Category: terrorism

MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: 14th meeting of ADMM-Plus Experts Working Group on Counter-Terrorism concludes in New Delhi

Source: Government of India (2)

14th meeting of ADMM-Plus Experts Working Group on Counter-Terrorism concludes in New Delhi

Discussions focus on evolving a comprehensive strategy to tackle terrorism & extremism

India & Malaysia assume co-chairmanship for 2024-2027 cycle; Announce Table-Top Exercise in Malaysia in 2026 & Field Training Exercise in India in 2027

Posted On: 21 MAR 2025 12:51PM by PIB Delhi

The 14^th meeting of ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting-Plus (ADMM-Plus) Experts Working Group on Counter-Terrorism (EWG on CT) was held in New Delhi from March 19 to 20, 2025. Delegations from ASEAN Secretariat, ASEAN countries (Lao PDR, Malaysia, Indonesia, Myanmar, Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia, Philippines and Vietnam), ADMM-Plus member states (China, USA, Russia, Australia, Japan and Republic of Korea) participated in the meeting.

During 14^th ADMM-Plus EWG on CT, the co-chairs, India and Malaysia conveyed work plan for the activities planned for the cycle 2024-2027. It announced the conduct of Table-Top Exercise for EWG on CT in Malaysia in 2026 and Field Training Exercise in India in 2027.

During the two-day meet, discussions were held to focus on evolving a robust and comprehensive strategy to tackle the evolving threat of terrorism and extremism. The meeting was aimed to share the on-ground experience of the Defence Forces of ASEAN countries and its dialogue partners. The meeting laid a foundation for the activities/exercises/meetings/ workshops planned for the current cycle.

Earlier, Myanmar and Russia, co-chairs for EWG on CT during the previous cycle for 2021-2024, handed over the co-chairmanship to India and Malaysia for the present cycle (2024-2027). India is hosting the maiden EWG meeting for the current cycle.

In the Inaugural session, Defence Secretary Shri Rajesh Kumar Singh delivered the keynote address and interacted with participating head of delegations during the opening ceremony. He stated that terrorism remains a dynamic and evolving challenge with threats increasingly transcending borders. He highlighted India’s efforts towards countering terrorism in the region, including adoption of Delhi Declaration during India’s chairmanship of Counter-Terrorism committee of the UNSC in 2022.

Joint Secretary [International Cooperation (IC)], Ministry of Defence Shri Amitabh Prasad, Additional Director General (IC), Indian Army, senior officials from the Ministry of External Affairs and Indian Army’s Counter-Terrorism division participated in the event.

The Heads of Delegations of participating countries and ASEAN Secretariat also presented their views on adopting best practices for countering terrorism in the region. The delegates also visited Agra as part of the cultural tour.

*******

VK/Savvy

(Release ID: 2113546) Visitor Counter : 123

MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

March 22, 2025
MIL-OSI: FBI Veteran Joseph Bonavolonta Joins Wrap with 27 Years of Experience, Former SAC of Boston Field Office
Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

MIAMI, March 20, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Wrap Technologies, Inc. (NASDAQ: WRAP) (“Wrap” or, the “Company”) today announced the appointment of Joseph R. Bonavolonta as Domestic Head of Managed Services of the Company, bringing over 27 years of experience from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”) to the Company’s management team.

Mr. Bonavolonta, who culminated his distinguished FBI career as Special Agent in Charge (SAC) of the Boston Field Office, led one of the agency’s largest divisions, overseeing high-profile criminal and national security investigations. His leadership extended to managing Joint Terrorism Task Forces, Safe Streets Gang and Violent Crime Task Forces, and directing the New England Region’s Domestic Director of National Intelligence (DDNI) Program.

In his new role, Mr. Bonavolonta is expected to assist the Company in driving growth while further deepening Wrap’s global law enforcement network. His extensive expertise in national security, compliance and risk management, combined with Wrap’s growing investigative technology partners, will enhance the Company’s mission to provide innovative, non-lethal solutions for public safety worldwide.

Prior to joining Wrap, Mr. Bonavolonta served as Managing Partner at a global security firm, where he provided strategic security solutions for multinational corporations, critical institutions, and high-net-worth individuals. His deep knowledge of technologies used in risk and vulnerability assessments, insider threats, cybersecurity and physical security strategies makes him an invaluable asset to Wrap’s growing Managed Services Branch.

“We are committed to bringing together elite-level talent and cutting-edge technology to solve the most pressing security challenges of today and the future,” said Bill McMurry, Chief Executive Officer of Managed Services at WRAP. “Joseph Bonavolonta’s unmatched expertise will be instrumental in strengthening our Managed Services Branch, reinforcing our role in supporting those who protect us and expanding our capabilities across both public and private sectors.”

Mr. Bonavolonta’s distinguished FBI career also includes leadership roles such as:
- Deputy Assistant Director of the Counterintelligence Division, overseeing domestic and international operations;
- Head of the Boston Field Office’s Cyber and Counterintelligence Branch, tackling nation-state driven espionage and cybersecurity threats; and
- Supervisor of the Complex Financial Crimes Program in the Newark Field Office.
His investigative achievements include spearheading international organized crime initiatives in coordination with the Italian National Police, and the dismantling of major criminal networks, including the Bonanno La Cosa Nostra (LCN) Family. His work earned him numerous accolades, including the Attorney General’s Director’s Award for Superior Performance, the Law Enforcement Distinguished Community Service Award, and the National Intelligence Meritorious Unit Citation.

His deep connections within the New England law enforcement community and across federal and international security networks will help solidify Wrap’s relationships globally, strengthening the Company’s impact in law enforcement, security and risk mitigation.

Expanding Expertise with W1 Global and James DeStefano

Mr. Bonavolonta’s addition is expected to further strengthen Wrap’s global security, technology and investigative expertise, complementing the experience brought in through Wrap’s recent W1 Global, LLC acquisition. He joins James DeStefano, a retired FBI executive and former head of the FBI New York Field Office’s Crisis Management Program, who has spent years conducting risk and vulnerability assessments for corporate clients.

Their combined experience is expected to enhance Wrap’s ability to deliver comprehensive technology security solutions to law enforcement agencies, commercial clients and high-net-worth individuals worldwide.

About Wrap Technologies, Inc.
Wrap Technologies, Inc. (Nasdaq: WRAP) is a global leader in public safety solutions, bringing together cutting-edge technology with exceptional people to address the complex, modern day challenges facing public safety organizations.

Wrap’s BolaWrap^® solution is a safer way to gain compliance—without pain. This innovative, patented device deploys light, sound, and a Kevlar^® tether to safely restrain individuals from a distance, giving officers critical time and space to manage non-compliant situations before resorting to higher-force options. The BolaWrap 150 does not shoot, strike, shock, or incapacitate—instead, it helps officers operate lower on the force continuum, reducing the risk of injury to both officers and subjects. Used by over 1,000 agencies across the U.S. and in 60 countries, BolaWrap^® is backed by training certified by the International Association of Directors of Law Enforcement Standards and Training (IADLEST), reinforcing Wrap’s commitment to public safety through cutting-edge technology and expert training.

Wrap Reality™ VR is an advanced, fully immersive training simulator designed to enhance decision-making under pressure. As a comprehensive public safety training platform, it provides first responders with realistic, interactive scenarios that reflect the evolving challenges of modern law enforcement. By offering a growing library of real-world situations, Wrap Reality™ equips officers with the skills and confidence to navigate high stakes encounters effectively, leading to safer outcomes for both responders and the communities they serve.

Wrap’s Intrensic solution is an advanced body-worn camera and evidence management system built for efficiency, security, and transparency. Designed to meet the rigorous demands of modern law enforcement, Intrensic seamlessly captures, stores, and manages digital evidence, ensuring integrity and full chain-of-custody compliance. With automated workflows, secure cloud storage, and intuitive case management tools, it streamlines operations, reduces administrative burden, and enhances courtroom credibility.

Trademark Information
Wrap, the Wrap logo, BolaWrap^®, Wrap Reality™ and Wrap Training Academy are trademarks of Wrap Technologies, Inc., some of which are registered in the U.S. and abroad. All other trade names used herein are either trademarks or registered trademarks of the respective holders.

Cautionary Note on Forward-Looking Statements – Safe Harbor Statement
This release contains “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the “safe harbor” provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Words such as “expect,” “anticipate,” “should”, “believe”, “target”, “project”, “goals”, “estimate”, “potential”, “predict”, “may”, “will”, “could”, “intend”, and variations of these terms or the negative of these terms and similar expressions are intended to identify these forward-looking statements. Moreover, forward-looking statements are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties, many of which involve factors or circumstances that are beyond the Company’s control. The Company’s actual results could differ materially from those stated or implied in forward-looking statements due to a number of factors, including but not limited to: the expected benefits of the acquisition of W1 Global, LLC, the Company’s ability to maintain compliance with the Nasdaq Capital Market’s listing standards; the Company’s ability to successfully implement training programs for the use of its products; the Company’s ability to manufacture and produce products for its customers; the Company’s ability to develop sales for its products; the market acceptance of existing and future products; the availability of funding to continue to finance operations; the complexity, expense and time associated with sales to law enforcement and government entities; the lengthy evaluation and sales cycle for the Company’s product solutions; product defects; litigation risks from alleged product-related injuries; risks of government regulations; the business impact of health crises or outbreaks of disease, such as epidemics or pandemics; the impact resulting from geopolitical conflicts and any resulting sanctions; the ability to obtain export licenses for counties outside of the United States; the ability to obtain patents and defend intellectual property against competitors; the impact of competitive products and solutions; and the Company’s ability to maintain and enhance its brand, as well as other risk factors mentioned in the Company’s most recent annual report on Form 10-K, subsequent quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, and other Securities and Exchange Commission filings. These forward-looking statements are made as of the date of this release and were based on current expectations, estimates, forecasts, and projections as well as the beliefs and assumptions of management. Except as required by law, the Company undertakes no duty or obligation to update any forward-looking statements contained in this release as a result of new information, future events or changes in its expectations.

Investor Relations Contact:
(800) 583-2652
ir@wrap.com

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at
https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/183801f3-4937-4aff-b91a-901b9599b322

The MIL Network –
March 21, 2025
MIL-OSI Africa: Islamic State in Somalia: the terrorist group’s origins, rise and recent battlefield defeats

Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Stig Jarle Hansen, Professor of International Relations, Norwegian University of Life Sciences

The Islamic State in Somalia is an affiliate of the transnational jihadist group Islamic State, known in short as ISIS. Based in the semi-autonomous northern Somalia territory of Puntland, the terrorist group was the target of the first foreign combat operation of the Trump administration in February 2025. Previously, the group has been linked to planned terror attacks on the Vatican and on the Israeli embassy in Stockholm. Stig Jarle Hansen, a researcher and author of several books on jihadism in Africa, examines its origins, rise and recent battlefield defeats in the mountains of Puntland.

1. The rise of the Islamic State

Before the establishment of the Islamic State in Somalia in 2015, the Somali jihadist group al-Shabaab had established itself in the north. The small group had extensive connections to smuggling networks. It later split into two and the future leader of the Islamic State in Somalia, Sheikh Abdulqader Muumin, emerged from one of the splinter groups.

In Somalia, clans define the relationship between people and all actors in the society. The connections of the new group to the Ali Suleiban sub-clan enabled it to profit from the clan’s links to smuggling and maritime piracy groups.

Puntland is the hub of communication and maritime trade between Somalia and Yemen, as well as the wider Middle East. Smuggling has gone on in the region for centuries. The rugged terrain is ideal for piracy, illegal smuggling and insurgents.

Puntland has been more or less autonomous from the rest of Somalia for more than three decades, and the Somali government has little influence there today.

2. The jihadist behind the Islamic State in Somalia

Muumin lived in Sweden through the 1990s and early 2000s and later moved to the UK. Back in Somalia, he joined al-Shabaab and became a prominent figure in the group’s jihadist videos. Such videos aim to maintain morals, attract new recruits and create sympathy for the group.

In 2015, Muumin defected to lead the Islamic State in Somalia. His second-in-command was another Ali Suleiban clansman, Mahad Moalim. In 2016, the first video of the group was circulated through Islamic State media outlets.

A milestone for the group followed its 2017 suicide bombing of the Juba Hotel in Bosaso, Puntland’s commercial capital and sea port. This enabled the Islamic State in Somalia to pressure Bossaso-based businesses to pay it protection money, the single most important source of income. In 2017-2018, the group is believed to have been behind as many as 50 assassinations in central Somalia. The killings were a forceful tool to generate protection money.

On 27 July 2018, the Somali group was officially designated as a full province by the Islamic State, also known as ISIS. The Maktab al-Karrar regional office was based in the small Puntland chapter, giving it global responsibilities.

The Somali group was made responsible for the central African and the Mozambique provinces of the Islamic State. Money flowed to the group from the Islamic State, as did extortion money from Bossaso, other northern Puntland cities and more infrequently from Mogadishu.

In the first half of 2022, the US Treasury claimed that the organisation generated US$2.3 million from extortion payments, related imports, livestock and agriculture. The regional office and Muumin emerged as key financial players in east Africa, and even outside it, from their base in Buur Dexhtaal in Bari Puntland. Indeed, unnamed US officials claimed in 2023 that Muumim had been made the transnational leader of the Islamic State.

3. An overblown reputation

The Islamic State’s reputation in Somalia is often overstated. The group has never captured or held large territories. Its numbers in 2024 were estimated to be between 600 and 1,600. That pales in comparison to al-Shabaab in the south of Somalia.

Its links to a planned attack on the Israeli embassy in Stockholm 2024 were probably weak and failed to hold up in court. And the jihadist linked to a planned attack in the Vatican 2018 seems to have left Islamic State prior to the planning.

It is also doubtful that Muumin is the global leader of the Islamic State as claimed by some. That’s for two main reasons. First, an Islamic State leader has to be drawn from a tribe related to the prophet (Qureshi). Muumin is not. Second, the Islamic State in Somalia is the smallest of the Islamic State provinces in Africa. It is likely that a leader of a stronger province would have ranked higher.

Although the income-gathering capacities of the Puntland-based group give it prominence in the Islamic State media, the Islamic State in Somalia does not rank higher than the Islamic State in the Sahara and Mozambique.

4. Down but not out

The Puntland authorities launched a relatively successful counter-offensive against the Islamic State in January 2025. This was combined with air support by the US and the United Arab Emirates.

Puntland won important battles in January and February, including an attack in which it killed 70 Islamic State fighters.

By late February, the morale of the Islamic State fighters seemed to break. With the fall of Buur Dexhtaal, the main base, in March, all the larger known bases had fallen. Many of the fleeing foreign fighters were captured.

But the Islamic State is not defeated. The terrain enabled some of the fighters to hide. Neither Muumin, who is in his 70s, nor his second-in-command Abdirahman Fahiye have been reported killed. There are at least several hundred fighters left.

If the Islamic State is still able to extort money from the northern business community, it could recruit from the large numbers of Oromo Ethiopian refugees in and around Bosaso, as well as locals who need jobs.

– Islamic State in Somalia: the terrorist group’s origins, rise and recent battlefield defeats
– https://theconversation.com/islamic-state-in-somalia-the-terrorist-groups-origins-rise-and-recent-battlefield-defeats-252303

MIL OSI Africa –

March 21, 2025
MIL-OSI Global: Islamic State in Somalia: the terrorist group’s origins, rise and recent battlefield defeats

Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Stig Jarle Hansen, Professor of International Relations, Norwegian University of Life Sciences

The Islamic State in Somalia is an affiliate of the transnational jihadist group Islamic State, known in short as ISIS. Based in the semi-autonomous northern Somalia territory of Puntland, the terrorist group was the target of the first foreign combat operation of the Trump administration in February 2025. Previously, the group has been linked to planned terror attacks on the Vatican and on the Israeli embassy in Stockholm. Stig Jarle Hansen, a researcher and author of several books on jihadism in Africa, examines its origins, rise and recent battlefield defeats in the mountains of Puntland.

1. The rise of the Islamic State

Before the establishment of the Islamic State in Somalia in 2015, the Somali jihadist group al-Shabaab had established itself in the north. The small group had extensive connections to smuggling networks. It later split into two and the future leader of the Islamic State in Somalia, Sheikh Abdulqader Muumin, emerged from one of the splinter groups.

In Somalia, clans define the relationship between people and all actors in the society. The connections of the new group to the Ali Suleiban sub-clan enabled it to profit from the clan’s links to smuggling and maritime piracy groups.

Puntland is the hub of communication and maritime trade between Somalia and Yemen, as well as the wider Middle East. Smuggling has gone on in the region for centuries. The rugged terrain is ideal for piracy, illegal smuggling and insurgents.

Puntland has been more or less autonomous from the rest of Somalia for more than three decades, and the Somali government has little influence there today.

2. The jihadist behind the Islamic State in Somalia

Muumin lived in Sweden through the 1990s and early 2000s and later moved to the UK. Back in Somalia, he joined al-Shabaab and became a prominent figure in the group’s jihadist videos. Such videos aim to maintain morals, attract new recruits and create sympathy for the group.

In 2015, Muumin defected to lead the Islamic State in Somalia. His second-in-command was another Ali Suleiban clansman, Mahad Moalim. In 2016, the first video of the group was circulated through Islamic State media outlets.

A milestone for the group followed its 2017 suicide bombing of the Juba Hotel in Bosaso, Puntland’s commercial capital and sea port. This enabled the Islamic State in Somalia to pressure Bossaso-based businesses to pay it protection money, the single most important source of income. In 2017-2018, the group is believed to have been behind as many as 50 assassinations in central Somalia. The killings were a forceful tool to generate protection money.

On 27 July 2018, the Somali group was officially designated as a full province by the Islamic State, also known as ISIS. The Maktab al-Karrar regional office was based in the small Puntland chapter, giving it global responsibilities.

The Somali group was made responsible for the central African and the Mozambique provinces of the Islamic State. Money flowed to the group from the Islamic State, as did extortion money from Bossaso, other northern Puntland cities and more infrequently from Mogadishu.

In the first half of 2022, the US Treasury claimed that the organisation generated US$2.3 million from extortion payments, related imports, livestock and agriculture. The regional office and Muumin emerged as key financial players in east Africa, and even outside it, from their base in Buur Dexhtaal in Bari Puntland. Indeed, unnamed US officials claimed in 2023 that Muumim had been made the transnational leader of the Islamic State.

3. An overblown reputation

The Islamic State’s reputation in Somalia is often overstated. The group has never captured or held large territories. Its numbers in 2024 were estimated to be between 600 and 1,600. That pales in comparison to al-Shabaab in the south of Somalia.

Its links to a planned attack on the Israeli embassy in Stockholm 2024 were probably weak and failed to hold up in court. And the jihadist linked to a planned attack in the Vatican 2018 seems to have left Islamic State prior to the planning.

It is also doubtful that Muumin is the global leader of the Islamic State as claimed by some. That’s for two main reasons. First, an Islamic State leader has to be drawn from a tribe related to the prophet (Qureshi). Muumin is not. Second, the Islamic State in Somalia is the smallest of the Islamic State provinces in Africa. It is likely that a leader of a stronger province would have ranked higher.

Although the income-gathering capacities of the Puntland-based group give it prominence in the Islamic State media, the Islamic State in Somalia does not rank higher than the Islamic State in the Sahara and Mozambique.

4. Down but not out

The Puntland authorities launched a relatively successful counter-offensive against the Islamic State in January 2025. This was combined with air support by the US and the United Arab Emirates.

Puntland won important battles in January and February, including an attack in which it killed 70 Islamic State fighters.

By late February, the morale of the Islamic State fighters seemed to break. With the fall of Buur Dexhtaal, the main base, in March, all the larger known bases had fallen. Many of the fleeing foreign fighters were captured.

But the Islamic State is not defeated. The terrain enabled some of the fighters to hide. Neither Muumin, who is in his 70s, nor his second-in-command Abdirahman Fahiye have been reported killed. There are at least several hundred fighters left.

If the Islamic State is still able to extort money from the northern business community, it could recruit from the large numbers of Oromo Ethiopian refugees in and around Bosaso, as well as locals who need jobs.

