the French Foreign Legion and the Peshmerga in Iraq, and had arrest records in four states that included convictions for misdemeanor sexual assault and menacing with a weapon, a felony. He claimed to the FBI that he had heard racial justice activists speak vaguely of training and violent revolution in Denver.  The FBI enlisted Windecker as a paid informant, gave him a recording device and instructed him to infiltrate Denver's growing Black Lives Matter movement. For months, Windecker spied on activists and attempted to recruit two Black men into an FBI-engineered plot to assassinate the state's attorney general. Windecker's undercover work is the first documented case of FBI efforts to infiltrate the 2020 racial justice movement. Journalist Trevor Aaronson obtained over a dozen hours of Windecker's secret recordings and more than 300 pages of internal FBI reports for season 1 of the podcast series Alphabet Boys.  This episode of Reveal is a partnership with Alphabet Boys and production company Western Sound.  This is an update of an episode that originally aired in September 2023. Support Reveal's journalism at Revealnews.org/donatenow Subscribe to our weekly newsletter to get the scoop on new episodes at Revealnews.org/newsletter Connect with us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram

Welcome to 'The Kurdistan in America' podcast, the official podcast of the KRG Representation in Washington DC, hosted by Delovan Barwari. In the Season Five kickoff episode, we are honored to welcome Dr. Yerevan Saeed, the Mustafa Barzani Scholar in Residence at American University and a Non-Resident Fellow at the Arab Gulf States Institute.In this episode, Dr. Saeed shares his academic journey, including his impressive accomplishment of earning a PhD in Peace and Conflict Resolution from George Mason University. We'll also explore his role as the Mustafa Barzani Scholar in Residence.We delve into Dr. Saeed's recent thought-provoking article in The Hill, titled 'America must stop treating the Kurds like temporary allies.' Our conversation goes deep into topics such as Iran's ballistic attack on Erbil, the U.S. response to these attacks, and the broader implications of America's approach to Kurdish relations, all of which are highlighted in his article. Dr. Saeed also reflects on his hometown and his experience as a four-time refugee.Join us for this enlightening discussion on Kurdish-American relations and the pressing geopolitical challenges of our time. Tune in now!

About the Lecture: From the Black Sea to the Eastern Mediterranean, war and counterterrorism operations define this century. The stakes in this vast, interconnected region are high and growing, and the U.S. needs a better policy and set of statecraft strategies. Russia, joined by help from Iran, wages war against Ukraine. Russian troops occupy part of Georgia. They now have naval, air, and ground bases in Syria. Iran has mounted attacks against U.S. and coalition troops in Iraq since at least 2005 and against U.S. and coalition personnel in Syria since at least 2015. Tehran has amped up funding, equipping, and training Hizballah, Hamas, and Houthi militants since the Arab Spring. Turkey, responsible for protecting NATO's southeastern flank, now deeply mistrusts the U.S. alliance with the YPG and Peshmerga, blames the U.S. for shielding Fethullah Gülen in Pennsylvania, and rejects U.S./NATO sanctions against its decision to buy Russian S-400s and Russian and Iranian energy. This highly volitile region is on fire. What actions and relationships will calm the waters? Or are we careening towards WWIII? Or…given the sophistry over our definitions of modern warfare and counterterrorism operations, are we already in WWIII? If so, how do we organize ourselves to win? Come share your ideas and hear ways we might realign U.S. policy architectures and statecraft practices. About the Speaker: Paula Doyle has over 30 years of national security and foreign policy experience with the Central Intelligence Agency, the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, and the U.S. Department of State. Her areas of deep subject matter expertise include Turkey, Iran, Russia, Foreign Cyber Programs and Capabilities, Counterintelligence, Nuclear Weapons and Proliferation Programs, the Middle East, and NATO. Ms. Doyle teaches a 700-level course on Turkey, Russia, and Iran at Georgetown University's Walsh School of Foreign Service, Center for Security Studies Program. She serves on the Board of Directors for the OSS Society, on the Board of Directors for the Central Intelligence Retirees Association, and as a Fellow at the National Security Institute, housed at George Mason University.

Welcome to a new episode of the 'Kurdistan in America' podcast, marking our twelfth and final episode of Season Four. We are honored to feature Ms. Bonnie Carroll, the president and founder of the Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors (TAPS), a non-governmental organization dedicated to supporting families affected by military losses.As we approach the new year, we'd like to take a moment to extend our warm wishes to our audience for a joyous holiday season and a New Year filled with hope and positivity.Ms. Carroll, the surviving spouse of Brigadier General Tom Carroll, also served in the military, retiring as a Major in the US Air Force Reserve.In her earlier civilian career, she served three Presidents in senior policy positions in Washington, D.C., lobbied on Defense and Aerospace issues, and was posted in Baghdad, Iraq from '03 to '04 during Operation Iraqi Freedom as an Advisor to the Ministry of Communications.Her experiences in Iraq inspired a global network offering hope and healing to all those grieving a military loss. The connections she forged among widows and mothers of the Peshmerga and Iraqi Army laid the foundation for TAPS' research on supporting the enduring legacies of service and sacrifice—the families left behind.Ms. Carroll was honored with the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Obama, the highest civilian recognition in the United States, in 2015.In this episode, Ms. Carroll shares her experiences in the U.S. military, her time in Iraq and the Kurdistan Region, the inspiration behind establishing TAPS International, and her perspectives on the Kurdish people.Join us on this enlightening journey as she shares her remarkable life story. 

