NewzIntel.com

Category: terrorism

  • MIL-Evening Report: Why is Israel bombing Syria?

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ali Mamouri, Research Fellow, Middle East Studies, Deakin University

    Conflict in Syria has escalated with Israel launching bombing raids against its northern neighbour.

    It follows months of fluctuating tensions in southern Syria between the Druze minority and forces aligned with the new government in Damascus. Clashes erupted in the last few days, prompting Israeli airstrikes in defence of the Druze by targeting government bases, tanks, and heavy weaponry.

    Israel Minister Amichai Chikli has called the Syrian president Ahmed al-Sharaa –

    a terrorist, a barbaric murderer who should be eliminated without delay.

    Despite the incendiary language, a ceasefire has been reached, halting the fighting – for now.

    Syrian forces have begun withdrawing heavy military equipment from the region, while Druze fighters have agreed to suspend armed resistance, allowing government troops to regain control of the main Druze city of Suwayda.

    What do the Druze want?

    The Druze are a small religious minority estimated at over one million people, primarily concentrated in the mountainous regions of Lebanon, Syria, Israel, and Jordan.

    In Syria, their population is estimated at around 700,000 (of around 23 million total Syrian population), with the majority residing in the southern As-Suwayda Governorate – or province – which serves as their traditional stronghold.

    Since the 2011 uprising against the Assad regime, the Druze have maintained a degree of autonomy, successfully defending their territory from various threats, including ISIS and other jihadist groups.

    Following Assad’s fall late last year, the Druze — along with other minority groups such as the Kurds in the east and Alawites in the west — have called for the country to be federalized.

    They advocate for a decentralised model that would grant greater autonomy to regional communities.

    However, the transitional government in Damascus is pushing for a centralised state and seeking to reassert full control over the entire Syrian territory. This fundamental disagreement has led to periodic clashes between Druze forces and government-aligned troops.

    Despite the temporary ceasefire, tensions remain high. Given the core political dispute remains unresolved, many expect renewed conflict to erupt in the near future.

    Why is Israel involved?

    The ousting of the Assad regime created a strategic opening for Israel to expand its influence in southern Syria. Israel’s involvement is driven by two primary concerns:

    1. Securing its northern border

    Israel views the power vacuum in Syria’s south as a potential threat, particularly the risk of anti-Israeli militias establishing a foothold near its northern border.

    During the recent clashes, the Israeli military declared

    The Israeli Defence Forces will not allow a military threat to exist in southern Syria and will act against it.

    Likewise, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who has stated he will not allow Syrian forces south of Damascus:

    We are acting to prevent the Syrian regime from harming them [the Druze] and to ensure the demilitarisation of the area adjacent to our border with Syria.

    In line with these warnings, the Israeli Air Force has conducted extensive strikes against Syrian military infrastructure, targeting bases, aircraft, tanks, and heavy weaponry.

    These operations are intended to prevent any future buildup of military capacity that could be used against Israel from the Syrian side of the border.

    2. Supporting a federated Syria

    Israel is backing the two prominent allied minorities in Syria — the Kurds in the northeast and the Druze in the south — in their push for a federal governance model.

    A fragmented Syria, divided along ethnic and religious lines, is seen by some Israeli policymakers as a way to maintain Israeli domination in the region.

    This vision is part of what some Israeli officials have referred to as a “New Middle East” — one where regional stability and normalisation emerge through reshaped borders and alliances.

    Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar recently echoed this strategy, stating:

    A single Syrian state with effective control and sovereignty over all its territory is unrealistic.

    For Israel, the logical path forward is autonomy for the various minorities in Syria within a federal structure.

    The United States’ role?

    According to unconfirmed reports, Washington has privately urged Israel to scale back its military strikes on Syria in order to prevent further escalation and preserve regional stability.

    The US is promoting increased support for Syria’s new regime in an effort to help it reassert control and stabilise the country.

    There are also indications the US and its allies are encouraging the Syrian government to move toward normalisation with Israel. Reports suggest Tel Aviv has held talks with the new Sharaa-led regime about the possibility of Syria joining the Abraham Accords (diplomatic agreements between Israel and several Arab states), which the regime in Damascus appears open to.

    US Special Envoy Tom Barrack has described the recent clashes as “worrisome”, calling for de-escalation and emphasising the need for

    a peaceful, inclusive outcome for all stakeholders – including the Druze, Bedouin tribes, the Syrian government, and Israeli forces.

    Given the deep-rooted political divisions, competing regional agendas, and unresolved demands from minority groups, the unrest in southern Syria is unlikely to end soon.

    Despite another temporary ceasefire, underlying tensions remain. Further clashes are not only possible but highly probable.

    Ali Mamouri 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. Why is Israel bombing Syria? – https://theconversation.com/why-is-israel-bombing-syria-261259

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Why is Israel bombing Syria?

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ali Mamouri, Research Fellow, Middle East Studies, Deakin University

    Conflict in Syria has escalated with Israel launching bombing raids against its northern neighbour.

    It follows months of fluctuating tensions in southern Syria between the Druze minority and forces aligned with the new government in Damascus. Clashes erupted in the last few days, prompting Israeli airstrikes in defence of the Druze by targeting government bases, tanks, and heavy weaponry.

    Israel Minister Amichai Chikli has called the Syrian president Ahmed al-Sharaa –

    a terrorist, a barbaric murderer who should be eliminated without delay.

    Despite the incendiary language, a ceasefire has been reached, halting the fighting – for now.

    Syrian forces have begun withdrawing heavy military equipment from the region, while Druze fighters have agreed to suspend armed resistance, allowing government troops to regain control of the main Druze city of Suwayda.

    What do the Druze want?

    The Druze are a small religious minority estimated at over one million people, primarily concentrated in the mountainous regions of Lebanon, Syria, Israel, and Jordan.

    In Syria, their population is estimated at around 700,000 (of around 23 million total Syrian population), with the majority residing in the southern As-Suwayda Governorate – or province – which serves as their traditional stronghold.

    Since the 2011 uprising against the Assad regime, the Druze have maintained a degree of autonomy, successfully defending their territory from various threats, including ISIS and other jihadist groups.

    Following Assad’s fall late last year, the Druze — along with other minority groups such as the Kurds in the east and Alawites in the west — have called for the country to be federalized.

    They advocate for a decentralised model that would grant greater autonomy to regional communities.

    However, the transitional government in Damascus is pushing for a centralised state and seeking to reassert full control over the entire Syrian territory. This fundamental disagreement has led to periodic clashes between Druze forces and government-aligned troops.

    Despite the temporary ceasefire, tensions remain high. Given the core political dispute remains unresolved, many expect renewed conflict to erupt in the near future.

    Why is Israel involved?

    The ousting of the Assad regime created a strategic opening for Israel to expand its influence in southern Syria. Israel’s involvement is driven by two primary concerns:

    1. Securing its northern border

    Israel views the power vacuum in Syria’s south as a potential threat, particularly the risk of anti-Israeli militias establishing a foothold near its northern border.

    During the recent clashes, the Israeli military declared

    The Israeli Defence Forces will not allow a military threat to exist in southern Syria and will act against it.

    Likewise, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who has stated he will not allow Syrian forces south of Damascus:

    We are acting to prevent the Syrian regime from harming them [the Druze] and to ensure the demilitarisation of the area adjacent to our border with Syria.

    In line with these warnings, the Israeli Air Force has conducted extensive strikes against Syrian military infrastructure, targeting bases, aircraft, tanks, and heavy weaponry.

    These operations are intended to prevent any future buildup of military capacity that could be used against Israel from the Syrian side of the border.

    2. Supporting a federated Syria

    Israel is backing the two prominent allied minorities in Syria — the Kurds in the northeast and the Druze in the south — in their push for a federal governance model.

    A fragmented Syria, divided along ethnic and religious lines, is seen by some Israeli policymakers as a way to maintain Israeli domination in the region.

    This vision is part of what some Israeli officials have referred to as a “New Middle East” — one where regional stability and normalisation emerge through reshaped borders and alliances.

    Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar recently echoed this strategy, stating:

    A single Syrian state with effective control and sovereignty over all its territory is unrealistic.

    For Israel, the logical path forward is autonomy for the various minorities in Syria within a federal structure.

    The United States’ role?

    According to unconfirmed reports, Washington has privately urged Israel to scale back its military strikes on Syria in order to prevent further escalation and preserve regional stability.

    The US is promoting increased support for Syria’s new regime in an effort to help it reassert control and stabilise the country.

    There are also indications the US and its allies are encouraging the Syrian government to move toward normalisation with Israel. Reports suggest Tel Aviv has held talks with the new Sharaa-led regime about the possibility of Syria joining the Abraham Accords (diplomatic agreements between Israel and several Arab states), which the regime in Damascus appears open to.

    US Special Envoy Tom Barrack has described the recent clashes as “worrisome”, calling for de-escalation and emphasising the need for

    a peaceful, inclusive outcome for all stakeholders – including the Druze, Bedouin tribes, the Syrian government, and Israeli forces.

    Given the deep-rooted political divisions, competing regional agendas, and unresolved demands from minority groups, the unrest in southern Syria is unlikely to end soon.

    Despite another temporary ceasefire, underlying tensions remain. Further clashes are not only possible but highly probable.

    Ali Mamouri 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. Why is Israel bombing Syria? – https://theconversation.com/why-is-israel-bombing-syria-261259

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Cortez Masto, Colleagues Press Administration on Conflicting Orders Fueling Uncertainty for Afghans Living in U.S.

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Nevada Cortez Masto

    Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) joined Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Congressman Glenn Ivey (D-Md.-04) and 73 of their colleagues in pressing U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio for answers on the Trump Administration’s inconsistent policies regarding the legal status of Afghan refugees living in the U.S. – many of whom played important roles in supporting American service members during the war in Afghanistan over two decades. 

    In the letter, the lawmakers point out that the justifications for the decisions to implement a large-scale travel ban, which applies to Afghanistan, and terminate Temporary Protected Status conflict with one another. The lawmakers ask Secretary Rubio how the State Department arrived at these determinations and whether it can guarantee that Afghans who may be forced to leave the U.S. will not face danger upon their return to their home country – should the termination of Afghanistan’s TPS designation be upheld.

    The lawmakers quoted the determination that Secretary Rubio made upon consultation over the decision to include Afghanistan in the Administration’s travel ban proclamation, writing, “Specifically, the proclamation bans most entry into the United States from Afghanistan, stating the following as justification: ‘The Taliban, a Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT) group, controls Afghanistan. Afghanistan lacks a competent or cooperative central authority for issuing passports or civil documents and it does not have appropriate screening and vetting measures.’”

    The lawmakers’ concerns over the safety of Afghan nationals who may be forced to leave the U.S. stem from a recent State Department human rights report covering Afghanistan finding that the Taliban has increased restrictions on freedom of expression and significantly eroded women’s rights. Additionally, Afghanistan remains gripped by violence and instability; the Islamic State Khorasan Province (ISKP), the Afghan affiliate of the Islamic State (ISIS), continues to launch attacks against ethnic and religious minorities and against the Taliban, leading to innocent civilian casualties.

    “As you are aware, many Afghan allies that received TPS stood shoulder to shoulder with American servicemembers for nearly two decades during the war in Afghanistan. Many fled to the United States out of fear of persecution by the Taliban or retaliation for such cooperation with the United States. It is unsafe for political targets of the Taliban to be forced to return against their will. TPS protections must be maintained for Afghan nationals in the United States,” the lawmakers concluded.

    Read the full letter here.

    The first and only Latina senator, Senator Cortez Masto has consistently supported immigrant communities in Nevada, calling on both administrations to protect TPS holders and other immigrants, as well as leading commonsense legislation to fix our broken immigration system. Last month, the Senator helped introduce the SECURE Act to provide qualified TPS and DED recipients a path to legal permanent residency. She has worked to pass meaningful immigration reform that balances critical border security measures with a path to citizenship for Dreamers, TPS holders, and essential workers.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI China: China to hold SCO Tianjin summit from Aug. 31 to Sept. 1

    Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News

    Leaders from more than 20 countries and heads of 10 international organizations will attend the Tianjin summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) and related events, said Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Tuesday.

    The SCO Tianjin summit will be held from August 31 to September 1, Wang said in Tianjin during a joint press meeting with SCO Secretary-General Nurlan Yermekbayev.

    On the same day, Wang, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, chaired SCO member states’ meeting of the council of the ministers of foreign affairs in Tianjin.

    Belarusian Foreign Minister Maksim Ryzhenkov, Indian External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi, Kazakhstan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Murat Nurtleu, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Kyrgyzstan Jeenbek Kulubaev, Pakistani Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mohammad Ishaq Dar, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, Tajik Foreign Minister Sirojiddin Muhriddin, Uzbek Foreign Minister Bakhtiyor Saidov, SCO Secretary-General Nurlan Yermekbayev, and Director of the Executive Committee of the SCO Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure Ularbek Sharsheev attended the meeting.

    Wang called on SCO member states to strive to build greater consensus on strengthening the organization in a manner that demonstrates a sense of responsibility towards history and the future. He proposed five suggestions on the organization’s development.

    He said that member states should stay true to the original aspiration and carry forward the Shanghai Spirit, consolidate the foundation of security, pursue mutual benefit and win-win results to drive the new engine of development, pursue friendship and good-neighborliness, and safeguard fairness and justice.

    Wang expressed appreciation for the support of member states for China’s role as the rotating chair, adding that the SCO is set to enter a new phase of high-quality development through member states’ joint efforts.

    The participating parties highly commended China’s outstanding work and positive outcomes as the rotating chair, and expressed their willingness to coordinate and collaborate with China to ensure the success of the Tianjin summit.

    All parties fully recognized the important role of the SCO in strengthening strategic mutual trust among member states, promoting regional development and prosperity, maintaining common security, and deepening the bonds between the peoples.

    In the face of turbulent international situations, all parties agreed that it is essential to further promote the Shanghai Spirit, strengthen solidarity and coordination, safeguard national sovereignty and territorial integrity, fight against the “three evil forces” of terrorism, extremism, and separatism.

    They also agreed to enhance cooperation in various fields, promote dialogue among different civilizations, jointly uphold the authority of the United Nations, oppose unilateralism, and peacefully resolve hotspot issues through dialogue and negotiation, to make new contributions to world peace and development. 

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Security News: Pakistani Leader of International Alien Smuggling Organization Extradited from Mexico

    Source: United States Department of Justice

    A Pakistani man made his initial appearance in court in Tucson, Arizona, today after being extradited from Mexico to face charges relating to his role in leading an international alien smuggling organization.

    In May 2024, a federal grand jury in Tucson returned an indictment against Abbas Ali Haider, 48, of Sialkot, Pakistan, for conspiring to smuggle Pakistani nationals into the United States.

    Haider allegedly operated two sham film production companies, Diamond TV World Productions and Multimedia Advertising Ltd., which were fronts for his alien smuggling organization. According to court documents, Haider used those Pakistan-based companies to contract with film companies in Ecuador, Cuba, and Colombia. He then had those companies sponsor visas for Pakistani nationals purporting to work for Haider’s companies under the guise that they were working on a joint filming project in Latin America. Haider provided the Pakistani nationals with phony paperwork indicating that they worked for his companies, which they used at ports of entry in Panama, Brazil, and Colombia. Haider coached the aliens to say they worked in the film industry to deceive and thwart customs and border officials. Haider’s network of smugglers then assisted the Pakistani nationals in traveling to the U.S.-Mexico border, where they illegally crossed into California, Texas, and Arizona. Haider charged the aliens up to $40,000 for the trip.  

    Haider travelled from Pakistan to Mexico in late 2024 and was arrested in Mexico in January 2025 at the request of the U.S. government. Extensive coordination and cooperation between U.S. and Mexican law enforcement authorities resulted in Haider’s timely extradition.

    Haider is charged with one count of conspiracy to bring illegal aliens to the United States and four counts of bringing in illegal aliens for profit. If convicted, he faces a mandatory minimum penalty of five years in prison.

    Acting Assistant Attorney General Matthew R. Galeotti of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Timothy Courchaine for the District of Arizona, and Special Agent in Charge Shawn Gibson of Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) San Diego, made the announcement.

