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Category: Middle East

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: “Meaningful inclusion of women is not optional, it is essential”: Member States reinforce support for women in peacekeeping at Ministerial

    Source: United Nations – Peacekeeping

    Written by Sophie Boudre and Lesley Myers.

    Ms. Boudre is Deputy Chief, UN Peacekeeping’s Strategic Communications Section, and expert on gender and accountability issues.
    Ms. Myers is the Digital Editor for UN Peacekeeping’s Strategic Communications Section and expert in strategic planning and peacekeeping impact.

    “Inclusive missions are not only fair–but also smarter and more legitimate”, said Ms. Roselinda Soipan Tuya, Cabinet Secretary for Defence of Kenya, at last week’s Peacekeeping Ministerial in Berlin. More than 130 Member States gathered to discuss the future of peacekeeping, including how to create environments where both men and women are empowered to serve together.  

    Despite progress, women remain underrepresented and face barriers to full participation. This is not only a matter of equality—it also affects effectiveness. Studies123 find that peacekeeping missions are more successful when women are meaningfully represented among military, police, and civilian staff, including at the senior leadership level.  

    During the Ministerial, UN Member States committed to enhancing women’s participation at all levels by fostering an environment where they can thrive. “We need to look at how to make this work in our context,” said Ms. Tuya. “We cannot continue to leave out women… it is like going into a football match without half of the team.”

    Inclusive teams make peacekeeping more effective 

    In the peacekeeping mission in Abyei (UNISFA), an area nestled between Sudan and South Sudan, women peacekeepers were instrumental in building trust with community leaders and women’s groups. This engagement enabled access to new information, which helped UNISFA detect early warnings of attacks and prevent violence.  

    In the peacekeeping mission in Lebanon (UNIFIL) a military unit from Ghana was deployed that is comprised of 20% women. The unit reports a significant increase of trust in UNIFIL and its forces in the communities where they have patrolled, as well as an increase willingness of women to interact with the mission.  

    Women are often uniquely able to build rapport with community members, granting access to critical security information, such as areas at risk for conflict-related sexual violence, helping us better protect the populations we serve.  

    Visible participation by women in UN peace operations also helps dismantle barriers that prevent local women from engaging in peace and political processes. Women peacekeepers serve as role models, inspiring women and girls to pursue non-traditional paths, in turn acting as catalysts for inclusive societies where women are represented and active at every level. 

    Many steps forward, and more to go 

    Women peacekeepers in civilian, military, and police roles have been rising steadily over the last several years. The share of women in military roles has doubled since 2018, for example, but still sits at just 10%.  

    Persistent barriers continue to limit women’s access to peacekeeping roles—especially in military and leadership positions. Equipment such as flak jackets and helmets are often not designed for women, compromising safety. Inadequate sanitation facilities can prevent women participating in long-range patrols.  

    Creating an inclusive environment—where all personnel, regardless of gender or background, feel empowered and respected—is critical for advancing peace effectively. 

    The UN and Member States are working to address remaining barriers by deploying more women peacekeepers and fostering a work culture that enables them to serve effectively and meaningfully. Recruitment pipelines are being established to increase the pool of women available for deployment, including in leadership roles. Facilities, accommodations, health services, and equipment are being improved to support the needs of all personnel and increased efforts are being made to protect them from sexual harassment.  

    Gen. Mohan Subramanian, Force Commander of the peacekeeping mission in South Sudan, underscored the important role mission leaders play in advancing these objectives: “The most important thing to support uniformed women is to ensure leaders [have] the right mindset,” he said.

    Redoubling efforts

    During the Ministerial, Member States made key commitments to continue progress, particularly in military roles.  These included providing gender-sensitive equipment, deploying mixed-gender platoons trained to engage with host communities, and funding “barrier assessments” to identify and address challenges uniformed women face in countries that deploy peacekeepers to UN missions.“An enabling environment begins at home: participation of uniformed women at all levels and all roles at Member State level. All Member States must advance this at a national level,” underscored Brigadier General Jürgen Schrödl, Head of Sub-division III, Directorate-General for Military Strategy and Operations for Germany’s Ministry of Defence.  

    These initiatives aim to remove obstacles preventing women from joining peacekeeping operations and serve to their full potential. With global conflicts at their highest since 1945 and peacekeeping budgets declining, we cannot afford to overlook any measure that enhances our effectiveness. Supporting women’s participation is critical to the success of our mandates. “Meaningful inclusion of women is not optional, it is essential” stressed Monica Bolaños Pérez, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Guatemala. “It is a matter of operational effectiveness.”

    Background: What is the Women, Peace and Security Agenda?  

    Adopted in October 2000, the landmark Security Council resolution 1325 on Women, Peace, and Security (WPS) recognizes the vital role of women in peace and security. It calls for increased participation of women at all decision-making levels, protection of women and girls from gender-based violence, and the integration of gender perspectives in peacekeeping and conflict resolution efforts. 

    Since its adoption, UN Peacekeeping has been advancing on integrating gender perspectives and advancing the implementation of the 1325 Agenda including in the current scope of seven peacekeeping missions. 

    In 2018, the UN introduced the Uniformed Gender Parity Strategy as a key step towards meeting WPS goals in UN peacekeeping. It aims to increase the meaningful participation of women in military, police and justice and corrections roles across all missions by addressing barriers, setting concrete targets, and fostering inclusive environments.  

    This year marks the 25th anniversary of the adoption of the resolution.

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: McConnell Statement on Murder of Israeli Embassy Employees

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Kentucky Mitch McConnell

    Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Mitch McConnell (R-KY) issued the following statement on the murder of Yaron Lischinsky and Sarah Milgrim: 

    “Among the innocent victims of October 7th were young peacemakers. Last night, terrorist murder on the streets of Washington claimed the lives of two more. Yaron Lischinsky and Sarah Milgrim were attending a discussion about responding to humanitarian crises, including in Gaza. Their alleged killer, grotesquely invoking the will of the Palestinian people, thought better that these peacemakers should die. 

    “My deepest sympathies are with those who loved Yaron and Sarah, with their colleagues at the Israeli Embassy in Washington, and with all working to bring Hamas’ reign of terror to an end. America must continue to stand with our ally, Israel, and with the Israeli people who continue to face existential threats from Iran and its proxies. I pray that no American will mistake last night’s anti-Semitic terrorism for advancing the cause of peace.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: UK secures future of vital Diego Garcia Military Base to protect national security

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    Press release

    UK secures future of vital Diego Garcia Military Base to protect national security

    The long-term agreement secures future of joint UK-US military base at Diego Garcia.

    • Long-term agreement secures future of joint UK-US military base at Diego Garcia
    • Vital capabilities protected to counter growing global threats, keeping us secure at home and strong abroad
    • Deal is backed by strong support from the US and key international allies

    The UK has today (22 May) signed a landmark agreement with Mauritius to secure the future of the strategically critical UK-US military base on Diego Garcia, one of our most significant contributions to the transatlantic defence and security partnership.

    The base has played a vital role in defending the UK and its allies for over 50 years. This new deal ensures its continued operation for at least the next century, protecting capabilities essential to UK intelligence and counter-terrorism.

    The base plays a key role in operations that support UK forces and our allies across the Middle East, East Africa and South Asia.

    Its deep-water port, airfield, and advanced communications and surveillance capabilities give the UK and its allies crucial strategic capabilities, which have played a key role in missions to disrupt high-value terrorists, including Islamic State threats to the UK.

    The legal necessity of this deal has been recognised by successive governments. The previous government started these negotiations over two years ago, and they held 11 out of the 13 rounds of talks that underpin the deal, that this government has concluded.

    Crucially, all Five Eyes partners – the US, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand – back the agreement, along with India, recognising the critical role Diego Garcia plays in upholding global stability and deterring adversaries.

    The base is a cornerstone of the Government’s Plan for Change, with operations there deterring threats to our nation and protecting our economic security.

    Defence Secretary, John Healey MP said: 

    As the world becomes more dangerous, our military base on Diego Garcia becomes more important. Today’s Treaty secures full operational control, strengthens our UK-US defence partnership and keeps British people safe at home for the next 99 years and beyond. 

    Without this base, our ability to deter terrorists, defend our interests and protect our troops around the world would be at risk. This agreement will safeguard our national and economic security for generations to come. 

    Critically, the deal ensures the UK retains full operational control of Diego Garcia, including management of the electromagnetic spectrum satellite used for communications – vital for countering hostile interference.

    There will also be robust provisions to keep adversaries out, including:

    • A 24 nautical mile buffer zone where nothing can be built or placed without UK consent – meaning we can protect UK interests.

    • A rigorous process, including joint decision-making, to prevent any activities on the wider islands – some over 100 nautical miles away – from disrupting base operations. Joint decision-making means there can be no development unless we agree. 

    • A strict ban on foreign security forces on the outer islands, whether civilian or military.

    • A binding obligation to ensure the base is never undermined.

    Both countries have also agreed to a ban on the presence of foreign forces across the wider territory and a binding guarantee that base operations cannot be undermined.

    Without this deal, international legal proceedings could have rendered the base inoperable, affecting UK national security in the process with our adversaries being allowed to capitalise on this – building outposts near the base.

    Within a matter of weeks, with no deal, the UK could face legally-binding provisional measures through an Arbitral Tribunal under the Law of the Sea Convention – affecting the ability of the Armed Forces to patrol the waters around the base.

    Foreign Secretary David Lammy MP said: 

    This treaty secures the Diego Garcia military base for generations to come, protecting national and global security. 

    Without this deal, the land, sea and air operations of the base would become inoperable – doing nothing was not an option. 

    The US, Australia, Canada and India all back this deal because they understand its importance for global security. This government has always been clear that we will act in the national interest, not gamble with our national security like those who oppose this deal.

    It was clear that this agreement was the only route to securing the future of the base and preventing the UK’s adversaries from establishing a presence in the region.

    It is a clear demonstration of the UK’s commitment to act decisively in defence of its interests and ensure that the base continues to support operations that keep British citizens safe, now and in the decades to come.

    Notes to editors:

    • The cost per year is £101 million and the net present value of payments under the treaty is £3.4 billion. All costs have been verified by the Government Actuary’s Department. 
    • Further details will be laid out in Parliament.

    Diego Garcia Capabilities

    Diego Garcia is the largest island of the Chagos Archipelago, located in the central Indian Ocean. The joint UK-US military base on Diego Garcia has a strategic location which makes it vital to UK and US power projection in the Indian Ocean and beyond. The base provides a unique shared platform with irreplaceable security capabilities that enable a UK and US military presence across the Middle East, Indo-Pacific and Africa.

    Strategic and operational importance:

    • Diego Garcia’s strategic location allows it to support a wide array of operational activity in a number of theatres, helping to combat some of the most challenging threats, including terrorism, and hostile states.
    • Diego Garcia is the only UK base in the region with guaranteed freedom of use. It is central to current UK and US emergency planning and operations, just as it was with Afghanistan and Iraq.
    • The base offers the UK and its Allies unique and vital capabilities that help us understand and anticipate those who would do us harm. This includes capabilities which have been used to support counter terrorism operations against high value Islamic State targets. 
    • The base is a critical logistics hub at a strategic location, with a full range of facilities that acts as a key refuelling and resupply station for naval and air operations. This enables power projection and global reach, allowing for rapid and flexible deployment of our forces across the Middle East, East Africa and South Asia.
    • The base helps protect some of the most important shipping lanes in the world, while also remaining isolated enough to be protected from attack by adversaries.
    • The close collaboration between UK and US delivers shared real-world operational outcomes, in the Indo-Pacific, Africa, and the Middle East. The base has also hosted visits from Allies and partners such as Japan, France, Republic of Korea and Australia.

    Base capabilities

    • Airfield: Location and infrastructure accommodate a broad range of military aircraft, with capability to support military requirements from strike operations, as seen through the Afghanistan and Iraq campaigns, to humanitarian response.
    • Port: A multitude of berthing options for the UK and US navies to support various missions including Carrier Strike Group deployment. The UK maintains a Nuclear Emergency Response Organisation to permit nuclear powered submarines to safely berth at the port. The US uses Diego Garcia to strategically position equipment and supplies at sea for rapid deployment in various global theatres, including for humanitarian aid and disaster relief missions over the years, across the Indo-Pacific.
    • Seismic monitoring: Permanent location of three pieces of critical Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty monitoring equipment, a network constantly monitoring for indicators of nuclear testing, vital in preventing nuclear proliferation.
    • Space capabilities: Hosts one of the monitoring stations and one of the four ground antennas for the Global Positioning System (GPS). Also hosts part of the Ground-Base Electro-Optical Deep Space Surveillance (GEODSS) System. This provides situational awareness of objects in Earth’s orbit, helping to track space debris that pose a risk to space systems.

    Government Legal Position – Diego Garcia

    Mauritius’s legal claim of sovereignty over the island of Diego Garcia is supported by a number of international institutions, including the UN General Assembly.

    The International Court of Justice considered this issue in an Advisory Opinion delivered on 25 February 2019. An Advisory Opinion of the ICJ carries significant weight; in particular it is likely to be highly influential on any subsequent court/tribunal considering the issues arising out of disputed sovereignty, and whose judgment would be binding in international law. The ICJ concluded that “the United Kingdom is under an obligation to bring to an end its administration of the Chagos Archipelago as rapidly as possible”.

    The 2019 Advisory Opinion was followed in 2021 by a Special Chamber of the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (in a case about delimitation of the boundary between Mauritius and The Maldives) which ruled that Mauritius’ sovereignty was inferred from the ICJ’s determinations.

    If a long-term deal is not reached between the UK and Mauritius, it is highly likely that further wide-ranging litigation would be brought quickly by Mauritius against the UK. This might, for example, include further arbitral proceedings against the UK under Annex VII of the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (“UNCLOS”). A judgment from such a tribunal would be legally binding on the UK.

    The longstanding legal view of the United Kingdom is that the UK would not have a realistic prospect of successfully defending its legal position on sovereignty in such litigation. Even if the United Kingdom chose to ignore binding judgments made against it, their legal effect on third countries and international organisations would give rise to real impacts to the operation of the Base and the delivery of all its national security functions. International organisations have already adopted decisions based on Mauritian Sovereignty, and others would follow suit following such litigation.  

    These impacts could include: our ability to protect the electromagnetic spectrum from interference, to ensure access to the Base by air and by sea, effectively to patrol the maritime area around the Base, and to support the Base’s critical national security functions.

    Further, the UK would likely face a Provisional Measures Order within a matter of weeks of Mauritius commencing proceedings, which would also be legally binding. That would mean facing the sorts of detrimental impacts set out above, with the effect of substantially disrupting the operation of the military Base, in very short order.

    This deal is thus the only way to secure unfettered access to the Base for the long-term and to ensure its full contribution to national security.

    Updates to this page

    Published 22 May 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI USA: ICE, Europol, law enforcement partners, dismantle major illicit drug networks in global Darknet crackdown

    Source: US Immigration and Customs Enforcement

    WASHINGTON — U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, in collaboration with Europol, the Joint Criminal Opioid and Darknet Enforcement Team, and various national and international partners, announced the results of Operation RapTOR May 22. This historic takedown, led by Europol, resulted in the highest number of seizures in JCODE’s history.

    The seizures, to which ICE Homeland Security Investigations significantly contributed, include more than $200 million in currency and digital assets, over two metric tons of drugs, comprised of 144 kilograms of fentanyl or fentanyl-laced narcotics, and over 180 firearms. In addition, the United States and international law enforcement partners made 270 arrests of dark web vendors, buyers, and administrators in Austria, Brazil, France, Germany, Netherlands, South Korea, Spain, Switzerland, United Kingdom, and the United States.

    Led by Europol’s European Cyber Crime Centre Operation RapTOR united the FBI-led JCODE team — comprised of ICE HSI and law enforcement partners from the United States, Europe, South America, and Asia — to disrupt fentanyl and opioid trafficking, as well as sale of other illicit goods and services on the Darknet. Building on the successes of prior years’ operations, Operation RapTOR furthered global efforts to dismantle darknet marketplaces, resulting in the seizure of darknet infrastructure from Nemesis, Tor2Door, Bohemia, and Kingdom Markets. These actions provided investigators across the globe with invaluable leads and evidence, strengthening the ongoing fight against cybercrime and illicit activities on the darknet.

    “This record-breaking operation sends a clear message to every trafficker hiding behind a screen — your anonymity ends where our global reach begins,” said ICE acting Director Todd Lyons. “Thanks to the unwavering efforts by ICE HSI, Europol and our international partners, we’re cracking the code of the so-called ‘safe spaces’ for cybercriminals — they are in our sights and we’re not backing down.”

    The Head of Europol’s European Cybercrime Centre, Edvardas Šileris, commented: “Operation RapTor shows that the dark web is not beyond the reach of law enforcement. Through close cooperation and intelligence sharing, officers across three continents identified and arrested suspects, sending a clear message to those who think they can hide in the shadows. Europol will continue working with our partners to make the internet safer for everyone.”

    In furtherance of Operation RapTOR and in their first action as a JCODE member agency, the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) additionally sanctioned Behrouz Parsarad, an Iranian national, for his role as the founder and operator of Nemesis Market following seizure of the market.

    “This historic international seizure of firearms, deadly drugs, and illegal funds will save lives,” said Attorney General Pam Bondi. “Criminals cannot hide behind computer screens or seek refuge on the dark web — this Justice Department will identify and eliminate threats to the American people regardless of where they originate.”

    “By cowardly hiding online, these traffickers have wreaked havoc across our country and directly fueled the fentanyl crisis and gun violence impacting our American communities and neighborhoods. But the ease and accessibility of their crimes ends today,” said FBI Director Kash Patel. “The FBI could not do this work without our partners both at home and abroad, and the staggering success of this year’s record-breaking amount of fentanyl, guns, and drugs seized prove that our efforts are working. Anyone looking to anonymously harm our citizens through illicit darknet trafficking: your days of recklessness are numbered.”

