Merz Say U.S. Not Powerful Enough to ‘Go It Alone,’ Warns Against ‘Deep Rift’ With Europe

Tiago Ventura. 2/14/26.1/2

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has warned of “a deep rift” between Europe and the United States,arguing that the latter “will not be powerful enough to go it alone.”

In his address at the Munich Security Conference Friday,Merz urged Europe and the U.S. to “repair and revive trans-Atlantic trust together” in what he referred to asan “era of great power rivalry.”(so all of EU fighting one country America is a rivalry, that’s gang warfare, against the US!)

Switching to English as he addressed American “friends,” Merz nodded toTrump’s contentious relationship with NATO, insisting that “being a part of [the alliance] is not only Europe’s competitive advantage. It’s also the United States’ competitive advantage.”(are you fucking kidding me?)

While heacknowledged that the existing global order has long been flawed, Merz—when discussing the “under destruction” theme of this year’s conference—argued the “international order based on rights and rules is currently being destroyed.”

He also referenced Vice President J.D. Vance’s speech from last year’s conference. Vance drew ire from European leaders when he argued that what concerned him most was Europe’s “threat from within… the retreat of Europe from some of its most fundamental values—values shared with the United States of America.” He used “free speech” as an example of the values in retreat.

“The culture war of the MAGA movement is not ours,” Merz continued. “Freedom of speech ends here with us when that speech goes against human dignity and the constitution. We do not believe in tariffs and protectionism, but in free trade.”

The Germanleader appeared to make further strides to distinguish Europe from the Trump Administration, adding:“We stick to climate agreements and the World Health Organization (WHO) because we are convinced that global challenges can only be solved together.”

On Jan. 22, the U.S., under Trump’s direction,officially pulled out of the WHO. The move has garnered much criticism from global health experts.

In response to Merz's remarks,White House deputy press secretary Anna Kelly told TIME: “Friends tell friends hard truths,and the President has also been clear to our European friendsthat they must follow his lead by ending unfettered migration, reversing ‘Green New Scam’ policies, and moving away from leftist ideology, or risk their own destruction.”

As Europe takes part inongoing negotiations regarding the hope for a cease-fire in the Russia-Ukraine conflict, Merz said he has also started private talks with French President Emmanuel Macron about “nuclear deterrence.”

Merz’s concerns echo those made by Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carneyin Davos in January. Speaking at the World Economic Forum,Carney argued that the old world order was “not coming back” and encouraged people not to “mourn” the way things used to be.He accused “great powers” of using economic pressure to yieldresults while urging middle powers to push back. (Carney hasn’t seen how Canada are gonna be ditched by Japan I guess, KEK)

https://time.com/7378512/united-states-europe-divide-warning-merz-trump-rubio/

>>24396365

2/2

Carney’s remarks were delivered shortly after Trump threatened to tariff countrieswho oppose his campaign to annex Greenland—a threat he has since walked back.Trump later lashed out in response to Carney’s speech.

The U.S. President will not be appearing at the Munich Security Conference. Instead, Secretary of State Marco Rubio will represent the U.S. on Saturday and deliver a highly-anticipated speech.

Rubio also warned of a “new era” in geopolitics as he boarded his flight to Germany.

When asked if his message to Europeans will take a softer approach than Vance’s address last year,Rubio told reporters: “The world is changing very fast right in front of us. We live in a new era in geopolitics, and it's going to require all of us to sort of re-examine what that looks like and what our role is going to be.”

On Friday afternoon, the U.S. Department of State confirmed that Rubio and Merz had met in Munich, after the German Chancellor’s speech.

“They discussed pressing global challengesincluding securing supply chains, advancing efforts to end the Russia-Ukraine war, and strengthening the partnership between the United States and Europe,” said a spokesperson.

“The Secretary expressed appreciation for Germany’s strong support for Ukraine, including over $76 billion in assistance since 2022, and discussed continued coordination on reconstruction efforts.” (Suckers)

(I guess Merz wasn’t allowed to talk while visiting Trump at the WH! This article proves the relationship is over.PS: they are doing so well, almost every country in the EU is broke!)

https://time.com/7378512/united-states-europe-divide-warning-merz-trump-rubio/

>>24396365

I think the EU is still mad that Von Da La agreed to the trade agreement with US when 20+ European leaders were sitting in another room in the WH! KEK

>>24395895, >>24395995 Fires rage at the world's largest natural gas field South Pars, Iran, struck by Israeli-American forces, multiple phases of processing capacity critically hit and taken offline.PN

I guess the EU and France still don’t want to join America in the “event” happening with Iran. Good on you, France!

