Podcasts about un security council resolution

A version of this essay was published by firstpost.com at https://www.firstpost.com/opinion/shadow-warrior-britains-outsized-malign-role-in-global-chaos-13872084.html?utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=socialBeing a keen observer of the United Kingdom, I have lately noticed a few apparently unconnected events with dismay. If I were to connect the dots, it begins to appear that Britain has had an outsize influence on international affairs. Maybe the James Bond meme isn't the total fantasy I had assumed it was: a juvenile wet dream about nubile maidens and irresistible heroes bumping off sundry villains.The reality appears to be quite impressive. This tiny, rainy island off Northwest Asia has been running quite a number of worldwide schemes. Its administrative center, Whitehall, manages a global web of intrigue and narrative-building, and has created a number of ‘imperial fortresses', thus punching above its weight-classOne of their principal assets in gaslighting others is the BBC (not to mention their plummy accents that, for example, make Americans just melt). The BBC has a sterling reputation which does not seem well-deserved. There have been many instances of motivated bias (eg. in their Brexit or India coverage), lack of integrity (eg. sexual transgressions by senior staff) and so on. In reality, it is about as unabashed at pushing its agenda as Al Jazeera is about its own.Admittedly, Britain has made one major blunder along the way, though: Brexit, which left them in trisanku mode, sort of adrift mid-Atlantic. They were distancing themselves from the European Union, counting on their so-called ‘special relationship' with the US to sustain them, away from what they perceived, correctly, as a declining and disunited Europe. They also thought they could dominate their former colonies again (see the frantic pursuit of a Free Trade Agreement with India?) without onerous EU rules. Sadly, none of this quite worked out.The reason is a fundamental problem: there is not much of a market for British goods any more. Indians once coveted British products as status symbols, but today, with the possible exceptions of Rolls Royce cars and single-malt whiskey, there's very little anybody wants from them. They still do good R&D, make aircraft engines (India could use that technology), and their apparently for-hire journalism is well-known, but that's about it.On the other hand, they have managed to stay entrenched in the international financial system, starting with colonial loot, especially the $45 trillion they are believed to have taken from India. It is rumored that they used stolen Indian gold to buy distressed assets in the US after the Civil War. It is possible they had the same game plan for Ukraine: acquire rich agricultural land and mineral deposits at distressed prices. Some point to the port of Odessa as another targetUkraine: bad faith actor?It is remarkable how Boris Johnson, then PM of UK, is alleged to have single-handedly ruined the chance of a ceasefire in April 2022 during his visit to Kiev in the early days of the Ukraine war, when there was a chance of a negotiated cessation of hostilities with all parties adhering to the Minsk 1 and 2 agreements.In January, just before President Trump took office, UK PM Starmer signed a minerals agreement with Ukraine as part of a “100-Year Partnership” that appears to pre-emptively undercut Trump's proposed $500-billion US deal. That lends credence to allegations about the UK's coveting minerals, as well as its not being interested in ending the tragic war.Gold: is it all there?The UK does have a thing for tangible assets, including gold. A lot of the world's gold (5000 metric tons) is supposedly held in secure custody in London. But there are fears that this may not physically be there in the vaults of the Bank of England any more. They may have indulged in ‘gold leasing', where the actual gold ends up being replaced by paper promises after it is lent out to bullion banks, from where it may be moved around and be inaccessibleExtraordinary delays in gold deliveries in 2025 (on withdrawals to New York triggered by tariff fears) increase this concern. There is a lack of transparency in transactions in the metal in the UK. Spooked, many countries are taking their gold back. India repatriated 200+ tons of its own gold from London in 2024. Venezuela is fighting a court battle to get its gold back.Then there are concerns raised by the arguably unfair freezing of Russian assets held abroad as part of Ukraine-war sanctions: Starmer recently promised to give Ukraine $2 billion, basically the interest generated by those assets. This doesn't sound quite right, and has dented the image of London as a reliable financial hub. Brexit was a blow; the rise of Dubai, Singapore, Shanghai and Zurich all threaten the City of London, but it is second only to New York, still.Imperial Fortresses galoreAnother win for the British was the selection of Mark Carney, a former Bank of England governor, as the Prime Minister of Canada. The Anglosphere continues to be dominated by the UK, although the Commonwealth is a club that serves no particular purpose any more, except as a curious relic of the British empire.This highlights the concept of ‘imperial fortresses': far-flung outposts that have helped sustain British military power and diplomatic clout despite the loss of empire. Traditionally, these were naval bases/garrisons such as those in Malta, Gibraltar, Bermuda, etc. that allowed Britain to keep an eye on the ‘restless natives'. However, I contend that the entire Anglosphere has been treated as imperial fortresses by them.Canada, Australia and New Zealand still continue to have the British King as their Head of State, which is astonishing for supposedly sovereign nations. But it's far more interesting that, in effect, the US has been treated as another vassal by the Brits, pillow-talked into doing things that are generally only in the interests of Britain. All that pomp and circumstance has beguiled poor Americans. Whitehall, I assert, have been Svengalis to Foggy Bottom.Master Blaster blowback?The other metaphor is from Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome (1985), where "Master Blaster" is a literal duo: Master, a cunning dwarf, and Blaster, his brawny, enforcer bodyguard. The Americans unwittingly have provided the muscle to the calculating dwarf's machinations, which generally end up mostly benefiting the latterBut there is yet another imperial fortress that we should consider: Pakistan. It was created expressly to be a geographically well-placed client state for the Brits to continue their 19th century Great Game from afar to checkmate Russia, and incidentally to contain India. From that point of view, Pakistan has been a successful imperial outpost, notwithstanding the fact that it, despite decades of US largesse, is a failing state (see the Baloch train hijack recently).This is part of the reason why Americans have a hard time explaining why they get involved in Pakistan and Afghanistan again and again to their ultimate regret, with painful exits. They have been induced to do this by the clever Brits, who, quite evidently, sided with Muslims against Hindus in the sub-continent, for instance in the British-led merger of Gilgit-Baltistan into Pakistan, contrary to the Instrument of Accession.There is considerable irony in all this, because one could argue that Pakistani-origin Brits have now done a ‘reverse master-blaster' to the Brits. That sounds eerily like the ‘reverse-Kissinger' that Trump is supposed to be doing. Or maybe it is a ‘recursive master-blaster', although the mind boggles at that.Consider the facts: UK rape-gangs are almost entirely of Pakistani origin; several current mayors (including Sadiq Khan in London) and past mayors are of that ethnicity, indicating a powerful vote-bank; they have at least 15 MPs and a large number of councillors.There's Pakistani-origin Sir Mufti Hamid Patel, the chair of the Office of Standards in Education; Shabana Mahmood, the Justice Secretary; Humza Yusuf, the former First Minister of Scotland. This imperial fortress is fighting back, indeed, and winning. The UK may not have quite anticipated this outcome.The American vassal-state is also beginning to rebel. Trump was personally incensed by the fact that Starmer sent 50 Labor operatives to work against him in the 2024 US elections: their interactions have been a little frosty.Khalil, an embedded asset?Then there is the case of a current cause celebre in the US, Mahmoud Khalil, a Syrian-born Algerian citizen of Palestinian descent. He has been accused of leading violent anti-Israel protests at Columbia University, and detained on that count. Interestingly, he had a security clearance from the UK, and was part of the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, living in Beirut and leading a scholarship program for Syrians. Yes, Syria.And then Khalil suddenly showed up with a green card (not a student visa), got married to a US citizen named Noor Abdalla, finished his program at Columbia, and so on. To me, all this sounds like it was facilitated, and that he has certain powerful foreign friends. No prizes for guessing who they were.Iraq, Libya and Syria: Humanitarian crisesSpeaking of Syria, Whitehall spent at least 350 million pounds sterling between 2011 and 2024 in regime-change activities targeting the Assad government, according to Declassified UK.The UK's meddling in the Middle East, going back to the Sykes-Picot carving up of the Ottoman Empire after World War I, and mandates in Palestine and Iraq, and even earlier to the antics of T E Lawrence, was clearly intended to advance and sustain British interests in, and influence on, the region. Which is not unreasonable.The sad fact, though, is that it appears the British have actively fomented, or been deeply involved in, a lot of the military misadventures that have turned the region into a mess of human misery. To take relatively recent history, the invasions of Iraq, Libya, and now of Syria were arguably dreamt up or at least actively supported by Britain.The invasion of Iraq was certainly endorsed by Tony Blair's infamous September 2002 dossier about Iraq's alleged weapons of mass destruction (WMD), which turned out to be imaginary, but then, lo! Saddam Hussein was overthrown and killed.The invasion of Libya saw Britain take on an even more active role. David Cameron and France's Nicolas Sarkozy in effect prodded a somewhat reluctant Barack Obama to invade, even co-drafting the UN Security Council Resolution 1973 in 2011 that was the formal permission for the war. The net result was the killing of Muammar Gaddafi.In the case of Syria, Britain began covert operations in 2012, with MI6 allegedly organizing arms shipments, training and coordination of groups opposed to the Assad regime. The sudden fall of Assad in December 2024, driven by groups like Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) that Britain indirectly supported, underscores the successful outcomes of this policy.In all three cases, a secular dictatorship was overthrown and religious extremists took over. Earlier, civilians had reasonably prosperous lives; women were generally educated and present in the workforce. After the regime changes, all three are bombed-out hellholes, with no rights for women or religious minorities. In particular, the latter have been consistently subjected to massacres, as in the recent large-scale executions of Alawites in Syria.Even though Americans were the principal players in all these cases, the impression is that British Whitehall's gaslighting of their US counterparts in Foggy Bottom could well have tipped the scales and turned skirmishes into outright war and disaster.Thus it is clear that Britain is still a formidable player in the world of international relations, despite the loss of empire and relative decline. It is unfortunate, however, that the net result of its actions is to add to entropy and chaos and the loss of human lives and rights. Perfidious Albion it still is.1950 words, Mar 16, 2025AI-generated podcast from NotebookLM.google.com: This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit rajeevsrinivasan.substack.com/subscribe

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*) Israel kills over 110 Palestinians in one day The Israeli army continues to brutally target displaced people, civilians, municipal teams and others. In just 24 hours, the Israeli army has killed more than 110 people, Palestinian media office in Gaza says. One of the deadliest Israeli attacks on a school-turned-shelter in the northern town of Beit Hanoon left at least 43 people dead. More than 213 shelters have been targeted in Israeli attacks since the start of its genocide last year and at least 94 civil defence personnel also lost their lives in Israeli bombardment. The media office also said the Israeli army has carried out successive massacres against medical teams and hospitals in recent days, killing several doctors and staff. *) UN envoy meets HTS leader to discuss Syria's future The United Nations Special Envoy for Syria has met with the leader of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), Ahmad al Sharaa, to discuss recent developments in Syria. According to information from Syrian interim government sources, Geir Pedersen visited Damascus for the first time since the fall of the Bashar al Assad regime to meet with Sharaa. During the meeting, Sharaa emphasised the need to update and align the UN Security Council Resolution 2254 with the current realities of the situation in Syria. He highlighted the necessity of quick and effective cooperation to address the issues facing Syrians. *) South Korea's Yoon faces summons amid martial law probe, impeachment trial South Korean law enforcement authorities are pushing to summon impeached President Yoon Suk-yeol for questioning over his short-lived martial law decree as the Constitutional Court began its first meeting on Yoon's case to determine whether to remove him from office or reinstate him. A joint investigative team involving police, an anti-corruption agency, and the Defence Ministry said it plans to request that Yoon's office hold him for questioning on Wednesday as they expand a probe into whether his ill-conceived power grab amounted to rebellion. *) Mass grave and drug factories uncovered in Damascus A mass grave was discovered in the Husainiyya district of the Syrian capital Damascus. The discovery comes as part of search and investigation efforts continued across Syria following the fall of Bashar al Assad's regime. The mass grave is located in the southeastern part of the capital, just behind Damascus Airport. A villa in Syria's capital Damascus was identified as a drug production hub linked to Maher al Assad, the brother of ousted regime leader Bashar al Assad. Since the collapse of the decades-long Baath regime on December 8, drug manufacturing centres across Syria have been steadily uncovered. *) Cyclone Chido wreaks havoc in French-colonised archipelago Several hundred people may have been killed by Cyclone Chido in the French-colonised archipelago in the Indian Ocean. The French interior ministry said it would be difficult to account for all victims and said a figure could not be determined at this stage. Cyclone Chido swept through Mayotte overnight, bringing winds of more than 200 kilometres per hour and damaging makeshift housing, government buildings and a hospital.

SRSG Parfait Onanga-Anyanga, the Special Representative of the Secretary-General to the African Union and Head of the United Nations Office to the African Union, joins us in this inaugural episode of Season Four of the She Stands for Peace podcast. In our compelling dialogue, SRSG Onanga-Anyanga reflects on the journey of UN Security Council Resolution 1325 in Africa, as we near a quarter-century since its inception. He commends the progress made while candidly addressing the persistent challenges such as deep-rooted societal norms, political inaction, and the threat of backlash. As climate change, economic strife, and violent extremism disproportionately affect women and girls, he underscores the importance of a holistic approach to implementing the Women, Peace, and Security (WPS) agenda. With Africa's adoption of numerous regional and National Action Plans, there is a testament to the political will to advance women's roles in peacebuilding and security. Yet, the struggle for women's full, equal, and meaningful participation in decision-making and conflict mediation persists.   Join us as we explore these critical issues and celebrate the strides made in gender parity, while also recognizing the road ahead. Share your insights and be part of the conversation by emailing unoau-public-information@un.org.   Stand for peace with Africa's Women, Peace, and Security agenda! 

‘The last time this was done - with Iraq - you had two things we're not going to have here, which is number 1 a [UN] Security Council Resolution, and number 2 the consent of the government of Iraq. We are not getting either in the case of Russia, at least in the near term. And so the credibility of the international mechanism is going to be really important. And so I think it can be done but, look, everything is unprecedented until you do it the first time'. -David Mortlock on the likelihood of seeing Russian asset recovery this year In the latest episode of the Sanctions Space Podcast, Justine is joined by David Mortlock, Co-Chair of Global Trade & Investment Group, Managing Partner for Washington, DC at Willkie Farr & Gallagher. They discuss the changing sanctions enforcement landscape, the state of play regarding seizure and recovery of frozen Russian assets, and how we may see the oil price cap evolve in 2024. David Mortlock is Chair of Willkie's Global Trade & Investment Practice Group and Managing Partner of the Washington office. David is formerly the Director for International Economic Affairs at the White House National Security Council, in which capacity he advised the President and his National Security Advisor on sanctions, corruption and other international finance and trade issues. Read David's full bio here: https://www.willkie.com/professionals/m/mortlock-david

Peta Jones Pellach with the latest news from Israel as fot the week ending on the 31st of March

A daily non- conversational breakdown of today's top news and breaking news stories.  This Week's Sponsors:  – Good Chop – $120 off across you first 4 boxes | CODE: monews120 – Athletic Greens – AG1 Powder + 1 year of free Vitamin D & 5 free travel packs – WeWork – 15% Off Your First 6 Months | CODE: MOWORKS20  Headlines: – UN Security Council Passes Call For Gaza Cease-Fire After U.S. Abstains (05:30) – Updates on Two of Trump's Legal Cases (10:40) – Trump's Truth Social To Go Public At The Nasdaq Today (12:00) – Supreme Court Hears Arguments Over Mifepristone (18:30) – Boeing CEO Dave Calhoun To Step Down In Wake Of Ongoing Safety Problems (21:15) – FAA Considers Limits on New United Routes After Safety Incidents (23:20) – Federal Agents Raid Diddy's Los Angeles, Miami Homes (25:00) – DeSantis Signs Bill Banning Social Media Accounts For Kids Under 14 (27:00) – Sagrada Familia in Barcelona ‘will be completed in 2026' (30:15) – On This Day In History (33:40) **Mo News Premium For Members-Only Instagram, Private Podcast: (Click To Join)** — Mosheh Oinounou (@mosheh) is an Emmy and Murrow award-winning journalist. He has 20 years of experience at networks including Fox News, Bloomberg Television and CBS News, where he was the executive producer of the CBS Evening News and launched the network's 24 hour news channel. He founded the @mosheh Instagram news account in 2020 and the Mo News podcast and newsletter in 2022. Jill Wagner (@jillrwagner) is an Emmy and Murrow award- winning journalist. She's currently the Managing Editor of the Mo News newsletter and previously worked as a reporter for CBS News, Cheddar News, and News 12. She also co-founded the Need2Know newsletter, and has made it a goal to drop a Seinfeld reference into every Mo News podcast. Follow Mo News on all platforms: Website: www.mo.news Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mosheh/ Daily Newsletter: https://www.mo.news/newsletter Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@monews Twitter: https://twitter.com/mosheh TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@mosheh Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MoshehNews Snapchat: https://t.snapchat.com/pO9xpLY9

Biden Administration refuses to veto UN Security Council Resolution calling for a ceasefire in Gaza, but did not condemn Hamas or mention the atrocities of October 7th, leading Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to cancel a visit to Washington

Biden Administration refuses to veto UN Security Council Resolution calling for a ceasefire in Gaza, but did not condemn Hamas or mention the atrocities of October 7th, leading Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to cancel a visit to Washington

Biden Administration refuses to veto UN Security Council Resolution calling for a ceasefire in Gaza, but did not condemn Hamas or mention the atrocities of October 7th, leading Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to cancel a visit to Washington

Biden Administration refuses to veto UN Security Council Resolution calling for a ceasefire in Gaza, but did not condemn Hamas or mention the atrocities of October 7th, leading Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to cancel a visit to Washington

Biden Administration refuses to veto UN Security Council Resolution calling for a ceasefire in Gaza, but did not condemn Hamas or mention the atrocities of October 7th, leading Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to cancel a visit to Washington

Biden Administration refuses to veto UN Security Council Resolution calling for a ceasefire in Gaza, but did not condemn Hamas or mention the atrocities of October 7th, leading Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to cancel a visit to Washington

Biden Administration refuses to veto UN Security Council Resolution calling for a ceasefire in Gaza, but did not condemn Hamas or mention the atrocities of October 7th, leading Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to cancel a visit to Washington

Biden Administration refuses to veto UN Security Council Resolution calling for a ceasefire in Gaza, but did not condemn Hamas or mention the atrocities of October 7th, leading Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to cancel a visit to Washington

Biden Administration refuses to veto UN Security Council Resolution calling for a ceasefire in Gaza, but did not condemn Hamas or mention the atrocities of October 7th, leading Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to cancel a visit to Washington

Biden Administration refuses to veto UN Security Council Resolution calling for a ceasefire in Gaza, but did not condemn Hamas or mention the atrocities of October 7th, leading Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to cancel a visit to Washington

The United Nations Security Council passes a resolution that demands a ceasefire in Gaza for the remainder of Ramadan. Thus far, 14 council members, including Russia, China and the UK, have voted in favour with the US abstaining from the vote. Listen to #Pulse95Radio in the UAE by tuning in on your radio (95.00 FM) or online on our website: www.pulse95radio.com ************************ Follow us on Social. www.facebook.com/pulse95radio www.twitter.com/pulse95radio www.instagram.com/pulse95radio www.youtube.com/pulse95radio

The UN Security Council on Monday adopted a resolution demanding an immediate ceasefire in war-ravaged Gaza during Ramadan and calling for the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages. This was the Council's first explicit call for an immediate ceasefire since IsraelBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/policy-and-rights--3339563/support.

Against John's better judgement, trade nerd Dmitry attempts to provide a vaguely accessible explanation of the World Trade Organization and its 13th Ministerial Conference. Also includes brief discussions of the 2nd anniversary of Russia's re-invasion of Ukraine and the US veto of another UN Security Council Resolution demanding a ceasefire in Gaza. About the show:Intrigue Explained is a show where three former diplomats (John Fowler, Dmitry Grozoubinski and Helen Zhang*) break down the big stories in international news.The show is based on reporting from International Intrigue's free daily newsletter. Sign up to receive the world's news in a format you'll love and at a length you can digest over coffee.*Helen is off this week.

China aims to improve land management to promote high-quality development(01:01).The US has proposed a draft UN Security Council Resolution for a ceasefire in Gaza(12:45). And China's Greater Bay Area plan has benefited the southern city of Macao in the past five years(19:43).