    “These predators who peddled poison on the dark web might have thought they are untouchable — hiding behind screens, pushing fentanyl, fueling overdoses, and cashing in on misery. However, Operation RapTor just proved them wrong,” said DEA acting Administrator Robert Murphy. “DEA and our global partners reached across borders, across platforms, and across currencies to rip their networks apart. Let this stand as a warning: no mask, no marketplace, and no digital wallet can hide you from facing justice.”

    “This unprecedented operation is a testament to the power of global partnership and the unwavering dedication of our team,” said Chief Guy Ficco of IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI). “Working through the JCODE initiative, IRS Criminal Investigation and our international partners led the largest and most impactful takedown to date — seizing over $200 million in assets, removing deadly drugs and weapons from circulation, and holding more than 270 individuals accountable. This critical strike against dark web networks fueling the fentanyl crisis marks a proud moment in our ongoing effort to protect communities worldwide.”

    “Operation RapTor shows what’s possible when the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and our partners around the world stand united. No matter where criminals hide, we will find them, dismantle their operations, and bring them to justice. This operation was about protecting innocent people from predatory criminals who profit from violence, addiction, and fear. Our commitment is unwavering,” said Chief Postal Inspector Gary Barksdale, United States Postal Inspection Service.

    “The FDA is committed to continuing its work to disrupt and dismantle the illegal sales of drugs on the dark web, where such sales far too often have tragic consequences,” said Chad Menster, Deputy Director of the Food and Drug Administration’s Office of Criminal Investigations (FDA OCI). “We will continue to monitor, investigate and bring to justice those who misuse the internet in a quest for profits with reckless disregard for the risk to public health and safety.”  

    The impact of Operation RapTOR builds on years-long legacy of dark web enforcement and the tireless work of HSI and our U.S. and international law enforcement partners, as seen in the following cases:

    • “Incognito Market” Owner Pleads Guilty For Operating One Of The Largest Illegal Narcotics Marketplaces On The Internet
      • Incognito Market sold more than $100 million of narcotics — including hundreds of kilograms of cocaine and methamphetamine as well as heroin, cocaine, LSD, MDMA, oxycodone, methamphetamine, ketamine, and alprazolam, and misbranded prescription medication. Incognito Market was available globally to anyone with internet access and was designed to foster seamless narcotics transactions across the world. It incorporated many features of legitimate e-commerce sites such as branding, advertising, and customer service. While concealing their identities users were able to search thousands of listings for narcotics of their choice. Prescription medication was also listed that was advertised as being authentic but was not, as seen in November 2023, when an undercover federal agent purchased and received several tablets that purported to be oxycodone, but were in fact, fentanyl pills.
    • Central District of California | Two Southern California Men Who Supplied Fentanyl Sold to Darknet Customers in All 50 States Sentenced to Federal Prison | United States Department of Justice
      • Ruiz of Orange County was sentenced to over 17 years in federal prison, and Omar Navia of South Los Angeles was separately sentenced to 15 years in federal prison in January 2025 for supplying fentanyl-laced pills to a drug trafficking ring that sold these drugs to more than 1,000 customers nationwide via the Darknet Navia and Ruiz admitted that at least August 2021 to December 2022, they supplied fentanyl-laced pills to Michael Ta, 26, of Westminster, and Rajiv Srinivasan, 38, of Houston, who used the Darknet and encrypted messaging applications to sell more than 120,000 fentanyl-laced pills, 20 pounds of methamphetamine, and other drugs directly to more than 1,000 customers in all 50 states, causing several fatal overdoses in the process.
    • In February 2024, the Eastern District of Virginia issued a criminal complaint charging Joshua Vasquez, Joseph Vasquez, and Rafael Roman with conspiracy to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine.
      • Joshua Vasquez, Joseph Vasquez, and Rafael Roman conspired to sell counterfeit Adderall containing methamphetamine on darknet markets such as Bohemia and Tor2Door. The defendants allegedly sold drugs on darknet marketplaces in exchange for cryptocurrency. Collectively, these prolific darknet vendors were responsible fulfilling over 13 thousand drug orders shipped throughout the United States, ranging in size from user quantities, e.g., 5 pills, to “reseller” quantities, e.g., 10 thousand pills. While executing search warrants in New Jersey and New York, Federal Law Enforcement officers seized more than $330 thousand, close to 80 thousand counterfeit Adderall pills, one firearm, and two industrial pill press machines. FBI, FDA, and USPIS investigated this matter with significant contributions from HSI and our law enforcement partners.
    • Van Nuys Man Sentenced to More Than 20 Years in Prison for Trafficking Fentanyl and Cocaine via Darknet Marketplaces and Possessing Guns
      • A San Fernando Valley man was sentenced to 20 plus years in federal prison for using darknet marketplaces to sell hundreds of thousands of dollars’ worth of fentanyl-laced pills and cocaine to buyers nationwide. He admitted in court documents to causing one fatal fentanyl overdose. From at least April 2021 to May 2023, McDonald and others conspired to sell fentanyl and cocaine via multiple darknet marketplaces. Specifically, McDonald purchased bulk quantities of fentanyl and cocaine and then directed the activities of other coconspirators to carry out hundreds of drug sales involving the distribution of large quantities of both fentanyl and cocaine, including hundreds of thousands of fentanyl-laced pills. The FBI and the DEA investigated this matter as part of JCODE.

    “Cybercriminals think the Darknet makes them untouchable — we just proved they’re dead wrong,” said ICE HSI acting Executive Associate Director Robert Hammer. “HSI is on the front lines of a digital battlefield, deploying cutting-edge tech, relentless enforcement, and global coordination to hunt down these predators. Cybercrime is a global threat, and that’s why we’re committed to working hand-in-hand with our partners at Europol and across the world to dismantle these networks together. If you profit from pain online, we’re looking for you — and you’ll soon learn that no corner of the internet is beyond our reach.”

    Operation RapTOR includes law enforcement actions taken by JCODE member agencies, to include ICE HSI; the DEA; FBI; FDA-OCI; IRS-CI; and USPIS; in addition to foreign partners listed below. Credible reporting from the referenced agencies, in addition to contributions from ATF; Army CID; CBP; Department of Treasury’s FinCEN and Office of Foreign Assets Control; and NCIS enabled domestic law enforcement actions in support of Operation RapTOR. Local, state, and other federal agencies also contributed to investigations through task force participation and regional partnerships. The investigations leading to Operation RapTOR were significantly aided by support and coordination from the Justice Department Criminal Division’s Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Section and Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section, with additional support from the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces; multi-agency Special Operations Division; Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section’s Digital Currency Initiative, and Fraud Section; the Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs; Europol and its Dark Web team; and international partners.

    The international partners include Europol; Eurojust; Austria’s Criminal Intelligence Service with various Provincial Criminal Police Departments (Bundeskriminalamt und Landeskriminalämter); Brazil’s Civil Police of the State of Pará (Polícia Civil do Estado do Pará) and Civil Police of the State of São Paulo (Polícia Civil do Estado do São Paulo); France’s French Customs (Douane), National Gendarmerie (Gendarmerie Nationale); Germany‘s Federal Criminal Police Office (Bundeskriminalamt), Prosecutor’s Office in Cologne – Central Cybercrime Contact Point (Staatsanwaltschaft Köln, Zentral- und Ansprechstelle Cybercrime), Central Criminal Investigation in Oldenburg (Zentrale Kriminalinspektion Oldenburg) various police departments (Dienststellen der Länderpolizeien), German Customs Investigation (Zollfahndungsämter); The Netherlands’s National Police (Politie), Post Interventie Team; Spain’s National Police (Policía Nacional); South Korea’s Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office – Darknet Investigations Unit; Switzerland’s Zurich Cantonal Police (Kantonspolizei Zürich) and Public Prosecutor’s Office II of the Canton of Zurich (Staatsanwaltschaft II); and the United Kingdom’s National Crime Agency, National Police Chiefs’ Council.

    HSI is a worldwide law enforcement leader in Darknet and other cyber-related criminal investigations. The DHS Cyber Crimes Center (C3) combats cybercrime, online child sexual exploitation, and criminal exploitation of the internet with state-of-the-art forensic technology. The Center investigates large-scale cybercrime threats and provides expertise on cybercrime investigations to the field. It also uses global law enforcement networks, like Europol, to combat cybercrime threats.

    C3 delivers computer and cyber-based technical services in support of HSI cases — including investigations into underground online marketplaces selling illegal drugs, weapons and other contraband; enabling the trade of images of child exploitation materials; and facilitating the theft of intellectual property, trade secrets, and export-controlled technology and data.

    Individuals across the world can report suspicious criminal activity to the ICE Tip Line 24 hours a day, seven days a week at 866-DHS-2-ICE. Highly trained specialists take reports from both the public and law enforcement agencies on more than 400 laws enforced by ICE.

    An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Law Enforcement Seize Record Amounts of Illegal Drugs, Firearms, and Drug Trafficking Proceeds in International Operation Against Darknet Trafficking of Fentanyl and Opioids; 270 Arrested Across Four Continents

    Source: US State Government of Utah

    WASHINGTON — Today, the Attorney General and the Department of Justice’s Joint Criminal Opioid and Darknet Enforcement (JCODE) team, and international law enforcement partners announced the results of Operation RapTor, including the arrests of 270 dark web vendors, buyers, and administrators in Austria, Brazil, France, Germany, the Netherlands, South Korea, Spain, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Operation RapTor resulted in the highest number of seizures of any JCODE operation, including more than $200 million in currency and digital assets, over two metric tons of drugs, 144 kilograms of fentanyl or fentanyl-laced narcotics, and over 180 firearms.

    Operation RapTor was a global, coordinated effort by law enforcement in the United States, Europe, South America, and Asia to disrupt fentanyl and opioid trafficking, as well as the sales of other illicit goods and services, on the darknet, or dark web. Operation RapTor builds on the successes of prior years’ operations and takedowns of marketplaces, which resulted in the seizure of darknet infrastructure from Nemesis, Tor2Door, Bohemia, and Kingdom Markets, providing investigators across the world with investigative leads and evidence. JCODE and Europol’s European Cybercrime Centre (EC3) continue to compile intelligence packages to identify entities of interest. These leads allow U.S. and international law enforcement agencies to identify darknet drug vendors and buyers, resulting in a series of coordinated, but separate, law enforcement investigations, reflected in the statistics announced today. In furtherance of Operation RapTor and in its first action as a JCODE member agency, the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) additionally sanctioned Iranian national Behrouz Parsarad for his role as the founder and operator of Nemesis Market following seizure of the market. Parsarad was also indicted by a federal grand jury on drug trafficking charges related to the illegal business he ran on the dark web.

    “This historic international seizure of firearms, deadly drugs, and illegal funds will save lives,” said Attorney General Pam Bondi. “Criminals cannot hide behind computer screens or seek refuge on the dark web – this Justice Department will identify and eliminate threats to the American people regardless of where they originate.”

    “By cowardly hiding online, these traffickers have wreaked havoc across our country and directly fueled the fentanyl crisis and gun violence impacting our American communities and neighborhoods. But the ease and accessibility of their crimes ends today,” said FBI Director Kash Patel. “The FBI could not do this work without our partners both at home and abroad, and the staggering success of this year’s record-breaking amount of fentanyl, guns, and drugs seized prove that our efforts are working. Anyone looking to anonymously harm our citizens through illicit darknet trafficking: your days of recklessness are numbered.”

    “These predators who peddled poison on the dark web might have thought they are untouchable — hiding behind screens, pushing fentanyl, fueling overdoses, and cashing in on misery. However, Operation RapTor just proved them wrong,” said DEA Acting Administrator Robert Murphy. “DEA and our global partners reached across borders, across platforms, and across currencies to rip their networks apart. Let this stand as a warning: no mask, no marketplace, and no digital wallet can hide you from facing justice.”

    “Operation RapTor shows that the dark web is not beyond the reach of law enforcement,” said Head of Europol’s European Cybercrime Centre, Edvardas Šileris. “Through close cooperation and intelligence sharing, officers across three continents identified and arrested suspects, sending a clear message to those who think they can hide in the shadows. Europol will continue working with our partners to make the internet safer for everyone.”

    “This unprecedented operation is a testament to the power of global partnership and the unwavering dedication of our team,” said Chief Guy Ficco of IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI). “Working through the JCODE initiative, IRS Criminal Investigation and our international partners led the largest and most impactful takedown to date—seizing over $200 million in assets, removing deadly drugs and weapons from circulation, and holding more than 270 individuals accountable. This critical strike against dark web networks fueling the fentanyl crisis marks a proud moment in our ongoing effort to protect communities worldwide.”

    “This record-breaking operation sends a clear message to every trafficker hiding behind a screen—your anonymity ends where our global reach begins,” said Acting Director Todd Lyons of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). “Thanks to the unwavering efforts by ICE’s Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Europol and our international partners, we’re cracking the code of the so-called ‘safe spaces’ for cybercriminals—they are in our sights and we’re not backing down.”

    “Operation RapTor shows what’s possible when the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and our partners around the world stand united,” said Chief Postal Inspector Gary Barksdale of the United States Postal Inspection Service. “No matter where criminals hide, we will find them, dismantle their operations, and bring them to justice. This operation was about protecting innocent people from predatory criminals who profit from violence, addiction, and fear. Our commitment is unwavering.”

    “The FDA is committed to continuing its work to disrupt and dismantle the illegal sales of drugs on the dark web, where such sales far too often have tragic consequences,” said Deputy Director Chad Menster of the Food and Drug Administration’s Office of Criminal Investigations (FDA OCI). “We will continue to monitor, investigate and bring to justice those who misuse the internet in a quest for profits with reckless disregard for the risk to public health and safety.”  

    The impact of Operation RapTor can be attributed to the tireless work of U.S. and international law enforcement partners. For example:

    On Dec. 16, 2024, Rui-Siang Lin pleaded guilty to charges brought by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York of narcotics conspiracy, money laundering, and conspiracy to sell adulterated and misbranded medication for owning and operating Incognito Market, one of the largest narcotics marketplaces on the internet.

    According to court documents and statements made in court, Incognito Market was an online narcotics bazaar that started on the dark web in October 2020. Until it shut down in March 2024, Incognito Market sold more than $100 million of narcotics—including hundreds of kilograms of cocaine and methamphetamine. Incognito Market was available globally to anyone with internet access using the Tor web browser on the “dark web” or “darknet.” Incognito Market was designed to facilitate seamless narcotics transactions, incorporating many features of legitimate e-commerce sites such as branding, advertising, and customer service. Upon visiting the site, users were met by a splash page and graphic interface, which is pictured below:

    Figure 1: Incognito Market homepage

    While concealing their identities with a unique username or “moniker,” users were able to search thousands of listings for narcotics of their choice. Incognito Market sold illegal narcotics including heroin, cocaine, LSD, MDMA, oxycodone, methamphetamine, ketamine, and alprazolam, as well as misbranded prescription medication. An example of listings on Incognito market is below:

    Figure 2: Listings for various drugs on the Incognito Market.

    Listings included offerings of prescription medication that was falsely advertised as being authentic. For example, in November 2023, while operating in an undercover capacity on Incognito Market, a law enforcement agent purchased and received several tablets purported to be oxycodone. Testing revealed that these tablets were not oxycodone and were, in fact, fentanyl pills.

    The FBI, HSI, DEA, FDA OCI, and the New York Police Department investigated the case.

    In a second example, in January 2025, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California secured a 17-year sentence for Adan Ruiz, of Orange County, and a 15-year sentence for Omar Navia, of Los Angeles, for supplying fentanyl-laced pills to a drug trafficking ring that sold these drugs to more than 1,000 customers nationwide via the darknet. In imposing the sentences, U.S. District Judge David O. Carter called this case “the most sophisticated fentanyl distribution ring that this court has seen.”

    Navia and Ruiz admitted in their plea agreements that, from at least August 2021 to December 2022, they supplied fentanyl-laced pills to Michael Ta, 26, of Westminster, and Rajiv Srinivasan, 38, of Houston, who used the darknet and encrypted messaging applications to sell more than 120,000 fentanyl-laced pills, 20 pounds of methamphetamine, and other drugs directly to more than 1,000 customers in all 50 states, causing several fatal overdoses.

    According to court documents and statements made in court, Srinivasan and Ta used the “redlightlabs” darknet account to advertise and sell counterfeit M30 oxycodone pills containing fentanyl and other illicit drugs. Srinivasan also used the encrypted messaging application Wickr to communicate with and sell drugs to customers. Srinivasan received virtual currency as payment for the drugs and then routed that virtual currency through cryptocurrency exchanges.

    The court record also shows that Ta communicated with Srinivasan about drug orders, obtained fentanyl-laced pills and methamphetamine from sources of supply, stored those drugs in his residence, and mailed out packages with drugs to customers who had ordered them from Srinivasan on the “redlightlabs” account.

    Ta and Srinivasan admitted in their plea agreements to causing the fentanyl overdose deaths of three victims. Both defendants further admitted to distributing fentanyl-laced pills to two additional victims, both of whom suffered fatal drug overdoses shortly after they received the pills from Ta and Srinivasan. Prosecutors wrote in a sentencing memorandum, “The five victims of defendants’ crimes ranged in age from 19 to 51. They lived across the country, from California to Florida, Colorado to Arkansas. Each of the five victims leaves behind a family that has been forever and fundamentally changed by defendants’ actions. [Ta and Srinivasan] also victimized countless others as part of an epidemic of addiction and despair plaguing our district and our country.”

    The FBI investigated this case, with substantial assistance from the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), the DEA’s Fayetteville Resident Office, and the Northern Colorado Drug Task Force.

