At least 1100 dead, Israeli PM Netanyahu declares 'war' after Hamas terrorists l

[Ptarmigan]

Report: Hamas Began Planning Attack on Israel Two Years Ago — After Afghanistan
https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2023/10/12/report-hamas-began-planning-attack-on-israel-two-years-ago-after-afghanistan/

Hamas began planning Saturday’s terrorist attacks across Israel two years ago, according to an interview Sunday by a senior Hamas official.

Senior Hamas official Ali Baraka told Russia Today on Sunday (via the Middle East Media Research Institute) that Hamas had been secretly planning the invasion of southern Israel for two years — which would mean after President Joe Biden took office, and after the disastrous, deadly U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan.

“We have been preparing for this for two years. We have local factories for everything. We have rockets with ranges of 250 kms, 160 kms, 80 kms, 45 kms, and 10 kms,” he said in an October 8, 2023, Russia Today interview.

“We have factories for mortars and their shells. We have factories for manufacturing B-7 and B-10 guns and their shells. We have factories for manufacturing Kalashnikov rifles and their bullets. We have a Russian license to produce Kalashnikov bullets in Gaza,” he added.

Baraka said Hamas was assisted by Iran — a claim for which the Biden administration it lacks direct evidence.

Hamas planned the attack right after the Afghanistan debacle. The Afghanistan debacle emboldened Hamas.

[Ptarmigan]

Report: ‘Top Secret’ Hamas Plans Reveal Terrorists Targeted Elementary Schools
https://www.breitbart.com/middle-east/2023/10/13/report-top-secret-hamas-plans-reveal-terrorists-targeted-elementary-schools/

Hamas terrorists developed a plan to target elementary schools and a center for young people in the Israeli kibbutz of Kfar Sa’ad with the objective to “kill as many people as possible,” according to a report.

NBC News reveals:

The attack plans, which are labeled “top secret” in Arabic, appear to be orders for two highly trained Hamas units to surround and infiltrate villages and target places where civilians, including children, gather. Israeli authorities are still determining the death toll in Kfar Sa’ad.

The documents were found on the bodies of Hamas terrorists by Israeli first responders and shared with NBC News. They include detailed maps and show that Hamas intended to kill or take hostage civilians and school children.

One page labeled “Top Secret” outlines a plan of attack for Kfar Sa’ad, saying “Combat unit 1” is directed to “contain the new Da’at school,” while “Combat unit 2” is to “collect hostages,” “search the Bnei Akiva youth center” and “search the old Da’at school.”

Hamas’s deadly terror attack on Israel has killed at least 1,300 people and wounded 3,300 more, according to the latest reports.

Among with most gruesome assaults was on the Israeli kibbutz of Kfar Aza, which saw 100 people killed, with some of the victims reportedly found burned and others decapitated.

This is really disturbing. 

[Ptarmigan]

Hamas terrorists seen holding kidnapped Israeli children, babies in vile footage
https://nypost.com/2023/10/13/hamas-seen-holding-kidnapped-israeli-children-babies-in-footage/

Hamas has released a disturbing new video showing armed men playing with and clutching kidnapped Israeli children and babies in an apparent attempt to spin a narrative about how the terrorist group is treating its captives.

The video features a number of unidentified men wearing fatigues and tactical vests appearing to dote on the young hostages at what appears to be a typical suburban home.

In one segment, the older child, no older than 5, sits in the lap of one of his captors as the terrorist slowly rocks the baby in a carriage, an assault rifle clearly visible on a nearby table.

At one point a different militant cradles the baby in one arm while holding an automatic weapon with the other. All of the adult’s faces are blurred out in the footage.

Near the end of the clip, a man wearing a balaclava and a green headband holds a child in each arm and directly addresses the camera in Arabic.

Really disturbing. I cannot imagine what the families are going through.

[SVPete]

What does the UN teach in its Palestine schools?

https://hotair.com/david-strom/2023/10/13/what-does-the-un-teach-in-its-palestine-schools-n584380

Were you aware that the United Nations has an agency dedicated to providing “relief” to Palestinians in the so-called “occupied territories?”

