Category: Military Intelligence

  • MIL-OSI USA: Shaheen: Trump’s First 100 Days Marred by Chaos, High Costs and Global Retreat

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for New Hampshire Jeanne Shaheen
    (Washington, DC) – U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) released the following statement marking President Trump’s first 100 days in office:  
    “On the campaign trail, Donald Trump promised to ‘immediately’ bring prices down, starting on day one. One hundred days in, it is painfully obvious—to the Granite Staters I serve, to working families across this country, to manufacturers and small businesses getting crushed by sweeping tariffs, to organizations that facilitate life-changing programs that our communities rely on—that President Trump has done the exact opposite. The President choosing to raise prices on everyday Americans is bad enough, but it’s much more insidious that it’s part of a larger strategy to give the wealthiest among us tax breaks that shortchange our hardworking friends, loved ones and neighbors. And the fact that President Trump is pairing those tax giveaways to the wealthiest while planning sweeping cuts to Medicaid that working families rely on is unconscionable. 
    “The President’s sweeping, indiscriminate tariffs that are driving costs through the roof also have dire national security and defense consequences. The reckless tariffs targeting our trading partners are driving our allies right into China’s arms – and with the integration of our defense supply chains, American manufacturing companies that supply the Pentagon and bolster our military readiness are facing higher prices and uncertainty. It follows an alarming trend of this administration putting America last on the global stage – because when we retreat, our adversaries step up to fill the void. 
    “On many occasions President Trump also promised to bring Russia’s war in Ukraine to an end within ‘24 hours’ of assuming office. One hundred days later, he has not come close. Instead, he’s parroted Putin’s talking points and given away key leverage in negotiations that leaves Ukraine hanging in the balance. The President appears to be much more interested in meaninglessly changing the name of the Gulf of Mexico and flirting with purchasing Greenland than he is in strengthening America’s leadership and influence. He’s opted instead to dismantle our diplomatic infrastructure, treat our allies like our adversaries and undo decades of progress, which has made America less safe, less secure and less prosperous. 
    “Simply put, President Trump’s first 100 days in office have been marred by chaos, incompetence, high costs and global retreat. From Elon Musk—the richest man in the world—slashing programs and jobs he doesn’t know the first thing about, to the Secretary of Defense disclosing sensitive operations on military strikes, to the administration flagrantly ignoring court orders and flouting the rule of law, the American people deserve better than an individual who creates and encourages crises at the expense of our country’s wellbeing. 
    “I remain ready to work with anyone – including my Republican colleagues – to help make meaningful progress on the number of pressing challenges facing New Hampshire, America and the world. Here’s hoping the President soon joins us.” 

    MIL OSI USA News

  • MIL-OSI USA: After Years of Persistent Advocacy and Work to Secure New Fighter Mission, Senator Peters Welcomes Announcement to Base 21 F-15EX Fighters at Selfridge Air National Guard Base

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Michigan Gary Peters
    WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Senator Gary Peters (MI) released the following statement after President Trump announced that Selfridge Air National Guard will receive a new fighter mission. At an event in Macomb County, the President confirmed that Selfridge would receive 21 F-15EXs – a next-generation fighter aircraft. This announcement follows years of advocacy and efforts by Peters to secure a new fighter mission for Selfridge and protect the future of the base. Peters, who served in the U.S. Navy Reserve and rose to the rank of Lieutenant Commander, drilled at Selfridge for more than a decade. 
    “After years of persistent work and advocacy, and as someone who had the privilege to drill alongside the dedicated men and women who serve at Selfridge, I am thrilled to welcome this exciting announcement. I have long said that Selfridge Air National Guard Base is a top-tier asset to our nation’s military and the ideal location for an advanced fighter mission. Selfridge is located close to the world-class training venues we have in Northern Michigan and home to highly skilled pilots, crews, and maintainers. Selfridge has the capabilities and the generational expertise needed to keep our military ready and our nation safe. 
    “I have repeatedly fought and secured investments to prepare for bringing F-15EX fighters to Selfridge, and this decision is going to help ensure the base, Macomb County, and our entire state remain central to U.S. defense strategy and operations for decades to come. Michigan has always stepped up when our country needed us, and as we stare down an increasingly dangerous world with escalating military aggression from our adversaries, Selfridge is the best choice to base these new, next-generation aircraft. I look forward to continue working with our delegation and the Administration to bring these fighters home.” 
    Selfridge supports approximately 5,000 military and civilian jobs and generates an estimated $850 million in economic impact statewide. Selfridge also supports an estimated 30,000 jobs in Michigan. 
    Peters has made securing a future fighter mission and strengthening the future of Selfridge Air National Guard Base a top priority. In 2021, Peters held up the confirmation of former-U.S. Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall, as well as nine other Department of Defense (DOD) nominees being considered by the Senate, in response to the Air Force’s decision to pass over Selfridge for its planned international F-35 training center. Peters ended his hold on the nominees after receiving strong, written commitmentsfrom the Air Force that Selfridge will continue to play a “critical and ongoing role for our national security.”  
    Peters has led the Michigan delegation in meeting with and urging top Defense Department officials to replace Selfridge’s A-10 mission with a new, long-term fighter mission. Peters has also hosted numerous DOD and Department of Homeland Security (DHS) officials at Michigan’s military installations, including Selfridge, to showcase the base and our state’s robust defense capabilities. Peters secured language in the most recent national defense bill encouraging the Air Force to plan for replacement of the 25 Air National Guard fighter aircraft squadrons across the country with advanced fighter aircraft – including the A-10 squadron based at Selfridge Air National Guard Base. Peters has also leveraged his position on the Senate Appropriations Committee to push for the funding needed to procure additional F-15EX fighter jets in the Fiscal Year 2025 Defense Appropriations Act, which passed committee in August 2024. In 2023, Peters urged the U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee to include funding for a F-15EX Fighter Mission at Selfridge Air National Guard Base.  
    To ensure Selfridge was equipped to house a future fighter mission, Peters secured $28 million in federal funding for a new aircraft hangar on the base. The new 41,900 square-foot facility will transform two hangars into a new hangar equipped for fighter maintenance and help to better position the base to be selected for a new, long-term fighter mission.  
    As a member of the Armed Services Committee, Peters has consistently made the case for Selfridge to host a new fighter mission, stressing how a new mission is not only essential to the ongoing sustainability of Selfridge, but also a cost-effective opportunity for the Air Force and critical for America’s defense strategy. During numerous Armed Services Committee hearings, Peters pushed former-U.S. Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall and other top DOD officials to deliver a new fighter mission to the base, including most recently President Trump’s current nominee to serve as Air Force Secretary, Troy Meink. 
    In addition to securing a new fighter mission, in January 2024, Peters announced that the U.S. Air Force selected Selfridge Air National Guard Base in Macomb County to host a new squadron of twelve KC-46A refueling tankers. This announcement came shortly after Peters led a bipartisan, bicameral group of Michigan delegation members in urging then-U.S. Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall to select Selfridge for a new squadron of these next-generation tankers, which will be deployed by the U.S. Air Force for the next 50 years. Earlier this year, Peters introduced bipartisan legislation seeking to preserve the U.S. Air Force’s fighter force structure and support the recapitalization of Air National Guard fighter missions, including at Selfridge. In March, he also led a bipartisan, bicameral resolution to honor the 108th anniversary of Selfridge Air National Guard Base and commemorate the thousands of men and women who have worked and trained and Selfridge since its inception.   
    To further strengthen Selfridge’s role in U.S. national and homeland security efforts, Peters established the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Northern Border Mission Center at the base last year. Peters also secured $3 million in March 2024 to operate this Center at Selfridge, where it is collocated with current DHS components. The Center, which DHS is already working to set up, will coordinate with state, local, and Tribal governments, and other key stakeholders, to ensure DHS and its operational components are able to fulfill their security mission at the Northern Border.     
    Peters has also been pushing to position Selfridge for additional investments that will keep the base at the forefront of national security efforts for years to come. In recent government funding legislation that was signed into law, Peters secured language authorizing a report that will clarify the basing criteria for Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) and evaluate whether existing Air National Guard units, such as Selfridge, are appropriate basing candidates for CCA. These types of unmanned aircraft are the future of warfare, and this report will help Selfridge better position itself as an installation that has significant long-term value for the Air Force. 

    MIL OSI USA News

  • MIL-OSI Security: Statement Of U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton On The Verdict In U.S. V. Omnicare And CVS Health Corporation

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    False claims in the healthcare industry cost every American.  Today, a unanimous jury found Omnicare, the country’s largest long-term care pharmacy, liable for fraudulently dispensing drugs without valid prescriptions to elderly and disabled people in assisted living facilities and other residential long-term care facilities.  After a four-week trial, the jury found that Omnicare billed Medicare, Medicaid, and TRICARE for over three million false claims resulting in $135,592,814 in damages.  Under the federal False Claims Act, the Government is entitled to three times the amount of these assessed damages, or $406,778,442, plus statutory penalties to be determined by the Court.  This is one of the largest damages verdicts rendered by a jury in a False Claims Act case.  The jury also found CVS Health Corporation, Omnicare’s parent, liable for causing Omnicare to submit false claims.  I thank the women and men of our Civil Division for continuing to pursue those who seek to exploit the healthcare system.  I also thank the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the Department of Defense for their support and assistance throughout this case.

    MIL Security OSI

  • MIL-OSI USA: Congressman Jake Ellzey Presents Military Medals to Local Veteran Terry Everest

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Jake Ellzey (Texas, 6)

    Waxahachie, TX – On Thursday, May 24th, during a visit to Palestine, Congressman Jake Ellzey proudly presented long-overdue military medals to Mr. Terry Everest, a Vietnam-era Army veteran and resident of Rusk, Texas.

    Mr. Everest served in the United States Army from 1969 to 1972, including participating in campaigns during the Vietnam War. After nearly five decades, he reached out for assistance to ensure his service was fully recognized. Congressman Ellzey’s office worked alongside the appropriate agencies to secure the medals Mr. Everest rightfully earned, including his Vietnam Service Medal.

    “It was an honor to stand with Mr. Everest and present him with the medals that reflect his dedication, sacrifice, and service to our country,” said Congressman Ellzey. “Our veterans have given so much for our freedoms, and it’s our duty to ensure they receive the recognition they deserve — no matter how much time has passed.”

    In addition to his military service, Mr. Everest continues to serve his community in Cherokee County. He founded “As You Were,” a veterans’ organization that provides support, camaraderie, and resources to local veterans. His commitment to service, both in uniform and beyond, is a testament to the spirit of our nation’s veterans.

    MIL OSI USA News

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Statement on air strike against Houthi military facility in Yemen: 29 April 2025

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    News story

    Statement on air strike against Houthi military facility in Yemen: 29 April 2025

    Royal Air Force participates in operation targeting a Houthi military facility in Yemen.

    On 29 April 2025, UK forces participated in a joint operation with US forces against a Houthi military target in Yemen.  This action was in line with long-standing policy of the UK government, following the Houthis initiating their campaign of attacks in November 2023, threatening freedom of navigation in the Red Sea, striking international ships, and killing innocent merchant mariners.

    Careful intelligence analysis identified a cluster of buildings, used by the Houthis to manufacture drones of the type used to attack ships in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, located some fifteen miles south of Sanaa.

    Royal Air Force Typhoon FGR4s, with air refuelling support from Voyager tankers, therefore engaged a number of these buildings using Paveway IV precision guided bombs, once very careful planning had been completed to allow the targets to be prosecuted with minimal risk to civilians or non-military infrastructure.  As a further precaution, the strike was conducted after dark, when the likelihood of any civilians being in the area was reduced yet further. All of our aircraft subsequently returned safely.

    Updates to this page

    Published 30 April 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Families to get more choice over home upgrades

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    Press release

    Families to get more choice over home upgrades

    Proposals to give families greater choice when upgrading their home’s heating as well as plans to create up to 18,000 training places for green jobs

    • Working families to get greater choice on upgrades to their home’s heating including new products, such as air-to-air heat pumps and heat batteries, as well as offering new heat pump purchase options.  

    • Plan to build a ‘clean power army’ receives a boost, with up to 18,000 professionals to be trained to retrofit homes, and install heat pumps, insulation, solar panels and heat networks.   

    • Comes as government invests £4.6 million in Copeland to manufacture more heat pump parts at home in the UK, supporting local jobs and boosting economic growth as part of the Plan for Change.

    Homeowners are set to have more choice over ways to access heating systems and bring down costs under proposals being considered as part of the Warm Homes Plan – helping to deliver on the government’s milestone of higher living standards as part of the Plan for Change. 

    Demand for heat pumps is surging, with the Boiler Upgrade Scheme – which offers up to £7,500 off the cost, enjoying its best month since opening, with 4,028 applications received in March 2025, up 88 per cent on the same month last year. Heat pumps can save families around £100 on their average energy bills when used with a smart tariff. 

    With more households wanting to make the upgrade to cleaner, homegrown energy, the government has today launched a new consultation on expanding the Boiler Upgrade Scheme to give families even greater choice to pick what works best for them. 

    Changes to the scheme could see families potentially access air-to-air heat pumps and electric heating technologies such as heat batteries, which are currently not eligible for grants under the scheme, alongside new purchase and ownership models which could spread the cost of a heat pump over several years, or give households the opportunity to lease one for a monthly fee instead. 

    As part of the government’s Plan for Change, even more households will be able to take up the offer of switching to low-carbon heating, while protecting the pounds in people’s pockets by making more options available. 

    The government has also set out plans to bolster the ‘clean power army’, training up to 18,000 more home retrofitters, to install heat pumps, insulation, solar panels and heat networks, alongside a major new deal to support the UK’s heat pump supply chain.   

    Minister for Energy Consumers Miatta Fahnbulleh said:  

    Our Warm Homes Plan will mean lower bills and warmer homes for millions of families – helping drive better living standards as part of the Plan for Change.   

    Following a record-breaking month for applications to our Boiler Upgrade Scheme, we are now proposing to give working families more choice and flexibility to pick the low-carbon upgrades that work best for them. 

    And on top of this, we are investing over £4 million in Copeland to continue building a homegrown heat pump industry and training up the army of skilled workers we need to achieve this.

    Copeland in Northern Ireland have been awarded £4.6 million to expand their manufacturing for heating compression technology – a key component of heat pumps, which can help protect family finances from the roller coaster of international gas markets by running on clean electricity. 

    This investment, backed by a multi-million pound investment from Copeland, will help to support the industries and jobs of the future, while unlocking economic growth, as part of the Prime Minister’s Plan for Change.  

    Ministers have also unveiled plans to train up to 18,000 skilled workers to install heat pumps, fit solar panels, install insulation and work on heat networks through the extension of the Heat Training Grant and launch of the Warm Homes Skills Programme.

    With three days to go until the government’s consultation on introducing higher minimum energy efficiency standards in private rented sector homes closes, ministers have issued a final call for tenants and landlords to make their views heard.  

    Under the proposals, all private landlords would be required to meet a higher standard of Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) C or equivalent in their properties – up from the current level of EPC E, by 2030.  

    This will deliver on the priorities of working people, in line with the Prime Minister’s Plan for Change, by requiring landlords to invest in measures such as loft insulation, cavity wall insulation or double glazing – ensuring homes are warmer and more affordable for tenants. Alongside higher standards & funding in the social rented sector, this could lift up to one million households out of fuel poverty by 2030. 

    Stakeholder reaction: 

    Charlotte Lee, CEO at the Heat Pump Association said: 

    Following a record year for UK heat pump sales in 2024, we warmly welcome today’s announcements which will continue to support growth in the sector and increased deployment of clean heating. 

    The additional funding to support those wishing to become qualified to install heat pumps and heat networks is especially welcome, alongside proposals to expand the Boiler Upgrade Scheme to make clean heating solutions an accessible option for more consumers.

    Jambu Palaniappan, CEO at Checkatrade said: 

    We fully support this latest Government investment in skills and training, and greater choice for homeowners.  

    At Checkatrade, we’ve seen the growing importance of green energy to consumers, and with our new Green Hub are more easily connecting them with skilled tradespeople to make their homes more energy-efficient.  

    The new funding is a key step towards empowering more people to enter the trade and a boost for the economy, helping to build long-term, sustainable careers for thousands across the UK.

    Verity Davidge, Director of Policy and Public Affairs at Make UK said: 

    As we continue to transition to a low-carbon economy it is critical we have the people and skills needed to make it happen.

    Today’s announcement is a positive step towards ensuring the workforce is equipped with these skills. Many of those trained will develop the transferable skills needed to support industry in its own quest to transition to net zero.

    Ned Hammond, Deputy Director (Customers) at Energy UK, said:

    Expanding the Boiler Upgrade Scheme and giving families greater choice in the types of low-carbon heating systems available to them is a really positive move. More flexibility in the way customers can pay for these technologies will also help make efficient and smart heating systems, such as heat pumps, heat batteries and heat networks, available to even more customers who are struggling with high energy bills and looking for an alternative to costly gas boilers. 

    The recent surge in demand for the Boiler Upgrade Scheme following the Government’s funding uplift is a clear signal of consumer appetite and what can be done with the right support in place – and it’s vital this level of investment continues.

    Underpinning this is the need for a skilled and dedicated installer supply chain, so it’s fantastic to see Government extending its support for skills and training as part of today’s announcement.

    The Government’s figures show that 71% of installers benefitting from the Heat Training Grant said it made all the difference in their decision to upskill into heat pump systems. Extending the subsidy out to 2030 would help further with bringing in the thousands of new entrants we need into the heat pump and heat networks sectors.

    Chris O’Shea, CEO of Centrica, said:

    As the UK’s largest installer of low carbon heating technologies, we are delighted with the Government’s proposals to expand the Boiler Upgrade Scheme to offer customers more choice on how to decarbonise their homes through greater financing, ownership and technology options.

    We can’t wait to add more to our Clean Power Army, the largest in the UK, using our award-winning academies and British Gas engineers to train installers across the UK.

    Garry Felgate, Chief Executive of The MCS Foundation, said: 

    Consumer confidence in low-carbon technologies is growing, with more households installing heat pumps across the UK than ever before. Today’s announcements will help to accelerate that trend, by ensuring more people can access heat pump grants and supporting the growth of the heat pump workforce.

    These steps are very welcome news, enabling lower bills, lower carbon emissions, and sustainable jobs.

    Sando Matic, Europe President for Copeland, said:

    This investment marks a pivotal step in advancing clean energy solutions and driving economic growth.

    By expanding our manufacturing capabilities for heating solutions here in Northern Ireland, Copeland is proud to play a key role in helping to reduce reliance on fossil fuels and supporting the energy transition to more sustainable, electricity-powered heating.

    Notes to Editors:  

    • Options being considered to help spread the installation cost of a heat pump include:   

    • Hire purchase, giving households the option to pay for a heat pump in instalments, meaning they would own the equipment at the end of their contract.  

    • Hire purchase plus, combining paying for a heat pump in instalments with a separate contract for an energy tariff, allowing providers to simplify costs into a single monthly payment.   

    • Leasing, offering households the option to lease a heat pump for a set amount of time, like leasing a car. At the end of the contract, households would either enter into another agreement to continue leasing the heat pump, or would replace it.  

    • Further information on the Heat Pump Investment Accelerator award to Copeland can be found here: Heat Pump Investment Accelerator Competition successful projects.  