    HSI Calexico led U.S. investigative efforts, working in concert with HSI’s Brasilia, Quito, Tijuana, and Caribbean attaché offices and the HSI Human Smuggling Unit in Washington, D.C., U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s National Targeting Center International Interdiction Task Force, U.S. Border Patrol; the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force in Miami, and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Office of Enforcement and Removal Operations office in Detroit provided substantial assistance. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs worked with law enforcement partners in Mexico to secure the arrest and extradition of Haider. 

    Trial Attorney Chelsea Schinnour of the Criminal Division’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section (HRSP) and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jared Kreamer Hope and Evan Wesley for the District of Arizona are prosecuting the case.

    The indictment and extradition are the result of the coordinated efforts of Joint Task Force Alpha (JTFA) and the Extraterritorial Criminal Travel Strike Force (ECT) Program. JTFA, a partnership with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), has been elevated and expanded with a mandate to target cartels and transnational criminal organizations to eliminate human smuggling and trafficking operating in Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Panama, and Colombia. JTFA currently comprises detailees from U.S. Attorneys’ Offices along the border. Dedicated support is provided by numerous components of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, led by HRSP and supported by the Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section, Office of Enforcement Operations, and the Office of International Affairs, among others. JTFA also relies on substantial law enforcement investment from DHS, FBI, U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, and other partners. To date, JTFA’s work has resulted in more than 390 domestic and international arrests of leaders, organizers, and significant facilitators of alien smuggling; more than 350 U.S. convictions; more than 300 significant jail sentences imposed; and forfeitures of substantial assets.

    The ECT program is a partnership between the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and HSI and focuses on human smuggling networks that may present particular national security or public safety risks, or present grave humanitarian concerns. ECT has dedicated investigative, intelligence, and prosecutorial resources. ECT also coordinates and receives assistance from other U.S. government agencies and foreign law enforcement authorities.

    This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN).

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

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: Adopting Resolution 2787 (2025), Security Council Extends Reporting Requirement on Houthi Attacks against Merchant, Commercial Vessels in Red Sea

    Source: United Nations General Assembly and Security Council

    The Security Council today extended the request to the Secretary-General to provide written monthly reports through 15 January 2026 on any further Houthi attacks on merchant and commercial vessels in the Red Sea.

    Adopting resolution 2787 (2025) (to be issued as document S/RES/2787(2025)) with a vote of 12 in favour to none against, with 3 abstentions (Algeria, China, Russian Federation), the Council extended the reporting request in paragraph 10 of resolution 2722 (2024), while also recalling all its relevant resolutions on the situation in Yemen and the Red Sea, including resolutions 2216 (2015), 2722 (2024), 2739 (2024) and 2768 (2025).

    Acts of Terrorism by Houthis

    In the ensuing discussion, the representative of the United States, who served as co-penholder of today’s resolution, said that the recent Houthi attacks on two civilian cargo vessels — the MV Magic Seas and the MV Eternity Sea — are yet another stark reminder of the Houthis’ terrorist tactics and their blatant disregard for civilian life.  These attacks have also disrupted the free flow of global commerce through the Red Sea and, according to some reports, more than doubled the cost of operating commercial vessels in the area.  “The United States strongly condemns these acts of terrorism, which threaten freedom of navigation and undermine regional economic and maritime security,” she said, calling for the immediate and permanent cessation of all Houthi attacks against vessels transiting the Red Sea.  Demanding the unconditional release of the crew of the MV Eternity Sea, who remain in Houthi custody, she also reiterated condemnation of Iran’s ongoing violations of Council resolution 2216 (2015), which continue to “enable Houthi terrorism” — including these latest attacks.

    No Justification for Any Attack against Innocent Seafarers

    The representative of Greece, also co-penholder of today’s resolution, said that the recent, unprovoked attacks against two commercial vessels transiting the Red Sea region “provide a clear testimony of the Houthis’ continued aggression and destabilizing role, as well as the need to keep the reporting mechanism in place”.  Underscoring that there is no justification for any attack against innocent seafarers — “whose contribution to international maritime trade is irreplaceable” — he stressed that, if the Red Sea region “becomes even more degraded, it will expose the international community to more acute security risks and economic uncertainty”.  He therefore called on all Member States to respect and implement the arms embargo established by resolution 2216 (2015).

    As a nation deeply invested in the stability of the Red Sea, Somalia’s delegate said that he supported the resolution as a reflection of an unwavering commitment to maritime security.  “We recognize the gravity of the current threats and their far-reaching implications, from economic disruption to environmental risks,” he said.  While this resolution is a constructive step forward, its effectiveness will depend on a thoughtful approach that accounts for regional realities and sensitivities.  Security in the Red Sea cannot be separated from the stability of its coastal States or the broader peace process.  Lasting solutions must tackle the root causes of instability while upholding the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all nations in the region.  “We must avoid actions that risk further escalation and instead focus on addressing the legitimate concerns of all stakeholders,” he said.

    Nexus between Attacks in Red Sea and Aggression against Palestinians in Gaza

    The representative of Algeria said that his delegation’s abstention “comes in line with its principled position”, including abstentions on resolutions 2722 (2024), 2739 (2024) and 2768 (2025).  He stressed, however, that this abstention must not be interpreted either as a reservation regarding the Secretary-General’s monthly reports or as a justification for the attacks targeting commercial vessels or cargo carriers. Rather, it is a “reflection of our deep concern” over the implementation of resolution 2722 (2024), he said, noting that such resolution has been misused to justify attacks on the territory of sovereign States.  He added that the Council cannot disregard the “clear nexus between the attacks in the Red Sea and the aggression against the Palestinian people in Gaza”.

    The representative of the Russian Federation — whose delegation also abstained — noted with concern that the text represents a direct continuation of resolution 2722 (2024) — an instrument that, despite its stated aim of ensuring freedom of navigation, has “raised serious concerns on our side” regarding its interpretation and application in practice.  While the resolution’s original intent is commendable, namely safeguarding maritime security around Yemen, the broad and ambiguous language has opened the door to arbitrary interpretations, including its use as justification for unilateral military actions on the sovereign territory of Yemen.  “We emphasize that such misinterpretations are unacceptable and undermine the authority of the Security Council,” he said.  Stabilization efforts in and around Yemen must be pursued exclusively through political and diplomatic means, in full respect of international law.  Moreover, it is impossible to decouple the Red Sea’s security from the wider instability across the region — most notably the ongoing Israeli-Palestinian conflict, he said.  Achieving sustainable peace requires immediate steps:  a ceasefire, the release of hostages and detainees, and unimpeded humanitarian access to Gaza.

    Council Resolutions Should Not Be ‘Misinterpreted or Abused’

    The representative of China — whose delegation also abstained — recalled its similar abstention on resolution 2722 (2024).  “Following the adoption of that resolution, certain countries took military actions against Yemen, which seriously impacted Yemen’s peace process and exacerbated tensions in the Red Sea,” he recalled, adding that the “negative effects” of such actions “continue until today”.  He underscored that Council resolutions should not be “misinterpreted or abused”, and that Yemen’s sovereignty, security and territorial integrity should be respected.  Adding that tensions in the Red Sea are a “major manifestation of the spillover from the Gaza conflict”, he said that issues in the Red Sea and Yemen cannot be resolved without easing tensions and de-escalating the overall situation in the region.

    Red Sea Corridor for Global Trade, Vital Channel for Humanitarian Aid

    The representative of Pakistan, Council President for July, having voted in favor of resolution 2787 (2025) and speaking in his national capacity, reaffirmed “our principled and longstanding commitment” to upholding maritime security and unequivocally condemning attacks on all commercial shipping.  He denounced the recent assaults on vessels in the Red Sea and called for the immediate and unconditional release of all detained crew members.  In the current context, the extension of the reporting mandate is a necessary and timely step.  “We underscore the strategic significance of the Red Sea maritime corridor — not only as a critical artery for global trade, but also as a vital channel for humanitarian aid to Yemen,” he said.  All attacks on merchant and commercial vessels navigating the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden must cease immediately and permanently, in full compliance with international law.

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Pakistani Leader of International Alien Smuggling Organization Extradited from Mexico

    Source: US State of North Dakota

    A Pakistani man made his initial appearance in court in Tucson, Arizona, today after being extradited from Mexico to face charges relating to his role in leading an international alien smuggling organization.

    In May 2024, a federal grand jury in Tucson returned an indictment against Abbas Ali Haider, 48, of Sialkot, Pakistan, for conspiring to smuggle Pakistani nationals into the United States.

    Haider allegedly operated two sham film production companies, Diamond TV World Productions and Multimedia Advertising Ltd., which were fronts for his alien smuggling organization. According to court documents, Haider used those Pakistan-based companies to contract with film companies in Ecuador, Cuba, and Colombia. He then had those companies sponsor visas for Pakistani nationals purporting to work for Haider’s companies under the guise that they were working on a joint filming project in Latin America. Haider provided the Pakistani nationals with phony paperwork indicating that they worked for his companies, which they used at ports of entry in Panama, Brazil, and Colombia. Haider coached the aliens to say they worked in the film industry to deceive and thwart customs and border officials. Haider’s network of smugglers then assisted the Pakistani nationals in traveling to the U.S.-Mexico border, where they illegally crossed into California, Texas, and Arizona. Haider charged the aliens up to $40,000 for the trip.  

    Haider travelled from Pakistan to Mexico in late 2024 and was arrested in Mexico in January 2025 at the request of the U.S. government. Extensive coordination and cooperation between U.S. and Mexican law enforcement authorities resulted in Haider’s timely extradition.

    Haider is charged with one count of conspiracy to bring illegal aliens to the United States and four counts of bringing in illegal aliens for profit. If convicted, he faces a mandatory minimum penalty of five years in prison.

    Acting Assistant Attorney General Matthew R. Galeotti of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Timothy Courchaine for the District of Arizona, and Special Agent in Charge Shawn Gibson of Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) San Diego, made the announcement.

    HSI Calexico led U.S. investigative efforts, working in concert with HSI’s Brasilia, Quito, Tijuana, and Caribbean attaché offices and the HSI Human Smuggling Unit in Washington, D.C., U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s National Targeting Center International Interdiction Task Force, U.S. Border Patrol; the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force in Miami, and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Office of Enforcement and Removal Operations office in Detroit provided substantial assistance. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs worked with law enforcement partners in Mexico to secure the arrest and extradition of Haider. 

    Trial Attorney Chelsea Schinnour of the Criminal Division’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section (HRSP) and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jared Kreamer Hope and Evan Wesley for the District of Arizona are prosecuting the case.

    The indictment and extradition are the result of the coordinated efforts of Joint Task Force Alpha (JTFA) and the Extraterritorial Criminal Travel Strike Force (ECT) Program. JTFA, a partnership with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), has been elevated and expanded with a mandate to target cartels and transnational criminal organizations to eliminate human smuggling and trafficking operating in Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Panama, and Colombia. JTFA currently comprises detailees from U.S. Attorneys’ Offices along the border. Dedicated support is provided by numerous components of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, led by HRSP and supported by the Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section, Office of Enforcement Operations, and the Office of International Affairs, among others. JTFA also relies on substantial law enforcement investment from DHS, FBI, U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, and other partners. To date, JTFA’s work has resulted in more than 390 domestic and international arrests of leaders, organizers, and significant facilitators of alien smuggling; more than 350 U.S. convictions; more than 300 significant jail sentences imposed; and forfeitures of substantial assets.

    The ECT program is a partnership between the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and HSI and focuses on human smuggling networks that may present particular national security or public safety risks, or present grave humanitarian concerns. ECT has dedicated investigative, intelligence, and prosecutorial resources. ECT also coordinates and receives assistance from other U.S. government agencies and foreign law enforcement authorities.

    This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN).

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

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Pakistani Leader of International Alien Smuggling Organization Extradited from Mexico

    Source: United States Attorneys General 11

    A Pakistani man made his initial appearance in court in Tucson, Arizona, today after being extradited from Mexico to face charges relating to his role in leading an international alien smuggling organization.

    In May 2024, a federal grand jury in Tucson returned an indictment against Abbas Ali Haider, 48, of Sialkot, Pakistan, for conspiring to smuggle Pakistani nationals into the United States.

    Haider allegedly operated two sham film production companies, Diamond TV World Productions and Multimedia Advertising Ltd., which were fronts for his alien smuggling organization. According to court documents, Haider used those Pakistan-based companies to contract with film companies in Ecuador, Cuba, and Colombia. He then had those companies sponsor visas for Pakistani nationals purporting to work for Haider’s companies under the guise that they were working on a joint filming project in Latin America. Haider provided the Pakistani nationals with phony paperwork indicating that they worked for his companies, which they used at ports of entry in Panama, Brazil, and Colombia. Haider coached the aliens to say they worked in the film industry to deceive and thwart customs and border officials. Haider’s network of smugglers then assisted the Pakistani nationals in traveling to the U.S.-Mexico border, where they illegally crossed into California, Texas, and Arizona. Haider charged the aliens up to $40,000 for the trip.  

    Haider travelled from Pakistan to Mexico in late 2024 and was arrested in Mexico in January 2025 at the request of the U.S. government. Extensive coordination and cooperation between U.S. and Mexican law enforcement authorities resulted in Haider’s timely extradition.

    Haider is charged with one count of conspiracy to bring illegal aliens to the United States and four counts of bringing in illegal aliens for profit. If convicted, he faces a mandatory minimum penalty of five years in prison.

    Acting Assistant Attorney General Matthew R. Galeotti of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Timothy Courchaine for the District of Arizona, and Special Agent in Charge Shawn Gibson of Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) San Diego, made the announcement.

    HSI Calexico led U.S. investigative efforts, working in concert with HSI’s Brasilia, Quito, Tijuana, and Caribbean attaché offices and the HSI Human Smuggling Unit in Washington, D.C., U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s National Targeting Center International Interdiction Task Force, U.S. Border Patrol; the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force in Miami, and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Office of Enforcement and Removal Operations office in Detroit provided substantial assistance. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs worked with law enforcement partners in Mexico to secure the arrest and extradition of Haider. 

    Trial Attorney Chelsea Schinnour of the Criminal Division’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section (HRSP) and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jared Kreamer Hope and Evan Wesley for the District of Arizona are prosecuting the case.

    The indictment and extradition are the result of the coordinated efforts of Joint Task Force Alpha (JTFA) and the Extraterritorial Criminal Travel Strike Force (ECT) Program. JTFA, a partnership with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), has been elevated and expanded with a mandate to target cartels and transnational criminal organizations to eliminate human smuggling and trafficking operating in Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Panama, and Colombia. JTFA currently comprises detailees from U.S. Attorneys’ Offices along the border. Dedicated support is provided by numerous components of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, led by HRSP and supported by the Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section, Office of Enforcement Operations, and the Office of International Affairs, among others. JTFA also relies on substantial law enforcement investment from DHS, FBI, U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, and other partners. To date, JTFA’s work has resulted in more than 390 domestic and international arrests of leaders, organizers, and significant facilitators of alien smuggling; more than 350 U.S. convictions; more than 300 significant jail sentences imposed; and forfeitures of substantial assets.

    The ECT program is a partnership between the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and HSI and focuses on human smuggling networks that may present particular national security or public safety risks, or present grave humanitarian concerns. ECT has dedicated investigative, intelligence, and prosecutorial resources. ECT also coordinates and receives assistance from other U.S. government agencies and foreign law enforcement authorities.

    This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN).

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

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: July Federal Grand Jury 2025-A Indictments Announced

    Source: US FBI

    United States Attorney Clint Johnson today announced the results of the July Federal Grand Jury 2025-A Indictments.

    The following individuals have been charged with violations of United States law in indictments returned by the Grand Jury. The return of an indictment is a method of informing a defendant of alleged violations of federal law, which must be proven in a court of law beyond a reasonable doubt to overcome a defendant’s presumption of innocence.