Given what we hear about the conditions in Gaza, it sure seems like the Hamas government and the UNRWA don’t expend a lot of effort on making conditions better for the residents–they rely on Israel to provide power and food, for instance. That’s because Hamas and the UN spend all their time preparing for war and spreading propaganda.

What kind of propaganda, you may ask? Well, let’s see what the Palestinian students at those schools are taught and the attitudes they have developed toward Jews and all Israelis.

An example why I don't give a @#$% when UN "schools" get reduced to rubble.

[Eupher]

What does the UN teach in its Palestine schools?

https://hotair.com/david-strom/2023/10/13/what-does-the-un-teach-in-its-palestine-schools-n584380

An example why I don't give a @#$% when UN "schools" get reduced to rubble.

The UN's legacy -- teaching kids how to be terrorists.    The UN is just another (successful) stab at continuing the racist legacy of Woodrow Wilson's rape of humanity, the League of Nations. It took Democrats FDR and finally Truman to make the UN "official."

The final insult -- installing that globalist, corrupt, and marxist organization on American soil.

[SVPete]

I support UNExit, the US from the UN and the UN from the US. Send them off to Havana or Harare!

[Ptarmigan]

Israeli family of 5 wiped out by Hamas found dead in each other's arms: report
https://www.foxnews.com/us/israeli-family-5-wiped-out-hamas-found-dead-each-others-arms-report

The bodies of an Israeli family of five slaughtered by Hamas were found together in a heart-wrenching embrace, according to a local news outlet.

Aviv Kutz, 54, his wife, Livnat, 49, and their children, Rotem, 19, Yonatan 17, and Yiftach 15, were murdered by Hamas terrorists on Oct. 7 in their home on the Kfar Aza kibbutz, the Times of Israel reported.

The family was initially counted among the missing until neighbors discovered them together in bed with Aviv holding his family in a protective embrace, according to the newspaper.

"They were all amazing kids with huge hearts. They had their whole lives ahead of them," said their aunt, Adi Levy Salama.

Just evil. 

[Ptarmigan]

IDF notifies relatives of 199 people that their loved ones are Gaza hostages
https://www.timesofisrael.com/idf-notifies-relatives-of-199-people-that-their-loved-ones-are-gaza-hostages/

The families of 199 people have been notified so far that their loved ones are being held in the Gaza Strip after they were abducted during Hamas’s terror onslaught in southern Israel on October 7, the military said Monday.

IDF spokesman Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari said the military has some information on the whereabouts of hostages being held in Gaza.

“We are making valiant efforts to try to understand where the hostages are in Gaza, and we have such information,” Hagari said in response to a question at a press conference.

“We will not carry out an attack that would endanger our people,” he added.

Israelis and foreign nationals — infants, children with special needs, octogenarians with chronic health issues — were dragged by terrorists into Gaza, with their whereabouts largely unknown since.

There are 199 hostages somewhere in Gaza.

War erupted after Hamas’s October 7 massacre, which saw at least 1,500 terrorists burst across the border into Israel from the Gaza Strip by land, air and sea, killing over 1,300 people and seizing hostages of all ages under the cover of a deluge of thousands of rockets fired at Israeli towns and cities.

The vast majority of those killed as gunmen attacked and seized border communities were civilians.

Entire families were executed in their homes, and over 260 were slaughtered at an outdoor festival, many amid horrific acts of brutality by the terrorists, in what US President Joe Biden has highlighted as “the worst massacre of the Jewish people since the Holocaust.”

Most people were massacred by terrorists who stormed Israel.

[Ptarmigan]

Hamas releases propaganda clip of captive seized in Oct. 7 assault on southern Israel
https://www.timesofisrael.com/hamas-releases-first-clip-of-captive-seized-in-october-7-assault-on-southern-israel/

Hamas on Monday night released the first clip showing an Israeli hostage being held by the terror group in the Gaza Strip, as it said some 200-250 captives were in the coastal enclave after Palestinian terrorists’ massive onslaught in southern Israel on October 7.

The short video showed a young woman, 21-year-old Mia Schem, being treated after she was wounded in her arm, and later speaking to the camera.