Shownotes and Transcript Tera Dahl has just returned from 3 weeks in Israel where she was reporting for Real America's Voice and Bannon's WarRoom.  Tera returns to Hearts of Oak to share her time travelling throughout the country.  She spent time with soldiers from the IDF, with civilians who are regularly having to use their shelters for protection and with those living in Gaza.  Tera has seen the war up close and her experiences are fresh and raw. Tera Dahl served as Senior Advisor in the Conflict, Prevention and Stabilization Bureau (CPS) at USAID as a political appointee during the Trump Administration. She also served as Deputy Chief of Staff at the National Security Council (NSC) working in the White House under the Trump Administration. She has advised members of congress, staff, and policymakers on complex national security and foreign policy issues. She served as a national security senior advisor to Congresswoman and former Presidential candidate Michele Bachmann. She has travelled extensively overseas to areas of conflict and war, raising awareness and reporting from an on-the-ground and frontline perspective, giving a voice to the voiceless. She has helped produce several documentaries going into dangerous situations to uncover the truth and shine a light on darkness. She has spent time camping out on the frontlines embedded with the Peshmerga forces in Northern Iraq during the war against ISIS, on the frontlines with the IDF on the Gaza border, backpacking through the jungles of Burma with fleeing and persecuted Burmese ethnics, and has embedded with U.S. Marines in Helmand Province, Afghanistan. She has travelled to Afghanistan, Iraq, Nigeria and throughout the Middle East providing humanitarian and medical assistance. She volunteered with the American Red Cross to serve and support U.S. troops overseas during the Global War on Terrorism. Follow Tera on Instagram   https://www.instagram.com/tera_dahl/ Interview recorded 11.12.23 Connect with Hearts of Oak... WEBSITE            https://heartsofoak.org/ PODCASTS        https://heartsofoak.podbean.com/ SOCIAL MEDIA  https://heartsofoak.org/connect/ Support Hearts of Oak by purchasing one of our fancy T-Shirts....  SHOP                  https://heartsofoak.org/shop/ *Special thanks to Bosch Fawstin for recording our intro/outro on this podcast. Check out his art https://theboschfawstinstore.blogspot.com/ and follow him on GETTR https://gettr.com/user/BoschFawstin and X https://twitter.com/TheBoschFawstin?s=20  Transcript (Hearts of Oak) Tera Dahl, it's wonderful to have you back with us. Thanks so much for joining us today. (Tera Dahl) Thank you, Peter, for having me.  Always good to have you. Of course, people can catch you on somewhere where I never delve, which is Instagram, https://www.instagram.com/tera_dahl/ That I think is the best place to find you, Tera. Yes, it is. Yeah.  Apart from on War Room regularly and Real America's Voice. Real America's Voice.  Obviously, all of that. And I know that many of the viewers will have seen your couple of weeks actually long postings from Israel and I'm really delighted that you made the time today to come on and to share some of those experiences because I think you talked to a lot of commentators, military experts, politicians, but actually to talk to someone who's been there on the ground is fairly rare, I think. So, I'm looking forward to finding out, but to tell us how do you get there? I guess you don't just get a, there are lots of flights cancelled. So I guess it's not just a case of going and booking a ticket with any regular airline, is it? You can get there. I went to Greece and then from Athens, then I flew into Israel, but the airlines are limited now. Definitely the US airlines are limited, they do not fly out of Israel. There's options to fly There's a lot of flights still that are coming in and out, but the airport in Tel Aviv was very quiet, but there was more, I think more people and more flights than I anticipated. Okay, what was the conversation? Cause you're, you're no stranger to going to, to war zones. when I was last over after my WarRoom slot, Steve was regaling me with stories of him talking to you in far flung places. So I guess most people would think, oh, it sounds a bit iffy, but for you, it's part of the job, I guess. Yeah, I was in Israel. I have been. I was in Israel in 2014 to cover the Gaza conflict, the war between Israel and Hamas in 2014 for Breitbart News. And that's when I really saw like I had been traveling around the Middle East during the Arab Spring. I had been to Afghanistan and Iraq, really, you know, on the ground with the war on terrorism, but especially especially during the Arab Spring prior to going to Israel in 2014. And really, I just kind of fell into that because I was on the ground in Egypt during the counter revolution when you had the 30 million Egyptians go to the street to call for Mohammed Morsi's ouster, the Muslim Brotherhood's ouster in Egypt. And I saw the way that the media was portraying that situation and how the media was impacting our policy. And I saw that it was impacting the Pentagon. It was impacting Congress because that's how they viewed it. That was their lens on the situation. And so that's how I started to really understand the need for accurate reporting on the ground. Because unless you're on the ground and you really understand the dynamics, you just read what the headlines are. And then you follow the headlines and then you base your decisions upon the headlines. So when you look at Israel, you look at the headlines, you look at the mainstream media. And it always has been going back to 2014 and going back to the Arab Spring and just the coverage from the mainstream media has been pro-Islamist. And that's what I noticed. I noticed that back in 2012, 2013, they were very much pro-Muslim brotherhood. And so when you look at Israel, you look at the war with Hamas, obviously Hamas is the military arm of the Muslim Brotherhood. That is the mainstream media and the angle of it has been very pro-Hamas and anti-Israel, restraining Israel. And so it was so important when I was there in 2014 because I saw that how the mainstream media and a lot of times they report from Gaza. So you have the mainstream media reporters that are actually in Gaza. Well, if you're reporting from Gaza and you're surrounded by Hamas, you're not going to be very pro-Israel. It's going to impact your reporting because you're afraid for your life for one thing. But you also have, it's just the angle of the mainstream media. And so going on the ground for this war, I knew because I had already covered the Middle East conflicts in the war that it's so important to get that perspective, because of you can't just follow the headlines and you're seeing how tainted it is for an example at the hospitals. You know how Hamas uses hospitals and then when Israel hits back at the hospital. Then it's Israel's fault and they get charged with war crimes. Well, actually Hamas uses hospitals and schools for their military headquarters and they launched their rocket attacks from the hospitals, from the schools, and they used the children. And so, Peter, when I went there, I knew it's so important to be able to get on the ground and to be able to write accurately of what's happening. And that's exactly what I saw. And that definitely was worthwhile because it changes your perspective. Can I just ask you, just before getting on to what it was like there, I'm sure the viewers would be curious in how you prep for that, because you're not going into a normal environment. It's not just a tourist or a journalist going to report on an event. It's into a very dangerous situation. How do you prepare? Was it that you had contacts before? Is it Real America's voice making those contacts? Because obviously you don't want to land on the ground and then begin to spend your time building up those contacts and knowing who to speak to. So how do you kind of go about preparing for that? I think with any time that I've travelled overseas in the Middle East, you know contacts, you reach out to them, you reach out to your mutual friends that have contacts in Israel, and then you just kind of start with who you know, and then you build off of that. And that's exactly what, too, on this trip. You have your contacts that I've had through my friends here, and then you let people know that you're coming over, I've been there before, and then you just build on that. And when you're on the ground, it just opens up opportunities because you just build your contacts, your networking on the ground. And one of the important parts of that was going up into the north. I was able to go up into the northern part of Israel with the Christian community. So I wasn't only, I was able to see, spend time with the Arab Muslims that are joining the IDF. I spoke with them. I spoke with the Christian community that also served in the IDF. And of course, the majority of the Jewish community, but I was able to get all those different perspectives. So when we talk about building those contacts, it's important that you meet with all sides. And I've always done that. Like when I went to Syria, as well, I met with the opposition first, who were trying to overthrow Assad, and then I went into Damascus and saw the other side. So that's kind of just how I've always done it is and I depend on the locals, I mean, for someone, I guess, as a woman, going by myself. I definitely, you know, you just have to have your faith in God, and then you just trust people, and you just build contacts and you just build relationships. And what were you kind of expecting when you went out? Because this current situation is simply because Israel have not dealt with the problem previously. And this time Netanyahu I think feels and probably has to actually deal with Hamas living on their border. But what were you kind of expecting when you went over? Because I guess every war situation is different. The relationships with the countries around, the population. The sleeper cells they have, there are so many moving parts to the situation. And what kind of were you expecting before you headed out? I think I knew what to anticipate because I had been there to cover it previously, so I knew what to expect. But as far as when we talk about preparing for this, like going into Israel, you would think there's so many people that were traveling there. I think one of the highest tourism times before everything got cancelled, it was just they were packed with tours. And one thing that is always, since I went there before a couple times, and then now this trip, is that Israel is constantly living under siege. So as, you know, like for me going to visit during a war time, this is the normal for them, Peter. This is how they live. They live under siege. They live every single house, every building, since you land in the airport, has a shelter. No matter where you are, every single place you're at, whether it's a restaurant, whether it's a home, if it's a school, if it's a playground, they all have shelters. And just think about how abnormal that is, is that they get hit. Since Hamas launched the attack on October 7th, they've been hit with 10,000 rockets from Hamas. 10,000 rockets. But it is the normal life for them. And the Iron Dome intercepts the majority of them. But when the Iron Dome does not intercept them, the shrapnel kills people. If that rocket hits, that can take out like a huge, that could kill so many people, those rockets, and they take, you know, you take it for granted because of the Iron Dome. But there's multiple times, even like when I was there for my limited time, that if it wasn't for the Iron Dome, you know, you would have probably, you would have been hit by that, you would have been impacted by the shrapnel. But it's that's not normal. So what they consider normal is not normal. So they constantly so like for me to say, you go over there and it looks like, wow, you're going into a war zone. That's how they live. You know, that's how they live every day of their lives. Their children have to play in playgrounds that are actually shelters because they want the kids to make it, you know, they don't want kids to feel like they're constantly under war and to live in fear. So what they do is they build their playgrounds as shelters. So when the kids are playing in the tunnels, it's actually a shelter for the kids. And so they only have a few seconds when they hear those sirens go off to be able to go into their shelters But that's normal for them So that's something that like it never surprises me just to see how they live their normal their daily lives going to school. Going to their synagogues. Just living their lives going to work and but yet they're constantly under rocket attack, constantly. And even the day after that I left, there was a terrorist attack right in Jerusalem. And that's just, that's how they live. Well, in Israel, there are different parts of the society which engage in this situation differently. You have the military. Maybe you want to just give us some of your thoughts or experiences you were talking to the military, because they are actually on the front line. They're the ones that are trying to remove this, which has been a continual threat against Israel, Hamas. And I saw some of the interviews you had with different individuals in the military. Tell us about those conversations with the military. Well, I think the military is they're very much focused and they're determined and they're resolute on eliminating Hamas. And they're not only on eliminating Hamas, but also Hezbollah. You have to keep in mind too that Hezbollah there's 60 000 Israeli citizens that were evacuated out of the north and another 70 000 that were evacuated out of the south and they're all living in the hotels right now. So you have tens of thousands over, almost 200,000 Israeli citizens that are evacuated right now because of the threat from Hamas and because of the threat from Hezbollah. And so, but their perspective, what they were saying is that they're first focusing on Hamas and they're going to eliminate Hamas because just like in 2014, when they were resolute on eliminating Hamas, and then because of the international pressure, a lot because of the Obama administration. They pulled back and they stopped. Well, look what's happened now, look at what has happened because they didn't finish Hamas back in 2014 or 2021 again and then look at how they use that ceasefire from 2021 basically Hamas was in a ceasefire since 2021 and instead of honouring that ceasefire they used it to rebuild rearm and and plan October 7 and so that's what happens when they say a ceasefire They're rebuilding and rearming and then that's what happened. So you have no option. The military has no option. Israel has no option but to eliminate Hamas and they also have the threat from Hezbollah. So we just to keep in mind to that Hezbollah had, so Hamas used Hezbollah's plan that they have had for over 10 years to invade northern Israel and take hundreds of Israelis hostage, which would put pressure then on the Western countries. That was their plan. And they did drills. They did, planned, like they did the planned training. Previously, back in May 2023, there's video of Hezbollah doing these mock trainings, where it was the same attack that Hamas did on October 7th. And so Hezbollah is a greater threat than Hamas. But the threat right now, the immediate threat, from what my understanding is, is Hamas. They have to eliminate Hamas first, but they will have to deal with Hezbollah. And they'll have to go back to the UN 1701, where Hezbollah is north of Israel. So they're not on the Israeli border and it has to be enforced by the UN but they're gonna have to deal with the threat from Hezbollah because they have the same plan and those, Thousands of Israelis will not move back home until the threat from Hezbollah is completely eliminated as well. So they are getting attacked on all fronts and not to mention the attacks that are coming from the West Bank as well. And that's what I've heard too is that you know, people are asking why how did they miss it the intelligence failure? And it was the biggest intelligence failure. They're saying since 1973. Well, they were focused so much on the West Bank. They were focused so much on the threat from Hezbollah. And they were also allowing thousands and thousands of the Gazan civilians to come in every single day on work visas. And those Gazans that were coming in on work visas turned against Israel. And a lot of them were the ones that were mapping out the exact locations for Hamas's attack on October 7th. So that's what I learned talking to people. Probably one of the most things that I took away was that they realized how wrong they were for this two-state solution, and living in peace side by side because they totally use what they were given to the Gazan civilians because the Gazan civilians, 70% of them support Hamas, and they use that against Israel. And they use that opportunity where they were coming in on work visas, getting money, and they were the ones to turn against Israel and with all of the maps and the locations and commit that atrocious attack. So that is another takeaway, but I have a lot to say on the Gazan civilians too. Well, let me touch on, there's just one other thing you talked about, the military and the country, I guess, was living in a false sense of security because the borders have been fairly peaceful. You've got economic relationships warming up between countries around. And you haven't actually, it's been a long time since I remember hearing of a suicide bomber in Israel on buses or trains which used to hear of fairly often. That seems to be have been eradicated and with the borders more secure than before. Was it simply just a false sense of security? Israel thinking actually we've got economic benefits. And that's going to trump any in-built religious hatred which exists. Yeah, I think it was a false sense of security. And I think a lot too was that they were allowing those, the Gazans to come in on those work visas. And they just didn't think that they would do something, you know, to turn against them when they were allowing so thousands and thousands of them to come in. And one of the, what really stuck out to me was the kibbutz's that were the most attacks, the worst attack that took place, the majority of them were the kind of thinking they call them the liberal, the leftist, because they were, they were the ones reaching out, you know, to the Gazan civilians, to Hamas. Some of them, one example was a lady who used, not only one lady, but there were other women as well, that would, for years, would bring in the civilians to the hospitals and take care of the children in Gaza, and they murdered her. And they murdered a lot of the people at the kibbutz who were the ones that believed that you could live side by side, the ones that believed that you could have that peace. And that is something that even people that believed for years and years and had been involved in some of the peace agreements. They said that was their biggest eye-opener, is how wrong they were, how wrong they were that you could have that two-state solution, and live side-by-side because they want to wipe Israel off the face of the earth. And that was a big wake-up call. And that's why I think the perspective is so different. And I heard that there has never been more of a unity within Israel to annihilate and eliminate Hamas than there is now. They said over 99% of Israel is all unified, that you have to eliminate Hamas. So not only Hamas, but Hezbollah in the north as well. Let me come back to you on Israeli failing. You mentioned you've got a lot to say on the actual people living in Gaza. I don't even want to call them Palestinians, but I will not even delve down that rabbit hole. But those living in Gaza, they seem to, well, the world seems to want to blame Israel for the problems happening in Gaza under Hamas and the world doesn't seem to actually have any issues with Hamas being the government and democracy not functioning all of that and and it seems as though the people there certainly the media tell us that all their ire and anger is against Israel for their problems and not against Hamas. Tell us about kind of what the conversations, what you learned about actually those people living in Gaza. That was something that I learned right away when we were at the kibbutz. They were talking about how people aren't mentioning, and they weren't talking about the 3,000 Gazan civilians that broke in and breached the wall after Hamas made the initial breach. There were thousands of Gazan civilians, Palestinians, that came in and they stole trucks from the kibbutz's, and they stole and they looted within. They took TVs and they stole things and those were the civilians. And so you see all these pro-Palestinian protests and they're not pro-Palestinian. If they were pro-Palestinian, why doesn't Jordan take them in? Why doesn't Egypt take them in? Why don't these Arab countries take in these Palestinians that they seem to care so much about? Why? They don't want them. Nobody wants the Palestinians because they're 70% pro-Hamas and they're indoctrinated since they're children, which I'd love to touch on the UNHCR funding too, the UN funding where this indoctrination is happening at the schools and it's being funded by the US, by the EU, by the European countries, right? By the Western world for this indoctrination in these schools that is bringing up these little kids to kill Israelis. So the Arab countries, they don't want them, But yet, in the whole world, everybody, it seems to be pro-Palestinian, but they're not pro-Palestinian. They're pro-Hamas and they're anti-Israel. That's what that is. So I don't even call them pro-Palestinian rallies or protests. That's not what they are. They're not pro-Palestinian. They're anti-Israel and they're pro-Hamas. Yeah, we've seen that here. The people there, because the media can tell us that it's sad that the people in Gaza, and obviously you have many civilians caught up in this, civilians on both sides and no one wants a war situation. It's not good for any country but Israel didn't choose this. But you look at the people in Gaza and on one side it's the poor people there, they're living under a difficult government but you've been to Arab Spring, different demonstrations. I know I've had many conversations with those who had lived behind the Iron Curtain in Eastern Europe. You have uprisings, you have people uprising to overthrow those above them. And that may not be easy. And maybe me speaking as a Brit, it's easy for me to say that, but that's how history works. And surely the same thing should work in Gaza. If the people are unhappy with those above them, then they should overthrow them. Yeah. And I think actually you're seeing more of that right now. You're seeing where these Hamas members are surrendering in the masses. And I think you're seeing more of the people starting to turn against Hamas. But even like when you look at the statistics and the polling, you have 73% of the people that live in Gaza, the Palestinians, they support Hamas. They're Hamas sympathizers. And a lot of that has to do with the indoctrination and the schooling since they're kids. You see the videos of these children who have, you know, machine guns and they're taught and they're raised to just hate Israelis and they're honoured if they murder Israelis and that's their indoctrination. So you've got to break that ideology. You know, you can definitely eliminate Hamas as an organization, but it's an ideology that you really have to come against, which we've done in the past. You know, look at what we did with Germany and Japan. So you can come against an ideology and that's what you have to do. And so that is, yeah, that is a whole different conversation. Looking at how the people live, that is all, as you pointed out, it's all funded by the West. That perpetual hatred, that perpetual tension, when we have politicians talk about they want peace, but at the same time they're funding a terror organisation and keeping that pocket of evil right on the edge ready to kick off. You're right it does seem to be that the West are guilty of what has happened. The UN is funding it. The UN is funding that ideology. The Western world is funding it. The United States is funding it and under the Trump administration they cut that funding to UNRWA. They cut the hundreds of millions of dollars to UNHCR and Biden immediately restarted that funding again. And that funding goes directly to Hamas and it goes directly to funding that ideology and that's taking place in that school. So if you want to start with one thing to cut, which we could do right now, is eliminate UNHCR, completely eliminate UNHCR, and cut that funding that's going to UNHCR. But right now they're launching, UNHCR has literally launched a Hamas campaign. That's what they're doing. They are the spokespeople for Hamas and when you look them up and you look at the campaign that they're doing right now. You will see how they are basically launching a campaign and it's with US funding and it's with UN funding. So just think of that. We're funding Hamas's campaign. UNHCR, tell us what that stands for.  