    Kennedy Antonio Ramirez Acosta. Possession of Fentanyl with Intent to Distribute. Ramirez Acosta, 39, a Mexican national, is charged with knowingly possessing fentanyl with intent to distribute. The Drug Enforcement Administration Tulsa Resident Office, the ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations Dallas Field Office, and the Tulsa County Sheriff’s Office are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorney Tyson McCoy is prosecuting the case. 25-CR-239

    Ventura Rivera Arteaga; Ruben Amadow Meza Medina. Drug Conspiracy (Count 1); Possession of Fentanyl with Intent to Distribute (Counts 2 & 4); Unlawful Reentry of a Removed Alien (Count 3); Maintaining a Drug-Involved Premises (Counts 5 & 6). Rivera Arteaga, 40, a Mexican national, and Meza Medina, 20, a Mexican national, are charged with conspiring to distribute fentanyl. They are separately charged with knowingly possessing fentanyl with intent to distribute and maintaining two separate residences for fentanyl distribution. Additionally, Rivera Arteaga is charged with unlawfully reentering the United States after having been previously removed in Dec. 2024. The Drug Enforcement Administration Tulsa Resident Office, ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations Dallas Field Office, and the Tulsa Police Department are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mandy Mackenzie is prosecuting the case. 25-CR-229

    Elijah Lee Chandler, Jr.  Attempted Possession of Methamphetamine with Intent to Distribute; Possession of Methamphetamine with Intent to Distribute; Maintaining a Drug-Involved Premises. Chandler, 36, of Tulsa, is charged with attempting to possess more than 500 grams of methamphetamine and with possessing more than 50 grams of methamphetamine with intent to distribute. He is further charged with maintaining a residence to distribute methamphetamine. The Drug Enforcement Administration, the Tulsa Police Department, the Oklahoma Highway Patrol, and the Tulsa County Sheriff’s Office are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorney David Nasar is prosecuting the case. 25-CR-231

    Douglas Eugene Chaney.Failure to Register as a Sex Offender. Chaney, 50, of Tulsa, is an individual who is knowingly required to register as a sex offender. He is charged with failing to register as a sex offender from April to May 2025. The U.S. Probation and Pretrial Services Office and the Tulsa Police Department are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorney Michele Hulgaard is prosecuting the case. 25-CR-230

    Daniel Contreras-Martinez.Unlawful Reentry of a Removed Alien. Contreras-Martinez, 46, a Mexican national, is charged with unlawfully reentering the United States after having been previously removed in June 2008. ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations Dallas Field Office is the investigative agency. Assistant U.S. Attorney Adam Bailey is prosecuting the case. 
    25-CR-244

    Ramey Joe-Don Dill. Failure to Register as a Sex Offender. Dill, 38, of Ochelata, is an individual who is knowingly required to register as a sex offender. He is charged with failing to register as a sex offender in May 2025. The U.S. Probation and Pretrial Services Office is the investigative agency. Assistant U.S. Attorney Michele Hulgaard is prosecuting the case. 25-CR-232

    Luis Flores-Rodriguez.Possession of Cocaine with Intent to Distribute. Flores-Rodriguez, 34, a Mexican national, is charged with knowingly possessing cocaine with intent to distribute. The Drug Enforcement Administration, the Oklahoma Highway Patrol, and the Rogers County Sheriff’s Office are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorney Shakema Onias is prosecuting the case. 25-CR-245

    Franklin Francisco Gioani-Arubio. Unlawful Reentry of a Removed Alien. Gioani-Arubio, 31, a Honduran national, is charged with unlawfully reentering the United States after having been previously removed in Nov. 2017. ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations Dallas Field Office is the investigative agency. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mallory Richard is prosecuting the case. 
    25-CR-246

    Jarod Wade Jenkins. Felon in Possession of a Firearm and Ammunition. Jenkins, 26, of Hominy, is charged with possessing a firearm and ammunition, knowing he was previously convicted of a felony. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the FBI are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorney Christian Harris is prosecuting the case. 25-CR-247

    Thomas William Martin.Production of Child Pornography; Possession of Child Pornography. Martin, 42, of Mannford, is charged with coercing a minor child to produce a visual depiction of sexually explicit conduct. He is additionally charged with possessing visual images and videos depicting the sexual abuse of children under 12 years old. The FBI, the Pawnee County Sheriff’s Office, and the Broken Arrow Police Department are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Tara Heign and Ashley Robert are prosecuting the case. 25-CR-233

    Felecia Martinez. Attempted Bulk Cash Smuggling Out of the United States. Martinez, 40, of Tulsa and a member of the Potawatomi Nation Tribe, is charged with concealing $32,950 in cash and attempting to transport it to Mexico. At the time of the offense, Martinez was on pre-trial release in the Northern District of Oklahoma related to a case charging her with drug conspiracy, possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute, and maintaining a drug-involved premises. The Drug Enforcement Administration Tulsa Resident Office, the U.S. Probation Office for the Northern District of Oklahoma, the Department of Homeland Security Anti-Terrorism Contraband Enforcement Team, and the Laredo Police Department are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Adam McConney and Matthew Cyran are prosecuting the case. 25-CR-234

    Sebastain Quino-Velasco. Unlawful Reentry of a Removed Alien. Quino-Velasco, 51, a Mexican national, is charged with unlawfully reentering the United States after having been previously removed in June 2010. ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations Dallas Field Office is the investigative agency. Assistant U.S. Attorney Valeria Luster is prosecuting the case. 
    25-CR-248

    Rebecca Dawn Quintero Torres. Drug Conspiracy; Possession of Methamphetamine with Intent to Distribute; Use of a Communication Facility in Committing, Causing, and Facilitating the Commission of a Drug Trafficking Felony. Quintero-Torres, 50, of Tulsa, is charged with conspiring to distribute methamphetamine in June 2025. She is further charged with using the United Parcel Service and knowingly possessing more than 500 grams of methamphetamine with intent to distribute. The Homeland Security Investigations is the investigative agency. Assistant U.S. Attorney Tyson McCoy is prosecuting the case. 25-CR-240

    Dominic Rocky Torres. Conspiracy to Commit Hobbs Act Robbery; Hobbs Act Robbery; Aiding and Abetting Carrying, Using, and Brandishing a Firearm During and in Relation to a Crime of Violence; Use of Minor in Crime of Violence (superseding). Torres, 22, of Tulsa and a member of the Cherokee Nation, is charged with conspiring with others and aiding and abetting others to obstruct commerce by robbery. Further, he knowingly aided and abetted in brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence. Lastly, Torres intentionally used a minor child to commit a crime of violence. The FBI and the Tulsa Police Department are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Stacey Todd and Jessica Wright are prosecuting the case. 25-CR-112

    Luciano Vasquez, Jr. Conspiracy to Commit Money Laundering. Varquez, 58, of Sand Springs, is charged with conspiring with others to launder more than $16 million, including depositing two fraudulent United States Treasury tax refund checks totaling more than $727,800. The U.S. Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration is the investigative agency. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ammon Brisolara is prosecuting the case. 25-CR-242

    John Edgar Williams, IV; Jeremy Mindez Ruff; Savannah D’naisha May Gage; Nevaeh Charise Cox; Trinity Rinique Goudeau; Shavari Shantell Melton; Vanessa Lashay Bell; Ashley Elaine Charles. Conspiracy to Commit Sex Trafficking (Count 1); Transporting an Individual for Prostitution (Counts 2, 3, 7, 9, 10, and 13); Interstate Travel to Aid Racketeering (Count 4); Distribution of Child Pornography (Count 5); Sex Trafficking (Counts 6 & 12); Sex Trafficking a Minor (Counts 8, 11, and 14) (superseding). Williams, 38, Gage, 25, Cox, 39, Goudeau, 24, Melton, 20, Bell, 20, Charles, 37, of Tulsa, and Ruff, 39, of Dallas, Texas, are charged with conspiring with each other to recruit, entice, and harbor a person by threats of force to engage in a commercial sex act for payment. Williams, Gage, Ruff, and Goudeau are charged separately for transporting people to engage in prostitution and other sexual activities. Williams, Ruff, Gage, Cox, Goudeau, Melton, and Charles are further charged with using interstate and foreign commerce to promote and manage a business enterprise involving prostitution. Ruff, Cox, Gage, Goudeau, and Melton are charged with recruiting and enticing minor children, between 14 and 18 years old, to engage in sexually explicit acts. Additionally, Williams, Gage, and Goudeau are charged with benefiting financially from recruiting, harboring, and providing transportation to an individual to engage in commercial sex acts. Lastly, Cox is further charged with knowingly distributing visual images and videos depicting the sexual abuse of children. The Tulsa Police Department, Homeland Security Investigations, the Bureau of Indian Affairs, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Muscogee Creek Nation Lighthorse Police are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kenneth Elmore, John Brasher, and John W. Dowdell are prosecuting the case. 25-CR-197

    Allan Ray Wright; Jamie Lynn Wright. Attempted Coercion and Enticement of a Minor. Allan Wright, 30, and Jamie Wright, 32, of Tulsa are charged with attempting to coerce a minor child they believed to be under 18 years old to engage in sexually explicit activity. The Homeland Security Investigations and the Owasso Police Department are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jessica Wright and Ashley Robert are prosecuting the case. 25-CR-241

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senate Defense Bill Includes Dozens of Budd-Led Provisions to Boost America’s Military Readiness & End Affirmative Action at Service Academies

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Ted Budd (R-North Carolina)

    Washington, D.C.—Senator Ted Budd (R-NC), a Member of the Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC), recently voted to advance the Fiscal Year (FY) 2026 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) to the Senate floor after securing numerous provisions to improve readiness and quality of life for our troops, increase funding for North Carolina military installations, protect the homeland, and strengthen alliances.

    Senator Budd said in a statement:

    “I’m proud that the FY 2026 NDAA contains dozens of provisions I led that will boost America’s fighting force in North Carolina and around the world by improving our facilities and programs, bolstering America’s air superiority, reducing regulatory burdens, supporting our friend and ally Israel, combatting terrorism, and banning discriminatory affirmative action policies at the service academies. Refocusing the Department of Defense on its core mission will send a clear deterrent message to potential adversaries and make America safer.”

    Below is a summary of the provisions Senator Budd championed in the recent SASC legislative markup that the full Senate will consider in the coming weeks:

    Boosting America’s Military Readiness & Supporting Military Families

    The SASC-passed NDAA represents an investment in America’s military personnel, a refocusing of the Pentagon’s priorities to boost troop readiness, and a needed reduction of bureaucratic red tape. Senator Budd championed a number of key priorities that will improve the quality of life and the effectiveness of our troops by:

    • Providing a 3.8% raise across the board for service members.
    • Creating a pilot program to improve Basic Allowance for Housing (BAH) rates for North Carolina service members and their families.
    • Prohibiting affirmative action in U.S. Service Academies admissions
    • Cutting burdensome environmental regulations that prohibit the Defense Department from procuring basic items.
    • Accelerating the development, prototyping, and deployment of mobile nuclear microreactor systems to enhance energy resilience and forward-deployed power capability for U.S. military operations.

    Delivering for North Carolina Military Installations & Manufacturers

    The FY 2026 NDAA authorizes more than $700 million for military construction projects and planning and design funding at facilities across North Carolina. Senator Budd successfully worked to include authorizing provisions to support the following facilities, programs, and units:

    Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point

    • Authorizing $40M in funding to boost the F-35 Aircraft Sustainment Center
    • Authorizing $15M in funding to design the next phase of the Flightline Utilities Modernization project

    Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune

    • Authorizing $34M in funding for the expansion of the Special Operations Forces Combat Service Support/Motor Transport
    • Authorizing $90M in funding to boost the Special Operations Forces Marine Raider Battalion Operations Facility
    • Authorizing $48.28M in funding to boost Amphibious Combat Vehicle Shelters

    Fort Bragg

    • Authorizing $19M in funding to boost the Automated Infantry Platoon Battle Course
    • Authorizing $24M in funding to complete the construction of the Aircraft Maintenance Hangar
    • Authorizing $80M in funding to improve the Fort’s power generation and microgrid
    • Authorizing $32M in funding for the Special Operations Forces Mission Command Center
    • Authorizing $80M in funding to boost the Special Operations Forces Operational Ammunition Supply Point
    • Authorizing $5M in funding for the Pathfinder Airborne Program to improve soldier readiness

    Seymour Johnson Air Force Base

    • Authorizing $54M in funding to improve the Child Development Center
    • Authorizing $41M in funding to boost the Combat Arms Training and Maintenance Complex

    North Carolina National Guard

    • Authorizing $69M in funding for the Aircraft Maintenance Hangar Addition/Alteration project at Salisbury Training Center

    North Carolina Manufacturers & Projects

    • Authorizing $34M in funding to procure Infantry Squad Vehicles manufactured in Concord, which will support the Army Transformation Initiative
    • Authorizing $4M in funding to procure rare earth magnets manufactured in Durham
    • Authorizing $8M in funding to procure Army Load-Carrying Technology Advancements built in Concord
    • Authorizing $5M in funding to expand the Defense Innovation Unit OnRamp Hub, which Senator Budd has advocated for bringing to North Carolina

    Protecting Our Homeland & Standing With Our Allies

    The core mission of America’s Armed Forces is to protect the United States and its citizens from threats and to defend our interests both at home and abroad. Sen. Budd led the inclusion of several key priorities that will help our troops and our allies carry out this vital mission by:

    Protecting Our Homeland:

    • Requiring a plan to ensure installation commanders have adequate guidance and authority to interdict hostile or suspicious drone activity with force immediately.
    • Directing the Secretary of the Army to diversify and expand the Army’s counter-drone capabilities to protect bases and installations at home and abroad.

    Deterring Threats from China:

    • Cutting bureaucratic red tape to permit fighter aircraft to use tactical datalinks needed for advanced air combat training, enhancing the preparation and readiness of 45 combat-coded fighter squadrons for high-end conflict. 
    • Directing a report on the People’s Republic of China’s (PRC) operation, ownership, or control of strategic foreign ports and Department of Defense efforts to counter or mitigate the national security threats posed by PRC control of such foreign ports.

    Supporting the U.S.-Israel Bilateral Relationship & Countering Terrorism in the Middle East:

    • Authorizing $80M in funding forU.S.-Israel Anti-Tunnel Cooperation and extending the program through December 2028.
    • Authorizing $75M in funding for U.S.-Israel counter-UAS Cooperation and extending the program through December 2028.
    • Authorizing $15M in funding for US-Israel Joint Research & Development on Emerging Technologies.
    • Extending the authorization to provide assistance to counter the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS).
    • Directing DoD to provide a briefing on the Counter-ISIS Train and Equip Fund, status of equipment delivery to Kurdish Peshmerga Forces, and plans to improve the Kurdish Peshmerga Forces’ ability to conduct counter terrorism operations.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senate Defense Bill Includes Dozens of Budd-Led Provisions to Boost America’s Military Readiness & End Affirmative Action at Service Academies

