Israel bombarded 1,500 Hezbollah militant targets in Lebanon again on Tuesday, with the death toll from airstrikes since Monday mounting to 558, along with another 1,835 injured.50 children had been killed in the barrage, along with at least 94 women.

Israel said one of its strikes in Beirut’s southern suburbs killed Ibrahim Muhammad Qubaisi, identified as a senior Hezbollah military commander who oversaw Hezbollah’s missile systems.

The UN refugee agency said it was “outraged and deeply saddened” by other Israeli attacks that killed two of its staff members. Thousands of Lebanese have fled southern Lebanon in search of safety from the Israeli attacks, clogging roads north to Beirut. But Israel has also targeted sites in the capital, with one attack hitting a six-story building, killing six and injuring 15.

Vehicles wait in traffic in the town of Damour, south of the capital Beirut, as people flee southern Lebanon, 24 Sep 2024.

The Israeli military warned residents of the Bekaa Valley in Lebanon’s east to stay away from Hezbollah’s armament supply depots. The IDF has dropped leaflets in eastern Lebanon. Hezbollah urged Lebanese to discard those leaflets, warning against scanning barcodes that could compromise their personal data.

“The enemy is dropping leaflets with barcodes in the Bekaa region and may drop them elsewhere. Please do not open or circulate the barcode. You must destroy it immediately,” the statement said, warning the code could “take all your information.”

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres issued a stark warning at the General Assembly on Tuesday that the world has entered an “age of impunity” as Israel’s onslaught in Gaza — and now, escalation against Lebanon — continues without consequence, despite the clear ability of world powers to stop the atrocities.

In his address at the opening of this year’s session of the United Nations General Assembly, Guterres said the widespread abuses of international humanitarian law that the world has witnessed over the past year are now threatening the basis of the UN charter and international order.

Immunity for such abuses is now the norm, he said, as world powers have refused to stop the “non-stop nightmare” in Gaza and Israel’s aggression that has put Lebanon “at the brink” of becoming “another Gaza.” He also raised atrocities being committed against Ukraine and the people of Sudan, where a famine and civil war rage on.

The US and some Arab countries support a ceasefire in the Mideast, but Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu and his right-wing Likud government are opposed. Cease-fire talks have been stalemated for months. With fighting on two fronts, Netanyahu warned Israelis that they are headed into “complicated days.”

Meanwhile, the US Navy reported that a replenishment ship operating in the Middle East sustained damage in an incident which is under investigation. The damage to the USNS Big Horn comes after the oiler had supplied the USS Abraham Lincoln strike group. All crew members were reported safe and the vessel was being supported by private tugboats.

The USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier shown here in the Arabian Sea (DOD: 1 Jun 2019). US military personnel in CENTCOM AOR are vulnerable to reprisal attacks by Lebanese Hezbollah allies, such as the Shia Houthis along the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden or pro-Iranian Shia militias in Iraq.  

Israel’s recent massive pager and walkie-talkie attack, described as ‘a war crime’ by the UN head of human rights, followed by this onslaught in Lebanon, coincided with the opening of the UN General Assembly in NYC and Pres. Biden’s final address to the international body. This brazen offensive demonstrates Benjamin Netanyahu’s contempt for the UN and the sitting US president.  The Biden Administration has been working feverishly to reach a ceasefire to release the 100 Israeli hostages and Netanyahu seems to be the impediment. A ceasefire and hostage release would give Pres. Biden a small diplomatic victory before he retires, something which Netanyahu seems determined to deny him.

The Israeli attack also risks widening the conflict in the Middle East which benefits Moscow, Beijing, and Pyongyang. Any discord and instability in the Middle East distracts and diverts Washington’s resources and attention. The US supplies both Ukraine and Israel with arms and foreign aid, but is also the main military ally of Taiwan, South Korea, and Japan. A Chinese aircraft carrier recently approached Japanese maritime waters and a Russian military aircraft violated Japanese airspace. Last week North Korea test-fired ballistic missiles and publicly displayed one of its uranium-enrichment facilities.

A wider war in the Middle East could also lead to a rise in oil prices and re-kindling inflation in the US. While sanctions have constrained Iranian oil output in recent years, Tehran remains an oil producer and asserts control over the passage of tankers through the Strait of Hormuz, a trading route that facilitates the transport of about 15% of global oil supply.

“If Iran got involved in this war, then it would disrupt oil supply worldwide,” said a professor at the UCLA Anderson School of Management.

