US in ‘direct contact’ with jihadists in Damascus – Blinken

The opposition groups dominated by Islamists from Hayat Tahrir al-Sham have seized power in Syria last week

Blinken acknowledged contacts with HTS during a press conference in Aqaba, Jordan on Saturday. Asked whether the US has been in communication with the group currently holding power in Damascus, Blinken replied, “Yes, we’ve been in contact with HTS and with other parties.” He later clarified, “That’s direct contact, yes.”

Blinken reiterated that Washington hopes the new authorities will “produce an inclusive and representative government,” where “the rights of all Syrians – including minorities and women – should be respected.”

He added that all parties should prevent the resurgence of Islamic State (IS, formerly ISIS) and other terrorist groups, describing the American-backed Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) as “playing a critical role in pursuing that mission.”

Al-Julani has made efforts to rebrand his group as a more moderate force, claiming that his views have evolved. During the opposition’s lightning offensive against the government army, he made promises to protect Syria’s ethnic and religious minorities, including Christians and Kurds. However, multiple disturbing videos have since emerged online of various anti-Assad groups executing POWs and civilians.

https://www.rt.com/news/609370-us-direct-contact-hts/

Mossad run media tells us

Did your AIPAC handler give you that script asshole?

Influential senators raise concerns feds not doing enough to protect Trump from Iran's threats

Sens. Grassley, Johnson and Paul cite Just the News reporting on would-be assassin allowed into U.S. under Biden administration's “Significant Public Benefit Parole” program.

Three influential GOP senators about to play key roles in the next Congress are escalating pressure on the Homeland Security Department, FBI and Secret Service, concerned the agencies aren’t doing enough to protect President-elect Donald Trump and his advisers from retaliatory and assassination threats posed by Iran.

In a letter to agency heads, Sens. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa; Ron Johnson, R-Wis.; and Rand Paul, R-Ky., cited reporting from Just the News that revealed how a Pakistani man named Asif Merchant who was plotting with Tehran to assassinate Trump was permitted into the country earlier this year by the Biden administration even though officials flagged him on a watch list and knew he had traveled recently to Iran. Merchant, a Pakistani native, was waived into the country and granted a “Significant Public Benefit Parole.”

The senators expressed their concerns to Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, FBI Director Christopher Wray, Acting Secret Service Director Ronald Rowe and Attorney General Merrick Garland that inquiries about the Merchant episode have not been answered. They also said that they have received additional information suggesting DHS and the Secret Service don’t have enough resources to protect all current and former officials facing threats from Iran.

“Given the reported threats, we want to know what rubric is used to assess the threat and provide a protective detail, including an explanation with respect to why that hasn’t been done in all cases,” the senators wrote in a letter obtained by Just the News.

“The lack of security calls into question how the USSS assesses threats from Iran and how those threat assessments are used to decide who receives protection and what type of security measures are included,” they added.

You can read their letters here:

File

grassley_et_altodhstsausssasifmerchantiranthreatfollowup.pdf

File

grassley_et_altofbidojasifmerchantiranthreatfollowup.pdf

Merchant was waived into the country and granted a “Significant Public Benefit Parole” but information on how and why that happened has not been provided, the senators noted.

“Senator Grassley raised concerns regarding Merchant’s arrival in Houston, where he was reportedly interviewed by the Joint Terrorism Task Force (JTTF) because he was reportedly flagged by DHS with the identifier ‘WATCH LIST’ and listed as a ‘Lookout Qualified Person of Interest,’” their letter noted.

"Reportedly, despite being flagged, Merchant was granted ‘Significant Public Benefit Parole by DHS.’ To date, this letter has yet to receive a response,” the lawmakers complained.

Merchant was indicted in September on charges of attempting to commit an act of terrorism transcending national boundaries and murder-for-hire as part of a scheme with Iran to assassinate Trump. He is being held without bail.

File

merchant_indictment.pdf

Iran has openly threatened Trump in videos and statements, as well as the U.S. national security officials who helped him conduct a drone strike in 2020 that assassinated Qassem Soleimani, then Iran’s most powerful military general and a known terrorist.

https://justthenews.com/government/congress/influential-senators-escalate-concerns-feds-not-doing-enough-protect-trump-iran

FEAR PORN

Mysterious ‘Disease X’ spreads in Democratic Republic of Congo

A strange new illness is spreading through a remote part of the world, leaving dozens dead – and experts fearing the worst.

Fever. Headache. Joint pain. Cough. A runny nose.

They sound like common symptoms. But a strange new virus in the Democratic Republic of Congo is killing about 7.6 per cent of those who catch it.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) is reporting the outbreak emerged in a remote, war-torn region of the central African nation in October. But news took over a month to reach the global health network.

Fever. Headache. Joint pain. Cough. A runny nose.

They sound like common symptoms. But a strange new virus in the Democratic Republic of Congo is killing about 7.6 per cent of those who catch it.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) is reporting the outbreak emerged in a remote, war-torn region of the central African nation in October. But news took over a month to reach the global health network.

Click to unmute

Aussie 'super test' can detect 14 respiratory viruses

Aussies who come down with a sniffle will know… See more

By the first week of December, the WHO had recorded more than 416 patients and 31 deaths.

Many were children. Many were malnourished.

“This is a syndrome that resembles a flu syndrome with respiratory distress for some children and for some people who have died,” warns Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) Health Minister Samuel-Roger Kamba.

https://www.news.com.au/lifestyle/health/health-problems/mysterious-disease-x-spreads-in-democratic-republic-of-congo/news-story/c36205b5c82155c83f8e7a3770ff671b

Huge Australia Day parade is scrapped for good in Melbourne - as another controversial change is made

Victoria scraps Australia Day parade

While the parade, which was scrapped by former premier Dan Andrews four years ago during the Covid pandemic, remains off the table the Allan Labor government will mark the national day in other ways.

These include the annual 21-gun salute at the Shrine of Remembrance, a RAAF flyover and the Flag Raising Ceremony and Open Day at Government House.

First Peoples' Assembly of Victoria Co-Chair Ngarra Murray told the Herald Sun it was right to scrap the parade permanently.

'The Aboriginal community has a range of views on January 26, but whichever way you look at it, it's a day of mourning for a lot of our people,' he said.

'So, it's not a date to celebrate.'

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-14193577/Australia-Day-parade-scrapped-Melbourne.html