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Epstein-affiliate Envoy Says ‘Benevolent Monarchies’ Have Proven Most Effective in West Asia Governance
US Special Envoy for Syria Tom Barrack has sparked renewed debate on, saying “benevolent monarchies” have historically “worked best” in the West Asia region.
He made the remarks on Sunday during a panel on Syria at the Doha Forum, where he praised the new regime in the Arab country, which took over by force amid intense backup Israeli air raids on the nation’s civilian and defensive infrastructures.
Barrack lauded the regime, which is run by former Daesh and al-Qaeda commander Mohammad Jolani, for, what he called, its “epic” and “heroic” achievements since its ouster of Syria’s former democratically-elected government.
Barrack claimed that the international community had to let Syria develop its own ruling system.
Observers denounced the latter remarks as a means of sidestepping the West’s robust and sustained military and intelligence support for the Israeli regime, which has historically enabled Tel Aviv’s regional aggression, including the ferocious Israeli raids that helped Jolani overthrow Assad’s government.
The comments, they added, also served to ignore more than a decade of Western support for Takfiri terrorists inside Syria that preceded last year’s takeover.
Syria, Barrack alleged, had to rather “form the kind of government and inclusive regime that they, the Syrians, wish to establish.”
A billionaire real estate investor appointed by President Donald Trump, Barrack has repeatedly outraged regional peoples with markedly controversial statements since assuming his role.
In August, he touched off a constant torrent of outrage after he told the journalists trying to ask him questions during a press conference in Beirut to “be quiet” and stop being “animalistic.” “Act civilized, act kind, act tolerant,” he told them at the time.
In September, he admitted that the United States was arming Lebanon’s armed forces so they can fight the Lebanese people. He also said peace in the West Asia region was “an illusion.”
Adding to his Sunday remarks, the envoy, however, acknowledged that Western regional interference had repeatedly produced “paralysis” rather than stability.
“Almost every decision that the West has imposed on the region, rather than allowing it to evolve on its own, has been a mistake,” he said, citing the cases of Libya and Iraq.Al Masirah report
By the way, Tom Barrack is of Lebanese-Christian origin. His grandfather migrated during the Ottoman rule from Beqaa in Lebanon to the US. -
3 civilians injured as z¿onist forces carry out ground incursion into southern Syria
Exclusive footage from Al‑Alam shows zionist occupation forces opening fire on two Syrian civilians in Khan Arnabeh, southern Syria. Syrian sources report casualties; details unverified. International law groups and Syrian authorities demand investigation.
https://t.me/presstv/167462At least three people have been wounded when zion¿st military forces opened fire on them as they carried out a new ground incursion into Syria’s southwestern province of Quneitra amid daily violations of Syrian sovereignty.
The public al-Ikhbariyah Syria television news channel reported that Israeli occupation forces fired shots at the civilians in the town of Khan Arnabeh on Tuesday, inflicting injuries on them.
It said Israeli forces had used several military vehicles and troop carriers.
Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA) said Israeli forces launched smoke grenades at civilians after setting up a checkpoint between Khan Arnabeh and the village of Ain Aisha in the northern Quneitra countryside.
The injured civilians were transferred to Golan National Hospital for medical attention.The Israeli army said in a statement that during its “activity in the Quneitra area of southern Syria, a confrontation developed when several suspects approached the troops and posed a threat to them.”
Soldiers “fired warning shots into the air, and after the suspects failed to distance themselves, the troops responded and fired toward the lower bodies of two main inciters,” the statement further claimed.
Earlier in the day, a two-vehicle Israeli patrol advanced toward the village of Jabah and Khan Arnabeh and set up a military checkpoint on a road linking them.
Israel has repeatedly conducted acts of aggression across Syrian territory since the collapse of former President Bashar al-Assad’s government late last year.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has instructed his forces to advance further into Syrian territory to capture multiple critical strategic positions in the area.Israel has extended its occupation in Syria by taking over the buffer zone that divides the occupied Golan Heights from the rest of the country, effectively violating the 1974 disengagement agreement.
Analysts caution that the inaction of Syria’s ruling HTS regime, combined with its steps toward normalizing relations with Tel Aviv, has encouraged the Israeli regime to intensify its territorial expansion in Syria and increase airstrikes in the area.PressTV report
A wounded Syrian is seen lying on a bed at a hospital in the town of Khan Arnabeh in the province of Quneitra, southwestern Syria, on December 9, 2025, after he was shot and injured during a zionist military incursion into the region. (Photo by Syrian Arab News Agency) -
zion¿st Enemy Escalates Attacks on South Lebanon in Violation of Ceasefire
zion¿st enemy expanded its attacks on south Lebanon overnight and at dawn on Tuesday, with airstrikes being reported in Iqlim Al-Tuffah and infiltrations being recorded in border towns.