Schem was kidnapped by Hamas terrorists while participating in the desert rave in Kibbutz Re’im, where the gunmen also killed over 260 festival-goers as part of the devastating massacre in which over 1,300 people were slain, the vast majority civilians.

She told the camera that she was operated on for three hours and that “I’m being cared for, I’m getting medications. I’m only asking to be returned home as soon as possible, to my family, to my parents, to my siblings. Please get me out of here as soon as possible.”

Schem’s family reacted to the clip, saying: “We’re happy.”

Hamas has made videos of the hostage. One of them is Mia Schem. I suspect some of the hostages were killed.

[Ptarmigan]

Hundreds killed in blast at Gaza Strip hospital; Israel says Islamic Jihad's 'failed rocket launch' to blame
https://www.foxnews.com/world/hundreds-killed-blast-gaza-strip-hospital-israel-blames-islamic-jihad

A Hamas-run hospital that was treating wounded Palestinians and sheltering many others in the Gaza Strip was hit by an airstrike Tuesday, killing hundreds of people, though Israel Defense Forces (IDF) blame the strike on the Islamic Jihad.

The Gaza Health Ministry said at least 500 people were killed at al-Ahli Baptist Hospital in Gaza City, which Hamas said was the result of an Israeli airstrike.

When asked earlier in the day, the IDF said it was investigating the source of the explosion, noting that the hospital is a "highly sensitive building" and is "not an IDF target."

After an investigation, the IDF provided its findings with regard to the source of the airstrike.

"An analysis of IDF operational systems indicates that a barrage of rockets was fired by terrorists in Gaza, passing in close proximity to the al-Ahli [Baptist] hospital in Gaza at the time it was hit," IDF officials said. "Intelligence from multiple sources we have in our hands indicates that Islamic Jihad is responsible for the failed rocket launch which hit the hospital in Gaza."

An explosion occurred at al-Ahli Baptist Hospital in Gaza City. The explosion came from rockets launched by Islamic Jihad.

[Eupher]

Hundreds killed in blast at Gaza Strip hospital; Israel says Islamic Jihad's 'failed rocket launch' to blame
https://www.foxnews.com/world/hundreds-killed-blast-gaza-strip-hospital-israel-blames-islamic-jihad

An explosion occurred at al-Ahli Baptist Hospital in Gaza City. The explosion came from rockets launched by Islamic Jihad.

When they're building rockets made from sewer and water pipes, rather than buying more conventional rockets from actual suppliers with Iranian/SharterJoe money, it's not surprising that some of them have the stamp of Acme, Ltd., Wyle E. Coyote's favorite supplier.

[Ptarmigan]

Terrorist Misfire Caused Gaza Hospital Explosion That Hamas Claimed Was an Israeli Air Strike
https://townhall.com/tipsheet/spencerbrown/2023/10/17/did-hamas-rocket-misfire-just-take-out-a-hospital-in-gaza-city-n2629969

Following a blast at a hospital in Gaza City on Tuesday, Hamas immediately claimed that an Israel Defense Forces strike was to blame — but the evidence does not support such claims from Hamas officials pretending to be impartial government ministers inside the Gaza Strip. In fact, the evidence disproves what Hamas — and many of its sympathizers in the media and politics — have said.

Instead of what Hamas rushed to claim, it appears the attempt to blame Israeli forces and further demonize Israel and its people is nothing more than scrambling to draw attention away from what Hamas stated was a mass-casualty event that was, in fact, the result of a misfired Hamas or another Iran-backed terrorist's rocket and, potentially simultaneously, an attempt to cover up the fact that Hamas was again using a hospital to house terrorist infrastructure and weapons stockpiles.

Here's some of the video circulating that shows the cause of the explosion:

#BREAKING: Local footage reported to have been the failed launch. https://t.co/XfeUeKaFGy pic.twitter.com/4lXYhcVdMY

— Israel War Room (@IsraelWarRoom) October 17, 2023
In addition, Al Jazeera unwittingly broadcast live video of the terrorist rocket misfiring and blowing up the hospital in Gaza City.

The rocket that hit al-Ahli Baptist Hospital in Gaza City was fired in Gaza by Islamic Jihad or Hamas.