>>24396030 Hochul is begging rich people to move back to fund her social programs.PN

You notice she didn’t say anything about Mandammi, blamed it on Trump; the millionaires said they would leave if Mandammi became Mayor. ==And I bet you a million dollars all those people complaining were complaining about Mandammi and her socialist communist orders.

If NY state and city are going to survive they need another Rudy and 100s more republicans running it. NY is dying under these idiots.

NATALIE WINTERS MAR 18, 2026

Inside the UN’s Plan to “Eradicate” Islamophobia Through Laws, Schools, and Speech Controls. 1/2

They will stop at nothing.

The United Nations is preparing to turn “combatting Islamophobia”into the next great global speech-and-thought-management project.

Beneath the usual humanitarian language is afar more aggressive agenda: pressure governments to tighten laws, push schools and media into ideological re-education, lean on tech platforms to police speech, build monitoring systems and databases,and formalize the whole thing in a forthcoming UN Action Plan to Combat Islamophobia. UN Special Envoy Miguel Ángel Moratinos confirmed on March 16 thathe had already shared “a draftoutline of a UN Action Plan to Combat Islamophobia”with the Islamic countries belonging to the body.

And this is not one overzealous envoy freelancing. Atthe highest level of the UN system, Secretary-General António Guterres has echoed the same posture, urging the world to “eradicate the scourge of Islamophobia” and calling on online platforms to curb hate speech and harassment.

What makes this story significant is the toolkit.

The comments highlighted from the UN News interviewpoint to five distinct pressure points: education, legislation, teaching the public about the “real” Islam, platform regulation, and a formal UN plan to institutionalize all of it.

The Classroom Campaign

One of the clearest tells is the UN’s emphasis on education.

In the interview excerpts, Moratinos saysthey want to address the “root causes of hatred” and use “education of the schools media and whole public.” In his formal remarks that same day, he made “prevention through education, dialogue, and intercultural and interreligious understanding” the first priority and said “education remains one of our most effective tools.”

The Legal Squeeze

Then comes the legislative push.

In the interview excerpts, Moratinos points to “Law enforcement and legislative measures” as part of the answer. In his official remarks, he calls for “strengthening national policies and legal frameworks” and saysgovernments need to identify “legislative gaps” that hinder the criminalization of hate crimes and anti-discrimination laws.

That phrase —“legislative gaps”— is classic UN technocrat language. It sounds harmless until you translate it.

In practice, it means the UN wants member states reviewing domestic law, broadening enforcement authorities, and harmonizing policy around a UN-backed framework. This is not just a messaging campaign.It is an invitation for states to codify the agenda.

Teaching the Public the “Right” Religion

This is where the project moves fromlaw into social engineering.

In the interview excerpts, Moratinos saysthey want to “teach what is real Islam” and present it as“peace and reconciliation.” He ties anti-Muslim hatred to misunderstanding and ignorance, which is exactly the logic he repeated in his official remarks when he said “Ignorance and fear often lie at the root of prejudice.” (IF Islam takes over the world, all these UN tools will be the first to be killed publicly, for a lesson for countries!)

The Censorship Play

The censorship angle is not subtle.

In the interview excerpts, when asked aboutdigital platforms as hosts of hate speech, the answer was to “try to regulate and make responsible for hate speech.” Moratinos also raised concern about politicians using their platforms to encourage followers to insult, hate, and discriminate. In his March 16 remarks, he made “addressing the proliferation of hate speech—particularly in the digital sphere”a central priority, while also stressing engagement with media platforms.

https://nataliegwinters.substack.com/p/inside-the-uns-plan-to-eradicate?r=gb03o&utm_medium=ios&triedRedirect=true

>>24396648

2/2

The Monitoring Machine

Every censorship regime needs anenforcement architecture.

In the interview excerpts, Moratinos talks about “how to monitor better” and using “databases to follow up with more concrete steps.” His broader public agenda points in the same direction. In his remarks, he ties the project to stronger institutional frameworks, while the Action Plan he previewed isbeing developed in coordination with the Organization of Islamic Countries Core Group.

That matters because monitoring is how soft rhetoric hardens into actual governance.First comes the awareness campaign. Then the database.Then the reporting regime. Then the pressure for legal action.Then the inevitable claim that more intervention is needed because the numbers are “alarming.” That is how international bureaucracies convert moral language into durable machinery.

The Plan They’re Building Now

Theburied ledeis that this isalready being formalized.