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Ted Budd (R-North Carolina)
    Washington, D.C.—Senator Ted Budd (R-NC), a Member of the Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC), recently voted to advance the Fiscal Year (FY) 2026 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) to the Senate floor after securing numerous provisions to improve readiness and quality of life for our troops, increase funding for North Carolina military installations, protect the homeland, and strengthen alliances.
    Senator Budd said in a statement:
    “I’m proud that the FY 2026 NDAA contains dozens of provisions I led that will boost America’s fighting force in North Carolina and around the world by improving our facilities and programs, bolstering America’s air superiority, reducing regulatory burdens, supporting our friend and ally Israel, combatting terrorism, and banning discriminatory affirmative action policies at the service academies. Refocusing the Department of Defense on its core mission will send a clear deterrent message to potential adversaries and make America safer.”
    Below is a summary of the provisions Senator Budd championed in the recent SASC legislative markup that the full Senate will consider in the coming weeks:
    Boosting America’s Military Readiness & Supporting Military Families
    The SASC-passed NDAA represents an investment in America’s military personnel, a refocusing of the Pentagon’s priorities to boost troop readiness, and a needed reduction of bureaucratic red tape. Senator Budd championed a number of key priorities that will improve the quality of life and the effectiveness of our troops by:
    Providing a 3.8% raise across the board for service members.
    Creating a pilot program to improve Basic Allowance for Housing (BAH) rates for North Carolina service members and their families.
    Prohibiting affirmative action in U.S. Service Academies admissions
    Cutting burdensome environmental regulations that prohibit the Defense Department from procuring basic items.
    Accelerating the development, prototyping, and deployment of mobile nuclear microreactor systems to enhance energy resilience and forward-deployed power capability for U.S. military operations.
    Delivering for North Carolina Military Installations & Manufacturers
    The FY 2026 NDAA authorizes more than $700 million for military construction projects and planning and design funding at facilities across North Carolina. Senator Budd successfully worked to include authorizing provisions to support the following facilities, programs, and units:
    Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point
    Authorizing $40M in funding to boost the F-35 Aircraft Sustainment Center
    Authorizing $15M in funding to design the next phase of the Flightline Utilities Modernization project
    Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune
    Authorizing $34M in funding for the expansion of the Special Operations Forces Combat Service Support/Motor Transport
    Authorizing $90M in funding to boost the Special Operations Forces Marine Raider Battalion Operations Facility
    Authorizing $48.28M in funding to boost Amphibious Combat Vehicle Shelters
    Fort Bragg
    Authorizing $19M in funding to boost the Automated Infantry Platoon Battle Course
    Authorizing $24M in funding to complete the construction of the Aircraft Maintenance Hangar
    Authorizing $80M in funding to improve the Fort’s power generation and microgrid
    Authorizing $32M in funding for the Special Operations Forces Mission Command Center
    Authorizing $80M in funding to boost the Special Operations Forces Operational Ammunition Supply Point
    Authorizing $5M in funding for the Pathfinder Airborne Program to improve soldier readiness
    Seymour Johnson Air Force Base
    Authorizing $54M in funding to improve the Child Development Center
    Authorizing $41M in funding to boost the Combat Arms Training and Maintenance Complex
    North Carolina National Guard
    Authorizing $69M in funding for the Aircraft Maintenance Hangar Addition/Alteration project at Salisbury Training Center
    North Carolina Manufacturers & Projects
    Authorizing $34M in funding to procure Infantry Squad Vehicles manufactured in Concord, which will support the Army Transformation Initiative
    Authorizing $4M in funding to procure rare earth magnets manufactured in Durham
    Authorizing $8M in funding to procure Army Load-Carrying Technology Advancements built in Concord
    Authorizing $5M in funding to expand the Defense Innovation Unit OnRamp Hub, which Senator Budd has advocated for bringing to North Carolina
    Protecting Our Homeland & Standing With Our Allies
    The core mission of America’s Armed Forces is to protect the United States and its citizens from threats and to defend our interests both at home and abroad. Sen. Budd led the inclusion of several key priorities that will help our troops and our allies carry out this vital mission by:
    Protecting Our Homeland:
    Requiring a plan to ensure installation commanders have adequate guidance and authority to interdict hostile or suspicious drone activity with force immediately.
    Directing the Secretary of the Army to diversify and expand the Army’s counter-drone capabilities to protect bases and installations at home and abroad.
    Deterring Threats from China:
    Cutting bureaucratic red tape to permit fighter aircraft to use tactical datalinks needed for advanced air combat training, enhancing the preparation and readiness of 45 combat-coded fighter squadrons for high-end conflict. 
    Directing a report on the People’s Republic of China’s (PRC) operation, ownership, or control of strategic foreign ports and Department of Defense efforts to counter or mitigate the national security threats posed by PRC control of such foreign ports.
    Supporting the U.S.-Israel Bilateral Relationship & Countering Terrorism in the Middle East:
    Authorizing $80M in funding forU.S.-Israel Anti-Tunnel Cooperation and extending the program through December 2028.
    Authorizing $75M in funding for U.S.-Israel counter-UAS Cooperation and extending the program through December 2028.
    Authorizing $15M in funding for US-Israel Joint Research & Development on Emerging Technologies.
    Extending the authorization to provide assistance to counter the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS).
    Directing DoD to provide a briefing on the Counter-ISIS Train and Equip Fund, status of equipment delivery to Kurdish Peshmerga Forces, and plans to improve the Kurdish Peshmerga Forces’ ability to conduct counter terrorism operations.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senate Defense Bill Includes Dozens of Budd-Led Provisions to Boost America’s Military Readiness & End Affirmative Action at Service Academies

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Ted Budd (R-North Carolina)
    Washington, D.C.—Senator Ted Budd (R-NC), a Member of the Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC), recently voted to advance the Fiscal Year (FY) 2026 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) to the Senate floor after securing numerous provisions to improve readiness and quality of life for our troops, increase funding for North Carolina military installations, protect the homeland, and strengthen alliances.
    Senator Budd said in a statement:
    “I’m proud that the FY 2026 NDAA contains dozens of provisions I led that will boost America’s fighting force in North Carolina and around the world by improving our facilities and programs, bolstering America’s air superiority, reducing regulatory burdens, supporting our friend and ally Israel, combatting terrorism, and banning discriminatory affirmative action policies at the service academies. Refocusing the Department of Defense on its core mission will send a clear deterrent message to potential adversaries and make America safer.”
    Below is a summary of the provisions Senator Budd championed in the recent SASC legislative markup that the full Senate will consider in the coming weeks:
    Boosting America’s Military Readiness & Supporting Military Families
    The SASC-passed NDAA represents an investment in America’s military personnel, a refocusing of the Pentagon’s priorities to boost troop readiness, and a needed reduction of bureaucratic red tape. Senator Budd championed a number of key priorities that will improve the quality of life and the effectiveness of our troops by:
    Providing a 3.8% raise across the board for service members.
    Creating a pilot program to improve Basic Allowance for Housing (BAH) rates for North Carolina service members and their families.
    Prohibiting affirmative action in U.S. Service Academies admissions
    Cutting burdensome environmental regulations that prohibit the Defense Department from procuring basic items.
    Accelerating the development, prototyping, and deployment of mobile nuclear microreactor systems to enhance energy resilience and forward-deployed power capability for U.S. military operations.
    Delivering for North Carolina Military Installations & Manufacturers
    The FY 2026 NDAA authorizes more than $700 million for military construction projects and planning and design funding at facilities across North Carolina. Senator Budd successfully worked to include authorizing provisions to support the following facilities, programs, and units:
    Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point
    Authorizing $40M in funding to boost the F-35 Aircraft Sustainment Center
    Authorizing $15M in funding to design the next phase of the Flightline Utilities Modernization project
    Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune
    Authorizing $34M in funding for the expansion of the Special Operations Forces Combat Service Support/Motor Transport
    Authorizing $90M in funding to boost the Special Operations Forces Marine Raider Battalion Operations Facility
    Authorizing $48.28M in funding to boost Amphibious Combat Vehicle Shelters
    Fort Bragg
    Authorizing $19M in funding to boost the Automated Infantry Platoon Battle Course
    Authorizing $24M in funding to complete the construction of the Aircraft Maintenance Hangar
    Authorizing $80M in funding to improve the Fort’s power generation and microgrid
    Authorizing $32M in funding for the Special Operations Forces Mission Command Center
    Authorizing $80M in funding to boost the Special Operations Forces Operational Ammunition Supply Point
    Authorizing $5M in funding for the Pathfinder Airborne Program to improve soldier readiness
    Seymour Johnson Air Force Base
    Authorizing $54M in funding to improve the Child Development Center
    Authorizing $41M in funding to boost the Combat Arms Training and Maintenance Complex
    North Carolina National Guard
    Authorizing $69M in funding for the Aircraft Maintenance Hangar Addition/Alteration project at Salisbury Training Center
    North Carolina Manufacturers & Projects
    Authorizing $34M in funding to procure Infantry Squad Vehicles manufactured in Concord, which will support the Army Transformation Initiative
    Authorizing $4M in funding to procure rare earth magnets manufactured in Durham
    Authorizing $8M in funding to procure Army Load-Carrying Technology Advancements built in Concord
    Authorizing $5M in funding to expand the Defense Innovation Unit OnRamp Hub, which Senator Budd has advocated for bringing to North Carolina
    Protecting Our Homeland & Standing With Our Allies
    The core mission of America’s Armed Forces is to protect the United States and its citizens from threats and to defend our interests both at home and abroad. Sen. Budd led the inclusion of several key priorities that will help our troops and our allies carry out this vital mission by:
    Protecting Our Homeland:
    Requiring a plan to ensure installation commanders have adequate guidance and authority to interdict hostile or suspicious drone activity with force immediately.
    Directing the Secretary of the Army to diversify and expand the Army’s counter-drone capabilities to protect bases and installations at home and abroad.
    Deterring Threats from China:
    Cutting bureaucratic red tape to permit fighter aircraft to use tactical datalinks needed for advanced air combat training, enhancing the preparation and readiness of 45 combat-coded fighter squadrons for high-end conflict. 
    Directing a report on the People’s Republic of China’s (PRC) operation, ownership, or control of strategic foreign ports and Department of Defense efforts to counter or mitigate the national security threats posed by PRC control of such foreign ports.
    Supporting the U.S.-Israel Bilateral Relationship & Countering Terrorism in the Middle East:
    Authorizing $80M in funding forU.S.-Israel Anti-Tunnel Cooperation and extending the program through December 2028.
    Authorizing $75M in funding for U.S.-Israel counter-UAS Cooperation and extending the program through December 2028.
    Authorizing $15M in funding for US-Israel Joint Research & Development on Emerging Technologies.
    Extending the authorization to provide assistance to counter the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS).
    Directing DoD to provide a briefing on the Counter-ISIS Train and Equip Fund, status of equipment delivery to Kurdish Peshmerga Forces, and plans to improve the Kurdish Peshmerga Forces’ ability to conduct counter terrorism operations.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senate Defense Bill Includes Dozens of Budd-Led Provisions to Boost America’s Military Readiness & End Affirmative Action at Service Academies

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Ted Budd (R-North Carolina)
    Washington, D.C.—Senator Ted Budd (R-NC), a Member of the Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC), recently voted to advance the Fiscal Year (FY) 2026 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) to the Senate floor after securing numerous provisions to improve readiness and quality of life for our troops, increase funding for North Carolina military installations, protect the homeland, and strengthen alliances.
    Senator Budd said in a statement:
    “I’m proud that the FY 2026 NDAA contains dozens of provisions I led that will boost America’s fighting force in North Carolina and around the world by improving our facilities and programs, bolstering America’s air superiority, reducing regulatory burdens, supporting our friend and ally Israel, combatting terrorism, and banning discriminatory affirmative action policies at the service academies. Refocusing the Department of Defense on its core mission will send a clear deterrent message to potential adversaries and make America safer.”
    Below is a summary of the provisions Senator Budd championed in the recent SASC legislative markup that the full Senate will consider in the coming weeks:
    Boosting America’s Military Readiness & Supporting Military Families
    The SASC-passed NDAA represents an investment in America’s military personnel, a refocusing of the Pentagon’s priorities to boost troop readiness, and a needed reduction of bureaucratic red tape. Senator Budd championed a number of key priorities that will improve the quality of life and the effectiveness of our troops by:
    Providing a 3.8% raise across the board for service members.
    Creating a pilot program to improve Basic Allowance for Housing (BAH) rates for North Carolina service members and their families.
    Prohibiting affirmative action in U.S. Service Academies admissions
    Cutting burdensome environmental regulations that prohibit the Defense Department from procuring basic items.
    Accelerating the development, prototyping, and deployment of mobile nuclear microreactor systems to enhance energy resilience and forward-deployed power capability for U.S. military operations.
    Delivering for North Carolina Military Installations & Manufacturers
    The FY 2026 NDAA authorizes more than $700 million for military construction projects and planning and design funding at facilities across North Carolina. Senator Budd successfully worked to include authorizing provisions to support the following facilities, programs, and units:
    Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point
    Authorizing $40M in funding to boost the F-35 Aircraft Sustainment Center
    Authorizing $15M in funding to design the next phase of the Flightline Utilities Modernization project
    Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune
    Authorizing $34M in funding for the expansion of the Special Operations Forces Combat Service Support/Motor Transport
    Authorizing $90M in funding to boost the Special Operations Forces Marine Raider Battalion Operations Facility
    Authorizing $48.28M in funding to boost Amphibious Combat Vehicle Shelters
    Fort Bragg
    Authorizing $19M in funding to boost the Automated Infantry Platoon Battle Course
    Authorizing $24M in funding to complete the construction of the Aircraft Maintenance Hangar
    Authorizing $80M in funding to improve the Fort’s power generation and microgrid
    Authorizing $32M in funding for the Special Operations Forces Mission Command Center
    Authorizing $80M in funding to boost the Special Operations Forces Operational Ammunition Supply Point
    Authorizing $5M in funding for the Pathfinder Airborne Program to improve soldier readiness
    Seymour Johnson Air Force Base
    Authorizing $54M in funding to improve the Child Development Center
    Authorizing $41M in funding to boost the Combat Arms Training and Maintenance Complex
    North Carolina National Guard
    Authorizing $69M in funding for the Aircraft Maintenance Hangar Addition/Alteration project at Salisbury Training Center
    North Carolina Manufacturers & Projects
    Authorizing $34M in funding to procure Infantry Squad Vehicles manufactured in Concord, which will support the Army Transformation Initiative
    Authorizing $4M in funding to procure rare earth magnets manufactured in Durham
    Authorizing $8M in funding to procure Army Load-Carrying Technology Advancements built in Concord
    Authorizing $5M in funding to expand the Defense Innovation Unit OnRamp Hub, which Senator Budd has advocated for bringing to North Carolina
    Protecting Our Homeland & Standing With Our Allies
    The core mission of America’s Armed Forces is to protect the United States and its citizens from threats and to defend our interests both at home and abroad. Sen. Budd led the inclusion of several key priorities that will help our troops and our allies carry out this vital mission by:
    Protecting Our Homeland:
    Requiring a plan to ensure installation commanders have adequate guidance and authority to interdict hostile or suspicious drone activity with force immediately.
    Directing the Secretary of the Army to diversify and expand the Army’s counter-drone capabilities to protect bases and installations at home and abroad.
    Deterring Threats from China:
    Cutting bureaucratic red tape to permit fighter aircraft to use tactical datalinks needed for advanced air combat training, enhancing the preparation and readiness of 45 combat-coded fighter squadrons for high-end conflict. 
    Directing a report on the People’s Republic of China’s (PRC) operation, ownership, or control of strategic foreign ports and Department of Defense efforts to counter or mitigate the national security threats posed by PRC control of such foreign ports.
    Supporting the U.S.-Israel Bilateral Relationship & Countering Terrorism in the Middle East:
    Authorizing $80M in funding forU.S.-Israel Anti-Tunnel Cooperation and extending the program through December 2028.
    Authorizing $75M in funding for U.S.-Israel counter-UAS Cooperation and extending the program through December 2028.
    Authorizing $15M in funding for US-Israel Joint Research & Development on Emerging Technologies.
    Extending the authorization to provide assistance to counter the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS).
    Directing DoD to provide a briefing on the Counter-ISIS Train and Equip Fund, status of equipment delivery to Kurdish Peshmerga Forces, and plans to improve the Kurdish Peshmerga Forces’ ability to conduct counter terrorism operations.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: King, Colleagues Press for Answers on “Striking Inconsistency” of Immigration Policies for Afghans Living in the U.S.

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Maine Angus King

    WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Angus King and a number of his Senate colleagues are pressing the White House for clarity on their shifting immigration policies for Afghans living in the United States. In a letter to Secretary of State Marco Rubio, King and his colleagues point out that the justifications for the decisions to implement a large-scale travel ban, which applies to Afghanistan, and terminate Temporary Protected Status, conflict with one another. Many of these Afghan nationals played essential, life-saving roles in supporting American servicemembers during the war in Afghanistan over two decades.

    Afghanistan remains gripped by violence and instability; the Islamic State Khorasan Province (ISKP), the Afghan affiliate of the Islamic State (ISIS), continues to launch attacks against ethnic and religious minorities and against the Taliban, leading to innocent civilian casualties. If Afghan nationals are forced to return to Afghanistan, many risk being caught in the crossfire between the Taliban and ISKP, threatening their human rights and freedoms. These risks are on top of retribution risks for Afghan nationals that supported American armed forces.

    “We write to you with deep concern over President Donald Trump’s recently announced so-called travel ban and its striking inconsistency with the Department of Homeland Security’s justification for termination of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Afghanistan. We respectfully request that you provide detailed information regarding the State Department’s assessment of the conditions in Afghanistan to clarify the Trump Administration’s position,” the lawmakers wrote.