The year 2023 marked a significant shift in how the EU makes space for humanitarian action in the design of sanctions, a foreign policy tool that has traditionally raised concerns due to its potential to hinder impartial humanitarian efforts. Mounting evidence and advocacy on the need for sanctions to include robust humanitarian safeguards to comply with international humanitarian law requirements resulted in the December 2022 adoption of UN Security Council Resolution 2664, which explicitly excludes humanitarian action from UN financial sanctions, initiating a transformative approach towards incorporating humanitarian exemptions in sanctions design. In this post, ICRC Advisers Sophie Huvé, Guillemette Moulin and Tristan Ferraro explore progress made in recent years at the EU level, as well as the remaining challenges. They suggest that the EU's recent policy changes, aligning with UN Security Council Resolution 2664, should be set as a default in future sanctions designs, ensuring that humanitarian action is protected and facilitated within the framework of international humanitarian law (IHL).

Secretary-General Antonio Guterres speaks to the press after Security Council adopted resolution on Gaza humanitarian aid at UN Headquarters in New York on December 22, 2023. AAP

The majority of the UN council supported an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, with 13 of 15 members voting in favour. Also: Russians to compete at Paris Olympics as neutrals, and Fairytale of New York sung at Pogues singer's funeral.

For review:1. Update on US Army MH-60 Black Hawk crash.2. US Navy Destroyer, USS Thomas Hudner (DDG-116),  downs drone over the Red Sea.3. US Defense Official confirms Hamas tunnels and and command/control node under Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza.4. IDF enters Al-Shifi Hospital in Gaza.- finds weapons. Operations to locate Hamas assets will continue.5. IDF provides estimation of disruption of Hamas Regional Brigades/Battalions.6. UN Security Council Resolution 2712 adopted. Calls for extended humanitarian pauses, release of all hostages held by Hamas, and immediate humanitarian access. US/UK/Russia abstain. 7. French Army receive 16 more Griffon Armored Vehicles.  Fleet increased to 533/887 total vehicles.8. US Army selects Sierra Nevada Corporation to provide Fixed-wing ISR platform.9. Germany to procure PARM directional, anti-tank mines.  Will replace internal stocks provided to Ukraine. 

EdTech #374 UN Security Council Resolution 2601 - Protecting Education in Conflict https://millenniumedu.org/scr_2601/

We are now two weeks into the latest escalation of the long and bloody conflict between Israel and Hamas. A humanitarian catastrophe is unfolding in Gaza, prompting UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to call for an immediate ceasefire to stop the indiscriminate bombing of civilians and civilian objects.But on the same day, a UN Security Council Resolution calling for a ‘humanitarian pause' was blocked by the US government – with the UK and Russia abstaining. Political action is needed now but global leaders are in a diplomatic gridlock, which risks further destabilising the region.In this episode, experts discuss the horrifying situation in Gaza and what action is needed immediately to uphold international humanitarian law and stop the bloodshed.Speakers:Sara Pantuliano (host), Chief Executive, ODIRobert Mardini, Director-General, ICRCSari Bashi, Program Director, Human Rights WatchIhsan Adel, Founder and Chair of Law for Palestine, international lawyerSorcha O'Callaghan, Director of Humanitarian Policy Group, ODI

As key international restrictions on Iran's nuclear weapons and ballistic missile programs are set to expire this month, Tehran supports, sponsors, and coordinates with terrorist groups like Hamas — who just brutally murdered over 1,200 Israelis. The United States and its allies are assessing how best to respond to the indiscriminate attacks on Israel while also actively seeking to mitigate fatal flaws of the 2015 nuclear deal and associated UN Security Council Resolution 2231. While the US has opted for a policy of declining pressure on Iran, the Islamic Republic has amassed enough material to produce a nuclear weapon in 12 days while simultaneously developing and testing more advanced ballistic missiles. To make matters worse, the Islamic Republic has booted inspectors from nuclear sites, leaving reduced international oversight.How can the US stand up to the murderous regime in Iran and its network of proxies? What exactly are the upcoming “sunsets” under UN Resolution 2231? How can the West mitigate the fallout of an effective greenlighting of Iranian sales of missiles and drones to Russia?To discuss Iran's military and nuclear capabilities and its ongoing coordination with its global network of terror surrogates, FDD will host an event featuring:David Albright, founder and president of the Institute for Science and International SecurityShannon Crawford, ABC News reporterBehnam Ben Taleblu, FDD senior fellowBradley Bowman, senior director of FDD's Center on Military and Political PowerRichard Goldberg, FDD senior advisor and former director for countering Iranian weapons of mass destructionEyal Hulata, FDD senior international fellow and former Israeli national security advisorAnthony Ruggiero, senior director of FDD's Nonproliferation and Biodefense Program and former deputy assistant to the president for national security affairs and National Security Council senior director for counterproliferation and biodefenseJonathan Schanzer, FDD senior vice president for researchRep. Brad Schneider (D-IL), Illinois' 10th Congressional DistrictAndrea Stricker, FDD research fellow and deputy director of FDD's Nonproliferation and Biodefense Program

This is Garrison Hardie with your CrossPolitic Daily News Brief for Friday, June 16th, 2023. It’s been awhile guys, how about we start today with a little “On this day in history!” June 16th, on this day in history: 1779 Spain declares war on Great Britain in support of France and the USA, starting the Great Siege of Gibraltar which goes on to last 3 years, 7 months and 2 weeks 1858 Abraham Lincoln says "A house divided against itself cannot stand" accepting Illinois Republican Party's nomination for the Senate 1963 Soviet space mission Vostok 6 is launched with Valentina Tereshkova onboard, who becomes the 1st woman in space 2000 Israel complies with UN Security Council Resolution 425 after 22 years, which calls on Israel to completely withdraw from Lebanon. Israel withdraws from all of Lebanon, except the disputed Sheba Farms Film & TV 1960 "Psycho", psychological horror film directed by Alfred Hitchcock, starring Janet Leigh, Anthony Perkins, and Vera Miles, opens in New York City 1978 Film "Grease" opens, starring John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John, based on the 1971 musical https://www.baptistpress.com/resource-library/news/southern-baptists-pass-first-approval-of-constitutional-amendment-over-women-pastors/ Southern Baptists pass first approval of constitutional amendment over women pastors A motion to clarify Southern Baptists’ stance on women and men filling the role of pastor was passed by messengers on June 14. The motion, first brought last year by Virginia pastor Mike Law, received the required two-thirds vote by messengers. Another two-thirds vote of approval is necessary at next year’s annual meeting to proceed with the amendment to Article III of the SBC Constitution. The motion that was passed was amended from its original version, which was referred to the SBC Executive Committee last year at the SBC annual meeting in Anaheim, Calif. Juan Sanchez, senior pastor of High Pointe Baptist Church in Austin, Texas, offered the amendment to Law’s motion. Both pastors had discussed and agreed on its merits the previous weekend, Sanchez told fellow messengers. Article III lists five points that place churches within the definition of cooperation with the SBC. The amended motion calls for a sixth, adding churches that affirm, appoint, or employ “only men as any kind of pastor or elder as qualified by Scripture.” Sanchez initially presented his amendment as a “substitute motion.” SBC President Bart Barber, with no objection from the crowd, clarified later that it was being treated as an amendment. The Executive Committee agreed at its meeting on June 12 to bring Law’s motion to the messengers at this year’s meeting. However, the EC’s recommendation included EC opposition to the motion itself, stating that matters of belief ought to be addressed in the Baptist Faith and Message rather than the constitution. Article VI of the Baptist Faith and Message 2000 addresses The Church, stating that “While both men and women are gifted for service in the church, the office of pastor is limited to men as qualified by Scripture.” Bob Bender, pastor emeritus of Cross Fellowship Church in Colorado Springs, Colo., spoke in opposition to the motion. “Southern Baptist brothers and sisters, I beg of you,” he said. “Do not do this. All the liberals have left us. It looks like we conservatives are left to fight amongst ourselves.” Women in associate pastoral roles need to be recognized for their contributions, Bender said. Denny Burk, a messenger from Kenwood Baptist Church in Louisville, Ky., said the amendment “does nothing to diminish [women’s] calling and their work among us.” “We all believe they must be a part of the Great Commission,” said Burk, who also serves as the director of the Center for Gospel and Culture at Boyce College. The heart of the amendment, he continued, “is about how to apply our doctrinal statement to our cooperation when it comes to female pastors.” The vote took place at noon just prior to scheduled luncheons by seminaries and other groups. Before the final vote, a motion to extend time was defeated. https://townhall.com/tipsheet/mattvespa/2023/06/14/ma-middle-schoolers-foment-a-pronoun-rebellion-during-pride-month-and-the-media-is-aghast-n2624491 Middle Schoolers' USA Rebellion at Pride Event Causes Libs to Melt Down As the kids say nowadays, these middle schoolers are based. And by that, I mean they did something that sent shockwaves through a local Massachusetts community, stunned the local school board, and sent the liberal media into meltdown mode. Marshall Simonds Middle School in Burlington, Massachusetts, just outside of Boston, saw an LGBT event wrecked by a pronoun rebellion. Pride flags were destroyed, and chants of 'USA' rang throughout the school. To be more precise, they were chanting, “My pronouns are USA,” while decked out in patriotic colors. The event caused some local school board members to lose sleep over the incident, which proves that some people in this community need to go outside and touch some grass. Now, the LGBT mob is pushing to punish these kids for exercising their constitutional right to free speech and expression… Listen to the reaction they caused: https://twitter.com/i/status/1669005086167560194 -Play Video Nancy Bonassera, co-chair of the Burlington Equity Coalition, said that students were invited to wear rainbow clothing on June 2 in celebration of Pride Month. The coalition is calling for "consequences" for the students who participated in the counter-protest and is urging the district to fill a diversity, equity and inclusion role that they say has been vacant for almost a year. Select Board member Michael Espejo said a "bad light has been cast over our town." "I was very upset, I've lost sleep over it," Espejo said about the incident. "It kind of shocked me to my core. I didn't think something like that could happen in Burlington." Burlington School Committee Chair Martha Simon condemned the incident at a meeting Tuesday night, but declined any specifics on disciplinary actions, stressing the offenders were mere eighth graders. But a room full of parents, mostly of LGBTQ kids, argued that school officials needed to take a stronger stand and use the incident as a "teaching moment" refuting the notion that overt pride displays are somehow not appropriate for schools. This is just a reminder to get your kids out of public school, and here’s a way to do that! Classical Conversations Classical Conversations supports homeschooling parents by cultivating the love of learning through a Christian worldview in fellowship with other families. They provide a classical Christ-centered curriculum, local like-minded communities across the United States and in several countries, and they train parents who are striving to be great classical educators in the home. For more information and to get connected, please visit their website at ClassicalConversations.com. Again that’s ClassicalConversations.com. https://thenationalpulse.com/2023/06/14/farage-climate-lockdowns-are-coming-mark-my-words/ Farage: Climate Lockdowns Are Coming, ‘Mark My Words’. Brexit leader Nigel Farage has foretold of impending, authoritarian measures by Western governments designed to limit people’s movements and vehicle usage under the guise of “climate change” action. Speaking to supporters via social media, Farage warns: “climate lockdowns are coming,” citing a recent limit placed on automobile usage by the far left Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan. In response to one of Khan’s tweets, which encouraged Londoners to “avoid unnecessary car journeys,” Farage argued: “he’s telling us: don’t use your car unnecessarily, no engine idling, no burning of wood or waste.” Khan has often warned of the dangers of climate change and used it to justify London’s “Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ),” which charges Brits £12.50 per day to drive in the capitol. https://twitter.com/i/status/1668555766670802944 - Play Video Now it’s time for my favorite topic, sports! https://www.breitbart.com/sports/2023/06/14/huston-report-mlb-quietly-tells-teams-to-ditch-pride-uniforms/ MLB Quietly Tells Teams to Ditch ‘Pride’ Uniforms Major League Baseball has quietly told teams that they can stop forcing players to wear uniforms and hats adorned with gay pride rainbow colors during their “Pride Night” games. The decision comes as the L.A. Dodgers are taking major heat for inviting the radical, anti-Catholic hate group, the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, to its gay pride night game on June 16. And also as several major corporations, including Bud Light and Target, are facing serious economic losses thanks to their wild-eyed support of the far-left LGBTQ agenda. The Tampa Bay Rays was the first MLB team to announce that players would not wear any rainbow-colored patches or jerseys during the June pride game this year. But, the league kept this change to its pride celebrations very quiet since giving teams dispensation to dump the pride colors and special jerseys back in February, according to the Washington Examiner. The Rays had trouble with the pride night plans last year when several players balked at being forced to wear rainbow colors. At the time, several players rebelled against the pride jerseys and refused to wear them during last year’s pride game. Not all teams are dumping the forced fealty to the groomer agenda. The L.A. Dodgers and San Francisco Giants have announced their intentions to continue wearing the pride jerseys. There has been one team that has eschewed the pride business from the beginning. The Texas Rangers is the only team that has consistently refused to indulge in any demonstrations of “pride” and has never scheduled any “Pride Night” games. Pro baseball is not the only sport to see growing resistance to having “pride” forced on players, games, and their sport. A growing number of NHL players and teams are also turning away from blatant expressions of the groomer agenda. Teams, including the Chicago Blackhawks and the Buffalo Sabres, have experienced issues with using pride jerseys. In addition, San Jose Sharks goalie James Reimer opted out of wearing the jersey, citing his religious convictions. In January, Philadelphia Flyers defenseman Ivan Provorov also decided not to wear his team’s gay pride jersey for similar reasons. And that same month, the New York Rangers opted out of wearing the gay pride jersey. It seems to all be part of a growing trend of Americans finally getting sick and tired of the gay agenda being shoved down everyone’s throats by multi-billion-dollar corporations. Major League Baseball was one of the last major sports to succumb to the extreme woke agenda. It’s time it goes back to being the sport that welcomes everyone to come play baseball, not to be inundated with politics.

This is Garrison Hardie with your CrossPolitic Daily News Brief for Friday, June 16th, 2023. It’s been awhile guys, how about we start today with a little “On this day in history!” June 16th, on this day in history: 1779 Spain declares war on Great Britain in support of France and the USA, starting the Great Siege of Gibraltar which goes on to last 3 years, 7 months and 2 weeks 1858 Abraham Lincoln says "A house divided against itself cannot stand" accepting Illinois Republican Party's nomination for the Senate 1963 Soviet space mission Vostok 6 is launched with Valentina Tereshkova onboard, who becomes the 1st woman in space 2000 Israel complies with UN Security Council Resolution 425 after 22 years, which calls on Israel to completely withdraw from Lebanon. Israel withdraws from all of Lebanon, except the disputed Sheba Farms Film & TV 1960 "Psycho", psychological horror film directed by Alfred Hitchcock, starring Janet Leigh, Anthony Perkins, and Vera Miles, opens in New York City 1978 Film "Grease" opens, starring John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John, based on the 1971 musical https://www.baptistpress.com/resource-library/news/southern-baptists-pass-first-approval-of-constitutional-amendment-over-women-pastors/ Southern Baptists pass first approval of constitutional amendment over women pastors A motion to clarify Southern Baptists’ stance on women and men filling the role of pastor was passed by messengers on June 14. The motion, first brought last year by Virginia pastor Mike Law, received the required two-thirds vote by messengers. Another two-thirds vote of approval is necessary at next year’s annual meeting to proceed with the amendment to Article III of the SBC Constitution. The motion that was passed was amended from its original version, which was referred to the SBC Executive Committee last year at the SBC annual meeting in Anaheim, Calif. Juan Sanchez, senior pastor of High Pointe Baptist Church in Austin, Texas, offered the amendment to Law’s motion. Both pastors had discussed and agreed on its merits the previous weekend, Sanchez told fellow messengers. Article III lists five points that place churches within the definition of cooperation with the SBC. The amended motion calls for a sixth, adding churches that affirm, appoint, or employ “only men as any kind of pastor or elder as qualified by Scripture.” Sanchez initially presented his amendment as a “substitute motion.” SBC President Bart Barber, with no objection from the crowd, clarified later that it was being treated as an amendment. The Executive Committee agreed at its meeting on June 12 to bring Law’s motion to the messengers at this year’s meeting. However, the EC’s recommendation included EC opposition to the motion itself, stating that matters of belief ought to be addressed in the Baptist Faith and Message rather than the constitution. Article VI of the Baptist Faith and Message 2000 addresses The Church, stating that “While both men and women are gifted for service in the church, the office of pastor is limited to men as qualified by Scripture.” Bob Bender, pastor emeritus of Cross Fellowship Church in Colorado Springs, Colo., spoke in opposition to the motion. “Southern Baptist brothers and sisters, I beg of you,” he said. “Do not do this. All the liberals have left us. It looks like we conservatives are left to fight amongst ourselves.” Women in associate pastoral roles need to be recognized for their contributions, Bender said. Denny Burk, a messenger from Kenwood Baptist Church in Louisville, Ky., said the amendment “does nothing to diminish [women’s] calling and their work among us.” “We all believe they must be a part of the Great Commission,” said Burk, who also serves as the director of the Center for Gospel and Culture at Boyce College. The heart of the amendment, he continued, “is about how to apply our doctrinal statement to our cooperation when it comes to female pastors.” The vote took place at noon just prior to scheduled luncheons by seminaries and other groups. Before the final vote, a motion to extend time was defeated. https://townhall.com/tipsheet/mattvespa/2023/06/14/ma-middle-schoolers-foment-a-pronoun-rebellion-during-pride-month-and-the-media-is-aghast-n2624491 Middle Schoolers' USA Rebellion at Pride Event Causes Libs to Melt Down As the kids say nowadays, these middle schoolers are based. And by that, I mean they did something that sent shockwaves through a local Massachusetts community, stunned the local school board, and sent the liberal media into meltdown mode. Marshall Simonds Middle School in Burlington, Massachusetts, just outside of Boston, saw an LGBT event wrecked by a pronoun rebellion. Pride flags were destroyed, and chants of 'USA' rang throughout the school. To be more precise, they were chanting, “My pronouns are USA,” while decked out in patriotic colors. The event caused some local school board members to lose sleep over the incident, which proves that some people in this community need to go outside and touch some grass. Now, the LGBT mob is pushing to punish these kids for exercising their constitutional right to free speech and expression… Listen to the reaction they caused: https://twitter.com/i/status/1669005086167560194 -Play Video Nancy Bonassera, co-chair of the Burlington Equity Coalition, said that students were invited to wear rainbow clothing on June 2 in celebration of Pride Month. The coalition is calling for "consequences" for the students who participated in the counter-protest and is urging the district to fill a diversity, equity and inclusion role that they say has been vacant for almost a year. Select Board member Michael Espejo said a "bad light has been cast over our town." "I was very upset, I've lost sleep over it," Espejo said about the incident. "It kind of shocked me to my core. I didn't think something like that could happen in Burlington." Burlington School Committee Chair Martha Simon condemned the incident at a meeting Tuesday night, but declined any specifics on disciplinary actions, stressing the offenders were mere eighth graders. But a room full of parents, mostly of LGBTQ kids, argued that school officials needed to take a stronger stand and use the incident as a "teaching moment" refuting the notion that overt pride displays are somehow not appropriate for schools. This is just a reminder to get your kids out of public school, and here’s a way to do that! Classical Conversations Classical Conversations supports homeschooling parents by cultivating the love of learning through a Christian worldview in fellowship with other families. They provide a classical Christ-centered curriculum, local like-minded communities across the United States and in several countries, and they train parents who are striving to be great classical educators in the home. For more information and to get connected, please visit their website at ClassicalConversations.com. Again that’s ClassicalConversations.com. https://thenationalpulse.com/2023/06/14/farage-climate-lockdowns-are-coming-mark-my-words/ Farage: Climate Lockdowns Are Coming, ‘Mark My Words’. Brexit leader Nigel Farage has foretold of impending, authoritarian measures by Western governments designed to limit people’s movements and vehicle usage under the guise of “climate change” action. Speaking to supporters via social media, Farage warns: “climate lockdowns are coming,” citing a recent limit placed on automobile usage by the far left Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan. In response to one of Khan’s tweets, which encouraged Londoners to “avoid unnecessary car journeys,” Farage argued: “he’s telling us: don’t use your car unnecessarily, no engine idling, no burning of wood or waste.” Khan has often warned of the dangers of climate change and used it to justify London’s “Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ),” which charges Brits £12.50 per day to drive in the capitol. https://twitter.com/i/status/1668555766670802944 - Play Video Now it’s time for my favorite topic, sports! https://www.breitbart.com/sports/2023/06/14/huston-report-mlb-quietly-tells-teams-to-ditch-pride-uniforms/ MLB Quietly Tells Teams to Ditch ‘Pride’ Uniforms Major League Baseball has quietly told teams that they can stop forcing players to wear uniforms and hats adorned with gay pride rainbow colors during their “Pride Night” games. The decision comes as the L.A. Dodgers are taking major heat for inviting the radical, anti-Catholic hate group, the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, to its gay pride night game on June 16. And also as several major corporations, including Bud Light and Target, are facing serious economic losses thanks to their wild-eyed support of the far-left LGBTQ agenda. The Tampa Bay Rays was the first MLB team to announce that players would not wear any rainbow-colored patches or jerseys during the June pride game this year. But, the league kept this change to its pride celebrations very quiet since giving teams dispensation to dump the pride colors and special jerseys back in February, according to the Washington Examiner. The Rays had trouble with the pride night plans last year when several players balked at being forced to wear rainbow colors. At the time, several players rebelled against the pride jerseys and refused to wear them during last year’s pride game. Not all teams are dumping the forced fealty to the groomer agenda. The L.A. Dodgers and San Francisco Giants have announced their intentions to continue wearing the pride jerseys. There has been one team that has eschewed the pride business from the beginning. The Texas Rangers is the only team that has consistently refused to indulge in any demonstrations of “pride” and has never scheduled any “Pride Night” games. Pro baseball is not the only sport to see growing resistance to having “pride” forced on players, games, and their sport. A growing number of NHL players and teams are also turning away from blatant expressions of the groomer agenda. Teams, including the Chicago Blackhawks and the Buffalo Sabres, have experienced issues with using pride jerseys. In addition, San Jose Sharks goalie James Reimer opted out of wearing the jersey, citing his religious convictions. In January, Philadelphia Flyers defenseman Ivan Provorov also decided not to wear his team’s gay pride jersey for similar reasons. And that same month, the New York Rangers opted out of wearing the gay pride jersey. It seems to all be part of a growing trend of Americans finally getting sick and tired of the gay agenda being shoved down everyone’s throats by multi-billion-dollar corporations. Major League Baseball was one of the last major sports to succumb to the extreme woke agenda. It’s time it goes back to being the sport that welcomes everyone to come play baseball, not to be inundated with politics.