Stig Jarle Hansen 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. Islamic State in Somalia: the terrorist group’s origins, rise and recent battlefield defeats – https://theconversation.com/islamic-state-in-somalia-the-terrorist-groups-origins-rise-and-recent-battlefield-defeats-252303

MIL OSI – Global Reports –

March 21, 2025
MIL-OSI Economics: Secretary-General of ASEAN meets with the Chairman of the Institute of Strategic and International Studies (ISIS) Malaysia

Source: ASEAN

Secretary-General of ASEAN, Dr. Kao Kim Hourn, today met with the Chairman of the Institute of Strategic and International Studies (ISIS) Malaysia, Datuk Prof. Dr. Mohd Faiz Abdullah, at the ISIS Malaysia office in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. During their meeting, Dr. Kao highlighted the important role that Track 2 Institutions such as ISIS Malaysia could play in regional diplomacy, particularly in supporting of Malaysia’s ASEAN Chairmanship priorities this year through platforms such as the annual Asia-Pacific Roundtable (APR).

The post Secretary-General of ASEAN meets with the Chairman of the Institute of Strategic and International Studies (ISIS) Malaysia appeared first on ASEAN Main Portal.

MIL OSI Economics –

March 20, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: Warren Man Sentenced to Prison for Hate Crime of Defacing Predominantly Black Church

Source: Office of United States Attorneys

DETROIT – A Warren, Michigan man was sentenced today to 12 months in prison for spray-painting swastikas, the word “die,” and other graffiti on a predominantly Black church in Roseville, Michigan, Acting United States Attorney Julie Beck announced.

Beck was joined in the announcement by Acting Assistant Attorney General Mac Warner of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, and Chevoryea Gibson, Special Agent in Charge of the Detroit Field Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

According to court documents, David Bluer, 34, pleaded guilty on December 3, 2024, to one count of damaging religious property. As part of his guilty plea, Bluer admitted that in October 2021, he spray-painted several swastikas, the word “die,” and other graffiti on the Roseville church, because of the race and color of individuals associated with the church. Specifically, the defendant admitted that he intentionally defaced the church because the church serves a predominantly Black congregation and has a Black pastor. In addition, Bluer spray-painted swastikas, a racist slur and symbols, and other graffiti on the public bathroom of Trombly Park, in Warren, Michigan. The racist graffiti included the statement “DaviD KiLLS Ni**ERS.”

“The defendant’s attack, motivated by race and color, instilled fear in not only the mostly Black congregants of the church, but damaged the entire community’s sense of safety. Our office will always vigorously prosecute those who commit unlawful bias-motivated acts and seek justice for the victims,” Acting U.S. Attorney Beck said.

“The sentence of David Bluer sends a stern warning to anyone who seeks to invoke fear and hatred towards a specific group of individuals. The FBI is committed to upholding the U.S. Constitution, investigating civil rights violations and the protection of the American People,” said Cheyvoryea Gibson, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI in Michigan. The hate-driven criminal acts committed by Mr. Bluer were halted through the relentless investigative efforts of members from the FBI Detroit’s Joint Terrorism Task Force, Roseville P.D., Warren P.D., as well as the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Michigan, whose collaboration was crucial in securing this successful prosecution.”

The FBI Detroit Field Office investigated the case.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Frances Carlson for the Eastern District of Michigan and Trial Attorney Erin Monju of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division prosecuted the case.

MIL Security OSI –

March 20, 2025
MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Terrorism remains an evolving challenge, use of advanced tech necessitates collaborative & action-oriented approach, says Defence Secretary at 14th meeting of ADMM-Plus Experts Working Group on Counter-Terrorism

Source: Government of India

Terrorism remains an evolving challenge, use of advanced tech necessitates collaborative & action-oriented approach, says Defence Secretary at 14th meeting of ADMM-Plus Experts Working Group on Counter-Terrorism

Calls for developing a ‘whole of government and whole of society’ approach to counter radicalisation & violent extremism and enhancing legal & financial frameworks to disrupt terror financing networks

Posted On: 19 MAR 2025 5:34PM by PIB Delhi

“India remains steadfast in its zero-tolerance policy towards terrorism and believes in an approach that combines robust domestic mechanisms, enhanced intelligence-sharing, and strong regional cooperation,” said Defence Secretary Shri Rajesh Kumar Singh during the keynote address at the 14^th meeting of ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting (ADMM) – Plus Experts Working Group (EWG) on Counter-Terrorism in New Delhi on March 19, 2025.

The Defence Secretary stated that terrorism remains a dynamic & evolving challenge, with threats increasingly transcending borders, and the use of advanced technology, cyber tools & unmanned systems by terrorist groups necessitates a cohesive, forward looking and action-oriented approach. He added that the Indo-Pacific region, given its geopolitical and economic significance, is particularly vulnerable to transitional terrorism and violent extremism, which calls for a comprehensive, adaptive, and deeply collaborative response.

Shri Rajesh Kumar Singh emphasised that, through the ADMM-Plus platform, India seeks to build synergy among the defence forces, security agencies, and policy frameworks to address emerging threat effectively. “In the complex, hyper-connected & fast-paced world, social and ecological systems are fragile. It is important to assess this risk to empower the Governments in priority setting and decision making. Terrorism can destabilise governments, undermine civil society, and threaten social & economic development. We have a collective obligation to provide the decision-makers guidance to understand uncertainty and better weigh the impact on decision making,” he said.

The event witnessed the handing over of ADMM-Plus EWG on Counter-Terrorism chairmanship to India and Malaysia from Russia and Myanmar for a three-year cycle. The Defence Secretary voiced the commitment of the new co-chairs towards ensuring that the efforts over this cycle yield practical and meaningful results. “By leveraging our collective expertise, enhancing capacity-building, and fostering deeper trust and cooperation, we can significantly strengthen regional security and counter-terrorism preparedness,” he said.

Shri Rajesh Kumar Singh stated that in the present cycle of EWG on Counter-Terrorism, the focus will be on strengthening regional cooperation and improving interoperability among the Armed Forces through structured joint initiatives. He added that the aim will be to counter the misuse of emerging technologies and addressing threats posed by terrorists through use of AI-driven propaganda, encrypted communications, drone technologies. Strengthening cyber resilience against online radicalisation and recruitment efforts will also be a focus area, he said.

Towards the latter half of the cycle, the Defence Secretary said, work will be carried out together towards capacity building through practical exercises wherein Malaysia will conduct a Table-Top Exercise in 2026, facilitating strategic-level decision making simulations to improve Counter-Terrorism planning and preparedness. In 2027, India will host a Field Training Exercise, aimed at stimulating real-world Counter-Terrorism scenarios, enhancing operational coordination, and testing rapid response mechanisms. He called for developing a whole of government and whole of society approach to counter radicalisation & violent extremism and enhancing legal & financial frameworks to disrupt terror financing networks.

Shri Rajesh Kumar Singh congratulated Malaysia for assuming the chairmanship of ASEAN for the year 2025, extending India’s full support. He acknowledged Malaysia’s effort in effectively steering ASEAN under the current geopolitical scenario with the theme ‘Inclusivity and Sustainability’. He added that India is privileged to co-chair this crucial initiative alongside Malaysia, and appreciates the participation of representatives from the ASEAN member states, the Plus nations, the ASEAN Secretariat, and Timor-Leste. “Your presence reaffirms our shared commitment in combating terrorism in all its forms,” he said.

The Defence Secretary termed India’s relationship with ASEAN as a key pillar of its foreign policy, which is at the heart of Act East Policy. He reiterated India’s strong support to a stable and unified ASEAN which serves as an institutional anchor of an important region.

Delegations from 10 ASEAN members (Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Vietnam, Singapore and Thailand) and eight dialogue partners (Australia, New Zealand, RoK, Japan, China, USA and Russia) along with Timor Leste and ASEAN Secretariat are participating in the meeting. India is co-chairing the EWG on Counter-Terrorism for the first time.

***

VK/Savvy

(Release ID: 2112877) Visitor Counter : 86

MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

March 20, 2025
MIL-OSI Global: If we fully engage with how generative AI works, we can still create original art

Source: The Conversation – UK – By Anthony Downey, Professor of Visual Culture, Birmingham City University

Even before the recent protest by a group of well-known musicians at the UK government’s plans to allow AI companies to use copyright-protected work for training, disquiet around artists’ rights was already growing.

In early February, an open letter from artists around the world called on Christie’s auction house to cancel a sale of art created with the assistance of generative AI (GenAI). This is a form of artificial intelligence that creates content – including text, images, or music – based on the patterns learned from colossal data sets.

Without giving specific examples, the letter suggested that many of the works included in the sale, which was entitled “Augmented Intelligence” were “known to be trained on copyrighted work without a licence” and suggested that such sales further “incentivises AI companies’ mass theft of human artists’ work”.

This article is part of our State of the Arts series. These articles tackle the challenges of the arts and heritage industry – and celebrate the wins, too.

If we think about Dall-E, Midjourney, and Stable Diffusion, all of which use text prompts to generate images and are trained on data sets harvested from online sources, the letter raised significant issues about the nature of artistic creativity and how the legal concept of “fair use” and originality is applied in such cases.

These are complex debates, encompassing perennial misgivings about machine automation, intellectual property (IP), and the cherished ideal that ingenuity and originality remain the sole preserve of humanity.

How to think from within GenAI

The impact of AI on the creative industries has become a major issue in the UK and elsewhere, so much so that we are faced with an existential question: how do we understand the evolving impact of AI on human creativity today?

The scope of this enquiry reveals a simple fact: we need to develop more accessible and inclusive ways to think from within AI image processing models. This is exactly what my latest research, produced in collaboration with the acclaimed artist and photographer Trevor Paglen, proposes.

How, this research asks, do we better understand the mechanisms behind the collation and labelling of the data sets that are used to train AI? And how, in turn, can we create new ways for understanding the extent to which AI image-production models inform our experience the world?

It is, I argue, through the development of interdisciplinary research methods that draw upon the arts and humanities that we can critically engage with these concerns.

Although the open letter addressed to Christie’s alluded to these topics, it did not, perhaps unsurprisingly, observe the degree to which some of the more prominent artists in the Augmented Intelligence sale had actively engaged in providing visual methods and insights into how GenAI functions.

It is notable that Holly Herndon and Mat Dryhurst’s work xhairymutantx scrutinises how the data sets used in AI models of image production both define and transform images. For example, if you type the word “Holly Herndon” into Midjourney, it will produce images that are based on data sets derived from Herndon’s online presence.

To draw attention to, and simultaneously disrupt, this process, the artists generated their own data sets of images and labelled them “Holly Herndon”. The images in these data sets had been previously manipulated to emphasise certain qualities associated with Herndon (her red hair, for example). Once fed back into the AI image processing model, the ensuing images of “Holly Herndon” became evermore outlandish and exaggerated.

This clearly shows that AI image processing is a highly inconsistent and selective procedure that can be manipulated with ease.

If we consider how models of AI image processing are used in facial recognition and drone technologies – often with fatal consequences – this is an urgent concern.

Reflecting upon aerial photography in his work Machine Hallucinations – ISS Dreams, artist and data visualisation pioneer Refik Anandol used a data set of 1.2 million images collated by the International Space Station (ISS). Alongside other satellite images of Earth, he produced an AI-generated composition.

Employing generative adversarial networks (GANs) – an AI model that trains neural networks to recognise, classify and, crucially, generate new images – Anandol effectively produced a unique landscape that changes over time and never seems to repeat itself.

In both these examples, artists are not simply engaging in either “mass theft” or using AI models that have been trained on large data sets to mechanically produce images. They are explicitly drawing attention to how the data sets used to train AI can be both strategically engineered and actively disrupted.

In our recent book (to which I contributed as editor and author), Trevor Paglen, whose work was not in the Christie’s sale, reveals how data sets regularly produce disquieting, hallucinatory allegories of our world.

Given that GANs are trained on specific data sets and do not experience the world as such, they often produce hallucinatory and uncanny versions of it. Although often considered to be a fault or a glitch in the system, the event of hallucination, as Paglen demonstrates, is nevertheless central to GenAI.

In images such as Rainbow, which was produced using a data set created and labelled by Paglen, we see a ghostly image of our world that discloses the inner, latent mechanics of image production in GANs.

Paglen’s practice, alongside that of Dryhurst, Herndon and Anandol, defines a clear distinction between those artists who casually use AI to generate yet more images and those who critically investigate the operative logic of AI. The latter approach is precisely what is needed when it comes to thinking through GenAI and rendering it more accountable as a technology that has evolved to define significant aspects of our lives.

If we allow that the internal workings of AI are opaque to users and programmers alike, it is all the more crucial that we explore how art practices – and the humanities more broadly – can encourage us to think from within these unaccountable systems. In doing so we could significantly improve levels of understanding and engagement with a technology that is defining the future and our relationship to it.

Anthony Downey 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. If we fully engage with how generative AI works, we can still create original art – https://theconversation.com/if-we-fully-engage-with-how-generative-ai-works-we-can-still-create-original-art-251993

MIL OSI – Global Reports –

March 20, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: The Terrorist Screening Center Changes Name to the Threat Screening Center

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

The FBI’s Terrorist Screening Center (TSC) has been renamed the Threat Screening Center to reflect an expanded mission. For more than 20 years, the Terrorist Screening Center has been the U.S. government’s lead terrorist watchlisting entity. As national security threats continue to evolve, the TSC has expanded beyond terrorism watchlisting and screening to address other national security threats, like transnational organized crime (TOC).

With the recent designation of eight drug cartels and gangs as foreign terrorist organizations (FTOs), the TSC is well positioned to significantly increase its available identity information on transnational organized crime actors. To reflect this broader mission and increased focus on watchlisting FTO-designated TOC members, the TSC has changed its name to the Threat Screening Center.

“Border security is essential to protecting our country and providing safer communities for our citizens,” said FBI Director Kash Patel. “We’re expanding the watchlist to include cartel and gang members from newly designated foreign terrorist organizations. This change will assist our law enforcement and Intelligence Community partners as we all work together toward the goal of crushing violent crime within our borders.”

“With expanding and growing threats, we are reflecting that in our name,” added TSC Director Michael Glasheen. “Transnational organized crime watchlisting plays an important role in U.S. security interests while we continue to prevent terrorist attacks. The name change is a signal to the American people that the TSC is a powerful tool that can be used to fight all national security threats.”

MIL Security OSI –

March 20, 2025
MIL-OSI: Toobit Obtains VASP License in Poland

Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

GEORGE TOWN, Cayman Islands, March 19, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Toobit, the award-winning cryptocurrency derivatives trading platform, has successfully secured the Poland VASP (Virtual Asset Service Provider) license from the Polish Financial Supervision Authority (KNF).

As part of its registration, the leading global exchange was assessed on its anti-money laundering measures and know-your-customer processes, both which currently align with the EU’s latest financial standards.

“Obtaining the Polish VASP license is a representation of our commitment to operating within a regulated framework,” said Mike Williams, Chief Communication Officer of Toobit, “With the European Union preparing to roll out MiCA, this milestone is especially significant as it puts us ahead in regulatory compliance.”

With the license, the exchange expects continued growth in Poland, a growing crypto market with increasing adoption of digital assets. Statista indicates that the number of cryptocurrency users in the region is projected to reach 7.91m users by 2025. Projected revenue in the cryptocurrency markets in Poland is expected to reach US$514.2m as a result.

The Polish VASP (Virtual Asset Service Provider) license is issued by the Ministry of Finance of Poland and regulated by the KNF. Licensed VASPs are required to comply with Poland’s AML (Anti-Money Laundering) and Counter-Terrorist Financing (CTF) regulations

About Toobit

Toobit is where the future of crypto trading unfolds—an award-winning cryptocurrency derivatives exchange built for those who thrive exploring new frontiers. With deep liquidity and cutting-edge technology, Toobit empowers traders worldwide to navigate the digital asset markets with confidence. We offer a fair, secure, seamless, and transparent trading experience, ensuring every trade is an opportunity to discover what’s next.

For more information about Toobit, visit: Website | X | Telegram | LinkedIn | Discord | Instagram

Contact: Davin C.

Email: market@toobit.com

Website: www.toobit.com

Disclaimer: This press release is provided by Toobit. The statements, views, and opinions expressed in this content are solely those of the content provider and do not necessarily reflect the views of this media platform or its publisher. We do not endorse, verify, or guarantee the accuracy, completeness, or reliability of any information presented. This content is for informational purposes only and should not be considered financial, investment, or trading advice. Investing in crypto and mining related opportunities involves significant risks, including the potential loss of capital. Readers are strongly encouraged to conduct their own research and consult with a qualified financial advisor before making any investment decisions. However, due to the inherently speculative nature of the blockchain sector–including cryptocurrency, NFTs, and mining–complete accuracy cannot always be guaranteed. Neither the media platform nor the publisher shall be held responsible for any fraudulent activities, misrepresentations, or financial losses arising from the content of this press release.Speculate only with funds that you can afford to lose.

Legal Disclaimer: This media platform provides the content of this article on an “as-is” basis, without any warranties or representations of any kind, express or implied. We do not assume any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information presented herein. Any concerns, complaints, or copyright issues related to this article should be directed to the content provider mentioned above.

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/aac03e62-d5c8-4274-975d-812e0c9148c9

The MIL Network –

March 20, 2025
MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Victims and survivors of terrorism to be given greater support
Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

News story

Victims and survivors of terrorism to be given greater support

The government will set up a dedicated support hub to meet the needs of those affected by terrorism as well as consulting on a new national day.
Image: Getty Images

Victims and survivors of terrorism will receive strengthened support under new plans outlined by the government today.

As part of the Plan for Change, the government will set up a new dedicated support hub for victims and survivors, supporting their needs in the immediate and long-term aftermath of a terrorist attack.

Proposals for a new national day for victims and survivors of terrorism will also be consulted on, helping the country to remember and honour those who have been tragically killed or impacted by terrorist attacks.

Security Minister, Dan Jarvis, said:

The impact of a terrorist attack is long-lasting and evolving. Victims and survivors of terrorism need the highest levels of support to recover and rebuild their lives. These reforms will significantly enhance the support available to those affected.

I would like to pay tribute to the bravery and courage of all those who helped to shape these reforms and pledge my commitment to ensuring victims and survivors of terrorism receive the support and recognition they deserve.

The first duty of government is to keep our country safe, which is the foundation of our Plan for Change.

Victims and survivors of terrorism have long campaigned for better recognition. Victims, survivors, their loved ones and the general public are all encouraged to offer their views to shape key aspects of the proposed national day including naming the day, date, and suggesting ways the day could be commemorated.

Travis Frain OBE, survivor of the Westminster Bridge attack:

Recognition and remembrance are key to building societal resilience against violent extremism, and I welcome today’s announcement that the government will be launching a consultation on the establishment of a ‘National Day of Remembrance for Victims of Terrorism’.

This is something that I, and several other survivors, have been campaigning on for many years, and I’m pleased to see that this government recognises the importance of these issues and the role that they can play in facilitating the recovery of those impacted by horrific acts of terrorism.

Brendan Cox, co-founder of Survivors Against Terror said:

Survivors of terror attacks have been crying out for change for years. Today’s double announcement is a major step forward in giving survivors and victims the recognition they deserve and the support that they need.

Terrorists aim to divide and weaken our society – our best response is to hold together – and stage one of that is looking after those who have suffered the most.

Other recommendations from the review will also be progressed including:

enhanced communications to victims to bolster awareness of the support package available to them

improving the support available for children and young people, to ensure they do not fall through the gaps

Dr Cath Hill, survivor of the Manchester Arena attack:

I wholeheartedly welcome this news. Sadly, we know as a society we are not immune from future terror attacks; therefore, it is essential that future survivors get the help and support they need.

If we are to combat the devastation that terrorism can cause, as a society we must care for those who bear the brunt of these acts of terror. Developing a dedicated hub for support is a significant step forward and welcome by those of us who have campaigned for change.

Cheryl Stollery (wife of the late John Stollery – Sousse, Tunisia) said:

Today’s announcement is an important first step towards putting in place improved outcomes for all those impacted by terrorism, whether here in the UK or for UK citizens harmed in terrorism attacks overseas.

As the survivor of a terrorist attack where my husband was killed, I know how important remembrance is so that our loved ones are not forgotten and we can come together and reflect on the importance of unity and gain strength in the face of adversity and terror.

I am particularly keen to champion a Support Hub because I believe it will be a cornerstone for the future in being able to empower survivors to regain hope, strength, and resilience, not just in the weeks after the incident but also for the long term as needed.

The reforms have been designed in response to direct engagement with victims and survivors, open-source literature reviews and learning from other countries’ approaches.