    In a third example, in February 2024, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia charged Joshua Vasquez, Joseph Vasquez, and Rafael Roman by criminal complaint with conspiracy to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine. Joshua Vasquez, Joseph Vasquez, and Roman conspired to sell counterfeit Adderall containing methamphetamine on darknet markets such as Bohemia and Tor2Door. The defendants allegedly sold drugs on darknet marketplaces in exchange for cryptocurrency under the monikers “NuveoDelux,” “Mrjohnson,” and “AllStateRx.”

    According to court documents and statements made in court, these three prolific darknet vendors were collectively responsible for fulfilling over 13,000 drug orders shipped throughout the United States, ranging in size from user quantities, e.g., 5 pills, to “reseller” quantities, e.g., 10,000 pills. Joshua and Joseph Vasquez collectively ran the NuveoDeluxe and AllStateRx accounts. A fourth co-conspirator, Gregory Castillo-Rosario, who was arrested in October 2024, ran the Mrjohnson account. Roman assisted his co-conspirators by pressing counterfeit Adderall pills, packaging them, and distributing drug orders into the mail using the U.S. Postal Service. The conspiracy also laundered funds associated with darknet drug proceeds.

    While executing search warrants in New Jersey and New York, federal law enforcement officers seized more than $330,000, close to 80,000 counterfeit Adderall pills, one firearm, and two industrial pill press machines. Additionally, two vehicles and several pieces of property were seized during the search warrants. An additional 30 kilograms of suspected counterfeit Adderall pills were seized on May 2, 2024, in New York. Photographs of some of the seized items are below: 

    Figure 3: Counterfeit Adderall pills laced with methamphetamine stored in 5-gallon buckets

    Figure 4: Bags ready to be shipped to customers nationwide.

    Figure 5: Illegal pill press machines used by drug traffickers to make counterfeit pharmaceutical pills.

    Figure 6: Trash bags full of counterfeit Adderall pills laced with methamphetamine.

    Joshua Vasquez pleaded guilty on April 24, 2024, and was sentenced on July 25, 2024, to 12 years in prison. Joseph Vasquez pleaded guilty on April 15, 2024, and was sentenced on Aug. 8, 2024, to 10 years in prison. Roman pleaded guilty on May 30, 2024, and was sentenced on Nov. 14, 2024, to 10 years in prison. They all pleaded guilty to conspiracy to create a counterfeit substance and distribute 500 grams or more of a mixture and substance containing methamphetamine.

    The FBI, FDA, and USPIS investigated this matter with significant contributions from DEA, HSI, the Ocean County Sheriff’s Office, the Howell Township Police Department, the Lakewood Township Police Department, the Orlando Police Department, the Orange County Sheriff’s Office, the Arlington County Police Department, and the New York Police Department.

    In a fourth example, a San Fernando Valley man, Brian McDonald, 23, was sentenced to more than 20 years in federal prison in the Central District of California for using darknet marketplaces to sell hundreds of thousands of dollars’ worth of fentanyl-laced pills and cocaine to buyers nationwide. He admitted in court documents to causing one fatal fentanyl overdose.

    From at least April 2021 until May 2023, McDonald and others conspired to sell fentanyl and cocaine via multiple darknet marketplaces. McDonald operated under the monikers “Malachai Johnson,” “SouthSideOxy,” and “JefeDeMichoacan.” McDonald created, monitored, and maintained the darknet vendor profiles, including by updating drug listings and shipment options, tracking drug orders, and offloading Monero cryptocurrency received as drug deal payments into cryptocurrency wallets that McDonald controlled.

    McDonald recruited and hired accomplices to help package and ship the narcotics they sold on the darknet. McDonald directed and helped these accomplices package and ship the narcotics. McDonald purchased bulk quantities of fentanyl and cocaine and then directed others to complete hundreds of drug sales involving large quantities of both fentanyl and cocaine.

    The FBI and DEA investigated this matter.

    Operation RapTor involves law enforcement actions taken by JCODE member agencies, including the DEA, FBI, FDA OCI, HSI, IRS-CI, and USPIS. Credible reporting from the referenced agencies, in addition to contributions from ATF, Army Criminal Investigation Division, Customs and Border Protection, the Treasury Department’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) and OFAC, and Naval Criminal Investigative Service, enabled domestic law enforcement actions in support of Operation RapTor. State, local, and other federal agencies also contributed to Operation RapTor investigations through task force participation and regional partnerships, as well as the multi-agency Special Operations Division.

    The investigations leading to Operation RapTor were significantly aided by support and coordination from the Criminal Division’s Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Section and Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section, with valuable assistance from the Criminal Division’s Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section, Fraud Section, and Office of International Affairs.

    Key international partners include Europol; Eurojust; Austria’s Criminal Intelligence Service with various Provincial Criminal Police Departments (Bundeskriminalamt und Landeskriminalämter); Brazil’s Civil Police of the State of Pará (Polícia Civil do Estado do Pará) and Civil Police of the State of São Paulo (Polícia Civil do Estado do São Paulo); France’s French Customs (Douane), National Gendarmerie (Gendarmerie Nationale); Germany’s Federal Criminal Police Office (Bundeskriminalamt), Prosecutor’s Office in Cologne – Central Cybercrime Contact Point (Staatsanwaltschaft Köln, Zentral- und Ansprechstelle Cybercrime), Central Criminal Investigation in Oldenburg (Zentrale Kriminalinspektion Oldenburg) various police departments (Dienststellen der Länderpolizeien), and German Customs Investigation (Zollfahndungsämter); the Netherlands’ Team High Tech Crime (National Investigations and Special Operations (NIS) and Post Interventie Team (PIT), National Intelligence, Expertise and Operational Support (NIEO);  Spain’s National Police (Policía Nacional); South Korea’s Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office – Darknet Investigations Unit; Switzerland’s Zurich Cantonal Police (Kantonspolizei Zürich) and Public Prosecutor’s Office II of the Canton of Zurich (Staatsanwaltschaft II); and the United Kingdom’s National Crime Agency (NCA), National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC).

    Federal investigations spanned the United States, and 26 United States Attorneys’ Offices are prosecuting cases, including the Central District of California, the Northern District of California, the Southern District of California, the District of Colorado, the District of Connecticut, the District of Columbia, the Middle District of Florida, the Southern District of Florida, the Middle District of Georgia, the District of Hawaii, the Northern District of Illinois, the Southern District of Indiana, the Eastern District of Kentucky, the District of Massachusetts, the Eastern District of Michigan, the Western District of Michigan, the Eastern District of Missouri, the District of New Jersey, the Southern District of New York, the District of North Dakota, the Northern District of Ohio, the Southern District of Ohio, the Northern District of Oklahoma, the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, the Eastern District of Virginia, and the Western District of Washington.

    The Justice Department established the FBI-led JCODE team to lead and coordinate government efforts to detect, disrupt, and dismantle major criminal enterprises reliant on the darknet for trafficking opioids and other illicit narcotics, along with identifying and dismantling their supply chains.

    An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Law Enforcement Seize Record Amounts of Illegal Drugs, Firearms, and Drug Trafficking Proceeds in International Operation Against Darknet Trafficking of Fentanyl and Opioids; 270 Arrested Across Four Continents

    Source: United States Attorneys General 13

    WASHINGTON — Today, the Attorney General and the Department of Justice’s Joint Criminal Opioid and Darknet Enforcement (JCODE) team, and international law enforcement partners announced the results of Operation RapTor, including the arrests of 270 dark web vendors, buyers, and administrators in Austria, Brazil, France, Germany, the Netherlands, South Korea, Spain, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Operation RapTor resulted in the highest number of seizures of any JCODE operation, including more than $200 million in currency and digital assets, over two metric tons of drugs, 144 kilograms of fentanyl or fentanyl-laced narcotics, and over 180 firearms.

    Operation RapTor was a global, coordinated effort by law enforcement in the United States, Europe, South America, and Asia to disrupt fentanyl and opioid trafficking, as well as the sales of other illicit goods and services, on the darknet, or dark web. Operation RapTor builds on the successes of prior years’ operations and takedowns of marketplaces, which resulted in the seizure of darknet infrastructure from Nemesis, Tor2Door, Bohemia, and Kingdom Markets, providing investigators across the world with investigative leads and evidence. JCODE and Europol’s European Cybercrime Centre (EC3) continue to compile intelligence packages to identify entities of interest. These leads allow U.S. and international law enforcement agencies to identify darknet drug vendors and buyers, resulting in a series of coordinated, but separate, law enforcement investigations, reflected in the statistics announced today. In furtherance of Operation RapTor and in its first action as a JCODE member agency, the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) additionally sanctioned Iranian national Behrouz Parsarad for his role as the founder and operator of Nemesis Market following seizure of the market. Parsarad was also indicted by a federal grand jury on drug trafficking charges related to the illegal business he ran on the dark web.

    “This historic international seizure of firearms, deadly drugs, and illegal funds will save lives,” said Attorney General Pam Bondi. “Criminals cannot hide behind computer screens or seek refuge on the dark web – this Justice Department will identify and eliminate threats to the American people regardless of where they originate.”

    “By cowardly hiding online, these traffickers have wreaked havoc across our country and directly fueled the fentanyl crisis and gun violence impacting our American communities and neighborhoods. But the ease and accessibility of their crimes ends today,” said FBI Director Kash Patel. “The FBI could not do this work without our partners both at home and abroad, and the staggering success of this year’s record-breaking amount of fentanyl, guns, and drugs seized prove that our efforts are working. Anyone looking to anonymously harm our citizens through illicit darknet trafficking: your days of recklessness are numbered.”

    “These predators who peddled poison on the dark web might have thought they are untouchable — hiding behind screens, pushing fentanyl, fueling overdoses, and cashing in on misery. However, Operation RapTor just proved them wrong,” said DEA Acting Administrator Robert Murphy. “DEA and our global partners reached across borders, across platforms, and across currencies to rip their networks apart. Let this stand as a warning: no mask, no marketplace, and no digital wallet can hide you from facing justice.”

    “Operation RapTor shows that the dark web is not beyond the reach of law enforcement,” said Head of Europol’s European Cybercrime Centre, Edvardas Šileris. “Through close cooperation and intelligence sharing, officers across three continents identified and arrested suspects, sending a clear message to those who think they can hide in the shadows. Europol will continue working with our partners to make the internet safer for everyone.”

    “This unprecedented operation is a testament to the power of global partnership and the unwavering dedication of our team,” said Chief Guy Ficco of IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI). “Working through the JCODE initiative, IRS Criminal Investigation and our international partners led the largest and most impactful takedown to date—seizing over $200 million in assets, removing deadly drugs and weapons from circulation, and holding more than 270 individuals accountable. This critical strike against dark web networks fueling the fentanyl crisis marks a proud moment in our ongoing effort to protect communities worldwide.”

    “This record-breaking operation sends a clear message to every trafficker hiding behind a screen—your anonymity ends where our global reach begins,” said Acting Director Todd Lyons of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). “Thanks to the unwavering efforts by ICE’s Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Europol and our international partners, we’re cracking the code of the so-called ‘safe spaces’ for cybercriminals—they are in our sights and we’re not backing down.”

    “Operation RapTor shows what’s possible when the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and our partners around the world stand united,” said Chief Postal Inspector Gary Barksdale of the United States Postal Inspection Service. “No matter where criminals hide, we will find them, dismantle their operations, and bring them to justice. This operation was about protecting innocent people from predatory criminals who profit from violence, addiction, and fear. Our commitment is unwavering.”

    “The FDA is committed to continuing its work to disrupt and dismantle the illegal sales of drugs on the dark web, where such sales far too often have tragic consequences,” said Deputy Director Chad Menster of the Food and Drug Administration’s Office of Criminal Investigations (FDA OCI). “We will continue to monitor, investigate and bring to justice those who misuse the internet in a quest for profits with reckless disregard for the risk to public health and safety.”  

    The impact of Operation RapTor can be attributed to the tireless work of U.S. and international law enforcement partners. For example:

    On Dec. 16, 2024, Rui-Siang Lin pleaded guilty to charges brought by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York of narcotics conspiracy, money laundering, and conspiracy to sell adulterated and misbranded medication for owning and operating Incognito Market, one of the largest narcotics marketplaces on the internet.

    According to court documents and statements made in court, Incognito Market was an online narcotics bazaar that started on the dark web in October 2020. Until it shut down in March 2024, Incognito Market sold more than $100 million of narcotics—including hundreds of kilograms of cocaine and methamphetamine. Incognito Market was available globally to anyone with internet access using the Tor web browser on the “dark web” or “darknet.” Incognito Market was designed to facilitate seamless narcotics transactions, incorporating many features of legitimate e-commerce sites such as branding, advertising, and customer service. Upon visiting the site, users were met by a splash page and graphic interface, which is pictured below:

    Figure 1: Incognito Market homepage

    While concealing their identities with a unique username or “moniker,” users were able to search thousands of listings for narcotics of their choice. Incognito Market sold illegal narcotics including heroin, cocaine, LSD, MDMA, oxycodone, methamphetamine, ketamine, and alprazolam, as well as misbranded prescription medication. An example of listings on Incognito market is below:

    Figure 2: Listings for various drugs on the Incognito Market.

    Listings included offerings of prescription medication that was falsely advertised as being authentic. For example, in November 2023, while operating in an undercover capacity on Incognito Market, a law enforcement agent purchased and received several tablets purported to be oxycodone. Testing revealed that these tablets were not oxycodone and were, in fact, fentanyl pills.

    The FBI, HSI, DEA, FDA OCI, and the New York Police Department investigated the case.

    In a second example, in January 2025, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California secured a 17-year sentence for Adan Ruiz, of Orange County, and a 15-year sentence for Omar Navia, of Los Angeles, for supplying fentanyl-laced pills to a drug trafficking ring that sold these drugs to more than 1,000 customers nationwide via the darknet. In imposing the sentences, U.S. District Judge David O. Carter called this case “the most sophisticated fentanyl distribution ring that this court has seen.”

    Navia and Ruiz admitted in their plea agreements that, from at least August 2021 to December 2022, they supplied fentanyl-laced pills to Michael Ta, 26, of Westminster, and Rajiv Srinivasan, 38, of Houston, who used the darknet and encrypted messaging applications to sell more than 120,000 fentanyl-laced pills, 20 pounds of methamphetamine, and other drugs directly to more than 1,000 customers in all 50 states, causing several fatal overdoses.

    According to court documents and statements made in court, Srinivasan and Ta used the “redlightlabs” darknet account to advertise and sell counterfeit M30 oxycodone pills containing fentanyl and other illicit drugs. Srinivasan also used the encrypted messaging application Wickr to communicate with and sell drugs to customers. Srinivasan received virtual currency as payment for the drugs and then routed that virtual currency through cryptocurrency exchanges.

    The court record also shows that Ta communicated with Srinivasan about drug orders, obtained fentanyl-laced pills and methamphetamine from sources of supply, stored those drugs in his residence, and mailed out packages with drugs to customers who had ordered them from Srinivasan on the “redlightlabs” account.

    Ta and Srinivasan admitted in their plea agreements to causing the fentanyl overdose deaths of three victims. Both defendants further admitted to distributing fentanyl-laced pills to two additional victims, both of whom suffered fatal drug overdoses shortly after they received the pills from Ta and Srinivasan. Prosecutors wrote in a sentencing memorandum, “The five victims of defendants’ crimes ranged in age from 19 to 51. They lived across the country, from California to Florida, Colorado to Arkansas. Each of the five victims leaves behind a family that has been forever and fundamentally changed by defendants’ actions. [Ta and Srinivasan] also victimized countless others as part of an epidemic of addiction and despair plaguing our district and our country.”

    The FBI investigated this case, with substantial assistance from the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), the DEA’s Fayetteville Resident Office, and the Northern Colorado Drug Task Force.

    In a third example, in February 2024, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia charged Joshua Vasquez, Joseph Vasquez, and Rafael Roman by criminal complaint with conspiracy to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine. Joshua Vasquez, Joseph Vasquez, and Roman conspired to sell counterfeit Adderall containing methamphetamine on darknet markets such as Bohemia and Tor2Door. The defendants allegedly sold drugs on darknet marketplaces in exchange for cryptocurrency under the monikers “NuveoDelux,” “Mrjohnson,” and “AllStateRx.”

    According to court documents and statements made in court, these three prolific darknet vendors were collectively responsible for fulfilling over 13,000 drug orders shipped throughout the United States, ranging in size from user quantities, e.g., 5 pills, to “reseller” quantities, e.g., 10,000 pills. Joshua and Joseph Vasquez collectively ran the NuveoDeluxe and AllStateRx accounts. A fourth co-conspirator, Gregory Castillo-Rosario, who was arrested in October 2024, ran the Mrjohnson account. Roman assisted his co-conspirators by pressing counterfeit Adderall pills, packaging them, and distributing drug orders into the mail using the U.S. Postal Service. The conspiracy also laundered funds associated with darknet drug proceeds.

    While executing search warrants in New Jersey and New York, federal law enforcement officers seized more than $330,000, close to 80,000 counterfeit Adderall pills, one firearm, and two industrial pill press machines. Additionally, two vehicles and several pieces of property were seized during the search warrants. An additional 30 kilograms of suspected counterfeit Adderall pills were seized on May 2, 2024, in New York. Photographs of some of the seized items are below: 

    Figure 3: Counterfeit Adderall pills laced with methamphetamine stored in 5-gallon buckets

    Figure 4: Bags ready to be shipped to customers nationwide.

    Figure 5: Illegal pill press machines used by drug traffickers to make counterfeit pharmaceutical pills.

    Figure 6: Trash bags full of counterfeit Adderall pills laced with methamphetamine.

    Joshua Vasquez pleaded guilty on April 24, 2024, and was sentenced on July 25, 2024, to 12 years in prison. Joseph Vasquez pleaded guilty on April 15, 2024, and was sentenced on Aug. 8, 2024, to 10 years in prison. Roman pleaded guilty on May 30, 2024, and was sentenced on Nov. 14, 2024, to 10 years in prison. They all pleaded guilty to conspiracy to create a counterfeit substance and distribute 500 grams or more of a mixture and substance containing methamphetamine.