    • The Warm Homes Skills Programme will deliver up to 9,000 training places across England, providing opportunities for people to develop skills in areas including fitting solar panels and installing insulation. More details can be found here: Warm Home Skills Programme

    • An extra £5 million will be provided to continue the Heat Training Grant until March 2026, supporting a further 5,500 heat pump installers and 3,500 heat network professionals. The Grant has already trained over 10,650 individuals up to the end of March 2025. More details can be found here: Apply for the Heat Training Grant: discounted heat pump training

    • More details on the Heat Training Grant: Heat Network training can be found here: Training providers: apply to offer the Heat Training Grant for heat networks 

    • The government’s consultation on minimum energy efficiency standards for private rented sector homes can be found here: Improving the energy performance of privately rented homes: consultation document

    Updates to this page

    Published 30 April 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom

  • MIL-OSI USA: Ernst, Gonzales Create Harsh Penalties for Deadly Fentanyl Dealers

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Joni Ernst (R-IA)
    Published: April 29, 2025
    Drug dealers behind lethal fentanyl will face life in prison or death penalty.
    WASHINGTON – On National Fentanyl Awareness Day, U.S. Senator Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) and Congressman Tony Gonzales (R-Texas) are increasing the criminal penalties to the strictest possible level for the drug dealers behind the fentanyl epidemic that is the leading cause of death for Americans 18-44 and contributed to around 87,000 overdose deaths.
    The Felony Murder for Deadly Fentanyl Distribution Act makes knowingly distributing fentanyl resulting in death a first-degree murder carrying a sentence of up to life in prison or even the death penalty.
    “I have seen firsthand how the scourge of fentanyl has inflicted incredible tragedy on communities across Iowa,” said Ernst. “I have worked for years to protect Americans and stop this deadly epidemic. Increasing the severity of the punishment for the drug dealers responsible for the deaths of too many Iowans is long overdue.”
    “I served 20 years in the military, I know what war looks like. Make no mistake, the current fentanyl crisis our country is experiencing is not random—it’s an intentional act of war against the American people. Drug cartels have taken advantage of loopholes at our borders to peddle illicit drugs into our country, meanwhile, our communities pay the price,” said Gonzales. “My bill sends a strong message to those who work with cartels and other bad actors—if you sell the drug and take an innocent life, justice will be delivered. Our law enforcement agencies are in overdrive combatting the drug epidemic in America, it’s time to take action and up the penalties for fentanyl dealers.”
    Click here to view the bill.
    Background:
    Earlier this year, the Senate passed an Ernst-supported bill to classify fentanyl-related substances as Schedule I, to enable law enforcement authorities to target fentanyl traffickers, no matter how much they chemically tweak their products to take advantage of a legal loophole.
    After visiting the southern border, Ernst worked to increase penalties on individuals who fuel the border crisis and fentanyl epidemic.
    Her bipartisan solution to address the fentanyl crisis was also included in the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2024.
    Last week, Ernst introduced the BE GONE Act to codify a key part of President Trump’s zero-tolerance border crackdown by requiring illegal immigrants convicted of sex crimes to be deported.

    MIL OSI USA News

  • MIL-OSI USA: Fischer Questions Michael Cadenazzi, Jr., Vice Admiral Scott Pappano at Senate Armed Services Committee Confirmation Hearing

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Nebraska Deb Fischer
    Today, U.S. Senator Deb Fischer (R-Neb.), a senior member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, questioned the nominees for Assistant Secretary of Defense for Industrial Base Policy, Michael Cadenazzi, Jr., and Principal Deputy Administrator National Nuclear Security Administration, Vice Admiral Scott Pappano, USN, at their confirmation hearing.
    During the hearing, Fischer asked VADM Pappano about ensuring that the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) weapons production remains on schedule. She emphasized the importance of modernized facilities capable of processing the materials necessary for nuclear weapons production.
    Fischer asked Mr. Cadenazzi about working with NNSA and the Department of Energy to grow our skilled manufacturing workforce and address broader industrial base concerns. She also asked about increasing munitions production and the Department of Defense’s National Defense Industrial Strategy.
    Click the image above to watch a video of Fischer’s questioning
    Click here to download audio
    Click here to download video
    Fischer Questions Nominees:Fischer: Thank you, Mr. Chairman, and thank you Ranking Member Reed. Thank you, gentlemen, for being here today and for your willingness to continue to serve this country. Admiral, thank you for coming in to visit. I appreciated you taking time in the conversation that we had. If confirmed, can you tell me how you will work to ensure that NNSA weapons production remains on schedule?
    VADM Pappano: Thank you, Senator. Yes, if confirmed, obviously, the production—shifting to production—is a key element for us to modernize the nuclear weapons stockpile right now. We’ve done a very good job of stockpile management in a science-based manner and kept up over the years. However, now, we have to transition that from the science-based stockpile management to actual production facilities and make sure we modernize the facilities, making sure that we don’t lose the science in the process and continue that going forward. I’ll look to do that by looking across at how we are modernizing our facilities right now and try to bring as much advanced manufacturing capabilities we can. As we look at the Manhattan Project era buildings that we’re dealing with: a lot of these facilities, how do we—as we modernize those—bring in modern technology so that we can be much more effective going forward in our production of nuclear weapons stockpile.
    Fischer: Thank you. We talked a little bit about NNSA’s 25-year Enterprise Blueprint, a roadmap to modernize the infrastructure there, and some of which, as you brought up in our discussion, dates back to the Manhattan Project. We won’t be able to produce the weapons that we need without the facilities needed to process materials like uranium, lithium, high explosives that go in those nuclear weapons. So, anything we can do as you look at that modernization process, please let us know.Fischer: Mr. Cadenazzi, both the Department of Defense and the NNSA have similar challenges with their industrial bases, and I believe that we have an opportunity now to address underlying issues in a way that strengthens both the nuclear industrial base and the defense industrial base. If confirmed, do you commit to working closely with NNSA and the Department of Energy on policies – like increasing our skilled manufacturing workforce – that would impact both of those industrial bases?
    Mr. Cadenazzi: Senator, appreciate the question and the significance of it, particularly in light of the workforce issues and access to materials that we’re facing across the industrial base. These are major challenges that both the NNSA and the broader defense industry face and are dealing with. And if confirmed, I’m thrilled to have the opportunity to speak to you about how and where the Industrial Base Policy office and I might be able to focus.
    Fischer: Great. What we’ve seen happen in the Ukraine war has shown us that militaries in modern conflicts, they expend munitions at a much faster pace than we ever expected before. And our stockpiles must be adjusted to account for this, and we must expend our munitions production capacity. We have to expand that. We’ve taken some steps to address it in recent years, and we have the opportunity to make those generational investments through the reconciliation process. In your opening statement, Sir, you said that production must be scaled now before conflict starts. I agree with that. If confirmed, what steps would you take to accomplish that goal?
    Mr. Cadenazzi: Appreciate the question again, Senator, the issue of munitions production is the top of the priority list, and something I’ve discussed with multiple Senators on this committee. I’m excited to work with the committee, if confirmed, on this topic. There are a couple of major things that I think will drive this. One is predictable and stable defense budget and program spend. So, the more we can stabilize that, the more industry will be able to align around it. A better understanding in industry of what the expectations for surge capacity are will make it clear what the potential opportunities are for them, and the level of capital required to increase facilities and workforce. That’s a major opportunity for the Department to articulate what would be a big, hairy, audacious goal in business school terms. And to go ahead and say, “we need a lot more capability from you, and we need to agree then on the investment required to meet that point.” We need to scale the workforce as well. There are many initiatives underway to improve workforce capabilities across the country. We need to grow those and take advantage of small businesses as well. If confirmed, these are all exciting opportunities for us to help address what is an obvious and well reported gap on this issue.
    Fischer: Are you familiar with the Department’s National Defense Industrial Strategy?
    Mr. Cadenazzi: I am, Senator, yes.
    Fischer: Do you have any concerns with that strategy or think that there are gaps there that still need to be addressed?
    Mr. Cadenazzi: Senator, I think the strategy is solid given the expectations of the previous administration and the goals they were looking to achieve. I’ve reviewed the external, open-source material for that and the associated implementation plan. If confirmed, I’m eager to work with the Industrial Base Policy office, the administration, and the committees to understand what changes we believe are necessary. I’m happy to work with you on that and to make sure that we tune that to meet the current needs of the moment, particularly in light of the changing requirements of the new administration.

    MIL OSI USA News

  • MIL-OSI USA: Warren Warns Walgreens Buyout by Private Equity May Lead to Pharmacy Closures, Lost Jobs in Massachusetts, Limit Access to Medication

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Massachusetts – Elizabeth Warren
    April 29, 2025
    Warren seeks assurances from Sycamore Partners that its heavily-leveraged, debt-fueled acquisition of Walgreens will not lead to layoffs, store closures
    After private equity looted Steward Health Care hospitals, Warren concerned that Walgreens could be next: “These private equity buyouts of companies facing financial hardship…frequently lead to worse outcomes for employees and consumers.”
    Text of Letter (PDF)
    Washington D.C. – U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Ranking Member of the Senate Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Committee, wrote to private equity firm Sycamore Partners (Sycamore) regarding concerns that the firm’s proposed acquisition of retail pharmacy chain Walgreens may cost hardworking Massachusetts residents their jobs and create difficulties for patients who need access to lifesaving medications. 
    Sycamore’s multi-billion-dollar takeover of Walgreens has been touted as an attempt to keep the struggling retail pharmacy chain alive. However, private equity buyouts have a record of running already-struggling companies into the ground and producing devastating consequences for workers and communities, as witnessed by private equity’s looting of Steward Health Care, which resulted in two shuttered hospitals in Massachusetts. 
    “My primary concern is that Sycamore’s acquisition of Walgreens may lead to restructuring of the company that results in layoffs and pharmacy closures in the Commonwealth,” said Senator Warren. 
    Walgreens has already announced plans to close nine locations across Massachusetts, in addition to the six stores closed in the state within the past year. Many of the shuttered Walgreens stores are located in vulnerable communities, leaving thousands of residents without reliable pharmacy access. 
    Sycamore has a troubling history of leading the companies it acquires into bankruptcy, further harming already-struggling communities. 
    “These private equity buyouts…frequently lead to worse outcomes for employees and consumers: private equity firms sell off assets and close locations, employees lose their jobs, and consumers lose access to essential goods and services,” wrote Senator Warren.
    A review by the Private Equity Stakeholder Project (PESP) revealed that the Walgreens buyout will be heavily leveraged with debt, heightening the risk of bankruptcy and threatening the availability of critical services to customers and patients.
    “These are deeply troubling conclusions, suggesting that yet another private equity firm might leverage a failing health care chain to turn a profit at the expense of Massachusetts’ patients, providers, and taxpayers,” wrote Senator Warren.
    Millions of customers across the United States rely on Walgreens for primary care, essential medications, and household items, and if the Walgreens-Sycamore deal leads to even more store closures, customers could be left in “pharmacy deserts” without access to necessities.  
    “I seek assurances that Sycamore’s buyout of Walgreens will not damage the company further, and will not cost hardworking Americans their jobs or create difficulties for patients who need access to lifesaving medications,” concluded Senator Warren.
    Senator Warren requested a response identifying the impact Sycamore’s acquisition of Walgreens will have on workers and communities by May 13, 2025.
    Senator Warren has repeatedly called out the harms of private equity ownership on health care costs and quality of care and has fought to prevent companies from taking advantage of the bankruptcy system:
    In February 2025, Senator Warren questioned private equity executive Stephen Feinberg, President of Cerberus Capital Management and nominee for Deputy Secretary of Defense, on his actions to enrich himself and his investors at the expense of Steward Health Care patients and workers.
    In October 2024, Senator Warren led colleagues in reintroducing the Stop Wall Street Looting Act, comprehensive legislation to fundamentally reform the private equity industry and level the playing field by forcing private investment firms to take responsibility for the outcomes of companies they take over, empowering workers and protecting investors. This reintroduction comes after private equity firm Cerberus looted Steward Health Care, leaving hospitals, patients, and workers hanging out to dry.
    In September 2024, Senators Warren and Markey (D-Mass.), alongside Representatives Auchincloss and Lynch, sent a letter to RHG raising concerns over its proposed acquisition of Steward Health Care’s physician group, Stewardship Health.
    In September 2024, Senator Warren urged the IRS to crack down on Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs) squeezing the health care industry.
    In August 2024, Senators Warren and Markey requested information from private equity firm Apollo Global Management (Apollo) on the company’s role in Steward’s bankruptcy, and urged Apollo to work in good faith to facilitate the sale of Steward’s Massachusetts hospitals. 
    In July 2024, Senators Warren and Markey wrote to Medical Properties Trust and Macquarie Infrastructure Partners, owners of Steward’s eight Massachusetts hospitals, urging them to offer lease concessions to keep the hospitals open and viable.
    In June 2024, Senator Warren, Representative Chu, and Representative Nadler urged CMS to increase oversight of artificial intelligence (AI) and algorithmic software tools used to guide coverage decisions in Medicare Advantage (MA) plans, citing the NaviHealth scandal as cause for concern. 
    In June 2024, Senators Warren and Markey introduced the Corporate Crimes Against Health Care Act of 2024 to root out corporate greed and private equity abuse in the health care system, specifically preventing what happened with Steward from happening again. 
    In June 2024, Senator Warren wrote to the DOJ, FTC, and HHS calling out high health care costs due to vertically-integrated insurers, private equity companies, and pharmaceutical companies that are driving health care consolidation.
    In June 2024, Senators Warren, Brown (D-Ohio), and Markey wrote to the Director of the U.S. Trustee Program (USTP), calling for USTP to move to appoint a Chapter 11 trustee to run the company in place of Steward’s current management, and to monitor the hospitals’ bankruptcy proceedings to protect patients and local communities. 
    In May 2024, Senator Warren sent a letter to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, urging them to support communities and health care providers affected by the crisis caused by Steward’s financial mismanagement.
    In April 2024, Senators Warren and Senator Markey (D-Mass.) sent a letter to six private credit funds that are holders of Steward’s debt, asking them a series of questions about their loans and calling on them to offer loan modifications that could potentially help keep the hospitals afloat.
    In April 2024, Senators Warren and Markey called out Medical Properties Trust and Macquarie Infrastructure Partners for exploiting Steward Hospitals, and urged them to help keep the hospitals open. 
    In April 2024, Senators Warren, Markey, and the rest of the MA delegation urged the FTC and DOJ to closely scrutinize UnitedHealth Group’s proposed acquisition of Steward Health Care’s physician group, Stewardship Health.
    In April 2024, Senator Warren delivered remarks at a Senate hearing in Boston titled, “When Health Care Becomes Wealth Care: How Corporate Greed Puts Patient Care and Health Workers at Risk,” which centered on Steward Health Care’s Massachusetts hospitals.
    In April 2024, Senators Warren and Ed Markey (D-Mass.) called out private equity firm Cerberus Capital Management (Cerberus) for its role in creating Steward Health Care’s financial challenges, following Cerberus’s reply to the Massachusetts congressional delegation’s February 2024 probe. 
    In February 2024, Senator Warren slammed UnitedHealth Group for leveraging NaviHealth’s unregulated artificial intelligence algorithm to unlawfully deny health care to seniors with severe injuries.
    In March 2024, Senator Warren released a statement about Steward’s plan to sell its physician group Stewardship Health to UnitedHealth Group’s subsidiary Optum.
    In March 2024, Senators Warren and Markey sent a letter  to Steward CEO and Chairman Dr. Ralph de la Torre, calling on him to testify at a congressional hearing in Boston.
    In March 2024, Senators Warren and Markey sent a letter to Dr. de la Torre, blasting him for years of financial mismanagement, private equity schemes, and executive profiteering that have led to Steward Health Care’s financial crisis.
    In February 2024, Senators Warren and Markey, along with all nine members of the Massachusetts congressional delegation, sent a letter to Cerberus seeking answers from the private equity firm for its role in creating the current financial challenges at Steward hospitals.
    In January 2024, Senator Warren released a statement about Steward’s financial situation and allegations of patient neglect at Steward facilities.
    In January 2024, Senator Warren led the Massachusetts congressional delegation in a letter to the CEO of Steward Health Care pressing the company to brief them on Steward’s financial position, the status of their Massachusetts facilities, and their plans to ensure the communities they serve are not abandoned. 

    MIL OSI USA News

  • MIL-OSI USA: 100 Days, 100 Stories

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Mike Johnson (LA-04)

    WASHINGTON — Today, Speaker Johnson released a list of 100 American citizens who have felt the benefits from President Trump’s historic first 100 days in office. Speaker Johnson highlighted citizens who were unjustly detained abroad, business owners who will benefit from new apprenticeship opportunities, and families devastated by previous open borders policies, among many others. 

    Click here to read the full list

    “President Donald J. Trump entered the White House with the most decisive mandate in modern history. In just 100 days, he’s done more for America than Joe Biden managed in four years,” Speaker Johnson said. “The American people can feel the tangible impact of President Trump’s swift and decisive action. From coast to coast, North to South, the American First agenda is helping Americans from across our great country.

    “Republicans in Congress are proud to stand with the President as he secures our border, restores accountability in government, fights for common sense, and defends the liberty and prosperity of generations of Americans to come,” Speaker Johnson continued. “Today, as we mark 100 historic days, we celebrate the many ways President Trump has delivered for the American people.”

    Since his inauguration on January 20th, President Trump has taken bold action to secure the border, drive down inflation, restore American strength on the world stage, clean up our communities, secure trillions of dollars in new investments and jobs, and return common sense to Washington. These 100 American stories illustrate that.  

    Read 20 stories below, and the full list here.

    Alexis Nungaray, Angel Mother – Alexis Nungaray is the mother of Jocelyn Nungaray, a 12-year-old girl who was tragically murdered by illegal aliens in June of 2024. Jocelyn’s life was tragically cut short because of the Biden Administration’s failure to close our borders and protect American citizens from dangerous illegal aliens. On March 5, 2025, President Trump signed an executive order honoring her life by renaming Anahuac National Wildlife Refuge to Jocelyn Nungaray Wildlife Refuge in Anahuac, Texas. Since Jocelyn’s murder, her mother Alexis has been advocating alongside the Trump Administration and Senator Ted Cruz for stronger immigration laws.

    Marianna Montoya, Florida Resident – During President Trump’s first 100 days, Marianna was able to open up her very first Roth IRA and begin contributing on a monthly basis. President Trump’s work to reverse the devastating consequences of Bidenomics has given her hope that she and her husband will be able to retire peacefully.

    Frank Windsor, Rinnai America President – In late 2024, the Biden Administration issued a rule that effectively banned an entire niche of American manufacturing: non-condensing tankless water heaters. The rule specifically targeted Rinnai America Corporation, the only U.S. facility producing these water heaters. Thanks to President Trump’s leadership, the House passed a Congressional Review Act resolution to overturn the rule, keeping Rinnai’s doors open and protecting nearly 300 American jobs.

    Sarah Taylor, Iowa Parent – Sarah and her husband, Dan, both attended private Catholic elementary schools and knew they wanted the same faith-based education for their daughters, Hannah and Millie. Thanks to expanding educational freedom and school choice, the Taylors were empowered to choose the school that best fit their family’s values. For the Taylor family, school choice has meant more than access. It’s meant opportunity. Their story is one of many that show the power of giving parents the freedom to choose what’s best for their children.

    Kelly Wilson, Small Business Owner – Kelly Wilson’s family has owned and operated a small business in Colorado for 80 years, but after mass flows of illegal aliens began arriving in Denver under the Biden Administration, her family discussed moving to another state. In the face of budget cuts to Denver’s police force and sanctuary city policies that have failed Denver families, Kelly began speaking out for her community. Since day one, the Trump Administration has made cracking down on sanctuary cities and states a top priority. Today, communities like Kelly’s are safer, thanks to President Trump’s work to restore the rule of law.