It is well documented that women's participation in democratic transitions improves the likelihood of peace negotiations arriving at settlements and parties reaching sustainable agreements. While there have been landmark achievements since the Women, Peace and Security (WPS) agenda was established through the UN Security Council Resolution 1325 in 2000, there is a need for honest reflection on remaining challenges and the way ahead. Major General O'Brien discusses the essential next steps that the international community must take to advance the Women, Peace and Security (WPS) agenda, both on the ground and in international policy. About the Speaker: A native of Galway city, Major General Maureen O'Brien graduated from University College Galway (UCG) with B.Sc. and H.Dip.Ed before being awarded a cadetship in Óglaigh na hÉireann in 1981. In 2021, Major General O'Brien was appointed to her current role as Deputy Military Advisor to the UN Under Secretary General for Peace Operations. She is Ireland's first female officer to reach the rank of Brigadier General. During her career, Maj-Gen O'Brien has amassed extensive overseas service, most recently as Deputy Force Commander in UNDOR in Syria, and prior to that, peacekeeping experience in Chad and Lebanon.

A Special Feature on Israel—The Start-Up Nation The Jewish State's Entrepreneurial Spirit Celebrating Israel's 75th Anniversary Join America's Roundtable (https://americasrt.com/) Radio co-hosts Natasha Srdoc and Joel Anand Samy with Yaakov and Na'ama Berg, entrepreneurs and co-founders of The Psagot Winery located in the Jerusalem Mountains in Israel. This special feature will lead up to Israel's 75th anniversary to be celebrated from the evening of Tuesday, April 25 to the evening of Wednesday, April 26, 2023. In our conversation we discussed the challenges and opportunities that Israel — America's strongest ally in the Middle East faces as we reflect on its 75 years as a sovereign nation: — An entrepreneurial success story | The Psagot Winery in Judea and Samaria—the heartland of Israel. — How the Arab population gains economic opportunities, employment, and higher salaries in Jewish communities within Judea and Samaria when compared to working in the Palestinian Authority's territory. — Transforming the desert and the barren land into a land of promise through the exports of agricultural products, innovation and technology. — U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and U.S. Ambassador David Friedman's visit to Psagot Winery in Judea and Samaria and the Trump administration's leadership in reversing the Obama administration's approach towards Israeli settlements. The Psagot Winery | Psagotwines.com (https://psagotwines.com/en/home-page/) From the Psagot Winery (https://psagotwines.com/en/home-page/)| Located in the Jerusalem mountains, overlooking the primordial landscape of Israel. It all began in a 2,500 year old cave, where a message from the past was revealed to us in the form of an ancient coin where history and legacy come together. Psagot Winery and its vineyards planted deep in the rocky soil of Benjamin in Israel, is a continuation of wine production dating back thousands of years in an optimal area for its quality grapes. The winery was established in 2003 and has been growing steadily ever since. Today the winery produces over 750,000 bottles that include 15 different types of quality wines. Over 70% of these wines are exported to over 27 countries and duty-free locations around the world. The wines have entered prestigious competitions and have won awards and medals of distinction from the international community. In June 2020, Psagot Winery moved to its new location at Sha'ar Binyamin. In a beautiful stone structure built in the shape of an ancient inn the winery overlooks Wadi Kelt and the Edom Mountains. The winery is divided into two sections; the wine production plant and the impressive visiting center that includes a barrel room below where over 1,000 barrels are aged each year. Further Reading and Viewing: The Jerusalem Post | Pompeo and a settler vintner's battle for ‘Made in Israel' wine (https://www.jpost.com/arab-israeli-conflict/pompeo-and-a-settler-vintners-battle-for-made-in-israel-wine-649674) Excerpt: "Berg, whose family fled antisemitism in Russia, arrived in Israel in 1979 when he was three years old. He views himself as a direct descendant of the biblical Jews who once toiled the same land. “Wine is an industry most identified with its geography,” Berg said. For this reason, he used a print of an actual ancient coin he discovered in a cave near the Psagot settlement where he lives as a symbol that he stamps on all his winery's bottles. The coin, which dates back to the Bar Kochva revolt, has the words “Freedom of Zion” written on it. He has battled for this freedom on the international stage over the issue of product labeling. He wants the words “Made in Israel,” which he prints on the labels his winery produces, to be a recognized international fact." Jerusalem Post | Can Pompeo replace annexation with a glass of Psagot wine? (https://www.jpost.com/middle-east/can-pompeo-replace-annexation-with-a-glass-of-psagot-wine-649214) Excerpt: "Pompeo on behalf of the Trump administration issued the historic declarations that Israeli settlements were not inconsistent with international law. Just last month, Friedman took steps against settlement boycotts and UN Security Council Resolution 2334 condemning settlements. Friedman declared that the US would no longer make a territorial distinction between the West Bank and sovereign Israel." BBC | Pompeo makes unprecedented visits to Israeli settlement in West Bank and Golan Heights (https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-54999008) The Wall Street Journal | Pompeo Visits Israeli Settlement in First for Any Top U.S. Diplomat (https://www.wsj.com/articles/pompeo-visits-israeli-settlement-in-first-for-any-top-u-s-diplomat-11605801378) Excerpt from WSJ: "Mr. Pompeo's visit to the Psagot Winery's visitor center, on the edge of the Sha'ar Binyamin settlement, was described by the State Department as private and journalists weren't allowed inside. Before visiting the winery, Mr. Pompeo announced that the U.S. would consider the Palestinian-led boycott, divestment and sanctions movement, known as BDS, to be anti-Semitic and would cut U.S. support to any groups or organizations participating in it. Organizers with the movement say it is a peaceful campaign aimed at pressuring Israel to change its policies toward the Palestinians." The Times of Israel | Full text of Pompeo's statement on settlements (https://www.timesofisrael.com/full-text-of-pompeos-statement-on-settlements/) "Breaking with decades of policy, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo declares Israel's West Bank settlements not ‘inconsistent with international law'" americasrt.com (https://americasrt.com/) https://ileaderssummit.org/ | https://jerusalemleaderssummit.com/ America's Roundtable on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/americas-roundtable/id1518878472 Twitter: @PsagotW @ileaderssummit @AmericasRT @NatashaSrdoc @JoelAnandUSA @supertalk America's Roundtable is co-hosted by Natasha Srdoc and Joel Anand Samy, co-founders of International Leaders Summit and the Jerusalem Leaders Summit. America's Roundtable (https://americasrt.com/) radio program - a strategic initiative of International Leaders Summit, focuses on America's economy, healthcare reform, rule of law, security and trade, and its strategic partnership with rule of law nations around the world. The radio program features high-ranking US administration officials, cabinet members, members of Congress, state government officials, distinguished diplomats, business and media leaders and influential thinkers from around the world. Tune into America's Roundtable Radio program from Washington, DC via live streaming on Saturday mornings via 65 radio stations at 7:30 A.M. (ET) on Lanser Broadcasting Corporation covering the Michigan and the Midwest market, and at 7:30 A.M. (CT) on SuperTalk Mississippi — SuperTalk.FM reaching listeners in every county within the State of Mississippi, and neighboring states in the South including Alabama, Arkansas, Louisiana and Tennessee. Listen to America's Roundtable on digital platforms including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon, Google and other key online platforms. Listen live, Saturdays at 7:30 A.M. (CT) on SuperTalk | https://www.supertalk.fm

Just last month, the United Nations observed the 22nd anniversary of the adoption of UN Security Council Resolution 1325, setting the Women, Peace, and Security Agenda. In recent years, the world has seen both tremendous achievements and setbacks in relation to the status of women and LGBTQ+ individuals—from Iran to Afghanistan to Myanmar. In this episode of AfP's Peace: We Build It! podcast, join host Tanya Domi and guests Dr. Valerie Hudson, University Distinguished Professor and George H.W. Bush Chair, Professor of International Affairs at Texas A&M University, and Victor Madrigal-Borloz, the United Nations Independent Expert on Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity, for a discussion about the rising global crackdown on women and LGBTQ+ communities, and the critical importance of their inclusion and leadership in peace, democracy, and security initiatives. Learn how gender and sexual relations shape other social, economic, and political relationships, and how the WPS and LGBTQ+ communities can learn from each other to advance multidimensional inclusion, protection, and durable peacebuilding. Support the show

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.americanprestigepod.comDanny and Derek welcome back Rashid Khalidi, the Edward Said Professor of Modern Arab Studies at Columbia University, to discuss his book The Hundred Years' War on Palestine: A History of Settler Colonialism and Resistance, 1917-2017. In this episode, they cover topics including: Israeli regional dominance in the postwar years, the so-called Arab Cold War, changes in the US-Israel relationship between 1956 and 1967, factors leading to the 1967 War, UN Security Council Resolution 242, and more.  Grab a copy of Professor Khalidi's book here.

How can we work for Peace in Israel/Palestine?   This series is co-sponsored by the Community of Christ World Peace and Justice Team.  Andrew Bolton and Steve Kellogg are members of the Israel/Palestine sub-team of the World Church Peace and Justice Committee.  The Peace and Justice Team  is working for a just peace in Israel/Palestine guided by Community of Christ's Enduring Principles and the World Conference resolution on Israel/Palestine of 2016:Resolved, That Community of Christ specifically declares its belief in the love of God for Muslims and Jews, and we denounce all Islamophobia and anti-Semitism; and be it furtherResolved, That Community of Christ join with other Christian, Jewish, Muslim, ecumenical, and secular peace movements in the call for peace in Israel and Palestine. We, with other Christians, call for the right of the State of Israel to exist in secure borders; for the cessation of Israeli military occupation and illegal settlements in the West Bank; and for the recognition of the State of Palestine (in accordance with 1947 UN General Assembly Resolution 181/II, 1967 UN Security Council Resolution 242, and 1988 UN General Assembly Resolution 43/177). (WCR 1311 Palestine and Israel - Adopted June 10, 2016) Draft May 4, 2022Host: Steve KelloggGuest: Dr. Mae Elise Cannon

Barack Hussein Obama II (/bəˈrɑːk huːˈseɪn oʊˈbɑːmə/ (listen) bə-RAHK hoo-SAYN oh-BAH-mə; born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who served as the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. He was the first African-American president of the United States. A member of the Democratic Party, he previously served as a U.S. senator from Illinois from 2005 to 2008 and as an Illinois state senator from 1997 to 2004.Obama was born in Honolulu, Hawaii. After graduating from Columbia University in 1983, he worked as a community organizer in Chicago. In 1988, he enrolled in Harvard Law School, where he was the first black president of the Harvard Law Review. After graduating, he became a civil rights attorney and an academic, teaching constitutional law at the University of Chicago Law School from 1992 to 2004. Turning to elective politics, he represented the 13th district in the Illinois Senate from 1997 until 2004, when he ran for the U.S. Senate. Obama received national attention in 2004 with his March Senate primary win, his well-received July Democratic National Convention keynote address, and his landslide November election to the Senate. In 2008, a year after beginning his campaign, and after a close primary campaign against Hillary Clinton, he was nominated by the Democratic Party for president. Obama was elected over Republican nominee John McCain in the general election and was inaugurated alongside his running mate Joe Biden, on January 20, 2009. Nine months later, he was named the 2009 Nobel Peace Prize laureate, a decision that drew a mixture of praise and criticism.Obama signed many landmark bills into law during his first two years in office. The main reforms include: the Affordable Care Act (ACA or "Obamacare"), although without a public health insurance option; the Dodd–Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act; and the Don't Ask, Don't Tell Repeal Act of 2010. The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act and Tax Relief, Unemployment Insurance Reauthorization, and Job Creation Act served as economic stimuli amidst the Great Recession. After a lengthy debate over the national debt limit, he signed the Budget Control and the American Taxpayer Relief Acts. In foreign policy, he increased U.S. troop levels in Afghanistan, reduced nuclear weapons with the United States–Russia New START treaty, and ended military involvement in the Iraq War. In 2011, Obama ordered the drone-strike killing of Anwar al-Awlaki, a US citizen and suspected al-Qaeda operative, leading to controversy. He ordered military involvement in Libya for the implementation of the UN Security Council Resolution 1973, contributing to the overthrow of Muammar Gaddafi. He also ordered the military operation that resulted in the death of Osama bin Laden.After winning re-election by defeating Republican opponent Mitt Romney, Obama was sworn in for a second term on January 20, 2013. During this term, he promoted inclusion for LGBT Americans. His administration filed briefs that urged the Supreme Court to strike down same-sex marriage bans as unconstitutional (United States v. Windsor and Obergefell v. Hodges); same-sex marriage was legalized nationwide in 2015 after the Court ruled so in Obergefell. He advocated for gun control in response to the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting, indicating support for a ban on assault weapons, and issued wide-ranging executive actions concerning global warming and immigration. In foreign policy, he ordered military interventions in Iraq and Syria in response to gains made by ISIL after the 2011 withdrawal from Iraq, promoted discussions that led to the 2015 Paris Agreement on global climate change, oversaw the deadly Kunduz hospital airstrike, drew down U.S. troops in Afghanistan in 2016, initiated sanctions against Russia following the Annexation of Crimea and again after interference in the 2016 U.S. elections, brokered the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action nuclear deal with Iran, and normalized U.S. relations with Cuba. Obama nominated three justices to the Supreme Court: Sonia Sotomayor and Elena Kagan were confirmed as justices, while Merrick Garland was denied hearings or a vote from the Republican-majority Senate. Obama left office on January 20, 2017, and continues to reside in Washington, D.C.During Obama's terms as president, the United States' reputation abroad, as well as the American economy, significantly improved. Scholars and historians rank him among the upper to mid tier of American presidents. Since leaving office, Obama has remained active in Democratic politics, including campaigning for candidates in the 2018 midterm elections, appearing at the 2020 Democratic National Convention and campaigning for Biden during the 2020 presidential election. Outside of politics, Obama has published three bestselling books: Dreams from My Father (1995), The Audacity of Hope (2006) and A Promised Land (2020).

Barack Hussein Obama II (/bəˈrɑːk huːˈseɪn oʊˈbɑːmə/ (listen) bə-RAHK hoo-SAYN oh-BAH-mə; born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who served as the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. He was the first African-American president of the United States. A member of the Democratic Party, he previously served as a U.S. senator from Illinois from 2005 to 2008 and as an Illinois state senator from 1997 to 2004.Obama was born in Honolulu, Hawaii. After graduating from Columbia University in 1983, he worked as a community organizer in Chicago. In 1988, he enrolled in Harvard Law School, where he was the first black president of the Harvard Law Review. After graduating, he became a civil rights attorney and an academic, teaching constitutional law at the University of Chicago Law School from 1992 to 2004. Turning to elective politics, he represented the 13th district in the Illinois Senate from 1997 until 2004, when he ran for the U.S. Senate. Obama received national attention in 2004 with his March Senate primary win, his well-received July Democratic National Convention keynote address, and his landslide November election to the Senate. In 2008, a year after beginning his campaign, and after a close primary campaign against Hillary Clinton, he was nominated by the Democratic Party for president. Obama was elected over Republican nominee John McCain in the general election and was inaugurated alongside his running mate Joe Biden, on January 20, 2009. Nine months later, he was named the 2009 Nobel Peace Prize laureate, a decision that drew a mixture of praise and criticism.Obama signed many landmark bills into law during his first two years in office. The main reforms include: the Affordable Care Act (ACA or "Obamacare"), although without a public health insurance option; the Dodd–Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act; and the Don't Ask, Don't Tell Repeal Act of 2010. The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act and Tax Relief, Unemployment Insurance Reauthorization, and Job Creation Act served as economic stimuli amidst the Great Recession. After a lengthy debate over the national debt limit, he signed the Budget Control and the American Taxpayer Relief Acts. In foreign policy, he increased U.S. troop levels in Afghanistan, reduced nuclear weapons with the United States–Russia New START treaty, and ended military involvement in the Iraq War. In 2011, Obama ordered the drone-strike killing of Anwar al-Awlaki, a US citizen and suspected al-Qaeda operative, leading to controversy. He ordered military involvement in Libya for the implementation of the UN Security Council Resolution 1973, contributing to the overthrow of Muammar Gaddafi. He also ordered the military operation that resulted in the death of Osama bin Laden.After winning re-election by defeating Republican opponent Mitt Romney, Obama was sworn in for a second term on January 20, 2013. During this term, he promoted inclusion for LGBT Americans. His administration filed briefs that urged the Supreme Court to strike down same-sex marriage bans as unconstitutional (United States v. Windsor and Obergefell v. Hodges); same-sex marriage was legalized nationwide in 2015 after the Court ruled so in Obergefell. He advocated for gun control in response to the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting, indicating support for a ban on assault weapons, and issued wide-ranging executive actions concerning global warming and immigration. In foreign policy, he ordered military interventions in Iraq and Syria in response to gains made by ISIL after the 2011 withdrawal from Iraq, promoted discussions that led to the 2015 Paris Agreement on global climate change, oversaw the deadly Kunduz hospital airstrike, drew down U.S. troops in Afghanistan in 2016, initiated sanctions against Russia following the Annexation of Crimea and again after interference in the 2016 U.S. elections, brokered the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action nuclear deal with Iran, and normalized U.S. relations with Cuba. Obama nominated three justices to the Supreme Court: Sonia Sotomayor and Elena Kagan were confirmed as justices, while Merrick Garland was denied hearings or a vote from the Republican-majority Senate. Obama left office on January 20, 2017, and continues to reside in Washington, D.C.During Obama's terms as president, the United States' reputation abroad, as well as the American economy, significantly improved. Scholars and historians rank him among the upper to mid tier of American presidents. Since leaving office, Obama has remained active in Democratic politics, including campaigning for candidates in the 2018 midterm elections, appearing at the 2020 Democratic National Convention and campaigning for Biden during the 2020 presidential election. Outside of politics, Obama has published three bestselling books: Dreams from My Father (1995), The Audacity of Hope (2006) and A Promised Land (2020).