[Ptarmigan]

Almost this entire al-Ahli Baptist Hospital story is a massive lie started by Hamas and amplified by western media
https://legalinsurrection.com/2023/10/almost-this-entire-al-ahli-baptist-hospital-story-is-a-massive-lie-started-by-hamas-and-amplified-by-western-media/

We have had several posts about the false allegation that Israel bombed a Gaza hospital killing 500 or more civilians. This set off riots on “the Arab street” in numerous nations, caused the cancelation of a summit with Biden, the President of Egypt, the King of Jordan, and the Palestinian Authority President. It also helped Iran make the case for regional war on Israel and the U.S. to its proxies.

People have died and will die because of this lie.

Almost this entire al-Ahli Baptist Hospital story is a massive lie started by Hamas and amplified without question for hours by western media, including the NY Times, Islamic world media, and alt-right influencers. There was no Israeli bombing, a hospital was not hit or seriously damaged, something hit the parking lot leaving cars just yards away intact, almost certainly part of a misfired terror group rocket, and the likelihood that over 500 people were killed is slim.

Here is the sourcing, “for the record”.

Almost this entire al-Ahli Baptist Hospital story is a massive lie started by Hamas and amplified without question for hours by western media, including the NY Times, Islamic world media, and alt-right influencers. There was no Israeli bombing, a hospital was not hit or seriously… https://t.co/br1VU5c6V2

— William A. Jacobson (@wajacobson) October 18, 2023

How lies spread like wildfire.

[Eupher]

Almost this entire al-Ahli Baptist Hospital story is a massive lie started by Hamas and amplified by western media
https://legalinsurrection.com/2023/10/almost-this-entire-al-ahli-baptist-hospital-story-is-a-massive-lie-started-by-hamas-and-amplified-by-western-media/

How lies spread like wildfire.

But SharterJoe knew it was a lie. And then set about making incredibly stupid statements (see the video at the link)

https://townhall.com/tipsheet/mattvespa/2023/10/19/wait-did-biden-make-a-joke-about-the-gaza-hospital-bombing-n2630056

Wait, Did Biden Make a Joke About the Gaza Hospital Bombing?

President Joe Biden’s propensity for sticking his foot in his mouth is well-known, but you’d think he would have some self-control. There was a chance he would say something stupid since going off-script was never Biden’s strong suit, even when he was semi-cogent.

The Muslim world went insane Tuesday night over reports that a hospital in Gaza was struck by an Israeli airstrike, killing hundreds. It was fake news. It was a rocket misfire from Islamic Jihad firing into Israel. Regardless, the news media ran with Hamas propaganda, which spread faster than COVID through the Arab world, sparking mass protests from Baghdad to Barcelona. The American embassy in Beirut is evacuating its non-essential staff.

It was already bad enough that the president was entering a quasi-war zone. Germany’s chancellor had to take cover in Tel Aviv when it came under rocket attack. Luckily, nothing popped off during Biden’s brief visit, and it’s well that he uttered what he said on the plane flying back to the United States. Biden said what could be interpreted as a quip about the Gaza hospital bombing, saying he didn’t know if Hamas or their allies intentionally targeted the hospital, but they have to learn how to shoot straight (via NY Post):

President Biden told reporters Wednesday that Palestinian terrorists have “gotta learn how to shoot straight” — one day after an explosion outside a hospital in the Gaza Strip.

“I’m not suggesting that Hamas deliberately did it,” the president said at Ramstein Air Base in Germany en route back to Washington after visiting Israel earlier in the day.

“It’s that old thing: Gotta learn how to shoot straight,” Biden went on.

“It’s not the first time that Hamas has launched something that didn’t function very well.”

Hamas, which rules Gaza, claimed Tuesday that an Israeli airstrike killed about 500 people at the hospital — sparking riots across the Middle East and forcing Biden to scrap a planned summit with Arab leaders in Amman, Jordan — but the White House said Wednesday it had determined the explosion was caused by a misfire on the Palestinian side.

No, they shouldn’t shoot straight, Joe. That would mean direct hits into Israel, which is being attacked on all sides right now, as the IDF prepares to invade Gaza to eradicate Hamas.