The Home Office Victims of Terrorism Unit will now work to deliver the findings of the review and will continue to engage with key stakeholders on progress.

This comes as the Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Bill, also known as Martyn’s Law, approaches its final stages in Parliament, delivering on the government’s manifesto commitment to strengthen the security of public events and venues.

Share this page

The following links open in a new tab

Share on Facebook (opens in new tab)

Share on Twitter (opens in new tab)

Updates to this page

Published 19 March 2025
MIL OSI United Kingdom –
March 19, 2025
MIL-OSI: ELTFV Exchange Expands into the European Market, Actively Adhering to MiCA Regulations

Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

DENVER, March 19, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — With the imminent implementation of the European Union Markets in Crypto-Assets (MiCA) regulation, new regulatory rules are set to accelerate sustained investment in cryptocurrency trading systems. In this evolving regulatory environment, ELTFV Exchange is actively expanding into the European market by establishing localized compliance teams in key regional hubs to better meet the regulatory requirements and trading needs of European users.

The EU MiCA regulation is regarded as one of the most comprehensive cryptocurrency regulatory frameworks globally. Its core objective is to provide a unified legal framework for the crypto-asset industry, thereby enhancing market transparency, protecting investor interests, and preventing financial crimes. MiCA mandates that trading platforms strictly comply with Anti-Money Laundering (AML) and Counter-Terrorist Financing (CTF) requirements while ensuring the safety of user funds. This necessitates that cryptocurrency exchanges upgrade their technological infrastructure, strengthen data protection, and enhance compliance audits.

Adhering to its long-standing commitment to user security and compliance-driven operations, ELTFV Exchange is proactively addressing the challenges and opportunities presented by MiCA. The platform is gradually building compliance teams across major European markets. These teams, composed of experienced legal, financial, and technical experts, are dedicated to ensuring that all aspects of the platform operations align with the latest EU regulatory requirements.

To better serve European users, ELTFV Exchange plans to launch more innovative financial products that comply with MiCA regulations in the near future, including stablecoins and tokenized assets. This initiative will not only expand the platform market reach but also provide users with a wider range of investment options.

As the importance of the European market continues to grow, ELTFV Exchange will remain closely aligned with regulatory developments, adhering to a strategy of compliance and innovation. The platform aims to provide users with superior services and a safer trading environment. Looking ahead, ELTFV plans to establish strategic partnerships with multiple European financial institutions and technology companies to offer more diversified financial solutions, empowering investors with exceptional trading support in the rapidly evolving cryptocurrency market.

Media Contact:
Company: ELTFV Blockchain Service Limited
Contact Person: Faiz Razak
Position in the company: Marketing Director
Email: faiz@eltfv.org
Website: https://www.eltfv.org

Disclaimer: This press release is provided by ELTFV Blockchain Service Limited. The statements, views, and opinions expressed in this content are solely those of the content provider and do not necessarily reflect the views of this media platform or its publisher. We do not endorse, verify, or guarantee the accuracy, completeness, or reliability of any information presented. This content is for informational purposes only and should not be considered financial, investment, or trading advice. Investing in crypto and mining related opportunities involves significant risks, including the potential loss of capital. Readers are strongly encouraged to conduct their own research and consult with a qualified financial advisor before making any investment decisions. However, due to the inherently speculative nature of the blockchain sector–including cryptocurrency, NFTs, and mining–complete accuracy cannot always be guaranteed. Neither the media platform nor the publisher shall be held responsible for any fraudulent activities, misrepresentations, or financial losses arising from the content of this press release.

Legal Disclaimer: This media platform provides the content of this article on an “as-is” basis, without any warranties or representations of any kind, express or implied. We do not assume any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information presented herein. Any concerns, complaints, or copyright issues related to this article should be directed to the content provider mentioned above.

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at:
https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/e39055db-1662-4a5d-b2ce-35457b6f318e

The MIL Network –

March 19, 2025
MIL-OSI Europe: Written question – 70 Christians found beheaded in a church in the DRC – European Union’s response – E-001018/2025
Source: European Parliament
Question for written answer E-001018/2025
to the Vice-President of the Commission / High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy
Rule 144
Bert-Jan Ruissen (ECR), Miriam Lexmann (PPE)

According to an Open Doors report from field sources[1], as well as reports from media outlets such as the Dutch NOS[2], 70 Christians were found beheaded in a church in the territory of Lubero in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). The violence perpetrated on 13 February 2025 by suspected militants from the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) with proven ties to ISIS, serves as a clear indicator of widespread human rights violations against civilians and vulnerable communities, often targeting Christians, in a climate of impunity.

1.What is the European Union’s political and practical response to this and other acts of violence perpetrated by militant groups in the DRC?

2.What measures is the European Union ready to apply to combat impunity in the DRC in relation to this attack and broader human rights abuses by groups such as the ADF?

3.On 24 February 2025, the Vice-President of the Commission / High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Kaja Kallas declared that the Memorandum of Understanding on minerals between the EU and Rwanda is currently under review. Will the Commission and the European External Action Service, when reconsidering the memorandum, take into account the allegation that it fuels violence, including against Christians, in the DRC?

Submitted: 10.3.2025

[1] https://www.opendoorsuk.org/news/latest-news/drc-attack-church/.

[2] https://nos.nl/artikel/2557307-icc-aanklager-in-congo-voor-onderzoek-naar-oorlogsmisdaden-rebellen
Last updated: 18 March 2025
MIL OSI Europe News –
March 19, 2025
MIL-OSI Global: Beatings, overcrowding and food deprivation: US deportees face distressing human rights conditions in El Salvador’s mega-prison

Source: The Conversation – USA – By Mneesha Gellman, Associate Professor of Political Science, Emerson College

Shackled and bent over – some of the 250-plus deportees arriving in El Salvador. El Salvador Presidency / Handout/Anadolu via Getty Images

El Salvador President Nayib Bukele framed his offer to house “dangerous American criminals” and “criminals from any country” as a win-win for all.

The fee for transferring detainees to a newly built Salvadoran mega-prison “would be relatively low” for the U.S. but enough to make El Salvador’s “entire prison system sustainable,” Bukele wrote in a post on the social media platform X dated Feb. 3, 2025.

What was left unsaid is that the individuals would be knowingly placed into a prison system in which a range of sources have reported widespread human rights abuses at the hands of state forces.

A first transfer of U.S. deportees from Venezuela has now arrived into that system. On March 16, the U.S. government flew around 250 deportees to El Salvador despite a judge’s order temporarily blocking the move. Bukele later posted a video online showing the deportees arriving in El Salvador with their hands and feet shackled and forcibly bent over by armed guards.

As experts who have researched human rights and prison conditions in El Salvador, we have documented an alarming democratic decline amid Bukele’s attempts to conceal ongoing violence both in prisons and throughout the country.

We have also heard firsthand of the human rights abuses that deportees and Salvadorans alike say they have suffered while incarcerated in El Salvador, and we have worked on hundreds of asylum cases as expert witnesses, testifying in U.S. immigration court about the nature and scope of human rights abuses in the country. We are deeply concerned both over the conditions into which deportees are arriving and as to what the U.S. administration’s decision signals about its commitments to international human rights standards.

Eroding democratic norms

Bukele has led El Salvador since 2019, winning the presidency by vowing to crack down on the crime and corruption that had plagued the nation. But he has also circumvented democratic norms – for example, by rewriting the constitution so that he could be reelected in 2024.

For the past three years, Bukele has governed with few checks and balances under a self-imposed “state of exception.” This emergency status has allowed Bukele to suspend many rights as he wages what he calls a “war on gangs.”

The crackdown manifests in mass arbitrary arrests of anyone who fits stereotypical demographic characteristics of gang members, like having tattoos, a prior criminal record or even just “looking nervous.”

As a result of the ongoing mass arrests, El Salvador now has the highest incarceration rate in the world. The proportion of its population that El Salvador incarcerates is more than triple that of the U.S. and double that of the next nearest country, Cuba.

Safest country in Latin America?

Bukele’s tough-on-gangs persona has earned him widespread popularity at home and abroad – he has fostered an immediate friendship with the new U.S. administration in particular.

But maintaining this popularity has involved, it is widely alleged, manipulating crime statistics, attacking journalists who criticize him and denying involvement in a widely documented secret gang pact that unraveled just before the start of the state of exception.

Bukele and pro-government Salvadoran media insist that the crackdown on gangs has transformed El Salvador into the safest country in Latin America.

But on the ground, Salvadorans have described how police, military personnel and Mexican cartels have taken over the exploitative practices previously carried out by gangs like MS-13 and Barrio 18. One Salvadoran woman whose son died in prison just a few days after he was arbitrarily detained told a reporter from Al Jazeera: “One is always afraid. Before it was fear of the gangs, now it’s also the security forces who take innocent people.”

Torture as state policy

Bukele’s crackdown on gangs has come at a huge cost to human rights – and nowhere is this seen more than in El Salvador’s prison system.

Bukele has ordered a communication blackout between incarcerated people and their loved ones. This means no visits, no letters and no phone calls.

Such lack of contact makes it nearly impossible for people to determine the well-being of their incarcerated family members, many of whom are parents with young children now cared for by extended family.

Despite the blackout, scholars, international and national rights’ groups and investigative journalists have been able to build up a picture of conditions inside El Salvador’s prisons through interviews with victims and their family members, medical records and forensic analysis of cases of prison deaths. What they describe is a hellscape.

Incarcerated Salvadorans are packed into grossly overcrowded cells, beaten regularly by prison personnel and denied medicines even when they are available. Inmates are frequently subjected to punishments including food deprivation and electric shocks. Indeed, a U.S. State Department’s 2023 country report on El Salvador noted the “harsh and life-threatening prison conditions.”

The human rights organization Cristosal estimates that hundreds have died from malnutrition, blunt force trauma, strangulation and lack of lifesaving medical treatment.

Often, their bodies are buried by government workers in mass graves without notifying families.

Although El Salvador is a signatory to the United Nations’ Convention Against Torture, Amnesty International concluded after multiple missions to the country and interviews with victims and their families that there is “systemic use of torture” in Salvadoran prisons.

Likewise, a case-by-case study by Cristosal, which included forensic analysis of exhumed bodies of people who died in prison, determined in 2024 that “torture has become a state policy.”

‘At risk of irreparable harm’

What makes this all the more worrying is the scale of potential abuse.

El Salvador now houses a prison population of around 110,000 – more than three times the number of inmates before the state of exception began.

To increase the country’s capacity for ongoing mass incarceration, Bukele built and opened the Terrorism Confinement Center mega-prison in 2023. An analysis of the center using satellite footage showed that if the prison were to reach its full supposed capacity of 40,000, each prisoner would have less than 2 feet of space in their cells.

It is to this prison that deportees from the U.S. have been taken.

President Donald Trump invoked the 1798 Alien Enemies Act in transferring the detainees. The wartime act has been invoked only three times, including to justify Japanese internment during World War II.

There are serious concerns over both the process and the legality of transferring U.S. prisoners to a nation that has not protected the human rights of its detained population.

El Salvador’s Terrorism Confinement Center mega-prison.
El Salvador Presidency/Handout/Anadolu via Getty Images

While Trump said the deportees were members of the gangs Tren de Aragua and MS-13, the incarcerated individuals did not receive a hearing to contest allegations of their gang membership, eliciting questions as to the viability of that claim.

Moreover, the agreement through which the Trump administration is seeking to moving migrants detained in the U.S. to El Salvador faces scrutiny under international law, given what is known about the country’s prison conditions.

International human rights is governed by laws that prohibit nations from transferring people into harm’s way, be it returning foreign nationals to countries where “there are substantial grounds for believing that the person would be at risk of irreparable harm,” or transferring detainees to jurisdictions in which they are at risk of being tortured or cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment.

The efforts of human rights organizations, journalists and scholars to document prison conditions point to an unequivocal conclusion: El Salvador does not meet the terms necessary to protect the human rights of deported and incarcerated migrants.

To the contrary, the government of El Salvador has repeatedly been accused by rights groups of committing crimes against humanity, including against its prison population.

Mneesha Gellman received funding from Emerson College’s Faculty Development Fund. She is the Director of the Emerson Prison Initiative.

Sarah C. Bishop has received research funding from the Fulbright Organization, The Waterhouse Family Institute for the Study of Communication and Society at Villanova University, the Robert Bosch Stiftung Foundation, and the Professional Staff Congress at the City University of New York. She serves on the board of directors of the nonprofit organization Mixteca.

– ref. Beatings, overcrowding and food deprivation: US deportees face distressing human rights conditions in El Salvador’s mega-prison – https://theconversation.com/beatings-overcrowding-and-food-deprivation-us-deportees-face-distressing-human-rights-conditions-in-el-salvadors-mega-prison-250739

MIL OSI – Global Reports –

March 18, 2025
MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: 14th meeting of ADMM-Plus Experts Working Group on Counter-Terrorism to be held in New Delhi

Source: Government of India

Posted On: 16 MAR 2025 10:31AM by PIB Delhi

The 14^thmeeting of ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting-Plus (ADMM-Plus) Experts Working Group (EWG) on Counter-Terrorism will be held in New Delhi from March 19 to 20, 2025. India and Malaysia will co-chair the ibid meeting. Delegations from 10 ASEAN members (Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Vietnam, Singapore and Thailand) and eight dialogue partners (Australia, New Zealand, RoK, Japan, China, USA and Russia) along with Timor Leste and ASEAN Secretariat will be participating in the meeting.

India will co-chair the EWG on Counter-Terrorism for the first time. On March 19, 2025, Defence Secretary Shri Rajesh Kumar Singh will deliver the keynote address during the opening ceremony.

This will be the first meeting for activities planned for EWG on Counter-Terrorism for the ongoing cycle from 2024-2027. Discussions will focus on evolving a robust and comprehensive strategy designed to tackle the evolving threat of terrorism and extremism. The meeting aims to share the on-ground experience of the Defence Forces of ASEAN and its dialogue partners. It will lay the foundation for the activities/exercises/seminars/workshop planned for the cycle 2024-2027.

The ADMM-Plus serves as a platform for practical cooperation amongst the participating countries’ defence establishments. It currently focuses on seven areas of practical cooperation – Counter-Terrorism, Maritime Security, Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Management, Peacekeeping Operations, Military Medicine, Humanitarian Mine Action and Cyber Security. EWGs have been established to facilitate cooperation in these areas.

The EWGs are each co-chaired by one ASEAN member state and one dialogue partner following a three-year cycle. The task of the co-chairs is to lay down the objectives, policy guidelines and directions for the EWG for the three-year cycle at the commencement of the chairmanship, conduct of regular EWG meetings (minimum two in a year) and an exercise of any form (Table-Top/Field Training/Staff/Communication etc.) for all member nations in the third year to test the progress made in practical cooperation during the three-year cycle.

*****

SR/Savvy

(Release ID: 2111580) Visitor Counter : 33

MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

March 18, 2025
MIL-OSI New Zealand: Economy – RBNZ supports release of Police’s National Risk Assessment

Source: Reserve Bank of New Zealand

17 March 2025 – The Reserve Bank of New Zealand – Te Pūtea Matua welcomes the release of the latest National Risk Assessment (NRA) from Police’s Financial Intelligence Unit. The report assesses threat and sectoral vulnerability, exploring their impact on money laundering and terrorism financing risk and proliferation financing in New Zealand.

“An effective Anti-Money Laundering and Countering-Financing of Terrorism (AML/CFT) system enhances the economic wellbeing and prosperity for all New Zealanders by safeguarding the integrity of our financial system and keeping it resilient against crime,” RBNZ Manager AML/CFT Supervision Damian Henry says.

This Assessment outlines the significant criminal behaviours generating illicit income that threatens New Zealand’s financial system. It also assesses and identifies the vulnerabilities within our financial system that criminals are taking advantage of when they launder proceeds of crime.

“The release of the NRA is a trigger for reporting entities to review and update their respective risk assessments accordingly. We encourage them all to review the report,” Mr Henry says.

This NRA identifies that fraud-related crime, drug crime and transnational money laundering are the highest threat, with fraud accelerating and seeing both ‘defrauding’ and the subsequent ‘laundering’ occurring within the financial system.

This means the banking sector remains highly vulnerable to money laundering, along with any sector that offers services and products enabling movement of proceeds out of or into New Zealand.

“The NRA is a key document for New Zealand’s AML/CFT system as a clear understanding of risk strengthens our system’s resilience, enabling direct responses and maximising the benefits of security for both our financial sector and communities,” Mr Henry says.

More information

Read the 2024 National Risk Assessment : https://govt.us20.list-manage.com/track/click?u=bd316aa7ee4f5679c56377819&id=6e23c63d40&e=f3c68946f8

MIL OSI New Zealand News –

March 17, 2025
MIL-OSI China: Fear of ‘Trumpcession’ mounting in Europe

Source: China State Council Information Office

Flags of the European Union fly outside the Berlaymont Building, the European Commission headquarters, in Brussels, Belgium, Jan. 29, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]

European shares dropped this week as a broad sell-off took hold, fueled by mounting concerns over the fallout of “Trumpcession,” a term coined by economists to describe the turbulence triggered by “erratic” trade and economic policies of U.S. President Donald Trump.

The escalating strain in transatlantic trade relations has sparked fears that the European Union (EU) may not escape unscathed if “Trumpcession” comes to pass.

SPIRALING ESCALATION

Earlier this week, the EU said it would retaliate against Trump’s 25-percent tariffs on steel and aluminum with countermeasures on 26 billion euros (28 billion U.S. dollars) worth of U.S. imports, including boats, bourbon and motorbikes.

“As the United States is applying tariffs worth 28 billion dollars, we are responding with countermeasures worth 26 billion euros,” European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said in a statement, noting that the U.S. tariffs affect approximately 5 percent of total EU goods exports to the United States.

Trump quickly hit back, threatening to slap a 200-percent tariff on EU wine and other alcohol products.

“If this tariff is not removed immediately, the United States will shortly place a 200-percent tariff on all wines, champagnes and alcoholic products coming out of France and other EU-represented countries,” Trump wrote on his social media platform Truth Social.

Samina Sultan, an economist at the German Economic Institute, said the resulting uncertainty harms corporate investments and the broader economy. “This could also put jobs at risk on both sides of the Atlantic.”

Thomas Gitzel, chief economist at VP Bank in Liechtenstein, warned that the current U.S. tariffs are just the start of escalating trade barriers. “A global trade war is steadily gaining momentum, with growing risks of further intensification,” he said.

ADDING FUEL

Although U.S. tariffs impact just 5 percent of EU exports, they will hit the steel and automotive industries hard, which are already grappling with high costs and weak demand.

The U.S. steel tariffs will “hit on various levels, at a time already challenging enough,” said Gunnar Groebler, president of the German Steel Association. According to the association, up to 20 percent of the EU’s steel exports go to the United States, the second-biggest export market for EU steel producers.

Trump’s 25-percent tariffs on autos are “no small issue for the EU,” according to a study by Oxford Economics. Citing its estimates that exports from German and Italian automakers to the United States can drop by 7.1 percent and 6.6 percent due to the auto tariff, the study warned that the EU automotive industry is “highly vulnerable” to U.S. tariff threats.

David Bahnsen, chief investment officer at the Bahnsen Group, highlighted that “tariff talk, reversal, speculation and chaos only foster uncertainty.”

Echoing this view, Angel Gavilan, director of economy at the Bank of Spain, said uncertainty can significantly slow down the economy as people and businesses may delay consumption and investments, which lowers overall demand and slows economic growth.

DEBT CRISIS

Desmond Lachman, a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute and a former IMF official, warned that Trump’s tariffs could trigger a Europe-wide recession and another debt crisis in the eurozone.

He said the German economy is in a prolonged downturn, while Italy and France face severe sovereign debt issues, citing data that shows their public debt-to-GDP ratios are now higher than during the 2010-2012 eurozone debt crisis.

Eurozone countries are bound by a unified monetary policy from the European Central Bank. This means countries like Italy and France cannot set independent interest rates or exchange rate policies to boost domestic exports and consumption.

Additionally, these high-debt countries are struggling to reduce their debt burden by boosting exports to Germany. But the German economy is in a weak growth phase and import demand is declining.

Christine Lagarde, president of the European Central Bank, said it was “impossible” to guarantee that policymakers would meet the 2-percent inflation target in the short term, citing global volatility. She added that tariffs “are not good at all and are net negative on pretty much all accounts.”