Moratinos said on March 16 that he had shared “a draft outline of a UN ActionPlan to Combat Islamophobia” with the OIC Core Group. His same remarks lay out the pillars of that effort: education, digital-speech intervention, stronger legal frameworks, and national-level policy action.

So this is not a one-day commemoration or another forgettable UN slogan. It is the early-stage rollout of a broader policy framework — one that appears designed to move anti-“Islamophobia” efforts out of the realm of simple anti-discrimination rhetoric and into thefar more expansive territory of speech regulation, ideological instruction, and institutional enforcement.

Echoed From the Top

And again, the significance here is that the rhetoric is not confined to one office.

Guterres has already endorsed the same overarching line, calling for the world to “eradicate the scourge of Islamophobia” andsaying online platforms must curb hate speech and harassment. That shows the sentiment isbeing advanced from the top of the UN system, not just floated by a special envoy in an interview.

The result is a picture thatshould make anyone wary of international speech-policing projects sit up straight:schoolsenlisted to change beliefs,media. pushed to shape narratives,platformspressured to regulate speech,lawsexpanded to close “gaps,”databasesbuilt to monitor incidents, and aformal UN actionplan tying it all together.

That is not just a campaign against violence.

That is a blueprint forbureaucratized thought controldressed up as tolerance.

(It’s time for the UN to be kicked out of the US, and they should find some cave in Europe to continue to destroy the world. That should piss them off.BTW, Trump hasn’t finished defunding 1,000s of other UN mandates.)

https://nataliegwinters.substack.com/p/inside-the-uns-plan-to-eradicate?r=gb03o&utm_medium=ios&triedRedirect=true

MARCH 18, 2026

US defense official says Israeli strike on Iran gas field coordinated with White House — report(why did they need permission?)

By NAVA FREIBERG FOLLOW

Today, 4:33 pm

A United States defense official confirms to the Axios news site that Israel’s strike on Iran’s South Pars gas field was coordinated with and approved by the US Trump administration, echoing Israeli officials.

The strike marked the first time Israel attacked natural gas facilities in Iranduring the ongoing US-Israeli military operation against Iran’s regime.

HTTPS://WWW.TIMESOFISRAEL.COM/LIVEBLOG_ENTRY/US-DEFENSE-OFFICIAL-SAYS-ISRAELI-STRIKE-ON-IRAN-GAS-FIELD-COORDINATED-WITH-WHITE-HOUSE-REPORT/

Updated 4 hours ago -

World

Israel strikes Iran natural gas facility in coordination with the US

BARAK RAVID

The Israeli Air Force struck a natural gas processing facility in southwestern Iran, two senior Israeli officials said.….

HTTPS://WWW.AXIOS.COM/2026/03/18/ISRAEL-STRIKES-IRAN-NATURAL-GAS-INFRASTRUCTURE

(Something seems fishy with this!)

Iran shuts several South Pars gas phases after strike

4 hours

Several phases of Iran’s South Pars gas field were struck in US-Israeli attack, a local official said on Wednesday, according to Fars news agency.

The governor of Asaluyeh saidsome facilities were taken out of operation to stop the fire from spreading.

He said the situation was under control and firefighting teams were working to contain the blaze, while a crisis unit had been set up to coordinate the response.

No casualties have been reported so far, he added.

HTTPS://WWW.IRANINTL.COM/EN/202603181952

Iran International English

@IranIntl_En

·

An attack struck the South Pars petrochemicalfacilities in Asaluyeh in southern Iran, videos sent to Iran International show.

HTTPS://X.COM/IRANINTL_EN/STATUS/2034250485822111820?S=20

Iran warns of imminent strikes on major oil, gas facilities in Gulf countries

IRGC urges evacuation near key energy sites in Saudi Arabia, UAE, Qatar, says they are ‘legitimate targets’ 3/18/26

ISTANBUL

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC)warned Wednesday of imminent strikes on major oil and gas facilities in Gulf countries, urging civilians and workers to evacuate areas near key energy infrastructure.

According to Iran’s semi-official Tasnim news agency, the IRGC issued an “urgent warning” to citizens and residentsnear several facilities in Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Qatar.

The statement listed multiple sites it described as “direct and legitimate targets,” including the SAMREF refinery and Jubail petrochemical complex in Saudi Arabia, the Al Hosn gas field in the UAE, and the Mesaieed petrochemical complex and Ras Laffan refinery in Qatar.

The IRGC called on civilians, residents, and employees to immediately leave these areas and move to a safe distance without delay, warning that the sites could be targeted “within the coming hours.”