    “As you know, the U.S. visa vetting system is a multi-layered process involving extensive background checks, biometric data collection, interagency information sharing, and screening against a range of national security databases that works to keep residents of our country safe,” the lawmakers continued. “According to the Brennan Center for Justice, “[m]ore than 40 national security experts from across the political spectrum have unequivocally told courts that travelers to the U.S. should not be vetted on religious or national stereotypes, but rather on specific threat information.”

    Highlighting the inconsistencies between the reasoning for including Afghanistan in the travel ban and ending the country’s TPS designation, they wrote, “This [travel ban] determination appears to be at odds with the Trump Administration’s stated position just weeks ago. May 12, 2025, Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Kristi Noem announced that DHS was ending TPS for Afghanistan. The basis offered in the Federal Register notice for this decision was ‘notable improvements in the security and economic situation such that requiring the return of Afghan nationals to Afghanistan does not pose a threat to their personal safety due to armed conflict or extraordinary and temporary conditions.’

    “As you are aware, many Afghan allies that received TPS stood shoulder to shoulder with American servicemembers for nearly two decades during the war in Afghanistan. Many fled to the United States out of fear of persecution by the Taliban or retaliation for such cooperation with the United States. It is unsafe for political targets of the Taliban to be forced to return against their will. TPS protections must be maintained for Afghan nationals in the United States,” the lawmakers concluded.

    In addition to King, the letter was signed by Senators Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Michael Bennet (D-CO), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Chris Coons (D-DE), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Dick Durbin (D-IL), Martin Heinrich (D-NM), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), Tim Kaine (D-VA), Ed Markey (D-MA), Patty Murray (D-WA), Alex Padilla (D-CA), Gary Peters (D-MI), Jack Reed (D-RI), Jacky Rosen (D-NV), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Adam Schiff (D-CA), Tina Smith (D-MN), Mark Warner (D-VA), Raphael Warnock (D-GA), and Peter Welch (D-VT).

    Senator King has long supported the Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) program for America’s Afghan allies who assisted the U.S. government during the war in Afghanistan – having written that the policy likely saved Afghans from “a death sentence” in Defense News. Most recently, he signed a letter to Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and Secretary of State Marco Rubio requesting answers on the cancellation of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for those who served alongside America’s military. King had also cosponsored the Afghan Allies Protection Act to increase the number of authorized visas for Afghan civilians who risked their lives to support the U.S. mission, remove extraneous paperwork requirements and improve the program’s efficiency during the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan. 

    The full text of the letter is available here and below.

    +++

    Dear Secretary Rubio:

    We write to you with deep concern over President Donald Trump’s recently announced so-called travel ban and its striking inconsistency with the Department of Homeland Security’s justification for termination of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Afghanistan. We respectfully request that you provide detailed information regarding the State Department’s assessment of the conditions in Afghanistan to clarify the Trump Administration’s position.

    On June 4, 2025, President Trump announced via a proclamation entitled “Restricting the Entry of Foreign Nationals to Protect the United States from Foreign Terrorists and Other National Security and Public Safety Threats” that he was imposing travel restrictions for foreign nationals entering the United States. Among the countries included in this proclamation is Afghanistan. Specifically, the proclamation bans most entry into the United States from Afghanistan, stating the following as justification:

    “The Taliban, a Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT) group, controls Afghanistan. Afghanistan lacks a competent or cooperative central authority for issuing passports or civil documents and it does not have appropriate screening and vetting measures.”

    As you know, the U.S. visa vetting system is a multi-layered process involving extensive background checks, biometric data collection, interagency information sharing, and screening against a range of national security databases that works to keep residents of our country safe. According to the Brennan Center for Justice, “[m]ore than 40 national security experts from across the political spectrum have unequivocally told courts that travelers to the U.S. should not be vetted on religious or national stereotypes, but rather on specific threat information.” Categorically banning foreign nationals from coming to the United States based on their country of origin is discriminatory and harmful to our nation’s international relations and security interests.

    The proclamation further states that you, as the Secretary of State, were directed to make this determination, in consultation with other members of the President’s Cabinet including the Secretary of Homeland Security. Per the proclamation, you ultimately determined that “a number of countries remain deficient with regards to screening and vetting,” including the country of Afghanistan. Placing a blanket ban on another country’s citizens is a severe action, and the title of the proclamation states that it is being done “to protect the United States from foreign terrorists and other national security and public safety threats.” This determination appears to be at odds with the Trump Administration’s stated position just weeks ago. On May 12, 2025, Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Kristi Noem announced that DHS was ending TPS for Afghanistan. The basis offered in the Federal Register notice for this decision was “notable improvements in the security and economic situation such that requiring the return of Afghan nationals to Afghanistan does not pose a threat to their personal safety due to armed conflict or extraordinary and temporary conditions.” Specifically, the notice points to:

    1. the totality of Taliban rule and lessening overt presence of ISIS-K and other various terrorist organizations;
    2. a decrease in large-scale violence and humanitarian need;
    3. a growing economy; and 
    4. increased tourism, with tourists “sharing their experiences on social media, highlighting the peaceful countryside, welcoming locals, and the cultural heritage.

    Further, Secretary Noem found that “permitting Afghan nationals to remain temporarily in the United States is contrary to the national interest of the United States.” The Federal Register notice cited consultation with your Department in making this determination.

    These seemingly incompatible recent decisions indicate a troubling lack of consistency in the Administration’s analysis of country conditions in Afghanistan. Either Afghanistan is safe for the return of Afghan refugees and nationals that fled following the return of the Taliban to power or it is not.

    According to Human Rights Watch, in 2024, Taliban authorities intensified their crackdown on human rights, especially against women and girls, who are banned from attending secondary school or university and are unable to move freely. The Taliban also continues to detain and torture journalists, curtailing free speech and media. The 2023 U.S. State Department Human Rights Report covering Afghanistan found that women’s rights rapidly declined and restrictions on freedom of expression increased. The horrific human rights conditions in Afghanistan are unsafe for Afghan nationals to return to and returning would put their personal safety at immediate risk. Additionally, the Islamic State Khorasan Province (ISKP), the Afghan affiliate of the Islamic State (ISIS), continues to launch attacks against ethnic and religious minorities and against the Taliban, leading to innocent civilian casualties. If Afghan nationals are forced to return to Afghanistan, they will be caught in the crossfire between the Taliban and ISKP.

    As you are aware, many Afghan allies that received TPS stood shoulder to shoulder with American servicemembers for nearly two decades during the war in Afghanistan. Many fled to the United States out of fear of persecution by the Taliban or retaliation for such cooperation with the United States. It is unsafe for political targets of the Taliban to be forced to return against their will. TPS protections must be maintained for Afghan nationals in the United States.

    We would request that you immediately provide answers to the following questions:

    1. Please provide detailed reports or information that the State Department is relying upon in advising the Department of Homeland Security and the White House as to the conditions in Afghanistan. 
    2. How can you assure Afghan nationals fearing persecution in Afghanistan that the Taliban will not retaliate against them based upon their relationship with the United States?

    Congress has a strong interest in understanding what information the Trump Administration is using to carry out its policies and how it is making national security decisions that impact all of our constituents.  We look forward to receiving your response.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: U.S. Forces Conduct Additional Strike Targeting ISIS-Somalia

    Source: United States AFRICOM

    In coordination with the Federal Government of Somalia, U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM) conducted an airstrike against ISIS-Somalia on July 13, 2025.

    The airstrike occurred southeast of Bossaso, Puntland, in Northeastern Somalia.

    AFRICOM, alongside the Federal Government of Somalia and Somali Armed Forces, continues to take action to degrade ISIS-Somalia’s ability to plan and conduct attacks that threaten the U.S. homeland, our forces, and our citizens abroad.

    Specific details about units and assets will not be released to ensure continued operations security.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: U.S. Forces Conduct Additional Strike Targeting ISIS-Somalia

    Source: United States AFRICOM

    In coordination with the Federal Government of Somalia, U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM) conducted an airstrike against ISIS-Somalia on July 13, 2025.

    The airstrike occurred southeast of Bossaso, Puntland, in Northeastern Somalia.

    AFRICOM, alongside the Federal Government of Somalia and Somali Armed Forces, continues to take action to degrade ISIS-Somalia’s ability to plan and conduct attacks that threaten the U.S. homeland, our forces, and our citizens abroad.

    Specific details about units and assets will not be released to ensure continued operations security.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: U.S. Forces Conduct Additional Strike Targeting ISIS-Somalia

    Source: United States AFRICOM

    In coordination with the Federal Government of Somalia, U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM) conducted an airstrike against ISIS-Somalia on July 13, 2025.

    The airstrike occurred southeast of Bossaso, Puntland, in Northeastern Somalia.

    AFRICOM, alongside the Federal Government of Somalia and Somali Armed Forces, continues to take action to degrade ISIS-Somalia’s ability to plan and conduct attacks that threaten the U.S. homeland, our forces, and our citizens abroad.

    Specific details about units and assets will not be released to ensure continued operations security.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: U.S. Forces Conduct Additional Strike Targeting ISIS-Somalia

    Source: United States AFRICOM

    In coordination with the Federal Government of Somalia, U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM) conducted an airstrike against ISIS-Somalia on July 13, 2025.

    The airstrike occurred southeast of Bossaso, Puntland, in Northeastern Somalia.

    AFRICOM, alongside the Federal Government of Somalia and Somali Armed Forces, continues to take action to degrade ISIS-Somalia’s ability to plan and conduct attacks that threaten the U.S. homeland, our forces, and our citizens abroad.

    Specific details about units and assets will not be released to ensure continued operations security.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI NGOs: Eswatini: Authorities must ensure access to justice for opposition MP Bacede Mabuza

    Source: Amnesty International –

    Reacting to the continued delay in the hearing of the appeal by the detained opposition Member of Parliament, Mduduzi Bacede Mabuza, Amnesty International’s Deputy Regional Director for East and Southern Africa, Vongai Chikwanda, said:

    “Eswatini’s authorities are failing to safeguard the independence and integrity of the country’s courts – a failure illustrated by the persistent delay to hear Bacede Mabuza’s appeal.  This undermines Mabuza’s right to access to justice and effective remedies including to an appeal to a higher tribunal.

    Authorities must end any interferences in judicial independence – whether direct or indirect, ensure respect for the human rights of everyone in the country and uphold the rule of law.

    Vongai Chikwanda, Amnesty International’s Deputy Regional Director for East and Southern Africa

    “In recent years, the Eswatini courts have been unable to protect human rights, and advance access to justice in cases of persecution of opposition leaders, human rights defenders, activists, and journalists. Authorities must end any interferences in judicial independence – whether direct or indirect, ensure respect for the human rights of everyone in the country and uphold the rule of law.”  

    Background

    On 15 July 2024, MPs Mduduzi Bacede Mabuza and Mthandeni Dube were sentenced to 85 years and 58 years respectively, after being convicted under the Suppression of Terrorism Act of 2008 and the Sedition and Subversive Activities Act of 1938. They were found guilty of allegedly inciting unrest during pro-democracy protests in June 2021. On 1 June 2023, after almost two years of arbitrary detention, they were convicted of terrorism, sedition, and murder. Mabuza’s case has been omitted from the court roll on three consecutive occasions by the Registrar of the Supreme Court, despite all required documents, including the Notice of Appeal, Record of Proceedings, and supporting pleadings, being properly filed.

    MIL OSI NGO –

  • MIL-OSI Analysis: How does the PKK’s disarmament affect Turkey, Syria and Iraq?

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Pinar Dinc, Associate Professor of Political Science, Department of Political Science and Researcher, Centre for Advanced Middle Eastern Studies, Lund University

    The historic disarmament ceremony on July 11 where members of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) laid down their arms marked a pivotal moment in a decades-long conflict in Turkey. The ceremony was described by many who attended as a profoundly symbolic and emotional day that may signal the beginning of a new era.

    During the disarmament ceremony in Sulaymaniyah in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, 26 PKK guerrillas alongside four senior commanders and leaders of the movement, symbolically laid aid down their arms and burned them. The audience included officials from the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG), plus politicians, journalists and international observers.

    For more than four decades the PKK has been embroiled in an armed conflict with Turkey that has claimed more than 40,000 lives and shaped Kurdish identity and politics across the region.

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

    The PKK disarmament ceremony also could mark a new era for the Kurds, one of the largest stateless groups in the world with over 30 million people living across Turkey, Iraq, Iran and Syria. The PKK has said it will now shift from armed resistance to political dialogue and regional cooperation.

    Strikingly, the day after the ceremony, Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdoğan acknowledged the state’s historical failures in addressing the Kurdish issue. He listed past abuses of Kurds – state-sponsored abductions and extrajudicial violence, the burning of villages and the forced displacement of families – as examples of policies that had fuelled, rather than quelled, the conflict.

    “We all paid the price for these mistakes” he said. He later added: “As of yesterday, Turkey began to close a long, painful and tear-filled chapter.” Erdoğan also announced the formation of a parliamentary commission to oversee the legal steps of the peace process, suggesting a much-needed institutionalised and transparent approach than in previous attempts.

    This hints that the road ahead might include a period of transitional justice. This could compose of different tools used by societies to address past violence and human rights abuses during a shift from conflict to peace and democracy. These may include legal actions such as trials, as well as other efforts to heal and rebuild trust in society.

    Erdoğan also underlined the regional dimension of the agreement: “The issue is not only that of our Kurdish citizens, but also of our Kurdish brothers and sisters in Iraq and Syria. We are discussing this process with them, and they are very pleased as well.”

    PKK fighters take part in a symbolic peace ceremony.

    International dimensions

    While the PKK may be laying down arms, the Kurdish political movement should not be expected to disappear. On the contrary, it is likely to become more active in the democratic sphere — both in Turkey and in other parts of the Middle East where Kurdish people live. It is no secret that the current peace process is the result of shifting geopolitical realities.

    Growing tensions between the US and Iran, Israel’s ongoing war in Gaza, the ousting of the Assad regime in Syria, and shifting power dynamics across the region have all contributed to a geopolitical landscape in which prolonged armed conflict has become increasingly unsustainable — for both Turkey and the PKK. In this context, the current peace process is not merely a domestic initiative.

    It represents a strategic recalibration in a rapidly changing Middle East. For Turkey, stabilising its southeastern border and reducing internal security pressures is essential amid regional volatility.


    Shutterstock

    Turkey has long maintained strong ties with the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) (the official ruling body of the Kurdistan region) in Iraq. However, the situation for Kurds in Syria remains more complex, as Turkey continues to view the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (a region that has in effect been self governing since 2012 and where many Kurds live) as a security threat along its border.

    Meanwhile, negotiations continue between the new Syrian government under current president, Ahmed Hussein al-Shara, and the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), the Kurdish-led coalition in Syria, which has been historically backed by the US. The SDF seeks to maintain its military autonomy and have its own independent political system — both of which are opposed by Damascus.

    Western nations, particularly the US, remain influential in these talks. The US ambassador to Turkey and special envoy for Syria, Thomas Barrack, is reportedly uneasy with the lack of progress in the talks between al-Shara, and the SDF. He said: “The SDF, who has been a valued partner for America in the fight against ISIS, well-respected, bright, articulate, has to come to the conclusion that there’s one country, there’s one nation, there’s one people, and there’s one army.”

    Another factor here is that a strong Arab-Turkish-Kurdish alliance is unlikely to align with Israeli strategic interests, which may favour a more fragmented Kurdish presence in the region.

    For now, Turkey faces the complex task of overseeing a comprehensive disarmament, demobilisation and reintegration process. This requires not only the decommissioning of weapons and the disbanding of armed units, but also the social and political reintegration of former combatants. The success of this will depend on legal reforms, institutional trust and a genuine commitment to democratic inclusion.

    Erdoğan has been critised for his government’s ongoing non-democratic practices such the appointment of state trustees who replace elected officials and the imprisonment of elected officials.

    And, despite the symbolic disarmament, the Turkish government persists in using the words “struggle against terrorism” — an approach that risks undermining the peace process by criminalising political dialogue and delegitimising Kurdish demands.