The Women, Peace, and Security (“WPS”) agenda was formally initiated by the landmark UN Security Council Resolution 1325 (2000), which was adopted on 31 October 2000.4UNSCR 1325 affirmed the important role of women in the prevention and resolution of conflicts and in peace-building initiatives. Salwa Sahloul is the International Expert in the Agenda of Women, Peace, and Security. Salwa Sahloul, born in Tunisia on November 07, 1978, is a Head of Mission in the Head of the Government. She worked in the Ministry of National Defence and Ministry of Women's Affairs. She is an International Coach and an expert on women, peace, and security. In September 2019 during the 47th General Assembly of the United Nations in New York, she was selected among the 20 first Women Mediators of« The Global Alliance of Regional Networks of Women Mediators”. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/tbcy/support

Russian President Vladimir Putin has launched an illegal, unjustified war against Ukraine and Putin himself is the only person who can stop the war immediately. In this episode, we seek to understand why President Putin has launched this horrific war in order to judge our country's ability to bring the war to a quicker end. Please Support Congressional Dish – Quick Links Contribute monthly or a lump sum via PayPal Support Congressional Dish via Patreon (donations per episode) Send Zelle payments to: Donation@congressionaldish.com Send Venmo payments to: @Jennifer-Briney Send Cash App payments to: $CongressionalDish or Donation@congressionaldish.com Use your bank's online bill pay function to mail contributions to: 5753 Hwy 85 North, Number 4576, Crestview, FL 32536. Please make checks payable to Congressional Dish Thank you for supporting truly independent media! Background Sources Recommended Congressional Dish Episodes CD244: Keeping Ukraine CD186: National Endowment for Democracy CD168: Nuclear Desperation Ukraine Civil War Alan MacLeod. Feb 22, 2022. “Documents Reveal US Spent $22 Million Promoting Anti-Russia Narrative in Ukraine & Abroad.” The Washington Standard. Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights. Oct 8, 2021. “Conflict-related civilian casualties in Ukraine.” United Nations. Andrew Higgins and Peter Baker. Feb 6, 2014. “Russia Claims U.S. Is Meddling Over Ukraine.” The New York Times. NATO Expansion Becky Sullivan. Updated Feb 24, 2022. “How NATO's expansion helped drive Putin to invade Ukraine.” NPR. Henry Meyer and Ilya Arkhipov. Dec 17, 2021. “Russia Demands NATO Pullback in Security Talks With U.S.” Bloomberg. Joe Dyke. Mar 20, 2021. “NATO Killed Civilians in Libya. It's Time to Admit It.” Foreign Policy. NATO. Updated May 5, 2020. “Enlargement.” NATO. 2020. “The Secretary General's Annual Report.” National Security Archive. December 12, 2017. “NATO Expansion: What Gorbachev Heard.” Arms Control Association. “The Debate Over NATO Expansion: A Critique of the Clinton Administration's Responses to Key Questions.” “Record of conversation between Mikhail Gorbachev and James Baker in Moscow. (Excerpts.)” February 9, 1990. National Security Archive. “Ukraine: The Orange Revolution and the Yushchenko Presidency.” In The Encyclopedia Britannica. NATO in Ukraine Xinhua. Nov 14, 2021. “Ukraine, NATO countries hold naval drills in Black Sea.” News.cn Chad Menegay and Aimee Valles. Sept 22, 2021. “US, NATO, Ukraine enhance interoperability with Rapid Trident exercise.” NationalGuard.mil Reuters. April 3, 2021. “Ukraine and Britain to Hold Joint Military Drills.” U.S. News and World Report. NATO Allied Maritime Command. Mar 17, 2021. “NATO forces train with the Ukrainian Navy.” European Deterrence Initiative Paul Belkin and Hibbah Kaileh. Updated July 1, 2021. “The European Deterrence Initiative: A Budgetary Overview” [IF10946.] Congressional Research Service. Weapons Treaties TASS. Feb 21, 2022. “Europe won't understand Kiev talking of regaining nuclear weapons — Russian diplomat.” Center for Arms Control and Non-proliferation. Updated March 2021. “Fact Sheet: Anti-Ballistic Missile (ABM) Treaty.” Arms Control Association. Last reviewed August 2019. “The Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty at a Glance.” General Dynamics General Dynamics. “Corporate Governance: Board of Directors.” Russia-China Alliance Chen Aizhu. Feb 4, 2022. “Russia, China agree 30-year gas deal via new pipeline, to settle in euros.” Reuters. Robin Brant. Feb 4, 2022. “China joins Russia in opposing Nato expansion.” BBC News. Sanctions Matina Stevis-Gridneff. Feb 25, 2022. “European Leaders Agree to a Second Wave of Russia Sanctions.” The New York Times. Congressional Response Joe Gould. Feb 22, 2022. “Emergency funding proposal for Ukraine gets bipartisan backing in Congress.” Defense News. Reuters. Feb 25, 2022. “U.S. providing $600 mln for Ukraine defensive weapons -House Speaker Pelosi.” Reuters. Images State Property Fund of Ukraine USAID Partnership Audio Sources House Speaker Weekly Briefing February 23, 2022 YouTube Version Overview: At her weekly briefing House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), along with several of her Democratic colleagues, talked about the situation in Ukraine and President Biden's sanctions after Russia recognized the independence of Donetsk and Luhansk in the Donbas region. Clips 10:25 Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA): Putin is terrified by the prospect of a democracy at his border. A democracy, giving an example to the Russian people of the kind of life and economy they might enjoy if they cast aside their own autocrat. This is, I think, one of the preeminent motivations of Vladimir Putin. 15:32 Rep. Barbara Lee (D-CA): I chair the House Appropriations Subcommittee on State and Foreign operations, which oversees many of the resources to assist the Ukrainian people through this crisis. This includes our economic assistance to Ukraine, including loan guarantees. Economic assistance would come through the economic support accounts for Europe, Eurasia and Central Asia, those of the accounts that would come through. Without getting in too many of the weeds, I wanted to just mention that because it's an effort that we're looking at now in terms of our funding. It also includes humanitarian plans, including funding for refugees, God forbid, and for those internally displaced by conflict. The administration has committed to us that in the event of conflict, there is a need over the next 12 months of at least $1 billion for humanitarian needs. So I support the efforts of the administration also to bolster Ukraine's economy, including the proposed $1 billion in loan guarantees to continue with Ukraine's economic reforms. 22:08 Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-CA): I will just close by saying this: I had the privilege of going with President Clinton, who invited four members of Congress House and Senate, Democrat and Republican, the Senate Democrat was Senator Joe Biden. And we went to the expansion of NATO meeting in Paris. And it was all the heads of state of the then NATO countries who spoke and it was so beautiful because they all spoke in such a positive way about NATO. We thought like we were NATO and they were also NATO, they had ownership and agency in possession of the NATO possibilities. The representative of Russia who was there was Boris Yeltsin. And he was very ebullient, but he was welcoming to what was called was the expansion we had supported in our own country, the Baltic States, Poland, others countries becoming what was called the Partnership for Peace and it included many countries. Now Putin is saying push it back to pre-1997. Don't ever try to add another country and remove weapons out of Eastern Europe. That's what he wanted. No, that was not going to happen. 33:35 Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-CA): What is this about? The people of Hung -- many of us have visited Ukraine and have seen that they love democracy. They do not want to live under Vladimir Putin. He does not want the Russian people to see what democracy looks like. And therefore he wants to bring them under his domain. 35:15 Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-CA): When we talk about the president, he's doing the sanctions. He has a full picture of all this. As I said, he was present there the day of the expansion of NATO. I saw the respect he commanded then, and that was 1997, by the heads of state of all those countries, and of course, that has only grown over time, by his leadership, but also the expansion of NATO. I think we're very well served, I respect his judgement. And again, it's not just about when you do the sanctions, or how you support the people. It's about how the world views what Putin is doing. This is a very evil move on the part of Vladimir Putin. President Biden Remarks on Russia and Ukraine February 22, 2022 YouTube Version Transcript Overview: During an address, President Biden announced new sanctions against Russia in response to President Vladimir Putin sending Russian troops into separatist regions of Ukraine. Clips 1:57 President Biden So, today, I'm announcing the first tranche of sanctions to impose costs on Russia in response to their actions yesterday. These have been closely coordinated with our Allies and partners, and we'll continue to escalate sanctions if Russia escalates. We're implementing full blocking sanctions on two large Russian financial institutions: V.E.B. and their military bank. We're implementing comprehensive sanctions on Russian sovereign debt. That means we've cut off Russia's government from Western financing. It can no longer raise money from the West and cannot trade in its new debt on our markets or European markets either. Starting tomorrow [today] and continuing in the days ahead, we will also impose sanctions on Russia's elites and their family members. They share in the corrupt gains of the Kremlin policies and should share in the pain as well. And because of Russia's actions, we've worked with Germany to ensure Nord Stream 2 will not — as I promised — will not move forward. 3:23 President Biden: Today, in response to Russia's admission that it will not withdraw its forces from Belarus, I have authorized additional movements of U.S. forces and equipment already stationed in Europe to strengthen our Baltic Allies — Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania. Let me be clear: These are totally defensive moves on our part. We have no intention of fighting Russia. We want to send an unmistakable message, though, that the United States, together with our Allies, will defend every inch of NATO territory and abide by the commitments we made to NATO. 4:22 President Biden: Russian forces remain positioned in Belarus to attack Ukraine from the north, including war planes and offensive missile systems. Russia has moved troops closer to Ukraine's border with Russia. Russia's naval vessels are maneuvering in the Black Sea to Ukraine's south, including amphibious assault ships, missile cruisers, and submarines. Russia has moved supplies of blood and medical equipment into position on their border. You don't need blood unless you plan on starting a war. 6:25 President Biden: I'm going to take robust action and make sure the pain of our sanctions is targeted at the Russian economy, not ours. We are closely monitoring energy supplies for any disruption. We're executing a plan in coordination with major oil-producing consumers and producers toward a collective investment to secure stability and global energy supplies. This will be — this will blunt gas prices. I want to limit the pain the American people are feeling at the gas pump. This is critical to me. 7:37 President Biden: Yesterday, the world heard clearly the full extent of Vladimir Putin's twisted rewrite of history, going back more than a century, as he waxed eloquently, noting that — well, I'm not going to go into it, but nothing in Putin's lengthy remarks indicated any interest in pursuing real dialogue on European security in the year 2022. 8:04 President Biden: He directly attacked Ukraine's right to exist. He indirectly threatened territory formerly held by Russia, including nations that today are thriving democracies and members of NATO. He explicitly threatened war unless his extreme demands were met. And there is no question that Russia is the aggressor. Russian President Putin Statement on Ukraine February 21, 2022 YouTube Version Transcript Overview: Russian President Vladimir Putin announced after a Security Council meeting that Russia would recognize the independence of the separatist republics of Donetsk and Luhansk in Ukraine's Donbas region. Clips 00:15 President Putin: I would like to emphasise again that Ukraine is not just a neighbouring country for us. It is an inalienable part of our own history, culture and spiritual space. These are our comrades, those dearest to us – not only colleagues, friends and people who once served together, but also relatives, people bound by blood, by family ties. 1:22 President Putin: I would like to start by saying that the modern Ukraine was completely created by Russia. To be more exact, Bolshevist, partially communist Russia. This process started almost immediately after the 1917 revolutions, leading and planning and his group of supporters did it in a rough way. If we talk about Russia, they were alienating parts of historical territories of Russia. And millions of people who live there, obviously no one asked anything. Then before the Great Patriotic War, Stalin added to the USSR and handed over some lands that belonged to Poland and Hungary, and as a compensation gave some ancient German lands to Poland. And the 1960s crucial decision to take Crimea away from Russia and also gave it to Ukraine. That's how the territory of Soviet Ukraine was formed. 3:05 President Putin: We cannot help but react to this real threat, especially since I would like to reiterate that Western backers they can help Ukraine with getting this weapon to create yet another threat for our country because we can see how consistently they are pumping Ukraine with weapons. The United States alone starting from 2014 transferred billions of dollars including the arm supply training personnel. In recent months, Western weapons are sent to Ukraine given ceaselessly in front of the eyes of the entire world 7:05 President Putin: Actually, as I have already said, Soviet Ukraine is the result of the Bolsheviks' policy and can be rightfully called “Vladimir Lenin's Ukraine.” He was its creator and architect. This is fully and comprehensively corroborated by archival documents, including Lenin's harsh instructions regarding Donbass, which was actually shoved into Ukraine. And today the “grateful progeny” has overturned monuments to Lenin in Ukraine. They call it decommunization. You want decommunization? Very well, this suits us just fine. But why stop halfway? We are ready to show what real decommunizations would mean for Ukraine. 9:31 President Putin: Everything seemed to be working well in conditions of the totalitarian regime, and outwardly it looked wonderful, attractive and even super-democratic. And yet, it is a great pity that the fundamental and formally legal foundations of our state were not promptly cleansed of the odious and utopian fantasies inspired by the revolution, which are absolutely destructive for any normal state. 10:05 President Putin: It seems that the Communist Party leaders were convinced that they had created a solid system of government and that their policies had settled the ethnic issue for good. But falsification, misconception, and tampering with public opinion have a high cost. The virus of nationalist ambitions is still with us, and the mine laid at the initial stage to destroy state immunity to the disease of nationalism was ticking. As I have already said, the mine was the right of secession from the Soviet Union. 13:55 President Putin: Even two years before the collapse of the USSR, its fate was actually predetermined. It is now that radicals and nationalists, including and primarily those in Ukraine, are taking credit for having gained independence. As we can see, this is absolutely wrong. The disintegration of our united country was brought about by the historic, strategic mistakes on the part of the Bolshevik leaders and the CPSU leadership, mistakes committed at different times in state-building and in economic and ethnic policies. The collapse of the historical Russia known as the USSR is on their conscience. 14:39 President Putin: It was our people who accepted the new geopolitical reality that took shape after the dissolution of the USSR, and recognised the new independent states. Not only did Russia recognise these countries, but helped its CIS partners, even though it faced a very dire situation itself. This included our Ukrainian colleagues, who turned to us for financial support many times from the very moment they declared independence. Our country provided this assistance while respecting Ukraine's dignity and sovereignty. According to expert assessments, confirmed by a simple calculation of our energy prices, the subsidised loans Russia provided to Ukraine along with economic and trade preferences, the overall benefit for the Ukrainian budget in the period from 1991 to 2013 amounted to $250 billion. 21:24 President Putin: A stable statehood has never developed in Ukraine; its electoral and other political procedures just serve as a cover, a screen for the redistribution of power and property between various oligarchic clans. Corruption, which is certainly a challenge and a problem for many countries, including Russia, has gone beyond the usual scope in Ukraine. It has literally permeated and corroded Ukrainian statehood, the entire system, and all branches of power. Radical nationalists took advantage of the justified public discontent and saddled the Maidan protest, escalating it to a coup d'état in 2014. They also had direct assistance from foreign states. According to reports, the US Embassy provided $1 million a day to support the so-called protest camp on Independence Square in Kiev. In addition, large amounts were impudently transferred directly to the opposition leaders' bank accounts, tens of millions of dollars. 23:37 President Putin: Maidan did not bring Ukraine any closer to democracy and progress. Having accomplished a coup d'état, the nationalists and those political forces that supported them eventually led Ukraine into an impasse, pushed the country into the abyss of civil war. 26:30 President Putin: In fact, it all came down to the fact that the collapse of the Ukrainian economy was accompanied by outright robbery of the citizens of the country, and Ukraine itself was simply driven under external control. It is carried out not only at the behest of Western capitals, but also, as they say, directly on the spot through a whole network of foreign advisers, NGOs and other institutions deployed in Ukraine. They have a direct impact on all the most important personnel decisions, on all branches and levels of government: from the central and even to the municipal, on the main state-owned companies and corporations, including Naftogaz, Ukrenergo, Ukrainian Railways, Ukroboronprom, Ukrposhta , Administration of Sea Ports of Ukraine. There is simply no independent court in Ukraine. At the request of the West, the Kiev authorities gave representatives of international organizations the pre-emptive right to select members of the highest judicial bodies - the Council of Justice and the Qualification Commission of Judges. In addition, the US Embassy directly controls the National Corruption Prevention Agency, the National Anti-Corruption Bureau, the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office, and the Supreme Anti-Corruption Court. All this is done under a plausible pretext to increase the effectiveness of the fight against corruption. Okay, but where are the results? Corruption has blossomed as luxuriantly, and blooms, more than ever. Are the Ukrainians themselves aware of all these managerial methods? Do they understand that their country is not even under a political and economic protectorate, but reduced to the level of a colony with a puppet regime? The privatization of the state has led to the fact that the government, which calls itself the "power of patriots", has lost its national character and is consistently leading the matter towards the complete desovereignization of the country. 31:04 President Putin: In March 2021, a new Military Strategy was adopted in Ukraine. This document is almost entirely dedicated to confrontation with Russia and sets the goal of involving foreign states in a conflict with our country. The strategy stipulates the organisation of what can be described as a terrorist underground movement in Russia's Crimea and in Donbass. It also sets out the contours of a potential war, which should end, according to the Kiev strategists, “with the assistance of the international community on favourable terms for Ukraine.” 32:05 President Putin: As we know, it has already been stated today that Ukraine intends to create its own nuclear weapons, and this is not just bragging. Ukraine has the nuclear technologies created back in the Soviet times and delivery vehicles for such weapons, including aircraft, as well as the Soviet-designed Tochka-U precision tactical missiles with a range of over 100 kilometres. But they can do more; it is only a matter of time. They have had the groundwork for this since the Soviet era. In other words, acquiring tactical nuclear weapons will be much easier for Ukraine than for some other states I am not going to mention here, which are conducting such research, especially if Kiev receives foreign technological support. 33:47 President Putin: Foreign advisors supervise the activities of Ukraine's armed forces and special services and we are well aware of this. Over the past few years, military contingents of NATO countries have been almost constantly present on Ukrainian territory under the pretext of exercises. The Ukrainian troop control system has already been integrated into NATO. This means that NATO headquarters can issue direct commands to the Ukrainian armed forces, even to their separate units and squads. The United States and NATO have started an impudent development of Ukrainian territory as a theatre of potential military operations. Their regular joint exercises are obviously anti-Russian. Last year alone, over 23,000 troops and more than a thousand units of hardware were involved. A law has already been adopted that allows foreign troops to come to Ukraine in 2022 to take part in multinational drills. Understandably, these are primarily NATO troops. This year, at least ten of these joint drills are planned. Obviously, such undertakings are designed to be a cover-up for a rapid buildup of the NATO military group on Ukrainian territory. This is all the more so since the network of airfields upgraded with US help in Borispol, Ivano-Frankovsk, Chuguyev and Odessa, to name a few, is capable of transferring army units in a very short time. Ukraine's airspace is open to flights by US strategic and reconnaissance aircraft and drones that conduct surveillance over Russian territory. I will add that the US-built Maritime Operations Centre in Ochakov makes it possible to support activity by NATO warships, including the use of precision weapons, against the Russian Black Sea Fleet and our infrastructure on the entire Black Sea Coast. 36:54 President Putin: Article 17 of the Constitution of Ukraine stipulates that deploying foreign military bases on its territory is illegal. However, as it turns out, this is just a conventionality that can be easily circumvented. Ukraine is home to NATO training missions which are, in fact, foreign military bases. They just called a base a mission and were done with it. 37:16 President Putin: Kiev has long proclaimed a strategic course on joining NATO. Indeed, each country is entitled to pick its own security system and enter into military alliances. There would be no problem with that, if it were not for one “but.” International documents expressly stipulate the principle of equal and indivisible security, which includes obligations not to strengthen one's own security at the expense of the security of other states. This is stated in the 1999 OSCE Charter for European Security adopted in Istanbul and the 2010 OSCE Astana Declaration. In other words, the choice of pathways towards ensuring security should not pose a threat to other states, whereas Ukraine joining NATO is a direct threat to Russia's security 38:10 President Putin: Let me remind you that at the Bucharest NATO summit held in April 2008, the United States pushed through a decision to the effect that Ukraine and, by the way, Georgia would become NATO members. Many European allies of the United States were well aware of the risks associated with this prospect already then, but were forced to put up with the will of their senior partner. The Americans simply used them to carry out a clearly anti-Russian policy. 38:41 President Putin: A number of NATO member states are still very sceptical about Ukraine joining NATO. We are getting signals from some European capitals telling us not to worry since it will not happen literally overnight. In fact, our US partners are saying the same thing as well. “All right, then” we respond, “if it does not happen tomorrow, then it will happen the day after tomorrow. What does it change from the historical perspective? Nothing at all.” Furthermore, we are aware of the US leadership's position and words that active hostilities in eastern Ukraine do not rule out the possibility of that country joining NATO if it meets NATO criteria and overcomes corruption. All the while, they are trying to convince us over and over again that NATO is a peace-loving and purely defensive alliance that poses no threat to Russia. Again, they want us to take their word for it. But we are well aware of the real value of these words. In 1990, when German unification was discussed, the United States promised the Soviet leadership that NATO jurisdiction or military presence will not expand one inch to the east and that the unification of Germany will not lead to the spread of NATO's military organisation to the east. This is a quote. They issued lots of verbal assurances, all of which turned out to be empty phrases. Later, they began to assure us that the accession to NATO by Central and Eastern European countries would only improve relations with Moscow, relieve these countries of the fears steeped in their bitter historical legacy, and even create a belt of countries that are friendly towards Russia. However, the exact opposite happened. The governments of certain Eastern European countries, speculating on Russophobia, brought their complexes and stereotypes about the Russian threat to the Alliance and insisted on building up the collective defence potentials and deploying them primarily against Russia. Worse still, that happened in the 1990s and the early 2000s when, thanks to our openness and goodwill, relations between Russia and the West had reached a high level. Russia has fulfilled all of its obligations, including the pullout from Germany, from Central and Eastern Europe, making an immense contribution to overcoming the legacy of the Cold War. We have consistently proposed various cooperation options, including in the NATO-Russia Council and the OSCE formats. Moreover, I will say something I have never said publicly, I will say it now for the first time. When then outgoing US President Bill Clinton visited Moscow in 2000, I asked him how America would feel about admitting Russia to NATO. I will not reveal all the details of that conversation, but the reaction to my question was, let us say, quite restrained, and the Americans' true attitude to that possibility can actually be seen from their subsequent steps with regard to our country. I am referring to the overt support for terrorists in the North Caucasus, the disregard for our security demands and concerns, NATO's continued expansion, withdrawal from the ABM Treaty, and so on. 43:05 President Putin: Today, one glance at the map is enough to see to what extent Western countries have kept their promise to refrain from NATO's eastward expansion. They just cheated. We have seen five waves of NATO expansion, one after another – Poland, the Czech Republic and Hungary were admitted in 1999; Bulgaria, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Romania, Slovakia and Slovenia in 2004; Albania and Croatia in 2009; Montenegro in 2017; and North Macedonia in 2020. As a result, the Alliance, its military infrastructure has reached Russia's borders. This is one of the key causes of the European security crisis; it has had the most negative impact on the entire system of international relations and led to the loss of mutual trust. The situation continues to deteriorate, including in the strategic area. Thus, positioning areas for interceptor missiles are being established in Romania and Poland as part of the US project to create a global missile defence system. It is common knowledge that the launchers deployed there can be used for Tomahawk cruise missiles – offensive strike systems. In addition, the United States is developing its all-purpose Standard Missile-6, which can provide air and missile defence, as well as strike ground and surface targets. In other words, the allegedly defensive US missile defence system is developing and expanding its new offensive capabilities. The information we have gives us good reason to believe that Ukraine's accession to NATO and the subsequent deployment of NATO facilities has already been decided and is only a matter of time. We clearly understand that given this scenario, the level of military threats to Russia will increase dramatically, several times over. 45:07 President Putin: I will explain that American strategic planning documents confirm the possibility of a so-called preemptive strike at enemy missile systems. We also know the main adversary of the United States and NATO. It is Russia. NATO documents officially declare our country to be the main threat to Euro-Atlantic security. Ukraine will serve as an advanced bridgehead for such a strike. 46:00 President Putin: Many Ukrainian airfields are located not far from our borders. NATO's tactical aviation deployed there, including precision weapon carriers, will be capable of striking at our territory to the depth of the Volgograd-Kazan-Samara-Astrakhan line. The deployment of reconnaissance radars on Ukrainian territory will allow NATO to tightly control Russia's airspace up to the Urals. Finally, after the US destroyed the INF Treaty, the Pentagon has been openly developing many land-based attack weapons, including ballistic missiles that are capable of hitting targets at a distance of up to 5,500 km. If deployed in Ukraine, such systems will be able to hit targets in Russia's entire European part. The flying time of Tomahawk cruise missiles to Moscow will be less than 35 minutes; ballistic missiles from Kharkov will take seven to eight minutes; and hypersonic assault weapons, four to five minutes. It is like a knife to the throat. I have no doubt that they hope to carry out these plans, as they did many times in the past, expanding NATO eastward, moving their military infrastructure to Russian borders and fully ignoring our concerns, protests and warnings. Excuse me, but they simply did not care at all about such things and did whatever they deemed necessary. Of course, they are going to behave in the same way in the future. 47:46 President Putin: Russia has always advocated the resolution of the most complicated problems by political and diplomatic means, at the negotiating table. We are well aware of our enormous responsibility when it comes to regional and global stability. Back in 2008, Russia put forth an initiative to conclude a European Security Treaty under which not a single Euro-Atlantic state or international organisation could strengthen their security at the expense of the security of others. However, our proposal was rejected right off the bat on the pretext that Russia should not be allowed to put limits on NATO activities. Furthermore, it was made explicitly clear to us that only NATO members can have legally binding security guarantees. 48:35 President Putin: Last December, we handed over to our Western partners a draft treaty between the Russian Federation and the United States of America on security guarantees, as well as a draft agreement on measures to ensure the security of the Russian Federation and NATO member states. The United States and NATO responded with general statements. There were kernels of rationality in them as well, but they concerned matters of secondary importance and it all looked like an attempt to drag the issue out and to lead the discussion astray. We responded to this accordingly and pointed out that we were ready to follow the path of negotiations, provided, however, that all issues are considered as a package that includes Russia's core proposals which contain three key points. First, to prevent further NATO expansion. Second, to have the Alliance refrain from deploying assault weapon systems on Russian borders. And finally, rolling back the bloc's military capability and infrastructure in Europe to where they were in 1997, when the NATO-Russia Founding Act was signed. These principled proposals of ours have been ignored. 50:21 President Putin: They are again trying to blackmail us and are threatening us with sanctions, which, by the way, they will introduce no matter what as Russia continues to strengthen its sovereignty and its Armed Forces. To be sure, they will never think twice before coming up with or just fabricating a pretext for yet another sanction attack regardless of the developments in Ukraine. Their one and only goal is to hold back the development of Russia. 51:06 President Putin: I would like to be clear and straightforward: in the current circumstances, when our proposals for an equal dialogue on fundamental issues have actually remained unanswered by the United States and NATO, when the level of threats to our country has increased significantly, Russia has every right to respond in order to ensure its security. That is exactly what we will do. 51:33 President Putin: With regard to the state of affairs in Donbass, we see that the ruling Kiev elites never stop publicly making clear their unwillingness to comply with the Minsk Package of Measures to settle the conflict and are not interested in a peaceful settlement. On the contrary, they are trying to orchestrate a blitzkrieg in Donbass as was the case in 2014 and 2015. We all know how these reckless schemes ended. Not a single day goes by without Donbass communities coming under shelling attacks. The recently formed large military force makes use of attack drones, heavy equipment, missiles, artillery and multiple rocket launchers. The killing of civilians, the blockade, the abuse of people, including children, women and the elderly, continues unabated. As we say, there is no end in sight to this. Meanwhile, the so-called civilised world, which our Western colleagues proclaimed themselves the only representatives of, prefers not to see this, as if this horror and genocide, which almost 4 million people are facing, do not exist. But they do exist and only because these people did not agree with the West-supported coup in Ukraine in 2014 and opposed the transition towards the Neanderthal and aggressive nationalism and neo-Nazism which have been elevated in Ukraine to the rank of national policy. They are fighting for their elementary right to live on their own land, to speak their own language, and to preserve their culture and traditions. How long can this tragedy continue? How much longer can one put up with this? Russia has done everything to preserve Ukraine's territorial integrity. All these years, it has persistently and patiently pushed for the implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 2202 of February 17, 2015, which consolidated the Minsk Package of Measures of February 12, 2015, to settle the situation in Donbass. Everything was in vain. Presidents and Rada deputies come and go, but deep down the aggressive and nationalistic regime that seized power in Kiev remains unchanged. It is entirely a product of the 2014 coup, and those who then embarked on the path of violence, bloodshed and lawlessness did not recognise then and do not recognise now any solution to the Donbass issue other than a military one. In this regard, I consider it necessary to take a long overdue decision and to immediately recognise the independence and sovereignty of the Donetsk People's Republic and the Lugansk People's Republic. I would like to ask the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation to support this decision and then ratify the Treaty of Friendship and Mutual Assistance with both republics. These two documents will be prepared and signed shortly. 54:52 President Putin: We want those who seized and continue to hold power in Kiev to immediately stop hostilities. Otherwise, the responsibility for the possible continuation of the bloodshed will lie entirely on the conscience of Ukraine's ruling regime. Ukraine is 'longing for peace' says Zelensky at Munich Security Conference February 19, 2022 Transcript Overview: Western powers should drop their policy of "appeasement" toward Moscow, Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky told a security forum Saturday, as fears mount of a Russian invasion of Ukraine. Clips 13:37 Vladimir Zelensky: Ukraine has received security guarantees for abandoning the world's third nuclear capability. We don't have that weapon. We also have no security. 14:37 Vladimir Zelensky: Since 2014, Ukraine has tried three times to convene consultations with the guarantor states of the Budapest Memorandum. Three times without success. Today Ukraine will do it for the fourth time. I, as President, will do this for the first time. But both Ukraine and I are doing this for the last time. I am initiating consultations in the framework of the Budapest Memorandum. The Minister of Foreign Affairs was commissioned to convene them. If they do not happen again or their results do not guarantee security for our country, Ukraine will have every right to believe that the Budapest Memorandum is not working and all the package decisions of 1994 are in doubt. President Biden Remarks on Russia-Ukraine Situation February 18, 2022 YouTube Version Transcript Overview: Following talks with NATO allies, President Biden provided an update on Russia-Ukraine tensions and international efforts to resolve the crisis. Clips 3:04 President Biden: You know, look, we have reason to believe the Russian forces are planning to and intend to attack Ukraine in the coming week — in the coming days. We believe that they will target Ukraine's capital, Kyiv, a city of 2.8 million innocent people.War posturing - Biden US provided record security assistance to Ukraine 4:00 President Biden: This past year, the United States provided a record amount of security assistance to Ukraine to bolster its defensive — $650 million, from Javelin missiles to ammunition. And we also previously provided $500 million in Ukrai- — in humanitarian aid and economic support for Ukraine. And earlier this week, we also announced an additional sovereign loan guarantee of up to $1 billion to strengthen Ukraine's economic resilience. 7:24 President Biden: Well, I don't think he is remotely contemplating nuclear — using nuclear weapons. But I do think it's — I think he is focused on trying to convince the world that he has the ability to change the dynamics in Europe in a way that he cannot. President Biden Remarks on Russia and Ukraine February 15, 2022 YouTube Version Transcript Overview: President Biden gave an update on tensions between Russia and Ukraine, calling for diplomacy to resolve tensions. Clips 1:47 President Biden: The United States has put on the table concrete ideas to establish a security environment in Europe. We're proposing new arms control measures, new transparency measures, new strategic stability measures. These measures would apply to all parties — NATO and Russia alike. 2:14 President Biden: We will not sacrifice basic principles, though. Nations have a right to sovereignty and territorial integrity. They have the freedom to set their own course and choose with whom they will associate. 3:17 President Biden: And the fact remains: Right now, Russia has more than 150,000 troops encircling Ukraine in Belarus and along Ukraine's border. An invasion remains distinctly possible. That's why I've asked several times that all Americans in Ukraine leave now before it's too late to leave safely. It is why we have temporarily relocated our embassy from Kyiv to Lviv in western Ukraine, approaching the Polish border. 4:12 President Biden: The United States and NATO are not a threat to Russia. Ukraine is not threatening Russia. Neither the U.S. nor NATO have missiles in Ukraine. We do not — do not have plans to put them there as well. 4:26 President Biden: To the citizens of Russia: You are not our enemy. And I do not believe you want a bloody, destructive war against Ukraine — a country and a people with whom you share such deep ties of family, history, and culture. 5:52 President Biden: Today, our NATO Allies and the Alliance is as unified and determined as it has ever been. And the source of our unbreakable strength continues to be the power, resilience, and universal appeal of our shared democratic values. Because this is about more than just Russia and Ukraine. It's about standing for what we believe in, for the future we want for our world. 7:25 President Biden: And when it comes to Nord Stream 2, the pipeline that would bring natural gas from Russia to Germany, if Russia further invades Ukraine, it will not happen. 7:35 President Biden: While I will not send American servicemen to fight Russia in Ukraine, we have supplied the Ukrainian military with equipment to help them defend themselves. We have provided training and advice and intelligence for the same purpose. 7:50 President Biden: And make no mistake: The United States will defend every inch of NATO territory with the full force of American power. An attack against one NATO country is an attack against all of us. And the United States commitment to Article 5 is sacrosanct. Already, in response to Russia's build-up of troops, I have sent additional U.S. forces to bolster NATO's eastern flank. Several of our Allies have also announced they'll add forces and capabilities to ensure deterrence and defense along NATO's eastern flank. We will also continue to conduct military exercises with our Allies and partners to enhance defensive readiness. And if Russia invades, we will take further steps to reinforce our presence in NATO, reassure our Allies, and deter further aggression. 9:12 President Biden: I will not pretend this will be painless. There could be impact on our energy prices, so we are taking active steps to alleviate the pressure on our own energy markets and offset rising prices. We're coordinating with major enersy [sic] — energy consumers and producers. We're prepared to deploy all the tools and authority at our disposal to provide relief at the gas pump. And I will work with Congress on additional measures to help protect consumers and address the impact of prices at the pump. Hearing on U.S. Policy Toward Russia Senate Committee on Foreign Relations December 7, 2021 Overview: Victoria Nuland, the undersecretary of state for political affairs, testified at a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing on U.S. policy toward Russia. She addressed President Biden's earlier call with Russian President Vladimir Putin and said that Russia would suffer severe consequences if it attacked Ukraine. Other topics included the use of sanctions if Russia invades Ukraine, the cooperation of NATO and U.S. allies, Russia's use of energy during conflict, and the Nord Stream 2 Pipeline Clips 10:42 Victoria Nuland: Since 2014 The United States has provided Ukraine with $2.4 billion in security assistance including $450 million this year alone. 30:55 Sen. Todd Young (R-IN): President Putin and Foreign Minister Lavrov have repeatedly indicated that they seek to deny any potential path to NATO membership for Ukraine and other Eastern European countries. Does the administration view this demand is a valid issue for negotiation? Victoria Nuland: No we do not and President Biden made that point crystal clear to President Putin today that the issue of who joins NATO is an issue for NATO to decide it's an issue for applicant countries to decide that no other outside power will or may have a veto or a vote in those decisions. Foreign Affairs Issue Launch with Former Vice President Joe Biden January 23, 2018 Clips 24:30 Former Vice President Biden: I'll give you one concrete example. I was—not I, but it just happened to be that was the assignment I got. I got all the good ones. And so I got Ukraine. And I remember going over, convincing our team, our leaders to—convincing that we should be providing for loan guarantees. And I went over, I guess, the 12th, 13th time to Kiev. And I was supposed to announce that there was another billion-dollar loan guarantee. And I had gotten a commitment from Poroshenko and from Yatsenyuk that they would take action against the state prosecutor. And they didn't. So they said they had—they were walking out to a press conference. I said, nah, I'm not going to—or, we're not going to give you the billion dollars. They said, you have no authority. You're not the president. The president said—I said, call him. (Laughter.) I said, I'm telling you, you're not getting the billion dollars. I said, you're not getting the billion. I'm going to be leaving here in, I think it was about six hours. I looked at them and said: I'm leaving in six hours. If the prosecutor is not fired, you're not getting the money. Well, son of a bitch. (Laughter.) He got fired. And they put in place someone who was solid at the time. Cover Art Design by Only Child Imaginations Music Presented in This Episode Intro & Exit: Tired of Being Lied To by David Ippolito (found on Music Alley by mevio)