As long as Benjamin Netanyahu and the Likud Party remain in power, the chances for a lasting peace in the Middle East or a Two-State Solution are zero. And these ongoing hostilities delay Netanyahu’s bribery and corruption trial in Jerusalem. Already indicted for war crimes by the International Criminal Court (ICC) in the Hague, Netanyahu also faces a potential probe regarding the 7 Oct 2023 surprise attack by Palestinian armed groups and whether he deliberately ignored any intelligence warnings.

Sources:

Israel bombards Lebanon for second day as death toll reaches 558 (voanews.com)

Hezbollah warns Lebanese over dropped Israeli leaflets — Naharnet

US Navy ship operating in Mideast damaged in incident, officials say (voanews.com)

Japan says Russian patrol aircraft violated its airspace | Fox News

Wider Middle East war could spike oil prices and rekindle US inflation, experts say – ABC News (go.com)

UN Chief: World Has Entered “Age of Impunity” as Israel’s Aggression Spreads | Truthout

Exploding pagers and radios: A terrifying violation of international law, say UN experts | OHCHR

Illinois Man Pleads Guilty to Felony Destruction of Property During 6 Jan Attack on Capitol

Justin LaGesse (red circle) and Theodore Middendorf (yellow circle) march through the US Capitol on 6 Jan 2021. Image: FBI

Justin LaGesse (37) of McLeansboro, IL, pleaded guilty to a felony charge of destruction of government property during the 6 Jan 2021 breach of the US Capitol.

Additionally charged in this matter as a co-defendant is Theodore Middendorf (36) also of McLeansboro. This matter is ongoing.

On 6 Jan 2021, the two miscreants arrived in Washington, D.C., carrying with them an American and Gadsden flag. At approximately 2:51 PM, LaGesse entered into the US Capitol by climbing through a broken window next to the Senate Wing Door. He then turned around and helped Middendorf through the window. After spending some time in the lobby, LaGesse and Middendorf continued to traverse through the Capitol before exiting the building. LaGesse partially pulled down his neck gaiter and began to harass several police officers who were protecting the Capitol. Among other things, LaGesse called the officers “f— traitors” and “f— communist scum.”

By approximately 4:09 PM, the two seditionists had moved to the north side of the Capitol where a large group of rioters were attempting to breach the building via the North Door. Police officers defended the door and blocked the rioters’ entry. As the officers held back the attackers, LaGesse and Middendorf approached the nearby exterior window of a room inside the Capitol and struck the glass window several times with the bases of their flagpoles. The Architect of the Capitol determined that the total cost of the damage to the window was $41,315.25.

In the 43 months since 6 Jan 2021, more than 1,488 suspects have been charged in nearly all 50 states for crimes related to attacking the US Capitol, including nearly 550 seditionists charged with feloniously assaulting or impeding law enforcement. The FBI investigation remains ongoing.

Anyone with tips can call 1-800-CALL-FBI (800-225-5324) or visit tips.fbi.gov.

Justin LaGesse’s name is associated with the above right-wing website. He and Theodore Middendorf represent America’s Fedayeen Saddam (FS), white supremacist dead-enders desperately trying to clutch onto the last vestiges of white privilege in the US. Whatever sort of life Justin LaGesse had before 6 Jan 2021, he threw it away with his hatred and this federal felony conviction.

Sources:

District of Columbia | Illinois Man Pleads Guilty to Felony Destruction of Property During Jan. 6 Capitol Breach | United States Department of Justice

Russia Increases Intelligence Footprint in Mexico

CIA Director William Burns said the US government is “sharply focused” on Russia’s expanding footprint in Mexico, which he said was partly the result of Russian spies being expelled from foreign capitals after Moscow’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. (Image: UK Daily Mail)

Russian intelligence services are building up their presence in Mexico for spy operations targeting the US. The Kremlin has added dozens of personnel to its embassy staff in Mexico City in the past few years, even though Moscow has only limited trade ties with the country. US officials say the trend is concerning and believe the extensive buildup is aimed at bolstering the Kremlin’s intelligence operations targeting the US, as well as its propaganda efforts aimed at undermining Washington and Ukraine.

In Marc 2022, USAF Gen. Glen Van Herck, head of US NORTHCOM, testified to the Senate Armed Services Committee that Russia’s GRU military intelligence service had a massive presence in Mexico.

“I would point out that the largest portion of GRU members in the world is in Mexico right now. Those are Russian intelligence personnel, and they keep an eye very closely on their opportunities to have influence on the US or gain access,” Van Herck said.