    Jim Chilton, Rancher – The Chilton Ranch has been operated within the Chilton family for generations, a family legacy that Jim and Sue Chilton have preserved mere miles away from the Southern Border. However, under the Biden Administration, they were forced to shoulder the consequences of President Biden’s border crisis. During April of 2024 alone, the Chiltons experienced 5,640 immigrant encounters on their ranch. The last time they checked with the Border Patrol, in April of this year, there were zero crossers over the course of three weeks. Thanks to President Trump’s work to reverse the Biden administration’s radical open-border policies, the Chilton family’s beloved ranch and livelihood are no longer under threat.

    Ben Paulding, CPA – Ben hosts South Dakota’s first federally subsidized CPA Apprenticeship Program. After navigating months of red tape under the Biden Administration, he can finally onboard his first interns. Thankfully, President Trump has ended burdensome mandates on programs like Ben’s, enabling him to refocus his attention on merit-based, equal opportunity hiring without the DEI red tape.

    George Glezmann, Former Hostage – George Glezmann, a Georgia native and Delta Airlines mechanic, was arrested by the Taliban in 2022 during a planned tourist visit. Despite no formal charges being filed, Glezmann was held for over 2 years in an Afghanistan prison. On March 20, 2025, he was released as a gesture of “goodwill” by the Taliban following trilateral negotiations between Qatar, the U.S., and the Taliban. Upon returning to the U.S., he said, “I feel like I’m born again, I’m in debt to President Trump. Thank God he’s in the White House and thank God he got me out.”

    Michelle Root, Angel Mother – Michelle Root is the mother of Sarah Root, a 21-year-old Iowan who was killed by an illegal alien drunk driving in 2016. Instead of answering for his crimes, the illegal alien posted bail, was released from jail, and was never seen again. Fortunately, this criminal was found in Honduras and the Trump Administration worked with Honduran authorities to extradite him to the United States to face justice. President Trump also signed the Laken Riley Act, which included Sarah’s Law – introduced by Congressman Randy Feenstra from Iowa – to ensure that any illegal alien who harms or kills an American citizen is swiftly detained and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. The Root Family is grateful to President Trump and Congressman Feenstra for honoring their precious daughter’s memory.

    Marc Fogel, Schoolteacher/Former Hostage – Marc Fogel, an American schoolteacher, was wrongfully detained by Russian authorities in 2021 after being arrested on drug charges related to medical marijuana. Despite having a valid prescription in the U.S., he was sentenced to 14 years in a Russian prison. However, on February 11, 2025, Fogel was released and returned to the United States through a diplomatic deal negotiated by President Trump. He was warmly greeted by the President upon his arrival back to the United States and expressed his gratitude, saying, “I feel like the luckiest man alive.”

    Tony Campbell, East KY Power Cooperative CEO – Tony Campbell serves as the CEO and President of East Kentucky Power Cooperative. He and his colleagues have faced significant challenges under burdensome regulations that targeted the coal industry—an industry that has powered American homes and cities for generations. Through executive action, President Trump strengthened the reliability and affordability of American energy, safeguarded American jobs, and preserved critical coal plants, delivering on his promise to create jobs and uphold America’s energy independence.

    Joseph Knowles, Detroit Autoworker – Joseph Knowles is a Detroit autoworker for Stellantis who was laid off during the Biden Administration and later reinstated after President Trump’s election victory. After attending President Trump’s Joint Address to Congress, Knowles declared he had left the Democratic Party for good. “I got very good hope for the Republican Party,” Knowles said, “More and more people are seeing the true colors of the Democrats.”

    Lawrence Rosen, Cra-Z-Art Founder – Lawrence Rosen is the owner of Cra-Z-Art, the largest toy maker in the United States. Since Liberation Day, Lawrence has seen the benefits of President Trump’s tariffs firsthand on domestic manufacturing. Because of President Trump’s decisive action in the first 100 days, Rosen is expanding their domestic production by 50% and investing millions of dollars into factories across the country.

    Elliston Berry, Texas High School Student – Elliston Berry was only 14-years-old when one of her classmates took an innocent selfie of her and ran it through AI to make a deep-fake pornographic image, which was later circulated throughout her school. Her painful experience motivated her to become an advocate against deepfake pornography, with her efforts leading to legislative action by Senator Ted Cruz. The “Take it Down Act”, which First Lady Melania Trump has championed, protects victims, enhances protections for users, and introduces accountability for AI platforms passed the House in April.

    Kirk Davis, Bob Davis Electric CEO – Kirk Davis, owner of Bob Davis Electric, is one of many business leaders benefiting from President Trump’s action to tackle America’s workforce challenges. Thanks to the President’s Executive Order on apprenticeships, Kirk has been able to recruit, train, and retrain the skilled electricians needed to meet rising power demands and grow his business.

    Dakota Meyer, U.S. Marine – President Trump’s Department of Defense has championed a warrior culture in America’s armed forces that has generated massive results for military recruiting. In April, Secretary Hegseth announced the U.S. Army had surpassed its 2025 reenlistment goal six months early. Dakota Meyer, a Marine Corps veteran and Medal of Honor recipient, is just one of the many brave Americans who have reenlisted, deciding to reenter the Army after a 15-year hiatus. “I’m damn proud of the men and women who are standing in uniform,” said Meyer, “and I’m so proud I get to be one of them again.”

    Steven McCain, Sheriff – In Grant Parish, illegal aliens are using drones to drop off drugs and other paraphernalia at a large federal prison. It’s been a significant problem for the prison, but now that President Trump has returned to the White House, the situation has changed. Sheriff McCain has noticed a sharp increase in cooperation from ICE, the United States Attorney’s Office, and other local officials. Working together, law enforcement from all levels will be able to crack down on these drones.

    Brian Riley, CEO of Guardian Bikes – Citing his support for President Trump’s tariffs, Brian announced a $19 million investment to move Guardian’s bike production out of China and into Seymour, Indiana.

    Dino Mavrookas, CEO of Saronic – President Trump has called for the restoration of America’s maritime dominance, and Dino Mavrookas, CEO of the defense startup Saronic, has been a leader in answering this call. To help build the next-generation of autonomous vessels, Saronic acquired Gulf Craft, a Louisiana-based shipbuilder. By preserving Gulf Craft’s skilled workforce, creating hundreds of new, good-paying jobs, and investing over $2.5 billion to develop Port Alpha, Saronic is strengthening our economy, rebuilding America’s maritime strength, and supporting our national defense.

    Gary Hamrick, Senior Pastor – Senior Pastor Gary Hamrick became the target of anti-Christian bias when he and his church were charged by the IRS for so-called Johnson Amendment violations. Under President Trump, the Department of Justice has established a task force to eradicate anti-Christian bias in the federal government and safeguard the religious liberty of all Americans.

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News

  • MIL-OSI Video: Enhance Interoperability

    Source: United States Department of Defense (video statements)

    Members of the@UsAirforce 435th Contingency Response Group and Royal Canadian Air Force enhance interoperability during exercise Agile Bison 25-1 at Chièvres Air Base, Belgium.

    #airforce #military #usa

    For more on the Department of Defense, visit: http://www.defense.gov

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0m9tBOjcSno

    MIL OSI Video

  • MIL-OSI Video: 75th Rangers announced as the Army’s Best Sappers!

    Source: US Army (video statements)

    The winners are Team 27, Capt. James Mitchiner and 1st Lt. George Madden, from the 75th Ranger Regiment, Fort Benning, Ga! Huge congratulations to all the competitors. Over the past four days at Fort Leonard Wood you showed grit, determination, and heart, proving you are the Best of the Best.

    by : Spc. Tien Dat Ngo, Defense Media Activity Army Production; Fort Leonard Wood Public Affairs

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tc73azc_JtE

    MIL OSI Video

  • MIL-OSI USA: Cortez Masto Joins Senators Pressing Administration on How Mass CFPB Firings Will Hurt Working Nevadans

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Nevada Cortez Masto

    Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) joined 40 Democratic Senators in a letter to Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) Acting Director Russell Vought outlining more than 80 congressionally mandated functions of the CFPB and pressing for answers on how the agency would be able to protect hardworking Americans from scams and fraud after firing almost the entire staff.

    Senator Cortez Masto has been a longstanding champion for the CFPB and has consistently fought to protect Nevadans from fraud. Last year, she called out the Navy Federal Credit Union for its racial disparities in mortgage lending. Following a push from Cortez Masto, the CFPB created new consumer protections for homeowners who apply for Property Assessed Clean Energy loans to help them make energy-efficient upgrades to their homes. She has also introduced legislation to incentivize whistleblowers to report consumer fraud to the CFPB.

    “Last week, you tried to fire nearly all of the agency’s remaining 1,700 employees—the staff responsible for fulfilling the CFPB’s mission and statutory requirements to prevent Americans from getting scammed by big banks and giant corporations,” wrote the senators. “Your hasty and unjustified mass firings are an illegal shutdown of the CFPB that will leave it unable to conduct agency actions that are required by law.”

    “You directed the gutting of entire divisions—including departments created by Congress to protect servicemembers and older Americans—attempting to leave a shell of only 200 employees to supervise and examine large financial institutions across the country, respond to millions of consumer complaints, answer the phone for hundreds of thousands of people seeking help, monitor emergency financial risks, and run all of the agency’s other operations,” they continued.

    The Senators laid out in detail the impact the mass layoffs would have on specific functions of the CFPB––including firing all but one employee helping victims of scams in the offices focused on our nation’s two million servicemembers and tens of millions of older Americans.

    “We request that you provide—by April 30, 2025—a detailed accounting of each of the more than 80 statutory obligations of the CFPB, the number of employees assigned to each of those functions as of December 2024, the number of employees who would be assigned to each function if your rushed reduction in force were to go into effect, the immediate impact of such a reduction on the agency’s ability to perform each function consistent with federal law and federal court orders, and copies of any individualized or particularized analysis of those planned reductions on the agency’s work,” they concluded.

    The full text of the letter can be found here.

    Senator Cortez Masto has pushed multiple Departments under the Trump Administration for detailed, public information regarding the impacts of President Trump’s federal funding freeze, hiring freeze, and terminations on Nevada – including to the Department of the Interior, the U.S. Forest Service, the National Nuclear Security Administration, the Department of Veterans Affairs, Department of Agriculture, General Services Administration, and Department of Health and Human Services.

    MIL OSI USA News

  • MIL-OSI USA: ICYMI: Women, Peace and Security Law “Ended” by Hegseth Widely Supported by Trump Administration Officials

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for New Hampshire Jeanne Shaheen

    (Washington, DC) – Earlier today, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth moved to “end” the “Women, Peace and Security (WPS)” program inside the U.S. Department of Defense. U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), a top member of the U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee, blasted his action and called attention to the numerous Trump Cabinet members who were integral to the passage of WPS in Congress. In addition to President Trump, who signed WPS into law in 2017, a number of other administration officials have been vocal in their support for the program:

    Trump White House in 2019: “President Trump was the first global leader to sign bipartisan legislation of this kind, making the United States the first country in the world with a standalone, comprehensive law on Women, Peace, and Security […] With today’s release of our Strategy on Women, Peace, and Security, the United States reaffirms its strong and unwavering commitment to advancing women’s equality, protecting the rights of women and girls, and promoting women’s economic empowerment.”

    Secretary of State Marco Rubio just 28 days ago: “President Trump also signed the Women, Peace, and Security Act, a bill that I was very proud to have been co-sponsor of when I was in the Senate, and it was the first comprehensive law passed in any country in the world – the first law passed by any country anywhere in the world – focused on protecting women and promoting their participation in society.”

    Then Representative and House WPS Caucus Co-Chair Mike Waltz last year: “The Trump Administration then released the women peace and security strategy in 2019, and I, with my colleague Democrat colleague Lois Frankel, formed and co-chaired the WPS caucus in the House to kind of oversee the implementation.”

    Then Representative Kristi Noem introducing Women, Peace and Security Act: “Especially when the world is so volatile and security remains a constant concern, it’s critical we take full advantage of proven peace-building tactics, such as involving women in conflict prevention and resolution. We understand from research that peace agreements are much more likely to be sustained if women have a role in the negotiations. The bipartisan Women, Peace, and Security Act ensures, through meaningful congressional oversight, that women gain this seat at the table. I thank Rep. Schakowsky, Chairman Royce, and Ranking Member Engel for working to advance this critical national security tool.”

    Trump-appointed Pentagon spokesman Jonathan Rath Hoffman in 2020: “By recognizing the diverse roles women play across the spectrum of conflict — and by incorporating their perspectives throughout plans and operations — DOD is better equipped to promote our security, confront near-peer competitors, and defeat our adversaries.”

    Trump Defense Department acting assistant secretary of defense for stability and humanitarian affairs Stephanie Hammond in 2020: “When we recognize the diverse roles women play as agents of change; and when we incorporate their perspectives throughout our plans and operations, we are better equipped to promote our security, confront our near peer competitors, and defeat our adversaries.”

    Then senior advisor Ivanka Trump in 2019 on Twitter: “@POTUS signed into law Women, Peace and Security, making the United States the 1st country in the world to enact #WPS legislation. Today I was proud to announce, with female police cadets, that Colombia will develop a #WPS National Action Plan as part of our WPS partnership.”

    In 2017, Shaheen led the bipartisan Women, Peace and Security law through Congress to prioritize the promotion of women’s participation in foreign policy and national security efforts, such as conflict prevention, peace negotiations and democratic institutions. Women’s participation in peace negotiations increases the probability by 35 percent of agreements lasting at least 15 years. 

    After Shaheen’s bill passed the Republican-led Senate by unanimous consent and was approved by the Republican-led U.S. House of Representatives, President Trump signed the bipartisan legislation into law in October 2017. 

    In a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing earlier this month on Lieutenant General John D. Caine’s nomination to be Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Caine told Shaheen about the operational advantage for the U.S. military – not DEI.

    MIL OSI USA News

  • MIL-OSI USA: Murkowski, Gillibrand Press Hegseth on DOD Sexual Assault Prevention and Response Services

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Alaska Lisa Murkowski

    04.29.25

    Washington, D.C. – Yesterday, U.S. U.S. Senators Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) and Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, sent a bipartisan letter to Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth expressing their concern about possible Department of Defense guidance that would significantly alter, or even terminate, the Department’s sexual assault prevention and response (SAPR) services. The senators noted that multiple reports have indicated that changes to SAPR may be coming, and raised the risk these changes pose to decades of efforts to end sexual assault and sexual harassment in the Department.

    The senators wrote, “As staunch advocates for improving SAPR efforts, to include the historic and bipartisan reforms to military justice, we are writing to express our deep concern with the mere possibility of significant alterations or termination of SAPR regulations. There can be no ambiguity in the Department’s position on ending sexual misconduct across the services, and any lack of clarity risks casting a chilling effect across the services.”

    The senators noted that during his confirmation process, Secretary Hegseth had publicly acknowledged that “the Department must do better to train and ingrain the fact that sexual abuse and assault is not tolerated in the force” and had also declared that “[e]very servicemember deserves the opportunity to serve their nation without fear of harassment or assault.”

    The full text of the letter to Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth can be found here and is also available below:

    Dear Secretary Hegseth,

    Over the last week, our offices received multiple reports of pending Department of Defense guidance that would significantly alter, or even terminate, large portions of the Department’s sexual assault prevention and response (SAPR) services. According to these reports, SAPR guidelines are included in a list recently circulated by Deputy Secretary Feinberg for review and potential cancellation. As staunch advocates for improving SAPR efforts, to include the historic and bipartisan reforms to military justice, we are writing to express our deep concern with the mere possibility of significant alterations or termination of SAPR regulations. There can be no ambiguity in the Department’s position on ending sexual misconduct across the services, and any lack of clarity risks casting a chilling effect across the services. 

    This topic arose during your confirmation process, and we agree with your Advanced Policy Questions (APQ) response to the Senate Armed Services Committee that “the Department must do better to train and ingrain the fact that sexual abuse and assault is not tolerated in the force.” Meaningful progress toward this goal is fundamentally incompatible with any effort to dismantle those SAPR-related programs and regulations that are already in place. Even minor reductions risk compromising decades of progress toward ending sexual abuse and harassment in the Department. Prompt action is essential to reinforcing victims’ belief in the words of their leadership.      

    As you have stated, “[e]very servicemember deserves the opportunity to serve their nation without fear of harassment or assault.” Yet this “fear” inevitably takes hold in environments where victims do not feel protected from their abusers or supported by their leadership. Thus, we request immediate action to eliminate any ambiguity and clarify the Department of Defense’s position. Consistent with your previous commitment to “ensuring high-level focus on this issue,” we encourage you to make public assurances that victims of sexual misconduct will be supported, that offenders will be held accountable, and that no changes will be made to reduce the Department’s SAPR services. The readiness of our forces and the security of our nation depend on a swift and unequivocal response.                                        

    Sincerely,

    U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand

    U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski

    cc:

    Mr. Jules Hurst, Performing the Duties of Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness

    The Honorable Daniel Driscoll, Secretary, Department of the Army

    The Honorable John Phelan, Secretary, Department of the Navy

    The Honorable Gary Ashworth, Acting Secretary, Department of the Air Force

    MIL OSI USA News

  • MIL-OSI USA News: 100 DAYS OF HOAXES: Cutting Through the Fake News

    Source: The White House

    Since President Donald J. Trump took office 100 days ago, it has been a nonstop deluge of hoaxes and lies from Democrats and their allies in the Fake News suffering from terminal cases of Trump Derangement Syndrome.