    The FBI, FDA, and USPIS investigated this matter with significant contributions from DEA, HSI, the Ocean County Sheriff’s Office, the Howell Township Police Department, the Lakewood Township Police Department, the Orlando Police Department, the Orange County Sheriff’s Office, the Arlington County Police Department, and the New York Police Department.

    In a fourth example, a San Fernando Valley man, Brian McDonald, 23, was sentenced to more than 20 years in federal prison in the Central District of California for using darknet marketplaces to sell hundreds of thousands of dollars’ worth of fentanyl-laced pills and cocaine to buyers nationwide. He admitted in court documents to causing one fatal fentanyl overdose.

    From at least April 2021 until May 2023, McDonald and others conspired to sell fentanyl and cocaine via multiple darknet marketplaces. McDonald operated under the monikers “Malachai Johnson,” “SouthSideOxy,” and “JefeDeMichoacan.” McDonald created, monitored, and maintained the darknet vendor profiles, including by updating drug listings and shipment options, tracking drug orders, and offloading Monero cryptocurrency received as drug deal payments into cryptocurrency wallets that McDonald controlled.

    McDonald recruited and hired accomplices to help package and ship the narcotics they sold on the darknet. McDonald directed and helped these accomplices package and ship the narcotics. McDonald purchased bulk quantities of fentanyl and cocaine and then directed others to complete hundreds of drug sales involving large quantities of both fentanyl and cocaine.

    The FBI and DEA investigated this matter.

    Operation RapTor involves law enforcement actions taken by JCODE member agencies, including the DEA, FBI, FDA OCI, HSI, IRS-CI, and USPIS. Credible reporting from the referenced agencies, in addition to contributions from ATF, Army Criminal Investigation Division, Customs and Border Protection, the Treasury Department’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) and OFAC, and Naval Criminal Investigative Service, enabled domestic law enforcement actions in support of Operation RapTor. State, local, and other federal agencies also contributed to Operation RapTor investigations through task force participation and regional partnerships, as well as the multi-agency Special Operations Division.

    The investigations leading to Operation RapTor were significantly aided by support and coordination from the Criminal Division’s Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Section and Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section, with valuable assistance from the Criminal Division’s Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section, Fraud Section, and Office of International Affairs.

    Key international partners include Europol; Eurojust; Austria’s Criminal Intelligence Service with various Provincial Criminal Police Departments (Bundeskriminalamt und Landeskriminalämter); Brazil’s Civil Police of the State of Pará (Polícia Civil do Estado do Pará) and Civil Police of the State of São Paulo (Polícia Civil do Estado do São Paulo); France’s French Customs (Douane), National Gendarmerie (Gendarmerie Nationale); Germany’s Federal Criminal Police Office (Bundeskriminalamt), Prosecutor’s Office in Cologne – Central Cybercrime Contact Point (Staatsanwaltschaft Köln, Zentral- und Ansprechstelle Cybercrime), Central Criminal Investigation in Oldenburg (Zentrale Kriminalinspektion Oldenburg) various police departments (Dienststellen der Länderpolizeien), and German Customs Investigation (Zollfahndungsämter); the Netherlands’ Team High Tech Crime (National Investigations and Special Operations (NIS) and Post Interventie Team (PIT), National Intelligence, Expertise and Operational Support (NIEO);  Spain’s National Police (Policía Nacional); South Korea’s Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office – Darknet Investigations Unit; Switzerland’s Zurich Cantonal Police (Kantonspolizei Zürich) and Public Prosecutor’s Office II of the Canton of Zurich (Staatsanwaltschaft II); and the United Kingdom’s National Crime Agency (NCA), National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC).

    Federal investigations spanned the United States, and 26 United States Attorneys’ Offices are prosecuting cases, including the Central District of California, the Northern District of California, the Southern District of California, the District of Colorado, the District of Connecticut, the District of Columbia, the Middle District of Florida, the Southern District of Florida, the Middle District of Georgia, the District of Hawaii, the Northern District of Illinois, the Southern District of Indiana, the Eastern District of Kentucky, the District of Massachusetts, the Eastern District of Michigan, the Western District of Michigan, the Eastern District of Missouri, the District of New Jersey, the Southern District of New York, the District of North Dakota, the Northern District of Ohio, the Southern District of Ohio, the Northern District of Oklahoma, the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, the Eastern District of Virginia, and the Western District of Washington.

    The Justice Department established the FBI-led JCODE team to lead and coordinate government efforts to detect, disrupt, and dismantle major criminal enterprises reliant on the darknet for trafficking opioids and other illicit narcotics, along with identifying and dismantling their supply chains.

    An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Defence Secretary and General Hockenhull opening remarks

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    Speech

    Defence Secretary and General Hockenhull opening remarks

    Defence Secretary John Healey and General Sir Jim Hockenhull remarks on the Chagos Islands deal signed by the Prime Minister today.

    Defence Secretary John Healey

    Thank you, Prime Minister. 

    As the world becomes more dangerous, the Diego Garcia military base becomes more important.  

    But I want to underline the urgency and uncertainty over the future control of this UK base. 

    Within weeks, we faced new legal rulings which would weaken the UK’s full operational sovereignty over this base, and within just a few years, this irreplaceable military and intelligence base would become inoperable. 

    That’s why we have taken action today.  

    That is why the Prime Minister has signed this treaty today, securing this base for the next 99 years and beyond.  

    Our allied nations are right behind us and behind this deal – the US, Australia, New Zealand, India, Canada.  

    Others want to see this base closed. They want to see this deal collapse – China, Russia, Iran.  

    The value of this deal is beyond doubt.  

    Full control of Diego Garcia for the next 99 years and beyond. 

    Full control and protection of the electromagnetic spectrum that priceless intelligence; communications, sensors; radar; a strengthened buffer zone so we can control the seas and the skies immediately around Diego Garcia and wider islands up to 100 miles – an effective veto over any developments or hostile activities. 

    And with the base in jeopardy, no action was no option, and anyone who would argue to abandon this deal would abandon this base.  So let me be clear, the British people and our British forces are safer today and into the future because of this deal.  

    Thank you.

    General Sir Jim Hockenhull

    Thank you. 

    I think it’s useful to add a military perspective here. 

    The way we see this is very simple: 

    Diego Garcia provides a vital capability to our Armed Forces, to our US allies and for our shared contribution to global security.  

    The geography offers immense and irreplaceable global reach, enabling us to pivot forces westward toward Africa and the Middle East, or eastward towards Southeast Asia and the Pacific. 

    Added to that are the facilities on the base. It has a deep water port for nuclear submarines and aircraft carriers; a runway capable of operating every type of military aircraft, with the logistical support required for modern operations and the satellite and communications infrastructure that the Prime Minister mentioned, it is an unique asset for Britain’s defence and security. 

    It gives us the ability to deploy a wide range of capabilities over a huge geography. 

    Now Diego Garcia provides its worth through the long years of counter terrorism operations and proves its value today by supporting our ability to protect maritime trade, it will be of even greater strategic significance in the future.  

    It helps keeps the United Kingdom safe and prosperous, and it allows us to work closely with our international partners.  The use of Diego Garcia by US forces is a unique contribution to the military relationship between our two countries, and one that underlines the UK’s commitment to burden sharing.  Both our militaries will continue to benefit from our investment in these facilities for the years to come.  Britain projects military power through Such alliances and through assets like this base, which give us a global reach.  I welcome the long term certainty that this treaty brings it will help the British armed forces in our efforts to support stability abroad and security at home.  

    Thank you. Thank you very much.

    Updates to this page

    Published 22 May 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Army Reserve medical logistics NCO ensures critical blood supply at African Lion 2025

    Source: United States Army

    U.S Army Staff Sgt. Christa Glass, a medical logistics noncommissioned officer assigned to the 172nd Multifunctional Medical Battalion, 330th Medical Brigade, stands in front of a Moroccan Royal Armed Forces SA330 Puma helicopter during African Lion 2025 (AL25) in Agadir, Morocco, May 12, 2025. Glass paved the way for a vital blood delivery, ensuring the safe training of thousands of service members taking part in the exercise. AL25, the largest annual military exercise in Africa, brings together over 50 nations, including seven NATO allies and 10,000 troops to conduct realistic, dynamic and collaborative training in an austere environment that intersects multiple geographic and functional combatant commands. Led by U.S. Army Southern European Task Force, Africa (SETAF-AF) on behalf of the U.S. Africa Command, AL25 takes place from April 14 to May 23, 2025, across Ghana, Morocco, Senegal, and Tunisia. This large-scale exercise will enhance our ability to work together in complex, multi-domain operations—preparing forces to deploy, fight and win. (U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Ian Valley) (Photo Credit: Staff Sgt. Ian Valley) VIEW ORIGINAL

    Back to

    U.S. Army Southern European Task Force, Africa (SETAF-AF)

    AGADIR, Morocco — In the sweltering heat of North Africa, with lives potentially hanging in the balance, U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Christa Glass faced a critical challenge—a compromised blood shipment that threatened the medical readiness of U.S. forces.

    Working against the clock in unfamiliar territory, the medical logistics noncommissioned officer assigned to the 172nd Multifunctional Medical Battalion, 330th Medical Brigade, a U.S. Army reserve unit under the 807th Theater Medical Command, exemplified the Army value of selfless service during African Lion 2025 (AL25), the largest annual U.S. military exercise on the African continent.

    The incident began when a batch of blood designated for Senegal was compromised during transport through multiple countries, as temperatures fluctuated beyond the safe 1-6°C range required for maintaining viability. With more than 10,000 U.S. and partner nation troops participating in high-risk training operations across Morocco, Ghana, Senegal and Tunisia, the need for emergency blood supplies was non-negotiable. Recognizing the critical need, Glass coordinated efforts with medical logistics teams in Europe to re-pack and transport fresh supplies across 1,500 miles of challenging terrain and multiple international borders.

    “I went to Tan Tan [Morocco] to collect the blood and I had to go through customs,” Glass explained. “Thankfully, the blood was repackaged that morning, so I didn’t need to open or re-ice it. I held onto it until the next day, when someone from the FRSD [Forward Resuscitative and Surgical Detachment] team arrived to pick it up.”

    Her role extended beyond transportation. Glass took on responsibilities outside her usual job, including repackaging blood and coordinating its transfer in a complex logistics chain. She also helped bring in additional medical supplies from Tunisia, ensuring all units received what they needed for the exercise.

    “Dealing with blood isn’t in my normal job description,” said Glass. “I usually just transport packages from point A to point B, so repacking blood and handling it properly was nerve-wracking at first. After learning on my own and doing some research, I gained confidence. I’ve dealt with similar situations before during previous African Lion exercises, so I knew I could help.”

    Glass, who joined the U.S. Army Reserve in 2007 after being inspired to serve her country during the height of the Iraq war, had to navigate complex international customs procedures, language barriers and the pressure of handling temperature-sensitive medical supplies that could mean the difference between life and death in an emergency scenario.

    Her efforts culminated in successfully holding the blood at the right temperature until the FRSD team arrived to take custody — a process critical for maintaining the integrity of the blood prior to high-risk surgical procedures.

    U.S. Army Lt. Col. George Abboud, chief of medical logistics at U.S. Army Southern European Task Force, Africa (SETAF-AF), emphasized the importance of her initiative.

    “Glass’ proactive approach ensured our medical teams had the necessary supplies, preventing potentially costly delays and maintaining the continuity of life-saving missions,” said Abboud.

    Abboud further explained the critical nature of blood supply in these operations.

    “We’re talking about hundreds of thousands, sometimes even millions of dollars invested in planning, soldier movement, housing and resources for these exercises,” Abboud said.

    “In these austere environments, we can’t rely on emergency services like we do back home where you can call 911 and get care within hours. We must have those forward surgical capabilities on hand with blood ready. Without it, in training events in remote locations, we simply can’t proceed. It’s a show-stopper.”

    Reflecting on her experience, Glass expressed pride in stepping outside her typical duties to support the mission. Her story underscores the vital role of adaptable, motivated logistics personnel in ensuring the success of complex military exercises.

    “It’s about making sure our medics have what they need. When lives are on the line, every detail matters,” she said.

    This is exactly the type of experience which prepares service members for the rigors of ever-changing battlefield scenarios, which many exercise participants could encounter in future operations.

    About African Lion

    AL25 is set to be the largest annual military exercise in Africa, bringing together over 50 nations, including seven NATO allies, and about 10,000 troops. Led by U.S. Army Southern European Task Force, Africa (SETAF-AF), on behalf of U.S. Africa Command (USAFRICOM), the exercise will take place from April 14 to May 23, 2025, across Ghana, Morocco, Senegal, and Tunisia. AL25 is designed to restore the warrior ethos, sharpen lethality, and strengthen military readiness alongside our African partners and allies This large-scale exercise will enhance our ability to work together in complex, multi-domain operations—preparing forces to deploy, fight, and win.

    For all photos, videos and article throughout the exercise, visit the African Lion feature page on DVIDS.

    About SETAF-AF

    U.S. Army Southern European Task Force, Africa (SETAF-AF) prepares Army forces, executes crisis response, enables strategic competition and strengthens partners to achieve U.S. Army Europe and Africa and U.S. Africa Command campaign objectives.

    Follow SETAF-AF on: Facebook, X, Instagram, YouTube, LinkedIn & DVIDS.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: H.R. 1422, Enhanced Iran Sanctions Act of 2025

    Source: US Congressional Budget Office

    H.R. 1422 also would authorize the Department of State to offer rewards for information about people and entities that try to evade sanctions on transactions in Iranian crude oil and petroleum products. Several programs currently provide rewards for information leading to the arrest or conviction of designated terrorists and criminals engaged in transnational crimes such as smuggling; most awards range between $1 million and $5 million. Many of the people and entities designated under those programs also are subject to sanctions; therefore, a portion of the people and entities targeted by H.R. 1422 are likely sought for crimes under current programs. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI NGOs: MSF launches large hepatitis C campaign in Cox’s Bazar refugee camps

    Source: Médecins Sans Frontières –

    • MSF has begun a large-scale “test and treat” campaign for hepatitis C in the Cox’s Bazar refugee camps in Bangladesh, aiming to treat 30,000 people by the end of 2026.
    • Addressing the widespread hepatitis C epidemic among the Rohingya in the camps is challenging, considering the limited availability of care in the camps.
    • The campaign will include research to analyse challenges and propose solutions for testing and treating hepatitis C.

    COX’S BAZAR, BANGLADESH – To address concerningly high levels of hepatitis C in the Rohingya refugee camps in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh, 30,000 people will receive care by the end of 2026 as Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) significantly expands our treatment programmes. The initiative improves access to hepatitis C care for a group of stateless people who are particularly exposed to this curable, but potentially fatal, disease. MSF is establishing three specialised hepatitis C treatment centres within existing health facilities inside the camps, as part of a “test and treat” campaign covering an estimated third of all people living with hepatitis C in the camps.

    Between October 2020 and December 2024, MSF had treated over 10,000 people for hepatitis C at our clinics at Jamtoli and Hospital on the Hill. However, a 2023 MSF study published last month in The Lancet Gastroenterology & Hepatology found that nearly one in five adults –an estimated 86,000 people– are living with chronic active infection, highlighting the urgent need for a more robust response.

    MSF nurses are collecting blood samples from patients in the Rohingya refugee camps using rapid diagnostic tests as part of a hepatitis C “test and treat” campaign. Bangladesh, April 2025.
    Tania Sultana/MSF

    “Access to hepatitis C care in the camps, where more than a million refugees have been living for the past eight years, has been extremely limited,” says Dr Wasim Firuz, MSF deputy medical coordinator. “Treating hepatitis C is not part of the package of healthcare provided by over-stretched healthcare facilities. People are also not allowed to freely leave the camps to access healthcare, and even if they could, it’s unlikely they would be able to afford the cost of treatment.”

    Harsh living conditions in the overcrowded camps, a lack of access to or reduced provision of healthcare, and a lack of legal status which severely restricts their basic rights, have made Rohingya refugees more vulnerable to infections – including hepatitis C – in Myanmar and Bangladesh. Our survey found that exposure to unsafe medical practices for decades, such as therapeutic injections, could be the main reason for the transmission of this bloodborne disease within the camps.

    Our scaled-up programme in response sees teams conducting systematic community-based screening to proactively identify people with hepatitis C, a disease that does not show any signs or symptoms in its first phase. Rapid testing is followed by laboratory confirmation at the newly established treatment centres in Balukhali, Jamtoli, and at Hospital on the Hill. We are also implementing a comprehensive healthcare awareness campaign, which includes providing drugs for hepatitis C treatment and sharing prevention messages and treatment adherence counselling to adults.

    “In the absence of other alternatives to hepatitis C care for tens of thousands of people in the camps, we are undertaking this substantial increase in our treatment capacity,” says Dr Firuz. “Our goal is to reach 30,000 people with curative care by the end of 2026. This expansion represents a vital step towards preventing the spread of hepatitis C, especially to younger generations.” 

    Addressing this widespread hepatitis C epidemic nonetheless presents considerable challenges within the limited capacity of the overall health response in the camps. MSF will be conducting research to analyse such challenges and bring about solutions as part of our response.

    “While we are scaling up efforts and working in coordination with other organisations, the limitations within the health response, including insufficient staffing, equipment, and resources among partners, present a significant obstacle,” says Dr Firuz. “Our campaign is temporary and will not eradicate hepatitis C in the camps. Attention to hepatitis C must continue during and after the end of this campaign. We again call on other health partners and the international community to prioritise building a comprehensive strategy, to reduce the devastating impact of this disease on this community.”

    MIL OSI NGO –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: PM’s remarks at press conference on Diego Garcia: 22 May 2025

    Source: United Kingdom – Government Statements

    Speech

    PM’s remarks at press conference on Diego Garcia: 22 May 2025

    PM’s remarks at his press conference on Diego Garcia.