“When the magnitude and distribution of shocks become highly unpredictable, we cannot provide certainty by committing to a specific (interest) rate trajectory,” she noted.

MIL OSI China News –

March 16, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: VIDEO: Columbia University Student Whose Visa Was Revoked for Supporting Hamas and Terrorist Activities Used CBP Home App to Self-Deport

Source: US Federal Emergency Management Agency

Headline: VIDEO: Columbia University Student Whose Visa Was Revoked for Supporting Hamas and Terrorist Activities Used CBP Home App to Self-Deport

lass=”text-align-center”>Another student who supported Hamas was arrested by ICE HSI for overstaying her student visa

WASHINGTON – Today, Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem announced that one of the Columbia students who had her student visa revoked for advocating for violence and terrorism self-deported using the CBP Home App and ICE arrested a Palestinian student for overstaying her expired F-1 visa

Ranjani Srinivasan, a citizen and national of India, entered the United States on a F-1 student visa as doctoral student in Urban Planning at Columbia University

Srinivasan was involved in activities supporting Hammas, a terrorist organization

On March 5, 2025, the Department of State revoked her visa

The Department of Homeland Security has obtained video footage of her using the CBP Home App to self-deport on March 11

Another student Leqaa Kordia, a Palestinian from West Bank, was arrested by ICE HSI Newark officers for overstaying her expired F-1 student visa

Her visa terminated on January 26, 2022, for lack of attendance

Previously, in April 2024 Kordia was arrested for her involvement in pro-Hamas protests at Columbia University in New York City

The below statement is attributable to Secretary Noem:
“It is a privilege to be granted a visa to live and study in the United States of America

When you advocate for violence and terrorism that privilege should be revoked, and you should not be in this country

I am glad to see one of the Columbia University terrorist sympathizers use the CBP Home app to self-deport

”

MIL OSI USA News –

March 16, 2025
MIL-OSI USA News: Invocation of the Alien Enemies Act Regarding the Invasion of The United States by Tren De Aragua

Source: The White House

class=”has-text-align-center”>BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

A PROCLAMATION

Tren de Aragua (TdA) is a designated Foreign Terrorist Organization with thousands of members, many of whom have unlawfully infiltrated the United States and are conducting irregular warfare and undertaking hostile actions against the United States. TdA operates in conjunction with Cártel de los Soles, the Nicolas Maduro regime-sponsored, narco-terrorism enterprise based in Venezuela, and commits brutal crimes, including murders, kidnappings, extortions, and human, drug, and weapons trafficking. TdA has engaged in and continues to engage in mass illegal migration to the United States to further its objectives of harming United States citizens, undermining public safety, and supporting the Maduro regime’s goal of destabilizing democratic nations in the Americas, including the United States.

TdA is closely aligned with, and indeed has infiltrated, the Maduro regime, including its military and law enforcement apparatus. TdA grew significantly while Tareck El Aissami served as governor of Aragua between 2012 and 2017. In 2017, El Aissami was appointed as Vice President of Venezuela. Soon thereafter, the United States Department of the Treasury designated El Aissami as a Specially Designated Narcotics Trafficker under the Foreign Narcotics Kingpin Designation Act, 21 U.S.C. 1901 et seq. El Aissami is currently a United States fugitive facing charges arising from his violations of United States sanctions triggered by his Department of the Treasury designation.

Like El Aissami, Nicolas Maduro, who claims to act as Venezuela’s President and asserts control over the security forces and other authorities in Venezuela, also maintains close ties to regime-sponsored narco-terrorists. Maduro leads the regime-sponsored enterprise Cártel de los Soles, which coordinates with and relies on TdA and other organizations to carry out its objective of using illegal narcotics as a weapon to “flood” the United States. In 2020, Maduro and other regime members were charged with narcoterrorism and other crimes in connection with this plot against America.

Over the years, Venezuelan national and local authorities have ceded ever-greater control over their territories to transnational criminal organizations, including TdA. The result is a hybrid criminal state that is perpetrating an invasion of and predatory incursion into the United States, and which poses a substantial danger to the United States. Indeed, in December 2024, INTERPOL Washington confirmed: “Tren de Aragua has emerged as a significant threat to the United States as it infiltrates migration flows from Venezuela.” Evidence irrefutably demonstrates that TdA has invaded the United States and continues to invade, attempt to invade, and threaten to invade the country; perpetrated irregular warfare within the country; and used drug trafficking as a weapon against our citizens.

Based upon a review of TdA’s activities, and in consultation with the Attorney General and the Secretary of the Treasury, on February 20, 2025, acting pursuant to the authority in 8 U.S.C. 1189, the Secretary of State designated TdA as a Foreign Terrorist Organization.

As President of the United States and Commander in Chief, it is my solemn duty to protect the American people from the devastating effects of this invasion. NOW, THEREFORE, I, DONALD J. TRUMP, President of the United States of America, by the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, including the Alien Enemies Act, 50 U.S.C. 21 et seq., hereby proclaim and direct as follows:

Section 1. I find and declare that TdA is perpetrating, attempting, and threatening an invasion or predatory incursion against the territory of the United States. TdA is undertaking hostile actions and conducting irregular warfare against the territory of the United States both directly and at the direction, clandestine or otherwise, of the Maduro regime in Venezuela. I make these findings using the full extent of my authority to conduct the Nation’s foreign affairs under the Constitution. Based on these findings, and by the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, including 50 U.S.C. 21, I proclaim that all Venezuelan citizens 14 years of age or older who are members of TdA, are within the United States, and are not actually naturalized or lawful permanent residents of the United States are liable to be apprehended, restrained, secured, and removed as Alien Enemies. I further find and declare that all such members of TdA are, by virtue of their membership in that organization, chargeable with actual hostility against the United States and are therefore ineligible for the benefits of 50 U.S.C. 22. I further find and declare that all such members of TdA are a danger to the public peace or safety of the United States.

Sec. 2. I direct the Attorney General, within 60 days of the date of this proclamation, to prepare and publish a letter under her signature declaring the policy described in section 1 of this proclamation as the policy of the United States and attaching this proclamation. I direct the Attorney General to transmit this letter to the Chief Justice of the United States, the chief judge of every circuit court of appeals, the chief judge of every district and territorial court of the United States, each Governor of a State and territory of the United States, and the highest-ranking judicial officer of each State and territory of the United States.

Sec. 3. I direct that all Alien Enemies described in section 1 of this proclamation are subject to immediate apprehension, detention, and removal, and further that they shall not be permitted residence in the United States.

Sec. 4. Pursuant to the Alien Enemies Act, the Attorney General and the Secretary of Homeland Security shall, consistent with applicable law, apprehend, restrain, secure, and remove every Alien Enemy described in section 1 of this proclamation. The Secretary of Homeland Security retains discretion to apprehend and remove any Alien Enemy under any separate authority.

Sec. 5. All executive departments and agencies (agencies) shall collaborate with law enforcement officials of the United States and with appropriate State, local, and tribal officials, to use all lawful means to apprehend, restrain, secure, and remove Alien Enemies described in section 1 of this proclamation.

Sec. 6. Pursuant to my authority under 50 U.S.C. 21 to direct the conduct to be observed on the part of the United States toward the Alien Enemies subject to this proclamation, to direct the manner and degree of the restraint to which such Alien Enemies shall be subject and in what cases, to provide for the removal of such Alien Enemies, and to establish any other regulations which are found necessary “in the premises and for the public safety,” I hereby direct the Attorney General and the Secretary of Homeland Security to execute all the regulations hereinafter contained regarding the Alien Enemies described in section 1 of this proclamation. The Attorney General and the Secretary of Homeland Security are further directed to cause the apprehension, detention, and removal of all members of TdA who otherwise qualify as Alien Enemies under section 1 of this proclamation. The Attorney General and the Secretary of Homeland Security are authorized to take all necessary actions under the Alien Enemies Act to effectuate this proclamation, consistent with applicable law. In doing so, and for such purpose, they are authorized to utilize agents, agencies, and officers of the United States Government and of the several States, territories, dependencies, and municipalities thereof and of the District of Columbia. All such agents, agencies, and officers are hereby granted full authority for all acts done by them in the execution of such regulations when acting by direction of the Attorney General or the Secretary of Homeland Security, as the case may be.

Pursuant to the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, including the Alien Enemies Act, 50 U.S.C. 21 et seq., I hereby declare and establish the following regulations which I find necessary “in the premises and for the public safety”:

(a) No Alien Enemy described in section 1 of this proclamation shall enter, attempt to enter, or be found within any territory subject to the jurisdiction of the United States. Any such Alien Enemy who enters, attempts to enter, or is found within such territory shall be immediately apprehended and detained until removed from the United States. All such Alien Enemies, wherever found within any territory subject to the jurisdiction of the United States, are subject to summary apprehension.

(b) Alien Enemies apprehended pursuant to this proclamation shall be subject to detention until removed from the United States in such place of detention as may be directed by the officers responsible for the execution of these regulations.

(c) Alien Enemies shall be subject to removal to any such location as may be directed by the officers responsible for the execution of these regulations consistent with applicable law.

(d) All property in the possession of, or traceable to, an Alien Enemy, which is used, intended to be used, or is commonly used to perpetrate the hostile activity and irregular warfare of TdA, along with evidence of such hostile activity and irregular warfare, shall be subject to seizure and forfeiture.

The Attorney General is further granted authority, pursuant to the Alien Enemies Act and 3 U.S.C. 301, in consultation with the Secretary of Homeland Security, to issue any guidance necessary to effectuate the prompt apprehension, detention, and removal of all Alien Enemies described in section 1 of this proclamation. Any such guidance shall be effective immediately upon issuance by the Attorney General.
This proclamation and the directives and regulations prescribed herein shall extend and apply to all land and water, continental or insular, in any way within the jurisdiction of the United States.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this
fourteenth day of March, in the year of our Lord two thousand twenty-five, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and forty-ninth.

MIL OSI USA News –

March 16, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: CENTCOM Forces Kill ISIS Chief of Global Operations Who Also Served as ISIS #2

Source: United States Central Command (CENTCOM)

Tampa, Fla. – On March 13, U.S. Central Command forces, in cooperation with Iraqi Intelligence and Security Forces, conducted a precision airstrike in Al Anbar Province, Iraq, that killed the Global ISIS #2 leader, chief of operations and the Delegated Committee Emir – Abdallah Makki Muslih al-Rifai, alias “Abu Khadijah”, and one other ISIS operative.

MIL Security OSI –

March 15, 2025
MIL-OSI Europe: Text adopted – The need for EU support towards a just transition and reconstruction in Syria – P10_TA(2025)0035 – Wednesday, 12 March 2025 – Strasbourg

Source: European Parliament

The European Parliament,

–  having regard to UN Security Council Resolution 2254 (2015) of 18 December 2015,

–  having regard to the establishment of the UN Independent Institution on Missing Persons in the Syrian Arab Republic, under UN General Assembly Resolution 77/301 of 29 June 2023,

–  having regard to its recommendation of 28 February 2024 to the Council, the Commission and the Vice-President of the Commission / High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy on the situation in Syria(1),

–  having regard to the statement by the High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy of 9 December 2024,

–  having regard to the Council conclusions of 19 December 2024,

–  having regard to the orders of the Paris Judicial Court of 14 November 2023 and 21 January 2025 issuing international arrest warrants for Bashar al-Assad and members of his family, and to universal jurisdiction cases in European courts,

–  having regard to the joint statement by the Governments of France, Syria, Bahrain, Canada, Egypt, Germany, Greece, Iraq, Italy, Japan, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Spain, Türkiye, the United Arab Emirates and the United Kingdom, the European Union, the United Nations Special Envoy for Syria, the Secretary General of the League of Arab States and the Secretary General of the Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf of 13 February 2025,

–  having regard to Council Decision (CFSP) 2025/406 of 24 February 2025 amending Decision 2013/255/CFSP concerning restrictive measures in view of the situation in Syria(2),

–  having regard to the statement issued following Syria’s National Dialogue Conference, held in Damascus on 25 February 2025,

–  having regard to the statement of 8 March 2025 by the Spokesperson of the European External Action Service on the latest developments in Syria,

–  having regard to Rules 136(2) and (4) of its Rules of Procedure,

A.  whereas in December 2024 Syria witnessed momentous change, as a rebel coalition spearheaded by the armed group Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), the Syrian National Army (SNA), the Southern Operations Room (formerly Southern Front) and several other opposition forces toppled Bashar al-Assad’s murderous regime; whereas the historic collapse of the Assad dynasty marked the end of half of a century of suffering for the Syrian people, with unprecedented tyranny and chaos unfolding after Bashar al-Assad brutally repressed the 2011 uprising and led the country into civil war, as well as the beginning of a new chapter for the Syrian people and the broader Middle East;

B.  whereas the fallen Assad regime engaged in systematic repression, mass arrests, torture, enforced disappearances, extrajudicial executions and other grave human rights violations, and is responsible for documented war crimes and crimes against humanity, including the deliberate targeting of civilians, siege warfare leading to mass starvation, the use of barrel bombs and the deployment of chemical weapons, in violation of international law; whereas since 2011, at least half a million Syrians have died and 14 million have been forced to flee their homes, of which roughly 7 million have been internally displaced, as a result of the fierce repression and demographic engineering by the Assad regime and his allies, as well as at the hands of terrorist groups; whereas the fates and whereabouts of tens of thousands of people remain unknown;

C.  whereas Russia and Iran, under the guise of strategic alliances, were both enablers and active players in the war waged by the bloody Assad regime against its own people and used Syria as a geopolitical battleground for destabilising the region, as a hub for arms and drug trafficking, as well as a testing ground for military capabilities and tactics, systematically targeting civilian infrastructure and humanitarian aid convoys in clear violation of international law; whereas Assad’s power relied on Russia and Iran’s continued support and their supply of manpower and weapons, as well as that of their proxies, including the Wagner Group, the Lebanese Hezbollah, Iraqi militias and Afghan mercenaries; whereas his sudden fall is a clear geostrategic defeat for both countries;

D.  whereas after assuming a leading role in overthrowing the regime, former HTS leader Ahmed al-Sharaa was designated caretaker President and launched a political transition process, entailing plans for a new constitution and the holding of elections in four to five years from now; whereas the caretaker president was tasked with forming a temporary legislative council, appointed a caretaker government and pledged to establish, by early March 2025, a new non-sectarian, comprehensive, credible and inclusive government reflecting Syria’s ethnic and religious diversity; whereas on 24 and 25 February 2025, the Syrian interim government held the announced National Dialogue Conference; whereas the Syrian constitution of 2012 was nullified and the People’s Assembly and the Baath Party dissolved; whereas many armed groups also formally agreed to dissolve and be integrated into the Syrian army;

E.  whereas the EU rightly refused to normalise its ties with the Assad regime right through to its demise and played a significant role as a major humanitarian donor to Syrian civilians and as host to 1,3 million refugees fleeing the conflicts; whereas since 2011, the EU and its Member States have mobilised more than EUR 33,3 billion in humanitarian, development, economic and stabilisation assistance focusing on life-saving aid, resilience programmes and the political implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 2254 (2015); whereas in December 2024 the EU launched a humanitarian air bridge to deliver emergency healthcare and other essential supplies; whereas in the aftermath of the fall of the Assad regime, some Member States announced a suspension of pending asylum applications by Syrians; whereas the EU has suspended sanctions on key economic sectors to facilitate engagement with Syria and its reconstruction;

F.  whereas the caretaker government authorities control most but not all of Syrian territory, with the overall security situation in Syria remaining fragmented and volatile; whereas violent events, including revenge killings, sectarian violence and criminal activities, are seen to be increasing, particularly in the coastal and rural areas; whereas pro-Assad armed groups and, allegedly, others have conducted coordinated attacks starting on 6 March 2025 in the Latakia, Tartus and Homs governorates, leading to deadly clashes with Syrian security forces; whereas in return, members of the Syrian security forces and the SNA, foreign fighters and jihadists reportedly participated in unjustifiable retaliations and executions targeting Alawite civilians on the basis of their ethno-religious affiliation; deplores also the confirmed killings of at least 10 Christians; whereas, despite the statement delivered by de facto President al-Sharaa, the fighting lasted several days and has so far caused over 1 000 casualties; whereas de facto President al-Shaara has announced the creation of a ‘fact-finding committee’ and of a ‘higher committee’;

G.  whereas north-eastern Syria is still currently administered by the self-proclaimed Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria and controlled militarily by the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF); whereas on 10 March 2025 an agreement towards their integration within all institutions of the Syrian state was jointly signed by de facto President al-Sharaa and Commander in Chief of the SDF Mazloum Abdi; whereas since December 2024, the Turkish-backed SNA militias, some of which have not been included in the transitional government, and Türkiye itself, have intensified attacks and incursions within northern Syrian territory, including attacks on civilians and civilian infrastructure in the Manbij and Kobani areas, which may amount to war crimes;

H.  whereas Israel has occupied a part of the Syrian territory in the Golan Heights since 1967; whereas following the overthrow of the Assad regime, Israel has further seized the UN-patrolled demilitarised zone beyond the Golan Heights and repeatedly carried out strikes on military targets in Syria; whereas the Israeli Minister of Defence has declared that ‘the IDF will remain at the summit of Mount Hermon and the security zone indefinitely’;

I.  whereas Russia seeks to retain its military bases in Syria, particularly the Tartus naval base and the Hmeimim military airfield; whereas Bashar al-Assad and his family fled the country and have been granted political asylum in Russia; whereas diplomatic contact has been made between Russia and the new Syrian authorities;

J.  whereas the Assad regime supported Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and recognised the occupied Luhansk and Donetsk regions in Ukraine, as well as the Abkhazia region in Georgia; whereas Ukraine’s military intelligence service systematically reported that Russia was training mercenaries recruited in Syria to support Russia’s war against Ukraine; whereas the ‘Grain from Ukraine’ initiative was deployed in Syria after the suspension of Russian food exports;

K.  whereas Daesh has caused tremendous suffering in Syria, triggered numerous terrorist attacks worldwide and continues to operate within and from Syria, relying on its centre for external operational planning in the Badia region; whereas approximately 10 000 Daesh fighters and 40 000 Daesh family members are currently being detained in the Al-Hol and Roj detention facilities, primarily guarded by the Kurdish-led SDF; whereas Syrian security forces may reportedly take over the management of the detention facilities following the agreement of 10 March 2025 made between de facto President al-Sharaa and SDF Commander in Chief Mazloum Abdi;

L.  whereas Syria’s Christian population has steeply declined since 2011 due to its targeting by both the Assad regime, as well as by Daesh and other terrorist groups;

M.  whereas the situation in Syria remains one of the world’s most acute humanitarian crises, with nine out of ten Syrians below the poverty line and almost 17 million people – 70 % of the population – requiring humanitarian assistance because of widespread food insecurity and a lack of basic infrastructure and public services;

N.  whereas, according to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, the humanitarian response for Syria is significantly underfunded, having secured less than 10 % of the USD 1.2 billion needed until March 2025; whereas the executive order issued by US President Donald Trump’s administration, enacting a 90-day suspension of all foreign assistance programmes, including those administered by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), has and will have an impact on the humanitarian programmes and non-governmental organisations that operate on the ground in Syria; whereas the UK and several EU Member States have also announced significant decreases in their global aid budgets;

O.  whereas Syria finds itself in a tremendously dire economic situation, with soaring inflation in the country reaching a record high level of 40,2 % in 2024, electricity shortages and rising commodity prices; whereas the collapse of the Syrian economy was exacerbated by regime corruption, predatory economic policies and reliance on illicit activities, including the production and trafficking of Captagon; whereas a colossal reconstruction effort must be undertaken while navigating the shift to an open market economy, with exports having dramatically decreased compared to pre-war levels;

P.  whereas 5,5 million Syrian refugees live in the five countries neighbouring Syria, namely Türkiye, Lebanon, Jordan, Iraq and Egypt, with the EU providing financial assistance to help shoulder the associated costs; whereas approximately 500 000 internally displaced persons and 300 000 external refugees have returned to their areas of origin since the collapse of the Assad regime, with inadequate services, limited livelihoods and damaged infrastructure hindering their sustainable reintegration;

1.  Praises the bravery, dignity and resilience of the Syrian people, who finally succeeded in overthrowing the cruel Assad dictatorship; pays tribute to the countless victims of the regime; calls for the EU to seize this historic opportunity to support a Syrian-led political transition in order to unite and rebuild the country, and to assist Syria in implementing its reconstruction and achieving a just and inclusive political transition; remains concerned, however, by the high degree of instability, both in Syria and in the region; underlines that a stable and peaceful Syria is in the interests of the Middle East, the EU’s southern neighbourhood and the EU itself;