    In no particular order, here are some of the most egregious hoaxes peddled by the usual suspects so far in President Trump’s second term:

    • HOAX: Fake News CNN attempted to “fact check” President Trump’s claim that the Biden Administration spent millions on “making mice transgender.”
    • FACT: After their so-called “fact check” was thoroughly debunked, they were forced to update it in disgrace and admit the claim was, in fact, true.
    • HOAX: The Fake News claimed the Department of Defense removed Gen. Colin Powell’s name from a list of notable Americans buried at Arlington Cemetery.
    • FACT: No service members’ names were removed from that section — and Gen. Powell’s name remains among those listed.
    • HOAX: Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-CA) claimed “no president” presided over more plane crashes during their first month in office as President Trump.
    • FACT: “There were 55 aviation accidents in the U.S. between Biden’s inauguration on Jan. 21, 2021, and Feb. 17, 2021, compared to 35 during the same period for Trump,” Fox News reported.
    • HOAX: Gov. JB Pritzker (D-IL) and Chicago Public Schools officials claimed, without bothering to verify, that ICE agents had conducted a “raid” at an elementary school — a false claim echoed by media outlets, including the Chicago Tribune.
    • FACT: It was actually the U.S. Secret Service investigating a threat unrelated to immigration.
    • HOAX: Far-left influencers and other leftist hacks falsely claimed the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) and Elon Musk were out to “cut Social Security.”
    • FACT: They were referencing an interview in which Musk was clearly referring to the tremendous amount of waste, fraud, and abuse within entitlement programs.
    • HOAX: The media smeared DOGE as “young, inexperienced engineers” engineering a “government takeover.”
    • FACT: In reality, DOGE is led by seasoned industry professionals, including successful CEOs who paused their lives to aid in the effort of streamlining government and holding the bureaucracy accountable.
    • HOAX: NBC’s Peter Alexander peddled the lie that “constituents in some traditionally red districts” were unhappy with President Trump’s effort to cut waste, fraud, and abuse in government.
    • FACT: The same “protests” cited by the Fake News were funded and organized by far-left special interest groups.
    • HOAX: NPR claimed NASA astronauts Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore — who were stuck on the International Space Station for more than nine months following problems with their spacecraft — were “not stranded.”
    • FACT: NPR itself had described the astronauts as stranded in prior reporting, and only seemed to take issue with the description once President Trump and Elon Musk made it a priority to bring them home.
    • HOAX: A foreign Fake News outlet reported that President Trump “shut down” the British prime minister during a news conference.
    • FACT: In reality, President Trump was simply moving on from a reporter who was trying to goad the two leaders into division.
    • HOAX: NPR falsely claimed the White House was actively searching for a new secretary of defense.
    • FACT: This lie was immediately shut down by multiple Trump Administration officials, including President Trump himself.
    • HOAX: The Fake News attempted to paint illegal immigrant gang member Kilmar Abrego Garcia as an innocent “Maryland father” who was unjustly deported by the Trump Administration — and actively censored the truth about him.
    • FACT: Abrego Garcia is a citizen of El Salvador and was deported to his home country amid overwhelming evidence of his gang affiliation.
    • HOAX: Deranged “filmmaker” Michael Moore questioned whether deported illegal immigrants would go on to cure cancer or stop “that asteroid (sic) that’s gonna hit us.”
    • FACT: Moore’s statement was a strong early contender for the dumbest, most ridiculous statement of the year considering those deported illegal immigrants were violent criminals.
    • HOAX: The Fake News portrayed Mahmoud Khalil, a pro-Hamas radical who led violent protests at Columbia, as an innocent graduate student with an absolute right to remain in the U.S.
    • FACT: An immigration judge ruled Khalil — who is not a U.S. citizen — can be deported.
    • HOAX: The Financial Times reported that Senior White House Counselor Peter Navarro wanted to remove Canada from the “Five Eyes” intelligence sharing network.
    • FACT: Mr. Navarro immediately shut down this fake story.
    • HOAX: A foreign Fake News reporter claimed President Trump referred to European nations as “parasites.”
    • FACT: President Trump immediately pushed back on this ridiculous claim — as did the Italian prime minister.
    • HOAX: Fake News CNN’s Brianna Keilar implied the Trump Administration was somehow wrong for stopping illegal immigrants from stealing taxpayer dollars in the form of welfare benefits.
    • FACT: Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller summarily embarrassed her with the facts: “The federal government will find EVERY illegal alien who is stealing American taxpayer dollars — and that’s what Americans expect to happen. I don’t even fathom the premise of your question.”
    • HOAX: A favorite refrain of the Fake News is that Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., is “anti-vaccine.
    • FACT: Kennedy debunked the lie in his confirmation hearings: “This has been repeatedly debunked … Bringing this up right now is dishonest.”
    • HOAX: WIRED falsely claimed the Social Security Administration is “shifting its public communication exclusively to X” under President Trump.
    • FACT: Not happening.
    • HOAX: Reuters falsely reported that the Trump Administration “stalled a United Nations program in Mexico aimed at stopping imported fentanyl chemicals from reaching the country’s drug cartels.”
    • FACT: The Department of State is actually trying to expand the initiative.
    • FACT: The Fake News frequently pushed the lie that as part of the Trump administration, Secretary Kennedy would implement a national abortion ban and “restrict or even ban medication abortion without a single act of Congress.”
    • FACT: Secretary Kennedy consistently pledged to implement President Trump’s policies — which include leaving abortion to the states, ending barbaric late-term abortions, protecting conscientious objections, and ending federal funding for abortions.
    • HOAX: Fake News savant Tara Palmeri falsely reported that President Trump’s proposal for Gaza was conceived by Jared Kushner.
    • FACT: This lie was immediately and summarily debunked by the Trump Administration: “The worst reporter in America makes up fake news for clout because she has no real sources. Sit down, dummy.”
    • HOAX: Sen. Chris Murphy, Rep. Jasmine Crockett, and media outlets claimed President Trump’s directive to pause radical, wasteful government spending meant an end to Medicaid, food assistance, and other individual assistance programs.
    • FACT: Individual assistance programs — Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, SNAP, etc. — were explicitly excluded, as was made clear by Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt and the Office of Management and Budget. Only unnecessary spending — DEI, Green New Scam, NGOs that undermine the national interest — were included in the directive.
    • HOAX: A “physicians advocacy group” was widely cited as opposing President Trump’s nomination of Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., to lead the Department of Health and Human Services.
    • FACT: The “advocacy group” was really an astroturfed partisan organization funded by prominent left-wing donors — and accepted fake signatures.
    • HOAX: Sen. Tim Kaine (D-VA) and other Democrats pushed the lie that DOGE posted “classified information” on their website.
    • FACT: That alleged “classified information” was really just an employment headcount — which has been publicly available for years.
    • HOAX: Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-FL) claimed Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem called all Venezuelan immigrants “dirtbags.”
    • FACT: Secretary Noem actually called illegal immigrant members of the vicious Tren de Aragua gang “dirtbags,” which is true.
    • HOAX: The New York Times wrote that Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., wanted to “ban fluoride in drinking water” and “reverse … one of the most important public health practices in the country’s history.”
    • FACT: New York Times made no mention of their own reporting that fluoride may be “linked to lower IQ scores in children.”
    • HOAX: Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY) repeatedly lied about President Trump “going after” Social Security.
    • FACT: President Trump has repeatedly pledged to protect Social Security and make it more robust for American citizens.
    • HOAX: Sen. Mark Kelley (D-AZ) attempted to scare veterans by shamelessly claiming their care was in jeopardy due to “layoffs” at VA hospitals.
    • FACT: The lie was debunked by Secretary of Veterans Affairs Doug Collins: “What changes are you talking about? We’ve not had those layoffs… I put $360 million back into community care… It’s concerning to me that a veteran would actually tell stories to veterans that are not true.”
    • HOAX: Rep. Jasmine Crockett (D-TX) exploited the Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport plane crash tragedy by claiming President Trump “froze the hiring” of air traffic controllers.
    • FACT: Air traffic controllers were exempt from the federal hiring freeze.
    • HOAX: Rep. Jasmine Crockett (D-TX) implied that “cutting” members of an aviation advisory committee was somehow a cause of the Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport plane crash tragedy.
    • FACT: The advisory group hadn’t met since 2023 and was comprised of business and union leaders who gave “advice” to the TSA and had nothing to do with actual air travel.
    • HOAX: A far-left writer claimed Elon Musk and DOGE staffers “illegally installed a commercial server to control federal HR databases that contain sensitive personal information, including SSNs, home addresses, and medical histories.”
    • FACT: A top official confirmed “there’s nothing illegal and no server, just more made up tall tales from uninformed career bureaucrats.”
    • HOAX: The Washington Post alleged the Trump Administration was setting “quotas” for immigration authorities — and gave the administration just four minutes to comment before publishing.
    • FACT: As usual, this was a fake story.
    • HOAX: Online liberal activists claimed President Trump “took down” President Obama’s portrait in the White House.
    • FACT: Obama’s portrait was not taken down — it was simply moved only feet away from its previous location.
    • HOAX: Sen. Mazie Hirono (D-HI) claimed Attorney General Pam Bondi created a “weaponizing task force.”
    • FACT: It was a task force to END weaponization at the Department of Justice.
    • HOAX: CBS News reported that Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth ordered a “makeup studio” be installed inside the Pentagon.
    • FACT: It was a “totally fake story,” and the alleged studio was really an existing green room with no frills.
    • HOAX: Politico reported the Trump Administration was debating lifting sanctions on Russian energy assets, including the Nord Stream pipeline.
    • FACT: This was debunked by both Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Special Envoy Steve Witkoff.
    • HOAX: An illegal immigrant in U.S. custody “simply disappeared,” The New York Times reported.
    • FACT: The illegal immigrant was a confirmed member of the vicious Tren de Aragua gang. An immigration judge ordered his removal, and he was deported along with other threats to national security.
    • HOAX: The Wall Street Journal alleged that Special Envoy Steve Witkoff was receiving sensitive information on a personal phone while in Moscow and that Russian Intelligence must’ve had access to the information.
    • FACT: This was a total fabrication. Special Envoy Witkoff did not even have a personal phone with him in Russia. He had only a government phone; a secure line of communication.
    • HOAX: The Wall Street Journal claimed the Trump Administration “sought to portray” deported criminal illegal immigrant gang member Kilmar Abrego Garcia as “violent.”
    • FACT: Abrego Garcia’s own wife filed an order of protection against him and testified that he brutally beat her.
    • HOAX: An AP reporter claimed that FAA staff who worked on “radar, landing and navigational aid maintenance, among others” were “harassed on Facebook” by DOGE.
    • FACT: That was a total lie. DOGE doesn’t have a Facebook page and no professionals who perform critical safety functions were fired.
    • HOAX: The Daily Beast claimed Vice President JD Vance “broke one of the most notorious Vatican rules during his Easter weekend visit” by being photographed in the Sistine Chapel.
    • FACT: Buried all the way down in the 14th paragraph, The Daily Beast admitted the vice president was given special permission by the Vatican to have photographs taken inside the Sistine Chapel.
    • HOAX: Left-wing social media accounts promoted fake, AI-generated audio of Vice President Vance “disparaging Elon Musk in private.”
    • FACT: The audio was debunked as fake.
    • HOAX: The New York Times reported that funding for the Women’s Health Initiative was being slashed by the Department of Health and Human Services.
    • FACT: Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., himself declared this Fake News and recognized the project is “mission critical.”
    • HOAX: Fox News’s Jennifer Griffin gave legitimacy to a hoax from delusional Reps. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-FL) and Rosa DeLauro (D-CT) that Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth requested nearly $140,000 in “upgrades” to his government residence.
    • FACT: This lie was debunked by Secretary Hegseth — and it was so outrageous, even the AP was forced to admit it was completely fake.
    • HOAX: Rep. Don Beyer (D-VA) and many others claimed the Supreme Court ordered the return of illegal immigrant gang member Kilmar Abrego Garcia to the United States.
    • FACT: Even CNN admitted that’s not what happened: “They did not order the administration to return him to the United States … they could’ve said ‘we order him returned,’ but they didn’t do that.”
    • HOAX: Joe Biden accused the Trump Administration of “taking aim at Social Security.”
    • FACT: As usual, he was lying — President Trump has repeatedly pledged to protect Social Security.
    • HOAX: Rep. Ro Khanna (D-CA) claimed the arrest of a Milwaukee judge who helped an illegal immigrant evade arrest was “unprecedented.”
    • FACT: It wasn’t; it has happened before.
    • HOAX: Sen. Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) called the arrest of a Milwaukee judge who helped an illegal immigrant evade arrest a “gravely serious and drastic move.”
    • FACT: The judge violated the law by obstructing an ICE arrest of an illegal immigrant.
    • HOAX: Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) claimed the arrest of the Milwaukee judge who obstructed an apprehension of a criminal illegal immigrant “threatens the rule of law.”
    • FACT: It literally does the opposite because no one is above the law.
    • HOAX: Politico claimed the Trump Administration “wipe[d] out firefighter health and safety programs.”
    • FACT: The programs remain a top priority for the administration — and will remain intact.
    • HOAX: Sen. Elizabeth Warren claimed that President Trump’s policies make it so “no one wants to make investments in the United States.”
    • FACT: President Trump has secured more than $5 trillion in investments since taking office, which is expected to create more than 451,000 new jobs — and the list is only expected to grow.
    • HOAX: NBC’s Kristen Welker peddled a Fake News hoax that the Trump Administration was deporting children.
    • FACT: Secretary of State Marco Rubio shut down her desperate attempt at a hoax by highlighting how the mother, who was in the country illegally, made that choice all on her own.
    • HOAX: The New York Times implied President Trump was alone in wearing a blue suit to the funeral of Pope Francis.
    • FACT: Photos show dozens of world leaders and other attendees — many situated near President Trump — also wearing blue clothing.
    • HOAX: Teachers’ union boss Randi Weingarten accused President Trump of taking teachers’ salaries and giving them to “billionaires” by cutting the Department of Education.
    • FACT: President Trump has repeatedly called teachers “the most important people in this country” who should be paid more, not less. The federal government does not pay the salaries of teachers; state and local governments do.
    • HOAX: The Fake News and their predictable allies ran with a story that claimed an American citizen was detained by authorities after he informed them he was, in fact, a citizen.
    • FACT: That’s not what happened. The individual “approached Border Patrol in Tucson and stated he had entered the U.S. illegally through Nogales. He said he wanted to turn himself in and completed a sworn statement identifying as a Mexican citizen who had entered unlawfully … A few days later, his family presented documents showing U.S. citizenship. The charges were dismissed, and he was released to his family.”
    • HOAX: PBS News claimed “DOGE operatives attempted to gain access to secure spaces,” implying they attempted to access classified information without approval.
    • FACT: This wasn’t even remotely true.
    • HOAX: The AP falsely claimed Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard said President Trump is “very good friends” with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
    • FACT: The AP was humiliatingly forced to retract its story, admitting they were wrong. Stephanie Ruhle also had to issue a correction. DNI Gabbard was referencing President Trump’s relationship with Indian PM Narendra Modi.
    • HOAX: Student visa holders should have unfettered access to do whatever they want in the United States.
    • FACT: Wrong. As Secretary of State Marco Rubio said, “When you apply to enter the United States and you get a visa, you are a guest… If you tell us when you apply for a visa ‘I’m coming to the U.S. to participate in pro-Hamas events,’ that runs counter to the foreign policy interest of the United States… If you had told us you were going to do that, we never would have given you the visa.”

    MIL OSI USA News

  • MIL-Evening Report: The Vietnam War ended 50 years ago today, yet films about the conflict still struggle to capture its complexities

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Scarlette Nhi Do, Sessional Academic, The University of Melbourne

    Scene from Apocalypse Now (1979) Prime Video

    The Vietnam War (1955–1975) was more than just a chapter in the Cold War.

    For some, it was supposed to achieve Vietnam’s right to self-determination. For others, it was an attempt to found a nation-state independent of both capitalist and communist influences.

    In the 50 years since the war ended, the stories we’ve heard about it have struggled to convey these many different views. Cinema – in Hollywood and in Vietnam – offers some insight into this struggle, which we continue to face today.

    A war by any other name

    The war is known by many names, and each one highlights the different objectives of the forces involved.

    For the United States, “The Vietnam War” was one battleground against the Soviet Union during the Cold War. To prevent communism from spreading, the US sent resources to establish the Republic of Vietnam (known informally as South Vietnam) as its proxy. It had already used this strategy with West Germany and South Korea.

    The Communist Party of Vietnam thought of US involvement as a form of colonialism.

    By calling the conflict “the sacred resistance against the US to salvage the country” (Cuộc Kháng Chiến Chống Mỹ, Cứu Nước), or “the American war” (Chiến Tranh Mỹ) for short, the communist party encouraged the perception of the war as a stepping stone towards Vietnam’s full independence following Chinese imperialism (circa 111 BCE–939 CE), French colonialism (1862–1954) and Japanese occupation (1940-45).

    The communist objective was to “liberate” South Vietnam from the US and its puppet administration, and reunify the country. This is why, in Vietnam, April 30 is called “Reunification Day” or “Independence Day”, to commemorate the communists’ victory in capturing Saigon.

    However, former citizens of South Vietnam call April 30 the “Day of National Mourning” (Ngày Quốc Hận), as it marks the Republic’s defeat and the beginning of decades of political persecution and refugee displacement. Although the South Vietnamese were pluralistic in their political beliefs, they were united in their anti-communism.

    For them, the conflict was “the Civil War” (Nội Chiến), fought between communists and anti-communists over the future of Vietnam. After the Republic fell, many grieved (and still do) the vision of what South Vietnam could have become.

    Apocalypse then

    While the US eventually lost control over South Vietnam, it continued to influence how Vietnam was thought of in the West through Hollywood.

    Francis Ford Coppola’s Apocalypse Now is loosely based on Joseph Conrad’s classic novel, Heart of Darkness.
    Shutterstock

    In the 1970-80s, Vietnam War films such as Francis Ford Coppola’s Apocalypse Now (1979), Stanley Kubrick’s Full Metal Jacket (1987) and Oliver Stone’s Platoon (1987) established these directors as household names.

    The films focus on US soldiers’ psyche and discontent with incompetent leadership, pushing the Vietnamese people and their struggles for independence into the background. They frame the war as something done to American society, rather than something the US orchestrated.

    This victimhood fostered what became known as “the Vietnam syndrome” – an unofficial condition in American mindset characterised by feelings of woundedness and a loss of trust in the capability of the US.

    In Vietnam, early communist-controlled cinema in the north depicted the Vietnamese as an oppressed people who must band together to defeat Western corruption. Wartime films such as Along the Same River (1959) and 17th Parallel, Days and Nights (1972) leaned into melodramatic love stories to allegorise the divided Vietnam as separated lovers who must be reunited.

    As directors in the north slowly gained some freedom from the communist party, films increasingly dealt with the war’s immense impact and questioned the party’s ability to bring about the classless society it had promised. The Girl on the River (1987) and Living in Fear (2005) are two good examples.

    Living in Fear (Sống trong sợ hãi) trailer.

    Meanwhile, filmmakers in the south were independents who occasionally collaborated with the state or military, as seen with the classic 1971 film Faceless Lover (also known as Warrior, Who Are You?).

    South Vietnamese people saw film as a medium to negotiate their fledgling national identity. For them, it was important to establish and safekeep an identity that was distinct from the “foreign ally” (the US) and the “domestic foe” (the communists).

    This is why films from the south often portrayed love triangles, where the hero must choose between the vessels of modern Vietnamese femininity and Western excess. Some examples include Afternoon Sun (1972) and Late Night’s Dew (1972).

    Apocalypse now

    New perspectives on the war are emerging as historically marginalised groups gain footing in Western media. And some of these challenge early portrayals.

    Spike Lee’s Da 5 Bloods (2020) was the first major production to show the war through Black American veterans’ eyes. Hollywood neglected to do this, despite the over-representation of Black soldiers in conscription, combat and casualties during wartime.

    Although Da 5 Bloods still fails to account for the Vietnamese’s fight for self-determination, it acknowledges Black Americans’ and the Vietnamese people’s mutual suffering under white supremacy.

    One independent feature from a son of refugees, Journey from the Fall (2006), conveys the resentment many exiled South Vietnamese people feel towards the communist party. It also explores the trauma of leaving Vietnam by boat and resettlement in the US.

    Most recently, the 2024 TV series The Sympathizer, adapted from Viet Thanh Nguyen’s novel, moved the needle by probing at complex issues such as wartime loyalty, complicity and authenticity.

    Communist narratives persist

    In Vietnam today, the scale of communist party-funded movies has grown immensely, with many films resembling Hollywood blockbusters. But the messages have become more conservative.

    Films such as The Scent of Burning Grass (2012) and The Legend Makers (2013) continue to support the communist party narrative by omitting South Vietnam’s anti-communist objective. They also undermine women’s contributions to the war efforts, whereas earlier films put women at the centre of community organisation.

    A new generation of filmmakers is challenging these narratives through collaboration with international production companies and distributors. Features such as Viet and Nam (2024) experiment with film form to show the true costs of war, including the widening wealth disparity in Vietnam, and the lengths many would go to close this gap.

    Viet and Nam trailer.

    Scarlette Nhi Do 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. The Vietnam War ended 50 years ago today, yet films about the conflict still struggle to capture its complexities – https://theconversation.com/the-vietnam-war-ended-50-years-ago-today-yet-films-about-the-conflict-still-struggle-to-capture-its-complexities-253837

    MIL OSI AnalysisEveningReport.nz

  • MIL-Evening Report: Trump says diversity initiatives undermine merit. Decades of research show this is flawed

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Paula McDonald, Professor of Work and Organisation, Queensland University of Technology

    Pixel-Shot/Shutterstock

    US President Donald Trump declared earlier this year he would forge a “colour blind and merit-based society”.