UN Refugee Program Agency. Okay, that does explain a lot. You mentioned about the Israeli people and a unity behind the government and the military. That hasn't always been the case, and certainly I've seen a lot of self-hatred, maybe mostly from Israelis and Jews who live abroad and look back. But with that unity, then that possibly does mean the job can be done. May tell us about that, your conversations with people. About the unity that's happening in Israel right now? That is something they said, They're 99% unified and Israel too, they were having, they were so divided pre, and this other people will say, well, because the country was so divided before the Hamas attack over the judicial reforms. That was the big focus in Israel. That was really dividing the country. But after this Hamas attack, everyone has been saying they have never seen more unity. And when you get to Israel, that's what you see. You see the Israeli flags all over the country, every building, all the roads. I mean, every car has an Israeli flag. It's that, like you're unified. It was like, it reminded me of September 11th, you know, after September 11th, every single American flag was sold out. Everybody was unified. They were against terrorism and they were unified as a nation and a world. The whole global community was unified. And that's where I don't understand why you're not seeing that now with Hamas attack. Hamas is ISIS. Hamas is ISIS. It's the same funding, it's the same ideology, it's the same groups, the same kind of the countries that are behind it, the terrorist organization, the tactics, the beliefs, the ideology, all of it's the same. So Hamas is ISIS. And the attacks that they did against the Israeli citizens when they killed babies, when they cut open pregnant women, when they raped women multiple times and then burn their bodies, they beheaded people. I mean, that's ISIS. You can't even fathom having anyone that would even think that they could support Hamas right now or support ISIS. Just think of that if you had ISIS supporters, think of the difference in the perspective that you would see if you had all of these students protesting for ISIS, you wouldn't see that. And if you held ISIS beliefs, you would be prosecuted, right? The FBI is going to be hunting at your door if you showed any kind of sympathy with ISIS. But why are they not doing that with Hamas? Hamas is ISIS. Hamas is a designated terrorist organization. They come from the same sources. There's no difference in them, but yet we're allowing this like pro-Hamas. Even in our campuses, sentiment. I mean, you should have the FBI at the door, even having that, just like it was with ISIS. You should have that same mentality towards Hamas. There's no reason in the 21st century to have a terrorist organization that commits those kind of barbaric, inhumane acts. I mean, there's just no, there's no space for that. There should be zero tolerance for that. And the world should be united as we were all united with the United States on 9-11 when we all came together, you know, for the war on global terrorism. That's what we're dealing with. This is a global war on terrorism. That's what we're fighting right now. And there should be no divide in that. And yet you're seeing it all over, especially in the UK. Oh yeah, in the UK. I want to pick up on some of the military in the north and Hezbollah and surrounding, but let me ask you about that world support or pressure, how the media have responded. Europe have always had a very uneasy relationship with Israel. Europe have traditionally sided with Arab nations against Israel. America is quite different and America has generally been a bastion of support for Israel right from the beginning, from the modern day state. But what is that like because you have in campuses, as you see here I guess in the States, a lot of pro-Hamas, pro-Palestinian, because people don't know any better. But generally the media, up until, they're still generally holding to be more pro-Israel, although you see that beginning to slip. And with the BBC, it maybe lasted a few days before it slipped, but I think in the US, it's lasted a lot longer. Tell us about that, because not only is there a military war but there's a PR and media war as well. Yeah, and that was where I think it's starting to shift. I think right away there was all of that pressure and people saw that. I think the social media, China was behind a lot of that on TikTok. They were fomenting a lot of that anti-Israel. I think China was a lot behind that, especially on TikTok social media. But I think you're seeing it start to swing now. And I think because people, when they see the videos and when they see it themselves, I think you can't defend it like it was so barbaric and inhumane what they did. No one can defend it so I think that's the difference that you're seeing and that's why it's starting to shift is because It is ISIS and when you when you see what how just that's why, when Hamas did this like 2014 when they launched the rockets and the war in 2014 it was very different because you just look at what, they targeted civilians, they targeted babies, they targeted women, and then they kidnapped them, they kidnapped babies, they kidnapped young little kids. And so that I think people are seeing that anyone that is a human being, right, that has any kind of understanding or emotion, common sense, you have to condemn it. There's just zero tolerance for that. And I think people are starting to see that. And that's why it's important for the actual videos and the reporting to happen, because Hamas is launching this massive information campaign, massive information war, which they've always done. You know, they've always done. And that's why you're seeing even pushback on the mainstream media. You know, when just for a perfect example, I think several weeks ago when you had, Shiva hospital and it was and they were saying that it was Israel that hit it right and it was Hamas but yet look at the condemnation because of the false reporting and they had to push back and to be able to report the truth and you have members of Congress. Rashid Talib, you know who was still not even believing Israel when all the evidence was there, even when the Biden administration themselves, you know came out and said no it wasn't Israel. It was Hamas you know, you still had a member of Congress who was coming out there and spewing these lies against Israel because she's, you know, she's part of that false campaign against Israel. And so I think you can't dispute the evidence. You just can't. No matter what, you just cannot dispute the evidence. And I think that's the information war that Israel is, they still have to battle it. They absolutely have to battle it. And that's why it was important to go on the ground too, because you have to see it yourself. You've got to report it first-hand. And if people were to see what I saw in the kibbutz's and what I heard, that's what will change your perspective. That's what will make you see. And that's why it is so important for the media to report it accurately. Tera, you touched on the opposition in the left in politics, in the media, and we see that as well in Europe and the UK and our media is dominated by those on the left and politics that are on the left. But we're all seeing another curious, I guess, voice come up and that's the voices that have appeared over the last kind of three, three and a half years on the COVID tyranny, demanding freedoms, angry at the restrictions we faced. And there's a lot of anger amongst that group, certainly against Israel, because of how it locked down more than anyone else before. It only allowed one vaccine to be used, the Pfizer vaccine. You didn't have any right to have anything else. It seemed to be a test bed, an experiment. And I think a lot of that anger against Israel, what's happened the last three, four years under that tyranny, has boiled over into hatred of Israel and Jewish haters. And I've realised a lot of those groups are maybe more in the left and they've traditionally had that hatred of Israel. And you see it popping up time and time again, groups that I would be surprised at. I don't know where, are you having that in the US or is the opposition traditionally from the left on the politics and the media? The left and the politics and the media. I think you have, the United States, you have such strong support for Israel. The evangelical church supports Israel. Democrats, Republicans, it's really dividing the Democratic Party. You've got very staunch pro-Israel Democrats, and the Republican Party has always been very pro-Israel. And so I think you do see it on the left. I think you do see it in that more of the Muslim Brotherhood, I think, influence the college campuses is probably the loudest where it's coming from. But again, that's where you have to look at the sources of that. I don't think it comes from the COVID lockdowns. If you're pro-Israel, you know, you just, for me, it's my faith, you know, God will bless Israel. Those that bless Israel be blessed. Those that curse Israel be cursed. And so you support Israel. And it's not because of who the politicians are, it's not who's in office at the time, it's because God blesses those that bless Israel, and you stand with Israel. And it's a biblical mandate. And I know that's where my position stems from, is I'm going to honour God, and I'm going to stand with Israel. And it's not because of the politicians or who's in power or what their policies are. I agree, that's 100% of where I come from, happily call myself a Christian Zionist because of what the Bible teaches. But then you talk to a non-Christian and you say, well, do you pick Hamas or Israel? Take your choice and don't tell me you want to live in Israel because of freedoms, but really want to hate Israel. And that's, yeah, wanting the freedoms, but yet hating it. It's like wanting a pride parade through Gaza. Well, go for it. You could be the first, and I want to be there to film it and see what happens. You have tolerance and freedom in one country across the board, and yet across the border, not only across the border into Gaza, but in West Bank, in many of the surrounding countries, you have little freedoms. Yeah, yeah, you do, you do. But they're a young country, 75 years old. And so they're still growing and like when you look at Israel, it's a miracle, right? Like it's an absolute miracle everything about Israel is miraculous. It was a desert and it's turned into a green land and is you know rivers and streams and lush and green trees and even just being there and you just see how beautiful Israel is and it's the hand of God and it's miraculous and there's no way that anything that Israel could have existed if it wasn't for God's providence in that country and his hand in doing it. 100%. You touched on, just coming near the end, you touched on the north and obviously the Gaza Strip is southwest. You've got the West Bank to the east and you've got up there in the northern border, Lebanon and Syria. You've got two countries which are failed states in effect and with Hezbollah. I mean for a country and a military to be fighting war on one side, but yet they must be ready and prepared at a moment's notice to open up that on a second front. It's horrendous, horrendous pressure and so far it has held off on the North, but as you say, they will have to deal with that. But the Israeli military have shown time and time again that they are able to fight on many fronts, in 48 and in 73, to attack, to fight on every single front and to be able to push that back. But that kind of, maybe touch on that, that constant state of readiness that has to be there. Everything can't just go to Gaza, it has to be prepared, not only in the North Hezbollah, but also on the West Bank border as well. And they are, you know, when I was there too, the IDF was, Hezbollah would launch rockets at Israel and Israel would respond. So they're well positioned to be able to respond to Hezbollah, to be able to eliminate the threat from Hezbollah. Just from what, you know, like, what I was told is that they're going to focus on the closest threat, the immediate threat, and that's eliminating Hamas, because, and that's also a quicker operation than Hezbollah. Hezbollah has about 150,000 rockets. They are a much, much stronger, well-equipped, dangerous force than Hamas. Obviously, they're backed by Iran. But the one thing I think that Israel has right now is like the U.S. Warships have been deployed, and they're not doing, actually, they're not doing the deterrence that they should do. Obviously, our troops in the region have been attacked now, over 70 times every day they're adding to the attacks that are going on right now. So the US needs to do much more deterrence to hold Iran at bay and to prevent Hezbollah from joining the war fully. But I think what's the number one thing right now that is preventing Hezbollah is that Lebanon and the civilians in Lebanon do not want Hezbollah to join the war because they're the ones that will be eliminated. And just like Hamas uses the schools and the civilians and the homes as their headquarters, as their military headquarters, and they hold their rockets and that's where they launch all their attacks and use it as their headquarters, that's exactly what Hezbollah does in Lebanon. And they do it as well in the Christian communities in Lebanon. Then they use the schools and they hold the civilians hostage and they use the civilians as their hostages just like they do. You don't hear about it as much, but that's exactly what's going on in Lebanon. And that's what Hezbollah is doing. They're hiding their rockets in these schools, in the hospitals. So, Lebanon does not want Hezbollah to join this war. And the civilians don't, because when the IDF, then Hezbollah will launch an attack from a Christian community, a village, or an area. And that happened when I was there. They launched it from a Christian area, and then the IDF will respond. And then it makes it look like the IDF is hitting a church. Well, no. Hezbollah was using that church as their headquarters at their launching pad to launch these rocket attacks. So of course, the IDF is going to respond to eliminate the threat, they have to. But that's the tactics that they use. And so I think if you put pressure on Lebanon, and obviously, the Hezbollah has, you know, power and control in Lebanon, but I think that's where you could really deter Hezbollah. And the UN could deter Hezbollah as well, like they already passed in 2006, the UN Resolution 1701 to be able to push Hezbollah up past the Latani River, so they're not on the Israeli border, but it's not being enforced. Hezbollah attacks the UN forces because there's not enough, they attack them. I've seen the videos of them attacking their trucks. So Hezbollah dominates in that area, and they're not even supposed to be in that area. So there are things already that exist that just are not being enforced that could really prevent from Israel having, or from that the Northern Front, really being an all-out war? Just finish off on, where Israel goes the future, because Israel has to come out of this stronger. It has to come out of this having defeated Hamas, and whatever that means for Gaza, that will have to be for others to decide. But militarily and security-wise, has to come out the stronger. And then politically, how do you see that happening? Because Israeli politics has always been fractured. And what Benjamin Netanyahu, who's the great survivor, being what PM, differences a third or fourth time now since 96. And obviously that has to pass over at some point, kind of how did you pick up on that political, obviously there's support for him, what he's doing, he needs to come out of this with a strong legacy, and I guess someone else has to also come up and continue his, I guess his boldness and determination to fight for Israel's security. So let me just touch on that, that political side, what did you feel coming away from your trip on that? I think Israel will come out stronger. I think that you will see something different in Gaza, Hamas will be eliminated and what that is, I didn't get the sense that Israel wants to take over Gaza. I think they don't want to do that. I think you'll have the sovereignty of Israel, you'll have the sovereignty of Israel involved but will that include security will that include Arab countries, you know, you hear talks about maybe Saudi Arabia the UAE. One country that that I don't think should have any Impact at all is Qatar. Qatar should have absolutely no influence in Gaza because Qatar is the Muslim Brotherhood. They are the problem and they should be sanctioned, you know the international community should be sanctioning Qatar but if you have like an Arab force, if you have a UN peacekeeping force, some kind of security, but it's Israel's sovereignty. Israel should control, it's their country, and they should have the decisions and it should be in their control to decide. It's their civilians, it's their people, it's their responsibility to keep the civilians of Israel safe and defend their country. And so the US, I mean, the pressure from the Biden administration in any kind of way against Israel to have that sovereignty, you know, that needs to be pushed back on and that you need to allow Israel to be able to have that sovereignty. And also I think the sovereignty as well over Judea and Samaria, you know, the Palestinian Authority, it's not okay for Israel to live under siege. That's not normal. And they shouldn't have to live that way. They should be able to eliminate the attacks. I mean, just think if we were in Texas and someone in Mexico, or not someone, cartels were launching attacks with rockets every day at Texan citizens. And they couldn't eliminate the threat, but instead they just had to build around it to protect themselves, right? They just had to build an Iron Dome or a defence system to be able to protect from the rockets. Instead of taking out the cartels who's launching the rockets. It makes no sense, you know, take out the threat. And so that's something that we need to get behind Israel and allow them to do that and to support them in doing that. But I think you will see a safer Israel, you'll see more sovereignty, and they should. And that's where I think the international community, I don't understand their position in pressuring for a two-state solution, because there is no two-state solution. It just doesn't exist because the Palestinian Authority is not, there is no structure. It doesn't even, it doesn't make any sense. A, it's unbiblical, right? It's against God. You don't divide God's land. Again, those that bless Israel, like America's policy, I think, is directly impacted by our decisions to bless Israel. But there is just no common sense, viable option with the Palestinian Authority. They just don't have the financial structure right now, and they want to eliminate Israel as well. Tera, really appreciate you coming along and sharing your thoughts on your trip there. So thank you so much for joining us and sharing the stories you had from your trip. Thanks. Thank you, Peter. It's so good to be with you. Thank you.