    A few moments ago…

    I signed a deal…

    To secure the joint UK-US base on Diego Garcia.

    This is absolutely vital…

    For our defence and intelligence…

    And therefore –

    For the safety and security of the British people.

    The full assessment of why this is so important is highly classified.

    But I want to speak as frankly as I can. 

    The strategic location of this base is of the utmost significance to Britain.

    From deploying aircraft to defeat terrorists in Iraq and Afghanistan…

    To anticipating threats in the Red Sea and the Indo-Pacific…

    The base is right at the foundation of our security and safety at home.

    It has helped us to…

    Disrupt threats to the UK…

    Support counter terror operations against Islamic State…

    And to reduce the risk to brave British and American servicemen and servicewomen. 

    The base will help protect the safe passage of our Carrier Strike Group as it goes through the Middle East.

    It enables rapid deployment across the Middle East, East Africa, and South Asia…

    It helps combat some of the most challenging threats we face,

    Including from terrorism and hostile states…

    And its location creates real military advantage across the Indo-Pacific.

    The base gives the UK and the US access to unique and vital capabilities – which benefit us directly.

    Many of these capabilities are secret, but they include…

    Airfield and deep-water port facilities…

    Facilities that support the worldwide operation of GPS…

    And the monitoring of objects in the earth’s orbit…

    And equipment to monitor the nuclear test ban treaty.

    The base is one of the most significant contributions we make to our security relationship with the United States –

    Which is critical for keeping Britain safe.

    Almost everything we do from the base is in partnership with the US.

    President Trump has welcomed the deal –

    Along with other allies.

    Because they see the strategic importance of this base –

    And that we cannot cede this ground to others who would seek to do us harm.

    And let me be clear – 

    We had to act now…

    Because the base was under threat.

    The courts have already made decisions which undermine our position.

    And if Mauritius takes us to court again…

    The UK’s longstanding legal view…

    Is that we would not have a realistic prospect of success…

    And would likely face a Provisional Measures Order within a matter of weeks.

    But this is not just about international law.

    This is about the operation of the base.

    Even if we chose to ignore judgments made against us…

    International organisations and other countries would act on them.

    And that would undermine the operation of the base –

    Causing us to lose this unique capability.

    One example of this is the electromagnetic spectrum.

    Countries have the right to manage this spectrum as they wish within their borders…

    A right that’s recognised in regulations…

    And overseen in the International Telecommunication Union.

    The use of spectrum is key to understand and anticipate those who seek to do us harm.

    If our right to control it is put into doubt…

    We would lose the first line of defence against other countries who wish to interfere and disrupt this capability…

    Rendering it practically useless.

    In addition – if we do not agree this deal…

    The legal situation would mean that…

    We would not be able to prevent China…

    Or any other nation…

    Setting up their own bases on the outer islands,

    Or carrying out joint exercises near our base.

    We would have to explain to you – the British people –

    And to our allies…

    That we had lost control of this vital asset.

    No responsible government could let that happen.

    So there is no alternative –

    But to act –

    In Britain’s national interest.

    By agreeing to this deal now – on our terms –

    We are securing strong protections, including from malign influence…

    That will allow the base to operate well into the next century…

    Helping to keep us safe for generations to come.

    Other approaches to secure the base have been tried over the years –

    And they have failed.

    [political content redacted]

    Now there is obviously a cost to maintaining such a valuable asset.

    We pay for our other military bases.

    Allies like the US and France do the same.

    This cost is part and parcel of using Britain’s global reach to keep us safe at home… 

    And it will be less than cost of running one aircraft carrier for a year.

    *

    Today’s agreement is the only way to maintain the base in the long term.

    There is no alternative.

    We will never gamble with national security.

    So we have acted –

    To secure our national interest…

    To strengthen our national security –

    And to protect the British people for many years to come.

    Thank you.

    Updates to this page

    Published 22 May 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Cotton Statement Condemning the Antisemitic Terrorist Attack in Washington, DC

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Arkansas Tom Cotton

    FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
    Contact: Caroline Tabler or Patrick McCann (202) 224-2353
    May 22, 2025

    Cotton Statement Condemning the Antisemitic Terrorist Attack in Washington, DC

    Washington, D.C. — Senator Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas) today released the following statement after the murder of two Israeli embassy employees outside of the Capital Jewish Museum:

     “On behalf of Arkansans, I extend deepest condolences for the tragic loss of Yaron Lischinsky and Sarah Lynn Milgrim to their families and our Israeli friends. I condemn these antisemitic murders—and the wave of depraved antisemitic incitement that contributed to this atrocity. This terrorist attack mere blocks from the Capitol is what they mean when they chant ‘globalize the intifada.’ We must not only get justice for these murders, but also oppose—bravely, strongly, and consistently—antisemitism in all its forms.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: PM call with President El-Sisi of Egypt: 22 May 2025

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    Press release

    PM call with President El-Sisi of Egypt: 22 May 2025

    The Prime Minister spoke to Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi this afternoon.

    The Prime Minister spoke to President of Egypt Abdel Fattah El-Sisi today.

    The leaders discussed the deeply concerning developments in Gaza, agreeing that restrictions on humanitarian aid must be lifted.

    The Prime Minister pressed for the urgent release of British national Alaa Abd El-Fattah so that he can be reunited with his family. He underlined how important it is to him to bring an end to the anguish Alaa and his family have faced.

    Updates to this page

    Published 22 May 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Golden Dome: what Trump should learn from Reagan’s ‘Star Wars’ missile defence system plan

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Matthew Powell, Teaching Fellow in Strategic and Air Power Studies, University of Portsmouth

    Donald Trump has unveiled plans for a new “next-generation” missile defence system which he says will by “capable even of intercepting missiles launched from the other side of the world, or launched from space”. The US president says “Golden Dome”, which is reportedly partly inspired by Israel’s Iron Dome system that protects the country from missile attacks, will be operational by the end of his current four-year term of office.

    But critics say that it’s much harder to design a defence system to protect a land mass the size of the United States. This is particularly the case in an era characterised by the threat from hypersonic missiles, such as those used by Russia against Ukraine, as well as attacks from space.

    Ever since the first aerial attacks on civilian populations, there have been increasing calls to provide systems that can defend and destroy the potential for an adversary to attack people, governments and infrastructure.

    This developed from relatively basic defence systems, such as those employed by the UK from 1917 to protect London and the south-east of England from attack during the first world war, which developed further to provide a relatively large degree of protection during the Battle of Britain in the summer and autumn of 1940.

    Get your news from actual experts, straight to your inbox. Sign up to our daily newsletter to receive all The Conversation UK’s latest coverage of news and research, from politics and business to the arts and sciences.

    During the cold war, which followed the dropping of atomic bombs on Japan in 1945, research accelerated globally into ways of providing greater protection against nuclear attack. The most eye-catching of these ideas was the announcement by Ronald Reagan in 1983 of plans to develop a massive (and hugely expensive) land and space-based missile defence system.

    The project, officially called the Strategic Defence Initiative quickly became known colloquially – if slightly mockingly – as “Star Wars”.

    The concept behind the missile defence system was that it would provide a way of effectively making nuclear weapons obsolete. Through the application of a defensive system that incorporated both land and space-based missiles, it was believed that any nuclear warhead fired would be destroyed before it was able to re-enter the Earth’s atmosphere.

    This would not only prevent intercontinental ballistic missiles from striking their intended target, but their destruction so high above the Earth would mean that they would not pose a threat in terms of nuclear radiation and fallout.

    It’s important to note that what was announced by Reagan in March 1983 was not about the development, construction or application of an actual defensive system. It was about funding research into the technologies that would be required for such a system.

    Reagan claimed this was a move to create a more peaceful world by making nuclear weapons effectively obsolete. But it was certainly not seen this way in Moscow.

    It was also something of a half truth. The move should be seen within the wider context of cold war relations and developments. The Reagan administration was seeking to bring the Soviet Union to the negotiating table to discuss reductions in strategic weapons.

    By developing a defensive system that would make strategic nuclear weapons almost obsolete, it was hoped this would force the hand of the Soviets and effectively compel them to agree to talks.

    The ‘Star Wars’ era: Ronald Reagan hoped his planned missile defence system would force the USSR to the negotiating table. He was right.
    Yuryi Abramochkin/RIA Novosti archive., CC BY

    But at the same time, as far as the decision-makers in the Kremlin were concerned, such a system – if developed and deployed – would give the United States a colossal strategic advantage. By the mid-1980s, it was highly unlikely that the Soviets could ever afford the investment in research and development and production capabilities to design their own system. This would mean that the Soviet Union was now highly vulnerable to a nuclear attack, while the US would be protected.

    This would place the United States in a similar position to that which it had enjoyed between 1945 and 1949, when it was the only nation that had the ability launch nuclear weapons. The theory of mutually assured destruction would fall almost overnight, meaning that the US had very little to fear from launching a nuclear attack, as any Soviet response would be futile.

    Given the potential for nuclear blackmail by the all-powerful US, it might cause the Kremlin to consider launching a pre-emptive strike against the US before such a system could be developed or implemented. Rather than making the world a safer place and diminishing the place of nuclear weapons, the world would become more dangerous.

    Pie in the sky?

    The Strategic Defence Initiative never really got off the ground. The initial mockery from large parts of the public of the US hid many real challenges to the development of such a defensive system. The research and development aspect alone came with a very large price tag. This was largely out of step with Reagan’s ideas about small government and limited public spending.

    In order to fund such a programme, money would have to be diverted from other domestic and social programmes, such as health and education. Despite the cold war context, this may well have risked unrest and protest from large swaths of the US population.

    The new technologies that were supposed to be developed as a part of this initiative were untested. It became evident that the only real way to test the efficacy and capability would be to expose the world to a nuclear attack and hope that the theoretical concepts that had been developed actually worked in practice.

    The Soviet Union also found ways of countering the potential developments that may emerge from the Strategic Defence Initiative, making the system almost redundant before it had begun.

    Proposed defence systems, like the Strategic Defence Initiative or the Golden Dome, can appear to be a panacea to defensive worries caused by heavily armed adversaries. Announcements about their development can cause global headlines and speculation about what this means for relations between nations and the international system.

    Take a step back from the US president’s hype, however, and it’s clear that Golden Dome will be hugely expensive and challenging to operate. Moreover it will require significant capabilities that do not yet exist and have yet to be tested operationally.

    Matthew Powell does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

    – ref. Golden Dome: what Trump should learn from Reagan’s ‘Star Wars’ missile defence system plan – https://theconversation.com/golden-dome-what-trump-should-learn-from-reagans-star-wars-missile-defence-system-plan-257372

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: Fresh bread returns for the first time in over two months as limited supplies reach bakeries overnight

    Source: World Food Programme

    GAZA, Palestine – A handful of bakeries in south and central Gaza, supported by the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP), have resumed bread production after dozens of trucks were finally able to collect cargo from the Kerem Shalom border crossing and deliver it overnight.

    These bakeries are now operational distributing bread via hot meal kitchens. However, after nearly 80 days of a total blockade of humanitarian assistance, families still face a high risk of famine and far more aid is needed across all of Gaza.

    “We are in a race against time to prevent widespread starvation,” said WFP Country Director Antoine Renard. “WFP will capitalize on every opportunity to deliver critical food supplies to Gaza’s desperate population. However, this is just a drop in the bucket of what is needed to reverse the catastrophic levels of hunger. Humanitarian agencies require immediate, unrestricted, and safe access to flood Gaza with lifesaving aid. This is the only way to avert an entirely preventable disaster.”

    Vital convoys entered Gaza this week carrying wheat flour and resources to support kitchen operations for hot meals. Other aid included baby formula, nutrition supplements for malnourished children, as well as medical supplies. But food assistance must go beyond one meal per day and more diverse food items are required to effectively push back the risk of famine. Distributing food parcels directly to families — the most effective way to prevent starvation — is still not allowed. That must change.

    Over 140,000 metric tons of food – enough to feed the entire population for two months – is pre-positioned at aid corridors and ready to be brought into Gaza at scale.

    We call on all parties to uphold this principle and facilitate swift, safe, and unimpeded aid delivery at scale to the more than two million people facing hunger across the Gaza strip.

    #                    #                       #

    The United Nations World Food Programme is the world’s largest humanitarian organization saving lives in emergencies and using food assistance to build a pathway to peace, stability and prosperity for people recovering from conflict, disasters and the impact of climate change.

    Follow us on X, formerly Twitter, via @wfp_media

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Rep. Smith Statement on Fatal Shooting Outside of Capital Jewish Museum

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Adam Smith (9th District of Washington)

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Last night, two Israeli Embassy staffers, Yaron Lischinsky and Sarah Lynn Milgrim, were brutally shot and killed as they were exiting an event at the Capital Jewish Museum in Washington, D.C. I strongly condemn this reprehensible act of violence. My thoughts are with the family and loved ones of the victims, Israeli embassy staff, event attendees, and those impacted by this horrific attack.  
     
    As the murders continue to be investigated, we must be clear that there is no place for hatred and bigotry. We must stand in solidarity with our Jewish friends and deepen our efforts to combat rising antisemitism. I condemn the hateful, dehumanizing rhetoric against Jewish and Israeli people, which has led to senseless, unimaginable attacks. No one should be targeted or live in fear of violence because of their beliefs. 
     

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Congressman Sherman Statement on Capital Jewish Museum Shooting

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Brad Sherman (D-CA)

    WASHINGTON, DC – Today, Congressman Brad Sherman issued the following statement after two members of the Israeli Embassy staff were gunned down outside an event at the Capital Jewish Museum in Washington D.C. in what the FBI believes may be a targeted attack:

    “Another brutal act of antisemitic terrorism. My deepest condolences to the loved ones of those who died in this brutal act. My sympathies are with all those who work at the Israeli embassy in Washington.”

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: Ms. Yasmine Fouad of Egypt – Executive Secretary of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification

    Source: United Nations MIL-OSI 2

    nited Nations Secretary-General António Guterres, following consultation with the Bureau of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD), announced today the appointment of Yasmine Fouad of Egypt as the next Executive Secretary of the UNCCD.  She will succeed Ibrahim Thiaw of Mauritania to whom the Secretary-General is deeply grateful for his dedicated service and outstanding commitment to the Organization.

    Serving as Minister of Environment of Egypt since 2018, Ms. Fouad is an expert in environmental diplomacy with over 25 years of experience in environmental governance, global environmental themes and international climate diplomacy.  She has a proven track record in designing and implementing institutional and systemic reforms for sustainable development.

    On the global stage, Ms. Fouad has played a pivotal role in multilateral environmental processes, serving as the President of the 14th Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD-COP 14) (2018-2021) and as the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) COP 27 Envoy (2021-2022).  She co-led the process for reaching consensus to draft the Global Biodiversity Framework 2030 and played a key role in advancing global initiatives on adaptation, food security, agriculture and nature-based solutions at COP 27. She also spearheaded the Presidential Global Initiative, which links the Rio Conventions launched at CBD COP 14.  She co-facilitated climate finance at five Climate COPs representing the interests of the global South in collaboration with Northern partners.

    Regionally, she has contributed to the Committee of African Heads of State and Government on Climate Change (CAHOSCC) and African Ministerial Conference on the Environment (AMCEN) (2015-2017) as Assistant Minister of Environment for Sustainable Development, Regional and International Cooperation.  She was instrumental in the technical preparation and coordination of the African Adaptation Initiative and the African Renewable Energy Initiative.  She co-chaired the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD) Regional Flagship Programmes steering committee including Sustainable Land Management, Desertification, Biodiversity and Ecosystems-based Adaptation to Climate Change.

    As a visiting scholar at Columbia University, Ms. Fouad contributed to the Earth Institute, helping design a Centre of Excellence for Climate Change Adaptation in Egypt.  She holds a Ph.D.in Euro-Mediterranean Studies, Cairo University, and a M.Sc. in Environmental Science, Ain Shams University.  She is fluent in English and Arabic.

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: ASIA/LEBANON – “An end to the war in Gaza; Syrians must be given the opportunity to return to their country”

    Source: Agenzia Fides – MIL OSI

    CNS photo/Mychel Akl for Maronite Catholic Patriarchate

    Beirut (Agenzia Fides) – “The Maronite bishops hope and pray for an end to the war in the Gaza Strip, which is causing death, hunger, disease, and epidemics among the civilian population, and call on the international community to exert pressure on all parties to the conflict to find just solutions,” said the Maronite bishops of Lebanon in a communiqué issued at the end of their monthly meeting at the Patriarch’s residence in Bkerke. The meeting was presided over by Cardinal Béchara Boutros Raï, Patriarch of Antioch of the Maronites. Also present were the Superiors General of the Maronite monastic orders.The Maronite bishops expressed their joy at the election of Pope Leo XIV: “We congratulate His Holiness Pope Leo XIV on assuming the Petrine ministry as head of the Catholic Church,” the bishops stated.The bishops of the Maronite community declare that they are following “with great interest the acceleration of political and diplomatic events in the Middle East and their possible repercussions for Lebanon” and add that, in their opinion, Lebanon “faces a unique opportunity on the path to security and reform that should be seized.” They therefore call on those responsible for the government in Beirut “to take the decisive measures expected by all Lebanese regarding the recovery of the State and its exclusive authority on fundamental and vital issues.”With renard to the situation in Syria, the Maronite bishops express “their satisfaction at the lifting of the financial and economic sanctions imposed on Syria.” “This,” they emphasize, “will have a positive impact on the security, stability, and unity of the Syrian people, enabling the country to have the necessary investment capacity to ensure jobs and economic recovery.” “This, in turn, will reduce the burden of the displacement of its populations in neighboring countries, especially Lebanon, as a prelude to their return to their homeland and their contribution to its reconstruction and development,” the bishops conclude. (L.M.) (Agenzia Fides, 22/5/2025)
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    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Two Convicted in St. Louis of Laundering Drug Proceeds for Sinaloa Cartel

    Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) State Crime News

    ST. LOUIS – Two men were convicted Wednesday of all charges related to their laundering of money in the St. Louis area for the Sinaloa drug cartel.