    His executive order was part of a broader policy directing the US military, federal agencies and other public institutions to abandon diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives.

    Framing this as restoring fairness, neutrality and strength to American institutions, Trump argued DEI programs “discourage merit and leadership” and amounted to “race-based and sex-based discrimination”.

    In Australia too, debates over gender quotas and “the war on woke” have repeatedly invoked meritocracy as a rallying cry against affirmative action.

    The narrative of rewards going to the most qualified people is compelling. Yet decades of research show this is flawed. Far from being the great equaliser, an uncritical reliance on “merit” can perpetuate bias and inequality.

    The myths of meritocracy

    The merit rhetoric invokes the ideal of a neutral, objective system rewarding talent and effort, regardless of identity.

    In theory, merit-based evaluations such as exams, performance reviews, employee recruitment processes and competitive bids, should be impartial.

    In practice however, there are several myths associated with the notion of merit.

    1. Merit is purely objective or unbiased. In the employment context for example, studies show that even so-called objective and standardised cognitive or aptitude tests can systematically favour men due to the type of questions asked.

    Decision-makers may unknowingly redefine merit to fit whoever already belongs to a favoured group. A study of elite law firms, for example, found male applicants were rated as more qualified than identical resumes from women.

    This is known as “plasticity of merit”, meaning the criteria of excellence can bend to preference, all while appearing objective.

    Supposedly merit-based judgments can reflect unconscious bias, or comfort with candidates who fit a traditional mould. Over time, preference may be given to a particular type of candidate irrespective of their actual contribution. Privilege and prejudice can be baked into merit-based evaluations.

    2. Merit can be separated from social and historical context. Meritocracy or the so-called meritocratic promise assumes a level playing field, where everyone competes under the same conditions.

    In reality however, past inequalities shape present opportunities. What counts as merit is dynamic and socially shaped, not an eternal universal standard.

    For example, during the second world war there was a shortage of male workers. Qualities women brought to jobs previously held by men such as capacity for teamwork were suddenly deemed meritorious. But these same qualities were downgraded when the men returned.

    Merit is often defined in masculine terms. For example, physicality or hyper-competitive traits have long been seen as prerequisites for military service and policing.

    Merit is often defined in masculine terms commonly associated with military, policing and firefighting services.
    Charnsitr/Shutterstock

    This alignment of masculine norms with standards of merit has been termed “benchmark man”.

    Science careers too were built in an era when women were largely excluded. They were predicated on long-hours work and total availability – requirements that clash with caregiving responsibilities. The result is women in STEM careers leave or are pushed out.

    3. Outcomes are the result of personal choice or deficiencies, not structural barriers. Meritocracy carries a moral narrative: those at the top earned their place while those left behind didn’t measure up or chose not to compete.

    Research shows, for example, that when women don’t advance, it’s explained as lifestyle choices, or they lack ambition, or have opted out to prioritise caregiving.

    This narrative wilfully overlooks the structural constraints impacting choices. When a woman “chooses” a lower-paying, flexible job, it may be less about preference than inadequate social supports.

    By accepting unequal outcomes as the natural result of individual choices, institutions can conveniently obscure disadvantage and discrimination and erase responsibility to correct inequities.

    How the merit mandate undermines equality

    Trump’s vision is to remove equity initiatives and programs that monitor or encourage fair hiring and promotion, cease training that alerts employees to hidden biases, and fire or reassign DEI staff.

    This is conceptually flawed and will actually entrench the very biases and barriers that have kept institutions unequal.

    In the military, for example – an area highlighted by Trump – leaders have recognised they need to foster more inclusive cultures.

    For years, defence forces have grappled with sexual harassment, recruitment shortfalls and retention of skilled personnel. In Australia, the Australian Defence Force undertook major reviews to identify violent and sexist subcultures, understanding a more inclusive force is a more effective force.

    Yet Trump’s order bars the Pentagon from even acknowledging historical sexism in the ranks.

    Favouring the in-group

    Removing equity measures under a banner of neutrality means hiring and promotion will increasingly rely on informal networks and subjective judgements. These can tilt in favour of the in-group – usually white, male and affluent.

    DEI initiatives can increase representation of women, or people from diverse racial or cultural backgrounds, in an organisation or occupational group.

    However, without challenging the norms of merit, or without broadening the definitions of talent and leadership, people in those groups may continue to feel like outsiders.

    Australian experts and business leaders increasingly acknowledge objective merit is mythical.

    Redefining merit

    Fair rewards for effort can improve performance. However, we need to stop pitting merit against diversity. True fairness requires acknowledgement structural inequality exists and bias affects evaluations.

    Organisations need to re-imagine merit in ways that work with inclusion, rather than against it. This includes refining hiring and promotion criteria to focus on competencies that are measurable and relevant.

    Paula McDonald currently receives funding from the Australian Research Council.

    ref. Trump says diversity initiatives undermine merit. Decades of research show this is flawed – https://theconversation.com/trump-says-diversity-initiatives-undermine-merit-decades-of-research-show-this-is-flawed-255100

    MIL OSI AnalysisEveningReport.nz

  • MIL-OSI Global: How the UK’s microchip industry is bouncing back after a quarter of a century

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Peter Gammon, Professor of Power Electronic Devices, School of Engineering, University of Warwick

    A silicon carbide wafer, from which microchips are manufactured. Peter Gammon

    Silicon microchips underpin our modern lives. They are at the heart of our smartphones and laptops. They also play critical roles in electric vehicles and renewable energy technology.

    Today, more than three-quarters of microchips, also known as semiconductors, are produced in Asia. But in the 1990s, chip production was more widely distributed across the globe – and the UK punched above its weight.

    Scotland’s central belt – the area of highest population density, including Glasgow, Edinburgh and the towns surrounding them – became known as “Silicon Glen”, employing 50,000 people in the electronics industry at its peak.

    The region exported everything from PCs to Playstation chips. Multinational companies like NEC, Motorola and Texas Instruments operated major facilities there. In the 2000s, the dotcom crash triggered industry-wide consolidation and a shift to lower-cost manufacturing facilities in east Asia. The UK’s domestic capability was almost wiped out.

    But the UK semiconductor industry is quietly bouncing back. A new wave of companies is focusing on microchips designed for clean energy technology. These chips power electric vehicles and are vital for integrating renewable energy into the grid. They’re also widely used in data centres.

    Whereas most microchips are based on the element silicon, these new chips are made from “compound” semiconductors: silicon carbide (SiC) and gallium nitride (GaN).

    The chemical compounds SiC and GaN offer a range of attractive properties, including the ability to conduct an electrical current efficiently at high temperatures and to withstand electric fields more than nine times stronger than those silicon on its own can tolerate before breaking down.

    This allows SiC chips to be nine times thinner than equivalent silicon chips. This in turn results in lower resistance to electrical current in the devices they’re used in – translating to greater efficiency.

    If you know how hot a phone or laptop charger can get, you’ve experienced inefficient power conversion. This heat is the result of silicon chips switching thousands of times per second to transform one type of electrical current, known as AC, to another, called DC.

    In the case of chargers, 230 volts (V) in AC from the wall socket is transformed into the 19V in DC that a laptop battery needs – with some energy lost as heat. SiC and GaN devices switch faster than their silicon counterparts and dissipate less energy as waste heat.

    This makes them ideal for high-performance, compact and energy-efficient charging systems. GaN-based wall chargers are now becoming common and they’re smaller, lighter and more efficient.

    Chips used in electric car charging need to withstand high voltages.
    4045 / Shutterstock

    This efficiency boost is vital for electric vehicles too, in which a large power converter changes DC electricity coming from the batteries to AC electricity, as required by the electric motor. SiC-based power converters can reduce the energy lost by this converter by over 60%, a saving that means the car’s range can be extended by up to 5%.

    Producing SiC and GaN requires complex, expensive and energy-intensive manufacturing processes. It wasn’t until the 2010s that materials like these could be produced at the scale and cost needed for mass market adoption. Silicon carbide, for instance, must be grown under extreme temperatures and pressures over the course of a week, forming a small cylindrical crystal – or boule – often less than 5cm long.

    In contrast, to source silicon for chips, metre-long silicon ingots are pulled continuously from a vat of molten silicon, known as the melt. This fundamental difference drives the cost gap: SiC chips remain around three times more expensive than their silicon counterparts, posing a challenge for widespread adoption. Nevertheless, SiC chips remain vital for specific applications.

    New industry hubs

    In March 2024, US-based Vishay Intertechnology acquired Newport Wafer Fab – one of the UK’s last major semiconductor plants – for US$177 million (£132 million). In March 2025, it announced a further £250 million investment to expand production, modernise equipment and grow the workforce at the Welsh facility. Around 400 jobs were safeguarded.

    The focus in Newport will be on compound semiconductors, beginning with SiC chips destined for electric vehicles, data centres and industrial applications. At capacity, thousands of silicon carbide wafers, or discs, will be processed every month. It is from these wafers that the chips are cut. Measuring 200mm in diameter, each wafer will yield enough SiC chips to supply more than 15 electric vehicle power converters.

    Chip manufacturing has also returned to Silicon Glen. In Lochgelly, Fife, Clas-SiC Wafer Fab was founded in 2017 and it too produces SiC chips. The processing carried out at Lochgelly is similar to that at Vishay, except that Clas-SiC operates what’s known as a foundry model, producing devices to the designs of international customers. This model separates out the design and manufacturing aspects of the chip industry.

    Silicon carbide chips are also being used in data centres.
    VL-PhotoPro/Shutterstock

    Compound semiconductors also play a crucial role in national security. The UK Ministry of Defence recently made key investments in UK semiconductors. One of these aims to secure the domestic supply of gallium arsenide and gallium nitride chips, which are critical for radar systems and fighter jets.

    World-class research in UK universities is fundamental to success stories like these. More than a decade of coordinated public investment – particularly through the 2010s – helped build globally recognised academic expertise.

    At the University of Warwick, for example, our team leads national efforts to develop the next generation of SiC devices. We are focusing on ultra-high-voltage power devices for use in the trains and ships of the future, along with the grid and in radiation-hardened power electronics for space, with funding from the UK government’s semiconductor strategy.

    As the UK government looks to drive growth through clean energy and advanced
    manufacturing, its recent support for this sector via the UK semiconductor strategy has been significant. The forthcoming industrial strategy presents a clear opportunity to build on this momentum.

    The challenge ahead is to ensure that the next generation of compound microchip technologies – developed in UK universities and labs – can grow and scale up here in the UK, rather than abroad.

    Peter Gammon works as a Professor of Power Electronic Devices at the University of Warwick, and as the Founder of PGC Consultancy Ltd. At Warwick, he receives funding from UKRI, Horizon Europe and industrial partners. This work is supported via the Rewire Innovation and Knowledge Centre.

    ref. How the UK’s microchip industry is bouncing back after a quarter of a century – https://theconversation.com/how-the-uks-microchip-industry-is-bouncing-back-after-a-quarter-of-a-century-253772

    MIL OSI – Global Reports

  • MIL-OSI USA: Rep. Frankel Slams Pete Hegseth’s Attack on Women, Peace, and Security

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Lois Frankel (FL-21)

    Today, Rep. Lois Frankel (FL-22), Co-Chair of the bipartisan Women, Peace, and Security Caucus, released the following statement after Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth announced he was eliminating Women, Peace, and Security efforts at the Department of Defense. President Trump signed the Women, Peace, and Security Act into law in 2017 after Congress passed it unanimously.

    “Hegseth’s elimination of Women, Peace, and Security work inside the Department of Defense is an outrageous and reckless move. The Women, Peace, and Security (WPS) initiative isn’t “woke”—it’s smart, strategic policy grounded in decades of research and bipartisan law, signed by President Trump in 2017,” said Rep. Frankel.

    “WPS reflects what our military leaders and national security experts have long recognized: including women in peace and security efforts gives us a strategic advantage. When women are at the table—whether in preventing conflict, negotiating peace, or leading recovery—peace agreements are more durable, communities are more resilient, and missions are more successful. This matters especially in conflict zones, where rape is used as a weapon of war, and women are often left to protect and provide for their families,” continued Rep. Frankel.

    “Dismissing WPS as a “UN feminist plot” is not just ignorant—it’s dangerous. It denies the reality on the ground, ignores our own defense and diplomatic priorities, and weakens our national security. Undermining women’s leadership undermines our values—and hands our adversaries an advantage. We must not let this stand.”

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News

  • MIL-OSI Security: United States Files Forfeiture Action for Historic Firearm Alleged to be Stolen from Springfield Armory

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    BOSTON – The United States Attorney’s Office filed a civil forfeiture action against a U.S. Springfield Model 1868 Style Trapdoor Saddle Ring Carbine bearing serial number 1444 believed to have been unlawfully removed from the Springfield Armory, a National Historic site, several decades ago.

    The Springfield Armory, located in Springfield, Mass., is a National Historic Site managed by the National Park Service (NPS). The artifacts in the Springfield Armory’s collection are property of the United States Government.

    The model 1868 carbine was a variation of Springfield’s model 1868 rifle, designed at the request of the United States Army Chief of Ordinance in August 1869. In a request to the Springfield Armory, the U.S. Army’s Chief of Ordinance requested “two… breech loading carbines, suitable for cavalry.” These carbines were to be used to determine their suitability for use by the U.S. Army Cavalry. Records from the Springfield Armory show that three model 1868 carbines were produced in 1869 and one in 1870. Records also show that the model 1868 carbine did not make it into full production. The four carbines are the only four the Springfield Armory ever produced.

    Of the four documented model 1868 carbines produced, the Springfield Armory had maintained two in its collection, including the carbine that is the subject of this civil forfeiture action. The Smithsonian maintains one, serial number 2290. The fourth is believed to be privately held.  

    In 1985, the NPS determined one of its 1868 carbines to be missing. At various times over the years, the NPS obtained information that the missing carbine may have been in the hands of private collectors.

    In 2023, federal law enforcement initiated an investigation into the stolen carbine, which resulted in the seizure of a carbine that is the subject of the civil forfeiture action. Although analysis indicated efforts had been made to obliterate identifying marks on the carbine, as alleged in the complaint, the federal law enforcement gathered evidence indicating that the seized carbine was indeed the missing carbine that had been stolen from the Springfield Armory.

    The Springfield Armory was established in 1777 as a federal arsenal to supply the Continental Army during the Revolutionary War. After the Revolutionary War, the Springfield Armory remained under control of the United States Army until 1974 when Congress designated it as a national historic landmark and transferred control to the NPS. The Springfield Armory began operating a museum on the premises in 1866 and has been collecting artifacts since that time.

    It is a violation of federal law to embezzle, steal, purloin, or knowingly convert, or, without authority, to sell, convey or dispose of government property. A civil forfeiture action allows third parties to assert claims to property, which must be resolved before the property can be forfeited to the United States and returned to victims.

    United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and James Crowley, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division made the announcement today. The civil forfeiture action is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Carol E. Head, Chief of the Asset Recovery Unit.

    The accusations in the complaint, and the description of the complaint, constitute allegations that certain property is subject to forfeiture. The United States must prove, by a standard of preponderance of the evidence, that the property is subject to forfeiture. 

    MIL Security OSI

  • MIL-OSI Global: Black style and resistance: The Met Gala, dandyism and blackface in Canada

    Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Cheryl Thompson, Canada Research Chair, Professor in Performance, Toronto Metropolitan University

    In her groundbreaking book, Canada and the Blackface Atlantic: Performing Slavery, Conflict and Freedom, 1812-1897, Cheryl Thompson, professor of performance at Toronto Metropolitan University, maps the transnational flow of minstrel culture and racial ideologies, revealing how blackface performance — and the racism it reflects — was not strictly an American phenomenon.

    In this interview with The Conversation Canada, Thompson shares some of her ideas on performance, politics and race, including this year’s Met Gala.


    Your book uses the term ‘Blackface Atlantic.’ Can you explain what that means, and how Canada fits into that history?

    Traditionally, when we talk about Atlantic world studies, we’re usually focused on the United States, the Caribbean, maybe parts of Europe. Canada is not often considered to be part of conversation. But blackface performance/minstrelsy was actually one of the first forms of entertainment that travelled across the Atlantic. It started in the U.S., moved to Britain and then landed in Canada. That means many of the same cultural and political issues we associate with the United States — racism, segregation, white supremacy — have been part of Canada’s narrative too, from the beginning.

    Book cover of ‘Canada and the Blackface Atlantic: Performing Slavery, Conflict and Freedom, 1812-1897’
    Wilfrid Laurier University Press

    The book draws on Paul Gilroy’s concept of the “Black Atlantic.” He defined this not just as a geographic space shaped by European colonization and Black servitude and resistance, but as an ideological space, too. Gilroy articulated how Black people disidentified with western ideas of nationhood, citizenship and freedom to forge new ways of imagining their identities and futures.

    Canada and the Blackface Atlantic asks us to stop seeing Canada as a self-contained nation-state. It places Canada within an Atlantic world context where race was traded as a currency in terms of slavery but also on the theatrical stage where it was performed. On stage, “Blackness” became a way for white audiences to make sense of Black people as performing subjects without having to contend with Black people as real political agents.


    Why do you think Canada’s role in the history of blackface performance has been so overlooked?

    I think it’s partly because writing about blackface requires such a multidisciplinary understanding of different disciplines, multiple points of view, historically and geographically disparate people and places. While as an academic, I have sometimes been discouraged from positioning myself in “too many” disciplines, my training across disciplines helped me to see the throughline in the story.

    And that throughline is about race, but also the building of cities and towns, migration and immigration, visual culture and print culture, theatre and performance.

    I also believe it has been overlooked because many white Canadian academics simply do not talk about or examine issues related to race. It’s not something they are comfortable with in the context of Canada, and to research blackface requires that you confront race and white supremacy head-on.

    And because discussions of race in Canada are still taboo in some circles, blackface remains a topic that is largely ignored or minimized.

    I think my work is changing this pattern, and my book will help to open people’s minds to a topic that has long been avoided in Canadian cultural conversations. These conversations have already been happening for decades in the U.S. and the U.K. and elsewhere.


    The Met’s big show and gala this year focuses on Black Style and dandyism as powerful forms of self expression and resistance. How do you think fashion can help challenge racist narratives?

    I love that the Met is thinking about questions of race and style, because Black dandyism is so intertwined with the question of Black freedom. What shows like this do is remind the public of how Black communities have historically used expression as a means to exercise their own agency. In the absence of political agency, Black men, in particular, used style to assert their autonomy. Clothing, hair, etc., were the few sartorial elements that could not be sanctioned or denied to Black people even if other aspects of life were restricted or denied. I think at this moment these conversations are so timely given the renewed restrictions being placed on Black, racialized, LGBTQIA+ people under the Trump administration. The Black dandy says unequivocally that we’re here, and we’re showing up to be seen. It’s a powerful statement that contradicts the deficit model that is often placed onto Black bodies as being in states of lack, and disempowerment.


    What are some of the most surprising or revealing sources you uncovered in your research?

    I was truly surprised about how much of the book required me to understand American history as it intersected with Canadian history.

    For example: the songs that came out of the War of 1812 became some of the first popular songs in America. Communities in Ontario, Québec and New Brunswick were conflicted in their allegiance to the North and South during the American Civil War. There were a lot of Confederate sympathizers in Montréal and New Brunswick. All that really surprised me because that’s not history that we learn about in school.