Welcome to a new episode of the 'Kurdistan in America' podcast, marking our eleventh episode of Season Four. We are honored to feature retired Brigadier General Ernest C. Audino, a renowned strategic military leader and a seasoned expert in national security and foreign policy.General Audino serves as the District Director for U.S. Congressman Michael Waltz and as a Senior Military Fellow at the Gold Institute for International Strategy. He is the only U.S. general officer to have served a full year as a combat advisor embedded inside a Kurdish Peshmerga brigade in Iraq and is authoring a book about this experience, emphasizing the Kurdish resilience and quest for freedom.With a Bachelor of Science from West Point, two master's degrees, and a Juris Doctor, General Audino retired from the Army in 2011. In this episode, he discusses his motivations in Middle Eastern and Kurdish military affairs, the impact of the Israel-Gaza conflict on Kurdistan, U.S. deterrence in the region, and his perspectives on Kurdish Peshmerga forces. He also recommends policies for U.S. support of the Peshmerga and KRG.Join us on this enlightening journey as General Audino shares his experience and knowledge, guiding us through the complex geopolitical landscape of the Middle East, with a focus on Kurdistan and Iraq.

After asking around Kirkuk, the team discovers a contact that will take them to the Peshmerga. At least, that's what he says. Is this a break for Task Force 01132? Or have they stumbled into some sort of trap? Find out as we continue Iconoclasts, a Delta Green campaign. Starring: Schroeder Jeff Daniel Spencer   Want to leave a comment? -Email therancorsbrothel@gmail.com.  -Follow us on Twitter @Rancors_Brothel -Follow us on Instagram @rancorsbrothel