2.  Welcomes the fresh start in EU-Syria relations, manifested by the appointment of an EU Chargé d’affaires in Damascus, diplomatic engagement and high-level meetings undertaken by Member States and EU leaders, as well as the anticipated organisation of the Ninth Brussels Conference set to take place on 17 March 2025; encourages the EU and all its Member States to cooperate with Syria’s interim authorities in a transparent, coordinated and responsible manner, and to convey readiness to provide state-building assistance if and as needed; welcomes dialogue held alongside regional partners in the so-called ‘Aqaba’ format;

3.  Strongly believes that stability in Syria will come from a pluralistic political transition that includes credible representatives of all components of Syrian society and of all geographical areas, that is to say all religious and ethnic communities, women, civil society and peaceful opposition forces; welcomes the caretaker president’s acknowledgement of Syria’s diversity while taking note that the composition of the current interim government is lacking in this regard; underlines the importance of the future government reflecting this plurality and for a future constitutional framework guaranteeing equal rights and access to opportunities for all Syrians, in line with democratic principles, the rule of law, fundamental rights and freedoms, including religious freedom, as upheld by international law, as well as clear and concrete evidence that these rights are respected in national and local decisions;

4.  Acknowledges in this regard, the National Dialogue Conference that took place on 25 February 2025 as a starting point for establishing a culture of dialogue for all Syrians; expresses its concern about the exclusion of Kurdish political representatives, as well as the failure to ensure the participation of all segments of Syrian civil society, particularly women; recalls, further, that this dialogue ought to be upheld in order to prevent deepening societal divisions and discord within key segments of Syrian society and further destabilising an already fragile security situation; calls on the interim government to craft a roadmap setting out its plan for carrying out the political transition process and improve transparency in respect of Syrian citizens;

5.  Notes with concern the violent past of factions that toppled the Assad regime and are now participating in government; takes good note of the caretaker President’s declarations of intent, while pledging to monitor the actions of national and local authorities when evaluating further engagement; expresses cautious optimism regarding the behaviour of the caretaker authorities regarding freedom of religion and encourages them to implement further confidence-building measures; calls on the High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and the Member States to consistently speak out against any possible violation of fundamental freedoms and human rights in Syria by the interim government or other groups;

6.  Is deeply worried by the fragile security situation across Syria, particularly the coastal area, and firmly condemns the retaliatory targeting of the Alawite community based on its perceived association with the Assad regime; calls on the caretaker authorities to rein in all violent factions, including those set to be incorporated within the Syrian army and security forces, protect all civilian citizens from violence and ensure their right to live in safety; calls for prompt, transparent and impartial investigations into all killings and other violations and for those responsible to be held to account, in line with international legal norms and standards; urges the caretaker government to ensure that all military and security appointments are based strictly on professional qualifications, respect for international human rights and humanitarian law, and a commitment to combating terrorism; expresses concern regarding the presence of foreign extremist fighters, including European citizens, among the forces that overthrew the Assad regime, and cautions against integrating them permanently into the Syrian security apparatus; recognises the challenge for orderly state-building linked to the risk of insurgency by armed groups loyal to the former regime; encourages caretaker authorities to organise paramilitary and civilian disarmament;

7.  Praises the invaluable contribution of civil society, in Syria and abroad, as the legitimate repository and defender of the aspirations of the Syrian people during years of brutal oppression; pays particular tribute to the White Helmets, target of a regime-orchestrated and Russia-backed smear campaign; calls for the EU to increase financial support, especially for Syrian civil society organisations as they adapt to shifting operating conditions, with a focus on promoting civic dialogue, notably between ethnic, cultural and religious communities, to foster pluralism, peaceful coexistence and trust within Syrian society;

8.  Stresses the importance of recognising the role of sexualised and gender-based violence in justice and accountability processes, as well as of policies to ensure women’s full participation and representation in political life, as well as their economic empowerment; calls, further, to address specifically the suffering inflicted on children;

9.  Is concerned by the exponential rise of disinformation originating both within Syria and from abroad; warns of the risk of instrumentalisation of communities also by foreign actors; stresses the need for a pluralistic media landscape to flourish and operate free of censorship and under a legally protected freedom of the press; calls for the EU and its Member States to provide funding and capacity-building in this regard;

10.  Strongly believes that the success of the Syrian political transition, notably the safeguarding of civil peace and the building of trust in state institutions, hinges on transitional justice and reconciliation as a path to fighting the impunity of all parties responsible for violations of international humanitarian law and human rights abuses; calls for judicial reform to be made an urgent political priority; encourages the caretaker Syrian Government to establish an independent transitional justice committee to ensure accountability for past human rights violations committed by all factions, emphasising that military unification cannot be achieved without a credible justice mechanism to build trust among armed groups, including representatives from the southern factions, the SDF and former regime officers;

11.  Calls on caretaker authorities to fully cooperate with competent international instances, including UN mechanisms established specifically for investigating serious crimes in Syria, such as the UN International, Impartial and Independent Mechanism, the UN Commission of Inquiry on Syria, the UN Independent Institution on Missing Persons, and the UN Special Rapporteur on Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, and facilitate their on-site operations; encourages Syria to ratify the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (ICC) and align national legislation accordingly, as well as give the ICC retroactive jurisdiction through a declaration; recognises the irreplaceable contribution of Fareed al-Madhhan (‘Caesar’) to documenting regime crimes, as well as the Syrian Network of Human Rights’ work in tracking disappearances; stresses the importance of these processes now being completed; calls for the EU to support the renewal of the mandate of the Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Syria and increase funding for all relevant mechanisms, notably in light of US disinvestment;

12.  Commends the steps taken to fight impunity through universal jurisdiction cases in Germany, France and other Member States, of individuals linked to the Assad regime and Daesh; encourages courts to continue such prosecutions and expects newfound evidence and fruitful cooperation with Syrian authorities to lead to leaps in investigations and convictions;

13.  Stresses the need for Syria’s transitional authorities to urgently take all steps to secure and preserve physical evidence of serious international crimes across the country, including through cooperation and engagement with international experts and current international mechanisms, and to grant all competent organisations access to archival documents; encourages the EU to provide support for timely evidence collection on the ground, including forensic equipment and expertise to identify and analyse mass graves, as well as the collection of survivors’ testimonies;

14.  Highlights that Syria is among the most heavily mine-contaminated countries; is alarmed by the rising number of victims, including children, who have been killed or injured by mines and other explosives, a problem that is further increasing as people start to return; commends efforts by international and local organisations in identifying, marking and clearing explosive ordnance, and calls for the EU to urgently support demining efforts jointly with specialised actors and Syrian authorities;

15.  Reiterates its strongest condemnation of the appalling use of chemical weapons against Syrian civilians by the Assad regime; welcomes the announcement by Syria’s interim government to destroy any remaining stockpiles of chemical weapons in Syria and its openness to cooperate with the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons;

16.  Appreciates the determination demonstrated by caretaker authorities in discontinuing the production and trafficking of drugs, in particular Captagon, which have negatively affected the whole region for years; encourages international cooperation against the trafficking of drugs, arms and human beings;

17.  Highlights the importance of protecting Syria’s cultural heritage and calls for international collaboration to restore historical sites and religious landmarks and to prevent the illicit trade in looted artefacts; urges the EU to support Syria in efforts to restore areas and places of cultural significance to the Syrian public and the world, including the UNESCO site of Palmyra after its revolting partial destruction by Daesh in 2015;

18.  Acknowledges that the Syrian economy is shattered, with considerable investment gaps towards achieving price stability and sustained job creation; calls for all necessary steps to be taken in order to incentivise and facilitate foreign direct investment in accordance with international standards, as well as for reforms addressing housing, land and property rights and policies balancing development across urban and rural areas to reduce regional disparities; encourages economic disentanglement from Russia and Iran after both countries have profited from Syria’s economic collapse to extract resources and control strategic industries;

19.  Welcomes the gradual and conditional suspension of sanctions on a range of economic sectors and the indefinite extension of humanitarian exemptions; underlines that despite recent adjustments, the EU, US and UK sanctions policies towards Syria are an obstacle to reconstruction efforts; calls on the Commission and the Council to reach out to other countries imposing sanctions on Syria, notably the US and the UK; supports a full yet reversible lifting of all sectoral sanctions, with a focus on the financial sector, so as to provide the Syrian economy a much-needed lifeline, while closely monitoring the political transition process; expects over-compliance to remain an issue as long as extensive US and UK sanctions remain in place, notably due to the former’s extraterritorial dimension; calls on the Commission and the Member States to provide European businesses and banks with legal assurances to counteract over-compliance; calls, nevertheless, for individual sanctions against military personnel, officials, business entities and individuals associated with the Assad family to be maintained; expects the yearly update of the EU sanction regime ahead of its expiration on 1 June 2025 to adequately assess the relevance of all renewed sanctions, allowing for much-needed clarity, and asks the European Council to define and clearly communicate clear steps that Syria’s authorities must carry out, to secure further sanctions easing or prevent the activation of a snapback;

20.  Welcomes the announcement by the Commission to allocate EUR 235 million in new humanitarian support to Syrians and calls for the EU and its Member States to sustain humanitarian and development aid efforts and to maintain financial support for neighbouring countries hosting Syrian refugees; invites the EU to explore pathways to use frozen assets of the Assad regime for a trust fund for Syrian reconstruction, rehabilitation and compensation of victims; is extremely concerned by the suspension of all USAID funding related to Syria or Syrian refugees and by the foreseen non-participation of the US in the next Brussels conference;

21.  Calls for the EU to strategically extend its focus from humanitarian aid to accelerated and early economic recovery and reconstruction in key sectors such as energy, water supply, healthcare and education, in order to reach tangible results while ensuring that programming is accompanied by due diligence and independent monitoring; urges the European Union and its Members States to agree on the joint provision of sustainable funding at the forthcoming Ninth Brussels Conference;

22.  Welcomes the decision taken, for example, by France to allow refugees to return to Syria and participate in its reconstruction without jeopardising their status, including for ‘go-and-see’ visits to Syria; calls on the Member States and third countries to urgently replicate this initiative; calls on the Commission to encourage and provide the Member States with guidance and best practice on the implementation of EU law on this issue, including as regards the difference between ‘travel’ and ‘re-establishment’; insists that all asylum status claims and renewals must be assessed individually and thoroughly; stresses the importance of balanced participation in the political transition process of the Syrian diaspora as a key asset for the country’s transition and reconstruction; recognises the importance of remittances alongside official development assistance and urges the Member States to lift any restrictions placed on sending remittances to Syria; recalls, moreover, that according to the UN Refugee Convention, conditions for the safe, voluntary and dignified return of refugees can only be met following fundamental and durable changes in Syria;

23.  Recalls the presence of over 400 000 Palestinian refugees residing in Syria, some of them displaced multiple times, and the role of the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) in assisting its needs; remembers the siege of the Yarmouk camp by Assadist factions between 2013 and 2015;

24.  Calls on Syria to break free from its notorious long-standing alliances with Tehran and Moscow, which have brought suffering to the Syrian people and destabilisation to the Middle East and beyond; calls, further, on the caretaker Syrian authorities to bring the Russian military presence in Syria to an end; condemns Russia for hosting Bashar al-Assad and his family and shielding them from justice, after having obstructed justice by actively interfering in international investigations and vetoing UN Security Council resolutions aimed at addressing the regime’s war crimes and their own;

25.  Calls on neighbouring countries to respect Syria’s territorial integrity and sovereignty and to immediately cease all attacks and incursions on and occupation of Syrian territory in full compliance with international law;

26.  Firmly believes that the unification of all segments of Syria, including the integration of all armed factions within a national army, require a Syrian-led political solution; calls for the EU and the Member States to use all diplomatic channels to advocate the stabilisation of Syria, which is in the interest of most countries in the region, and support discussions towards a peaceful and stable solution and ensure that the well-being and preservation of fundamental freedoms, economic, social and cultural rights, as well as the gender equality of all Syrians, notably those living in north-eastern Syria, remain at the centre of decisions; welcomes, in this regard, the agreement of 10 March 2025 between de facto President al-Sharaa and SDF Commander in Chief Mazloum Abdi and hopes for its smooth implementation; takes note of the positive result of recent negotiations between Kurdish armed groups in Türkiye and the Turkish Government towards disarmament;

27.  Insists that different ethnic and religious groups must be protected in order to create a peaceful Syria; therefore calls for the European Union and the Member States to support the implementation process of the agreement between the Syrian transitional government and the Kurdish-led SDF, in order to guarantee the Kurdish community full recognition and political participation in Syria;

28.  Stresses the importance of the fight led by the international coalition against Daesh, with the invaluable support of Kurdish fighters, and calls for it to cooperate with the Syrian interim government to prevent Daesh and other jihadist groups from reorganising; expresses deep concerns as attacks led or supported by Türkiye in north-eastern Syria not only cause civilian casualties and increase the number of internally displaced persons, but also threaten the efficiency and continuity of the fight against Daesh; urges the caretaker authorities to demonstrate clear commitment to the fight against terrorism and to cooperate with international partners both to fight remaining active cells in Syria and to investigate past crimes, notably against the Yazidi community;

29.  Urgently calls for a lasting solution to be found among all the parties concerned as these camps continue to be breeding grounds for radicalisation and constitute a dormant threat to both Syrian and European security; warns against the serious international security risk a sudden disengagement of the United States in the region would cause in this uncertain context; reiterates its call on the Member States to repatriate all their nationals, especially children, from Al-Hol and Roj and to bring adults to justice in fair trials;

30.  Calls on the Islamic Republic of Iran to cease all activities aimed at torpedoing the Syrian caretaker government’s political and economic efforts and forcedly altering the status quo; commends the interim authorities for intercepting Iranian weapon shipments destined for Hezbollah in Lebanon and welcomes the complete collapse of Iran’s extensive infrastructure and networks in Syria;

31.  Welcomes de facto President al-Sharaa’s pledge to seek peaceful relations with all of Syria’s neighbours; calls on the caretaker Syrian authorities to ensure this commitment is turned into concrete action to prevent and refrain from taking any security-threatening measures against neighbouring countries and beyond;

32.  Condemns those European politicians, including current and former MEPs, who have repeatedly spread pro-Assad narratives and actively engaged in whitewashing the bloody dictatorship; expresses deep concern regarding the recent invitation by Parliament’s Intergroup on Christians in the Middle East of organisations closely linked to EU-sanctioned Assadists;

33.  Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the relevant EU institutions, the governments and parliaments of the Member States and the caretaker Syrian government, and to have it translated and published in Arabic.

(1) OJ C, C/2024/6749, 26.11.2024, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/C/2024/6749/oj.

(2) OJ L, 2025/406, 25.2.2025, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/dec/2025/406/oj.

MIL OSI Europe News –

March 15, 2025
MIL-OSI USA News: Remarks by President Trump and NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte Before Bilateral Meeting

Source: The White House

class=”has-text-align-center”>Oval Office

12:33 P.M. EDT

     PRESIDENT TRUMP:  Hello, everybody. It’s great to be with a friend of mine, who was prime minister of the Netherlands, so I got to know him very well. We had a great relationship always.

SECRETARY GENERAL RUTTE: Absolutely.

PRESIDENT TRUMP: Mark Rutte. Now he’s secretary general of NATO and doing a fantastic job. Everybody — every report I’ve gotten is what a great job he did. And I’m not at all surprised when I hear it. We had to support him, and we supported him as soon as I heard the name.

SECRETARY GENERAL RUTTE: Thank you.

PRESIDENT TRUMP: But he was a fantastic prime minister, and he’s doing a fantastic job. An even tougher job. Which is tougher: being the prime minister of Netherlands or?

SECRETARY GENERAL RUTTE: This job is quite tough. Yeah. (Laughter.)

PRESIDENT TRUMP: I would think this is a little tougher.

SECRETARY GENERAL RUTTE: But — but Dutch politics is also brutal. So — (laughter).

PRESIDENT TRUMP: Yeah. But this is pretty tough.

SECRETARY GENERAL RUTTE: Yeah.

PRESIDENT TRUMP: But you’re doing good.

SECRETARY GENERAL RUTTE: Thank you.

PRESIDENT TRUMP: We’re going to be discussing a lot of things. Obviously, we’ll be discussing what’s happening with respect to Ukraine and Russia.

At this moment, we have people talking in Russia. We have representatives over there — Steve Witkoff and others. And they’re in very serious discussions. As you know, Ukraine has agreed, subject to this — what’s happening today — to a complete ceasefire, and we hope Russia will do the same.

Thousands of people are being killed — young people, usually, mostly young people. We were just talking about it. Thousands of young people are being killed a week, and we want to see that stop. And they’re not Americans, and they’re not from the Netherlands for the most part.

SECRETARY GENERAL RUTTE: No.

PRESIDENT TRUMP: They’re not from — they’re from Russia and they’re from Ukraine, but they’re people. And I think everybody feels the same way. We want it to stop.

It’s also a tremendous cost to the United States and to other countries. And it’s something that would have never happened if I were president, and it makes me very angry to see that it did happen. But it happened, and we have to stop it.

And Mark has done some really good work over the last week. We’ve been working together, and he’s done some really good work. So, I’m very happy about that.

We’ll also be talking about trade and various other things, and I think we’ll have a very, very strong day. We’re going to have lunch afterwards. That’ll go. And then we’ll see you all later.

But, Mark, would you like to say something?

SECRETARY GENERAL RUTTE: Yeah. First of all, thank you so much, Mr. President, dear Donald, again for hosting me and — but also for taking time in Florida a couple of weeks after you —

PRESIDENT TRUMP: Right. That’s right.

SECRETARY GENERAL RUTTE: — you were reelected.

PRESIDENT TRUMP: That’s right.

SECRETARY GENERAL RUTTE: And, of course, our phone call a couple of weeks ago. And I must say, Trump 45 — you basically — you originated the fact that in Europe we are now spending, when you take it to aggregate, $700 billion more on defense —

PRESIDENT TRUMP: Yeah.

SECRETARY GENERAL RUTTE: — than when you came in office in 2016 — in 2017.

But that was Trump 45. But when look at Trump 47 —

PRESIDENT TRUMP: Going to be hard to top. (Laughter.)

SECRETARY GENERAL RUTTE: — what happened the last couple of weeks is really staggering. The Europeans committing to a package of $800 billion defense spending. The Germans now —

PRESIDENT TRUMP: Yeah.

SECRETARY GENERAL RUTTE: — potentially up to half a trillion extra in defense spending. And then, of course, you have Keir Starmer here, the British prime minister, and others all committing to much higher defense spending.

They’re not there. We need to do more. But I really want to work together with you in a run-up to The Hague summit to make sure that we will have a NATO which is really reinvigorated under your leadership. And we are getting there.

We also discussed defense production, because we need to produce more weaponry. We are not doing enough — not in the U.S., not in Europe. And we are lagging behind when you compare to the Russians and the Chinese. And you have a huge defense industrial base, Europeans buying mo- — four times more here than the other — the other way around, which is good, because you have a strong defense industry.

But we need to do more there to make sure that we ramp up production and kill the red tape. So, I would love to work with you on that.

And finally, Ukraine — you broke the deadlock. As you said, all the killing, the young people dying, cities getting destroyed. The fact that you did that, that you started the dialogue with the Russians and the successful talks in Saudi Arabia now with the Ukrainians — I really want to commend you for this.

So, well, The Hague is my hometown. I’d love to host you there in the summer and work together to make sure that —

PRESIDENT TRUMP: We’ll do that.

SECRETARY GENERAL RUTTE: — that will be a splash, a real success, projecting American power on the world stage.

PRESIDENT TRUMP: What Mark is saying is: When I first went to NATO, my first meeting, I noticed that very few people were paying. And if they were, they weren’t paying their fair share. There were only seven countries that were paying what they were supposed to be paying, which was —

SECRETARY GENERAL RUTTE: It’s even worse, there were three.

PRESIDENT TRUMP: Yeah.

SECRETARY GENERAL RUTTE: That’s even worse.

PRESIDENT TRUMP: It could be even worse.

SECRETARY GENERAL RUTTE: Yeah.

PRESIDENT TRUMP: But there were just very few countries that were paying. And even the paying, it was at 2 percent, which is too low. It should be higher. It should be quite a bit higher.