The IDF protects Israel from countless dangerous threats. Already in 2022, the northern border has been faced with securing Israel from drones, infiltration attempts, and violations of the UN Security Council Resolution 1701. In this episode, you will see a real time encounter with a Hezbollah activist, meet the forces who are the guiding eyes of the ground forces and learn how the IDF trains to battle the northern enemy. This episode features: - Captain Gabi, IDF UAV Platoon Commander, Sky Rider Unit - Lt. Lahav, IDF 300 Brigade, IDF Liaison Officer to the UN - Pvt. Chaya, IDF Red Unit, Combat Soldier - SSgt. Max, IDF Nachal Brigade, Combat Lone soldier from Chicago - Honoring International Holocaust Memorial Day (Jan. 27), a special salute to the Victims and survivors of the Holocaust. (Original Airdate: 1/25/2022)

Overview  Given that the essence of moral thought is to address and ameliorate human suffering, and to expand human freedoms, how can we afford not to attend to moral clarity when it comes to international relief and development?  The Center for Values in International Development seeks to apply the insights, analytical frameworks, knowledge, and experience that already exist within the field of international development ethics, to guide relief and development practice.  We continue the dialogue with our third of five conversations with today's focus on Empowerment as part of The Center's ethical development series building an effective bridge between the practitioners' community and the ethicists' community, to the mutual benefit of both, and to the significant improvement in the effectiveness of international relief and development.  To learn more about The Center for Values in International Development, visit: https://www.centerforvalues.international Panelist Biographies  Saji Prelis is Co-Chair of the Global Coalition on Youth, Peace and Security and Director of Children & Youth Programs for Search for Common Ground. Saji has over twenty years' experience working with youth movements and youth focused organizations in conflict and transition environments in over 35 countries throughout the world. In 2010 he co-founded and has been co-chairing the first UN-Civil Society-Donor working group (Global Coalition on Youth, Peace and Security) that helped successfully advocate for the historic UN Security Council Resolution 2250 (in 2015) on Youth, Peace and Security. As a result of the Global Coalition's advocacy, two additional Security Council Resolutions, Resolution 2419 in June 2018 and Resolution 2535 in July 2020, were unanimously adopted.  Christine Koggel is Professor of Philosophy at Carleton University in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. Her main research and teaching interests are in the broad areas of moral theory, practical ethics, feminism, social and political theory and development ethics. She is the author of Perspectives on Equality: Constructing a Relational Theory (1998), a book that brings together her interests in moral, political, and feminist theory. She has published 45 journal articles and chapters in edited collections, the most recent of which explore topics in development ethics (capabilities approach, agency, empowerment, work/labour), feminist theory (gender, oppression, care ethics, feminist relational theory), settler-colonialism; Indigenous issues; and their intersections. She is the former President of the Canadian Society for Women in Philosophy (CSWIP), Board member of the International Development Ethics Association (IDEA) and is a Lead Co- Editor for the Journal of Global Ethics.

When the UN Security Council Resolution 1325 on Women, Peace, and Security was adopted in 2000, it marked the first time that the UN Security Council acknowledged the vital role of women in the prevention and resolution of conflicts. Two decades later, meaningful progress has been made in advancing the equal participation and full involvement of women in peace and security-related efforts, but substantial challenges remain. In this episode, two senior active duty female military officers—Colonel Katherine Lee of the New Zealand Defence Force and Lieutenant Colonel Diana Morais of the Portuguese Ministry of National Defense—describe why integrating the perspective of women is essential to sustainable peace and security efforts, including those undertaken by the OSCE and its participating States.