Welcome to another insightful episode of the "Kurdistan in America" podcast, our tenth episode of Season Four. We are privileged to have Dr. Michael Knights, a renowned Middle East expert from The Washington Institute, join us.Dr. Knights is the Jill and Jay Bernstein Fellow at The Washington Institute, specializing in the military and security affairs of Iraq, Iran, and the Gulf states. He also co-founded the Militia Spotlight platform, offering in-depth analysis of the Iranian-backed militias in Iraq and Syria.He earned his PhD from the Department of War Studies at King's College London.In this episode, Dr. Knights discussed the challenges facing Iraq and the Kurdistan Region. He offered his take on the potential role Washington can play in addressing the disputes between Erbil and Baghdad. Additionally, he shared his personal perspectives on the Kurdish people and stressed the importance of Kurdish unity.Join us on this enlightening journey as Dr. Michael Knights shares his comprehensive knowledge, guiding us through the ever-evolving geopolitical landscape of the Middle East.

Robert Quinn joined Big V Racing on Friday to discuss the chances of Peshmerga at Cranbourne.

The summer of 2020 was a hinge point in American history. The murder of George Floyd by Minneapolis police inspired racial justice demonstrations nationwide. At the time, the FBI was convinced that extreme Black political activists could cross the line into domestic terrorism – a theory federal agents had first termed “Black identity extremism.” That summer, Mickey Windecker approached the FBI. He drove a silver hearse, claimed to have been a volunteer fighter for the French Foreign Legion and the Peshmerga in Iraq, and had arrest records in four states that included convictions for misdemeanor sexual assault and menacing with a weapon, a felony. He claimed to the FBI that he had heard racial justice activists speak vaguely of training and violent revolution in Denver.  The FBI enlisted Windecker as a paid informant, gave him a recording device and instructed him to infiltrate Denver's growing Black Lives Matter movement. For months, Windecker spied on activists and attempted to recruit two Black men into an FBI-engineered plot to assassinate the state's attorney general. Windecker's undercover work is the first documented case of FBI efforts to infiltrate the 2020 racial justice movement. Journalist Trevor Aaronson obtained over a dozen hours of Windecker's secret recordings and more than 300 pages of internal FBI reports for season 1 of the podcast series Alphabet Boys.  This episode of Reveal is a partnership with Alphabet Boys and production company Western Sound. Support Reveal's journalism at Revealnews.org/donatenow Subscribe to our weekly newsletter to get the scoop on new episodes at Revealnews.org/newsletter Connect with us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram

The Kurdistan in America podcast is honored to have Bayan Sami Abdul Rahman, the Kurdistan Regional Government Representative to the United States, as its guest in episode 6 of season three.Ms Abdul Rahman was appointed the KRG envoy to the United States in 2015 and is about to embark on a new chapter of her career in public service by taking on the role of advisor to Prime Minister Masrour Barzani for foreign affairs and climate change.In this interview, Ms Abdul Rahman recounts her childhood in Kurdistan, Baghdad and Iran before moving to the UK as a refugee. She describes her successful career as a journalist in the UK and Japan, working for the Financial Times among other newspapers, and her transition to a career in diplomacy, first in London and then Washington.The KRG envoy's father, Sami Abdul Rahman, was a veteran of the Kurdish freedom movement and played a critical leadership role in the Kurdish and Iraqi opposition to Saddam Hussein's regime. He was killed alongside his elder son Salah and more than 100 others in a twin suicide bombing in 2004.Our conversation covers Representative Abdul Rahman's personal journey, her reflections on some of her achievements in the past eight years in Washington and what drives her passion for public service.

Robert brings us up to date with Peshmerga

The Kurdistan in America podcast is honored to have Lieutenant Colonel Eric Howard as our guest in the third episode of Season Four. In this special episode, we commemorate the 20th anniversary of the liberation of Iraq. March 20th, 2003 marked the beginning of the Second Gulf War. For the Kurdish people and the vast majority of Iraqis, it was a moment of hope as they looked to the future with optimism. As the former commander of Advanced Operations Base 040 in the Erbil sector, Lt. Col. Howard has extensive experience in the Kurdistan Region, both during Operation Provide Comfort in 1994 and battlefield experience in the Kurdistan Region fighting alongside the Peshmerga forces against the Iraqi Army in 2003.He shares his unique perspective on the successes and failures of the liberation of Iraq, his experiences fighting alongside the Peshmerga forces, and his personal views on the Kurdish people and the current state of US-Kurdistan relations.Join us as we delve into the complexities of one of the most consequential events of the 21st century and gain a deep understanding of Lt. Col. Howard's viewpoint as an American special forces commander.

Lelo majeed is the first woman to complete the Sandhurst Military Training Program for international military personnel. We discuss her training as well as the current situation with the Peshmerga forces and the political developments of the past six months due to the uprising in IranSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Son visage a fait le tour du monde. Mahsa Amini, une kurde de 22 ans, est morte le 16 septembre 2022 après avoir été arrêtée à Téhéran par la police des mœurs pour port du foulard non conforme à la loi. Depuis, la colère populaire enflamme les rues de l'Iran. En face, le régime multiplie les arrestations, les tortures et les condamnations à mort. De nombreux manifestants et manifestantes fuient cette répression et trouvent refuge au Kurdistan irakien voisin.

https://chtbl.com/track/118312/traffic.libsyn.com/secure/talkinglead/TLP_461_Neil_Vermillion_on_Ukraine.mp3 Happy Thanksgiving Lead Heads! In this episode of the Talking Lead Podcast we have the unique opportunity to talk with an American Contractor with the Sons Of Liberty that recently has been to Ukraine to train the Ukrainian Army how to fight against the Russian Invasion. Lefty Makes two big Giveaway announcements and we take care of some Jackwagons and honor some Heroes. Our special guest is Neil Vermillion. Neil is a 16 year Army Veteran with extensive combat experience. Neil also trained the Peshmerga in 2016 on how to fight against ISIS. We get to hear the real truth of what the Ukrainians are facing and how the Russian Invasion is really affecting their country. Co-hosting with Lefty this episode is Brian Keeney with Occam Defense Solutions.   Talking Lead Podcast - "Leaducating The Unleaducated" since 2012 Neil Vermillion on Talking Lead Podcast 461 Ukraine Invasion 2022