Al-Manar correspondent reported that zionist warplanes launched a series of airstrikes that hit several targets in Iqlim Al-Tuffah at midnight.
A series of strikes targeted Safi Mount and the valley between the towns of Azza and Roumine, our correspondent said, reporting damage in houses lying in the outskirts of the targeted twons.
The video belwo shows the Israeli strikes on Iqlim Al-Tuffah.Several infiltrations were also reported in several border towns overnight and at dawn on Tuesday.
An Israeli force infiltrated into Shwat hill in the outskirts of Ayta Al-Shaab border town, according to our reporter.
Elsewhere in Adaisseh, our correspondent said that an Israeli force blew up a house near the town’s square.Another Israeli force infiltrated at dawn on Tuesday into Wadi Al-Assafir in the southern neighborhood of Khiam border town, Al-Manar correspondent reported, noting that the enemy forces blew up several buildings in the area.
The Israeli enemy continues to bomb Lebanon, mainly the country’s south, almost daily and maintains occupation over five posts along the southern border, in violation of a ceasefire deal reached following a brutal 66-day Israeli war between September and November 2024.
At least 333 people have been martyred and more than 950 others have been wounded in since the ceasefire took effect on November 27, 2024, according to a toll conducted by Al-Manar in late November 2025, based on figures obtained by the Lebanese Health Ministry.
Source: Al-Manar English Website
zionist occupation infiltrated the town square of Adisa and blew up two houses 500 meters from the border -
Yemeni Citizen Martyred by Saudi Enemy Fire in Border District of Sa’adah
A Yemeni citizen was martyred today by Saudi enemy fire in Shada border district of Sa’adah Province, in a new violation added to the ongoing series of daily attacks carried out by Saudi forces against civilians in border villages.
Almasirah Correspondents in Sa’adah report that the citizen was killed after direct Saudi targeting with heavy and medium weapons, in a continuation of the escalation policy pursued by Saudi Arabia in border regions, despite the national side’s commitment to restraint.
This incident comes amid continuous attacks that have struck homes, roads, farms, and public spaces in recent months, resulting in multiple martyrs and wounded, amid an unjustified silence from the United Nations and a growing Saudi tendency toward escalation.
Observers note that the ongoing Saudi attacks on residential areas expose the false claims of de-escalation and confirm that Riyadh continues to pursue a strategy of targeting civilians.
Humanitarian and rights organizations have previously called for independent international investigations into Saudi violations along the border. However, ongoing neglect of these demands has encouraged Saudi forces to continue their assaults without regard for international humanitarian law or civilian protection standards.
Border areas in Saada continue to witness near-daily attacks attributed to Saudi forces, despite repeated calls for de-escalation. These incidents have caused rising civilian casualties, widespread damage to homes and farms, and ongoing displacement, amid persistent international inaction.Al Masirah report
Sa’adah 2016, MSF media -
Leaked emails reveal deep Epstein–Barak ties and secret business deals
Leaked emails show that former zionist colonial Prime Minister Ehud Barak relied heavily on Jeffrey Epstein as a fixer, adviser, and personal confidant; things that go far beyond the single business partnership Barak had previously acknowledged. According to a report from Al Jazeera on 9 December, the correspondence, spanning from 2013 to 2016 and published by Distributed Denial of Secrets, reveals Barak seeking Epstein’s guidance on drone startups, biotech ventures, oil and gas deals, and connections to high-profile political and business figures.
Epstein reviewed Barak’s investment proposals, arranged meeting spaces, offered his New York apartment, and even discussed multimillion-dollar retainers for his financial services.
The emails illustrate Barak’s pursuit of ventures ranging from solar-powered HALE drones to malaria-testing technology, as well as his attempt to broker the sale of Denver tycoon Jack Grynberg’s energy assets, which is a deal Epstein advised him to abandon as fraudulent. They also show the financier helping Barak navigate elite networks, from Ariane de Rothschild to advisers linked to the Gates Foundation. Personal exchanges, from holiday greetings, condolences, to shared travel plans, and visits to Epstein’s private island, highlight the closeness of their relationship, which persisted even after Epstein’s 2008 sex-offense conviction.https://t.me/thecradlemedia/47736
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Local sources report that at least 8 z¿onist colony airstrikes targeted Iqlim al-Tuffah, south Lebanon
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Waste management à la Guatemala
In Guatemala, protesters set fire to a giant pinata of Donald Trump during the traditional “Burning of the Devil” festival to voice opposition to his immigration policies.
https://t.me/presstv/167319 -
Syrian Alevis launch general strike to demand federalism, end to sectarian killings
A widespread strike has broken out across Syria’s coastal region in protest against the policies of Jolani, head of the HTS-led regime.
https://t.me/presstv/167331The strike started as Syria’s extremist-led government organized celebrations for the one-year anniversary of the fall of Bashar al-Assad
Alevis in Syria are carrying out a general strike to express their support of federalism and to protest against sectarian killings, arbitrary detentions, and kidnappings being carried out by the extremist-led government.