[SVPete]

The actual hospital story ...

* Hamas' backyard-built rockets are of poor quality;

* A Hamas rocket went full-Wile-E.-Coyote and landed in the hospital parking lot;

* Having a small explosive charge, compared to a 500-lb. bomb from IDF, the rocket caused a small crater and killed/injured a few dozen people who apparently were camped in the parking lot;

* Hamas realized that though they F'ed up, it had happened at night, and got creative; Hamas lied about the source, lied about what was hit, and lied about casualties;

* Hamas knew, that given anti-Semitic and anti-Israel sentiment in worldwide MSM, Hamas' lies would be reported verbatim, with corrections, if any, published/broadcast hours or days later, and under-played.

[Ptarmigan]

US Navy intercepts missiles heading north from Yemen, 'potentially' toward Israel: Pentagon
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/us-navy-intercepts-missiles-heading-north-yemen-toward-israel-pentagon

A U.S. Navy destroyer intercepted several missiles fired near the coast of Yemen on Thursday, though it is unclear what the missiles were targeting, Pentagon officials said.

U.S. Department of Defense spokesperson Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder confirmed Thursday that the crew of the USS Carney, a guided missile destroyer operating in the Northern Red Sea, shot down three land attack cruise missiles and several drones that were launched by Iranian-backed Houthi militants in Yemen.

"This action was a demonstration of the integrated air and missile defense architecture that we have built in the Middle East and that we are prepared to utilize whenever necessary to protect our partners and our interests in this important region," Ryder said, adding there were no casualties to U.S. forces, nor any on the ground that he knows of. "Information on these engagements is still being processed, and we cannot say for certain what these missiles and drones were targeting."

The missiles were launched from Yemen and were heading north along the Red Sea, "potentially" toward targets in Israel, Ryder said.

USS Carney shot down missiles from Yemen. They were appearing to head to Israel.

[SVPete]

This will PO Israel-hating Arabs. A smart administration would turn protestations against the loudmouths, "So you're admitting those missiles fired from Yemen, hundreds of miles away, were aimed at Israel?" The LIEden MalAdministration is not smart, and is larded with Israel-haters.

[Old n Grumpy]

So now we’re getting involved,how long till some of the illegals who are terrorists do something here?

[Ptarmigan]

Multiple Hamas Terrorists: We Became Like ISIS, Admit To Beheadings, Stomping Heads, Sex With Dead Women,
https://legalinsurrection.com/2023/10/multiple-hamas-terrorists-became-like-isis-admit-to-beheadings-stomping-heads-sex-with-dead-women/

In addition to Israel showing “indescribable, raw footage of Hamas’ massacre” to over 100 international journalists, Israel also has released vide of interrogations of terrorists who participated in the October 7 Massacre, describing their crimes against humanity committed during the attack.

We previously have covered to other interrogations previously released:

Hamas is evil. 

[Ptarmigan]

Associated Press Reporters Can Only Describe Hamas Terrorists as Militants, ‘Fighters, Attackers, or Combatants’
https://legalinsurrection.com/2023/10/associated-press-reporters-can-only-describe-hamas-terrorists-as-as-militants-fighters-attackers-or-combatants/

The Associated Press will not allow its reporters to identify Hamas as a terrorist organization.

It’s weird because the AP even admitted that the government has designated Hamas as a terrorist organization.

There is so much wrong in the Israel-Hamas Topical Guide (AP’s emphasis):

terrorism

The calculated use of violence, especially against civilians, to create terror to disrupt and demoralize societies for political ends.

The terms terrorism and terrorist have become politicized, and often are applied inconsistently. Because they can be used to label such a wide range of actions and events, and because the debate around them is so intense, detailing what happened is more precise and better serves audiences.

“Therefore, the AP is not using the terms for specific actions or groups, other than in direct quotations or when attributed to authorities or others,” the AP continued. “Instead, we describe specific atrocities, massacres, bombings, assassinations and other such actions.”

Hamas is a terrorist. Case closed.