It said thatrepeated warnings had previously been issued to Gulf governments, accusing them of pursuing what it described as a “dangerous path.”

The warnings come after Iranian media reported a US-Israeli airstrike on gas storage tanks at Iran’s South Pars field in the southern city of Asaluyeh on Wednesday, halting production at two refineries with a combined capacity of about 100 million cubic meters per day.

The attack came as the US and Israel have continued a joint offensive on Iran since Feb. 28, killing so far around 1,300 people, including then-Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.

Iran has retaliated with drone and missile strikes targeting Israel, Jordan, Iraq, and Gulf countries hosting US military assets, causing casualties and damage to infrastructure while disrupting global markets and aviation.

HTTPS://WWW.AA.COM.TR/EN/MIDDLE-EAST/IRAN-WARNS-OF-IMMINENT-STRIKES-ON-MAJOR-OIL-GAS-FACILITIES-IN-GULF-COUNTRIES/3869929#

==About 90 ships cross the Strait of Hormuz as Iran

exports millions of barrels of oil despite the war==

3/18/26.1/2

HONG KONG (AP) — About 90 ships including oil tankers have crossed the Strait of Hormuzsince the outset of the war with Iran and it is still exporting millions of barrels of oil at a time when the waterway has been effectively closed, according to maritime and trade data platforms.

Many of the vessels thatpassed through the strait were so-called “dark” transits evading Western government sanctions and oversightthat likely have ties to Iran, maritime data firm Lloyd’s List Intelligence said. More recently,vessels with ties to India and Pakistanhave also successfully crossed the strait as governments stepped up negotiations.

As crude prices spiked above $100 a barrel, U.S. President Donald Trump pressured allies and trade partners to send warships and reopen the strait, hoping to bring oil prices lower.

Most shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, a waterway for global oil and gas transport that supplies roughly one-fifth of the world’s crude oil, has been halted since early March, after the war started. About 20 vessels have been attacked in the area.

However, Iran has still managed to export well above 16 million barrels of oil since the beginning of March, trade data and analytics platform Kpler estimated. Due to Western sanctions and associated risks, China has been the biggest buyer of Iranian oil.

There has been ”continued resilience” in Iran’s oil export volumes, said Kpler trade risk analyst Ana Subasic.

Iran has managed to profit from oil sales and also “preserve its own export artery” by using control over the chokepoint, said Kun Cao, client director at consulting firm Reddal.

Iran’s oil export data estimates are largely aligned with maritime traffic data.

At least 89 ships crossed the Strait of Hormuz between March 1 and 15 – including 16 oil tankers, according to Lloyd’s List Intelligence, down from roughly 100 to 135 vessel passages per day before the war. More than one-fifth of the 89 vessels were believed to be Iran-affiliated, while Chinese and Greece affiliated ships are among the rest, it said.

Other vessels also have been getting through.

The Pakistan-flagged crude oil tanker Karachi, controlled by the Pakistan National Shipping Corp., passed through the strait on Sunday, Lloyd’s List Intelligence said.

HTTPS://APNEWS.COM/ARTICLE/SHIPS-IRAN-OIL-CHINA-US-TRUMP-HORMUZ-82A9ACB473837F1BF7A821D0C3F95205

>>24396808

2/2

Shariq Amin, a spokesman at the Pakistan Port Trust, refused to confirm or deny which route the MT Karachi had used but he said the ship would soon safely reach Pakistan.

The India-flagged liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) carriers Shivalik and Nanda Devi, both owned by state-owned Shipping Corp. of India, also traveled through the strait around March 13 or 14, according to Lloyd’s List Intelligence. LPG is used as a primary cooking fuel by millions of Indian households.

India’s foreign minister, Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, told the Financial Times the two vessels’ were able to pass following talks with Iran. Iraq was also in talks with Iran to allow Iraqi oil tankers through the Strait of Hormuz, its state-run news agency reported.

Vessels may be transiting “with at least some level of diplomatic intervention,” said Richard Meade, editor-in-chief of Lloyd’s List. So, Iran may have “effectively created a safe corridor” with some ships passing close to the Iranian coast.

Some vessels near or in the strait were found to have declared themselves as China-linked or with all Chinese crew to reduce risks of being attacked, based on an earlier analysis on ship tracking platform MarineTraffic. Analysts believe they were taking advantage of China’s closer ties with Iran.

Oil prices have jumped more than 40% to above $100 per barrel since the Iran war began, and Iran has threatened it won’t allow “even a single liter of oil” destined for the U.S., and Israel and their allies to pass through.