    I was also surprised by the number of Canadians who became stars on the American minstrel stage. There was Toronto-born Colin “Cool” Burgess (1840–1905) who performed in blackface on stages across Canada, the U.S. and Britain. There was Québec-born Calixa Lavallée (1842–91), who would become best known as the composer of “Chant national” (“O Canada”), a song he wrote after performing across the U.S., and as a blackface minstrel musician for the Union Army during the Civil War. These two figures have been written about before, but authors often excused or tried to minimize their participation in minstrel shows. It’s likely because there are no pictures.

    What I’ve been surprised about most is how so much of this history has been hidden in plain sight. The book reflects my ability to make connections, explain complex narratives across time and space, and to intertwine narratives that have, before now, been kept separate. It was quite a feat!

    Cheryl Thompson receives funding from Social Science Humanities Research Council and the Canada Research Chair Program.

    ref. Black style and resistance: The Met Gala, dandyism and blackface in Canada – https://theconversation.com/black-style-and-resistance-the-met-gala-dandyism-and-blackface-in-canada-253604

    MIL OSI – Global Reports

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: The Holy Buddha Relic of Sarnath for Exposition to Vietnam will arrive at National Museum

    Source: Government of India

    The Holy Buddha Relic of Sarnath for Exposition to Vietnam will arrive at National Museum

    Holy Relic will be transported to Ho Chi Minh City by a special aircraft on 1st May 2025

    High level delegation will be led by Shri Kiren Rijiju, Minister of Parliamentary Affairs & Minister of Minority Affairs

    Posted On: 29 APR 2025 6:39PM by PIB Delhi

    The Ministry of Culture, Government of India in collaboration with the International Buddhist Confederation (IBC) New Delhi will be holding for the   first time an exposition of the sacred Buddha Relic of Sarnath at Vietnam during the gala celebrations of the United Nations (UN) Day of Vesak 2025. 

    The Holy Relic will be ceremonially brought to Delhi on April 30, 2025, amidst prayers from Mulagandha Kuti Vihara, (monastery) in Sarnath to the Varanasi airport. The Vihara is enshrined with the sacred relics of Sakyamuni Buddha. It was built by Angarika Dharmapala, who was the founder of Mahabodhi society and is still maintained and run by the Mahabodhi Society.

    Upon reaching Delhi the Holy Relic will be placed in a special protected enclosure at the National Museum for prayers, chanting and meditation by the followers of Dhamma, including eminent members of the community and the diplomatic representatives from the Buddhist countries at 5.30 pm on April 30, 2025.

    The following day, May 1, 2025, the Holy Relic of the Buddha will be transported from the National Museum with great reverence escorted by senior monks with full religious sanctity and protocol to Ho Chi Minh City by a special Indian Air Force aircraft.

    A high-level delegation from the International Buddhist Confederation (IBC) led by Secretary General Ven. Shartse Khensur Rinpoche Jangchup Choeden, including member of the Governing Council are attending the Holy Exposition ceremonies and the Vesak celebrations in Vietnam. The delegation will be led by Shri Kiren Rijiju, Minister of Parliamentary Affairs & Minister of Minority Affairs.

    The Holy Relics of the Buddha enshrined in Mulagandha Kuti Vihara were excavated in Nagarjuna Konda, a prominent site in Andhra Pradesh. It holds historical significance as a major centre of Mahayana Buddhism and is associated with the monk, philosopher Nagarjuna of second century CE. These were worshiped and venerated for ages since the Mahaparinirvana of the Buddha. A.H. Longhurst, the then superintendent of the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) conducted full scale excavation from 1927-31; most of the monuments at the site were constructed in third-fourth century CE; remains of more than thirty Buddhist establishments were found here. Inscription date the oldest great Stupa around 246 CE but archaeologist say the Stupa could be older.

    After the excavations they were presented to the Mahabodhi Society of India on December 27, 1932, by Rai Bahadur Dayaram Sahni, Director General of ASI, on behalf of H.E. the Viceroy of India before a distinguished gathering of Buddhists. Every year on the foundation day of the Mulagandha Kuti Vihara which is celebrated in the month of November, when thousands of people from different parts of the world come to Sarnath.

    The sacred Relic will be ceremoniously enshrined, venerated, and worshiped at the following important sites; At Hanh Tâm Monastery in Ho Chi Minh city from May 2–8, 2025 (coinciding with the United Nations Day of Vesak 2025); next at the Bà Đen Mountain, Tây Ninh Province from May 9–13, 2025 (Southern Vietnam’s national spiritual pilgrimage site); from here the sacred Relic will be placed for exposition at Quán Sứ Monastery, Hanoi from May 14–18, 2025 (Headquarters of the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha), and finally at Tam Chúc Monastery, Hà Nam Province from May 18–21, 2025 (the largest Buddhist centre in Southeast Asia).

    The important exposition coincides with the United Nations (UN) Day of Vesak 2025 as it is being celebrated in Vietnam, an opportunity for not only the citizens of Vietnam to seek blessings of the Holy Relic but also the international delegates from over 100 countries and regions who would be participating in the Vesak Day celebrations.

    Every year, since the passing of the resolution by the United Nations General Assembly on 15th December 1999, the thrice-sacred day of Vesak (celebrating the birth, enlightenment, and passing away of the Buddha Gautama) has been celebrated internationally. The International Day of Vesak was celebrated at the United Nations Headquarters in New York for the first time in 2000. This had inspired annual celebrations of the United Nations Day of Vesak (UNDV) by international Buddhist communities.

    The International Council for the Day of Vesak (ICDV) has held a Special Consultative Status to the UN Economic and Social Council since 2013. The main theme for the UNDV 2025 Celebrations and Academic Conference will be “Buddhist Approach to Unity and Inclusivity for Human Dignity: Buddhist Insights for World Peace and Sustainable Development,” at Vietnam Buddhist University, Ho Chi Minh City, Sunworld Buddhist Cultural Centre, Tay Ninh Province.

    Exhibitions on the Buddha Dhamma

    On the occasion International Buddhist Confederation (IBC) will also be hosting three exhibitions on the dissemination of Buddha Dhamma and its cultural practices from India to Vietnam. These are and electronic display of Jataka tales; the sculptures depicting different forms of the Buddha; and a comparative study of Buddhist artefacts from India and Vietnam.

    The analysis draws on a variety of resources to deepen understanding of this rich cultural exchange, including epigraphic inscriptions, historical texts, and visual artifacts. This multifaceted approach aims to provide a comprehensive narrative of the evolution of Buddha Dhamma in Vietnam, reflecting its profound impact on art, spirituality, and cultural identity throughout history.

    The highlight is a display of the digital restoration of the Ajanta Cave murals, illuminating the ancient Jataka Kathas. The IBC, in collaboration with the Prasad Pawar Foundation of Pune will unveil 8 panels and exhibit on separate TV screens showcasing the digital restoration process of the famous Bodhisattva Padmapani, a mural painting dating from the late 5th century. The mural is in Cave 1 of the Ajanta Caves, Maharashtra, and it reflects the beauty and classical sophistication of the arts of India’s Gupta dynasty.

    The exhibition invites visitors to walk among visions of Bodhisattvas and celestial beings, as ancient narratives gently unfold. These tales remind us that compassion knows no borders, wisdom belongs to all, and peace is born from the shared dignity of every living being.

     

    ****

    Sunil Kumar Tiwari

    pibculture[at]gmail[dot]com

    (Release ID: 2125251) Visitor Counter : 74

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Union Public Service Commission announces the result of the written part of the COMBINED DEFENCE SERVICES EXAMINATION (I) – 2025

    Source: Government of India

    Posted On: 29 APR 2025 3:34PM by PIB Delhi

    On the basis of the results of the COMBINED DEFENCE SERVICES EXAMINATION (I), 2025 held by the Union Public Service Commission on 13th April, 2025, 8516 candidates with the following Roll Numbers have qualified for being interviewed by the Service Selection Board of the Ministry of Defence, for admission to (i) Indian Military Academy, Dehradun 160th (DE) Course commencing in January, 2026 (ii) Indian Naval Academy, Ezhimala, Kerala, Course commencing in January, 2026 (iii) Air Force Academy, Hyderabad (Pre-Flying) Training Course (219 F(P)) commencing in January, 2026 (iv) Officers Training Academy, Chennai123rd SSC (Men) (NT) (UPSC) Course commencing in April, 2026 and (v) Officers Training Academy, Chennai, 37th SSC Women (Non-Technical) (UPSC) Course commencing in April, 2026.

    1. The candidature of all the candidates, whose Roll Numbers are shown in the lists below, is provisional. In accordance with the conditions of the admission to the examination, they are required to submit the original certificates in support of age (Date of Birth), educational qualifications, NCC (C) (Army Wing/Senior Division Air Wing/Naval Wing) etc. claimed by them to IHQ of MoD (Army) / Dte Gen of Rtg (Rtg A) CDSE Entry for SSC male candidates and SSC women entry for female candidates West Block III, R. K. Puram, New Delhi-110066 in case of IMA/SSC first choice candidates and IHQ of MoD (Navy DMPR (OI & R Section), Room No. 204,‘C’ Wing, Sena Bhawan, New Delhi-110011 in case of Navy first choice candidates and PO3 (A)/Air Headquarters ‘J’ Block, Room No. 17, Opp. Vayu Bhawan, Motilal Nehru Marg, New Delhi-110 106 in case of Air Force first choice candidates by the following dates failing which their candidature will stand cancelled.The original Certificates are to be submitted not later than 01stJanuary, 2026 for IMA & INA, not later than 13th November, 2025  for AFA and not later than 1st April, 2026 in case of SSC course only. The candidates must not send the original Certificates to the Union Public Service Commission.
    2. Candidates who qualified in the written exam and given their first choice as Army (IMA/OTA) are required to register themselves on the recruiting directorate website www.joinindianarmy.nic.in in order to enable them to receive call up information for SSB interview. Those candidates who have already registered on the recruiting directorate website are advised not to register again.
    3. In case, there is any change of address, the candidates are advised to promptly intimate directly to the Army Headquarters/Naval Headquarters/Air Headquarters as the case may be.
    4. For any further information, the candidates may contact Facilitation Counter near Gate “C” of the Commission, either in person or on telephone numbers 011-23385271, 011- 23381125 and 011-23098543 between 10:00 hrs to 17:00 hrs on any working day. In addition for SSB/interview related matter the candidates may contact over telephone no. 011-26175473 or joinindianarmy.nic.infor Army as first choice, 011-23010097 /Email: officer-navy[at]nic[dot]in  or joinindiannavy.gov.in for Navy/Naval Academy as first choice and 011-23010231 Extn. 7645 / 7646 / 7610or www.careerindianairforce.cdac.in for Air Force as first choice. Candidates can also obtain information regarding their result by accessing UPSC website http://www.upsc.gov.in
    5. The marks-sheet of candidates who have not qualified, will be available on the Commission’s website within 15 days from the date of publication of the final result of OTA (after conducting SSB Interview) and will remain available on the website for a period of 30 days.

    Click here to check the result:-

    ***

    NKR/PSM

    (Release ID: 2125156) Visitor Counter : 17

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News

  • MIL-OSI USA: Chairman Aguilar: America is less safe and more expensive than it was 100 days ago

    Source: US House of Representatives – Democratic Caucus

    The following text contains opinion that is not, or not necessarily, that of MIL-OSI – April 29, 2025

    WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, House Democratic Caucus Chair Pete Aguilar and Vice Chair Ted Lieu were joined by Representatives John Mannion and April McClain Delaney for a press conference on the disastrous first 100 days of the Trump Administration that has made America less safe and more expensive. 

    CHAIRMAN AGUILAR: Good morning. So thankful to be joined by two members in addition to our Vice Chair. Appreciate John Mannion and April McClain Delaney joining us.

    America is less safe and more expensive than it was 100 days ago. Trump’s reckless tariffs are going to make the high price of groceries, gas, housing, utilities, clothing, electronics and other essential goods even worse. Companies are laying off hard-working Americans, and we are staring down an impending supply chain crisis in a few weeks. Our national security is threatened by amateur individuals sharing classified war plans in group chats. Our communities are threatened because Trump released hundreds of criminals back onto the street. Our freedoms are threatened because the Trump Administration abandons the rule of law and due process by deporting an innocent man and even American children.

    By every metric, Donald Trump has failed. But instead of trying to put out the fire that he’s caused, he’s pouring gasoline on by cutting $880 billion from Medicaid, that will make healthcare more expensive and less affordable. He wants to take food off of the tables of American families, children and veterans. And he’s doing this all for one simple purpose: to put into place massive tax breaks for his billionaire donor friends. The Speaker went to the White House yesterday to get his marching orders, but if House Republicans want to avoid tying themselves to this sinking ship, they need to vote against the Republican Budget Bill. You’ll see House Democrats fighting back every step of the way this week and next week as Republicans try to pass through a dangerous and extreme budget.

    It’s my privilege to introduce Vice Chair of the Democratic Caucus, Ted Lieu. 

    VICE CHAIR LIEU: Thank you, Chairman Aguilar, and honored to be here with Representatives Mannion and Delaney. Donald Trump’s first 100 days and one of the worst first 100 days of any U.S. President in history. That’s because his policies are harming America, and the American people have noticed. Multiple polls show Trump’s approval ratings plummeting. An Associated Press poll showed him at only 39% approval, 59% disapproval. And a recent Washington Post poll also shows him at only 39% approval, the lowest of any U.S. President in 80 years. One reason is because of tariffs. His indiscriminate tariffs have increased prices. I urge all of you to look at a statement from the International Longshore and Warehouse Union. They put out a statement saying that the tariffs are crushing the working class with higher prices. And what’s even worse is we don’t even understand the rationale for these tariffs, because the White House has put out two completely different rationales. One of them is, we’re imposing these indiscriminate tariffs to try to strike deals, to go to a zero-tariff situation with other countries and have more free trade, reduce trade barriers. And then you have Donald Trump saying over the weekend, I’m doing these tariffs to create an external revenue service, to use this as a permanent revenue source to take the money that consumers are paying and inject that into the federal government. Those are completely opposite rationales and the White House can’t even figure out why it’s doing these tariffs.

    And then let me just conclude now about Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth. I note that he has recently spent taxpayer funds for a makeup studio. I hope it’s going well and makes him look better on TV. But in terms of his policies, they are completely awful. Especially his operational ability to handle sensitive information. You may have seen recent reporting showing that his phone number has now been all over the internet, and if hackers have your phone number, there are a number of ways to surveil your phone. I asked reporters to look into whether he used his personal phone overseas. There is a hack called the SS7 Attack, stands for Signaling System No. 7. I was part of an investigation a few years ago. It doesn’t matter how great your phone is, it’s because of the telecommunications providers you use, there’s a flaw in there that they can surveil your phone, and they can do that in the U.S., it’s even worse overseas. So, you all should check out whether Secretary Hegseth compromised his phone if you use it overseas. With that, it is my honor now to invite Representative Mannion to come speak to you. Before being in Congress, he was a public school teacher and a State Senator from the great state of New York.

    REP. MANNION: Thank you, Vice Chair. Good morning, everybody. I’m John Manion from Syracuse, New York. I’m a member of the Agriculture and Education and Workforce committees, and I represent NY-22, central New York, in the Mohawk Valley. We’re at 100 days into this second Trump Administration, and what we’ve seen is chaos, confusion, confrontation and fear. We’re witnessing an extraordinary assault on our Constitution, on our norms and our values, on our democracy, unlike what we’ve ever seen before, as we’re watching in real time, the dismantling of governmental guardrails.

    One place where the damage is particularly clear is as it relates to our trade policy. Tariffs should be used with precision and purpose, but not as blunt political instruments. I believe now is the time for Congress to reassert the constitutional authority it continues to cede to the executive branch, and tariff policy is a good place for that to start. NY-22 has a long history of manufacturing, of innovation. We have a vibrant agricultural sector and world-class research institutions. We’re home to the largest private investment in the history of this country, with Micron’s historic $100 billion project to onshore semiconductor chip manufacturing in my district in Clay, New York. It’s a transformative project that will create thousands of jobs and solidify our region’s role in the global economy and the global tech economy. 

    But just as importantly, it is about making sure that our national security and the resources that we use to preserve our national security is happening right here in our country. My district is a down-the-middle district. We have representatives at the state legislature and the counties that are both Republicans and Democrats. CHIPS and Science was a piece of legislation that required all levels of government, from both parties, and stakeholders and experts in the field, to negotiate it, get it right, so that we can make sure that we put our national security at a premium and the emerging threats as it relates to supply chains, we had to address that. We did address it. It was done in the last Congress, and as a result, that project is moving forward. 

    When it comes to tariffs, you know, I looked at maps with arrows that show the negative impact, and no arrow is bigger than the state of New York. I live less than 100 miles from the Canadian border. My mother grew up in a town called Chateaugay, New York, which is five miles from the Canadian border. But you don’t have to be five miles from the border to see the impact that already exists. Tariffs are necessary tools that can be used for national security, for protecting hardworking Americans and their jobs and to grow that, but the current Administration’s approach lacks strategy and nuance, fails to recognize beneficial relationships between our friends, our allies and our business partners, like Canada.

    In Central New York and the Mohawk Valley, we rely heavily on trade with Canada for both imports and exports. Sometimes a product’s production crosses the border multiple times, sometimes within the same company, and still, tariffs would be imposed on those pre-manufactured products. Materials come from Canada, and our products go to Canada. We have multiple industries that are being impacted in agriculture, lumber, metal production, as I mentioned, our building materials for an important plant that is coming into my district. There are double and triple tariffs that are hurting the bottom line. They’re hurting jobs. Contracts are being canceled. Contracts are not moving forward in the negotiation process. Costs are being driven up. It makes absolutely zero sense. So, we have to get this right. The relationship between my district and Canada is so intricate, and it goes beyond just commerce. Canadians are our friends. They are often our family members. As I said, they’re our business partners. And what newly elected Canadian Prime Minister Carney made remarks last night, and he called this “the American betrayal”. To hear stories of Canadians taking American products and turning them over so as to easily identify that product as American-made is unbelievable. Something that I would not imagine in our lifetime, and it is an unnecessary act because of the unnecessary acts that have come out of this Administration. The Prime Minister pledged to find new relationships and new agreements with reliable trade partners outside of the United States of America. And I do agree that describing this situation as a tragedy is accurate. 

    My conversations with New York farmers, including dairy producers, owners of apple orchards, maple syrup producers and other industries like lumber, the interconnectedness between New York State’s economy and Canada is vital to our collective success. Items like fertilizer, potash, these come from Canada. 90% of our potassium, not just in Central New York, but all across this country, comes from Canada. So, we must use precision when it comes to our trade policy. Tariffs are basically a tax on American consumers and businesses, continues to drive up costs for essential items like groceries, fuel, agricultural supplies. Where I’m from, in Central New York, we want policies that reflect the realities of our interconnected economy with our friend and ally, Canada. 

    America, the people of NY-22, our farmers—we all need policies that make sense, not a whipsaw on again, off again, tariff game that this current Administration is playing. It’s reckless. The impact will be massive. There will be waves of negative impact on multiple sectors of our economy, and that means it’s going to hurt hardworking Americans. It’s going to hurt small businesses. We must restore our standing as a reliable trade partner, not just with Canada, but with our other allies and trade partners around the world. 