    Turkey’s foreign minister Hakan Fidan reiterated that the PKK’s broader network, including the Kurdistan Communities Union (KCK), a group representing Kurds across Iraq, Syria and Turkey, must cease to pose a threat. “We will remain vigilant until every component of the KCK is no longer a danger to our nation and region,” he stated.

    For the PKK, the changing alliances and uncertainties in Syria and Iraq may have made armed struggle a less viable path forward. Yet the sustainability of peace will depend on more than disarmament. It will require ending the criminalisation of Kurds in political institutions and within civil society.

    What comes next will determine whether this moment becomes a historic turning point or another missed opportunity.

    Pinar Dinc is the principal investigator of the ECO-Syria project, which receives funding from the Strategic Research Area: The Middle East in the Contemporary World (MECW) at the Centre for Advanced Middle Eastern Studies, Lund University, Sweden.

    – ref. How does the PKK’s disarmament affect Turkey, Syria and Iraq? – https://theconversation.com/how-does-the-pkks-disarmament-affect-turkey-syria-and-iraq-261113

    MIL OSI Analysis –

  • MIL-OSI Submissions: How does the PKK’s disarmament affect Turkey, Syria and Iraq?

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Pinar Dinc, Associate Professor of Political Science, Department of Political Science and Researcher, Centre for Advanced Middle Eastern Studies, Lund University

    The historic disarmament ceremony on July 11 where members of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) laid down their arms marked a pivotal moment in a decades-long conflict in Turkey. The ceremony was described by many who attended as a profoundly symbolic and emotional day that may signal the beginning of a new era.

    During the disarmament ceremony in Sulaymaniyah in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, 26 PKK guerrillas alongside four senior commanders and leaders of the movement, symbolically laid aid down their arms and burned them. The audience included officials from the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG), plus politicians, journalists and international observers.

    For more than four decades the PKK has been embroiled in an armed conflict with Turkey that has claimed more than 40,000 lives and shaped Kurdish identity and politics across the region.

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

    The PKK disarmament ceremony also could mark a new era for the Kurds, one of the largest stateless groups in the world with over 30 million people living across Turkey, Iraq, Iran and Syria. The PKK has said it will now shift from armed resistance to political dialogue and regional cooperation.

    Strikingly, the day after the ceremony, Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdoğan acknowledged the state’s historical failures in addressing the Kurdish issue. He listed past abuses of Kurds – state-sponsored abductions and extrajudicial violence, the burning of villages and the forced displacement of families – as examples of policies that had fuelled, rather than quelled, the conflict.

    “We all paid the price for these mistakes” he said. He later added: “As of yesterday, Turkey began to close a long, painful and tear-filled chapter.” Erdoğan also announced the formation of a parliamentary commission to oversee the legal steps of the peace process, suggesting a much-needed institutionalised and transparent approach than in previous attempts.

    This hints that the road ahead might include a period of transitional justice. This could compose of different tools used by societies to address past violence and human rights abuses during a shift from conflict to peace and democracy. These may include legal actions such as trials, as well as other efforts to heal and rebuild trust in society.

    Erdoğan also underlined the regional dimension of the agreement: “The issue is not only that of our Kurdish citizens, but also of our Kurdish brothers and sisters in Iraq and Syria. We are discussing this process with them, and they are very pleased as well.”

    PKK fighters take part in a symbolic peace ceremony.

    International dimensions

    While the PKK may be laying down arms, the Kurdish political movement should not be expected to disappear. On the contrary, it is likely to become more active in the democratic sphere — both in Turkey and in other parts of the Middle East where Kurdish people live. It is no secret that the current peace process is the result of shifting geopolitical realities.

    Growing tensions between the US and Iran, Israel’s ongoing war in Gaza, the ousting of the Assad regime in Syria, and shifting power dynamics across the region have all contributed to a geopolitical landscape in which prolonged armed conflict has become increasingly unsustainable — for both Turkey and the PKK. In this context, the current peace process is not merely a domestic initiative.

    It represents a strategic recalibration in a rapidly changing Middle East. For Turkey, stabilising its southeastern border and reducing internal security pressures is essential amid regional volatility.


    Shutterstock

    Turkey has long maintained strong ties with the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) (the official ruling body of the Kurdistan region) in Iraq. However, the situation for Kurds in Syria remains more complex, as Turkey continues to view the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (a region that has in effect been self governing since 2012 and where many Kurds live) as a security threat along its border.

    Meanwhile, negotiations continue between the new Syrian government under current president, Ahmed Hussein al-Shara, and the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), the Kurdish-led coalition in Syria, which has been historically backed by the US. The SDF seeks to maintain its military autonomy and have its own independent political system — both of which are opposed by Damascus.

    Western nations, particularly the US, remain influential in these talks. The US ambassador to Turkey and special envoy for Syria, Thomas Barrack, is reportedly uneasy with the lack of progress in the talks between al-Shara, and the SDF. He said: “The SDF, who has been a valued partner for America in the fight against ISIS, well-respected, bright, articulate, has to come to the conclusion that there’s one country, there’s one nation, there’s one people, and there’s one army.”

    Another factor here is that a strong Arab-Turkish-Kurdish alliance is unlikely to align with Israeli strategic interests, which may favour a more fragmented Kurdish presence in the region.

    For now, Turkey faces the complex task of overseeing a comprehensive disarmament, demobilisation and reintegration process. This requires not only the decommissioning of weapons and the disbanding of armed units, but also the social and political reintegration of former combatants. The success of this will depend on legal reforms, institutional trust and a genuine commitment to democratic inclusion.

    Erdoğan has been critised for his government’s ongoing non-democratic practices such the appointment of state trustees who replace elected officials and the imprisonment of elected officials.

    And, despite the symbolic disarmament, the Turkish government persists in using the words “struggle against terrorism” — an approach that risks undermining the peace process by criminalising political dialogue and delegitimising Kurdish demands.

    Turkey’s foreign minister Hakan Fidan reiterated that the PKK’s broader network, including the Kurdistan Communities Union (KCK), a group representing Kurds across Iraq, Syria and Turkey, must cease to pose a threat. “We will remain vigilant until every component of the KCK is no longer a danger to our nation and region,” he stated.

    For the PKK, the changing alliances and uncertainties in Syria and Iraq may have made armed struggle a less viable path forward. Yet the sustainability of peace will depend on more than disarmament. It will require ending the criminalisation of Kurds in political institutions and within civil society.

    What comes next will determine whether this moment becomes a historic turning point or another missed opportunity.

    Pinar Dinc is the principal investigator of the ECO-Syria project, which receives funding from the Strategic Research Area: The Middle East in the Contemporary World (MECW) at the Centre for Advanced Middle Eastern Studies, Lund University, Sweden.

    – ref. How does the PKK’s disarmament affect Turkey, Syria and Iraq? – https://theconversation.com/how-does-the-pkks-disarmament-affect-turkey-syria-and-iraq-261113

    MIL OSI –

  • India hopes zero tolerance for terrorism will be strongly upheld: EAM Jaishankar before key SCO meeting

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    A day ahead of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Council of Foreign Ministers’ Meeting (CFM) in Tianjin, External Affairs Minister (EAM) S. Jaishankar on Monday stated that the “primary mandate” of the grouping is to “combat terrorism, separatism and extremism”.

    “Tomorrow, we will be meeting in the format of the SCO, whose primary mandate is to combat terrorism, separatism and extremism. This is a shared concern and India hopes that zero tolerance for terrorism will be strongly upheld,” the EAM said in his opening remarks during a meeting with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Monday.

    Last month, the SCO Defence Ministers’ Meeting held at Qingdao could not adopt a Joint Statement after India’s concerns on terrorism did not reflect in the document.

    Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, who had attended the meeting, had laid down the broad contours of India’s transitional shift in its policy against terrorism and had also called upon the member countries to unite in eliminating the menace for collective safety and security.

    “I understand that they could not adopt a Joint Statement. I also understand that member countries could not reach consensus on certain issues and hence the document could not be finalised. On our side, India wanted concerns on terrorism reflected in the document, which was not acceptable to one particular country, and therefore the statement was not adopted,” the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal had said during a regular media briefing held in New Delhi on June 26.

    On June 24, while spotlighting the barbaric Pahalgam terror attack and India’s subsequent Operation Sindoor to dismantle terror infrastructure across the border, National Security Advisor Ajit Doval had also called for the urgent need to shun double standards in the fight against terrorism and take decisive actions against UN-proscribed terrorists and entities.

    Addressing the 20th meeting of the Security Council Secretaries of the SCO Member States in Beijing, NSA Doval had said that India is deeply concerned about continued threat from terror groups designated by United Nations Security Council (UNSC), including Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) — two of the most dangerous and state-supported terror outfits operating out of Pakistan – besides Al Qaeda, ISIS and its affiliates.

    In his intervention, he highlighted the need to shun double standards in the fight against terrorism and take decisive actions against UN-proscribed terrorists and entities like LeT, JeM and their proxies and dismantle their terror eco-systems.

    Reiterating that any act of terror including cross border terrorism is a crime against humanity, India had called on SCO members to hold accountable the perpetrators, organisers, financiers and sponsors of acts of cross border terror and to help bring them to justice.

    During his visit, NSA Doval had also held discussions with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi who is also a Member of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC).

    –IANS

  • India hopes zero tolerance for terrorism will be strongly upheld: EAM Jaishankar before key SCO meeting

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    A day ahead of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Council of Foreign Ministers’ Meeting (CFM) in Tianjin, External Affairs Minister (EAM) S. Jaishankar on Monday stated that the “primary mandate” of the grouping is to “combat terrorism, separatism and extremism”.

    “Tomorrow, we will be meeting in the format of the SCO, whose primary mandate is to combat terrorism, separatism and extremism. This is a shared concern and India hopes that zero tolerance for terrorism will be strongly upheld,” the EAM said in his opening remarks during a meeting with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Monday.

    Last month, the SCO Defence Ministers’ Meeting held at Qingdao could not adopt a Joint Statement after India’s concerns on terrorism did not reflect in the document.

    Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, who had attended the meeting, had laid down the broad contours of India’s transitional shift in its policy against terrorism and had also called upon the member countries to unite in eliminating the menace for collective safety and security.

    “I understand that they could not adopt a Joint Statement. I also understand that member countries could not reach consensus on certain issues and hence the document could not be finalised. On our side, India wanted concerns on terrorism reflected in the document, which was not acceptable to one particular country, and therefore the statement was not adopted,” the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal had said during a regular media briefing held in New Delhi on June 26.

    On June 24, while spotlighting the barbaric Pahalgam terror attack and India’s subsequent Operation Sindoor to dismantle terror infrastructure across the border, National Security Advisor Ajit Doval had also called for the urgent need to shun double standards in the fight against terrorism and take decisive actions against UN-proscribed terrorists and entities.

    Addressing the 20th meeting of the Security Council Secretaries of the SCO Member States in Beijing, NSA Doval had said that India is deeply concerned about continued threat from terror groups designated by United Nations Security Council (UNSC), including Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) — two of the most dangerous and state-supported terror outfits operating out of Pakistan – besides Al Qaeda, ISIS and its affiliates.

    In his intervention, he highlighted the need to shun double standards in the fight against terrorism and take decisive actions against UN-proscribed terrorists and entities like LeT, JeM and their proxies and dismantle their terror eco-systems.

    Reiterating that any act of terror including cross border terrorism is a crime against humanity, India had called on SCO members to hold accountable the perpetrators, organisers, financiers and sponsors of acts of cross border terror and to help bring them to justice.

    During his visit, NSA Doval had also held discussions with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi who is also a Member of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC).

    –IANS

  • MIL-OSI USA: Ivey, Van Hollen, Klobuchar Lead Over 70 Members in Pressing Administration on Conflicting Orders Fueling Uncertainty Among Afghans Living in U.S.

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Glenn Ivey – Maryland (4th District)

    WASHINGTON – Congressman Glenn Ivey (D-Md.), .S. Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.),, and Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) led 73 of their colleagues in pressing U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio for answers on the Trump Administration’s inconsistent policies regarding Afghanistan and the legal status of Afghan nationals living in the U.S. – many of whom played important roles in supporting American servicemembers during the war in Afghanistan over two decades. In the letter, the lawmakers point out that the justifications for the decisions to implement a large-scale travel ban, which applies to Afghanistan, and terminate Temporary Protected Status conflict with one another. The lawmakers ask Secretary Rubio how the State Department arrived at these determinations and whether it can guarantee that Afghans who may be forced to leave the U.S. will not face danger upon their return to their home country – should the termination of Afghanistan’s TPS designation be upheld. 

    The lawmakers’ concerns over the safety of Afghan nationals who may be forced to leave the U.S. stem from a recent State Department human rights report covering Afghanistan finding that the Taliban has increased restrictions on freedom of expression and significantly eroded women’s rights. Additionally, Afghanistan remains gripped by violence and instability; the Islamic State Khorasan Province (ISKP), the Afghan affiliate of the Islamic State (ISIS), continues to launch attacks against ethnic and religious minorities and against the Taliban, leading to innocent civilian casualties. If Afghan nationals are forced to return to Afghanistan, many risk being caught in the crossfire between the Taliban and ISKP, threatening their human rights and freedoms. These risks are on top of those already incurred by the men and women who have previously assisted the United States military and face retribution for their support to our armed forces. 

    “We write to you with deep concern over President Donald Trump’s recently announced so-called travel ban and its striking inconsistency with the Department of Homeland Security’s justification for termination of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Afghanistan. We respectfully request that you provide detailed information regarding the State Department’s assessment of the conditions in Afghanistan to clarify the Trump Administration’s position,” the lawmakers began.

    They quoted the determination that Secretary Rubio made upon consultation over the decision to include Afghanistan in the Administration’s travel ban proclamation, writing, “Specifically, the proclamation bans most entry into the United States from Afghanistan, stating the following as justification: ‘The Taliban, a Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT) group, controls Afghanistan. Afghanistan lacks a competent or cooperative central authority for issuing passports or civil documents and it does not have appropriate screening and vetting measures.’

    “As you know, the U.S. visa vetting system is a multi-layered process involving extensive background checks, biometric data collection, interagency information sharing, and screening against a range of national security databases that works to keep residents of our country safe,” the lawmakers continued. “According to the Brennan Center for Justice, “[m]ore than 40 national security experts from across the political spectrum have unequivocally told courts that travelers to the U.S. should not be vetted on religious or national stereotypes, but rather on specific threat information.” Categorically banning foreign nationals from coming to the United States based on their country of origin is discriminatory and harmful to our nation’s international relations and security interests. 

    Highlighting the inconsistencies between the reasoning for including Afghanistan in the travel ban and ending the country’s TPS designation, they wrote, “This [travel ban] determination appears to be at odds with the Trump Administration’s stated position just weeks ago. May 12, 2025, Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Kristi Noem announced that DHS was ending TPS for Afghanistan. The basis offered in the Federal Register notice for this decision was ‘notable improvements in the security and economic situation such that requiring the return of Afghan nationals to Afghanistan does not pose a threat to their personal safety due to armed conflict or extraordinary and temporary conditions.’

    “As you are aware, many Afghan allies that received TPS stood shoulder to shoulder with American servicemembers for nearly two decades during the war in Afghanistan. Many fled to the United States out of fear of persecution by the Taliban or retaliation for such cooperation with the United States. It is unsafe for political targets of the Taliban to be forced to return against their will. TPS protections must be maintained for Afghan nationals in the United States,” they went on to write.

    They asked Secretary Rubio to address the following questions:

    1. Please provide detailed reports or information that the State Department is relying upon in advising the Department of Homeland Security and the White House as to the conditions in Afghanistan.
    2. How can you assure Afghan nationals fearing persecution in Afghanistan that the Taliban will not retaliate against them based upon their relationship with the United States?