To try to stabilize oil prices, the U.S. said it was allowing Iranian oil tankers to cross the strait. “The Iranian ships have been getting out already, and we’ve let that happen to supply the rest of the world,” Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said in an interview with CNBC on Monday.

The U.S. bombed military sites on Kharg Island off the Iranian coast, which is key for Iran’s oil network and exports, but President Donald Trump said he had left its oil infrastructure alone for now.

The latest passages through the Strait of Hormuz show the strait was not simply “closed,” Cao said. “It is better understood as closed selectively against some traffic, while still functioning for Iranian exports and a narrow set of tolerated non-Iranian movements,” he said.

However, if Iran’s plan is to “inflict pain through higher energy prices, the number of tankers it allows through the Strait of Hormuz may be very limited,” Dutch bank ING’s strategists Warren Patterson and Ewa Manthey wrote in a research note…

https://apnews.com/article/ships-iran-oil-china-us-trump-hormuz-82a9acb473837f1bf7a821d0c3f95205

Qatar says strike on Iran gas facilities is dangerous escalation

3 hours ago

Qatar condemned Israel’s targeting of facilities linked to Iran’s South Pars gas field, calling ita “dangerous and irresponsible step” amid the ongoing military escalation, a foreign ministry spokesperson said on Wednesday.

The spokesperson said=attacks on energy infrastructurepose a threat to global energy security, the region’s population and the environment.

The comments came after strikes hit parts of Iran’s South Pars gas facilities.

(So people are going to come down with cancerand multiply other diseases due to burning oil for hours or days by Israel?)

https://www.iranintl.com/en/202603186894

(This is why I doubt Israel asked the US and got permission, never would the admin give them permission. Plus the US was responsible for these type of missions. They know what they started!)

‘Tell it to my face ’: Paul airs beef with Mullin in DHS nomination clash

Mullin lashed back at Paul, accusing him of “character assassination.”

Eric Bazail-Eimil

A Paul aide said that a committee markup on Mullin’s nomination will occur as scheduled on Thursday.

Senate Majority Leader John Thune said he didn’t expect the confrontation between Paul and Mullin to get in the way of his confirmation.

“Those two obviously have some history, and it’s,you know, personal stuff,” Thune said. “They’ve got to work through it. In the end, this is about the job, and it’s about making sure that we got the right person there.I think Markwayne is the right person for the job.”

Mullin attempted to defuse the tension with Paul at points during the hearing.

“As secretary of Homeland, I’ll be protecting everybody, including Kentucky,” Mullin said. “You were elected by your state and I respect that.I may disagree with you, but I respect it.”He also said he was willing to “set aside” the past if Paul was.

But Paul was not satisfied with Mullin’s explanations, rolling a compilation of videos of Mullin justifying his aggressive response in a confrontation with Teamsters boss Sean O’Brien during the Biden administration and generally suggesting he is comfortable with violence.

Mullin responded by notingthat O’Brien, who has since become friendly with the Oklahoma Republican,was sitting behind him in support of the nomination.

A neighbor attacked Paul in 2017 while he was doing yard work. The incident was believed to be about a neighborly dispute surrounding lawn care, but it left Paul with serious injuries. Paul’s attacker was convicted and forced to pay Paul damages for the injuries he suffered.

The dispute between Paul and Mullin took a surprising turn when Mullin also worked to justify comments he made in 2023 praising an infamous 1856 caning incident on the Senate floor, in which a pro-slavery Democrat caned Sen. Charles Sumner, crushing his skull and leaving him unconscious.

Mullin said dueling was OK between “consenting adults.”

“There’s no precedent” for legal dueling, Paul retorted.Paul also accused Mullin of “machismo.”(they all act like that!)

Mullin did have apologiesover some comments he’d made about others. He said he regretted calling Alex Pretti, a U.S. citizen killed by federal agents in Minnesota in January, “deranged.”

Pressed by Sen. Gary Peters (D-Mich.) on his comments about Pretti,Mullin said that he “shouldn’t have said that.”

Mullin dodged giving Pretti’s family a direct apology, saying he would wait to do so until after the conclusion of an investigation into the incident.

“If I’m proven wrong, then I will,” Mullin said.

The dramatic exchange suggests Mullin may not be on as much a glide path to confirmation as expected.Paul, as committee chair, represents a critical voteand could slow down efforts to advance his nomination.And Paul has shown a willingness to buck the White House on immigration issues previously.

https://www.politico.com/news/2026/03/18/paul-challenges-mullin-over-assault-comments-during-dhs-grilling-00833659