But you had Poland and I remember Poland was actually paying a little bit more than they were supposed to, which I was very impressed with. And they’ve been actually terrific and some of the others. But most of them weren’t paying or they were paying very little.

And I didn’t think it was appropriate to bring it up there, but I said, “It’s going to be brought up at my next meeting.” And my next meeting — you know, the first meeting, you want to give them a little break. The second meeting, it began.

And I was able to raise —

SECRETARY GENERAL RUTTE: You did. (Laughs.)

PRESIDENT TRUMP: — hundreds of billions of dollars. I just said, “We’re not going to be involved with you if you’re not going to pay.” And the money started pouring in. And NATO became much stronger because of my actions and working along with a lot of people, including Mark.

But they would not pay for other presidents. I don’t think other presidents even knew that they weren’t paid. I asked, first question, “Has everybody paid up?” And literally, I mean, they showed — they told me seven. You could be right. It could be three. But — that makes it even worse — but they just weren’t paying.

And I said, “No, I won’t protect if you’re not paying. If you’re delinquent or if the money isn’t paid, why would we do that?”

And as soon as I said that, got a little hit from the press, because they said, “Oh, gee, that’s not very nice.” But if you said the other, nobody would have paid. And the money started coming in by the billions.

And, you know, hundreds of billions of dollars flowed into NATO, and NATO became strong.

SECRETARY GENERAL RUTTE: Yeah.

PRESIDENT TRUMP: And you remember that. And your predecessor, who I thought was a very good man actually.

SECRETARY GENERAL RUTTE: Absolutely. Jens Stoltenberg. He sends his best greetings.

PRESIDENT TRUMP: Yeah. He was terrific.

SECRETARY GENERAL RUTTE: Yeah.

PRESIDENT TRUMP: Stoltenberg, secretary general.

SECRETARY GENERAL RUTTE: Great man.

PRESIDENT TRUMP: And he made the statement that when Trump came in, the money started coming in like we never saw before. Hundreds of billions — it was actually probably close to $600 billion came in. And NATO became strong from that standpoint.

And now, we have to use it wisely. And we have to get this war over with. And you’ll be back to a normal — much more normal life.

And maybe we’re close. We’re getting words that things are going okay in Russia, and it doesn’t mean anything until we hear what the final outcome is.

But they have very serious discussions going on right now with President Putin and others. And hopefully, they all want to end this nightmare. It’s a nightmare. It’s a horrible thing, when you look. I get pictures every week. They give me the pictures of the battlefield, which I almost don’t want to see. It’s so horrible to see.

SECRETARY GENERAL RUTTE: It’s so terrible.

PRESIDENT TRUMP: Young people laying — arms and legs and heads laying all over the field. It’s the most terrible thing that you’ll ever see.

And it’s got to stop. These are young people with mothers and fathers and sisters and brothers and friends, and it’s got to stop.

So, we hopefully are going to be in a good position sometime today to have a good idea. We’ll have — we know where we are with Ukraine, and we are getting good signals outside of Russia as to where we are with Russia, and hopefully they’ll do the right thing.

It’s a really — humanity — we’re talking about humanity. We’re not talking about the money. But then you add the money to it, and, you know, hundreds of billions of dollars is being spent and, really, wasted so unnecessarily. It should have never happened.

So, it’s an honor to have you here. They picked a great gentleman. I’ll tell you, that was — I was so happy to hear, because you had somebody — Stoltenberg was really good. And you have somebody that’s going to do an incredible job. And I was so much in favor of you, you have no idea.

They had another person that I did not like. (Laughter.) I was not happy. And I think I kept him from — you know what I’m talking about. I said, “This is the right man to do it.” And he really did. He was a great prime minister of the Netherlands. He did a great job. And that’s what he’s doing right now.

So, thank you, everybody, for being here. And very great honor to have you. And we even have some of our great energy people here today, right? We have the governor, and we have Chris. You know Chris.

SECRETARY GENERAL RUTTE: Yeah. Absolutely.

PRESIDENT TRUMP: He’s supposed to be the most talented man in the world of energy, according to the governor. (Laughter.) So, I don’t know if he’s right.

And we have — General, you’ve been fantastic. Thank you very much.

And we have a lot of good people that won’t be so much involved with this, but they wanted to see what was happening. It’s become a little bit of a show — (laughter) — but they wanted to see what was happening. And I think a lot of good things are happening.

So, with that, if anybody would have a question.

(Cross-talk.)

Q    Mr. President, o- — on Russia.

PRESIDENT TRUMP: Please, go ahead.

Q    Vlad- —

     Q    Sorry. Sorry, Mary. Steve Witkoff’s trip to Moscow, you spoke about it. What sort of agreement do you hope he comes away from there with?

PRESIDENT TRUMP: Well, we’d like to see a ceasefire from Russia. And we have, you know, not been working in the dark. We’ve been discussing with Ukraine land and pieces of land that would be kept and lost and all of the other elements of a final agreement.

There’s a power plant involved — you know, a very big power plant involved. Who’s going to get the power plant and who’s going to get this and that. And so, you know, it’s not an easy process.

But phase one is the ceasefire. A lot of the individual subjects have been discussed, though. You know, we’ve been discussing concepts of land, because you don’t want to waste time with the ceasefire if it’s not going to mean anything. So, we’re saying, “Look, this is what you can get. This is what you can’t get.”

They discussed NATO and being in NATO, and everybody knows what the answer to that is. They’ve known that answer for 40 years, in all fairness.

So, a lot of the details of a final agreement have actually been discussed. Now we’re going to see whether or not Russia is there, and if they’re not, it’ll be a very disappointing moment for the world.

Yeah.

Q    And Vladimir Putin just said he is open to a ceasefire, but he does still have some concerns. He suggested that you two should speak directly. Do you have plans to speak to him soon? If so, when?

PRESIDENT TRUMP: Well, I would. Yeah, sure.

Q    And are you confident you can get this across the finish line?

PRESIDENT TRUMP: Sure. He did say that today. It was a very promising statement, because other people are saying different things, and you don’t know if they have anything to really — if they have any meaning, or I don’t know. I think some of them were making statements. I don’t think they have anything to do with it.

No, he put out a very promising statement, but it wasn’t complete. And, yeah, I’d love to meet with him or talk to him, but we have to get it over with fast. You know, every day people are being killed. It’s not like — as we sit here, two people will be killed. Think of it. Two people are going to be killed during this little period of time.

     Thousands of people a week are dying, so we really don’t have very much time. We have to make this fast. It shouldn’t be very complicated.

(Cross-talk.)

Yes.

Q    Thank you, Mr. President. A representative of Canada, the finance minister, are in town and will meet members of your administration during the day.

PRESIDENT TRUMP: Sure. Yeah.

Q    Any chances that you will ban on the tariffs on aluminum and — and the — the ones that are planned for April 2nd?

PRESIDENT TRUMP: No.

Q    You are not going to change your mind?

PRESIDENT TRUMP: No, I’m not. Look, we’ve been ripped off for years, and we’re not going to be ripped off anymore. No, I’m not going to bend at all on aluminum or steel or cars. We’re not going to bend. We’ve been ripped off as a country for many, many years. We’ve been subjected to costs that we shouldn’t be subjected to.

In the case of Canada, we’re spending $200 billion a year to subsidize Canada. I love Canada. I love the people of Canada. I have many friends in Canada. “The Great One,” Wayne Gretzky, the great. Hey, how good is Wayne Gretzky? He’s the Great One.

But we have — I know many people from Canada that are good friends of mine. But, you know, the United States can’t subsidize a country for $200 billion a year. We don’t need their cars. We don’t need their energy. We don’t need their lumber. We don’t need anything that they give.

We do it because we want to be helpful, but it comes a point when you just can’t do that. You have to run your own country. And to be honest with you, Canada only works as a state. We don’t need anything they have. As a state, it would be one of the great states anywhere.

This would be the most incredible country visually. If you look at a map, they drew an artificial line right through it — between Canada and the U.S. Just a straight artificial line. Somebody did it a long time ago — many, many decades ago — and makes no sense.

It’s so perfect as a great and cherished state, keeping “O Canada,” the national anthem. I love it. I think it’s great. Keep it, but it’ll be for the state. One of our greatest states. Maybe our greatest state.

But why should we subsidize another country for $200 billion? It costs us $200 billion a year. And again, we don’t need their lumber. We don’t need their energy. We have more than they do. We don’t need anything. We don’t need their cars. I’d much rather make the cars here.

And there’s not a thing that we need. Now, there’ll be a little disruption, but it won’t be very long. But they need us. We really don’t need them. And we have to do this. I’m sorry, we have to do this.

Yes.

Q    Mr. President —

PRESIDENT TRUMP: Yeah.

Q    — you have made it very clear that NATO needs to step up, although great progress —

PRESIDENT TRUMP: Yeah.

Q    — has been made in your first mandate. How do you envision this new transatlantic —

PRESIDENT TRUMP: Are you talking about NATO stepping up?

Q    Yes.

PRESIDENT TRUMP: Well, NATO is stepping up through this man. This man is a man that only knows how to step up. And we have the same goal in mind: We want the war ended. And he’s doing his job. He only knows how to do a good job. That’s one thing. That’s why I fought for him to get that job —

SECRETARY GENERAL RUTTE: Thank you so much.

PRESIDENT TRUMP: — because they had some other candidates that I’ll tell you would not have done a very good job.

SECRETARY GENERAL RUTTE: I need this part of the — of the movie for my family. (Laughter.)

     PRESIDENT TRUMP: That’s right. That’s right. We’ll get you a clip.

     SECRETARY GENERAL RUTTE: Yeah. Exactly. (Laughs.)

     PRESIDENT TRUMP: We’re going to get him a clip of that — of that little last essay. But the rest of the statements he doesn’t care about.

Q    Sir, how does this new transatlantic cooperation — how do you envision it? What is it going to look like?

PRESIDENT TRUMP: Well, we have — that’s one thing. I mean, you know, we’re the other side of the ocean, and they’re right there. And yet, we’re in for $350 billion because of Biden, and they’re in for $100 billion. So, it’s a big difference, and it’s unfair.

And I said, “You have to equalize.” They should equalize. They should have — it should have never happened, where Biden just gave his money away.

Now, as you know, we have an agreement with Ukraine on the rare earths and other things, and that’ll get us

something back — a lot back. It’ll get us our money back. We’re not doing it for that, though. We’re doing — I’m just doing this to get the war stopped. I’m doing it, really, to save lives.

But, at the same time, we were treated very unfairly, as we always are by every country. And we’re in for very substantially more than the European nations are in for, and that shouldn’t be.

You know, they’re much more affected by it than we are, because we do have an ocean in between.

But I don’t know. I think good things are going to happen. I really do. I think good things are going to happen.

I do say — we were talking before, and Mark was very nice. He said, “If you wouldn’t get involved, there would be” — you’d just be going on.

SECRETARY GENERAL RUTTE: Yeah.

PRESIDENT TRUMP: This thing would have gone on for a long time.

SECRETARY GENERAL RUTTE: Breaking a deadlock. It was crucial.

PRESIDENT TRUMP: Yeah, we broke a deadlock.

SECRETARY GENERAL RUTTE: Yeah.

PRESIDENT TRUMP: We did break a deadlock. I hope it’s meaningful.

SECRETARY GENERAL RUTTE: Yeah.

PRESIDENT TRUMP: Yes, did you have one?

Q    Mr. President —

PRESIDENT TRUMP: Yeah, please.

Q    Yes, sir. Thank you, Mr. President. Amanda Head with Just the News. On the southern border, you’ve got DHS and ICE, who are reporting that there was a little bit of fudging of numbers during the Biden administration —

PRESIDENT TRUMP: Yeah.

Q    — on both the catch and the release side with respect to reporting the number of illegals coming into the country who were released.

PRESIDENT TRUMP: They cheated on the numbers. They were — the numbers were — I love that question.

Q    Right.

PRESIDENT TRUMP: Who are you with?

Q    Just the News. Amanda Head.

PRESIDENT TRUMP: Very nice. That’s good. That’s good.

Q    Do you know how many of those are criminal illegal aliens?

PRESIDENT TRUMP: Many of them.

Q    And Biden is out of office —

PRESIDENT TRUMP:   Yeah.

Q    — Alejandro Mayorkas. Who gets held accountable?

PRESIDENT TRUMP: No, Biden fudged the numbers. The numbers were totally fake, and he gave fake numbers. I knew they were fake. Everybody knew they were fake, but now it came out. And terrible what — what they did. That administration was a horror show for this country.

Q    Can you hold anyone accountable?

PRESIDENT TRUMP: Well, I don’t know. They gave phony numbers, and phony numbers are a very bad thing to give. But I’m not sure about that. I don’t know how it would play. We want to get it straightened out.

We have — we’re after many, many bad people that were let into our country. And Kristi Noem and my friend Homan — how good is Tom Homan doing, right? And they’re after them. And they — I mean, you see: They’re taking them out in record numbers. Gang members, gang leaders, drug dealers.

This is a problem the Netherlands does not have. The Netherlands never had this problem. If you’d like to take —

SECRETARY GENERAL RUTTE: We have a few drug- — drug dealers, I’m afraid. (Laughter.)

PRESIDENT TRUMP: I could deliver some people. I could deliver some nice people to the Netherlands if you’d like. (Laughter.)

SECRETARY GENERAL RUTTE: I’m not sure. (Laughs.)

PRESIDENT TRUMP: No, what he did to this country, letting 21 million people flow through an open border — many of those people were hard criminals from prisons and jails, from mental institutions, and I always say “insane asylums,” because they were seriously deranged. And they’re here from not South America, from all over the world. From South America, but from all over the world. And it’s so sad.

You’d say, “Why would anybody do this? Why?”

Yeah, go ahead.

Q    And — and one more. There’s some new internal Democrat polling that doesn’t look great for Democrats, but it also has 54 percent unfavorability for Republicans in swing states and battlegrounds for the midterms. Do you consider those voters cap- — capturable for — for Republicans?

PRESIDENT TRUMP: Yeah, well, we did — you know, I won every swing state, as you know, by a lot, and I won the popular vote by a lot, and we won the counties. If you look at the counties and district plan, we had 2,725, and they had 501. That’s a real — that’s why the map is all red. So, we had a great thing.

Yeah, I think winning from the Democrats — I saw — if you looked the other night, I made a speech, and I introduced two young ladies who were killed. Two killed. Viciously, violently killed. Young. Unbelievable. Both outstanding people. They were killed by illegal aliens. And the Democrats wouldn’t get up and applaud. The mothers were, I mean, inconsolable. They were crying, and everybody was crying. The Democrats sat there with stone faces. They didn’t clap, they didn’t stand, they didn’t do anything.

We had a young man with very serious cancer, wanted to — his dream is to be with the police department someday, and he was introduced.

SECRETARY GENERAL RUTTE: That was very touching.

PRESIDENT TRUMP: They didn’t even clap.

SECRETARY GENERAL RUTTE: Yeah, I saw it.

PRESIDENT TRUMP: I mean, they were disgusting. Frankly, they were disgusting. There’s something wrong with them. They’re deranged. They’re deranged. Like Jack Smith, they’re deranged people.

And I never saw anything like it. I’m standing up, and I introduce the mother and the parents of these two young girls that were just recently, essentially, killed. Violently killed. And the Democrats are like this. It’s so sad.

And I saw this morning where — one of them is pretty well-known — one is arguing, fighting like crazy over men being able to play in women’s sports. I said, “Yeah, I thought that was tried.” I thought that was about a 95 — I think it’s a 95 percent issue.

But, in a way, I want them to keep doing it, because I don’t think they can win a race. I mean — and I tell the Republicans, I said, “Don’t bring that subject up, because there’s no election right now. But about a week before the election, bring it up, because you can’t lose.”

And everything is “transgender this, transgender that.” You know, they have bad politics.

But one thing: They stick together. You know?

I wish — and the Republicans stick together, mostly, but we have a couple that are grandstanders. You know, you always have grandstanders in life.

But the Democrats, they don’t seem — they have grandstanders, but when it comes to a vote, they do stick together, right?

VICE PRESIDENT VANCE: They get in line. Yes, sir.

PRESIDENT TRUMP: So.

Q    It seems like they’ll stick together on the shutdown. Will that hurt Democrats going into midterms?

PRESIDENT TRUMP: Well, if they do a shutdown and, ultimately, that might lead to very, very high taxes, because we’re talking about a shutdown. We’re talking about getting to work immediately on the greatest tax bill ever passed. That was the one we did. It’s a renewal, and it’s an addition to it. And we’re going to cut people’s taxes.

And if we don’t open, the Democrats are stopping all of these good things that we’re providing. We’re providing the greatest package of benefits that this country has ever provided.

The biggest part of that’s going to be tax cuts for the middle class and for businesses, small businesses, employers — people that hire people and jobs.

And if it’s shut down, it’s only going to be — if there’s a shutdown, it’s only because of the Democrats, and they would really be taking away a lot from our country and from the people of our country.

Q    Mr. President, on — on tariffs. You made clear you’re not backing down from this, but many American small-business owners say they are concerned that these tariffs are going to hurt them. What’s your message to them?

PRESIDENT TRUMP: They’re going to be so much richer than they are right now.

And we have many — yesterday, General Motors was in. They want to invest $60 billion. The people from Facebook were in yesterday. They’re going to invest $60 billion by the end of the year. Other people are talking about numbers.

Apple, as you know, a few days ago, announced $500 billion investment. They’re going to build their plants in the United States, which, as you know, almost all of their plants are in China. Now they’re building in the United States.

Look, the reason is two things. Number one, the election. November 5th. And the other thing is tariffs. I think, probably, in that order.

But Tim Cook came in and he announced 500 — think of it, $500 billion, not million. Five hundred million is a lot, when you think about it, right? But —

VICE PRESIDENT VANCE: Yes, sir.

PRESIDENT TRUMP: I would have been happy with $500 million. But it’s $500 billion investment by Apple in the United States, and that’s because of the election result and it’s because of the tariffs and the tax incentives too. You know, tariffs and tax incentives. And I’ve never seen anything like it.

We have plants going up now in Indiana. We have plants going up in Michigan. A lot of plants going to be planned from — I’m trying to steer them to Michigan, because Michigan got so badly beaten by, you know, what happened with Europe.

You know, if you look at Europe. Take a look at the EU. We’re not allowed to sell cars there. It’s prohibitive because of their policies, and also their nonmonetary tariffs. They put obstacles in your way that you can do nothing about.

But if you take a look at what happens — so, we sell no cars to Europe — I mean, virtually no cars — and they sell millions of cars to us. They don’t take our agriculture. We take their agriculture. It’s like a one-way street with them.

The European Union is very, very nasty.

They sue our companies. Apple was forced to pay $16 billion on a case that — very much like my cases that I won. They shouldn’t have been even cases. But we felt they had no case, and they ended up having an extremely favorable judge and decision.

But they’re suing Google, they’re suing Facebook, they’re suing all of these companies, and they’re taking billions of dollars out of American companies, many more than the ones I just mentioned. And I guess they’re using it to run Europe or something. I don’t know what they’re using it for.

But they treat us very badly. China obviously treats this very badly. Almost everybody does. And I blame past presidents, to be honest.

Because when I was president, I — we received, so far, about $700 billion from China, over the years, on the tariffs that I put in. No other president got 10 cents from China. And that was only beginning. Except for COVID, it would have — I would have been able to finish the process. But we had to fight the COVID thing, and we did really well with it. But we had to fight.

And then we had actually — as you remember, Mark, we actually handed over the stock market. It was higher than just previous to COVID coming in, which was sort of a miracle, frankly. We did a good job.

But the tariffs are very important. And I think the psychology — there’s great spirit. When Mark came in, he said, “Congratulations. There’s a whole new spirit. There’s a whole new light over this country, and really over the world” —

SECRETARY GENERAL RUTTE: Yeah.

PRESIDENT TRUMP: — because you have somebody that — a whole group of people, really, because I talk about this whole group, that we know what we’re doing. And a lot of great things are happening.

But I’ve never seen investment like this. Trillions of dollars is being invested in the United States now that would have never — our country could have failed. Another four years of this, what happened in the last four years, our country would have been a crime-ridden mess.

And I don’t know if you noticed — a little thing, they call it, but it’s not a little thing if you don’t have — if you like eggs and you don’t have a lot of money — eggs have gone down 25 percent in the last couple of weeks. We inherited that problem: eggs.