The Gods offer their early Halloween recommendations, including Scream 2 and Fright Night on 4k, a new 4k Night of the Living Dead from Criterion and a long-awaited release of David Lynch's Lost Highway from Criterion. DigiGods Podcast, 10/11/22 (M4a) — 50.8 MB right click to save Subscribe to the DigiGods Podcast In this episode, the Gods discuss: Army of Darkness - Collector's Edition - STEELBOOK (4k UHD Blu-ray) Arsenic and Old Lace (Blu-ray) Barfly (Blu-ray) The Beatles And India (Blu-ray) Bel-Air: Season One (Blu-ray) Bernard-Henri Lévy Collection: The Will to See, Peshmerga, The Battle of Mosul, The Oath of Tobruk (DVD) Cinematographer (DVD) DC League of Super-pets (4k UHD Blu-ray) Dersu Uzala (Blu-ray) Dexter: The Complete Series + Dexter: New Blood (Blu-ray) Ed Sullivan's Rock & Roll Classics (DVD) Evil Dead Trap 2: Hideki (Blu-ray) Fanny: The Right to Rock (DVD) Fatal Attraction 4k (4k UHD Blu-ray) Fatal Attraction: SE Friday the 13th (4k UHD Blu-ray) Fright Night (4k UHD Blu-ray) Gallant Indies (DVD) Goldenera (DVD) Hacks: Season 1 (Blu-ray) Harem (Blu-ray) A History of the European Working Class (DVD) The Horrible Sexy Vampire (Blu-ray) I Know What You Did Last Summer (4k UHD Blu-ray) Kamen Rider Kuuga: The Complete Series (Blu-ray) The Kindred (Blu-ray) Krypto the Superdog: The Complete Series (DVD) Kung Fu: The Complete Second Season (DVD) The Limey (4k UHD Blu-ray) Lolita (1997) (Blu-ray) Lost Highway (4k UHD Blu-ray) Love Brides of the Blood Mummy (Blu-ray) Marionette (DVD) Mayor of Kingstown - Season One (Blu-ray) Melrose Place: The Complete Series (DVD) Monobloc (DVD) Mortal Kombat Legends: Snow Blind (4k UHD Blu-ray) Mr. Mayor: The Complete Series (Blu-ray) The Neighborhood: Season Four (DVD) Nick Cave - 20,000 Days On Earth (Blu-ray) Night of the Living Dead (4k UHD Blu-ray) The Other Side of the Mirror (Blu-ray) Paranormal Activity: The Ultimate Chills Collection (Blu-ray) The Police: Around the World - Restored and Expanded (Blu-ray) Putin's Witnesses (DVD) Randy Rhoads (Blu-ray) The Return Of The Living Dead [Collector's Edition] + Enamel Pin Set + Exclusive Poster (4k UHD Blu-ray) The Road Home (Blu-ray) Rutherford Falls: Season One (Blu-ray) Samira's Dream (DVD) Satan's Little Helper (Blu-ray) Scarf Face (DVD) Scream 2 (4k UHD Blu-ray) Star Trek: Picard - Season Two (Blu-ray) Summers with Picasso (DVD) Superman & Lois: The Complete Second Season (Blu-ray) Sweet Tooth: The Complete First Season (Blu-ray) Sweet Tooth: The Complete First Season (DVD) That Dirty Black Bag (Blu-ray) The Twilight Zone (Reboot) - The Complete Series (DVD) Two Witches (Blu-ray) Walker: Season 2 (DVD) Walker: Season One (Blu-ray) War of the Worlds / When Worlds Collide (4k UHD Blu-ray) Why is we Americans? (DVD) Wife Swap: Season Two (DVD) Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty: The Complete First Season (Blu-ray) Yellowjackets: Season 1 (DVD) Yellowjackets: Season 1 (Blu-ray) Please also visit CineGods.com. 

Zana Amin (@zanaorzee) is a project manager by day, an entrepreneur by night, and one of the greatest storytellers I know. This is arguably the most emotional and vulnerable episode we've ever had on the podcast. It's 1986 and the Kurdish people in Northern Iraq are persecuted by Saddam Hussein. They're landlocked. They have no passport. Neighbours aren't friendly. At the time Iraq is committing genocide against Kurdistan. Iran has been oppressing Kurdistan for hundreds of years. In Turkey you're not allowed to speak Kurdish. In Syria things are not much better. But you hear that if you make it to the UN Offices in Ankara, Turkey, you have a chance to go to Canada. So Zee's dad embarks on a smuggler-led journey to save his wife and 2 babies from Saddam Hussein through some of the most dangerous mountains in the Middle East. Conceptually they knew it was crazy risky. They had NO IDEA what was coming next. Let's continue the conversation on Instagram at @stephandyer and @zanaorzee. The Stephan Dyer Podcast is produced by Narzely Guevara and edited by Carlos Bolivar. #TheStephanDyerPodcast

The Kurdistan in America podcast is honored to have Mr. Hadi Pir as its guest in the seventh episode of Season Three.This special episode comes just one week before the 8th anniversary of the genocide committed by ISIS, or Daesh, against the Yazidis in 2014.  On August 3, 2014, members of the terrorist organization Daesh, also known as ISIS, unleashed a savage attack against Yazidis in the Sinjar district, massacring 5,000 Yazidi men and abducting about 7,000 Yazidi women and girls; close to 3,000 are still in captivity, and their fate is unknown.  Over 400,000 Yazidis were displaced from their homes, and close to 220,000 remain displaced today, living mainly in IDP camps across the Kurdistan Region; thousands more have taken refuge in the United States, Canada, Europe, and Australia.Mr. Hadi Pir is the Vice-President and Co-Founder of Yazda, an international NGO supporting the Yazidi survivors of genocide. He is also a doctoral student at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. The discussion is centered on the Yazidi culture, the genocide committed by ISIS, and the current situation with the Yazidi community, especially the displaced people from the Sinjar region. The Kurdistan Regional Government Representation in the United States extends its condolences to all the victims of genocide and wishes them success in seeking justice, accountability, and upholding their culture and faith.

The Kurdistan in America podcast is honored to have Brigadier General Hazhar Ismail as our guest in the sixth episode of Season Three.General Hazhar Ismael is a Senior Advisor at the Ministry of Peshmerga Affairs. He followed in his father's footsteps by joining the peshmerga forces three decades ago. He helped establish the Freedom Battalion, the first Iraqi battalion created after the liberation of Iraq in 2003. He is also a co-founder and member of the Management Board of the Peshmerga Reform Program. He  served as the KRG's representative for security and defense issues in the US-Iraq strategic dialogue.The discussion focuses on the ongoing Peshmerga reform program, the state of coordination and collaboration between the Iraqi Army and Peshmerga forces especially in the disputed areas, the US-Iraq strategic dialogue, and his experience in the Peshmerga forces. General Hazhar Ismail obtained a bachelor's degree from the Zakho Military College in 1995 and a master's degree from the Joint Staff College in Baghdad in 2006, and graduated from the US Army War College in 2013. He is married and is the father of three sons and a daughter.

THE WILL TO SEE shadows the old-time war reporter, philosopher and writer, Bernard-Henri Lévy as he accept a dangerous and essential assignment, in the pandemic year 2020, from a consortium of newspapers that includes Paris Match, La Reppublica, The Wall Street Journal, to bear witness and report from hotspots around the world disrupted by war with the most challenging geopolitical disasters. From the trenches in Donbas, Ukraine and the resistance in the Panjshir Valley fighting the Taliban to the Kurdish fighters combating ISIS, THE WILL TO SEE is an unflinching look at the world's most unreachable war zones and urgent humanitarian crises and has one message: pay attention and care for common humanity. Co-director Bernard-Henri Lévy (Peshmerga, The Oath of Tobruk) joins us to reflect on our collective human history of warfare and cruelty, usually visited upon the most vulnerable amongst us, as well as the state of a world being torn apart by war and violence that is seemingly unable or willing to see it. For updates and screenings go to: the-will-to-see For more: bernard-henri-levy.com/the-will-to-see

Harry Martinez is a United States Marine, soldier, and law enforcement officer. He has deployed in support of operations in South America and the Middle East. Harry and his Marine infantryman sons also volunteered to fight with the Peshmerga as western volunteers. Want to be on the Former Action Guys Podcast?https://forms.gle/9MuoSkzBUgNiVgPu5 Support the podcast and website: www.jcramergraphics.com www.ANGLICOshop.comPodcast Links:YouTube: http://bit.ly/formeractionguysYouTubeSpotify: http://bit.ly/formeractionguysApplePodcast: http://bit.ly/formeractionguysAppleSocial Media:Instagram: www.instagram.com/formeractionguys Instagram: www.instagram.com/jcramergraphics Twitter: https://twitter.com/4meractionguys Reference:117 - Backpack-able radio for tactical use148 - Walkie-talkie style tactical radio152 - Walkie-talkie style tactical radio7-Ton - Medium Tactical Vehicle Replacement (Dump truck-sized military vehicle for hauling troops, supplies, etc.)9-Line - CAS mission brief formatA&S - Assessment and SelectionAAV - Assault Amphibious Vehicle (Also called Tracks)ABC - ANGLICO Basic CourseANG - Air National GuardANGLICO - Air Naval Gunfire Liaison CompanyBLT - Battalion Landing TeamBRC - Basic Reconnaissance CourseCAR - Combat Action RibbonCAS - Close Air SupportCCT - Combat Control TeamCLB - Combat Logistics BattalionCO - Commanding OfficerCOC - Command Operations CenterCOP - Combat OutpostCorpsman - Navy medic attached to MarinesEOD - Explosive Ordnance DisposalFAC - Forward Air ControllerFCT - Firepower Control TeamFDC - Fire Direction ControlFET - Female Engagement Team.FSCC - Fire Support Coordination Center. Where fire missions are deconflicted and approved prior to shooting.GBU - Guided Bomb Unit GLT - Georgian Liaison Team. Georgian military advisors in Afghanistan.Hesco Barrier - Earthen filled barriers used to make or reinforce outpostsHMMWV - High mobility multi-wheeled vehicleIED - Improvised Explosive DeviceIOC - Infantry Officer's CourseJDAM - Joint Direct Attack Munition (GPS guided bomb)JTAC - Joint Terminal Attack ControllerLGTR - LASER Guided Training RoundM-ATV - MRAP All-terrain vehicleMARSOC - Marine Corps Special Operations CommandMART - Marines Awaiting Recon TrainingM-ATV - MRAP All Terrain VehicleMCAS - Marine Corps Air StationMCMAP - Marine Corps Martial Arts ProgramMCRD - Marine Corps Recruit DepotMCIWS - Marine Corps Instructor of Water SurvivalMCT - Marine Combat TrainingMEB - Marine Expeditionary BrigadeMEU - Marine Expeditionary Unit (Unit attached to ships for deployment)MRAP - Mine Resistant Ambush Protected (armored vehicle)MSOT - Marine Special Operations TeamMTU - Marksmanship Training UnitOCS - Officer Candidate SchoolOP - Observation Post. An area where forward observers spot enemy positions and conduct fire missions on targetsPB - Patrol BasePGM - Precision Guided MunitionsPID - Positive identificationPLDR - Portable Lightweight Designator Rangefinder PosRep - Position ReportPSS-SOF - Precision Strike Suite Special Operations Forces. Targeting program.RIP - Relief In PlaceRO - Radio Operator (Sometimes called an RTO)