    Carl Von Garrett, 54, of St. Charles, Missouri and Tobiyyah Israel, 38, of Ohio, were each found guilty by a jury in U.S. District Court in St. Louis of one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering and one count of money laundering. Von Garrett was also found guilty of one additional count of money laundering. The trial began on May 12.

    Two others have already pleaded guilty and been sentenced in the case. Luis Miguel Hernandez, 38, of Phoenix, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering and two counts of money laundering and Antonio Jones, 51, of Florissant, Missouri, pleaded guilty to two counts of money laundering. Hernandez was sentenced in January to 87 months in prison and Jones was sentenced to 37 months in prison.

    As part of his plea agreement, Hernandez admitted being driven by Von Garrett to a meeting with an undercover Drug Enforcement Administration task force officer in St. Louis on March 1, 2021, to deliver $100,095 in drug proceeds. Hernandez then arranged a series of meetings between Jones and the task force officer. On March 8, 2021, Jones handed over $100,000. Jones delivered $150,030 on March 17 and $100,000 on March 31. On April 8, Jones delivered $109,740 and $100,100 on May 18. On May 25, 2021, Jones delivered $100,100.

    During closing arguments Tuesday, Assistant U.S. Attorney Jim Delworth told jurors that Von Garrett was the “focal point” of the conspiracy and Israel was a courier, like Jones. On April 14, Israel picked up $221, 020 from Von Garrett. Von Garrett was stopped by investigators, who found six phones and a ledger that contained dates and amounts of money roughly corresponding to cash drops, Delworth said. Israel told investigators that he’d been promised $1,000 to pick up the cash, and that he’d done so once before.

    The money drops continued. On May 18, Jones delivered $110,100 and $100,100 one week later.

    Both men are scheduled to be sentenced on August 21.

    The Drug Enforcement Administration, IRS-Criminal Investigation, the FBI, the St. Louis County Police, the Bridgeton Police Department, the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department, and the St. Charles County Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jim Delworth and Ricardo Dixon are prosecuting the case.

    This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Harvard University Loses Student and Exchange Visitor Program Certification for Pro-Terrorist Conduct

    Source: US Department of Homeland Security

    Harvard is being held accountable for collaboration with the CCP, fostering violence, antisemitism, and pro-terrorist conduct from students on its campus.

    WASHINGTON – Today, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem ordered DHS to terminate the Harvard University’s Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) certification. 

    This means Harvard can no longer enroll foreign students and existing foreign students must transfer or lose their legal status. 

    Harvard’s leadership has created an unsafe campus environment by permitting anti-American, pro-terrorist agitators to harass and physically assault individuals, including many Jewish students, and otherwise obstruct its once-venerable learning environment. Many of these agitators are foreign students. Harvard’s leadership further facilitated, and engaged in coordinated activity with the CCP, including hosting and training members of a CCP paramilitary group complicit in the Uyghur genocide.

    “This administration is holding Harvard accountable for fostering violence, antisemitism, and coordinating with the Chinese Communist Party on its campus,” said Secretary Noem. “It is a privilege, not a right, for universities to enroll foreign students and benefit from their higher tuition payments to help pad their multibillion-dollar endowments. Harvard had plenty of opportunity to do the right thing. It refused. They have lost their Student and Exchange Visitor Program certification as a result of their failure to adhere to the law. Let this serve as a warning to all universities and academic institutions across the country.”

    On April 16, 2025, Secretary Noem demanded Harvard provide information about the criminality and misconduct of foreign students on its campus. Secretary Noem warned refusal to comply with this lawful order would result in SEVP termination.

    This action comes after DHS terminated $2.7 million in DHS grants for Harvard last month. 

    Harvard University brazenly refused to provide the required information requested and ignored a follow up request from the Department’s Office of General Council. Secretary Noem is following through on her promise to protect students and prohibit terrorist sympathizers from receiving benefits from the U.S. government.

    Facts about Harvard’s toxic campus climate:

    • A joint-government task force found that Harvard has failed to confront pervasive race discrimination and anti-Semitic harassment plaguing its campus.
    • Jewish students on campus were subject to pervasive insults, physical assault, and intimidation, with no meaningful response from Harvard’s leadership.
    • A protester charged for his role in the assault of a Jewish student on campus was chosen by the Harvard Divinity School to be the Class Marshal for commencement.
    • Harvard’s own 2025 internal study on anti-Semitism revealed that almost 60% of Jewish students reported experiencing “discrimination, stereotyping, or negative bias on campus due to [their] views on current events.”
    • In one instance, a Jewish student speaker at a conference had planned to tell the story of his Holocaust survivor grandfather finding refuge in Israel. Organizers told the student the story was not “tasteful” and laughed at him when he expressed his confusion. They said the story would have justified oppression.
    • Meanwhile, Pro-Hamas student groups that promoted antisemitism after the October 7 attacks remained recognized and funded.

    Instead of protecting its students, Harvard has let crime rates skyrocket, enacted racist DEI practices, and accepted boatloads of cash from foreign governments and donors. 

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    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: McConnell Opening Statement at SAC-D Hearing on FY 26 Budget Request for National Guard and Reserve Forces

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Kentucky Mitch McConnell

    Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Mitch McConnell (R-KY), Chairman of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense, delivered the following opening statement at today’s hearing “A Review of the President’s Fiscal Year 2026 Budget Request for the National Guard and Reserves Forces”: 

    “We’ll begin today’s hearing to receive testimony on the posture of the National Guard Bureau and Reserve Components. I’d like to start by thanking the witnesses: 

    “General Steven Nordhaus, the Chief of the National Guard Bureau; Lieutenant General Robert Harter, the Chief of Army Reserve; My understanding is that Vice Admiral Lacore is unable to testify this morning due to an illness — I hope she recovers quickly.

    I welcome Rear Admiral Luke Frost – Director, Reserve Warfare, Office of the Chief of Naval Operations in her absence; 

    “Lieutenant General Loni Anderson, the Commander of Marine Forces Reserve; and Lieutenant General John Healy, the Chief of Air Force Reserve. 

    “The Subcommittee is grateful for your service to the nation in uniform, and we’ll look forward to your candid testimony. 

    “Our discussion today will be oriented toward the President’s Budget Request for FY 2026. 

    “The exact details of the request are still to come, but the topline summary released by the Office of Management and Budget gives proponents of robust national defense plenty to be concerned about, already. 

    “Annual topline investment in the Department of Defense is a measure of national will. It sends a message to allies and adversaries, alike, about the strength of our resolve. And it appears that the message for the coming year is one of weakness. 

    “Nobody in this room needs a reminder of how much the Department relies on stable and predictable funding to drive the crucial functions of development, acquisitions, and procurement. Nor is anyone here naïve to the increasingly coordinated forces that threaten to undermine U.S. interests around the world. 

    “But when we talk about the consequences of short-changing our armed forces, we have to recognize that these effects are often compounded for the guard and reserve. 

    “And the harder we have to scrape for funding to meet unfunded requirements of the Department of Defense, the harder it will be to support the growing needs of the Guard and Reserve. 

    “Despite playing an increasingly significant operational role, guard and reserve units still struggle to access top-of-the-line kit. Despite so often taking the lead in engagement with allied and partner forces, they face persistent hurdles in maintaining adequate infrastructure, equipment, and personnel.

    The current strategic landscape and operational realities give us no reason to suspect that the demand for highly-trained, well-equipped citizen servicemembers will diminish anytime soon. 

    “Last year, it was guardsmen – including Kentuckians – defending Tower 22 from Iran-backed attack, and sustaining casualties in the process. 

    “Adding new missions without adequate resourcing can strain Guard units’ training calendars. 

    “I’ll be interested in the witnesses’ candid observations on these headwinds impacting readiness. And I’ll look forward to discussing them in more detail during the question and answer session.” 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: REP LIEU CONDEMNS MURDERS OF TWO ISRAELI EMBASSY STAFFERS IN DC

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Ted Lieu (33 District of California)

    WASHINGTON – Today, Congressman Ted W. Lieu (D-Los Angeles County) issued the following statement after two Israeli Embassy staff members were murdered exiting an event at the CApital Jewish Museum last night.

    “I am shocked and horrified by the news that two Israeli Embassy staff members were murdered outside of the Capital Jewish Museum last night. This is a truly sickening act of antisemitism, and I expect that the gunman will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. Jews in the United States and abroad are living in fear as worsening antisemitic rhetoric and violence has permeated all facets of life. My own Jewish constituents have been victims of this insidious brand of hatred and I have repeatedly heard from members of the Jewish community who feel more fearful than ever before. The scourge of antisemitism must be universally condemned in the strongest terms possible. My heart goes out to the families and friends of the victims, and everyone feeling less safe after this disgusting act of violence.”

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    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI: Best Sportsbook Promos: SportsBetting.ag Picked as the Top US Site for Sports Betting Bonuses

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Belize City, May 22, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — When it comes to finding the best sportsbook promos site for US players, SportsBetting.ag stands out for one simple reason: it offers more value, more often. From generous sign-up bonuses to ongoing reloads and weekly boosts, it delivers consistent promotions that actually benefit real bettors. With clear terms and fast payouts, it’s the go-to destination for anyone serious about maximizing their bankroll.

    GET UP TO $250 IN FREE BETS AT SPORTSBETTING.AG

    Why SportsBetting.ag Has The Best Sportsbook Promos

    SportsBetting.ag earns its title as the best sportsbook promos site by delivering consistent, high-value offers that directly enhance the betting experience for US players. Its promotional structure isn’t just competitive—it’s built to keep both casual and seasoned bettors engaged over the long term. Here are five key reasons why it leads the pack:

    • $1,000 Welcome Bonus: New players get a 50% bonus up to $1,000 with a 10x rollover—one of the most generous offers for US bettors.
    • 25% Reload for Life: Every deposit qualifies for a 25% reload bonus with no limits on how often it can be used.
    • Regular Odds Boosts & Risk-Free Bets: Daily odds boosts and risk-free bets on major events keep promos fresh and valuable.
    • Low Deposit, Fast Activation: Bonuses start at just $20 and are credited quickly, perfect for casual and frequent bettors alike.
    • Clear Terms, No Surprises: Straightforward rules and transparent rollover make promos easy to understand and use.

    GET UP TO $250 IN FREE BETS AT SPORTSBETTING.AG

    How to Get the Best Sportsbook Promos at SportsBetting.ag

    Claiming top-tier sportsbook bonuses at SportsBetting.ag is fast, simple, and designed to reward both new and returning players. Whether you’re signing up for the first time or making a reload deposit, here’s how to make sure you get the most out of every offer:

    1. Register at Sportsbetting.ag: Head to SportsBetting.ag and complete the short registration form. Make sure your account details match your payment information to avoid any verification delays.
    2. Make a Qualifying Deposit: For the welcome bonus, deposit at least $20. Use the correct promo code (typically SB1000) at checkout to activate the 50% bonus up to $1,000.
    3. Claim the 25% Reload Bonus: Existing users can enter promo code LIFEBONUS with every deposit to receive a 25% reload bonus. There’s no limit on how many times this can be used.
    4. Check the Promotions Page Regularly: SportsBetting.ag updates its promos frequently, especially during NFL, NBA, and MLB seasons. Look out for risk-free bets, odds boosts, and special event offers tied to big games.
    5. Meet the Rollover Requirements: Each bonus comes with a wagering requirement—typically 10x for the welcome bonus and 6x for reloads. Stick to eligible markets and minimum odds to ensure your bets count toward the rollover.
    6. Cash Out or Reinvest: Once rollover terms are met, winnings can be withdrawn or used for future bets. Funds are usually available within 24-48 hours, depending on your chosen withdrawal method.

    By following these steps, bettors can maximize every deposit and take full advantage of one of the most rewarding promo systems available to US players today.

    Top Sportsbook Promos to Claim at Sportsbetting.ag

    SportsBetting.ag offers one of the most competitive bonus lineups for US players, with promotions built to reward both newcomers and loyal users. These bonuses go beyond typical one-time offers and provide ongoing value across the full range of sports and betting styles. Here’s a closer look at the top sportsbook promos currently available.

    50% Welcome Bonus up to $1,000

    The flagship offer at SportsBetting.ag is the 50% welcome bonus, available to all new players making their first deposit. By using promo code SB1000, players can unlock up to $1,000 in bonus funds, starting with a minimum deposit of just $20. This offer comes with a 10x rollover requirement, which is competitive among US-facing sportsbooks. The bonus funds can be used across all major sports markets, giving players the flexibility to bet how they want. With 30 days to meet the rollover, it’s a strong value for bettors who plan to stay active.

    25% Lifetime Reload Bonus

    Unlike other sportsbooks that restrict reload offers to limited-time windows, SportsBetting.ag gives players a consistent edge through its 25% lifetime reload bonus. By entering promo code LIFEBONUS with each deposit of $50 or more, users receive a 25% boost—every single time. The rollover requirement is a manageable 6x, making it one of the most accessible ongoing promotions for US sports bettors. There are no restrictions on how often this bonus can be claimed, which makes it ideal for players who deposit frequently and want to stretch their bankroll further without waiting for a special event.

    Risk-Free Bets on Select Events

    For marquee matchups and special occasions, SportsBetting.ag offers limited-time risk-free bet promotions. These typically surface around major sports events like the Super Bowl, NBA Playoffs, and high-profile UFC cards. While the terms can vary, most risk-free offers involve placing a wager (usually between $25 and $50) and receiving a refund in site credit if the bet loses. These promotions are a great way to place high-stakes bets or try out less familiar markets without the usual downside. Availability is announced in advance, and players may need to opt in or use a specific code to qualify.

    Odds Boosts and Enhanced Payouts

    Daily odds boosts are another key promotional feature at SportsBetting.ag. These enhanced lines apply to a wide range of markets including moneylines, parlays, and player props across major leagues such as the NFL, NBA, MLB, and NHL. Odds boosts offer significantly better potential payouts without requiring larger bets or special entry steps—they are automatically available and clearly marked in the bet slip. For players focused on maximizing returns without taking on extra risk, this is one of the most straightforward ways to get added value.

    Seasonal and Event-Based Bonuses

    Throughout the year, SportsBetting.ag rolls out rotating bonuses tied to major sports seasons and events. These include March Madness bracket challenges, NFL kickoff promos, playoff specials, and even leaderboard contests that reward volume play. While the format of these promotions can shift—from free bets to deposit matches or betting competitions—they consistently offer strong value for players who stay active during high-profile sports periods. Details are posted regularly on the site’s promotions page, and these limited-time offers are often among the most lucrative for engaged users.

    Overall, SportsBetting.ag’s bonus program is built for longevity and consistency. Whether you’re signing up for the first time or placing your 100th wager, there’s always a promotion available to make your bets go further. With clear terms and real benefits, it stands out as the most rewarding sportsbook promos site for US players.

    Sports Betting Markets to Explore with Bonuses

    SportsBetting.ag doesn’t just offer top-tier promotions—it backs them up with a full roster of betting markets across all major US sports. Whether you’re using a welcome bonus or taking advantage of reload offers, you’ll have access to deep betting lines, player props, futures, and live in-game options. Here’s a breakdown of the top sports markets where your bonus funds can go to work.

    NFL Betting

    The NFL remains the most popular league for US sports bettors, and SportsBetting.ag provides full-season coverage—from preseason to the Super Bowl. Bonuses can be used on moneylines, spreads, totals, player props, and futures for every team in the league. You can back dominant franchises like the Kansas City Chiefs, San Francisco 49ers, and Buffalo Bills, or bet on rising teams like the Detroit Lions and Houston Texans. Odds boosts and risk-free bet offers often center around Sunday matchups and primetime games, giving bettors even more value during key NFL weeks.

    NBA Betting

    Basketball fans can use sportsbook promos on every NBA game, including regular season matchups, playoffs, and the Finals. Teams like the Boston Celtics, Denver Nuggets, Milwaukee Bucks, and Los Angeles Lakers draw consistent betting action, especially when tied to featured promotions or odds enhancements. SportsBetting.ag also offers extensive coverage of player props and live betting for fast-paced, in-game wagers—ideal for turning reload bonuses into real-time profits.

    MLB Betting

    MLB’s long season is perfect for stretching out your bonus funds over time. SportsBetting.ag covers all 30 teams with daily lines, team totals, pitcher props, and game-specific boosts. Popular teams like the New York Yankees, Los Angeles Dodgers, and Atlanta Braves attract major market action, while sharp bettors can find value in under-the-radar clubs like the Cleveland Guardians and Tampa Bay Rays. During peak months, promos often include parlay boosts and streak-based bonuses tied to MLB series outcomes.

    NHL Betting

    Hockey fans will find competitive odds and full-season markets across the NHL, including moneylines, puck lines, goal props, and period-specific bets. Teams such as the Colorado Avalanche, Toronto Maple Leafs, New York Rangers, and Edmonton Oilers lead in futures and nightly handle. Bonus offers are often extended during the Stanley Cup Playoffs, with enhanced odds and second-chance bet promos for close games and overtime thrillers.

    College Sports (NCAAF & NCAAB)

    College football and basketball bring weekly excitement, especially during bowl season and March Madness. SportsBetting.ag offers deep coverage of powerhouses like the Alabama Crimson Tide, Georgia Bulldogs, Michigan Wolverines, and Texas Longhorns in NCAAF, as well as elite hoops programs like the Kansas Jayhawks, Duke Blue Devils, and UConn Huskies in NCAAB. Bonuses can be used across spreads, moneylines, over/unders, and tournament props, with special promotions typically activated during major playoff and championship weekends.