Discover the incredible story of an unlikely friendship that changed history in this week's episode. Join Abiola Afolayan, a former United Nations lawyer, as she tells us the story of how Mary McLeod Bethune and Eleanor Roosevelt made an impact on the UN and world peace. These two incredible women came from vastly different backgrounds and used their differences to create a lasting friendship that made the world a better place for everyone.  About the Host Abiola Afolayan is an international lawyer and a member of the Bar of the Supreme Court of the United States. Her policy focus is on the humanitarian development-peace-security nexus, human rights, the rule of law and the empowerment of women and girls. She is the author of the book “A Seat at the Table for Women, Girls and Movements: A Manifesto on Peace and Security," framed around UN Security Council Resolution 1325 on Women, Peace and Security. About Honest History Honest History creates award-winning books, magazines, and this show for young historians across the world. Our mission is to inspire kids to create a positive impact on history themselves. Learn more at honesthistorymag.com and @honesthistory. Credits This episode was written by Heidi Coburn and produced by Randall Lawrence. Original theme music was written and recorded by Luke Messimer.   More Enjoy this episode? Share with your friends and don't forget to rate and review. See you next time!

In the latest episode of our podcast, join Lance Sergeant Henry, Guardsman Andy, Lance Sergeant Phillips and Lance Corporal Chris as they discuss life in Kosovo, a country in the European Western Balkans. The Armed Forces' presence in Kosovo is the UK's contribution to the NATO-led international task force. The task force was established in 1999 after UN Security Council Resolution 1244. It aims to assist the local security authorities in maintaining a safe and secure environment for all citizens.

Ex prez Trump acquitted. Iran Nuclear Deal. Hunger in Yemen. UN Security Council Resolution on Myanmar.

In his keynote address, UN Special Envoy for Syria, Geir Pedersen, addresses the conflict in Syria and prospects for peace. He argues that a decade of devastation has shown that the only viable path forward is a negotiated political settlement as envisaged in UN Security Council Resolution 2254, backed by concerted international support. Furthermore, he contends that global players have shared interests in Syria, and their constructive diplomatic engagement is more needed than ever, as is a united Security Council. As part of the IIEA's Global Europe project, this webinar is supported by the Department of Foreign Affairs. About the Speakers: Geir O. Pedersen became UN Special Envoy for Syria in January 2019, as appointed by Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres. He previously served the United Nations in various roles, including as Special Coordinator for Lebanon (2007 to 2008), Personal Representative of the Secretary-General for Southern Lebanon (2005 to 2007), and Director of the Asia and Pacific Division in the Department of Political Affairs. In his national capacity, Mr Pedersen most recently served as Norway's Ambassador to the People's Republic of China (2017 to 2018) and as Permanent Representative to the United Nations (2012 to 2017). Between 1998 and 2003, He served as Norway's Representative to the Palestinian Authority and previously was the Chief of Staff for the Norwegian Foreign Minister. In 1993, he was a member of Norway's team to the Oslo negotiations that led to the signing of the Declaration of Principles.

On November 9, Norwegian researchers and politicians came together to celebrate UN Security Council Resolution 1325. They also discussed the way forward, especially in light of Norway's position on the security council starting January 2021. You can read more here: https://www.prio.org/Events/Event/?x=8828We're spotlighting the final session from that day: a conversation between Norwegian Minister of Foreign Affairs Ine Eriksen Søreide, and former Deputy Prime Minister of Sweden and Minister for Nordic Cooperation Margot Wallström. Joining them were PRIOites Torunn Tryggestad and Louise Olsson.

In this panel discussion, which is jointly organised by the Embassy of Ireland to Belgium, the Department of Foreign Affairs and the IIEA, three distinguished Irish women highlight their experiences in senior leadership roles and offer perspectives on how the application of the Women, Peace and Security, (WPS), agenda can enhance foreign, security and defence policy. 2020 marks the 20th anniversary of the UN Security Council Resolution 1325 and is the 25th anniversary of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action. To celebrate these milestones, the panel discusses how the meaningful participation of women at the decision-making table can shape better policy and operational decisions. This event is part of the Irish Embassy's #VisibleWomen2020 initiative, amplifying the female voice and women's role in diplomacy, development, entrepreneurship and the arts. About the Speakers: Brigadier General Maureen O'Brien is the most senior woman serving in the Irish Defence Forces and the first Irish woman to achieve the rank of Brigadier General. She is Deputy Force Commander of the UN Disengagement Observer Force Mission in the Golan Heights, and has extensive overseas experience in Lebanon, Western Sahara, East Timor, Chad and Sarajevo. Jacqui McCrum is the first woman to lead the Department of Defence as Secretary General. Previously, she was Deputy Secretary General in the Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection, Director General and Accounting Officer in the Office of the Ombudsman, Offices of the Information Commissioner, and Commissioner for Environmental Information, Standards in the Public Office Commission, Referendum Commission and Commission for Public Service Appointments. Sonja Hyland is the first woman to serve as Political Director in the Department of Foreign Affairs. She has also served as Ireland's Ambassador to Ethiopia, South Sudan, Djibouti, IGAD and the African Union, and Ireland's Ambassador to Mexico, Cuba, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Venezuela, Colombia and Peru.

This week on #TubtaNabadda, we mark the 20th anniversary of UN Security Council Resolution 1325 on women and peace and security, which reaffirms the important role of women in prevention and resolution of conflicts, peace negotiations, peace building, peacekeeping, humanitarian response and in post conflict reconstruction. We interview Hodan Barre Mohamud, a Senior Officer at the federal Ministry of Internal Security, about how the Somali government, working with partners, encourages women’s disengagement from violent activities and their contributions to peacebuilding. We also interview Lucky Omaar, Project Officer with IOM Somalia’s Disengagement, Disassociation, Reintegration and Reconciliation Unit, about the positive impact of a project by IOM, UN Peacebuilding Fund, and the Federal Government of Somalia, leveraging the strength of women in peacebuilding, and which provided rehabilitation and reintegration services to women formerly associated with violent armed groups. Tune in today to Radio Garowe, Radio Mogadishu, Radio Kulmiye KNN, Radio Baidoa, SBC Radio, Radio Cadaado, Radio Risalah, Radio Dalsan, Radio Beletweyne, Radio Galgadud and Radio Kismaayo to be a part of it. Remember to call in and share your thoughts about the show, or leave us a comment below. In case you miss it on the radio, you can listen in here anytime. You can also get the podcast of this and other episodes of this show on iTunes (apple.co/2xbk78c), Stitcher (bit.ly/2x9djbd) and TuneIn (bit.ly/2kljcZJ).

This episode references: UN Security Council Resolution 1325, Adopted October 31, 2000https://documents-dds-ny.un.org/doc/UNDOC/GEN/N00/720/18/PDF/N0072018.pdf?OpenElement Women, Peace, and Security Act of 2017https://www.congress.gov/115/plaws/publ68/PLAW-115publ68.pdf United States Strategy on Women, Peace, and Securityhttps://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/WPS-Strategy-FINAL-PDF-6.11.19.pdf Implementation of the Strategy from the Department of Statehttps://www.state.gov/the-department-of-states-plan-to-implement-the-u-s-strategy-on-women-peace-and-security/ Implementation of the Strategy from USAID https://www.usaid.gov/women-peace-and-security/ Implementation of the Strategy from the Department of Homeland Security https://www.dhs.gov/publication/dhs-implementation-plan-us-strategy-women-peace-and-security Implementation of the Strategy from the Department of Defense https://media.defense.gov/2020/Jun/11/2002314428/-1/-1/1/WOMEN_PEACE_SECURITY_STRATEGIC_FRAMEWORK_IMPLEMENTATION_PLAN.PDF Congressional Hearing on Empowering Women and Girls and Promoting International Securityhttps://oversight.house.gov/legislation/hearings/empowering-women-and-girls-and-promoting-international-security-0 Understanding Gender Equality in Foreign Policy: What the United States Can Do https://www.cfr.org/report/understanding-gender-equality-foreign-policy Jamille Bigio "UN peacekeeping recognizes that women are key to lasting peace amid COVID-19" The Hill, June 1, 2020https://thehill.com/opinion/international/500518-un-peacekeeping-recognizes-that-women-are-key-to-lasting-peace-amid Interactive: Women's Participation in the Peace Processhttps://www.cfr.org/womens-participation-in-peace-processes/ Council on Foreign Relations Women and Foreign Policy Programhttps://www.cfr.org/programs/women-and-foreign-policy-program Jamille Bigio is a Senior Fellow for Women and Foreign Policy and the Council on Foreign Relationshttps://www.cfr.org/expert/jamille-bigio

Join us for our 2nd episode of JUST PLANET where Host Sukanya Pillay interviews award-winning journalist, author and expert on Syria Sam Dagher.In the 1st few minutes: Sukanya sets up the discussion bringing us up to speed on the July 7th, 2020 Russia-China veto of extending UN Security Council Resolution 2503, ending ability to provide humanitarian assistance including food supplies to IDLIB, the beleaugered northwest province in Syria.  Sukanya also tells us a bit about the July 7th, 2020 report of the Independent International Commission of Inquiry into the Syrian Arab Republic, finding 52 attacks by all factions against civilians and civilian infrastructure.  The report finds possible war crimes and crimes against humanity and will be presented to the UN General Assembly on July 14th – you can access an advanced copy HERE. And the Heart of  interview with Sam Dagher:  In this episode, award-winning author, journalist and expert on Syria, Sam Dagher takes us:-- behind the scenes into the Assad regime in Syria--  the current conflict--  the role of States in the region and internationally-- how the Arab Spring affected Syria-- how the regime leveraged its intelligence on terrorists, and-- how a groundbreaking new trial that began in April exemplifies hope and the resilience and courage of the Syrian people who fought against all odds to bring torturers to justice. Sam Dagher is an American-Lebanese journalist and author who has worked in the Middle East for more than 16 years. He was the only reporter for a major Western media outlet based fulltime in Damascus in 2012-2014. He was briefly detained by Assad’s henchmen in an underground prison and later expelled for reporting deemed unfavorable to the regime. Dagher contributes to The Atlantic and before that was senior correspondent at TheWall Street Journal and previously reported for The New York Times, The Christian Science Monitor, and Agence France Presse. He has covered some of the biggest stories since 9/11 including the conflict in Iraq and Arab Spring uprisings. The Wall Street Journal submitted Dagher’s work from Syria for the Pulitzer Prize and other journalism awards. His book “Assad or We Burn the Country: How One Family’s Lust for Power Destroyed Syria” was picked as one of the best of 2019 by The Economist, The Guardian and Kirkus Reviews. Dagher is fluent in Arabic, French and Spanish and conversant in Russian. Write to me at JustPlanetPODCAST@gmail.com. © 2020 Sukanya Pillay | Produced by Sukanya Pillay & SUKIMEDIA. Sound edited by OMS Entertainment.Initial funding support - University of Windsor Faculty of Law. 

There are 1.8 billion young people between the ages of 15 and 29 in the world today. Youth are often overlooked and pushed aside, yet, are one of the most active agents for peace and security. Young people are often key figures in political or social movements. However, this leadership rarely translates into being able to actively represent themselves at the decision making level. Five years after the adoption of UN Security Council Resolution 2250 on Youth, Peace and Security, how are young people continuing to push beyond policy and what are the challenges and opportunities ahead of us? What kind of opportunities and challenges has COVID-19 created for young peacebuilders around the world? Zander at +Peace sat down with Jordan Stevenson at STAND: the Student-Led movement to end mass atrocities & Mena Ayazi at Search for Common Ground. On today's episode, we dive deeper into Jordan & Mena's work on US Youth, Peace, and Security (YPS) legislation and working in the peacebuilding field. Interested in more on YPS? Dive into: US YPS Act: https://www.sfcg.org/youth-peace-security-act/ STAND: https://standnow.org/2020/03/10/yps-act/ A Budding Bill to Support Youth: www.spokesman.com/stories/2020/mar/15/budding-bill-support-youth/%3famp-content=amp Music credit: 'Coffee Shopping' by Bruno Freitas, licensed under hooksounds.com.

Rod Reuven Dovid Bryant and Jerry Gordon interview Dan Diker, Director of the Program to Counter Political Warfare at the Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs. The occasion was the stunning policy ruling by US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo that Israeli settlements in the disputed territories of Judea and Samaria, aka the West Bank, were legal. The Secretary’s ruling was based on studies by international legal experts and scholars sponsored by the US State Department. This policy ruling occurred on the cusp of the EU issuing an anti-Semitic BDS labelling requirement on Israeli products produced in the disputed territories of Judea and Samaria. Overall the reaction was positive in the Israeli body polity, according to Dan Diker. It represented a positive assault against the delegitimization and general misunderstanding about the Israeli settlement presence in the disputed territories. The US history on the issue had varied starting in 1967 that recognized Israel’s right to defensible borders Under UN Res. 242. However, over the past nearly 53 years there had been instances under Presidents Carter and Obama that took exception to Israel’s legal rights suggesting that building settlements was problematic. The most glaring example being the Obama Administration abstention on UN Security Council Resolution 2234 in December 2016 directed at curtailing construction of new settlements. Diker thinks that Pompeo’s decision parallels Israeli law, especially the Edmund Levy opinion that re-established the legitimacy of settlements in the disputed territories for nearly 500,000 Israelis. Diker thinks Pompeo’s ruling paves the way to apply Israeli law for Israeli settlements in Area C covering 95 Percent of the 500,000 population that resides close by the 1967 green line. Pompeo’s ruling raised adverse comments among leading US Democratic Presidential hopefuls. He noted former Vice President Biden’s warning that confirming the legality of Israeli settlements in the illegal West Bank occupied for 19 years by Jordan might give rise to “instability in the region”. Diker contended that neither the move of the US Embassy to Jerusalem and Trump’s support for Israeli sovereignty over the Golan hadn’t caused violence against the Jewish nation of Israel. Instead he pointed out the increasing security, commercial and diplomatic relations with Sunni Kingdoms and Emirates. Diker was asked to contrast anti-normalization versus normalization as an expert on the issues. He noted that anti-normalization has been fostered by the International BDS Campaign of the PLO/PA and NGOs. The purpose was to isolate Israel as equivalent to the former Apartheid South Africa regime. Israel sovereignty has been confirmed in the 20th Century through the Balfour Declaration of 1917, the 1920 San Remo, 1922 US Congressional resolutions and the UN Charter adoption of the League of Nations international resolutions. The practical side of normalization is reflected in a major initiative announced by Israel PM Netanyahu this past week: the creation of new industrial zones in Area C employing more than 250,000 new jobs for Arabs with earnings 3 times that under the PA in Areas A, and B under the Oslo Accords. This normalization initiative Diker suggest, will lay the groundwork for ultimate Palestinian sovereignty. Beyond the Matrix 20NOV2019 - PODCAST

This week marks the anniversary of the adoption of UN Security Council Resolution 2286, which calls for the protection of healthcare workers in areas of conflict. Three years since its adoption medical professionals are some of the most targeted civilians in warzones across the world.    In this episode Ben discusses the Resolution with Rita Dayoub from the Centre on Global Health Security at Chatham House. Rita explains the policy context behind efforts to protect health workers, and presents four eye-witness accounts from medical professionals on the frontline of the Syrian Civil War.  Later Agnes speaks to the Europe Programme's Hans Kundnani about his new project, the Commission on Democracy and Technology.  Read the Expert Comment: Getting Serious About Protecting Healthcare in Conflict Join the conversation: Commission on Democracy and Technology   Credits: Hosts: Ben Horton and Agnes Frimston Translator: Rita Dayoub Voiceovers: Mervat Haffar, Nicole El Khawaja and Thomas Ringheim Editors: Ben Horton and Agnes Frimston Sound Editor: Jamie Reed Record and produced at Chatham House, London

This week marks the anniversary of the adoption of UN Security Council Resolution 2286, which calls for the protection of healthcare workers in areas of conflict. Three years since its adoption medical professionals are some of the most targeted civilians in warzones across the world.    In this episode Ben discusses the Resolution with Rita Dayoub from the Centre on Global Health Security at Chatham House. Rita explains the policy context behind efforts to protect health workers, and presents four eye-witness accounts from medical professionals on the frontline of the Syrian Civil War.  Later Agnes speaks to the Europe Programme's Hans Kundnani about his new project, the Commission on Democracy and Technology.  Read the Expert Comment: Getting Serious About Protecting Healthcare in Conflict Join the conversation: Commission on Democracy and Technology   Credits: Hosts: Ben Horton and Agnes Frimston Translator: Rita Dayoub Voiceovers: Mervat Haffar, Nicole El Khawaja and Thomas Ringheim Editors: Ben Horton and Agnes Frimston Sound Editor: Jamie Reed Record and produced at Chatham House, London

on the UN Security Council Resolution to end rape as an act of war. The most recent entry in Abdiel's three-volume VERSES VERSUS EMPIRE series of political poetry dating back to 2001. See the books at geni.us/VVESeriesAmazon.

THE GOURMET GOSPEL. Inferences from Shakespeare's "All the world's a stage", that we are immortal actors playing mortal roles. The walls of the theatre fall away through imagination, our portal to the Otherworld and our sword to cut through the tangle of our thoughts! Abdiel concludes with the latest poem in his VERSES VERSUS EMPIRE series — Get it? It's a homonym! — on the UN Security Council Resolution to end rape as a weapon of war.