Groceries have gone down a little bit. Energy has gone down.

Do you want to speak to that for a second, Governor? Would you just say a couple of words, you and Chris, about energy, what’s happened?

SECRETARY BURGUM: Well, happy to, but I think that — Chris and I just came from CERAWeek, which is the largest conference in the world. So, global leaders, people from the EU, officials from all the energy-producing countries all there. And all the global nationals, all the U.S. The — the spirit of that group is through the roof, because now they realize that in the United States, that President Trump’s policies are pro — pro developing more energy, as opposed to we’re trying to shut down energy.

And that pro-growth, pro-business, pro- — pro-energy approach is giving people the optimism. So, then the markets are reacting to that, and energy prices on the futures market are going to go down because people know we’re — we’re not going to be killing off the energy we need for prosperity in all of our countries, but also for peace, because people have used energy to fuel these wars that President Trump is working so hard to end. And — and we — we know that energy — high energy prices were driving the inflation that he talked about.

So, it accomplishes two goals for us — which is prosperity for the world, peace for the world — when we have smart energy policies. And — and President Trump has brought common sense back to how we think about energy.

PRESIDENT TRUMP: And it’s brought down now $65 a barrel, I saw this morning. That’s phenomenal news, and that’s going to bring — that’s what brought it up. The energy went — they took our beautiful energy policies and they just messed them up. And then they went immediately back to them, because — but by that time, they lost it. They lost that bronco, as the expression goes.

Chris, do you have something to say?

SECRETARY WRIGHT: I think Doug said it well, but you just can’t overstate how important the return of common sense, the return of knowledge about energy and pro-American consumers, pro investment in our country. I think, globally, that was welcomed. It means capital flows. It means more sobriety and lower energy prices, more economic opportunity for Americans.

So, yeah, it was elated atmosphere at a global energy conference.

PRESIDENT TRUMP: Well, we’re working on one project, and it should be very easy. It’s a pipeline going through a small section of New York. New York has held it up for years, actually. For years they’ve wanted to do it. For years and years. And it will reduce —

The most expensive energy, almost, in the world is in New England, because they have no way of getting it there because it’s been held up by New York. And the whole of New England and Connecticut and New York — the energy prices are through the roof. And this one pipeline will save per family, $2,500 just on heating and another $2,500 on everything else. So, the energy — by just a simple pipeline going through an area that wants it — an area that’s not a rich area; it’s actually a very poor area — would create jobs and everything else.

And it’s going to be way underground. Nobody’s going to see it. Once they fill it up, nobody’s going to see it. Nobody’s going to know it’s there.

And families in New York and Connecticut and New England are going to save $5,000 a family. Think of that. Because, right now, they have the highest energy prices maybe in the world, they say. New England is a disaster.

So, we’re working on that. In fact, the governor is coming in — governor of New York, Kathy Hochul, who’s a very nice woman. She’s coming in tomorrow morning at 9 o’clock to meet me on that and other things — not only that, but other things.

So, I hope we don’t have to use the extraordinary powers of the federal government to get it done, but if we have to, we will. But I don’t think we’ll have to.

I can tell you, Connecticut wants it and all of New England wants it. And who wouldn’t want it? And it’s also jobs on top of everything else. So, that’s going to be very exciting. So, we’re meeting with the governor tomorrow morning.

(Cross-talk.)

Yeah.

Q    Thank you, Mr. President. Greenland. What is your vision for the potential annexation of Greenland and getting them, potentially, to —

PRESIDENT TRUMP: Yeah.

Q    — to statehood?

PRESIDENT TRUMP: Well, I think it’ll happen. And I’m just thinking — I didn’t give it much thought before, but I’m sitting with a man that could be very instrumental. You know, Mark, we need that for international security — not just security, international. We have a lot of our favorite players, you know, cruising around the coast, and we have to be careful. And we’ll be talking to you.

And it’s a very appropriate — really, a very appropriate question.

SECRETARY GENERAL RUTTE: It’s an —

PRESIDENT TRUMP: Thank you very much.

SECRETARY GENERAL RUTTE: — an issue in the high north, so the Arctic. So, what you did —

So, when it comes to Greenland, yes or no, joining the U.S., I would leave that outside, for me, this discussion, because I don’t want to drag NATO in that.

But when it comes to the high north in the Arctic, you are totally right. The Chinese and — are using these routes. We know that the Russians already arming. We know we have a lack of icebreakers. So, the fact that the seven — outside of Russia, there are seven Arctic countries — working together on this, under U.S. leadership — it’s very important to make sure that that region, that that a part of the world stays safe. And — and we know things are changing there, and we have to be there.

Q    Well, they just had an election there the other day. I mean, do you see a referendum, a plebiscite where the people of Greenland would be in a position to decide if they want to become part of the United States?

PRESIDENT TRUMP: Yeah, it was a good election for us, as you know. It was not a referendum. It wouldn’t be called that. It was an individual election. But the person that did the best is a very good person, as far as we’re concerned. And so, we’ll be talking about it. And it’s very important.

Mark mentioned the word “icebreaker.” So, we’re in the process of ordering 48 icebreakers, and Canada wants to know if they could use them. I said, “Well, you know, you got to pay for them.” Think of it. Canada. We pay for their military. You know, Canada pays very little for their military, because they think we’re going to protect them, but — even with the icebreakers.

So, we’re going to order 48, and Canada wants to be part of the deal. I say, “You got to get your own icebreakers. I mean, if you’re a state, you can be part of the deal, but if you’re a separate country, you’ve got to get your own icebreakers.”

Russia, as you know, has about 40 of them, and we have 1 big icebreaker. But that whole area is becoming very important and for a lot of reasons. The routes are, you know, very direct to Asia, to Russia, and you have ships all over the place. And we have to have protection. So, we’re going to have to make a deal on that.

And Denmark is not able to do that. You know, Denmark is very far away and really has nothing to do.

What happens? A boat landed there 200 years ago or something, and they say they have rights to it. I don’t know if that’s true. I’m not — I don’t think it is, actually.

But we’ve been dealing with Denmark. We’ve been dealing with Greenland. And we have to do it. We really need it for national security. I think that’s why NATO might have to get involved in a way, because we really need Greenland for national security. It’s very important.

You know, we have a couple of bases on Greenland already, and we have quite a few soldiers that — maybe you’ll see more and more soldiers go there. I don’t know.

What do you think about that, Pete? Don’t answer that, Pete. (Laughter.) Don’t answer that question.

But we have bases, and we have quite a few soldiers on Greenland already.

Q    Mr. President, some people question your commitment to NATO. Will everything — anything change?

Your com- — your commitment to NATO, will anything change? Same amount of money?

PRESIDENT TRUMP: Well, I think they made —

Q    Same number of troops?

PRESIDENT TRUMP: — a great step by putting Mark in charge. I think, to me, that’s a great step, because he and I have seen eye to eye on everything for a long time. We’ve been doing this a long time now.

SECRETARY GENERAL RUTTE: Nine years now.

PRESIDENT TRUMP: And so, that’s a great step.

You have to keep NATO strong. You have to keep it relevant.

But the biggest thing we have to worry about right now is what’s going on right now. I think the rest is going to take care of itself.

I don’t see this having — this was a fluke. This was something that if we had a competent president, it would not have happened. The man was grossly incompetent. All you have to do is look in — take a look at — he signs by autopen.

Who was signing all this stuff by autopen? Who would think you signed important documents by autopen? You know, these are major documents you’re signing. You’re proud to sign them. You have your signature on something — in 300 years, they say, “Oh, look.” Can you imagine? Everything was signed by autopen — almost everything. Nobody has ever heard of such a thing.

Q    Do you —

PRESIDENT TRUMP: So —

Q    Sorry.

PRESIDENT TRUMP: Should have never happened.

Q    You’re speaking tomorrow at the Justice Department about law and order. Could you tell us a little bit about that?

PRESIDENT TRUMP: Yeah, we’re going to be with the Justice Department. We have a great Justice Department. Pam Bondi is so fantastic. And Todd Blanche and Emil — you got to know him a little bit; he was acting for a little while — and some other people are incredible in the Justice Department.

And I consider the FBI to be a part of it, in a sense, and Kash is going to be fantastic, and all the people he’s — Dan Bongino, I love that. I mean, I love that. I think Dan is great.

I think we have unbelievable people. And all I’m going to do is set out my vision. It’s going to be their vision, really, but it’s my ideas. And basically, we don’t want to have crime in the streets. We don’t want to have people pushed into subways and killed, and then the — the person that did the pushing ends up in a 15-year trial and gets off scot-free. We want to have justice, and we want to have safety in our cities, as well as our communities.

And we’ll be talking about immigration. We’ll be talking about a lot of things. Just the complete gamut. So, I look forward to that. That will be tomorrow at the Justice Department.

Q    Mr. President, you are a man of peace. You’ve said it several times and made it very clear. A man of peace dealing with belligerent people.

PRESIDENT TRUMP: Yeah.

Q    And I’m thinking we saw you handled Zelenskyy in this very own room. What is your leverage on Putin? Are you thinking sanctions? What if he refuses to —

PRESIDENT TRUMP: Well, I do have leverage, but I don’t want to talk about leverage now, because right now we’re talking to him. And based on the statements he made today, they were pretty positive, I think, so I don’t want to talk about that.

I hope Russia is going to make the deal too. And I think once that deal happens, you’re never going to be in a process. I don’t think they’re going back to shooting again. I really believe if we get a peace treaty, a ceasefire treaty, I think that leads to peace. That’s going to really lead to a —

I don’t think anyone wants to go back. They’ve been doing this for a long time, and it’s vicious and violent. And I think if President Putin agrees and does a ceasefire, I think we’re going to be in very good shape to get it done. We want to get it over with. That’s why — it was very important what I instructed everybody, including Steve, what we’re looking for: to discuss concepts of land, concepts of —

MR. WALTZ: Yes, sir.

PRESIDENT TRUMP: — of power plants because it’s complicated. You know, you have a whole — you’re sort of creating the edge of a country.

The sad part is that country, if they didn’t — if this didn’t happen — and it wouldn’t have happened — I don’t know if they would have to give anything back. I guess Crimea?

You know, I said it last time, Crimea was given by Obama, Biden gave them the whole thing, and Bush gave them Georgia. And Trump didn’t give them anything.

I gave them — you know what I gave them? I gave them Javelins. And the Javelins were very effective, as you know. I gave them nothing —

SECRETARY GENERAL RUTTE: 2019.

PRESIDENT TRUMP: And then also, if you take a look, I was the one that stopped the pipeline going into Europe. It was totally stopped: Nord Stream 2. Nobody ever heard of Nord Stream 2 before I came along.

But I got along very well with President Putin. I got along with most of them. I get along great with President Xi. I got along great with Kim Jong Un. I got along great with all of them. And we had no wars. We had no problems. We wiped out ISIS in record time. General “Razin” Kane. And he wiped them out.

And he is going to be our new chief, right? He’s going to be —

SECRETARY HEGSETH: Yes, sir.

PRESIDENT TRUMP: — the head of Joint Chiefs of Staff, and he’s a highly respected man. He’s going to be great.

Pete is going to be fantastic. I have no doubt about it. We have a great team. A really great team.

Yeah, please. Go ahead, please.

Q    Mr. President, some of our allies have said that they’re worried that they could be the next to be attacked by Russia. You’ve spoken directly with the Russian president.

PRESIDENT TRUMP: Yeah.

Q    Do you think those fears are justified?

PRESIDENT TRUMP: No, I don’t. I think when this gets done, it’s done. They’re going to all want to go home and rest. I don’t see it happening. Nope, I don’t see that happening. And we’ll make sure it doesn’t happen. Not going to happen. But we’ll make sure it doesn’t happen.

Yeah, go ahead, please.

Q    Leaders from Russia and Iran are heading to Beijing tomorrow to discuss nuclear programs. What do you hope to get out of that?

PRESIDENT TRUMP: Well, maybe they’re going to talk about non-nuclear programs. Maybe they’re going to be talking about the de-escalation of nuclear weapons, because, you know, I was talking about that with President Putin very strongly. And we could have done something. Had that election not been rigged, we would have had something. I think I would have made a deal with Putin on de-escalation, denuclearization, as they say. But we would have de-escalated nuclear weapons, because the power of nuclear weapons is so great and so devastating.

And, right now, Russia and us have by far the most, but China will catch us within five years. China doesn’t have — but they’re in the process of building.

SECRETARY GENERAL RUTTE: Yeah.

PRESIDENT TRUMP: And they build. And within four or five years, they’ll probably have the same.

SECRETARY GENERAL RUTTE: And, by the way, you — this is a Republican tradition. Ronald Reagan, when he negotiated with Gorbachev —

PRESIDENT TRUMP: Right.

SECRETARY GENERAL RUTTE: — in the 1980s —

PRESIDENT TRUMP: That’s right.

SECRETARY GENERAL RUTTE: — about bringing down the number of nuclear weapons is what you have been doing your first term. And it is important.

PRESIDENT TRUMP: It would be a great achievement if we could bring down the number. We have so many weapons, and the power is so great.

And we — number one, you don’t need them to that extent. And then we’d have to get others, because, as you know, in a smaller way — Kim Jong Un has a lot of nuclear weapons, by the way — a lot — and others do also. You have India. You have Pakistan. You have others that have them, and we’d get them involved.

But we started off with Russia and us. We have, by far — actually, by far, the most. And we were going to denuclearize, and that was going to happen.

And then we were going to China. And I spoke to China. I spoke to President Xi about it. And he really liked the idea. You know, he’d like not to spend trillions of dollars building weapons that, hopefully, he’s never going to have to use. And — because they are very expensive also. So, that would have been great.

Okay, one or two more.

(Cross-talk.)

Yeah, go ahead.

Q    Thank you. We are looking at an impending government shutdown Friday at midnight.

PRESIDENT TRUMP: Yeah.

Q    Democrats, for 30 years straight, have said, if there’s a shutdown, bad things happen. Do you anticipate direct negotiations yourself with conference leader of the Democrats, Chuck Schumer?

     PRESIDENT TRUMP: Yeah, if they need me, I’m there a hundred percent. It’s — right now, it’s two or three people. If it shuts down, it’s not the Republicans’ fault. You know, we passed a bill where we had an incredible Republican vote. We only had one negative vote, a grandstander. You know, one grandstander. There’s always a grandstander in the lot.

     But it was amazing. People were amazed that the Republicans were able to vote in unison like that so strongly.

     If there’s a shutdown, even the Democrats admit it will be their fault. And I’m hearing a lot of Democrats are going to vote for it, and I hope they do. This is an extension.

     But ultimately, we want to vote for one big, beautiful bill where we put the taxes in, we put everything in. We’re going to have big tax cuts. We’re going to have tremendous incentives for companies coming into our country and employing lots of people.

     It’ll be — I called it, in a rare moment, one big, beautiful bill. That’s what I like. And it seems to be that’s where they’re heading. And we’ll have to take care of something to do with Los Angeles.

     A place called Los Angeles almost burned to the ground. By the way, I broke into Los Angeles. Can you believe it? I had to break in.

     SECRETARY GENERAL RUTTE: Yeah?

     PRESIDENT TRUMP: I invaded Los Angeles. And we opened up the water, and the water is now flowing down. They have so much water, they don’t know what to do. They were sending it out to the Pacific for environmental reasons. Okay? Can you believe it? And in the meantime, they lost 25,000 houses. They lost — and nobody’s ever seen anything like it.

     But we have the water. I’d love to show you a picture. You’ve seen the picture. The water is flowing through the half pipes. You know, we have the big half pipes that go down. Used to — 25 years ago, they used to have plenty of water, but they turned it off for — again, for environmental reasons. Well, I turned it on for environmental reasons and also fire reasons.

     And I’ve been asking them to do that during my first term. I said, “Do it.” I didn’t think anything like — could happen like this, but they didn’t have enough water.

     Now the farmers are going to have water for their land, and the water is in there.

     But I actually had to break in. We broke in to do it because we had people that were afraid to give water.

     SECRETARY GENERAL RUTTE: Yeah.

     PRESIDENT TRUMP: They were — in particular, they were trying to protect a certain little fish. And I say, “How do you protect a fish if you don’t have water?” They didn’t have any water, so they’re protecting a fish, and that didn’t work out too well, by the way.

     So, they have a lot of water going down throughout California, all coming out from the Pacific Northwest, even some from Canada.

     Thank you, Canada, very much. I appreciate it.

     Next thing you know, they’ll want to turn the water off. They’ll want to charge us for the water.

     But it comes up from the Pacific Northwest, and it’s a beautiful thing to see. I mean, it is brimming with water.

     Now, if they would have had that done, you wouldn’t have had the damage, because the fire would have been put out. The fire hydrants would have been loaded. The sprinklers in people’s living rooms and bedrooms would have been loaded up with the — they had no water. The government makes them put sprinklers in. They had no water in the sprinklers because they had no water.

     So, the water is flowing, and we’re going to have to give a lot of money to Los Angeles to help them, and the Democrats are going to want to do that. So, that’s the one thing different.

     And I frankly, I think that makes it a lot easier. But one of the big thing is we have the big, beautiful bill. We got to get that done. And that will put our country in a position like it’s never been in.

     It’s a reduction of taxes. It’s tremendous incentives for companies to come from all over the world into our country. It’s great environmentally, but it’s not this environmental scam that we went through — that we all went through. It provides for everything.

     It’s a big, beautiful bill, and I hope we can get it approved. And that will be next.

     But in the meantime, we have the continuing resolution, and the Republicans have approved it, and now the Democrats have to approve it. And I hope they will.

     And I think a lot of them — I can tell you, they want to. I’ve spoken to some of them. They really want to. Their leadership may not want them to. And if it closes, it’s purely on the Democrats.

     All right, one more.

     Q    On Korea, sir. We’ve seen tension increasing in the Peninsula. You’ve talked about Kim Jong Un. Do you have any plans of getting — of reestablishing the relationship you had during the first meeting?

     PRESIDENT TRUMP: Yeah. Well, I would. I had a great relationship with Kim Jong Un, North Korea. If I wasn’t elected, if Hillary got in, you would have had a nuclear war with North Korea. He expected it. He expected it. And they said, “Oh, thousands of people.” No, millions of people would have been killed.

     But I got in. We went to Singapore. We met. We went to — to Vietnam. We met. We got along really good. We had a very good relationship. And we still do. We still do. You don’t have that threat that you had.

     Q    You have talked with — have you talked to him?

     PRESIDENT TRUMP: I mean, look, when I was running the first time, it looked like there was going to be a war with North Korea. You know that better than anyone.

     SECRETARY GENERAL RUTTE: Tensions were high. Yes. Yeah.

     PRESIDENT TRUMP. Yeah. And it started off —

     SECRETARY GENERAL RUTTE: And everybody was — was startled that you —

     PRESIDENT TRUMP: Yeah.

     SECRETARY GENERAL RUTTE: — invited him for talks.

     PRESIDENT TRUMP: Right.

     SECRETARY GENERAL RUTTE: But you did, and it —

     PRESIDENT TRUMP: It started out very rough.

     SECRETARY GENERAL RUTTE: Yeah. Yeah.

     PRESIDENT TRUMP: And he wouldn’t meet with Obama. Wouldn’t take his calls. I said, “How many times did you call?” They called a lot. He wouldn’t take their call. He told me, “I wouldn’t take his call.”

     But with me, it did start off rough, if you remember. Very rough, actually. Very nasty. And —

     SECRETARY GENERAL RUTTE: That was in Singapore, the first one?

     PRESIDENT TRUMP: Yeah, but then — no, before that. Then it stopped. The rhetoric was extremely tough. It was a little bit —

     SECRETARY GENERAL RUTTE: You had it in your speech at the U.N. I remember. (Laughs.)

     PRESIDENT TRUMP: Yeah, that’s right. It was a little bit dangerous.

     And then we met. They asked for a meeting, and then we met. And the meeting caused the Olympics, which was in South Korea, to become a tremendous success. Nobody was buying tickets for the Olympics because they didn’t want to be nuked.

     And I met, and not only did the Olympics become successful, but North Korea participated in the Olympics.

     SECRETARY GENERAL RUTTE: Yeah. His sister visited.

     PRESIDENT TRUMP: It was an amazing thing.

     SECRETARY GENERAL RUTTE: Yeah.

     PRESIDENT TRUMP: And that was something that was an achievement of the Trump administration. Great achievement. And so, I have a great relationship with Kim Jong Un. And we’ll see what happens.