Tshaka "The Shakaconda" Curtis is a 10th planet blue belt, amateur MMA fighter, former Marine Corps Machine Gun Section Leader and US Foreign Advisor Team Mentor who voluntarily fought with the Peshmerga in Iraq. We had an extremely in depth discussion on the state of our foreign policy, impact of our involvement with Russia and how media blackouts are threatening the integrity of our Democracy. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/alex-strenger/support

Before the Iraq war in 2003, Green Beret teams infiltrated Northern Iraq, linked up with the CIA, and embedded deeply with the Kurdish Peshmerga to prepare for war. These special missions were called “Advanced Force Operations.” Subsequently, these special teams brought in the rest of the Green Berets during an operation called "the Ugly Baby." Then, one of the most significant battles in Special Forces history occurred: "Operation Viking Hammer," where six Green Beret teams along with a handful of CIA and Air Force Special Ops personnel, combined with approximately 8000 Peshmerga, took back hundreds of square kilometers from almost 1000 Ansar Al Islam extremists, and secured a poison production facility of national level significance. This book is the only firsthand account of these essential Unconventional Warfare operations, written by an operator who was there. In addition to describing these historically significant Special Operations missions, "One Green Beret" also details a 15-year career in the Green Berets that includes many unique experiences, such as joint operations alongside Russian Spetznaz on the northern border of Kosovo, and postwar operations in Bosnia embedded deeply with the locals. Mark Giaconia questions everything, and provides a VERY humble, sobering, and human perspective on war, military service, and strategic considerations. One Green Beret is very inspiring, and conveys the author's personal evolution from gunslinger to educated computer scientist; a true tale of “post traumatic growth.”https://www.amazon.com/One-Green-Beret-Extraordinary-1996-2011-ebook/dp/B07D1V9XRLToday's Sponsors:

The Kurdistan in America podcast is honored to have General James Jones as our guest in this special edition.General Jones was the 32nd Commandant of the US Marine Corps, the Supreme Allied Commander for the European Command, and National Security Advisor to President Barrack Obama. He was also one of the original commanders of Operation Provide Comfort, the military-humanitarian operation that saved countless lives in Kurdistan in 1991.General Jones shares with us his experience and insights into Operation Provide Comfort and explains why it was geo-strategically vital for the United States and not just for the people of Kurdistan. He gives his views on the US military partnership with the Peshmerga forces and lends his support for the concurrent resolution in the US Congress (H.Con.Res.32) commemorating the 30th anniversary of Operation Provide Comfort. He also speaks about his decades of service in the US military, explaining how it ultimately led him to become President Obama's National Security Adviser.The KRG Representation calls on the Kurdish-American community to reach out to their members of Congress to ask them to support the resolution in both the House and the Senate.

Dr. Starnes is a vascular surgeon at Harborview Medical Center and is the Chief of the Division of Vascular Surgery and Vice Chair of the Department of Surgery for UW Medicine in Seattle, Washington.    In this episode Dr. Starnes shares his experience of being one of the first responders at the Pentagon on 9/11 and taking charge of managing the most injured patients onsite while the building was on fire nearby.  His and similar stories are captured in a recent book written by his brother called American Phoenix- Heroes of the Pentagon on 9/11    He also tells the incredible story of going outside the wire in Northern Iraq with a CIA operative to coordinate care for wounded Peshmerga soldiers.  You won't forget the story of driving to Mosul with “Bob” and his experiences which seemed like entering the Twilight Zone.    He describes how he used his surgical skills during deployment to perform a life-saving operation on a 2-day old Iraqi girl named Ayat with a complicated life-threatening congenital defect.   Dr. Starnes describes how the skill set of a vascular surgeon is beneficial on the battlefield and gives the listener an idea of how we need to be training surgeons in light of the changing battlefield and advances in technology.   Dr. Starnes is talented storyteller and you will be engaged and entertained while also learning some valuable insights from his experience.     Find out more about Dr. Starnes at wardocspodcast.com/guest-bios and visit our webpage and become part of Team WarDocs at wardocspodcast.com.     Please take a moment to follow/subscribe, rate and review WarDocs on your preferred Podcast venue.   Follow WarDocs on Social Media Twitter: @wardocspodcast Facebook: WarDocs Podcast Instagram: @wardocspodcast

Our correspondent Naseem Sadiq from Duhok reports on the latest attacks of ISIS on many civilians and Peshmerga forces in the Kurdistan region.

*) Myanmar's Aung San Suu Kyi gets 4 year sentence Myanmar's ousted leaders Aung San Suu Kyi and Win Myint were each sentenced to four-years each on charges of incitement and violations of a law on natural disasters. The ruling is the first in a series of cases brought against the former leaders since a military coup on February 1. The coup came after the army, whose allied party lost many seats, claimed massive voting fraud, but independent election observers did not detect any major irregularities. *) Anti-Covid restriction protests turn violent in Brussels Tensions flared in Brussels as anti-lockdown protesters clashed with riot police. Police used tear gas and water cannons to disperse demonstrators, who gathered to oppose compulsory health measures against the pandemic. Belgium also imposed the use of Covid-19 passes for people to access bars and restaurants, as the country struggles to stem the rising number of cases. *) Casualties in northern Iraq as Daesh, Peshmerga fight In northern Iraq, Daesh militants killed four Peshmerga soldiers and a civilian, and wounded six others in an attack to take over a village. The group also captured another village a day after attacking it. The two villages are in a remote territory claimed by both Iraq and the govt in Erbil. *) Thousands rally against France's Eric Zemmour Scuffles broke out between anti-racism activists and supporters of far-right French presidential candidate Eric Zemmour at a rally in Paris. Zemmour, who's been dubbed 'France's Donald Trump', promises a "reconquest" against what he called "decades of decline". The 63-year-old evoked the historic period, when Christian forces drove Muslim rulers from the Iberian peninsula in Spain and Portugal. And finally… *) Pope calls on govts to stop using migrants as pawns Pope Francis is calling on governments to stop using migrants as pawns in international politics. The pontiff is currently on a visit to Lesvos in Greece, where he's meeting with refugees at a migrant camp on the island. The Pope is on a five-day trip across the country, aiming to highlight the struggles of refugees.

This episode of The Jake Dunlap Show features Jason Van Camp, Founder of Warrior Rising and Mission 6 Zero. Jason grew up patriotic among a community of patriots. He grew up around sports and entered every sport he could, even the ones he wasn't particularly good at.By the time Jason was at West Point, he realized his desire to go on a mission. As luck would have it, he was to be sent to Russia, of all places. It was a culture shock but what Jason learned there would change his life.He became fluent in Russian and he learned to evangelize in an atheist, communist country. These life skills, which at the core was basically sales, would become formative in his later life when he would tread the path of an entrepreneur.Jason recalls extraordinary experiences in Russia, such as a run in with a mafia. Handled incorrectly, it could have been a kidnapping, but Jason's cool and confidence turned it into an amazing relationship where he got protection and provided the organization gear in return.For Jason, taking action is the most important. Motivation comes from the self and all he can do is inspire others to move, make something happen, and see results. Jason also believes that surrounding yourself with people that inspire you to do better is a key ingredient of success. He would become a Ranger, being only one of three guys to finish out of a hundred. His successes were only beginning as Jason would become a Green Beret soon after that. In his Special Forces mission in Iraq, he led some of the fiercest fighters, the Kurds, and they took the fight to the enemy and won.By the time he exited the military, Jason made it his personal mission to help veterans get back on their feet. Through his business and nonprofit, Jason helps his fellow patriots regain their purpose and find meaning in life outside the military.QUOTES: 20:42 "Especially when you read something in a foreign language, you can see how there's different perspectives on life and how people see things differently than you do and just really opened my mind."29:09 "They want to be thought leaders or they want to be a guru or a wellness coach. I'm like, don't be a thought leader, be an action leader. Don't be a guru, be a do-ru. Get up and do something. Take action. Move. I don't care what it is, just do something about it."30:09 "I can inspire you to motivate yourself so that you can take action so that you can see results. And once you see results, you inspire yourself to get motivated, to take more action, to see more results. And so it's like this circle of inspiration, motivation, action, and results."32:29 "If you want to be a millionaire, hang around millionaires. They'll all rub off on you. And you'll realize as you, as you hang out with these guys, that they're not that different from you. They're not that more special than you are. You can do the same thing."50:42 "One thing that you think about is what are their motivations? When you really start working with the leadership, you've got to find out what their values are, what they believe in, what they're made of."51:31 "What you learned about leadership, you have to trust other people to do their job. You can't micromanage. You can't be everywhere at once. You have to say, all right, this is what I need you to do. I trust you, go get it done."More about JasonJason Van Camp graduated from the United States Military Academy at West Point in 2001. During his time here, he was a linebacker for the Army Black Knights Football Team and he went on a two-year LDS Church mission to Russia. He would become fluent in Russian during his time here.Jason's military successes were just about to begin. He entered Ranger School, an impressive feat in itself, but what is more amazing is that he is only one of three men who would finish the course.He was part of the tip of the spear in the invasion of Iraq with the 101st Airborne Division and would later become a Green Beret. In his function in the Special Forces, he innovated the idea of training the Peshmerga, fierce Kurdish fighters of the Iraqi Military, to liberate cities from tyranny. Jason is the recipient of multiple awards including the Bronze Star with V device for Valor as well as two additional Bronze Stars during numerous combat rotations as a Special Forces Detachment Commander in the Middle East and Africa.In 2015, Jaosn founded Warrior Rising which empowers U.S. veterans and their immediate families by providing them opportunities to create sustainable businesses, perpetuate the hiring of fellow U.S. military veterans, and earn their future.Last year, Jason published his book Deliberate Discomfort which can be purchased through his website below or through Amazon.com.Find out more about Jason, get his book, and connect with him in the following links:LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/jason-van-camp/Website (Deliberate Discomfort) - https://deliberatediscomfort.com/Website (Mission 6 Zero): http://www.missionsixzero.com/Website (Warrior Rising): https://www.warriorrising.org/Email - jason@www.warriorrising.orgLearn more about Jake Dunlap and Skaled by visiting the links below:Jake Dunlap:Personal Site - http://jakedunlap.com/LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/jakedunlap/Twitter - https://twitter.com/JakeTDunlapInstagram - http://instagram.com/jake_dunlap_Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/JakeTDunlap/Skaled:Website - https://skaled.com/LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/skaledYouTube - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCsw_03rSlbGQkeLGMGiDf4Q

This month, the Kurdistan in America podcast is going north to Canada and is pleased to have the Honorable Tom Kmiec MP as its guest. Mr. Kmiec is serving his third term as a Member of the Canadian Parliament for Calgary Shepard. He is also the co-founder of the Canadian Parliamentary Friends of the Kurds.Mr. Kmiec shares his insights on Canada's involvement in the Kurdistan Region and potential areas to expand bilateral relations. He also sheds light on his impressive knowledge of the Kurds and his encounters with the growing Kurdish community across Canada.Born in Poland and raised as a refugee in Quebec, Mr. Kmiec sees parallels between his family's background in Eastern Europe and the experience of many Kurds who are forced to flee their homeland for political reasons.