[Ptarmigan]

Hamas fighters may enter U.S. via southern border, CBP field office warns
https://justthenews.com/government/security/cbp-field-office-warns-hamas-fighters-may-enter-us-southern-border

The San Diego field office of U.S. Customs and Border Protection is warning that Hamas fighters or Hamas-inspired actors may attempt to enter the United States through the southern border.

The warning comes amid ongoing hostilities between Hamas and Israel in the wake of an Oct. 7 terrorist raid that saw Hamas seize 199 hostages and kill civilians. The Israel Defense Forces have since maintained a steady bombardment of the Gaza Strip in preparation for a possible ground invasion.

"San Diego Field Office Intelligence Unit (SDFO-FITU) assesses that individuals inspired by, or reacting to, the current Israel-Hamas conflict may attempt travel to or from the area of hostilities in the Middle East via circuitous transit across the Southwest border," reads an unclassified document from the office.

"Foreign fighters motivated by ideology or mercenary soldiers of fortune may attempt to obfuscate travel to or from the US to or from countries in the Middle East through Mexico," it continued.

Very troubling.

[Ptarmigan]

Son of Hamas founder says mainstream media 'afraid' to label group a genocidal religious movement
https://www.foxnews.com/media/son-hamas-founder-mainstream-media-afraid-label-group-genocidal-religious-movement

The son of a Hamas founder said the terrorist group is even more dangerous than ISIS on Monday, adding that the mainstream media is afraid to call it a genocidal religious movement for fear of igniting a full-on religious war.

"It's their own comparison to say Hamas and ISIS because I think Hamas is a lot more dangerous," Mosab Hassan Yousef told "FOX & Friends."

"Look at the division and the global confusion because of Hamas. They brought us to our knees somehow by their brutality and their barbarism. Brutality is even understating Hamas' acts. Hamas is a religious movement, and they are a raging religious movement against Israel. The mainstream media cannot say this because they are afraid to ignite a religious war. And what I say, it already is. They want to annihilate the Jewish people because they are Jewish people, because they are a Jewish state."

Yousef, who renounced the terrorist group and became an informant for Israel's internal security service, Shin Bet, in the 1990s, said Hamas can't be negotiated with since it isn't a national or political movement.

"They are driven by dark hatred toward a race, toward a nation," he said.

Hamas is evil. They are no different from ISIS.

Hamas has taken upward of 200 hostages back to Gaza, the impoverished strip it governs that borders Israel and Egypt, and the conflict has spawned global attention.

Yousef said Hamas' ability to withstand any ground invasion from the Israelis would predicate in part on its known practice of using "human shields."

"They have many tunnels. They used the funds and the aid that came to Gaza, they used it to dig tunnels," he said. "It's very hard to deal with this style of suicidal group of fighters who basically don't appreciate life. They actually [are] looking forward to death."

[Ptarmigan]

"Unconscionable": Republicans Press Pentagon Over American-Made Weapons In Hamas's Hands
https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/unconscionable-republicans-press-pentagon-over-american-made-weapons-hamass-hands
Via
https://www.theepochtimes.com/article/republicans-press-pentagon-over-american-made-weapons-in-hamass-hands-5515455?src_src=partner&src_cmp=ZeroHedge

Citing reports that advanced U.S.-made firearms have ended up in the possession of the Hamas terrorist group in Gaza, several House Oversight Committee Republicans are demanding answers from the Pentagon about what's being done to make sure American-made weapons don't end up in the wrong hands.

“The Committee has seen reports that U.S.-manufactured weapons are being redistributed and resold in secondary markets to terrorist organizations, including Hamas,” wrote House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer (R-Ky.) and Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) in an Oct. 23 letter to Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin.

Mr. Comer and Ms. Greene cited a series of media reports indicating that American-made weapons were being diverted and ending up in the hands of terrorists.

One source of these U.S.-made weapons is reportedly the roughly $7 billion stockpile left behind in the botched Afghanistan withdrawal. Another is related to the arms that the United States is providing to Ukraine amid its war with Russia but that are being diverted to the Middle East by various actors, including gun-smuggling criminal groups.

"The potential possession of U.S. weapons by terrorists is alarming in light of the terrorist group's recent horrific attack on Israel," the pair of lawmakers wrote, referring to the Oct. 7 assault by Hamas operatives that killed about 1,500 Israelis, mostly civilians—many of them in barbaric fashion.