The strike, which is planned to last for five days, has spread to large parts of the cities of Tartous, Jableh, Qardaha, Latakia, Salhab, Masyaf, Safita, and the Alawite neighborhoods in Homs.
Photos circulating on social media show shuttered shops and empty transportation hubs in Alavis neighborhoods.The strike was called by prominent Alawite religious leader Sheikh Ghazal Ghazal and the Political Council of Central and Western Syria, which organized large protests across the coastal cities on 25 November.According to local reports, Alawite protesters were shot at and injured by Syrian security forces in multiple cities during those protests, while others were detained and taken to unknown locations.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) reports that messages of solidarity with Ghazal Ghazal’s call spread through Alawite villages on Monday, including in the Banias al-Jabal countryside, Jableh, Ramla, Tishreen suburb, Zaqzaqaniyah, Ain al-Raheb, and Ain al-Sharqiyah.
The messages included phrases such as: “We are all with Sheikh Ghazal Ghazal,” “Striking is a right and a dignity,” and “The blood of the Alawites is not cheap.”The general strike comes on the first anniversary of the rise to power of former Al-Qaeda and Islamic State leader, Ahmad al-Sharaa, who named himself president of the country.
Sharaa’s government organized celebrations commemorating the fall of former president Bashar al-Assad and the establishment of a government led by the previously blacklisted Al-Qaeda affiliate in Syria, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS).
Since Sharaa came to power, his extremist-dominated security forces have regularly abducted and murdered Alawite civilians, including at least 1,600 during horrific massacres lasting three days in MarchIn July, Syrian forces carried out a similar massacre against members of the Druze religious minority in Suwayda, killing nearly 2,000 people, including 765 civilians.
Over 100 Alawite women have been kidnapped, after which they are raped and often forcibly married. Thousands of Alevis men who gave up their weapons to the new government as part of a reconciliation process have been imprisoned.The Cradle Media report
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What’s the Ottoman link of Tom Barrack, Trump’s ambassador pick to Turkey?
Towards the turn of the 19th century, Joseph Barrack – a Lebanese Christian – arrived in the US from Zahle [Bekaa] in present-day Lebanon – then part of the Ottoman Empire.
The full TRTWORLD report
Tom Barrack is ashamed of his Arabic background, and to distance himself from his descent, he calls people from the Arabic region uncivilised, animalistic … camel riders.
US ambassador to Turkiye and Special Envoy for Syria Tom Barrack (L) and Deputy Special Envoy to the Middle East Morgan Ortagus (R) hold a press conference at al Babdaa Palace in Beirut, Lebanon on August 26, 2025.
US envoy to Syria Tom Barrack on Tuesday sparked outrage in Lebanon after describing the behavior of journalists as “animalistic” during a press conference at the Presidential Palace in Beirut. -
New Saudi Border Attacks in Sa’adah Leave Civilian, African Migrant Casualties
Saudi border attacks continued on Saturday despite what Yemeni authorities describe as a firm commitment to restraint aimed at stabilizing the atmosphere surrounding the peace roadmap and preventing escalation. Sa’adah Province recorded a new series of violations that left several civilians and African migrants wounded.
According to Almasirah’s correspondent, a Yemeni civilian was injured by Saudi border guards near the Al-Thabit area in the Qataber district, while another civilian was wounded in the border district of Shada. The incidents mark part of what local sources say are near-daily violations targeting civilians inside Yemeni territory with no regard for humanitarian or legal considerations.
The renewed attacks, observers say, reflect a long-standing Saudi security approach at the border—an approach the United Nations has been widely criticized for failing to address, thereby creating conditions that facilitate continued escalation. While the national authorities in Sana’a continue to emphasize their preference for de-escalation and peace, they warn that patience “may run out at any moment,” placing responsibility for future consequences on both the Saudi side and the UN mediator.
In a related development, African migrants continue to be targeted along the border, even as international reports document atrocities committed by Saudi border guards against migrants in recent years.
Almasirah’s correspondent in Sa’adah confirmed that two African migrants were injured by Saudi gunfire near the Al-Thabit area in Qataber, followed by a third injury in the same location, raising the number of victims in recent hours to three.
The recurring incidents signal an expanding pattern of violations affecting migrants fleeing crises in their home countries, despite international condemnations and rights reports documenting the use of deadly force—including direct gunfire and what have been described as brutal practices amounting to crimes against humanity.
These developments underscore the scale of ongoing abuses along the border, affecting both Yemeni civilians and African migrants, at a time when Sana’a continues to call for an end to the attacks and for adherence to international humanitarian law, warning that the persistence of such violations threatens any prospect for a meaningful and lasting peace.Al Masirah report
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Nascent Yemen 