    Simply, we are hurting consumers. We’re hurting Americans. We’re hurting businesses because of a lack of a cohesive strategy. We need to be more thoughtful. We need to be more targeted. We need to strengthen our economy without placing undue burdens on hardworking Americans. So, I ask that we have sanity to our trade policy, and that we restore our country’s standing around the world, not just as a reliable trade partner, but as the beacon of democracy around the world. Thank you. I appreciate the opportunity to speak, and with that, I will pass along the microphone to my colleague, Representative April McClain Delaney.

    REP. MCCLAIN DELANEY: Good morning. I represent the Sixth District of Maryland, and when elected, I made a commitment to my constituents to seek common-sense, common-ground solutions. Sadly, the past 100 days, I’ve desperately been trying to find either common sense or common ground, and in fact, the chaos that has ensued has hurt everyone within my district. My district is as economically diverse as any district in the country. It starts not far from here in Montgomery County, where NIH researchers are curing cancer and NIST employees are establishing parameters for AI innovation. And it goes all the way to beautiful Mountain and Western Maryland, where family farms are providing their bounty to our community, and it borders West Virginia and Pennsylvania. 

    In my district, no one has escaped the harmful impact of Trump tariffs and isolation policy or his indiscriminate cuts to federal workers. I represent over 35,000 federal workers at agencies such as NIH, the National Institute of Cancer, NIST, our Fire Academy and Fort Detrick. Farmers are very concerned about selling their crops because of tariff impacts, but also because of markets drying up, markets they normally sold into, like through USAID or through SNAP programs. And cancer and innovation researchers and the surrounding biotech and tech private markets have been dealt a devastating blow from government cuts to both agencies and research and innovation engines. Small businesses and consultants are cratering because of lack of business, and this, in turn, is hurting every day, smaller businesses, markets, salons, sole proprietorships, who depend on spending in their community. And this includes tourism and business linked to our seven national parks in this district. We are home to the C&O Canal, which gets as many visitors per year as Yellowstone. 

    With respect to specific examples, last week, I toured the Volvo factory in Hagerstown, Maryland, where they make Mack Trucks. I was privileged to even get to drive one. They produce the engines and the axles for these vehicles and are pioneering some EV technology. But in the short term, they told me they have 1,700 workers. But instead of reshoring and bringing innovation and investment into the United States, Volvo is projected to cut 50 to 100 workers due to tariffs and economic insecurity. They do not know how the market will react, and more cuts might come later. Moreover, I have met with each of my five County Farm Bureaus, Montgomery County, Frederick, Allegheny, Washington County, Garrett, and they’re all concerned about crop market prices, SNAP and reimbursement for investments they made into their farms which have not been reimbursed by government programs for which they were promised. It is a tsunami hitting them from every angle and toppled with that, are threatened cuts to Medicaid, Medicare and Social Security. And, of course, rural health clinics are really at risk in my district because of their dependence on Medicaid.

    These self-inflicted, nonsensical, penny-foolish and pound-foolish policies are impacting our economic security, our U.S. competitiveness and our national security. Much more to say innovation and our trust internationally in the U.S. and the U.S. economy and our U.S. dollar. Having said the above, I stand ready to work on common-sense, common-ground solutions and across the aisle to make a reality the things we all care about, including focusing on inflation, innovation, affordability and fortifying our U.S. resilience, our U.S. competitiveness and our national security. 

    Video of the full press conference and Q&A can be viewed here.

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News

  • MIL-OSI Africa: Secretary-General’s remarks to the Security Council – on the Middle East [as delivered; scroll down for all-English and all-French]

    Source: United Nations – English

    onsieur le Président, Excellences,

    Je remercie la présidence française d’organiser cette réunion au niveau ministériel sur le Moyen-Orient, y compris la question palestinienne.

    La région traverse des bouleversements fondamentaux, marqués par la violence et la volatilité, mais également porteurs d’opportunités et de potentiel.

    Au Liban, le cessez-le-feu et l’intégrité territoriale doivent être respectés et tous les engagements doivent être mis en œuvre.

    En Syrie, nous devons poursuivre nos efforts pour accompagner le pays sur la voie d’une transition politique inclusive de toutes les composantes de la population syrienne – une transition qui garantisse la reddition de comptes, favorise la réconciliation nationale, et jette les bases du redressement à long terme de la Syrie ainsi que de son intégration future au sein de la communauté internationale. 

    Cela inclut la situation dans le Golan syrien occupé, qui demeure précaire en raison de violations majeures de l’Accord de désengagement des forces de 1974 – notamment la présence continue des Forces de défense israéliennes dans la zone de séparation, ainsi que leurs multiples frappes contre des sites au-delà de la ligne de cessez-le-feu.

    À travers le Moyen-Orient, les populations réclament et méritent un avenir meilleur – et non des conflits et des souffrances sans fin.

    Nous devons agir ensemble pour faire en sorte que cette période de turbulences et de transition réponde à ces aspirations – et qu’elle apporte justice, dignité, droits, sécurité, et une paix durable.

    Cela commence par la reconnaissance de deux faits fondamentaux : 

    Premièrement, la région se trouve à un moment charnière de son histoire. 

    Et, deuxièmement, que toute paix vraiment durable au Moyen-Orient dépend d’une question centrale.

    Un élément essentiel que ce Conseil de sécurité a affirmé et réaffirmé, année après année, décennie après décennie : une solution à deux États, Israël et la Palestine, vivant côte-à-côte dans la paix et la sécurité, avec Jérusalem comme capitale des deux États.

    Mr. President,

    Today, the promise of a two-State solution is at risk of dwindling to the point of disappearance. 

    The political commitment to this long-standing goal is farther than it has ever been.

    As a result, the rights of both Israelis and Palestinians to live and peace and security have been undermined – and the legitimate national aspirations of the Palestinians have been denied – while they endure Israel’s continued presence that the International Court of Justice has found unlawful. 

    And since the horrific 7 October terror attacks by Hamas, it has gotten worse on every front.

    First, the unrelenting conflict and devastation in Gaza – including the utterly inhumane conditions of life imposed on its people who are repeatedly coming under attack, confined to smaller and smaller spaces, and deprived of lifesaving relief. 

    In line with international law, the Security Council has rejected any attempt at demographic or territorial change in the Gaza Strip, including any actions that reduce its territory. 

    Gaza is — and must remain — an integral part of a future Palestinian state.

    Second, in the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, Israeli military operations and the use of heavy weaponry in residential areas, forcible displacement, demolitions, movement restrictions, and settlement expansion are dramatically altering demographic and geographic realities. 

    Palestinians are being contained and coerced.  Contained in areas that are subject to increasing military operations and where the Palestinian Authority is under growing pressure – and coerced out of areas where settlements are expanding. 

    Third, settler violence continues at alarmingly high levels in a climate of impunity, with entire Palestinian communities facing repeated assaults and destruction, sometimes abetted by Israeli soldiers.

    Palestinian attacks against Israelis in both Israel and the occupied West Bank also continue.

    Mr. President,

    The world cannot afford to watch the two-State solution disappear. 

    Political leaders face clear choices — the choice to be silent, the choice to acquiesce, or the choice to act.

    Mr. President,

    In Gaza, there is no end in sight to the killing and misery.

    The ceasefire had brought a glimmer of hope – the long-sought release of hostages and delivery of lifesaving humanitarian relief.

    But those embers of opportunity were cruelly extinguished with the shattering of the ceasefire on 18 March. 

    Since then, almost 2,000 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza by Israeli strikes and military operations – including women, children, journalists, and humanitarians.

    Hamas also continues to fire rockets towards Israel indiscriminately – while the hostages continue to be held in appalling conditions. 

    The humanitarian situation throughout the Gaza Strip has gone from bad … to worse … to beyond imagination.   

    For nearly two full months, Israel has blocked food, fuel, medicine and commercial supplies, depriving more than two million people of lifesaving relief. 

    All while the world watches.

    I am alarmed by statements by Israeli government officials about the use of humanitarian aid as a tool for military pressure.

    Aid is non-negotiable. 

    Israel must protect civilians and must agree to relief schemes and facilitate them.

    I salute the women and men of the United Nations and all other humanitarian workers – especially our Palestinian colleagues — who continue to work under fire and in incomprehensibly difficult conditions.

    And I mourn all of the women and men of the United Nations who were killed – including some with their families.

    The entry of assistance must be restored immediately — the safety of UN personnel and humanitarian partners must be guaranteed – and UN agencies must be allowed to work in full respect of humanitarian principles:  humanity, impartiality, neutrality and independence.

    There must be no hindrance in humanitarian aid – including through the vital work of UNRWA.

    We need the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages.

    And we need a permanent ceasefire.

    It’s time to stop the repeated displacement of the Gaza population – along with any question of forced displacement outside of Gaza.

    And the trampling of international law must end.

    I call on Member States to use their leverage to ensure that international law is respected and impunity does not prevail.

    This includes for the 19 March incident for which Israel has now acknowledged responsibility in firing on a UN guesthouse, killing one colleague and injuring six others … the 23 March killing of paramedics and other rescue workers in Rafah … as well as many other cases.

    There must be accountability across the board.

    Mr. President,

    Advisory proceedings are ongoing at the International Court of Justice on the obligations of Israel, as an occupying Power and a Member of the United Nations, in relation to the presence and activities of the United Nations in and in relation to the Occupied Palestinian Territory.

    In February, the United Nations Legal Counsel submitted a written statement to the Court – and yesterday, she made an oral statement before the Court – both of which on my behalf.

    The statement to the Court includes points that I have made on a number of occasions.

    Specifically, that all parties to conflict must comply with all their obligations under international law, including international human rights law and international humanitarian law.

    That Israel, as an occupying Power, is under an obligation to ensure food and medical supplies of the population.

    That Israel has an obligation to agree to and facilitate relief schemes in the Occupied Palestinian Territory.

    That humanitarian, medical and United Nations personnel must be respected and protected.

    And I emphasize the obligation under international law to respect the privileges and immunities of the United Nations and its personnel, including the absolute inviolability of United Nations premises, property and assets – and the immunity from legal process of the United Nations. 

    Such immunity applies to all UN entities in the Occupied Palestinian Territory – including UNRWA – a subsidiary organ of the General Assembly.
    I call on Member States to fully support all of these efforts. 

    Mr. President,

    In this period of turmoil and transition for the region, Member States must spell out how they will realize the commitment and promise of a two-State solution.

    This is not a time for ritualistically expressing support, ticking a box, and moving on.

    We are past the stage of ticking boxes – the clock is ticking.

    The two-State solution is near a point of no return. 

    The international community has a responsibility to prevent perpetual occupation and violence.

    My call to Member States is clear and urgent:

    Take irreversible action towards implementing a two-State solution.

    Do not let extremists on any side undermine what remains of the peace process.

    The High-Level Conference in June, co-chaired by France and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, is an important opportunity to revitalize international support.

    I encourage Member States to go beyond affirmations, and to think creatively about the concrete steps they will take to support a viable two-State solution before it is too late.

    At the same time, the Palestinian Authority needs stepped-up and sustained support – politically and financially.  This is crucial to ensure the continued viability of Palestinian institutions, consolidate ongoing reforms, and enable the PA to resume its full responsibilities in Gaza.

    Mr. President,

    At this hinge point of history for the people of the Middle East – and on this issue on which so much hinges – leaders must stand and deliver. 

    Show the political courage and exercise the political will to make good on this central question for peace for Palestinians, Israelis, the region and humanity.

    Thank you.

    ***
    [all-English]

    Mr. President, Excellencies,

    I thank the French presidency for convening this ministerial-level meeting on the Middle East, including the Palestinian question.

    The region is undergoing fundamental shifts, marked by violence and volatility but also opportunity and potential.

    In Lebanon, the ceasefire and territorial integrity must be respected and all commitments implemented.

    In Syria, we must keep working to support the country’s path towards a political transition that is inclusive of all segments of the Syrian population – one that ensures accountability, fosters national healing, and lays the foundation for Syria’s long-term recovery and further integration into the international community. 

    This includes the situation in the occupied Syrian Golan — which remains precarious with significant violations of the 1974 Disengagement of Forces Agreement, with the continued presence of the Israel Defense Forces into the area of separation and their several strikes targeting locations across the ceasefire line.

    Across the Middle East, people demand and deserve a better future, not endless conflict and suffering.

    We must collectively work to ensure that this turbulent and transitional period meets those aspirations — and delivers justice, dignity, rights, security and lasting peace.

    It starts by recognizing two fundamental facts: 

    First, that the region is at a hinge-point in history. 

    And, second, that truly sustainable Middle East peace hinges on one central question.

    On a core issue that this Security Council has affirmed and re-affirmed decade after decade, year after year:  a two-state solution, Israel and Palestine, living side-by-side in peace and security, with Jerusalem as the capital of both states.

    Mr. President,

    Today, the promise of a two-State solution is at risk of dwindling to the point of disappearance. 

    The political commitment to this long-standing goal is farther than it has ever been.

    As a result, the rights of both Israelis and Palestinians to live and peace and security have been undermined – and the legitimate national aspirations of the Palestinians have been denied – while they endure Israel’s continued presence that the International Court of Justice has found unlawful. 

    And since the horrific 7 October terror attacks by Hamas, it has gotten worse on every front.

    First, the unrelenting conflict and devastation in Gaza – including the utterly inhumane conditions of life imposed on its people who are repeatedly coming under attack, confined to smaller and smaller spaces, and deprived of lifesaving relief. 

    In line with international law, the Security Council has rejected any attempt at demographic or territorial change in the Gaza Strip, including any actions that reduce its territory. 

    Gaza is — and must remain — an integral part of a future Palestinian state.

    Second, in the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, Israeli military operations and the use of heavy weaponry in residential areas, forcible displacement, demolitions, movement restrictions, and settlement expansion are dramatically altering demographic and geographic realities. 

    Palestinians are being contained and coerced.  Contained in areas that are subject to increasing military operations and where the Palestinian Authority is under growing pressure – and coerced out of areas where settlements are expanding. 

    Third, settler violence continues at alarmingly high levels in a climate of impunity, with entire Palestinian communities facing repeated assaults and destruction, sometimes abetted by Israeli soldiers.

    Palestinian attacks against Israelis in both Israel and the occupied West Bank also continue.

    Mr. President,

    The world cannot afford to watch the two-State solution disappear. 

    Political leaders face clear choices — the choice to be silent, the choice to acquiesce, or the choice to act.

    Mr. President,

    In Gaza, there is no end in sight to the killing and misery.

    The ceasefire had brought a glimmer of hope – the long-sought release of hostages and delivery of lifesaving humanitarian relief.

    But those embers of opportunity were cruelly extinguished with the shattering of the ceasefire on 18 March. 

    Since then, almost 2,000 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza by Israeli strikes and military operations – including women, children, journalists, and humanitarians.

    Hamas also continues to fire rockets towards Israel indiscriminately – while the hostages continue to be held in appalling conditions. 

    The humanitarian situation throughout the Gaza Strip has gone from bad … to worse … to beyond imagination.   

    For nearly two full months, Israel has blocked food, fuel, medicine and commercial supplies, depriving more than two million people of lifesaving relief. 

    All while the world watches.

    I am alarmed by statements by Israeli government officials about the use of humanitarian aid as a tool for military pressure.

    Aid is non-negotiable. 

    Israel must protect civilians and must agree to relief schemes and facilitate them.

    I salute the women and men of the United Nations and all other humanitarian workers – especially our Palestinian colleagues — who continue to work under fire and in incomprehensibly difficult conditions.

    And I mourn all of the women and men of the United Nations who were killed – including some with their families.

    The entry of assistance must be restored immediately — the safety of UN personnel and humanitarian partners must be guaranteed – and UN agencies must be allowed to work in full respect of humanitarian principles:  humanity, impartiality, neutrality and independence.

    There must be no hindrance in humanitarian aid – including through the vital work of UNRWA.

    We need the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages.

    And we need a permanent ceasefire.

    It’s time to stop the repeated displacement of the Gaza population – along with any question of forced displacement outside of Gaza.

    And the trampling of international law must end.

    I call on Member States to use their leverage to ensure that international law is respected and impunity does not prevail.

    This includes for the 19 March incident for which Israel has now acknowledged responsibility in firing on a UN guesthouse, killing one colleague and injuring six others … the 23 March killing of paramedics and other rescue workers in Rafah … as well as many other cases.

    There must be accountability across the board.

    Mr. President,

    Advisory proceedings are ongoing at the International Court of Justice on the obligations of Israel, as an occupying Power and a Member of the United Nations, in relation to the presence and activities of the United Nations in and in relation to the Occupied Palestinian Territory.

    In February, the United Nations Legal Counsel submitted a written statement to the Court – and yesterday, she made an oral statement before the Court – both of which on my behalf.

    The statement to the Court includes points that I have made on a number of occasions.

    Specifically, that all parties to conflict must comply with all their obligations under international law, including international human rights law and international humanitarian law.

    That Israel, as an occupying Power, is under an obligation to ensure food and medical supplies of the population.

    That Israel has an obligation to agree to and facilitate relief schemes in the Occupied Palestinian Territory.

    That humanitarian, medical and United Nations personnel must be respected and protected.

    And I emphasize the obligation under international law to respect the privileges and immunities of the United Nations and its personnel, including the absolute inviolability of United Nations premises, property and assets – and the immunity from legal process of the United Nations. 

    Such immunity applies to all UN entities in the Occupied Palestinian Territory – including UNRWA – a subsidiary organ of the General Assembly.

    I call on Member States to fully support all of these efforts. 

    Mr. President,

    In this period of turmoil and transition for the region, Member States must spell out how they will realize the commitment and promise of a two-State solution.

    This is not a time for ritualistically expressing support, ticking a box, and moving on.

    We are past the stage of ticking boxes – the clock is ticking.

    The two-State solution is near a point of no return. 

    The international community has a responsibility to prevent perpetual occupation and violence.

    My call to Member States is clear and urgent:

    Take irreversible action towards implementing a two-State solution.

    Do not let extremists on any side undermine what remains of the peace process.

    The High-Level Conference in June, co-chaired by France and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, is an important opportunity to revitalize international support.

    I encourage Member States to go beyond affirmations, and to think creatively about the concrete steps they will take to support a viable two-State solution before it is too late.

    At the same time, the Palestinian Authority needs stepped-up and sustained support – politically and financially.  This is crucial to ensure the continued viability of Palestinian institutions, consolidate ongoing reforms, and enable the PA to resume its full responsibilities in Gaza.

    Mr. President,

    At this hinge point of history for the people of the Middle East – and on this issue on which so much hinges – leaders must stand and deliver. 

    Show the political courage and exercise the political will to make good on this central question for peace for Palestinians, Israelis, the region and humanity.

    Thank you.

    ***
    [all-French]

    Monsieur le Président, Excellences,

    Je remercie la présidence française d’organiser cette réunion au niveau ministériel sur le Moyen-Orient, y compris la question palestinienne.

    La région traverse des bouleversements fondamentaux, marqués par la violence et la volatilité, mais également porteurs d’opportunités et de potentiel.

    Au Liban, le cessez-le-feu et l’intégrité territoriale doivent être respectés et tous les engagements doivent être mis en œuvre.

    En Syrie, nous devons poursuivre nos efforts pour accompagner le pays sur la voie d’une transition politique inclusive de toutes les composantes de la population syrienne – une transition qui garantisse la reddition de comptes, favorise la réconciliation nationale, et jette les bases du redressement à long terme de la Syrie ainsi que de son intégration future au sein de la communauté internationale. 

    Cela inclut la situation dans le Golan syrien occupé, qui demeure précaire en raison de violations majeures de l’Accord de désengagement des forces de 1974 – notamment la présence continue des Forces de défense israéliennes dans la zone de séparation, ainsi que leurs multiples frappes contre des sites au-delà de la ligne de cessez-le-feu.