Hamas has American weapons from Afghanistan and Ukraine.

While it's impossible to tell without further investigation where the weapons are coming from, it's been alleged that some U.S.-made weapons are finding their way to Gaza and into the hands of Hamas.

In their letter, the GOP lawmakers said that "recently released photos show Hamas terrorists allegedly holding what appear to be H4A1 Carbines," a type of weapon that they point out was specially designed for U.S. Special Operations Forces.

"This would not be the first time our military service members and allies have been targeted by terrorist organizations misappropriating American-made weapons," the lawmakers wrote, citing the massive $7 billion arsenal that ended up in the hands of the Taliban.

The Taliban got a treasure trove of American weapons.

After U.S. forces withdrew from Afghanistan in the summer of 2021, they left behind billions of dollars of American-made weapons and equipment.

A Pentagon watchdog reported in August 2022 that "U.S.-funded equipment valued at $7.12 billion was in the inventory of the former Afghan government when it collapsed, much of which has since been seized by the Taliban."

The report, which was confirmed by the DOD, indicated that the equipment that had fallen into Taliban hands included military aircraft, ground vehicles, weapons, and other military equipment.

The items that ended up in Taliban hands included large equipment like Black Hawk helicopters and Humvees, as well as small but sophisticated arms like M16 assault rifles and M4 carbines.

"We have already seen Taliban fighters armed with U.S.-made weapons they seized from the Afghan forces. This poses a significant threat to the United States and our allies," Rep. Michael McCaul (R-Texas), the top Republican on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, told Reuters in an email last year.

[Ptarmigan]

Inside Hamas’ fiendishly ‘calculated’ blueprint for hostage release — and who will be last on list
https://nypost.com/2023/10/24/news/inside-hamas-fiendishly-calculated-blueprint-for-hostage-release-and-who-will-be-last-on-list/

Hamas is following a fiendishly “calculated” blueprint in its hostage release to try to curry global favor — and it likely doesn’t include freeing any Israeli soldiers without major quid pro quo, a top expert says.

The move by the Palestinian terrorists to release an American mother and daughter first last week was probably designed to pressure the Biden administration into urging Israel to delay its planned scorched-earth ground invasion of the Gaza Strip to buy time in the hostage crisis, said former FBI agent and hostage-team expert Christopher O’Leary to The Post on Tuesday.

Hamas’ release of another pair of women, two elderly Israelis, late Monday was also a “very calculated” move — this time to try and show the world that it is “a legitimate negotiator with some kind of humanitarian leaning,” O’Leary said – even though the terrorists brutalized women and children during their bloody invasion of Israel on Oct. 7.

After former hostage Yocheved Lifshitz, 85, was released Monday, she revealed that she and a few of her fellow captives were separated from the main group into a smaller room in Hamas’ infamous “spiderweb” of Gaza tunnels.

Hamas's playbook to release hostage is calculated to portray themselves "humanitarian".

[Eupher]

"Unconscionable": Republicans Press Pentagon Over American-Made Weapons In Hamas's Hands
https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/unconscionable-republicans-press-pentagon-over-american-made-weapons-hamass-hands
Via
https://www.theepochtimes.com/article/republicans-press-pentagon-over-american-made-weapons-in-hamass-hands-5515455?src_src=partner&src_cmp=ZeroHedge

Hamas has American weapons from Afghanistan and Ukraine.

The Taliban got a treasure trove of American weapons.

More evidence of Austin's malfeasance.

Some of the dead Hamas terrorists taken out by the Israelis in the past couple weeks certainly carried M4A1s. A simple serial number search can determine if some of those weapons were part of the $80B+ cache just handed to the Tally-bahn in the A-stan bugout.

Well, in a responsible DoD that is. 

In the unlikely event that a Republican wins the 2024 presidential election (I have 100% faith in the Repubs' ability to **** it up), Austin will already have been gone along with the other civilian service secretaries, but the rot in DoD goes clear to the bone. The new president won't have done enough to just get rid of the appointees. Clearing out the Swamp means going all the way out to the A-ring in the Pentagon.