From a Catholic perspective, let's first discuss the question of nuclear weapons. (See below a recent statement coming from the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops.) Then we'll take some time to update efforts by "solidarity minded" candidates for public office in California! USCCBAn ethics and a law based on the threat of mutual destruction – and possibly the destruction of all mankind – are contradictory to the very spirit of the United Nations. We must therefore commit ourselves to a world without nuclear weapons, by fully implementing the Non-Proliferation Treaty, both in letter and spirit. —Pope Francis to UN Conference to Prohibit Nuclear Weapons, March 2017 In 1963 Saint John XXII wrote in Pacem in Terris: “Nuclear weapons must be banned. A general agreement must be reached on a suitable disarmament program, with an effective system of mutual control.” Support for nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation has been emphasized by Blessed Paul VI, Saint John Paul II, Benedict XVI and Francis. The U.S. Bishops have worked for nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation for decades. Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty: The Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) is the cornerstone of global efforts to curb and reverse the spread of nuclear weapons. One-hundred-and-ninety-eight countries have ratified the treaty, including the five acknowledged nuclear powers: United States, Russia, United Kingdom, France, and China. Only four nations have not: India, Israel, Pakistan and North Korea. The NPT prohibits non-nuclear states from acquiring nuclear weapons (non-proliferation), requires nuclear states to reduce and eliminate nuclear weapons (disarmament), and guarantees access to peaceful nuclear technology (nuclear power). Years ago, President Ronald Reagan and General Secretary Mikhail Gorbachev called for abolishing all nuclear weapons. Former Secretaries of State and Defense George Shultz, William Perry and Henry Kissinger and Senator Sam Nunn have promoted a nuclear-free world. Past presidents Barack Obama and Russian Dmitry Medvedev committed “our two countries to achieving a nuclear free world.” The Trump administration's plans for the U.S. nuclear stockpile will be articulated in a forthcoming Nuclear Posture Review. The administration will also have the opportunity to pursue an extension of New START beyond its 2021 expiration date, an extension supported by many experts and Russia as “fundamental to global security.” New START Treaty: In 1991, the United States and Soviet Union ratified the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START). This treaty limited the number of nuclear warheads and delivery vehicles (missiles and bombers) that each country could deploy. The treaty also incorporated a solid set of verification measures the two nations could use to monitor each other's nuclear arsenals and compliance with the treaty. Today the United States and Russia still hold about 90% of all nuclear weapons, large arsenals left over from the Cold War. START expired in 2009 and with it the verification protocols, but both nations agreed to keep its provisions in effect while they negotiated a START follow-on treaty. Implementation of a New START Treaty was critical because verification ensures transparency and even modest reductions in the number of weapons can set the stage for future reductions. The U.S. and Russia signed a new Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (New START) on April 8, 2010, which was ratified by the Senate on a solid bipartisan vote of 71 to 26. The Holy See has “welcome[d] and recognize[d] the ongoing successful implementation of New START.” The New START Treaty: reduces deployed strategic warheads to 1550, 30 percent below the existing ceiling; limits both nations to no more than 700 delivery vehicles; and includes new verification requirements. Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty: Despite U.S. involvement in initiating the negotiations, in 1999 the U.S. Senate failed to ratify the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (CTBT) that would stop nuclear testing. Some Senators who voted “no” expressed concerns about the ability of the United States to maintain its arsenal in the absence of testing and others were concerned about verifying compliance with the treaty. Prominent scientists have argued that the U.S. can safely maintain its nuclear arsenal without testing and that the ability of the international community to verify compliance is amply demonstrated by detections of tests in North Korea. One hundred and fifty-one other nations have ratified the CTBT, including UK, France, and Russia. The United States' failure to ratify the CTBT prevents the treaty's immediate entry into force. The Holy See declared, “There is no reason for procrastination.” It is not known when the CTBT may be submitted to the Senate for ratification. P5+1 Agreement with Iran: In recent years, serious questions were raised regarding Iran's nuclear program. In response, talk of military intervention increased, and crippling international sanctions were instituted to the detriment of Iran's economy and its citizens. Following the election of Iranian President Rouhani, the United States, United Kingdom, Russia, China, Germany and France (P5+1) entered into diplomatic negotiations with Iran regarding its nuclear program and international sanctions. In July 2015, after 20 months of concerted collaboration, the P5+1 reached an agreement with Iran that aims to curb Iran's development of nuclear weapons while allowing for the use of nuclear energy for peaceful purposes. In September, a cloture vote in the Senate that would have allowed rejection of the P5+1 deal failed, so the agreement stands. Recent Iranian launches of ballistic missiles, inconsistent with UN Security Council Resolution 2231, but not in violation of the P5+1 Agreement, have raised concerns. In October 2017, President Trump announced he would not certify to Congress that Iran was in compliance, despite U.S. and international evidence that Iran is observing the agreement. To date, Congress has not acted to undermine the agreement. Nuclear Ban Treaty: In a major and encouraging development, a majority of the world's nations supported adoption of the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons with the goal of leading towards their total elimination in July 2017. The vote was 122 in favor (including the Holy See), 1 against, and 1 abstention. Unfortunately, 69 nations did not vote, including all nuclear weapon states and all but one NATO member. USCCB POSITION: The United States and other nuclear powers must move away from reliance on nuclear weapons for security. USCCB urges the Administration and Congress to view arms control treaties not as ends in themselves but as steps along the way to achieving a mutual, verifiable global ban on nuclear weapons. A global ban is more than a moral ideal; it should be a policy goal. USCCB advocated for ratification of the P5+1 Agreement with Iran in 2015. The USCCB Committee on International Justice and Peace, reflecting the longstanding position of the Holy See, urged our nation to pursue diplomacy to ensure Iran's compliance with its obligations under the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. The Church did not weigh-in on the technical details of the agreement, but consulted with many experts on the broad outlines required for a credible and verifiable agreement. Led by Pope Francis, the U.S. bishops and Holy See continue to support the P5+1 Agreement with Iran as a “definitive step toward greater stability and security in the region.” The Holy See notes that the agreement “requires further efforts and commitment by all the parties involved in order for it to bear fruit.” During the negotiations on the Nuclear Ban Treaty, USCCB and the Conference of European Justice and Peace Commissions issued a joint call for a strategy to eliminate nuclear weapons globally USCCB plans to support Senate ratification of the CTBT if and when it is introduced. The Church opposes the use of nuclear weapons, especially against non-nuclear threats. The U.S. should commit to never use nuclear weapons first and to reject use of nuclear weapons to deter non-nuclear threats. The Church urges that nuclear deterrence be replaced with concrete measures of disarmament based on dialogue and multilateral negotiations. ACTION REQUESTED: 1. Urge bold and concrete commitments to accelerate verifiable nuclear disarmament, including taking weapons off “launch on warning” status to prevent a catastrophic accident and making deeper cuts in nuclear arsenals. 2. Oppose the investment of hundreds of billions of dollars in modernizing nuclear weapons systems that ultimately we must work to dismantle. 3. Support serious negotiations on a fissile material cut-off treaty and other prudent measures. 4. If it is introduced, urge Senators to support ratification of the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (CTBT) to bring it into force. 5. Encourage Congress and the Administration not to take any actions that could undermine the agreement between the P5+1 and Iran. For further information: visit http://www.usccb.org/issues-and-action/human-life-and-dignity/war-andpeace/nuclear-weapons/index.cfm or contact Stephen Colecchi, Director, Office of International Justice and Peace, USCCB, 202-541-3196 (phone), 202-541-3339 (fax), scolecchi@usccb.org.

Ambassador Anwarul K. Chowdhury ’s legacy and leadership in advancing the best interest of the global community are boldly imprinted in his pioneering initiative in March 2000 as the President of the Security Council that achieved the political and conceptual breakthrough leading to the adoption of the groundbreaking UN Security Council Resolution 1325 in which the Council recognized for the first time the role and contribution of women in the area of peace and security. As a career diplomat, Permanent Representative to United Nations, President of the UN Security Council, President of UNICEF Board, UN Under-Secretary- General, the Senior Special Advisor to the UN General Assembly President, and recipient of the U Thant Peace Award, UNESCO Gandhi Gold Medal for Culture of Peace, Spirit of the UN Award and University of Massachusetts Boston Chancellor’s Medal for Global Leadership for Peace, Ambassador Chowdhury has a wealth of experience in the critical issues of our time - peace, sustainable development, and human rights.  

While people flee violence in their home nations, young people are pressured to join in leaving many to conclude they are the perpetrators. Saji Prelis breaks open a lot of assumptions about the source of conflict, who the victims are statistically, and sheds light on how technology has formed a violence of exclusion particularly in the key decisions impacting the lives of young people. Young people are choosing to stay in their home nations, even in the face of peril to build a future of hope from within. In this conversation you will hear their stories and what is being done around the world for humans to do a better job of handling their differences.Guest Lakshitha Saji Prelis is the Co-Chair, UN-INGO-Donor Inter-Agency Working Group, Youth and Peacebuilding; Director, Children & Youth Programs, Search for Common Ground. Saji has over twenty years’ experience working with youth movements and youth focused organizations in conflict and transition environments in over 35 countries throughout the world. Six years ago he co-founded and has been co-chairing the first UN-INGO--Donor working group on Youth and Peacebuilding that helped successfully advocate for the historic UN Security Council Resolution 2250 on Youth, Peace and Security. Prior to joining SFCG, he was the founding director of the Peacebuilding & Development Institute at American University where he co-developed training curricula exploring the nexus of peace building with development.Find the resource list here: http://www.frominsighttoaction.com/flipping-negativ…ce-truth-podcast/Saji Prelis has served as an adviser to governments and governmental agencies in over a dozen countries. He has also played an advisory role to the Commonwealth Secretariat and Commonwealth Ministers on youth and peacebuilding. In June 2017, Mr. Prelis received the distinguished Luxembourg Peace Prize for his Outstanding Achievements in Peace Support. Follow him on Twitter: @NetworkforyouthLinks mentioned in this episode include: Search for Common Ground: https://www.sfcg.org/SFCG tools and resources: https://www.sfcg.org/children-and-youth/Soliya: https://www.soliya.net/Intro music by Mark Romero Music See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Download MP3 The message in the parable of the 10 Virgins that Jesus told in Matthew 25:1-13 can be boiled down to two words: Watch Be ready They didn't know when the bridegroom would come for them, but the five wise virgins had made themselves ready for him. I have a question for you. Are you ready for Jesus when He comes for you? What are you doing to prepare for His second coming? Show Notes For This Foundational Podcast: John 14-15 "'Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also. And where I go you know, and the way you know.' Thomas said to Him, 'Lord, we do not know where You are going, and how can we know the way?' Jesus said to him, 'I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.'" Jesus was describing a wedding ceremony While we may not fully grasp the picture Jesus was painting, every Jew fully understood. The more romantic the Bridegroom, the closer they will wait until the midnight hour to get the bride Sometime beforehand, the father of the bride and the father of the groom sealed the covenant by drinking a cup of wine together The night that Jesus gave that parable, he had drank the cup and sealed the covenant He had chosen Himself a bride - every person who would receive Him as Savior 3 Ways You Can Prepare for Jesus' Second Coming 2 Peter 3 We are very close to the time when God will tell His Son, "Go get your bride". In the meantime, while He has tarried, there are those in the church who have taken their eye off the prize They have begun to live like the world The church is embrace things of the world that is polluting the house of God They don't realize that in the meantime, we are drawing very near to His coming. They are like the five foolish virgins They are not behaving wisely Learn how you can read the signs of the times through the prism of history in this powerful course Where Are We At On God's Timeclock Get 30% off when you use the coupon code: timeclock 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 "For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord." If this were to happen now, are you ready? In today's podcast I share with you 3 ways you can be ready for Jesus' second coming. Blog posts mentioned in this podcast: Why the UN Security Council Resolution 2334 is Fundamentally Flawed and Historically Inaccurate What Happens When the Church Chooses Deception When Happens When a Culture Gives In to Distortion The One Thing That Will Destroy This Generation 4 Powerful Ways to Avoid Strong Delusion How to Escape the Delusion In the Church 6 Responses When Your Church Is In Delusion How To Know If You're Deceived If you enjoyed this podcast, please consider leaving us a review. This helps the Foundational podcast reach more listeners.  Be sure to tell a friend about the Foundational blog and podcast, and share with them about the free Bible Reading Challenge journal they will receive when they subscribe to receive my newsletter! Grow in your relationship with Christ with these discipleship manuals: Learn how you can read the signs of the times through the prism of history in this powerful course Where Are We At On God's Timeclock Get 30% off when you use the coupon code: timeclock More Articles Like This: The Most Important Question You'll Ever Answer Will You Be Caught By Surprise God Is Speaking To His Church  