    In addition to Congressman Ivey, Senator Van Hollen, and Senator Klobuchar, the letter was signed by Senators Michael Bennet (D-Colo.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Chris Coons (D-Del.), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.), Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii), Tim Kaine (D-Va.), Angus King (I-Maine), Ed Markey (D-Mass.), Patty Murray (D-Wash.), Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), Gary Peters (D-Mich.), Jack Reed (D-R.I.), Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), Tina Smith (D-Minn.), Mark Warner (D-Va.), Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.), and Peter Welch (D-Vt.) and Representatives Becca Balint (D-Vt.), Ami Bera (D-Calif.), André Carson (D-Ind.), Troy Carter (D-La.), Yvette Clarke (D-N.Y.), Diana DeGette (D-Colo.), Suzan DelBene (D-Wash.), Lizzie Fletcher (D-Texas), Bill Foster (D-Ill.), John Garamendi (D-Calif.), Robert Garcia (D-Calif.), Sylvia Garcia (D-Texas), Daniel Goldman (D-N.Y.), Josh Gottheimer (D-N.J.), Chrissy Houlahan (D-Pa.), Jonathan Jackson (D-Ill.), Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.), Hank Johnson (D-Ga.), Julie Johnson (D-Texas), Sydney Kamlager-Dove (D-Calif.), Timothy Kennedy (D-N.Y.), Rick Larsen (D-Wash.), Zoe Lofgren (D-Calif.), Stephen Lynch (D-Mass.), Doris Matsui (D-Calif.), Jennifer McClellan (D-Va.), Betty McCollum (D-Minn.), Jim McGovern (D-Mass.), Robert Menendez (D-N.J.), Grace Meng (D-N.Y.), Seth Moulton (D-Mass.), Kevin Mullin (D-Calif.), Jerry Nadler (D-N.Y.), Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-D.C.), Jimmy Panetta (D-Calif.), Chellie Pingree (D-Maine), Jan Schakowsky (D-Ill.), Kim Schrier (D-Wash.), Lateefah Simon (D-Calif.), Adam Smith (D-Calif.), Greg Stanton (D-Ariz.), Eric Swalwell (D-Calif.), Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.), Mike Thompson (D-Calif.), Dina Titus (D-Nev.), Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.), Paul Tonko (D-N.Y.), Lori Trahan (D-Mass.), Juan Vargas (D-Calif.), Marc Veasey (D-Texas), and Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-N.J.).

     

    The full text of the letter is available here and below.

    Dear Secretary Rubio:

    We write to you with deep concern over President Donald Trump’s recently announced so-called travel ban and its striking inconsistency with the Department of Homeland Security’s justification for termination of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Afghanistan. We respectfully request that you provide detailed information regarding the State Department’s assessment of the conditions in Afghanistan to clarify the Trump Administration’s position. 

    On June 4, 2025, President Trump announced via a proclamation entitled “Restricting the Entry of Foreign Nationals to Protect the United States from Foreign Terrorists and Other National Security and Public Safety Threats” that he was imposing travel restrictions for foreign nationals entering the United States. Among the countries included in this proclamation is Afghanistan. Specifically, the proclamation bans most entry into the United States from Afghanistan, stating the following as justification: 

    “The Taliban, a Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT) group, controls Afghanistan. Afghanistan lacks a competent or cooperative central authority for issuing passports or civil documents and it does not have appropriate screening and vetting measures.” 

    As you know, the U.S. visa vetting system is a multi-layered process involving extensive background checks, biometric data collection, interagency information sharing, and screening against a range of national security databases that works to keep residents of our country safe. According to the Brennan Center for Justice, “[m]ore than 40 national security experts from across the political spectrum have unequivocally told courts that travelers to the U.S. should not be vetted on religious or national stereotypes, but rather on specific threat information.” Categorically banning foreign nationals from coming to the United States based on their country of origin is discriminatory and harmful to our nation’s international relations and security interests.

    The proclamation further states that you, as the Secretary of State, were directed to make this determination, in consultation with other members of the President’s Cabinet including the Secretary of Homeland Security. Per the proclamation, you ultimately determined that “a number of countries remain deficient with regards to screening and vetting,” including the country of Afghanistan. Placing a blanket ban on another country’s citizens is a severe action, and the title of the proclamation states that it is being done “to protect the United States from foreign terrorists and other national security and public safety threats.” This determination appears to be at odds with the Trump Administration’s stated position just weeks ago. On May 12, 2025, Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Kristi Noem announced that DHS was ending TPS for Afghanistan. The basis offered in the Federal Register notice for this decision was “notable improvements in the security and economic situation such that requiring the return of Afghan nationals to Afghanistan does not pose a threat to their personal safety due to armed conflict or extraordinary and temporary conditions.” Specifically, the notice points to:

    1. the totality of Taliban rule and lessening overt presence of ISIS-K and other various terrorist organizations;
    2. a decrease in large-scale violence and humanitarian need;
    3. a growing economy; and
    4. increased tourism, with tourists “sharing their experiences on social media, highlighting the peaceful countryside, welcoming locals, and the cultural heritage.”

    Further, Secretary Noem found that “permitting Afghan nationals to remain temporarily in the United States is contrary to the national interest of the United States.” The Federal Register notice cited consultation with your Department in making this determination.

    These seemingly incompatible recent decisions indicate a troubling lack of consistency in the Administration’s analysis of country conditions in Afghanistan. Either Afghanistan is safe for the return of Afghan refugees and nationals that fled following the return of the Taliban to power or it is not. 

    According to Human Rights Watch, in 2024, Taliban authorities intensified their crackdown on human rights, especially against women and girls, who are banned from attending secondary school or university and are unable to move freely. The Taliban also continues to detain and torture journalists, curtailing free speech and media. The 2023 U.S. State Department Human Rights Report covering Afghanistan found that women’s rights rapidly declined and restrictions on freedom of expression increased. The horrific human rights conditions in Afghanistan are unsafe for Afghan nationals to return to and returning would put their personal safety at immediate risk. Additionally, the Islamic State Khorasan Province (ISKP), the Afghan affiliate of the Islamic State (ISIS), continues to launch attacks against ethnic and religious minorities and against the Taliban, leading to innocent civilian casualties. If Afghan nationals are forced to return to Afghanistan, they will be caught in the crossfire between the Taliban and ISKP.  

    As you are aware, many Afghan allies that received TPS stood shoulder to shoulder with American servicemembers for nearly two decades during the war in Afghanistan. Many fled to the United States out of fear of persecution by the Taliban or retaliation for such cooperation with the United States. It is unsafe for political targets of the Taliban to be forced to return against their will. TPS protections must be maintained for Afghan nationals in the United States. 

    We would request that you immediately provide answers to the following questions:

    1. Please provide detailed reports or information that the State Department is relying upon in advising the Department of Homeland Security and the White House as to the conditions in Afghanistan.
    2. How can you assure Afghan nationals fearing persecution in Afghanistan that the Taliban will not retaliate against them based upon their relationship with the United States?

    Congress has a strong interest in understanding what information the Trump Administration is using to carry out its policies and how it is making national security decisions that impact all of our constituents. We look forward to receiving your response.

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: DHS Reveals Criminal Histories of Illegal Aliens Detained at Prairieland Detention Center at Time of July 4 Attack

    Source: US Federal Emergency Management Agency

    Headline: DHS Reveals Criminal Histories of Illegal Aliens Detained at Prairieland Detention Center at Time of July 4 Attack

    lass=”text-align-center”>Gang members, human traffickers, pedophiles, and suspected terrorists are among those defended by rioters and Democratic politicians
    WASHINGTON – Today, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) reveals the criminal histories of illegal aliens detained at the U

    S

    Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Prairieland Detention Center on the night of the July 4 coordinated ambush

    On July 4, 2025, over 1,000 illegal aliens were in custody at Prairieland

    Their offenses include molestation of a minor, sexual assault, murder, kidnapping, arson, aggravated assault and human trafficking

    There are also almost 50 detainees who are members of foreign terrorist organization or gangs—including MS-13 and Tren de Aragua— as well as 13 Known Suspected Terrorists (KSTs)

    These are the type of savage individuals Democratic politicians and rioters are defending over American victims

    The violence against DHS law enforcement must end

    Our brave ICE officers, who put their lives on the line every day to defend America, are facing a nearly 700 percent increase in assaults against them

    This week, violent protestors attacked ICE officers while conducting targeted enforcement operations in San Francisco

    Last month, Portland rioters violently targeted law enforcement and stormed an ICE field office

    “On Independence Day, a group of approximately 15 rioters violently attacked and shot at the brave law enforcement operating ICE Prairieland Detention Center that houses monsters including pedophiles, human traffickers, murderers and terrorists,” said Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin

    “And yet, these violent rioters are attacking our law enforcement who are keeping Americans safe and these deprecated individuals out of American communities

    Secretary Noem has made it clear: If you threaten or attempt to harm a law enforcement officer, we will find you and prosecute you to the fullest extent of the law

    ”
    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Written question – Terrorist attack on the Church of the Prophet Elias in Damascus – E-002750/2025

    Source: European Parliament

    Question for written answer  E-002750/2025
    to the Vice-President of the Commission / High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy
    Rule 144
    Yannis Maniatis (S&D)

    On Sunday 22 June 2025, a terrorist attack on the Greek Orthodox Church of the Prophet Elias in Damascus left 22 worshippers dead and many more injured. The jihadist past of Ahmed al-Sharaa, Syria’s president for the transitional period, as well as his previous relations with Al-Qaeda and ISIS remain a source of concern. This attack is not the first on Christian populations in Syria since the regime was overthrown last December.

    Given that Syria has historically consisted of a mosaic of religious and ethnic communities, and bearing in mind that on 28 May 2025 the European Union lifted sanctions on Syria, but without this decision being – and nor can it be – considered as a ‘blank cheque’ for the new regime, will the Vice-President of the Commission / High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy say:

    • 1.How does she ensure that the conditions set out, such as respect for international law and the protection of Syria’s religious and ethnic minorities, are complied with?
    • 2.Has the European Union raised the issue of the new Syrian regime’s protection of ethnic and religious minorities? If so, in what manner?
    • 3.What action will she take should it become apparent that the Syrian regime does not effectively protect ethnic and religious minorities?

    Submitted: 6.7.2025

    Last updated: 14 July 2025

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Text adopted – Urgent need to protect religious minorities in Syria following the recent terrorist attack on Mar Elias Church in Damascus – P10_TA(2025)0163 – Thursday, 10 July 2025 – Strasbourg

    Source: European Parliament

    The European Parliament,

    –  having regard to its previous resolutions on Syria,

    –  having regard to the statements by the VP/HR and EEAS Spokesperson of 11 March, 7 May and 23 June 2025 on Syria,

    –  having regard to the Council conclusions of 23 June 2025 on Syria and the European Council conclusions of 26 June 2025 on the Middle East,

    –  having regard to Rules 150(5) and 136(4) of its Rules of Procedure,

    A.  whereas Syria’s religiously and ethnically diverse society suffered for over a decade at the hands of the violent and divisive Assad regime and terrorist groups, especially Daesh, affecting all communities, including Arabs, Kurds, Sunnis, Shias, Alawites, Christians, Druze and Yazidis;

    B.  whereas a spree of widespread violence, including sexual violence, along the Syrian coast targeting the Alawite community began in March 2025 and is still ongoing, with over 1 200 civilian victims; whereas Alawite women are victims of an alarming and growing trend of mass abductions and sexual slavery;

    C.  whereas widespread sectarian clashes in April 2025 killed over 10 Druze civilians;

    D.  whereas on 22 June 2025, a suicide terrorist attack on the Mar Elias Greek Orthodox Church in Damascus killed at least 25 and injured over 60, marking the deadliest attack against Christians in years; whereas a newly formed Islamist terrorist group, Saraya Ansar al-Sunna, claimed this attack;

    E.  whereas although the transitional Syrian authorities have made assurances of protection and inclusion to religious communities, the recent developments fuel the climate of fear and call into question the transitional authorities’ capacity to duly protect religious communities;

    1.  Strongly condemns the traumatic terrorist attack against the Mar Elias Church and all threats against worship sites, some historically significant; urges the Syrian authorities to improve safety measures and restore the Mar Elias Church;

    2.  Strongly condemns all attacks targeting religious and ethnic communities and acknowledges heightened fears among them, seven months into the political transition; expresses solidarity with all victims;

    3.  Notes, with concern, that many Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) members with grave human rights violation records have assumed roles within the transitional administration, with potentially concerning implications for religious freedom, as evidenced by the recurrence of incidents involving Syrian officials;

    4.  Urges the Syrian transitional authorities to facilitate swift, transparent and independent investigations into these acts, and take all necessary actions to quell sectarian violence, ensure accountability, including by prosecuting perpetrators and enablers of human rights violations such as in the case of Mar Elias, uphold freedom of religion and protect all communities;

    5.  Reiterates the EU’s support, also through the conditional lifting of sanctions, for a human rights-based political transition in Syria, with transitional justice, the fight against impunity, prohibiting arbitrary violence, a constitutional guarantee of inclusive governance and of adequate representation of religious and ethnic communities, a People’s Assembly, as well as respect for international law as prerequisites for its success; calls on the Syrian transitional authorities to present a specific timeline for organising credible, free, fair and inclusive elections; calls for the EU to set up a Syria reconstruction fund, conditional on demonstrable progress on these priorities and in coordination with relevant international institutions, that would promote interfaith dialogue, conflict resolution and reconciliation; calls on the European Commission to give priority to the Conference with Syrian civil society;

    6.  Urges the Commission and the European External Action Service to include the protection of religious communities and the freedom of religion or belief in their dialogue with the transitional authorities in Syria;

    7.  Highlights the vulnerability of Christian communities in Syria and the constant threats against worshippers, whose protection should be guaranteed by the authorities; highlights the great diversity within Syria’s confessional groups, as exemplified by the Greek Orthodox, Syriac Orthodox, the Armenian Apostolic, Chaldean and Maronite Churches; underlines the importance of preserving and cherishing their and other communities’ contributions to Syria’s religious and cultural heritage and calls for Syria’s new political architecture to be reflective of this diversity;

    8.  Encourages the Syrian transitional authorities to make progress on outstanding issues such as the restitution of religious property confiscated under the Assad regime;

    9.  Calls on the Council to maintain and impose more targeted sanctions on actors responsible for religious freedom violations in Syria;

    10.  Calls for the Syrian transitional authorities, the EU and the Member States, as well as the international partners of the Global Coalition against Daesh, to advance efforts against Islamist terrorism, protect all Syrians and tackle the situation in the al-Hol and Roj camps; warns against the serious international security risk that a sudden disengagement of the United States in the region would cause in this uncertain context; calls for Syria’s territorial integrity to be respected;

    11.  Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the VP/HR, the European External Action Service, the Council and the Syrian authorities.

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: **(2ND 7/13 STRIKE)** U.S. Forces Conduct Strike Targeting ISIS-Somalia

    Source: United States AFRICOM

    U.S. Forces Conduct Strike Targeting ISIS-Somalia

    In coordination with the Federal Government of Somalia, U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM) conducted an airstrike against ISIS-Somalia on July 13, 2025.

    The airstrike occurred southeast of Bossaso, Puntland, in Northeastern Somalia.

    AFRICOM, alongside the Federal Government of Somalia and Somali Armed Forces, continues to take action to degrade ISIS-Somalia’s ability to plan and conduct attacks that threaten the U.S. homeland, our forces, and our citizens abroad.

    Specific details about units and assets will not be released to ensure continued operations security.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Duckworth Secures Several Key Priorities in Committee-Passed NDAA To Expand IVF Coverage, Strengthen Oversight of Domestic Military Deployments, Boost American Manufacturing and More

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Illinois Tammy Duckworth

    July 11, 2025

    [WASHINGTON, D.C.] — Combat Veteran and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL)—who served in the Reserve Forces for 23 years and is a member of the U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC)—secured several important provisions to support servicemembers and boost American competitiveness and national security in the Fiscal Year (FY) 2026 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) that SASC approved this week and the full Senate will now consider. Among the provisions that the Senator secured in the Committee-passed legislation, Duckworth successfully led a provision to expand IVF access for uniformed servicemembers and ensure military families have the same level of coverage that Members of Congress and other federal employees already have. As President Donald Trump continues to misuse our military to intimidate American citizens across our nation, Duckworth also successfully secured provisions that would safeguard Americans’ civil rights when servicemembers assist law enforcement on U.S. soil.