    À travers le Moyen-Orient, les populations réclament et méritent un avenir meilleur – et non des conflits et des souffrances sans fin.

    Nous devons agir ensemble pour faire en sorte que cette période de turbulences et de transition réponde à ces aspirations – et qu’elle apporte justice, dignité, droits, sécurité, et une paix durable.

    Cela commence par la reconnaissance de deux faits fondamentaux : 

    Premièrement, la région se trouve à un moment charnière de son histoire. 
    Et, deuxièmement, que toute paix vraiment durable au Moyen-Orient dépend d’une question centrale.

    Un élément essentiel que ce Conseil de sécurité a affirmé et réaffirmé, année après année, décennie après décennie : une solution à deux États, Israël et la Palestine, vivant côte-à-côte dans la paix et la sécurité, avec Jérusalem comme capitale des deux États.

    Monsieur le Président,

    Aujourd’hui, la promesse de la solution des deux États court le risque de s’effilocher au point de disparaître.

    L’engagement politique en faveur de cet objectif de longue date n’a jamais été aussi ténu.

    De ce fait, les droits des Israéliens et des Palestiniens de vivre en paix et sécurité ont été mis à mal – et les aspirations nationales légitimes des Palestiniens ont été niées – alors qu’ils continuent de subir une présence israélienne que la Cour internationale de justice a jugée illicite.

    Depuis les effroyables attaques terroristes perpétrées par le Hamas le 7 octobre, la situation s’est aggravée sur tous les fronts.

    Premièrement, avec le conflit incessant et la dévastation que subit la bande de Gaza : les conditions de vie sont absolument inhumaines, les habitants sont la cible d’attaques à répétition et sont confinés dans des espaces de plus en plus réduits et privés d’une aide vitale.

    S’appuyant sur le droit international, le Conseil de sécurité a rejeté toute tentative de changement démographique ou territorial dans la bande de Gaza, y compris tout acte visant à réduire le territoire.

    Gaza fait partie intégrante d’un futur État palestinien et doit le rester.

    Deuxièmement, en Cisjordanie occupée, y compris Jérusalem-Est, les opérations militaires israéliennes et l’emploi d’armes lourdes dans des zones résidentielles, les déplacements forcés, les démolitions, les restrictions de circulation et l’expansion des colonies transforment radicalement les réalités démographiques et géographiques.

    Les Palestiniens sont cantonnés dans certains endroits et contraints d’en quitter d’autres. Ils sont cantonnés dans des zones où les opérations militaires se multiplient et où l’Autorité palestinienne est soumise à des pressions croissantes, et contraints de quitter les zones où les colons étendent leur emprise.

    Troisièmement, la violence exercée par les colons se poursuit dans un climat d’impunité, parfois avec la complicité de soldats israéliens, et atteint des niveaux alarmants : des communautés palestiniennes tout entières sont agressées et victimes de destructions à répétition.

    Les attaques menées par des Palestiniens contre des Israéliens en Israël et en Cisjordanie occupée se poursuivent également.

    Monsieur le Président,

    Le monde ne peut pas se permettre de voir la solution des deux États s’évanouir.

    Les dirigeants politiques ont le choix : se taire, acquiescer ou agir.

    Monsieur le Président,

    À Gaza, rien ne laisse entrevoir la fin de la tuerie et des souffrances.

    Le cessez-le-feu avait apporté une lueur d’espoir : la libération des otages, tant attendue, et l’acheminement d’une aide humanitaire vitale.
    Hélas, cette lueur d’espoir s’est éteinte avec la rupture du cessez-le-feu le 18 mars.

    Depuis, les frappes et les opérations militaires israéliennes ont fait près de 2000 morts parmi les Palestiniens dans la bande de Gaza, y compris des femmes, des enfants, des journalistes et du personnel humanitaire.

    Le Hamas continue également de tirer des roquettes sur Israël sans discernement – tandis que les otages sont toujours détenus dans des conditions épouvantables.

    Déjà mauvaise, la situation humanitaire dans la bande de Gaza n’a fait qu’empirer et dépasse aujourd’hui l’entendement.

    Depuis près de deux mois, Israël bloque les livraisons de nourriture, de carburant, de médicaments et de marchandises, privant ainsi plus de deux millions de personnes d’une aide vitale.

    Et ce, au vu et au su du monde entier.

    Je suis alarmé par les déclarations de représentants d’Israël concernant l’utilisation de l’aide humanitaire comme moyen de pression militaire.

    L’aide humanitaire n’est pas négociable.

    Israël est tenu de protéger les civils ; il doit accepter les programmes d’aide et en faciliter l’exécution.

    Je rends hommage au personnel des Nations Unies, femmes et hommes, ainsi qu’à tous les autres agents humanitaires, en particulier à nos collègues palestiniens, qui continuent à travailler malgré les frappes et dans des conditions inouïes.

    Et je pleure toutes les femmes et tous les hommes des Nations Unies qui ont été tués – y compris certains avec leurs familles.

    L’acheminement de l’aide doit être rétabli immédiatement, la sécurité du personnel des Nations Unies et des partenaires humanitaires doit être garantie et les entités des Nations Unies doivent pouvoir travailler dans le plein respect des principes humanitaires : humanité, impartialité, neutralité et indépendance.

    Il ne doit y avoir aucune entrave à l’aide humanitaire, notamment au travail vital que fait l’UNRWA.

    Il faut que tous les otages soient libérés immédiatement et sans conditions.

    Et il faut un cessez-le-feu permanent.

    Il est temps de mettre un terme aux déplacements répétés de la population de Gaza, ainsi qu’à la question des déplacements forcés en dehors de Gaza.

    Et il faut cesser de bafouer le droit international.

    J’engage tous les États Membres à user de leur influence pour que le droit international soit respecté et que l’impunité ne l’emporte pas.

    Je veux parler notamment de la frappe du 19 mars contre une résidence des Nations Unies, qui a fait un mort et six blessés parmi nos collègues et pour laquelle Israël a désormais reconnu sa responsabilité … de l’attaque du 23 mars, dans laquelle du personnel paramédical et d’autres secouristes ont trouvé la mort à Rafah … et de bien d’autres encore.

    Aucun acte ne saurait rester impuni.

    Monsieur le Président,

    Une procédure consultative a été engagée à la Cour internationale de Justice sur les obligations d’Israël, Puissance occupante et membre de l’ONU, en ce qui concerne la présence et les activités des entités des Nations Unies dans le Territoire palestinien occupé et en lien avec celui-ci.

    En février, la Conseillère juridique de l’ONU a soumis en mon nom une déclaration écrite à la Cour, et hier, elle a fait une déclaration orale devant la Cour, également en mon nom.

    Cette déclaration reprend des points que j’ai soulevés à plusieurs reprises.

    En particulier, le fait que toutes les parties au conflit sont tenues de s’acquitter des obligations que leur impose le droit international, y compris le droit international humanitaire et le droit international des droits humains.

    Qu’Israël, Puissance occupante, est tenu d’assurer l’approvisionnement de la population en produits alimentaires et fournitures médicales.

    Qu’il est tenu d’accepter les programmes d’aide et d’en faciliter l’exécution dans le Territoire palestinien occupé.

    Que le personnel humanitaire et médical, ainsi que le personnel des Nations Unies, doit être respecté et protégé.

    Je tiens à insister sur l’obligation faite en droit international de respecter les privilèges et immunités des Nations Unies et de leur personnel, y compris l’inviolabilité absolue des locaux, des biens et des avoirs des Nations Unies, ainsi que l’immunité de juridiction des Nations Unies.

    Cette immunité s’applique à toutes les entités des Nations Unies dans le Territoire palestinien occupé, y compris l’UNRWA, organe subsidiaire de l’Assemblée générale.

    J’engage les États Membres à soutenir tous ces efforts.

    Monsieur le Président,

    En cette période de tourmente et de transition pour la région, les États Membres doivent énoncer clairement comment ils concrétiseront l’engagement qu’ils ont pris et la promesse qu’ils ont faite quant à la solution des deux États.

    Ce n’est pas le moment d’exprimer rituellement son soutien, de cocher une case et de passer à autre chose.

    Nous avons dépassé le stade des cases à cocher : le temps presse.

    Pour la solution des deux États, le glas a presque sonné.

    La communauté internationale a la responsabilité d’empêcher l’occupation et la violence perpétuelles.

    L’appel que je leur lance est urgent et sans équivoque :

    Prenez des mesures irréversibles pour concrétiser la solution des deux États.

    Ne laissez pas les extrémistes de tout bord saper ce qu’il reste du processus de paix.

    La Conférence de haut niveau qui se tiendra en juin, co-présidée par la France et le Royaume d’Arabie saoudite, est une véritable occasion de revitaliser le soutien international.

    J’encourage les États membres à aller au-delà des affirmations et à réfléchir de manière créative aux mesures concrètes qu’ils prendront pour soutenir une solution viable à deux États avant qu’il ne soit trop tard.

    J’encourage les États Membres à traduire les paroles en actes et à réfléchir de manière créative pour déterminer les mesures concrètes qu’ils prendront pour soutenir une solution viable de deux États – avant qu’il ne soit trop tard.

    Parallèlement, l’Autorité palestinienne a besoin d’un soutien accru et durable, tant sur le plan politique que financièrement parlant. C’est une condition essentielle pour garantir la viabilité des institutions palestiniennes, asseoir les réformes engagées et permettre à l’Autorité palestinienne d’exercer de nouveau toutes ses responsabilités dans la bande de Gaza.

    Monsieur le Président,

    À ce moment charnière de l’histoire pour les peuples du Moyen-Orient – et vis-à-vis de cette question dont dépendent tant de choses – les dirigeants doivent concrétiser leur promesse.

    Faites preuve de courage et de volonté politiques, tenez vos engagements vis-à-vis de cette question centrale pour la paix : pour les Palestiniens, les Israéliens, la région et l’humanité tout entière.

    Je vous remercie.

    MIL OSI Africa

  • MIL-OSI Security: Former Monmouth County Resident Sentenced to 16 Years in Prison for Role in Fraudulently Obtaining Over $3.7 Million in Cares Act Loans

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    NEWARK, N.J. – A former resident of Monmouth County was sentenced to prison for his role in a scheme to fraudulently obtain Payroll Protection Program (PPP) and Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) funds, U.S. Attorney Alina Habba announced.

    Kevin Aguilar, age 54, previously of Farmingdale, New Jersey, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Michael A. Shipp in Trenton federal court following Aguilar’s guilty plea to one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud; seven counts of bank fraud; one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud; three counts of wire fraud; one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering; one count of money laundering; and one count of aggravated identity theft. Aguilar was sentenced to 192 months in prison.

    According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:

    From April 2020 to April 2021, Aguilar conspired with others to submit seven fraudulent PPP loan applications and three fraudulent EIDL applications on behalf of four businesses. Based on the fraudulent applications, Aguilar received a total of approximately $3.3 million in PPP loan funds and approximately $450,000 in EIDL funds. After receiving the PPP and EIDL funds, Aguilar caused those funds to be transferred to other businesses that he created to give the false appearance that the PPP and EIDL funds were being used for legitimate purposes. Aguilar then used the PPP and EIDL funds to purchase residential properties in Sherman, Texas, a new truck for approximately $100,000, and to pay for other personal expenses.

    In addition to the 192-month prison term, Judge Shipp sentenced Aguilar to 5 years of supervised release and ordered him to pay $3,772,567 in restitution, as well as a forfeiture money judgment of $3,772,567.  Judge Shipp also ordered the forfeiture of approximately $1,511,221.62 that law enforcement seized from twelve bank accounts, as well as the three real properties in Sherman, Texas. 

    U.S. Attorney Habba credited special agents of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation – Office of Inspector General, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Patricia Tarasca in New York; IRS – Criminal Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Jenifer Piovesan; special agents of the Social Security Administration, Office of the Inspector General, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Amy Connelly; postal inspectors of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, under the direction of Inspector in Charge Christopher A. Nielsen; special agents of the Federal Housing Finance Agency, Office of Inspector General, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Robert Manchak; and special agents of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Thomas Mahoney.

    The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney David V. Simunovich of the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s Health Care Fraud Unit, Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer S. Kozar, of the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s Economic Crimes United in Newark, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Peter Laserna of the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s Bank Integrity, Money Laundering, and Recovery Unit.

    The District of New Jersey COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Strike Force is one of the five strike forces established throughout the United States by the U.S. Department of Justice to investigate and prosecute COVID-19 fraud. The strike forces focus on large-scale, multi-state pandemic relief fraud perpetrated by criminal organizations and transnational actors. The strike forces are interagency law enforcement efforts, using prosecutor-led and data analyst-driven teams designed to identify and bring to justice those who stole pandemic relief funds.

    Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.

                                                                           ###

    Defense counsel:         Alyssa Cimino, Esq., Fairfield, New Jersey; Robert Brady, Esq., Newton, New Jersey

    MIL Security OSI

  • MIL-OSI USA: WATCH: Sherrill Demands Transparency by Protecting Inspectors General at the Department of Defense

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Mikie Sherrill (NJ-11)

    WASHINGTON, DC — Congresswoman Mikie Sherrill (NJ-11) spoke out today against Donald Trump firing at least 17 Inspector Generals. These independent watchdogs serve within federal agencies and are tasked with investigating allegations of fraud, waste, and abuse. Despite being protected under federal law, the President failed to provide Congress a 30-day notice before any dismissal. The amendment would protect the Inspector General oversight at the Department of Defense.

    This effort comes after Rep. Sherrill wrote to inspectors general at eight federal agencies demanding investigations into Elon Musk’s conflicts of interest and potential self-dealing.

    Click here to listen to Sherrill’s full remarks. 

    Full remarks, as delivered:

    The Trump’s administration’s immediate firings of Inspectors General — particularly within the DoD — is not only illegal but is also a blatant attempt to silence independent oversight. By removing the IG’s, the administration is ensuring that there is no one left to hold Hegseth and the Department accountable for fraud, waste, and abuse. 

    This is not about improving government, this is about eroding transparency and giving Musk and Hegseth free passes to do whatever they want. It’s dangerous for our national security, and it’s dangerous for our service members.

    And sadly, this is a pattern across the Trump Administration — reducing oversight so that Trump can line the pockets of his billionaire buddies. We’ve seen it time and again: Trump rigs the system — he installs his campaign donors, like Elon Musk, in top roles; they manufacture a problem; remove IGs and other career officials who may hold them accountable; and then award government contracts to businesses where they have a financial interest. 

    It’s self dealing; it’s inappropriate; and it’s illegal. 

    That’s why earlier this year, I called on inspectors general at eight federal agencies to investigate Elon Musk and DOGE’s actions, identify his conflicts of interest, and ensure that an unelected billionaire isn’t stealing New Jersey families’ hard earned tax dollars to further enrich himself and his companies. 

    For Donald Trump, Elon Musk, and Pete Hegseth, it’s never been about combatting waste, fraud, and abuse. And it’s never been about service to country. Which is why I strongly support this amendment to protect inspector general oversight at the Department of Defense.

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News

  • MIL-OSI USA: WATCH: Sherrill Demands Republican Colleagues Support Amendment To Hold Hegseth Accountable For Reckless Use Of Signal

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Mikie Sherrill (NJ-11)

    WASHINGTON, DC — During today’s House Armed Services Committee reconciliation markup, Congresswoman Mikie Sherrill, a former Navy helicopter aircraft commander and Russian policy officer, demanded that her Republican colleagues hold Secretary Hegseth accountable for recklessly disclosing classified information on Signal. 

    Click here to listen to Sherrill’s full remarks. 

    Full remarks, as delivered:

    I learned how to properly handle classified information when I was a teenager in the U.S. Naval Academy. I used that training again as a Russian Policy officer in the Navy. 

    So I’ll start with the obvious: if Secretary Pete Hegseth believed a word he said about turning our military into a meritocracy, he would have sent in his resignation weeks ago. 

    His decision to send strike plans in multiple unsecured signal chats with his wife, his brother, his personal attorney, and a reporter could have killed American service members. And he did so while at least one Signal member was in the Kremlin. 

    But I’m not surprised by his complete disregard for our national security and the safety of our men and women in uniform. From his views on women in combat, to his willingness to bend the knee to Russian Dictator Vladimir Putin, we knew exactly who Trump was picking. It’s why I strongly opposed his nomination from the very beginning. 

    But I will say that I am deeply disappointed that it has taken until this moment for us to even bring this up. An investigation by this committee is long overdue. Because every single individual in this room knows that the information Hegseth shared on Signal was classified. 

    Every member of the House Armed Services Committee knows without a doubt that the timing, schedule, and composition of operations are absolutely classified. Every individual in this room knows that Pete Hegseth’s use of Signal could have gotten American service members killed. 

    So even if you haven’t served in uniform, you know how to handle classified information by virtue of sitting on this very committee. We host any hearing with classified information in secure rooms, without our phones, and without messaging apps like Signal. 

    Which is why I think it’s frankly asinine that the Majority on this committee has refused to hold any sort of investigatory hearing into Hegseth’s behavior. So the next time the majority tries to tell you they support our troops or care about our national security, remember that they continue to defend a Secretary of Defense who is a clear and present danger to every single American in uniform.

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News

  • MIL-OSI USA: WATCH: Rep. Sherrill Stands In The Breach Against Trump and Secretary Hegseth’s Effort To Erase History

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Mikie Sherrill (NJ-11)

    WASHINGTON, DC — As Secretary Hegseth and the Trump Administration bend and erase history to push their divisive agenda, Congresswoman Mikie Sherrill (NJ-11) is standing in the breach. During the House Armed Services Committee markup, Rep. Sherrill rose in support of an amendment that would prevent Hegseth from recklessly destroying or censoring any historical artifacts, books, papers or records at the Department of Defense without proper oversight. 

    Click here to listen to Sherrill’s full remarks. 

    Full remarks, as delivered:

    I’m a Naval Academy graduate. I’m deeply proud of my alma mater, and I am even more proud that some of my children went to step up and serve as well. It’s where I learned leadership, and it’s where I swore my first oath to the Constitution of the United States. But, right now, I’m disgusted. 

    I’m disgusted by how Donald Trump and Pete Hegseth are using our service academies and the department of defense to push their white christian nationalist agenda. He’s taken Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou off of the library shelves, but left two copies of Adolf Hitler’s Mein Kampf in the library.

    Just consider that for a minute: midshipmen can now read the antisemitic manifesto of one of history’s most evil men but god forbid they read the autobiography of a Black woman recounting her lived experience.

    Hegseth’s orders forced the Academy to remove a display highlighting the service of Jewish women before he came to visit. But Hegseth and Trump’s censorship reaches far beyond the Naval Academy. Over the past few months, they’ve deleted thousands of pages off of the DoD’s website. These pages have taught the history of trailblazing service members like the Tuskegee Airmen, the Navajo Code Talkers, Jackie Robinson, Maj. Gen. Jeannie Leavitt, our first female fighter pilot, and thousands more.

    Let me be clear: these are Americans who signed up to give their lives for this country, even when this country did not give them the rights and freedoms that they deserved. Diversity and inclusion have never been a detriment to our military, our government, or our society — but policies of uniformity and exclusion certainly have. 

    Black history is American history. Women’s history is American history. Native American history is American history. And erasing stories like this is not only a disgrace to the service of many people, but it will make our fighting forces and our nation weaker as a whole.

    That’s why I am supporting this Amendment to prevent Pete Hegseth and Donald Trump from bending and erasing history to push their white christian nationalist agenda.

    I will tell you why the caged bird sings, it sings for freedom.”

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News