    UFC & Combat Sports

    For fans of MMA and boxing, SportsBetting.ag provides full cards with pre-fight odds, method-of-victory props, round betting, and live wagering. UFC events featuring stars like Israel Adesanya, Sean O’Malley, Jon Jones, and Tom Aspinall often come with exclusive promos, including risk-free bets and enhanced parlays. These are high-action opportunities to turn bonus dollars into quick returns.

    No matter your sport of choice, SportsBetting.ag ensures that every bonus you claim can be used across a wide selection of betting markets. From top-tier NFL matchups to under-the-radar college games and headline UFC cards, there’s always action—and promo value—to explore.

    Top Sportsbook Promo Bet Types at SportsBetting.ag 

    SportsBetting.ag gives players flexibility when using bonuses by supporting a wide range of bet types across major leagues and events. Whether you’re activating a welcome offer, reload bonus, or risk-free bet, you’ll find multiple ways to put your promo dollars to work. Here are the most popular and promo-friendly bet types available on the platform:

    • Moneyline Bets – A straightforward wager on which team or athlete will win. Perfect for new bettors using bonuses, especially on favorites with strong odds.
    • Point Spreads –  Ideal for balancing mismatches, spread bets are popular in NFL and NBA markets and count toward rollover requirements for most promotions.
    • Totals (Over/Under) –  Wagering on combined score totals is a common choice for using reload bonuses—especially in high-scoring leagues like the NBA and college football.
    • Player Props – Bet on individual performances like passing yards, home runs, or goals scored. These bets are available across NFL, NBA, MLB, and more, and are often featured in special boosted promos.
    • Parlays – Combine multiple bets into one for bigger payouts. SportsBetting.ag frequently offers parlay insurance or boosts that pair well with promo funds.
    • Live (In-Game) Bets – Bet as the action unfolds with dynamic odds that shift in real time. Many bonuses can be used for live betting, making it a popular option for experienced players.
    • Futures – Long-term bets on outcomes like championship winners or season awards. Futures are a smart way to lock in value using bonus funds before a season heats up.
    • Risk-Free Bets – Offered during special events, these let you place a wager and get refunded in site credit if it loses—great for trying larger bets with less risk.

    Each of these bet types not only counts toward promo rollover requirements but also gives bettors strategic ways to stretch bonus value. Whether you’re playing it safe or chasing big wins, SportsBetting.ag gives you the tools and flexibility to do both.

    Why These Are the Best Sportsbook Promos & Bonuses

    In a crowded US sportsbook market, a promotional offering is only as good as its consistency, clarity, and actual value to players. What sets SportsBetting.ag apart is its ability to deliver reliable, ongoing bonuses that are easy to claim, transparent in structure, and designed to serve real bettors—not just first-time sign-ups. Here’s what makes it stand out:

    Consistent Value Across the Board

    While many sportsbooks focus solely on welcome offers, SportsBetting.ag builds long-term value with ongoing reload bonuses, risk-free bets, and odds boosts. The 25% lifetime reload bonus is a prime example of this approach—available on every deposit with no seasonal limitations. This kind of ongoing support keeps players engaged beyond their first wager.

    USA-Focused Promotions

    All bonuses and terms at SportsBetting.ag are tailored specifically for US-based players. That means easy qualification, support for major American sports, and betting options structured around leagues like the NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL, and NCAA. There’s no guesswork when it comes to currency, deposit methods, or availability—everything is streamlined for a US audience.

    Clear Bonus Terms and Fast Access

    One of the biggest frustrations with promos at other sites is vague or buried terms. SportsBetting.ag takes a different route by clearly publishing rollover requirements, eligible bet types, and expiration timelines. Bonuses are credited quickly, often within minutes of deposit, and funds can be used immediately on qualifying bets.

    Wide Range of Promo-Eligible Markets

    It’s not enough to have great bonuses—they also need to work on the sports and bet types players care about. SportsBetting.ag supports promo use across all major markets including spreads, totals, props, parlays, and live bets. Whether you’re betting on the Super Bowl, a midweek NBA game, or a UFC main event, your bonus funds apply.

    Trust and Longevity

    With over two decades in the industry, SportsBetting.ag has built a reputation for reliability and player-focused service. In the US market—where trust is everything—its long history, responsive support, and steady promo track record help it stand out as a top-tier site for both casual and high-volume bettors.

    For US sports fans looking to get more out of every bet, SportsBetting.ag offers a promo system that’s built on value, not gimmicks. It’s not just about what you get when you join—it’s about what you keep getting every time you play.

    Conclusion: Why SportsBetting.Ag is the Top Sportsbook Promo Site Today

    SportsBetting.ag has firmly established itself as the top sportsbook promo site for US players by delivering more than just flashy sign-up deals. Its consistent, easy-to-claim bonuses, player-friendly terms, and full compatibility with major American sports markets make it a standout choice for bettors who want lasting value.

    From the generous $1,000 welcome bonus to lifetime reload offers, odds boosts, and risk-free bets, every promotion is structured to benefit both new and returning users. The site’s commitment to transparency, fast payouts, and real usability across bet types sets it apart in a market where too many bonuses come with hidden restrictions or limited shelf life.

    Whether you’re placing your first bet or managing a full-season strategy, SportsBetting.ag offers a promotional experience that works hard for your bankroll. For serious bettors in the USA who want real rewards without the fine print, this is the sportsbook that delivers.

    Editorial Note

    This article is provided solely for informational and entertainment purposes. Nothing within should be interpreted as legal, financial, or professional advice. Readers should carry out their own research before participating in any gambling activities or signing up with any online casinos mentioned. 

    Gambling Caution

    Online gambling comes with financial risks and may lead to addictive behavior or monetary loss. We urge all readers to gamble responsibly. If you or someone you know is struggling with gambling, professional help is available. The National Council on Problem Gambling (NCPG) can be contacted at 1-800-522-4700 or visited online at www.ncpgambling.org.

    21+ only. It is up to each individual to verify whether online gambling is permitted under their local, state, or federal laws. Neither the publisher, the authors, nor any syndication partners condone or support unlawful gambling. Participation in online gambling is done at the reader’s own discretion and risk.

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    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: 22 May 2025 Note for Media Seventy-eighth World Health Assembly – Daily update: 22 May 2025

    Source: World Health Organisation

    Health progress despite financial challenges 

    Thursday’s Committee B noted the Results Report 2024, and the financing and implementation of the Programme budget 2024–2025. Member States commended the transparency, and the level of detail provided. At the same time, Member States noted with concern that while some important achievements have been realized, progress is insufficient in reaching the SDG targets. In addition, Member States also advocated for more equitable funding across the Organization. The committee approved decision 78/17 Add.1 and 78/17 Add.2. 

    Delegates welcomed WHO’s Investment Round (IR), which will fund the Organization’s Fourteenth General Programme of Work – 2025–2028 (GPW 14) – its global health strategy for the next four years that has the potential to save 40 million lives if fully funded.  By April 2025, pledges of US$ 1.7 billion had been received. During the Health Assembly at least an additional US $210 million was committed, with further amounts expected. Since the start of the Investment Round, 62 pledges have been made by Member States, with a further 20 pledges by philanthropic organizations. Of the 62 pledgers, 35 had not previously provided voluntary contributions to WHO. 

    The pledges not only assure more sustainable financing but show global solidarity in the face of unprecedented challenges. The committee called for increased efforts to secure predictable, resilient and flexible funding.

    Related Documents:

    •  A78/17 Results report 2024 and financial report and audited financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2024
    • A78/17 Add.1 Draft decision: Results report 2024 (Programme budget 2024–2025: performance assessment) and Financial report and audited financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2024
    • A78/17 Add.2 Draft decision: Partial and temporary suspension of Financial Regulation VIII, 8.2
    • A78/18 Audited Financial Statements for the year ended
    • A78/36 Results report 2024 (Programme budget 2024–2025: performance assessment) and Financial report and audited financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2024
    • A78/INF./3 Voluntary contributions by fund and by contributor, 2024
    •  A78/19 Financing and implementation of the Programme budget 2024–2025
    • A78/20 Financing and implementation of the Programme budget 2024–2025: Reporting on operational efficiencies
    • A78/INF./4 Financing and implementation of the Programme budget 2024–2025 WHO presence in countries, territories and areas
    • A78/21 Sustainable financing: WHO investment round
    • A78/37 Proposed programme budget 2026–2027 – Sustainable financing: WHO investment round (Report of the Programme, Budget and Administration Committee of the Executive Board to the Seventy-eighth World Health Assembly)

    Strengthening health emergency preparedness and response

    On 21–22 May 2025, the World Health Assembly discussed WHO’s work in health emergencies. Over the last year, WHO responded to 51 graded emergencies across 89 countries and territories, including global outbreaks of cholera and mpox – a public health emergency of international concern – as well as multiple humanitarian crises. Working with over 900 partners across 28 health clusters, WHO helped provide health assistance for 72 million people in humanitarian settings. Nearly 60% of new emergencies were climate-related, highlighting the growing health impacts of climate change.

    Member States noted the WHO Director-General’s report on the implementation of the health emergency prevention, preparedness, response and resilience (HEPR) framework. The report outlined progress made in the key areas of collaborative disease surveillance, community protection, safe and scalable care, access to medical countermeasures and emergency coordination, and stressed that insufficient and unpredictable funding poses a significant risk to health systems worldwide.

    Delegates noted the report of the Independent Oversight and Advisory Committee (IOAC) for WHO’s Health Emergencies Programme. The report presents several recommendations to the Director-General aimed at strengthening WHO’s work in emergencies. The chair of the IOAC commended WHO’s leadership – particularly that of Dr Mike Ryan, the outgoing Executive Director of the Health Emergencies Programme, for his pivotal role and contributions to global health.

    The Director-General also reported on Universal Health and Preparedness Review (UHPR) to the Assembly, a unique process for Member States to assess their health emergency preparedness. UHPR was launched in November 2020 as a voluntary, country-led mechanism, in response to early lessons from the COVID-19 pandemic.

    Related documents:  

    • A78/13 WHO’s work in health emergencies
    • A78/12 Health emergencies preparedness and response: The Independent Oversight and Advisory Committee for the WHO Health Emergencies Programme
    • A78/9 Strengthening the global architecture for health emergency prevention, preparedness, response and resilience
    • A78/4 Consolidated report by the Director-General (including UHPR)

    International Health Regulations remain a cornerstone of global health security

    Member States noted the Director-General’s report on progress made in implementing the International Health Regulations (2005), which outline the rights and obligations of countries in managing public health events and emergencies that have the potential to cross borders.

    In 2024, WHO assessed over 1.2 million raw signals related to public health risks, identifying and verifying 429 events with potential or actual international public health implications.

    All countries but one provided their self-assessment report to the Assembly. Numerous joint external evaluations, after- and intra-action reviews, and training were conducted to strengthen preparedness and response capacities. 

    Member States recommended to the Assembly the adoption of a decision for the Director-General to notify Palestine of the International Health Regulations (2005). This is a step prior to Palestine expressing interest in becoming a States Party to the Regulations. This follows the resolution approved during the World Health Assembly last year on aligning the participation of Palestine in WHO with its participation in the United Nations.

    The Assembly also noted the Standing Recommendations issued by the Director-General on COVID-19 (valid until April 2026) and mpox (valid until August 2025).

    At last year’s World Health Assembly, Member States adopted historic amendments to the Regulations, drawing on lessons from the COVID-19 pandemic. The amendments are expected to come into force in September 2025.

    Related documents:

    • A78/11 Implementation of the International Health Regulations (2005)
    • A78/A/CONF./4 Notifying the International Health Regulations (2005) to Palestine
    • Resolution WHA77.15 (2024): Aligning the participation of Palestine in the World Health Organization with its participation in the United Nations
    • A78/INF./6 Implementation of the International Health Regulations (2005) Extension of the standing recommendations for mpox
    • A78/INF./7 Implementation of the International Health Regulations (2005) Extension of the standing recommendations for COVID-19

    Member States urge research into public health and social measures to control outbreaks and pandemics

    Member States approved a decision related to public health and social measures, urging the strengthening of the research base on these interventions. Public health and social measures are nonpharmaceutical interventions used to reduce the spread of an infectious disease and lower hospitalizations and death. Examples include screening for diseases, personal hygiene measures and changing the way people gather or travel. These measures played an important role in buying time for countries to develop and distribute treatments, diagnostics and vaccines during the COVID-19 pandemic, but the evidence base on the effectiveness of these measures remains limited.

    Related documents:

    WHO’s response to health needs in Ukraine and refugee-hosting countries

    Delegates noted the Director-General’s report on the implementation of a resolution on WHO’s response to the health emergency triggered by the Russian Federation’s aggression against Ukraine. In 2024, WHO reached an estimated 4.7 million people with health support in Ukraine and more than 400 000 refugees in neighbouring countries. WHO delivered over US$ 32.5 million worth of medicines, medical equipment and supplies to health facilities across Ukraine, and over US$ 4.9 million worth of supplies and equipment to refugee-hosting countries. Since 24 February 2022, a total of 2254 attacks on health care have been verified, resulting in 710 injuries and 208 deaths.

    Member States voted on related decisions. The draft decision proposed by Ukraine and other countries to continue, among other things, to restore and strengthen Ukraine’s health-care system was approved. Suggested amendments to the draft decision proposed by the Russian Federation and other countries were rejected.

    Related documents:

    • A78/14 Implementation of resolution WHA75.11 (2022) 
    • A78/A/CONF./3 Health emergency in Ukraine and refugee-receiving and -hosting countries, stemming from the Russian Federation’s aggression
    • A78/A/CONF./3 Add.1 Amendments proposed by Belarus, China, Nicaragua and the Russian Federation
    • A78/A/CONF./3 Add.2 Financial and administrative implications for the Secretariat of decisions proposed for adoption by the Health Assembly

    Health conditions in the occupied Palestinian territory, including east Jerusalem

    Delegates noted the Director-General’s report on the current health conditions in the occupied Palestinian territory, with the Gaza Strip facing an unprecedented humanitarian crisis, with widespread displacement, destruction and death. The health system has been severely degraded by attacks, critical shortages of medicines, supplies and fuel, and restricted access. The report stated that between 1 January 2024 and 28 February 2025, 376 attacks on health care were reported in the Gaza Strip, resulting in 286 deaths and 591 injuries.

    The health crisis in the West Bank has worsened since January 2025, with escalating violence and stricter restrictions on movement impeding access to health care.

    WHO’s response has focused on providing essential health services, public health surveillance, disease prevention and control, provision of supplies and logistics, and partner coordination. The report stressed the need for an immediate ceasefire, the release of all hostages, unrestricted humanitarian access and protection of health.

    Member States noted the report and commended WHO’s efforts towards the continuity of health services under difficult conditions. Delegates approved an accompanying resolution.

    Related documents:

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: 22 May 2025 News release Health system at breaking point as hostilities further intensify in Gaza, WHO warns

    Source: World Health Organisation

    Israel’s intensified military operations continue to threaten an already weakened health system, amidst worsening mass population displacement and acute shortages of food, water, medical supplies, fuel and shelter. 

    Four major hospitals in Gaza (Kamal Adwan Hospital, Indonesia Hospital, Hamad Hospital for Rehabilitation and Prosthetics, and European Gaza Hospital) have had to suspend medical services in the past week due to their proximity to hostilities or evacuation zones, and attacks. WHO has recorded 28 attacks on health care in Gaza during this period and 697 attacks since October 2023.

    Only 19 of Gaza Strip’s 36 hospitals remain operational, including one hospital providing basic care for the remaining patients still inside the hospital, and are struggling under severe supply shortages, lack of health workers, persistent insecurity, and a surge of casualties, all while staff work in impossible conditions. Of the 19 hospitals, 12 provide a variety of health services, while the rest are only able to provide basic emergency care. At least 94% of all hospitals in the Gaza Strip are damaged or destroyed.

    The increased hostilities and new evacuation orders issued across northern and southern Gaza in the past two days threaten to push even more health facilities out of service. This includes 1 hospital, 11 primary care centres, and 13 medical points within the evacuation zones, and an additional 5 hospitals, 1 field hospital, 9 primary care centres, and 23 medical points within 1000 metres of those zones. 

    North Gaza has been stripped of nearly all health care. Al-Awda Hospital is only minimally functional, serving as a trauma stabilization point. It faces an imminent risk of closure due to ongoing insecurity and restricted access. The hospital’s third floor was reportedly attacked on Wednesday, injuring a staff member. Hostilities in the area also damaged the water tank and pipeline. Today, the hospital was attacked again. The third and fourth floors were reportedly hit, injuring two health workers. Patient triage tents, including one provided by WHO, caught fire, which also burned all medical supplies in the warehouse and destroyed vehicles in the basement. A WHO mission attempting to reach the hospital today was impeded.

    The Indonesian Hospital is out of service due to continued military presence since 18 May, making it inaccessible. Yesterday, a WHO mission to the hospital was forced to abort due to the security situation after waiting nearly four hours for clearance to proceed. WHO team had planned to deliver food and water to patients, assess their conditions, and identify critical equipment for transfer. WHO tried to reach the hospital again today, but the mission was impeded.

    Kamal Adwan Hospital, which had the only centre to treat patients with severe acute malnutrition in North Gaza, went out of service on 20 May after intense hostilities in its vicinity, forcing patients to evacuate or be discharged prematurely. 

    In southern Gaza, Nasser Medical Complex, Al-Amal, and Al-Aqsa hospitals are overwhelmed by a surge of injured people, worsened by a new wave of displacement to Deir al Balah and Khan Younis. The European Gaza Hospital remains out of service following an attack on 13 May, cutting off vital services including neurosurgery, cardiac care, and cancer treatment – all unavailable elsewhere in Gaza.

    Currently, across the Gaza Strip, only 2000 hospital beds remain available, for a population of over 2 million people, grossly insufficient to meet the current needs. Of these, at least 40 beds are at risk of being lost as they are in hospitals within newly declared evacuation zones, while an additional 850 could be lost if conditions deteriorate at facilities near these zones.