Four years have passed since October 16, 2017, the day that resulted in the loss of life and injuries of a number of Peshmerga and civilians. Iraqi government forces entered central Kirkuk after taking key installations outside the disputed city from Kurdish fighters. More in Ahmad Ghafur's report from Erbil. - Çar sal li ser 16ê Cotmeha 2017an re derbas dibin, ew roja ku bû sedema jiyan ji destdan û birîndarbûna hejmarek ji Pêşmerge û welatiyên nişteciyên deverên wek Kerkûk, Xurmato û Xaneqîn ku hin ji wan li derveyî îdareya Herêma Kurdistanê ne. Zêdetir derbarê vê babetê di raporta Ehmed Xefûr ji Hewlêrê heye. 

William Morris reflects on his conversations with Lieutenant General Abd-al-Ameer Yarallah, Chief of Staff of the Iraq Army; Mr Adnan al-Fayhan MP; Mr Ahmad al-Asadi MP; General Jabbar Yawar, Secretary General of KRG's Ministry of Peshmerga; Hadi al Amri, the overall commander of the Hashid; NSA boss Kasem Alaraji; and ISCI Head Sheikh Homan Hamoudi.Support the show (https://www.justgiving.com/tncf)

William Morris talks with Lieutenant General Abd-al-Ameer Yarallah, Chief of Staff of the Iraq Army; Mr Adnan al-Fayhan MP; Mr Ahmad al-Asadi MP; and General Jabbar Yawar, Secretary General of KRG's Ministry of Peshmerga.Support the show (https://www.justgiving.com/tncf)

This episode is also available as a blog post: http://donnyferguson.com/2017/10/23/alert-peshmerga-general-command-statement-on-iraqi-military-and-pmf-assault-on-altun-kupri/ --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/donny-ferguson/message

This episode is also available as a blog post: http://donnyferguson.com/2017/11/02/multiple-iraqi-forces-and-iranian-backed-pmf-attacks-against-peshmerga-positions/ --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/donny-ferguson/message

This episode is also available as a blog post: http://donnyferguson.com/2017/11/02/statement-by-krg-ministry-of-peshmerga-affairs/ --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/donny-ferguson/message

Meet Diako - a former Kurdish Freedom Fighter who accepted Christ while Joshua and Bevin were living in Iraq. Join the conversation to hear his story of getting a Bible, leaving Islam, fleeing Iraq as a refugee, and experiencing Jesus in the hard places. This episode will reassure you that no matter what hard place you find yourself in, God is with you, in you, and ready to use your story for His glory. Get your free discussion guide for this episode here: http://aims.org/podcast.  Connect with us at www.aims.org or on Facebook or Instagram @aims.missions.

Our correspondent Ahmed Ghafur reports from Erbil on the latest regarding ISIS attack on Kurdistan Peshmerga forces where a few peshmergas lost their lives and some being wounded. The report also mentions the Iraqi elections which will take place in October this year. - Di raporta Ehmed Xefûr ji Hewlêrê de behs derbarê êrîşa DAIŞ li ser hêzên Pêşmergeyên Kurdistanê dibe ku di encamê de çend pêşmerge jiyan ji dest dan û birîndar bûn. Herweha di raportê de behs li ser helbijartinên Êraqê jî dibe ku dê di Cotmehê/Octorber de cî bigire.

About the Lecture: This lecture will focus on the Trump Administration's withdrawal from the JCPOA (Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action) and the Administration's strategy towards Iran. Michael Pregent will discuss the reasons for the Administration's withdrawal from the JCPOA, the rationale behind the Administration's “maximum pressure” campaign, the Administration's naming of the IRGC as a terrorist organization and the impact that action may have on Iran's ability to exercise influence in Iraq, Syria, and elsewhere. This will be considered in the context of the Trump Administration's broader plans for the Middle East that seek to simultaneously turn the tables on our enemies there while attempting to cut back on the U.S. military footprint on the ground. About the Speaker: Michael Pregent is a senior fellow at Hudson Institute. He is a senior Middle East analyst, a former adjunct lecturer for the College of International Security Affairs, and a visiting fellow at the Institute for National Strategic Studies at the National Defense University. Pregent is a former intelligence officer with over 28 years of experience working in security, terrorism, counter-insurgency, and policy issues in the Middle East, North Africa, and Southwest Asia. He is an expert in Middle Eastern and North African political and security issues, counter-terrorism analysis, stakeholder communications, and strategic planning. He spent considerable time working malign Iranian influence in Iraq as an advisor to Iraq's Security and Intelligence apparatus. Pregent served in Desert Shield and Desert Storm, and he served as a liaison officer in Egypt during the 2000 Intifada, as a counter-insurgency intelligence officer at CENTCOM in 2001, and as a company commander in Afghanistan in 2002. Additionally, Pregent served as an embedded advisor with the Peshmerga in Mosul from 2005-2006. Also, as a civilian SME working for DIA, Pregent served as a political and military advisor to USF-I focusing on reconciliation, the insurgency, and Iranian influence in Iraq from 2007-2011. He was a violent extremism and foreign fighter analyst at CENTCOM from 2011-2013.

Brought To You By XTech Tactical.  Check out XTech Tactical at https://www.xtechtactical.com/?ap_id=crumpyss? Louis Park was a combat vet who recently separated from the Marines.   While Sitting at home watching the news, he saw the horrors perpetrated by ISIS.   He believed in the saying that, "all it takes is good men to do nothing for evil to exist." He knew what he had to do and he was off to fight the evil forces of ISIS.  He made it to the semi-autonomous region of Kurdistan and joined up with a Christian Militia as well as work with the Peshmerga. This is his heroic story of being an American Volunteer fighter on the front lines of the battle between good and evil.

About the Lecture: This discussion will examine the influential role played by Iran within Iraq and the challenge of building a functioning Iraqi state in the context of Iranian penetration of Iraqi politics, economics, security, and religion. In security, the rise of the Islamic State provided an opportunity for Iran to assist Iraq by standing up Shi'a militias, which are now being used to further Iran's security presence in key areas of Iraq and are helping Iran to realize its strategic vision of building a "Shi'a arc" from Tehran to the Mediterranean. This has complicated Baghdad's ability to grasp the security situation within Iraq. Iran, also, has benefited from a one-sided economic and trade relationship with Iraq. At the same time that its influence has been rising within its neighbor, Iran has been becoming increasingly unpopular among the Iraqi people for its interference in Iraq, and Iraqi nationalists such as Muqtada al-Sadr are pushing back against that influence. This talk will examine all of these aspects of Iranian interference with a particular focus on how to build healthy Iraqi governance functions in the midst of these major challenges. About the Speaker: Mike Pregent is a senior fellow at Hudson Institute. He is a senior Middle East analyst, a former adjunct lecturer for the College of International Security Affairs, and a visiting fellow at the Institute for National Strategic Studies at the National Defense University. Pregent is a former intelligence officer with over 28 years of experience working in security, terrorism, counter-insurgency, and policy issues in the Middle East, North Africa, and Southwest Asia. He is an expert in Middle Eastern and North African political and security issues, counter-terrorism analysis, stakeholder communications, and strategic planning. He spent considerable time working malign Iranian influence in Iraq as an advisor to Iraq's Security and Intelligence apparatus. Pregent served in Desert Shield and Desert Storm, and he served as a liaison officer in Egypt during the 2000 Intifada, as a counter-insurgency intelligence officer at CENTCOM in 2001, and as a company commander in Afghanistan in 2002. Additionally, Pregent served as an embedded advisor with the Peshmerga in Mosul from 2005-2006. Also, as a civilian SME working for DIA, Pregent served as a political and military advisor to USF-I focusing on reconciliation, the insurgency, and Iranian influence in Iraq from 2007-2011. He was a violent extremism and foreign fighter analyst at CENTCOM from 2011-2013.

De grote operatie om de belangrijke Iraakse stad Mosul van IS te bevrijden, kan ieder moment beginnen.En Nederland speelt daarbij een actieve rol. Want zo'n 150 Nederlandse militairen trainen momenteel Iraakse en vooral ook Koerdische militairen, de Peshmerga. Ze doen dat onder meer door een aanval na te spelen op een echt dorp. Verslaggever Hans Jaap Melissen ging mee op training in het noorden van Irak en maakte een reportage.

De Iraakse Koerden hebben financiële problemen. Ambtenaren en Peshmerga, de Koerdische strijders die tegen Islamitische Staat vechten hebben al maanden geen salaris gehad. Hoe kan dat en heeft dit gevolgen voor de strijd tegen Islamitische Staat. Bij ons is Michiel Leezenberg verbonden aan de Universiteit van Amsterdam

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