On Friday the 13th of April, President Trump bombed the government of Syria… Again. In this episode, learn some of the little-discussed history of and reasons for the on-going attempts to overthrow the government of Syria. Please Support Congressional Dish Click here to contribute using credit card, debit card, PayPal, or Bitcoin Click here to support Congressional Dish for each episode via Patreon Mail Contributions to: 5753 Hwy 85 North #4576 Crestview, FL 32536 Thank you for supporting truly independent media! Recommended Congressional Dish Episodes CD167: Combating Russia (NDAA 2018) LIVE Additional Reading Article: 'Obscene masquerade': Russia criticised over Douma chemical attack denial by Patrick Wintour, The Guardian, April 26, 2018. Article: Why does Syria still have chemical weapons? by Patrick Wintour, The Guardian, April 18, 2018. Report: Russia rejects UN resolution for independent Douma investigation, Aljazeera, April 18, 2018. Report: Pentagon warns of IS resurgence in regime areas of Syria, France24, April 17, 2018. Interview: Legal questions loom over Syria strikes, Interview by Jonathan Masters of John B. Bellinger III, Council on Foreign Relations, April 15, 2018. Letter: Text of a letter from the President to the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the President Pro Tempore of the Senate, April 15, 2018. Report: Trump bombs Syria hours after 88 lawmakers urged him to first consult Congress by Jennifer Bendery, Huffpost, April 13, 2018. Interview: What are U.S. Military options in Syria? Interview by Zachary Laub of Mona Yacoubian, Council on Foreign Relations, April 13, 2018. Report: Thousands of US troops and Marines arrive in Jordan by Shawn Snow, Marine Times, April 13, 2018. Report: Global chemical weapons watchdog 'on its way to Syria', Aljazeera News, April 12, 2018. Report: Pentagon strips Iraq, Afghanistan, Syria troop numbers from web by Tara Copp, Military Times, April 9, 2018. Press Release: Press release on Israeli air strikes in Syria, MFA Russia, February 20, 2018. Article: Kurds pull back from ISIS fight in Syria, saying U.S. 'let us down' by Liz Sly, The Washington Post, March 6, 2018. Report: US has no evidence of Syrian use of sarin gas, Mattis says by Robert Burns, AP News, February 2, 2018. Article: The pundits were wrong about Assad and the Islamic State. As usual, they're not willing to admit it by Max Abrahms and John Glaser, Los Angeles Times, December 10, 2017. Report: [Syria investigator del Ponte signs off with a sting](https://www.reuters.com/article/us-, mideast-crisis-syria-investigator/syria-investigator-del-ponte-signs-off-with-a-sting-idUSKCN1BT29Q) by Reuters Staff, Reuters, September 18, 2017. Article: Trump's red line by Seymour M. Hersh, Welt, June 25, 2017. Article: The 'Pipelineistan' conspiracy: The war in Syria has never been about gas by Paul Cochrane, Middle East Eye, May 10, 2017. Article: MIT expert claims latest chemical weapons attack in Syria was staged by Tareq Haddad, Yahoo, April 17, 2017. Report: MIT expert claims latest chemical weapons attack in Syria was staged by Tareq Haddad, International Business Times, Yahoo, April 17, 2017. Report: Dozens of U.S. missiles hit air base in Syria by Michael R. Gordon, Helene Cooper, and Michael D. Shear, The New York Times, April 6, 2017. Report: ISIS used chemical arms at least 52 times in Syria and Iraq, report says by Eric Schmitt, The New York Times, November 21, 2016. Article: How the White Helmets became international heroes while pushing U.S. Military intervention and regime change in Syria by Max Blumenthal, Alternet, October 2, 2016. Meetings Coverage: Security council unanimously adopts resolution 2254 (2015), endorsing road map for peace process in Syria, setting timetable for talks by UN Security Council, December 18, 2015. Article: How Syria's 'geeky' President Assad went from doctor to dictator by Sarah Burke, NBC News, October 30, 2015. Report: Declared Syrian chemical weapon stockpile now completely destroyed by Thomas Gibbons-Neff, The Washington Post, August 18, 2014. Article: Analysts question US intel on Syria chem attack, DW, January 18, 2014. Book Review: Whose Sarin? by Seymour M. Hersh, London Review of Books, December 19, 2013. Article: UN report says sarin likely used in five locations in Syria, DW, December 13, 2013. Article: Assad did not order Syria chemical weapons attack, says German press by Simon Tisdall and Josie Le Blond, The Guardian, September 9, 2013. Article: Cameron forced rule out British attack on Syria after MPs reject motion by Nicholas Watt and Nick Hopkins, The Guardian, August 29, 2013. Article: Spooks' view on Syria: what wikileaks revealed by Alex Thomson, Channel 4, August 28, 2013. Article: Obama weighs 'limited' strikes against Syrian forces by Thom Shanker, C.J. Chivers, and Michael R. Gordon, The New York Times, August 27, 2013. Report: Moscow rejects Saudi offer to drop Assad for arms deal by Agence France-Presse, Hurriyet Daily News, August 8, 2013. Analysis: UN's Del Ponte says evidence Syria rebels 'used sarin' by Bridget Kendall, BBC News, May 6, 2013. Report: Syrian rebels used nerve gas, UN investigator says by TOI Staff, Times of Israel, May 6, 2013. Report: UN sources say Syrian rebels - not Assad - used sarin gas by Adam Clark Estes, The Atlantic, May 5, 2013. Report: U.N. has testimony that Syrian rebels used sarin gas: investigator by Reuters Staff, Reuters, May 5, 2013. Letter: Text of White House letter on Syria to senators by The Associated Press, The Seattle Times, April 25, 2013. Article: How economic reforms are contributing to the conflict in Syria by Rodrigo Abd, NPR, May 29, 2012. Article: The only remaining online copy of Vogue's Asma al-Assad profile by Max Fisher, The Atlantic, January 3, 2012. Report: IMF gives Syria high grade for economic reform by Stephen Glain, The National, January 6, 2009. Report: REFILE-LIberalised Syria banks "on sound track" by Reuters Staff, Reuters, May 26, 2008. Article: The redirection: Is the Administration's new policy benefitting our enemies in the war on terrorism? by Seymour M. Hersh, The New Yorker, March 5, 2007. Article: Syrian Arab Republic -- IMF article IV consultation, mission's concluding statement, International Monetary Fund, May 14, 2006. Report: Investigator says Syria was behind Lebanon assassination by Warren Hoge, The New York Times, December 12, 2005. Article: Reform hinges on Syria's leader by Evan Osnos, Chicago Tribune, April 22, 2005. Resources Congressional Research Service: Armed Conflict in Syria: Overview and U.S. Response Council on Foreign Relations: Syria's War: The Descent into Horror by Zachary Laub Country Reports on Terrorism: Chapter 6 -- State Sponsors of Terror Overview Gov. Publishing Office: Counter-ISIS Training and Equipment Fund IMF Working Paper: Syria's Conflict Economy by Jeanne Gobat and Kristina Kostial Pipeline Report: Arab Gas Pipeline (AGP), Jordan, Syria, Lebanon Public Law: 9/11 AUMF Public Law: Iraq War AUMF Scientific Advisory Board: OPCW 27th Session March 23, 2018 Wikileaks Tweet on OPCW UN News: Action Group for Syria Final Communique June 30, 2012 UN Security Council Report: Goal in Syria Sound Clip Sources Hearing: US Policy Toward Middle East; House Foreign Affairs Committee; April 18, 2018. Witnesses: -David Satterfield - Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of State - Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs - Wess Mitchell - Assistant Secretary of State of European and Eurasian Affairs 15:25 David Satterfield: While preventing the use of chemical weapons in Syria is our immediate concern, the administration’s priority remains the defeat of ISIS. ISIS has lost nearly all of the territory it once controlled in Iraq and Syria, but the fight in Syria still has to be pursued to its conclusion. More broadly, the United States supports a unified and territorially whole Syria. This objective is served by U.S. support for the UN-led Geneva political process, established by UN Security Council Resolution 2254, in which process the U.S. believes strongly that representatives of all Syrians, including all its Kurdish components, should fully participate. 16:30 David Satterfield: The Iraqi government is stabilizing communities, including minority communities that suffered greatly from ISIS, and now we’re beginning private-sector-led, investment-driven reconstruction. 34:15 Representative Eliot Engel (NY): To me, ISIS is one prong of something, an important prong, but one prong of what we should be doing. I really think to rid Syria of the butcher Assad ought to be as important as our ISIS concerns. David Satterfield: I strongly agree with you that a Syria in which Assad remains as leader of this regime is not a Syria which we would predict to be meaningfully secure or stable, or not a source of generation of threat and violent extremism under whatever name in the future, and it’s why we have strongly supported a political process led by the UN. Unfortunately, that political process has been blocked, and the parties responsible for blocking it are quite clear: it’s the Syrian regime itself and the Russians, who through their absence of pressure on the regime in Damascus contributes to, enables this freezing of a Geneva process which, virtually, the entire international community supports. Engel: And through the veto in the United Nations. Satterfield: Exactly, sir. 1:02:20 Representative Dana Rohrabacher: What is our purpose in Syria? Will we accept anything less than—would we accept a compromise that would keep Assad in power, at least in part of Syria, or is our goal and our purpose only to totally eliminate the Assad government? David Satterfield: Mr. Rohrabacher, our purpose of our forces in Syria, as Secretary Mattis, Chairman Dunford have stated repeatedly, is to defeat ISIS. The purpose of our diplomacy, of our international engagement, with respect to Syria, is to support a political process, which at its end has a revised constitution, elections conducted under the auspices of the United Nations. And our belief is that those elections, if freely and fairly conducted amongst all Syrians, including the émigré Syrian communities, would not produce the survival of the Assad regime. Rohrabacher: Okay, let me just note, what you described wasn’t just Syria, but probably three-quarters of the countries of the Middle East. And if we made those demands of—why is it that Syria, we have to make those demands against Syria and not against all these other countries in the Middle East? Satterfield: Because, sir, of the extraordinary depredations of this regime in this country against its citizens, because of the extraordinary and historically unprecedented, in modern times, outflow of— Rohrabacher: You don’t think the rest of the countries in the Middle East have similar track records? You’re trying to tell me that—well, we heard the same thing, of course, about Saddam Hussein, we heard the same thing about Gaddafi, and we ended up creating total chaos—total chaos—in that part of the world. Satterfield: No regime in modern history in the Middle East, including Saddam Hussein’s— Rohrabacher: Yes. Satterfield: —has killed as many of its own citizens, has produced external and internal displacement of its own citizens on the scale of the Assad regime. No. It’s unique, sadly. Rohrabacher: Well, let me just say, Mr. Ambassador, you read history differently than I do. That is an area that is filled with dictators, it’s filled with authoritarian regimes, filled with our allies, that if people rose up against them as they’re rising up against Assad—he’s a bad guy, he’s a dictator, he’s everything you said, but he’s not that different from these other regimes once they are challenged. Once they were challenged, don’t tell me the Qatar government wouldn’t mow down all of their guest workers if there was an uprising in Qatar, and vice versa with these other regimes. I’m very disturbed by the fact that we’re sliding into a war and not having an out that will not lead us to major military commitments to that region. That would be a disaster, and I think it’s based on the analysis that you just said: that Assad is somewhat different than everybody else. I don’t think so. News: Rand Paul Says Syrian Gas Attack was False Flag, or Assad is Dumbest Dictator on the Planet; CNN News; April 17, 2018. Meeting: U.N. Security Council on Airstrikes in Syria; U.N. Security Council; April 14, 2018. Testimony: Secretary Mattis and General Dunford on 2019 Budget Request; House Armed Services Committee; April 12, 2018. Witnesses: - James Mattis - Secretary of Defense - General Joseph F. Dunford Jr. - Chair of the Joint Chiefs of Staff 41:42 Secretary of Defense James Mattis: On Syria, sir, both the last administration and this one made very clear that our role in Syria is the defeat of ISIS. We are not going to engage in the civil war itself. Now, you can look back to a year ago when we did fire missiles into Syria, unrelated to ISIS, and that was, of course, the use of chemical weapons. And some things are simply inexcusable, beyond the pale, and in the worst interest of not just the Chemical Weapons Convention but of civilization itself. 42:48 Secretary of Defense James Mattis: And the only reason Assad is still in power is because of the Russians’ regrettable vetoes in the UN, and the Russian and Iranian military. So, how do we deal with this very complex situation? First of all, we are committed to ending that war though the Geneva process, the UN orchestrated effort. It has been unfulfilled because, again, Russia has continually blocked the efforts. 50:10 Representative Niki Tsongas (MA): So as you’re considering possible steps forward—military actions you might take— what do you hope to achieve by any military action that the administration might eventually decide to take? Secretary of Defense James Mattis: Congresswoman, I don’t want to get, as you’ll understand, into the details of a potential decision by the commander in chief, due to this latest attack, which is absolutely inexcusable. There have been a number of these attacks. In many cases, you know we don’t have troops. We’re not engaged on the ground there, so I cannot tell you that we had evidence, even though we certainly had a lot of media and social-media indicators that either chlorine or sarin were used. As far as our current situation, if, like last time, we decide we have to take military action in regard to this chemical weapons attack, then, like last time, we will be reporting to Congress just as we did when we fired a little over a year ago, slightly over a year ago. As far as the counter violent extremists, counter ISIS— Tsongas: So, let me go back to this. So, before taking any action, you would report to Congress as to the nature of what that action might be. Mattis: I will speak only to the fact that we will report to Congress. We’ll keep open lines of communication. There will be notification to the leadership, of course, prior to the attack. But we’ll give a full report to the Congress itself, probably as rapidly as possible. 54:05 Secretary of Defense James Mattis: I believe there was a chemical attack, and we’re looking for the actual evidence. The OPCW—this is the organization for the Chemical Weapons Convention—we’re trying to get those inspectors in, probably within the week. 1:00:42 Representative Jackie Speier (CA): Mr. Secretary, a Military Times article this week revealed that the Defense Manpower Data Center failed to report the number of combat troops deployed in Iraq, Syria, and Afghanistan last quarter. That website was also stripped of deployment data from previous quarters. I’m very concerned about that. I think that there’s no combat advantage to obfuscating the number of U.S. service members that were in these countries three months ago, and, furthermore, the American public has a right to know. Do you intend to restore that information to the website? Secretary of Defense James Mattis: I’ll look at it, Congresswoman. As you know, we keep the Congress fully informed, right down to every week. We can update you on exactly the numbers in each case, and we do maintain some degree of confidentiality over the number of troops engaged against enemies in the field. So, I’ll have to look at it. But we will not, of course, ever keep those numbers away from members of Congress, for your oversight. Speier: Well, I know, but this has been an ongoing website that’s provided this information to the public, and all of a sudden, the last quarter, it’s not posted, and they’ve sweeped away all the data for previous quarters. So, it would suggest to, I think, the public and to members of this Congress that you are no longer going to make that information available, and I think the public has a right to know. Mattis: I see. When I come in, ma’am, I don’t come in intending to hide things, but I would just ask, what would you do if you thought the enemy could take advantage of that kind of data, seeing trends at certain times of the year and what they can expect in the future? But I’ll certainly look at it. I share your conviction that the American people should know everything that doesn’t give the enemy an advantage. Speier: Thank you. I yield back. 1:18:09 Representative John Garamendi (CA): What is the legal authority—the precise legal authority—of the United States government to engage in military action in response to the chemical weapons use by the Assad regime? Secretary of Defense James Mattis: Right. I believe that authority’s under Article II. We have forces in the field, as you know, in Syria, and the use of chemical weapons in Syria is not something that we should assume that, well, because you didn’t use them on us this time, you wouldn’t use them on us next time. 1:28:35 Representative Tulsi Gabbard (HI): You know, the president has indicated recently his intention to launch U.S. military attacks against Syria. Article I of the Constitution gives Congress the sole power to declare war. Congress has not done so against the Syrian government. Section 3 of the War Powers Resolution requires the president to consult with Congress before introducing U.S. armed forces into situations of hostilities. Section 2 of the War Powers Resolution clarifies the constitutional powers of the president as commander in chief. In Article II, which you referenced, Secretary Mattis, to introduce forces into hostilities only pursuant to (1) a declaration of war, (2) specific statutory authorization, or (3) a national emergency created by an attack upon the U.S., its territories, possessions, or armed forces. Syria’s not declared war against the U.S. or threatened the U.S. The launch of 59 missiles against Syria by Trump last year was illegal and did not meet any of those criteria in the War Powers Resolution. The consolidated Appropriations Act of 2018, which was signed into law by President Trump, states that none of the funds made available by this Act may be used with respect to Syria in contravention of the War Powers Resolution, including for the introduction of U.S. armed military forces into hostilities in Syria. My question is, will the president uphold the Constitution, the War Powers Resolution, and comply with the law that he signed by obtaining authorization from Congress before launching U.S. military attacks against Syria? Secretary of Defense James Mattis: Congresswoman, we have not yet made any decision to launch military attacks into Syria. I think that when you look back at President Obama sending the U.S. troops into Syria at the time he did, he also had to deal with this type of situation, because we were going after a named terrorist group that was not actually named in the AUMF that put them in. This is a complex area, I’ll be the first to admit. Gabbard: It is simple, however, what the Constitution requires. So while you’re correct in saying the president has not yet made a decision, my question is, will he abide by the Constitution and comply with the law? Mattis: Yeah. I believe that the president will carry out his duties under the Constitution to protect the country. Interview: John Kerry - We Got All of the Chemical Weapons Out of Syria; CNN; April 9, 2018. Interview: John Kerry on Getting Chemical Weapons out of Syria, 2014; Meet the Press; April 9, 2018. Testimony: US Policy in Syria After ISIS; Senate Foreign Relations Committee; January 11, 2018. Witnesses: - David Satterfield - Acting Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs 13:45 David Satterfield: A stable Syria absolutely requires the departure of President Assad and his regime. They’ve inflicted suffering and countless deaths on the Syrian people, including use of chemical weapons. This regime is a magnet for terror. It is incapable of democratically leading the whole of Syria. We, our allies, have come to Russia with a path towards the Syrian political transition, towards a political solution, on many occasions, and we call on Russia again today to pressure the regime to work seriously towards a political resolution to this conflict. 14:37 Sen. Bob Corker (TN): We are now not demanding that Assad leave. Instead, as I understand it, we’re embracing the UN resolution as Putin has recently done. Is that correct? David Satterfield: That’s correct, Mr. Chairman. Corker: And that would mean that there would then be an election that would take place. Satterfield: There would be a constitutional reform and revision process, and then there would be an electoral process. That electoral process would be fully under UN monitoring and supervision. Corker: And is it true that—it’s my sense that people like you and others believe that if that process occurs as has been laid out and as supported right now by Russia, do you believe that the way Assad would go through a democratic election where he would lose? Satterfield: Mr. Chairman, we cannot conceive of a circumstance which a genuinely fair electoral process overseen by the UN, with participation of a Syrian displaced community, could lead to a result in which Assad remained at the helm. 21:20 David Satterfield: First step was the defeat of ISIS. As long as ISIS remained a potent fighting force in Syria, the bandwidth, the space to deal with these broader strategic challenges, including Iran and, of course, Assad and the regime, simply wasn’t there. But that bandwidth is being freed up now. With the UN process, with international support for a credible electoral and constitutional reform process, we see political transition in Syria as a potentially achievable goal. We don’t underestimate the challenges ahead. It’s going to be hard—very hard—to do. Assad will cling to power at almost every cost possible. But with respect to Iran, we will treat Iran in Syria and Iran’s enablement of Hezbollah as a separate strategic issue. How do you deal with it? You deal with it in all places that it manifests itself, which is not just Syria, but Iraq, Yemen, the Gulf, other areas where Iran’s maligned behaviors affect our and our allies’ national interests. Difficult challenge, but not impossible challenge, and it is one we are seized with right now, but having a politically transformed Syria will, in and of itself, be a mitigating and minimizing factor on Iran’s influence, and the opposite is also true. Satterfield: We are working on stabilization in the north and the northeast right now very successfully and with a minimum of U.S. physical presence. About 2,000 U.S. military and seven, soon to be 10, foreign service colleagues. This is a highly efficient operation, and it’s working on the ground. But those are only the first steps. The 2254 political process, the process that the entire international community of like-minded states has signed on to, is the key. It’s the key to addressing Assad and his departure; it is the key to resolving the question of foreign forces and Iranian influence. And what are our levers, what are our tools to move that forward? They are denial of legitimacy and authenticity to any claim of victory by the regime or its supporters in Moscow or Tehran, and the withholding of reconstruction funds, which are vital to the regime and we think Moscow’s interests over the long term. Those are potent levers. 48:58 Sen. Bob Corker: As I understand, the troops that are there, they’re not involved in combat. Is that correct? David Satterfield: Senator, there are still combat activities going on in the middle Euphrates valley. The campaign against the so-called Caliphate, that is, the territorially structured presence of ISIS, is not over yet. That campaign continues. The level of fighting has significantly diminished since the days of urban conflict in Mayadeen, Raqqa, Deir ez-Zor. But the fight goes on, and there is combat activity. Corker: But, most of their efforts are in support of those that are actually on the front lines. Satterfield: They are in facilitation of the SDF efforts, who have consistently carried this fight since the beginning. 49:47 Sen. Ron Johnson (OH): Reconstructing Syria’s going to cost somewhere in the order of 200 to 300 billion dollars. Is that…? David Satterfield: That’s a general international estimate, sir. Johnson: So, who has that kind of money? Satterfield: I can tell you who doesn’t: the Syrian regime, Moscow, and Tehran. Who does? The international community companies, international financial institutions. They’ve got the money collectively, but that money is not going to flow into a Syria which has not gone through a political transformation and transition. Hearing: Authorization for Use of Military Force; Senate Foreign Relations Committee; October 30, 2017. 2:55:15 Sen. Rob Portman (OH): Do you think there can be a lasting peace there as long as Assad is in power, and does the current AUMF give you the ability, General Mattis, to be able to deal with that issue if you think that has to be resolved? That might be one example. Rex Tillerson: Well, the current AUMF only authorizes our fight against ISIS in Syria, as I indicated in my remarks. We’re not there to fight the regime. There is no authority beyond the fight against ISIS. Therefore, we have to pursue a future Syria that’s kept whole and intact, and a process, which the UN Security Council process does provide a process by which, in our view, the Assad regime will step down from power. Breaking News: Brian Williams is Guided by the Beauty of Our Weapons in Syria Strikes; MSNBC; April 13, 2017. Breaking News: Zakaria: Trump Just Became President; CNN; April 7, 2017. Report: Hillary Clinton Discussed Rigging the Election in Leaked Audio; The Young Turks; November 1, 2016. Interview: Gen. Wesley Clark - 7 Countries in 5 Years; Democracy Now!; August 6, 2016. Hearing: U.S. Policy and Russian Involvement in Syria; House Foreign Affairs Committee; November 4, 2015. Witnesses: - Anne Patterson - Assistant Secretary of State - Victoria Nuland - Assistant Secretary of State Statement: Situation in Syria; Secretary of State Clinton calls on Assad to resign Interview: 100% Syria Have No Chemical Weapon, John Kerry; Charlie Rose; March 10, 2014. Debate: British House of Commons Debate on Syria; House of Commons; August 29, 2013. Press Briefing: US President Barack Obama in 'red line' warning to Syria over Chemical Weapons; Telegraph; August 21, 2012. Testimony: US Policy Toward Syria; House International Relations Committee; September 16, 2003. Speech: Democracy in Iraq; George Bush; February 26, 2003. Witnesses: - John Bolton - then Undersecretary at the Department of State for Arms Control, current National Security Advisor 53:12 Former Representative Gary Ackerman (NY): Are we talking about regime change in Syria if they do not voluntarily rid themselves of whatever it is we’re saying they have or do that threatens our national security? John Bolton: Mr. Ackerman, as the president has made clear and as we are directed, our preference is to solve these problems by peaceful and diplomatic means. But the president has also been very clear that we’re not taking any options off the table. Cover Art Design by Only Child Imaginations Music Presented in This Episode Intro & Exit: Tired of Being Lied To by David Ippolito (found on Music Alley by mevio)  

Violence against women harms us all. We care – so let’s make sure it’s eradicated. Violence against women is inherent in any conflict, and is often used as a tool of war. NATO takes this seriously, engaging on all levels of its operations to make sure women are protected. From planning and training stages to targeted exercises, NATO makes UN Security Council Resolution 1325 on Women, Peace and Security, a priority. To mark the International Day of Elimination of Violence against Women on 25 November, NATO sheds light on true survivor stories. Footage includes people from NATO International Staff (IS), International Military Staff (IMS) and national delegations at NATO Headquarters reading out a true testimony from survivors of wartime sexual violence. This video leads to another in-depth explainer piece where different speakers across NATO civilian and military staff tell their experiences dealing with gender-based violence and what NATO does to counter it.

In a New Year's Eve Prophecy Update, Pastor JD answers the most often asked questions about Bible prophecy after an update on the implications of the recent UN Security Council Resolution against Israel.

Allison, Don & Noah discuss three topics of incomparable importance and end with an anecdote about something in Israel that made them smile this week.   And as a Parting Gift: UN Security Council Resolution 2334 We discuss UN Security Council Resolution 2334, calling Israeli settlements illegal, and America’s failure to scuttle it, and the righteous apoplexy of Israel’s official response. The Donalds (Futterman and Trump) Agree: Jerusalem is the Eternal Capital of the Jewish People We recount Don’s shocking assertion that he agrees with US President-Elect Donald Trump: the American Embassy should be moved to Jerusalem – are we in some sort of political bizzaro world?  We Dreamt We were Farmers We mull over the government’s decision to prop up agriculture with tax payer shekels, and why we should grow stuff at home that is cheaper to import.   All songs by Regel Sabres!: Amud Shidra Chalul Cochav Ba-Shemesh shel Natanya

IT HAPPENED!!! On Friday, December 23rd, 2016, the United States decided not to veto the UN Security Council â??Resolution 2334â?? â?? a resolution condemning Israeli settlements. Initially, the vote was halted by Israel and President-elect, Donald Trump. Although Egypt originally withdrew their draft, Malaysia, New Zealand, Senegal and Venezuela eventually took over the effort and called for a vote on Friday. Fourteen of the Councilâ??s 15 members voted in favor of the resolution â?? while The U.S. remained the lone nation to abstain. In a surprise twist, this is what U.S. Ambassador to the UN, Samantha Power, had to say regarding their decision to abstain: â??One cannot simultaneously champion expanding Israeli settlements and champion a viable two-state solution that would end the conflict. One has to make a choice between settlements and separation.â?? Riyad Mansour, the Palestinian ambassador to the United Nations, welcomed the resolutionâ??s adoption but made this startling announcement: â??After years of allowing the law to be trampled and the situation to spiral downward, todayâ??s resolution may rightly be seen as a last attempt to preserve the two-state solution and revive the path for peace.â?? But heâ??s not the only one! While all of the other nations involved are vehemently pushing forward the efforts of a two-state solution, coupling this with â??peace and securityâ?? to coexist in the Middle East, there is indeed a Deeper Message included. While Resolution 2334 strives to achieve these measures on the surface: - â??Expressing grave concern that continuing Israeli settlement activities are dangerously imperilling the viability of the two-State solution based on the 1967 linesâ?? - â??Condemning all acts of violence against civilians, including acts of terror, as well as all acts of provocation, incitement and destructionâ?? - â??Reiterating its vision of a region where two democratic States, Israel and Palestine, live side by side in peace within secure and recognized bordersâ?? There Is A BIGGER Agenda â?? And Whatâ??s That Agenda?!?! THE TRUTH REVEALED!!! GET READY FOR THE WAR TO UNLEASH! PLEASE SEEK YAHUAH AND HIS TRUE SON YAHUSHA â?? WHILE YOU STILL HAVE TIME!!!!!!! LEARN MORE! http://www.nytimes.com/2016/12/23/world/middleeast/israel-settlements-un-vote.html*** https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/us-declines-to-veto-un-security-council-resolution-for-israel-to-stop-jewish-settlement-activity/2016/12/23/cd4efe72-c939-11e6-bf4b-2c064d32a4bf_story.html?utm_term=.8832b83c44c6*** https://www.justsecurity.org/35841/security-council-resolution-2334-u-s-abstained/

You may view the 5 minute update this week via audio: 1) Listen to the audio In this week’s 5 minute update, we focused on: 1) The current status of the Israeli / Palestinian peace process and the prospects that US President Barack Obama will support  a UN Security Council Resolution outlining the parameters of […]

You may view the 5 minute update this week via audio: 1) Listen to the audio In this week’s 5 minute update, we focused on: 1) The current status of the Israeli / Palestinian peace process and the prospects that US President Barack Obama will support  a UN Security Council Resolution outlining the parameters of […]

You may view the 5 minute update this week via audio: 1) Listen to the audio In this week’s 5 minute update, we focused on: 1) The current status of the Israeli / Palestinian peace process and the prospects that US President Barack Obama will support  a UN Security Council Resolution outlining the parameters of […]

Pastor J.D. addresses what may be the most important development of the year concerning Israel, which is that of how the jury may be out on whether or not the US President vetoes a UN Security Council Resolution for a Palestinian “final-status solution.”

Feminist scholar Cynthia Enloe discusses about how women are affected by war and militarization. Her work focuses on sexual violence—and its subsequent silencing—as a repressive political tool, and about international efforts by feminist activists to make the United Nations address this issue. You can read UN Security Council Resolution 1325 here. The post Women in Wartime with Cynthia Enloe appeared first on Safe Space Radio.

We illustrate the importance of implementing UN Security Council Resolution 1325 and related resolutions on Women, Peace & Security in Bosnia and Herzegovina. During the Bosnian War, sexual violence was used as a weapon of war. We talk to Vanja Matic, who works for NATO HQ Sarajevo, helping to promote gender awareness within the Bosnian army and within Bosnian society at large. We also interview Mari Skåre, the NATO Secretary General’s Special Representative for Women, Peace and Security, who visited the country in April this year. This version includes graphics and voiceover.

We speak with internationally acclaimed poet, performer, and activist – Shailja Patel – about her poetry and new book, Migritude. Historian Louise Knight talks about legendary feminist peacemaker – Jane Addams – as part of a 10 anniversary celebration of UN Security Council Resolution – 1325. And of course, we bring you the Women's Community Calendar. The post Women's Magazine – Migration Poetry, Feminist Peacemaker Legends, and honoring UNSCR 1325 appeared first on KPFA.