    Continued hostilities and military presence inhibit patients from accessing care, obstruct staff from providing care, and prevent WHO and partners from resupplying hospitals.

    With each hospital forced out of service, patients lose access to health care, and WHO and partners’ efforts, to sustain Gaza’s health system are undone. The destruction is systematic. Hospitals are rehabilitated and resupplied, only to be exposed to hostilities or attacked again. This destructive cycle must end.

    Amid constant fear and insecurity, health workers, including those from national and international emergency medical teams, continue delivering urgent care in Gaza. WHO salutes their courage and commitment.

    WHO calls for the active protection of health care. Hospitals must never be militarized or targeted.

    WHO calls for aid at scale to be allowed into Gaza through all possible routes, and for unimpeded humanitarian access to reach people wherever they are. Echoing the United Nations’ Relief Chief, WHO reiterates that the UN and its partners have a clear, principled and effective plan to deliver aid with safeguards against diversion, a system that has worked and must be enabled to continue.  

    WHO calls for an immediate and lasting ceasefire.

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Ukraine: it’s clear right now there are no serious plans for peace

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Jonathan Este, Senior International Affairs Editor, Associate Editor

    When it comes to the sincerity, or otherwise, of Vladimir Putin’s apparent willingness to talk peace with Ukraine, the Russian leader has given us plenty of hints. He may insist he wants to see a deal done and an end to the killing. But his insistence that any agreement would have to address the “root causes” of the war is a clear indication that he hasn’t rowed back from his original maximalist war aims. To whit: no Nato membership, a Kremlin-friendly government in Kyiv, ownership of Crimea and control – preferably annexation – of the four provinces of Ukraine presently under Russian occupation.

    Meanwhile his great ally Dmitry Medvedev continues to insist that there are at present no Ukrainian officials who legitimately qualify as partners for negotiation. The Russian national security council secretary claims that Ukraine is a “failed state” whose leaders’ lack of legitimacy, meanwhile, raise “serious questions” about who Russia can conclude any agreement with.

    So when Donald Trump said this week after a two-hour chat with Putin that Russia and Ukraine would “immediately start negotiations” toward a ceasefire, it’s not clear who he thought the Russian president was planning to talk to if, as Putin and his cronies insist, Zelensky and his team are not legitimate. And, from what he had to say about his recent phone call with Putin, it appears that Trump has his eyes more on the sorts of deals that might be done with Russia once this is all cleared up.

    As he posted on his Truth Social platform after talking with Putin: “Russia wants to do largescale [sic] TRADE with the United States when this catastrophic ‘bloodbath’ is over, and I agree. There is a tremendous opportunity for Russia to create massive amounts of jobs and wealth. Its potential is UNLIMITED.”

    Accordingly, he has backed away from his previous willingness to join Europe in imposing fresh sanctions on Russia. Meanwhile Russia continues to hammer Ukraine both on the battlefield and via ever larger drone and missiles attacks against its civilian population.

    Sign up to receive our weekly World Affairs Briefing newsletter from The Conversation UK. Every Thursday we’ll bring you expert analysis of the big stories in international relations.

    The real clue to Trump’s attitude, writes Stefan Wolff, is the order of phone calls on Monday. Before settling down to talk with Putin, the US president put in a call to the Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelensky. Reporting back on the call, Zelensky said he had urged Trump that he mustn’t make any decisions about Ukraine “without us”. Having subsequently spoken at length with Putin, Trump emerged saying in his Truth Social post that Russia and Ukraine will “immediately start negotiations” towards a ceasefire and an end to the war.

    The state of the conflict in Ukraine, May 21 2025.
    Institute for the Study of War

    But Wolff, professor of international security at the University of Birmingham who has written regularly here about the conflict, believes that the fact that Trump added the conditions for peace “will be negotiated between the two parties, as it can only be” suggests he is indeed planning to abandon his peacemaking ambitions. The whole deal was taking far longer than the 24 hours he boasted of during the election campaign last year.

    Where this leaves Europe is unclear, writes Wolff. If it can no longer rely on Washington as a security partner (and the signs aren’t good), then this will require a substantial rethink. Indeed there are signs, with the UK’s recent agreement over security and defence, that minds are increasingly focused on a more self-reliant future. In turn, this has implications for US security. If Europe is compelled to rethink its security relationship with the US it could cut both ways as Washington pivots to face an increasingly aggressive China.



    Read more:
    After another call with Putin, it looks like Trump has abandoned efforts to mediate peace in Ukraine

    Of course, it should have been clear to all concerned not to take Putin at face value over his apparent willingness to talk peace with Zelensky when he failed to turn up to talks in Istanbul at the end of last week. As Natasha Lindstaedt writes here, none of the main players attended the talks, despite plans for Putin, Zelensky and Trump to all meet face-to-face.

    Lindstaedt, an expert in international relations at the University of Essex, describes what for all the world seemed like a bizarre game of bluff – certainly as far as Putin and Trump are concerned. All three leaders had promised to be there, but in the end they all sent intermediaries with the result that nothing of any consequence was agreed. Trump’s aides insisted that if Putin attended he would be there. Then the US president said the reason that Putin hadn’t turned up was because he knew Trump wasn’t going to be there.

    “It’s certainly hard to take peace talks seriously when there is an awkward back-and-forth just about who is going to attend,” Lindstaedt concludes. “And while Trump thinks peace is only possible through bilateral meetings between himself and Putin, it’s clear he can’t even influence Putin to show up to peace talks that the Russian president himself suggested.”



    Read more:
    Putin is testing how far he can push Trump by not turning up for Istanbul talks

    Pie in the sky?

    The US president, meanwhile, has announced plans for an ambitious missile defence system to be called “Golden Dome”. It’s a next-generation system, says Trump, “capable even of intercepting missiles launched from the other side of the world, or launched from space”.

    The plan, for which US$25 billion (£18.6 billion) has been set aside in the US president’s “one big beautiful bill”, presently before the US Congress, calls for a network of surveillance satellites complemented by a separate fleet of offensive satellites that would shoot down offensive missiles soon after lift-off. Trump has estimated this will cost US$175 billion and will be completed by the end of his current four-year term. But other estimates are that it will be much more expensive and take far longer to complete.

    “There has never been anything like this”, the US president said. And indeed there hasn’t, writes Matthew Powell, an expert in air power from the University of Portsmouth. In fact, Powell is deeply sceptical that the technology to enable such an ambitious defence system exists at present. He points to Ronald Reagan’s Strategic Defense Initiative, which became known by critics, with their tongues in their cheeks, as “Star Wars”, which never really got any further than the drawing board.

    It did, however, have the effect of signalling to the Kremlin and the Soviet leader, Mikhail Gorbachev, that the sky would be the limit in terms of US willingness to push the boundaries of defence spending. Powell believes it significantly changed the calculations when it came to the feasibility of continuing the nuclear arms race and may have been responsible for the end of the cold war.



    Read more:
    Golden Dome: what Trump should learn from Reagan’s ‘Star Wars’ missile defence system plan

    Incidentally, the US president’s funding bill scraped through the House of Representatives with 215 votes for and 214 against. In addition to setting aside funds for Golden Dome, the bill, which in its current form adds trillions of dollars to the US debt, has been described by Democrat critics as a “tax scam”. A statement from Democrat leaders said: “This fight is just beginning, and House Democrats will continue to use every tool at our disposal to ensure that the GOP Tax Scam is buried deep in the ground, never to rise again.”

    But how much stomach do the Democrats have for the fight? They’ve had a pretty terrible few months since the election. Their approval rating in March was at 29%, the worst since polling began in 1992. Fernando Pizarro, a lecturer in journalism at City St Georges, University of London, who has several Emmys under his belt for his work on US politics, has cast his eye over some of the leading Democrats who he thinks will spearhead the opposition to the Republicans over the next few years and identifies a few players who could vie for the presidential nomination in 2028.



    Read more:
    The top Democrats leading the fight against Trump’s agenda

    Gaza: situation increasingly desperate

    Meanwhile, after 11 weeks of Israeli blockade of aid to the people of Gaza, limited deliveries have now recommenced in the face of pressure from both the US and increasingly outspoken interventions from the likes of the UK, France and Canada.

    But despite reports that up to 100 trucks are now being allowed into the Gaza Strip, human rights agencies and aid organisations have said that there is a desperate threat of widespread starvation unless the amount of food, fuel and medicine getting through increases exponentially. And fast.

    There is talk of a US-administered programme, the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), which could be up and running by the end of May and could accelerate the delivery of vital supplies to the civilian population while ensuring it does not does not get into the hands of militants or black marketeers.

    But this scheme has its critics, write Sarah Schiffling and Liz Breen, experts in humanitarian logistics and health service operations at Hanken School of Economics and the University of Bradford respectively. They point to a number of flaws, including the plan to concentrate the secure distribution points in southern and central Gaza, forcing large numbers of people to travel considerable distances for supplies.

    The GHF plan also calls for aid distribution to be coordinated with the Israel Defense Forces, which humanitarian organisations says is a “humanitarian cover for a military strategy of control and dispossession”.

    Schiffling and Breen point out that humanitarian organisations have 160,000 pallets of supplies and almost 9,000 aid trucks ready to be dispatched across the border “as soon as Israel allows it”. Whether Israel will allow it is, of course, another question entirely.



    Read more:
    Israel allows a ‘limited’ amount of aid back into Gaza, where the humanitarian situation is desperate

    World Affairs Briefing from The Conversation UK is available as a weekly email newsletter. Click here to get updates directly in your inbox.

    – ref. Ukraine: it’s clear right now there are no serious plans for peace – https://theconversation.com/ukraine-its-clear-right-now-there-are-no-serious-plans-for-peace-257388

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Africa Subcommittee Chairman Smith Delivers Opening Remarks at Hearing on the Crisis in Sudan

    Source: US House Committee on Foreign Affairs

    Media Contact 202-321-9747

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, House Foreign Affairs Africa Subcommittee Chairman Chris Smith delivered opening remarks at a subcommittee hearing titled, “A Dire Crisis in Sudan: A Global Call to Action.” 

    Watch Here

    -Remarks-

    Over the decades, as especially our distinguished panel knows, the people of Sudan have been subjected to unbearable pain, suffering, loss of life, and even slavery. Since the 1990s, I have been a vocal advocate for human rights, democracy, and stability in Sudan. Soon after Republicans took control of the House, I chaired a hearing in 1996 on slavery in Sudan and Mauritania.

    Today, there is a dire crisis again in Sudan, necessitating a global call to action. I went to Khartoum in August of 2005 to meet with President Omar al-Bashir and other government officials, a number of people from the faith community, to press for an end to the genocide in Darfur. The meeting was necessarily contentious. Bashir denied any wrongdoing or complicity in the killings of the Darfur genocide.

    In 2009, however, Bashir was charged by the International Criminal Court with committing war crimes and crimes against humanity. In 2010, he became the first person ever charged with the crime of genocide by the ICC.

    After meetings with Bashir and other government officials, I visited two refugee camps – many of you have done that, many of my colleagues have done that. Those two camps I went to in Darfur were Kalma Camp and I stayed overnight at another called Mukjar in western Darfur. That experience profoundly motivated me to do more to end the mass violence. When our helicopter landed at the remote Mukjar camp, thousands, and I mean thousand, a line was formed of these wonderful people: women and children dancing, clapping, singing beautiful African traditional songs. The people of Darfur have a remarkable generosity and spirit, and it was awe-inspiring.

    Just about everyone I spoke with, especially the women, told me personal stories of rape, senseless beatings, and massacres by the Janjaweed and Sudanese militias. I was deeply impressed by the dedication of the African Union peacekeepers operating under extremely difficult circumstances and urged international partners, including the United States, to better equip them. I was shocked to learn they were receiving a little over $1 a day. It was absurd.

    I went to Secretary Condoleezza Rice upon my return and said, “Please, we’ve got to augment that. We’ve got to increase it. These soldiers are putting their lives on the line. They should not be so grossly underpaid an not getting the kind of things that they need in terms of munitions.”

    In November of 2005, I chaired another hearing on Sudan. It was absolutely clear that the situation in Darfur was a genocide. At that time, over 400,000 killed and over a million displaced. We did stress at that hearing, all of us, that the need for a comprehensive plan that could best contribute to peace and hold those who have murdered, raped, enslaved, and plagued the people of Sudan accountable.

    Meanwhile, Chairman Henry Hyde, Donald Payne, who was my ranking member from New Jersey, Frank Wolf, Tom Lantos, and a number of others pushed the Darfur Peace and Accountability Act that declared that the slaughter in Darfur was genocide, imposed sanctions on malign actors and talked about helping peacekeepers. It was signed into law in October 2006. That law built upon the Sudan Peace Act of 2001 and the Comprehensive Peace in Sudan Act of 2004.

    I also, and I wasn’t the only one, called on the Arab League to leverage its influence over the Sudanese government by encouraging the government to end its military offensive in Darfur and accept the United Nations peacekeeping which was there under the auspices of the AU. They didn’t do it. It was like crickets. We got almost no response at all other than “thank you for raising it.” So here we are again.

    In January 2017, again on this committee, I objected to the Obama administration’s decision to ease sanctions on Sudan. I know it had to have been a tough call. We’re always evaluating when sanctions become counterproductive, so there was an argument to be made. But I thought it was the wrong one because Khartoum’s government continued to commit pervasive human rights violations. At the time, we pointed out the violent government actions against Sudanese citizens in Darfur, Nubia the Nuba Mountains, and Blue Nile, alongside the nationwide persecution of Christians nationwide.

    I was also disappointed in 2024 by the decision to allow Sudanese warlord Abdel Fattah al-Burhan into the country for a meeting with the UN Secretary-General. Burhan, as we all know, has massive amounts of blood on his hands and should never have been allowed into the U.S.

    Yet the Biden administration delayed and denied robust sanctions against both Burhan and Hemedti, delaying until the administration’s final hours. While we were glad they finally did it, many of us believe it should have happened sooner. There will never be peace in Sudan until there is accountability for the atrocities committed by the twin butchers of Darfur.

    Over 18,000 civilian deaths have been committed since 2023, with estimates as high as 150,000, and more than 10 million people displaced. These are not just numerical estimates; it’s evidence of an appalling range of harrowing human rights violations and international crimes. Each murder or displaced civilian is a person with dreams, hopes, and family – a person whose life has been taken or irrevocably changed by these attrocities.

    Both the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) are guilty of arbitrary killings, detentions, abductions, rapes—including the rape of children—repression of fundamental human rights, illicit gold mining, and child soldier recruitment.

    Illicit Sudanese gold, which the RSF smuggles through the UAE, is crucial to prevending the continued funding Hemedti’s atrocities and perpetuating this bloody conflict. The RSF’s main international backer is widely reported to be the UAE, which has supplied both weapons and financial support. Other external actors, such as Chad, have been credibly accused of enabling arms transfers and have been implicated in supporting the RSF.

    Domestically, the RSF has allied with non-RSF Janjaweed militias. It is clear that the RSF is grappling with command and control, however, allowing its fighters to rape, pillage, target vulnerable women and children, and to attack civilian infrastructure. This is the opposite of capable government, and such behavior only confirms this to the Sudanese people.

    The SAF has received support from domestic groups including the Al-Bara Battalion—known as the Popular Resistance—which openly espouses a militant Islamist ideology, as well as former rebel groups such as the Sudan Liberation Movement under Minni Minawi and Mustafa Tambour. Externally, the SAF has received support from countries like Egypt, Iran, Qatar, and Turkey. Russia continues to pursue naval access to Port Sudan.

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Lummis Speaks on Senate Floor to Honor Yaron & Sarah – Jewish Couple Murdered Outside DC Jewish Museum

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Wyoming Cynthia Lummis

    Washington, D.C.— Senator Cynthia Lummis (R-WY) this morning spoke on the Senate floor honoring Yaron Lischinsky and Sarah Milgrim, a young Jewish couple gunned down last night by a terrorist outside the Capital Jewish Museum in Washington, D.C. After reportedly murdering the young couple, the perpetrator yelled “Free Palestine.”

    Senator Lummis’ remarks on the Senate Floor are below: 

    “I want to take a moment to remember Sarah Lynn Milgrim and Yaron Lischinsky, who were tragically, senselessly, murdered last night at the Capital Jewish Museum. May their memory be a blessing for their families, their friends, and their community – and their faith. 

    “Let me be very clear: antisemitism, and this kind of hate fueled violence, have no place in our country, no place in the world, and I encourage you all to join me in keeping these families in your prayers in the coming weeks. 

    “I’m proud to stand in support of Israel during this time.”

    Watch and listen to Senator Lummis’ floor speech here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Lummis Speaks on Senate Floor to Honor Yaron & Sarah – Jewish Couple Murdered Outside DC Jewish Museum

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Wyoming Cynthia Lummis

    Washington, D.C.— Senator Cynthia Lummis (R-WY) this morning spoke on the Senate floor honoring Yaron Lischinsky and Sarah Milgrim, a young Jewish couple gunned down last night by a terrorist outside the Capital Jewish Museum in Washington, D.C. After reportedly murdering the young couple, the perpetrator yelled “Free Palestine.”

    Senator Lummis’ remarks on the Senate Floor are below: 

    “I want to take a moment to remember Sarah Lynn Milgrim and Yaron Lischinsky, who were tragically, senselessly, murdered last night at the Capital Jewish Museum. May their memory be a blessing for their families, their friends, and their community – and their faith. 

    “Let me be very clear: antisemitism, and this kind of hate fueled violence, have no place in our country, no place in the world, and I encourage you all to join me in keeping these families in your prayers in the coming weeks. 

    “I’m proud to stand in support of Israel during this time.”

    Watch and listen to Senator Lummis’ floor speech here.

    MIL OSI USA News –