     But certainly, he’s a nuclear power.

     Okay? Thank you very much, everybody. Thank you. Thank you very much.

                                  END            1:20 P.M. EDT

MIL OSI USA News –

March 15, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: Sinaloa Cartel Leader in Idaho Sentenced to 22 Years in Federal Prison

Source: Office of United States Attorneys

BOISE – A 44-year-old Honduran national suspected to be unlawfully in the United States and using the name “Hector Ojeda Manuel Aponte” was sentenced yesterday to 262 months in federal prison for distribution of methamphetamine, Acting U.S. Attorney Justin Whatcott announced.

According to court records, Aponte was distributing approximately 40 pounds of methamphetamine every one to two weeks, along with fentanyl pills and bath salts. Aponte had multiple vehicles to transport and distribute drugs, stash houses to hide the drugs, and business fronts to launder his illicit drug proceeds. According to multiple sources, Aponte was the “number one guy” for the Sinaloa Cartel in the State of Idaho. He had a well-established supply chain and a distribution network consisting of other accomplices.

Aponte is the sixth and final defendant sentenced from the investigation conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Nampa Police Department Special Investigations Unit. U.S. District Judge Amanda K. Brailsford also previously sentenced Ernesto Diaz Gaspar (30 months in prison), Wilkin Rolando Martinez Munguia (36 months in prison), Cevin Alfonzo Martinez (42 months in prison), and Jesus DeJesus Loera (70 months in prison). Chief U.S. District Judge David C. Nye sentenced Lawrence Barnes (160 months in prison). Defendants Barnes and Loera are U.S. Citizens, while the remaining defendants are aliens unlawfully present in the United States.

“The United States Department of Justice is committed to eliminating the threat posed by Mexican drug cartels and their distribution of narcotics in Idaho.” Acting U.S. Attorney Whatcott said. “Along with our federal, state, and local law enforcement partners, we will continue to hold them accountable for bringing poisonous drugs into our state.”

“Illegal immigration and drug trafficking are interconnected threats because Foreign Terrorist Organizations like the Sinaloa Cartel routinely employ people like this defendant to further their drug enterprises,” said David F. Reames, Special Agent in Charge, DEA Seattle Field Division. “I am gratified that we, at the Drug Enforcement Administration, along with our partners at the Nampa Police Department and the U.S. Attorney’s Office, succeeded in holding this defendant accountable for his serious crimes targeting our community, resulting in this lengthy prison sentence. Justice was served yesterday.”

Acting U.S. Attorney Whatcott commended the work of the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Nampa Police Department Special Investigations Unit, which led to the convictions and sentences. Assistant U.S. Attorney David Morse prosecuted this case.

###

MIL Security OSI –

March 14, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: Syrian Democratic Forces, Enabled by CENTCOM Forces, Capture ISIS Cell Leader

Source: United States Central Command (CENTCOM)

Mar. 8, 2025
Release Number 20250308-01
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

TAMPA, Fla. – On March 6, Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), enabled by U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) forces, conducted a raid and captured Salah Mohammad Al-Abdullah, an ISIS cell leader in the vicinity of Shahil, Syria.

During the operation, the SDF recovered multiple weapons to include a 12.7mm (.50 cal) Sniper rifle, an AK-47, hand grenades, and various weapons and ammunition.

The SDF-led operation is part of the ongoing Defeat-ISIS campaign to degrade ISIS networks and prevent the resurgence of the terrorist group in the region. CENTCOM forces enabled SDF during the operation by providing technical support and intelligence.

-30-

MIL Security OSI –

March 9, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Former Refugee Pleads Guilty and Admits to Supporting ISIS

Source: US State of California

A former Iraqi refugee and legal permanent resident of Richmond, Texas, has entered a guilty plea to conspiracy to provide material support to a designated foreign terrorist organization.

Abdulrahman Mohammed Hafedh Alqaysi, 28, admitted to providing material support and resources to the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS).

From 2015 to 2020, Alqaysi provided his computer expertise to develop and post logos for a media arm of the ISIS group known as the Kalachnikov team. He further sent hacking videos and instructions to ISIS members in addition to stolen credit card information and fraudulently created identity documents.

U.S. District Judge Alfred Bennett accepted the plea and has set sentencing for June 5. Alqaysi faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and up to a $250,000 fine. Alqaysi has been and will remain in custody pending that hearing.

The FBI Houston Joint Terrorism Task Force investigated the case with assistance from Homeland Security Investigations.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Heather Winter for the Southern District of Texas is prosecuting the case with assistance from Trial Attorney Michael Dittoe of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section.

MIL OSI USA News –

March 8, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: Former Refugee Pleads Guilty and Admits to Supporting ISIS

Source: United States Attorneys General 7

A former Iraqi refugee and legal permanent resident of Richmond, Texas, has entered a guilty plea to conspiracy to provide material support to a designated foreign terrorist organization.

Abdulrahman Mohammed Hafedh Alqaysi, 28, admitted to providing material support and resources to the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS).

From 2015 to 2020, Alqaysi provided his computer expertise to develop and post logos for a media arm of the ISIS group known as the Kalachnikov team. He further sent hacking videos and instructions to ISIS members in addition to stolen credit card information and fraudulently created identity documents.

U.S. District Judge Alfred Bennett accepted the plea and has set sentencing for June 5. Alqaysi faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and up to a $250,000 fine. Alqaysi has been and will remain in custody pending that hearing.

The FBI Houston Joint Terrorism Task Force investigated the case with assistance from Homeland Security Investigations.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Heather Winter for the Southern District of Texas is prosecuting the case with assistance from Trial Attorney Michael Dittoe of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section.

MIL Security OSI –

March 8, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: Former refugee admits to supporting ISIS

Source: Office of United States Attorneys

HOUSTON – A 28-year-old former Iraqi refugee and legal permanent resident of Richmond has entered a guilty plea to conspiracy to provide material support to a designated foreign terrorist organization, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.

Abdulrahman Mohammed Hafedh Alqaysi admitted to providing material support and resources to the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS).

From 2015 to 2020, Alqaysi provided his computer expertise to develop and post logos for a media arm of the ISIS group known as the Kalachnikov team. He further sent hacking videos and instructions to ISIS members in addition to stolen credit card information and fraudulently created identity documents.

“The Department of Justice and the Southern District of Texas are committed to rooting out terror elements in our communities, wherever they may be,” said Ganjei. “If you’re working to subvert the United States through violence, you will be found and you will be punished.”

U.S. District Judge Alfred Bennett accepted the plea and has set sentencing for June 5. At that time, Alqaysi faces up to 20 years in federal prison and a possible $250,000 maximum fine.

He has been and will remain in custody pending that hearing.

The FBI Houston Joint Terrorism Task Force conducted the investigation with the assistance of Homeland Security Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Heather Winter is prosecuting the case along with NSD Trial Attorney Michael Dittoe.

MIL Security OSI –

March 8, 2025
MIL-OSI United Nations: Amid Evolving Political Reality, Security Council Speakers Urge Breakthrough on Syria’s Chemical Weapons Compliance

Source: United Nations MIL OSI b

The new political reality in Syria presents an opportunity to obtain long-overdue clarifications on the Syrian chemical weapons programme, rid the country of all such weapons and ensure long-term compliance with the Chemical Weapons Convention, a senior United Nations official told the Security Council today.

“The importance of closing all outstanding issues related to Syria’s chemical weapons dossier cannot be overstated,” said Izumi Nakamitsu, High Representative for Disarmament Affairs, during her briefing to the 15-member Council.

Although the previous Syrian authorities submitted 20 amendments to Syria’s initial declaration, the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) Declaration Assessment Team was never able to confirm that the information was accurate. Over the last 11 years, the Team has raised and reported a total of 26 outstanding issues with Syria’s declaration.

“The OPCW Technical Secretariat has reported that the substance of the 19 outstanding issues remains a ‘serious concern’ as it involves large quantities of potentially undeclared or unverified chemical warfare agents and chemical munitions,” she added.

The OPCW Fact-Finding Mission and the OPCW Investigation and Identification Team have documented the use of chemical weapons in Syria, and in several incidents, identified the Syrian Arab Armed Forces as the perpetrators. The OPCW Technical Secretariat has reported that Syria continued to use, and possibly produce, chemical weapons after joining the Chemical Weapons Convention in 2013. “The situation left by the previous Syrian authorities is extremely worrying,” she went on to stress.

But, there are some encouraging signs. The OPCW Director-General recently received assurances that the new authorities are committed to destroying any remains of the chemical weapons programme, bringing justice to the victims and ensuring Syria’s compliance with international law. A new focal point for chemical weapons matters within the Syria’s Foreign Ministry travelled to The Hague for in-person meetings with the OPCW Technical Secretariat on how to advance the OPCW’s “Nine-Point Action Plan for Syria”.

In the coming days, a team of experts from the OPCW Technical Secretariat will be deployed to Damascus to establish OPCW’s permanent presence in Syria and start jointly planning deployments to chemical weapons sites. While the commitment of the caretaker authorities in Syria to fully cooperate with the OPCW Technical Secretariat is commendable, the work ahead will not be easy and will require additional resources from the international community. “I urge the members of this Council to unite and show leadership in providing the support that this unprecedented effort will require,” she said.

In the ensuing discussion among Council members, many speakers took note of the developments reported to date, underscoring them as important steps towards implementing relevant Council resolutions and securing Syria’s fulfilment of its international commitments. Several speakers also stressed the importance of ensuring that chemical weapons do not fall into the hands of non-State actors.

Need to Prevent Transfer of Mass Destruction Weapons to Terrorists

“Terrorists cannot be allowed to have access to weapons of mass destruction, including chemical weapons,” Pakistan’s delegate said. The new Syrian authorities must address long-standing questions and ensure unimpeded access to enable the OPCW to independently and fully verify the elimination of chemical weapons in Syria, he emphasised. China’s delegate also said that effectively resolving the Syrian chemical issue will help prevent chemical weapons from falling into the hands of terrorists. Resolving the issue of Syrian chemical weapons should be a top priority for the international community, he added, warning that the risk of terrorist organizations within Syria expanding their position in the country “remains high”.

Greece’s delegate stressed the importance of “securing chemical weapons-related locations and materials therein, during the [political] transition” in Syria. According to the latest OPCW monthly reports, he noted, no monthly report was received recently from Syria and its authorities have not completed declaring all the chemical weapons it currently possesses, including sarin, sarin precursors and chlorine. The interim Government must work constructively with OPCW to close the 19 outstanding issues, and thus to confirm that it has abandoned the use of chemical weapons and concluded the total destruction of stockpiles.

Several speakers highlighted the plight of the Syrian people, with Slovenia’s delegate emphasizing that Syrian civilians still await justice after 14 years of bloody conflict. “The use of chemical weapons has always resulted in a human tragedy,” she recalled. The representative of Denmark, Council President for March, speaking in her national capacity, stressed the importance of justice for Syrians who were victim to the Assad regime’s horrific chemical attacks. “The toppled regime of Bashar al-Assad had used these inhumane weapons against its own people in at least nine cases documented by independent investigations,” echoed France’s delegate. And for more than 11 years, the Assad regime obstructed the work of OPCW, he recalled.

‘Historic Opportunity’ for Renewed Momentum

“This is an opportunity that must not be squandered,” the representative of Panama stressed, echoing many speakers who also spotlighted this moment as a unique chance for Syria to start fresh. Efforts are being made to rebuild institutions and restore the rule of law. In the same vein, he also echoed several speakers as he expressed concern over increasing clashes and tensions across the country. “We urge all parties to halt this escalation and to prioritize dialog and stability,” he urged.

“We have a historic opportunity to close this dark chapter in history and to start a new one — creating a Syria that is safer for its people and more secure for the region and the world,” said the representative of the United States, underscoring that all elements of the Assad regime’s chemical weapons programme must now be secured, declared and safely destroyed under international verification. This imperative is two-fold: to bring Syria into compliance with its obligations under the Chemical Weapons Convention, and critically, to ensure that any remaining elements do not end up in the wrong hands, she said. However, “the window of opportunity is short”, she cautioned, highlighting “a tremendously important mission” before OPCW.

The fall of the Assad regime presents “a golden opportunity” to destroy Syria’s remaining chemical weapons programme, said the speaker for the United Kingdom, as he welcomed the commitments already made by the Syrian interim authorities to fully cooperate with OPCW. For things to progress, however, the international community must provide the financial and technical assistance that is required. He also urged Israel to de-escalate their actions in Syria, adding that such military moves risk destabilizing an already fragile situation. The representative of Republic of Korea also called on regional actors to refrain from actions that could impede Syria’s full implementation of its Chemical Weapons Convention obligations. Israel’s air strikes could not only create a risk of contamination, but also lead to the destruction of valuable evidence for investigations related to past use of chemical weapons. “Broader accountability measures must be pursued as part of Syria’s political transition,” he stressed.

Moscow Questions Expert Deployment to Chemical Weapons Sites

The Russian Federation’s delegate stated that his country was instrumental in Syria’s accession to the Chemical Weapons Convention in 2013, which placed its chemical arsenal under international control. “On the whole, we support any progress that would help resolve the remaining outstanding issues in Syria’s initial declaration,” he said. However, he expressed doubts about the OPCW’s ability to carry out its technical mandate impartially, citing long-standing concerns over the politicization of its work. Cautioning against the deployment of full-fledged OPCW teams in Syria, he argued that any conclusions such missions might reach “won’t enjoy the trust of the international community”. Given the uncertain conditions in the country, verifying the presence of chemical weapons is “not the top priority for the current authorities,” he said, emphasizing: “We need to understand this and not push ahead with this topic.”

Other speakers commended recent diplomatic progress, with Algeria’s delegate, speaking also for Guyana, Sierra Leone and Somalia, acknowledging the recent engagement between Syria and OPCW and the designation by the Syrian Ministry of Foreign Affairs of a new focal point for chemical weapons matters. He commended Qatar’s “instrumental role” as a revitalizing channel for engagement. While recognizing the challenges faced by the Declaration Assessment Team in addressing all outstanding issues, he welcomed the readiness of the new Syrian leadership to inaugurate a new chapter of open and transparent relations with the Organization.

Türkiye’s delegate said that the high-level discussions during this visit of the OPCW Director-General “represent a crucial turning point in establishing direct cooperation between Syria and the OPCW, putting an end to years of stagnation”. Echoing several other speakers, he commended Qatar for temporarily assuming the role of representing Syria’s interests at OPCW, and also called on the Council to take decisive action against Israel’s expansionist and destabilizing acts.

New Foreign Policy, New Phase of Cooperation

For his part, Syria’s representative said his country is “keen to adopt a new foreign policy” grounded in international law, and to honour its obligations under international legal instruments it has acceded to. Accordingly, he reiterated his country’s commitment to cooperate with OPCW and “close this file once and for all”. However, he stressed that Israel’s aggression against several military and civilian facilities in Syria on 9 December 2024 complicates the relevant logistical, technical and practical challenges.

Highlighting “a new phase of cooperation” with OPCW, he requested that Syria’s privileges and rights as a State party — which have been suspended — be restored and collective punitive measures be lifted. “This undermined its efforts to achieve economic development and meet the needs of its people,” he observed, adding that Syria is keen today to eliminate the threat posed by prohibited chemical weapons, promote international peace and stability and “ensure that these atrocities will not occur in the future”.

MIL OSI United Nations News –

March 8, 2025
MIL-OSI Video: EU Archives: Jacques Delors’ speech, Council in Ireland, remembering the victims of terrorism

Source: European Commission (video statements)

Have you ever wondered what the European Union was up to 50 years ago? Dive with us into the European Commission’s audiovisual archives and discover important anniversaries with our new weekly AV history teaser!

Upcoming anniversaries in the teaser:

· 1975: First European Council in Ireland
· 1985: President Jacques Delors’ speech on the working program of the CEC for 1985
· 2005: First European Remembrance Day for the Victims of Terrorism
· 2024: Press Conference after the first 100 Days of the past von der Leyen Commission

Get the complete material from our archive:
https://europa.eu/!Vp63GJ
https://europa.eu/!wV88Wf
https://europa.eu/!FyYKRX
https://europa.eu/!dV64kF

Watch on the Audiovisual Portal of the European Commission:
Follow us on:
-X: https://twitter.com/EU_Commission
-Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/europeancommission/
-Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/EuropeanCommission
-LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/european-commission/
-Medium: https://medium.com/@EuropeanCommission

Check our website: http://ec.europa.eu/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SLUNFrC2Ud0

MIL OSI Video –

March 8, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: Group convicted of being part of Russian spying operation

Source: United Kingdom London Metropolitan Police

A group of six Bulgarians living in the UK have been convicted of being part of a spying operation across Europe on behalf of Russia.

Following a three-month trial at the Old Bailey, two women and a man were found guilty of conspiring to obtain information intended to be directly or indirectly useful to Russia.

Three other men pleaded guilty to Official Secrets Act charges before the trial started.

Commander Dominic Murphy, head of the Met’s Counter Terrorism Command, said: “These convictions have been achieved as the result of an extremely complex investigation into a group that was carrying out sophisticated surveillance operations in the UK, and in Europe, on behalf of the Russian state.

“This case is a clear example of the increasing amount of state threat casework we are dealing with in the UK – particularly linked to Russia. It also highlights a relatively new phenomenon whereby espionage is being ‘outsourced’ by certain states.

“While the outsourcing of espionage activity might suggest that recent efforts by the UK to thwart direct Russian activity have been effective, it means that we also have to guard against this new kind of emerging threat.

“But regardless of the form the threat takes, this investigation shows that we will take action to identify and disrupt any such activity that puts UK national security and the safety of the public at risk.”

The court heard that detectives from the Met’s Counter terrorism Command sifted through more than 200,000 messages and seized hundreds of items after a co-ordinated series of raids and arrests were carried out on 8 February 2023.

In particular, a 33-room former hotel belonging to Orlin Roussev was found to contain items, including sophisticated spying equipment such as listening devices, concealed cameras and a fake ID card printer.

Through their investigation, detectives identified that Roussev, who was leading the group, was in direct contact with Jan Marsalek – an Austrian national who, in turn, was identified as working with the Russian intelligence services.

The investigation team identified six core spying ‘plots’ the group were involved in. This included activity that targeted two investigative journalists who were seen as reporting stories contrary to the interests of the Russian state.

A former senior Kazakh politician who lived in the UK was also targeted, and the group planned to stage protests at the Kazakhstan embassy in London. Both operations were part of an elaborate plan to help the Russia state gain favour with Kazakhstan.

The group also carried out surveillance at a US military site in Germany, where they believed Ukrainian soldiers were being trained.

Another man who was designated as a ‘foreign agent’ by Russia was also targeted by the group during surveillance operations in Montenegro.

Sifting through thousands of messages, and then matching this up with physical travel, financial statements and surveillance reports and footage, meant detectives were able to build up a compelling picture of the group’s activity, as well as identify those involved and their roles within the group.

The six members of the group were:

– Orlin Roussev, 46 (06.02.1978) of Great Yarmouth, Norfolk
– Bizer Maksimov Dzhambazov, 43 (21.04.1981), of Harrow, north London
– Katrin Nikolayeva Ivanova, 33 (01.07.1991) of Harrow, north London
– Ivan Iliev Stoyanov, 33 (22.12.1991) of Greenford, west London
– Vanya Nikolaveva Gaberova, 30 (10.08.1994) of Euston, north London.

– Tihomir Ivanov Ivanchev, 39 (31.07.85) of Acton, west London

Officers found that Roussev was directing the group’s activity, and was receiving tasks through his contact with Marsalak. Dzambaszov was effectively the second in command.

The other four were all found to be involved in the execution of various espionage and surveillance activities across the UK and Europe in relation to the six plots identified by detectives.

Ivanova, Gaberova and Ivanchev were all found guilty of conspiracy to spy, contrary to Section 1 of the Criminal Law Act 1977 after a three-month trial at the Old Bailey

Roussev and Dzhambazov pleaded guilty before the trial started to conspiracy to spy, contrary to Section 1 of the Criminal Law Act 1977.

Stoyanov pleaded guilty before the trial to spying, contrary to section 1(1)(c) of the Official Secrets Act 1911.

The group will be sentenced at the Old Bailey in May.

All material from the trial is available to download here https://mps.box.com/s/z3jt1xiy…

MIL Security OSI –

March 8, 2025