    “The brave men and women in uniform who serve our nation at home and abroad deserve to know that our country fully supports them as they and their families sacrifice to defend our country and our Constitution,”?said Duckworth.?“While I don’t support every provision included in this bill, I’m proud that it includes several of my provisions to support our servicemembers and their families, boost American manufacturing, improve Americans’ faith in their military as well as rein in the Trump Administration. I look forward to working with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to continue improving this NDAA and ensure Congress passes a strong final bill that lets our troops know we have their backs.”  

    NDAAs set our nation’s defense policy and laws, authorize funding for the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) and ensure that our servicemembers have the tools they need to defend our nation. Additionally, this year’s committee-passed legislation authorizes funding to support a 3.8 percent pay raise for military members.

    Key Duckworth-led provisions secured in this year’s Committee-passed NDAA would:

    • Expand access to IVF for military families by requiring TRICARE to cover fertility treatment services, including IVF, to ensure servicemembers and their families have the same level of coverage that Members of Congress already receive. This is the second time Senator Duckworth secured this provision in the committee-passed version of an NDAA bill.  
      • Regarding this provision, Duckworth said: “Even before I was wounded, I had made the difficult decision to delay building a family because I knew getting pregnant would impact my ability to be an Army aviator—and to advance in the career I loved. Because of the miracle of IVF—and my access to reproductive healthcare through the VA—I’m now a mom to two beautiful girls. The reality is that the men and women of the uniformed services face unique challenges when trying to start or build a family, and studies show that servicemembers and Veterans have higher rates of infertility compared to the general population. After successfully securing this provision in last year’s Committee-passed bill, I’m so proud my colleagues helped me build on this progress by including it in this year’s bill as well. It’s past time our nation provides our military families with the same access to IVF that all Members of Congress already have and ensure our heroes can start the families they’ve dreamed of.” 
    • Strengthen public trust of the military and enhance civil rights by requiring that servicemembers identify themselves as part of the military when assisting federal law enforcement in the United States. As the Trump Administration continues to send federal agents and our nation’s military into our communities to intimidate their fellow Americans, this provision ensures that servicemembers identify themselves properly—to avoid public misunderstanding about who is providing logistical support versus conducting arrests or law enforcement duties.  
      • Regarding this provision, Duckworth said: “In my own experience serving in the National Guard, I saw firsthand the difference drawing a bright line between the roles of our military and law enforcement can make in terms of maintaining public trust in our military. I’m proud my colleagues agreed that this is a necessary requirement to provide accountability to the public during tense moments when troops might be interacting with citizens, from protests to natural disasters to humanitarian crises, and I hope the rest of my colleagues in the Senate do too.” 
    • Ensure all servicemembers know their legal obligations during deployments both at home and abroad by mandating legal training to all servicemembers, including a refresher within 90 days of any mobilization or deployment, on their responsibilities under the law of armed conflict, rules of engagement, defense support for civil authorities and standing rules for the use of force within the United States. In light of the Trump Administration’s increasing use of troops to support law enforcement within the United States, this provision will ensure troops know how to responsibly operate within the bounds of domestic laws and protect American civil rights.
    • Establish a senior leader of DoD Programs for military to civilian transition efforts by directing DoD to appoint a senior official to oversee policy and programs related to the transition of servicemembers to civilian life or to the reserves. This would elevate and strengthen DoD’s attention on services to assist troops as they leave service and enter civilian life, providing a streamlined conduit for coordination with the Department of Veterans Affairs. 
    • Explore international co-production of auxiliary vessels by requiring DoD to identify opportunities to enter joint ventures between U.S. military, U.S. companies and foreign partners to co-produce auxiliary vessels and small boats. Senator Duckworth’s effort aims to increase our nation’s sealift capacity and shipbuilding workforce through leveraging the strengths of our allies and partners in constructing smaller vessels as well as building our ability to surge production of these vessels closer to the point of need in the event of conflict. 
    • Enhance Congressional oversight of the military justice system by requiring the President and DoD to notify Congress of any removal of Judge Advocates General, to ensure that military commanders have the legal advice they need to make their difficult decisions. In addition to notice, the President and DoD must provide a justification for the involuntary removal of any of the top Judge Advocates General (JAG) at least five days before the JAG is removed. This follows Secretary Hegseth’s unceremonious firing of JAGs, which are our military’s legal experts on everything from administrative and domestic protections to international law.  
    • Protect servicemembers from dangerous PFAS in their protective garments by requiring the DoD’s to articulate its plan for acquiring chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear threat protective garments free from toxic PFAS chemicals as soon as possible. 
    • Enable the nonpartisan, Duckworth-created Afghanistan War Commission to finish its final report by authorizing DoD to provide non-reimbursable support services—like staff, facilities and funding—and authorizing the Commission to enter into contracts to obtain essential goods and servicesauthor, including the ability to publish its final report through a private publisher. These provisions align its authorities with similar commissions, including the 9/11 National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States. 
    • Expand the successful Southeast Asia Cyber Pilot Program to allow U.S. forces to work with the Pacific Island nations to improve their cyber capabilities and reduce vulnerabilities, building resilience against threats in DoD’s priority region. 
    • Expand exchange opportunities for allies and partners by authorizing DoD to offer exchange opportunities at universities with ROTC programs for servicemembers from partner nations, creating a cost-effective way to train future leaders of key partner militaries.  
    • Ensure fairness in Special and Incentive Pay for Reservists by directing DoD to deliver a special and incentive pay assessment framework – which was required in the FY24 NDAA — by June 1, 2026, and also requiring DoD to make a specific determination about the percentage of aviation incentive pay that goes to maintaining skill proficiency. This provision is essential to ensuring Reservists are paid fairly when they are required to maintain skills and certifications that are expensive to maintain. 
    • Direct a GAO Report on Aviation Safety to review DoD policies and procedures for data gathering, risk assessment and risk mitigation of U.S. military flights, especially as in U.S. domestic civilian airspace. This provision follows investigations into the tragic crash at Reagan National Airport and close calls with military flights throughout civilian airspace.  
    • Bolster our nation’s aviation supply chain by encouraging the use of domestically manufactured helicopters in Initial Entry Rotary Wing pilot training by the Army. 
    • Improve servicemember mental health services and confidentiality by emphasizing support for consistent compliance with suicide prevention policy and confidential access to mental health care without retaliation for all servicemembers and across all branches. The Senator helped secure this provision alongside U.S. Senator Mark Kelly (D-AZ).  
    • Expand robotic enhancements for armaments manufacturing by authorizing an additional $5 million for the Secretary of the Army to expand prototyping and production capacity by integrating robotics, automation and digital manufacturing into the munitions industrial base. 
    • Use advanced manufacturing to improve the rapid repair of equipment in forward-based locations by authorizing digital manufacturing as part of the prototyping program for contested logistics and removing the sunset for the program. This provision would allow DoD to develop best practices regarding forward-based commercial, advanced digital manufacturing facilities for rapid, distributed parts production closer to the point of use. 
    • Elevate research on total force optimization by expressing support for investments in biomechanical, physiological, and psychological research to mitigate injury risks and improve physical resilience in combat operations.
    • Improve equipment connectivity for military airfields by encouraging the Air Force to integrate connectivity solutions for flightline support equipment, such as generators, light carts, and support vehicles, that are critical for ensuring our military aircraft can safely take off and land. This will improve equipment readiness to ensure our Airmen are prepared for expeditionary flightline operations in contested environments. 
    • Advance U.S. bio-industrial manufacturing innovation by supporting the innovative work being done at advanced facilities like the University of Illinois’s Fermentation and Agriculture Biomanufacturing Hub (iFAB) by requiring more information on how DoD is investing in this technology critical for national security. 
    • Illuminate gaps in the military footwear industrial base by requesting DoD provide data and analysis on the necessary war reserves for footwear and textiles, and the accompanying surge needs in the event of crisis or conflict. This report language is a modified version of the Senator’s Better Outfitting Our Troops (BOOTS) Act, which recognizes that our defense industrial base for combat boots needs investment in order for it to support our troops and help ensure they have the sturdiest and most protective boots in a possible war.  
    • Strengthen domestic suppliers of critical uniform components by prohibiting the DoD from sourcing clothing, fabrics or components from countries of concern—such as China, Iran, North Korea and Russia—when using domestic sourcing waivers under the Berry Amendment, to prevent further weakening of the U.S. clothing and textile industrial base.? 
    • Allow the Office of Strategic Capital (OSC) to explore investments in nuclear energy and Printed Circuit Board (PCB) manufacturing by authorizing inclusion of nuclear energy as a covered technology under Section 149 of Title 10 and directing OSC to explore the value of investments in PCBs. This change would enable DoD to explore new investments with these key industries critical for our national security.  
    • Accelerate commercially-useful Fault-Tolerant Quantum Computers (FTQC) by recognizing the importance of the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency’s Quantum Benchmarking Initiative (QBI) program, which aims to build a commercially useful FTQC by 2033, and encouraging the Department to concurrently prepare algorithms to operate those machines, while the hardware is being built. This provision recognizes the importance of the development of the first FTQC, which is being built at the Illinois Quantum and Microelectronics Park in Chicago, Illinois. 
    • Improve cross-state medical license reciprocity for Title 32 National Guard medical providers by requiring DoD to analyze any barriers to ensuring medical license reciprocity for Guardsmen to train under Title 32 status. This follows reports from National Guardsmen medical providers that they struggle to get the permissions necessary to conduct essential training across state lines, especially in specialized hospitals for trauma care – vital kinds of training for combat care. 
    • Protect Rock Island Arsenal by restricting the Secretary of the Army from using any funds authorized for restructuring Army commands until the Army provides more information about their proposed plan to integrate Joint Munitions Command and Army Sustainment Command, ensuring operations at Rock Island Arsenal are not unnecessarily affected. 
    • Improve Arsenal Workload Sustainment by establishing a 5-year pilot program requiring DoD to give preference to public-private partnerships in arsenals, especially those non-public partners that ensure equitable workshare to DoD employees to protect critical skills. This provision is a modified version of the  Arsenal Workload Sustainment Act that Duckworth introduced alongside U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chuck Grassley (R-IA) and Joni Ernst (R-IA) as well as U.S. Representative Eric Sorensen (D-IL-17) to help ensure Army arsenals and factories remain active and viable while preserving the skilled workforce, equipment and production capacity critical to our nation’s defense industrial base. 
    • Improve the governance of the organic industrial base by directing the Army to analyze the effectiveness of their current governance and resourcing model for the Army’s arsenals, depots as well as ammunition plants and identify opportunities for changes to ensure the enterprise and its workforce can support the military’s munitions and sustainment requirements now and in the future. The Senator helped secure this provision alongside Senator Tom Cotton (R-AK).  
    • Improve predictive manufacturing analytics at Army Arsenals by urging the continued implementation of industrial control networks across our Army’s arsenals to enable the collection, aggregation and analysis of data associated with the manufacture and repair of equipment and supplies. 
    • Ensure Lovell Federal Health Care Center (FHCC)’s continued success by securing a one-year extension of the Joint Medical Facility Demonstration Fund, which supports the operations of the North Chicago-based Lovell FHCC. This provision, led with Senator Durbin, will help safeguard continued access to vital services for military families and Veterans in the area. 
    • Improve the “Warm Hand-off Process” for Servicemembers by changing the current “opt-in” option on the DD-2648 form for sending servicemembers’ information to state veterans’ agencies to an “opt-out” option, aiming to streamline information flow to state services and improve the “warm hand-off” process for servicemembers when they separate or retire from the military service. The Senator helped secure this provision alongside U.S. Senators Angus King (I-ME) and Kevin Cramer (R-ND). 
    • Support the construction of a Child Development Center at Rock Island Arsenal by authorizing $50 million in Major Construction funds for a new addition to the Child Development Center at Rock Island Arsenal and to consolidate the existing facilities into a single building and make upgrades to meet DoD guidelines and safety requirements. This project will provide a necessary service to the Arsenal and surrounding community.
    • Support the design of a new Aircraft Maintenance Hangar at Scott Air Force Base by authorizing $6 million in Planning and Design funds for the construction of a new aircraft maintenance hangar to support the training and operational mission of the 126th Aerial Refueling Wing at Scott Air Force Base. The current hangar was constructed in 1956, remains in disrepair and no longer meets Department of Defense standards or mission requirements, making a new hangar critical to the Wing’s mission.
    • Support the design renovation to General Jones Readiness Center by authorizing $5 million in Planning and Design funds for major alternations to the General Richard L. Jones National Guard Readiness Center in Chicago. This facility was built in 1931 and remains one of the largest readiness centers in the country. Renovating it to meet mission requirements is a top priority for the Illinois National Guard.
    • Improving the Tactical Vehicle Fleet by authorizing an additional $168 million to speed up replacement of Marine Corps HMMWVs with modernized vehicles to improve readiness for global missions.

    In addition to these provisions, Duckworth also successfully worked to protect Universities across the country from having their DoD funding for critical technological research cut unnecessarily. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: CEO of Iranian Engineering Company Arrested for Allegedly Shipping Sophisticated Electronics to Iran in Violation of U.S. Sanctions

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    LOS ANGELES – An Iranian national and United States lawful permanent resident has been arrested on a four-count federal indictment charging him with unlawfully exporting electronics used in railway signaling and telecommunications systems from the United States to Iran, in violation of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) and the Iranian Transactions and Sanctions Regulations (ITSR).

    Bahram Mohammad Ostovari, 66, a resident of Tehran, Iran, and Santa Monica, was arrested Thursday afternoon upon his arrival at Los Angeles International Airport.

    Ostovari is charged with one count of conspiracy to violate the International Emergency Economic Powers Act and three counts of violating the IEEPA.

    He pleaded not guilty to the charges at his arraignment today in United States District Court in downtown Los Angeles. A federal magistrate judge ordered him released on $1.3 million bond and scheduled a September 2 trial date.

    According to the indictment unsealed today, Ostovari is the founder and CEO of a Tehran-based engineering company – identified in the indictment as “Company A” – that supplied signaling and communications systems to Iran and its government, including on projects for the Islamic Republic of Iran Railways. From at least May 2018 to July 2025, Ostovari and his co-conspirators obtained and shipped sophisticated computer processors, railway signaling equipment, and other electronics and electronic components to Company A in Iran. Many of these items were controlled under federal regulations, and their export to Iran without a license was prohibited.

    To perpetrate his illegal export scheme, Ostovari used two front companies he controlled in the UAE – MH-SYS FZCO and Match Systech FZE – as conduits. Ostovari directed co-conspirators at these front companies to acquire the electronics and electronic components for Company A. Ostovari and his co-conspirators intentionally concealed from electronics suppliers in the United States and elsewhere that the goods were destined for Iran, falsely stating that MH-SYS and Match Systech in the UAE were the end users when in fact the true end user was Company A in Iran. Ostovari then directed his co-conspirators to arrange to ship the goods from the UAE to Company A in Iran.

    After he became a lawful permanent resident of the United States in May 2020, Ostovari continued to export, sell, and supply electronics and electrical components to Company A in Iran.

    Ostovari knew of the U.S. sanctions against Iran, mentioning them in emails to co-conspirators and directing one co-conspirator to provide false information to a federal export control officer regarding the end use of U.S.-origin goods they had shipped to Company A in Iran.

    The IEEPA and the ITSR impose controls and restrictions on transactions involving Iran based on the threats posed by Iran to the national security of the United States including, among others, its pursuit of nuclear weapons and sponsorship of terrorism. The IEEPA and ITSR, among other things, prohibit the export, re-export, sale, or supply, directly or indirectly, from the United States or by a United States person, wherever located, of any goods, technology, or services to Iran or the Government of Iran without first obtaining authorization from the U.S. Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC).

    At no time did Ostovari, his companies, or his co-conspirators apply for or obtain authorization from OFAC to export, sell or supply goods and technologies from the United States to Iran.

    An indictment contains allegations that a defendant has committed a crime. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent until and unless proven guilty in court.

    If convicted, Ostovari would face a statutory maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison for each count.

    Homeland Security Investigations, the United States Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Industry and Security Office of Export Enforcement, and IRS Criminal Investigation are investigating this matter.

    Assistant United States Attorneys David C. Lachman and Colin S. Scott of the Terrorism and Export Crimes Section are prosecuting this case. Trial Attorney Kathryn DeMarco of the Justice Department National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section provided valuable assistance.

    MIL Security OSI –