Even though Mexico has extensive trade ties with the US, it has traditionally tried to steer away from fully aligning itself with Washington’s foreign policy and has maintained friendly relations with Russia and Cuba.

John Sipher, who worked in the CIA’s clandestine service for 28 years, said Russia has always told Americans offering to spy for Moscow to head to Mexico.

Last month, an electrical engineer with dual US and Turkish citizenship was arrested and charged with mishandling classified documents while working for the US DoD.

FBI agents arrested Gokhan Gun and accused him of printing more than 250 documents while working at the Defense Department. Many of the documents are labeled “classified.” The defendant was about to go on a fishing trip to  Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. In the 1970s, Christopher Boyce and his high school friend Andrew Daulton Lee were found guilty of providing US satellite secrets to the Soviets. Over two years, Lee traveled to Mexico City to deliver classified information to agents at the Soviet Embassy and collect money for him and Boyce. Their case became the subject of a book and a major Hollywood film, “The Falcon and the Snowman.”

US Marshals escort captured fugitive Christopher Boyce in manacles from Seattle in 1981. Note the cigarette in the deputy’s right hand. Bettmann Archive via Getty Images.

Harold “Jim” Nicholson, a high-ranking CIA officer convicted in 1997 of passing secrets to Moscow, was serving his sentence for espionage when he tried to use his son to collect his “pension” payments from Russian agents in Mexico. His son was eventually arrested and convicted in 2010, and his father was convicted for a second time.

Two years ago, a prominent Mexican scientist, Hector Cabrera Fuentes, pleaded guilty to being co-opted by Russian agents into surveilling a US government informant living in Miami. Fuentes was leading a double life with two families on two continents, and Russian spies used that to coerce Fuentes into cooperating.

Unlike the US, where Russian intelligence is under intense scrutiny from the FBI and consulates have been shuttered, Mexico offers a convenient, lower-risk setting for Moscow to oversee agents in the US and stage other operations.

The Russians would likely want to use Mexico’s proximity but relative safety beyond US law enforcement’s reach to support both American agents and Russian officers operating under “deep cover” in the US. An American source working for Russian intelligence could travel back and forth across the US-Mexico border and meet up with Russian handlers to get paid, debriefed, resupplied and receive training on communication methods or other tradecraft.

Russian intelligence could conceivably also take advantage of Mexico’s proximity to target Putin’s political enemies inside the US.

The Russians likely would have little interest in having operatives try to cross the southern border illegally with migrants. But Russian intelligence agencies would have the option to work with cross-border criminal networks if it suited a particular mission, and if they were ready to tolerate a much higher risk. Part of the mandate of the GRU is to prepare possible sabotage operations in the event of a war with the US, and Mexico would be a practical base for such contingency plans.

Russia can manipulate the information landscape in Mexico to undercut international support for Ukraine but also to sow social divisions. Russia has expanded its state-funded media outlet RT in Mexico and runs a large advertising campaign for the channel. In April, the Russian ambassador to Mexico posted a false report by Russian state media claiming that the US was recruiting members of drug cartels from Mexico and Colombia to send them to fight in Ukraine. The baseless account was picked up by some Mexican news organizations.

On 1 Oct, Mexico inaugurates its first ever female president in Mexico City and Vladimir Putin was invited. Ukraine requested Mexico, an International Criminal Court (ICC) signatory, to arrest him on an active international warrant when he arrives. The Mexican government responded that it had no intention of arresting him. The Kremlin later announced that a representative for Putin would attend President-elect Claudia Sheinbaum’s inauguration. In other news south of the US border, this week the US instituted sanctions against Mexican businesses for drug trafficking (please see next article).

Sources:

Back to the Cold War: Russia uses Mexico as a hub for spying on the U.S. (nbcnews.com)

Dual citizen of U.S., Turkey accused of printing classified documents – UPI.com

Mexico rejects Ukraine’s request to arrest Russia’s Putin during visit | Reuters

US Sanctions Mexican Businesses, Colombian Nationals for ‘Significant’ Drug Trafficking Network

Map courtesy of Stratfor and the BBC.

The US Treasury announced a series of new political sanctions on businesses in Mexico and citizens of Colombia allegedly tied to a “significant” flow of illicit drugs into the US and human trafficking: the leadership of Colombia’s Clan Del Golfo and businesses owned in Mexico by alleged fentanyl traffickers known as the Sinaloa Cartel.

Clan del Golfo, also known as Los Urabeños, is one of America’s largest drug trafficking organizations and “a key contributor” to human smuggling.

The Sinaloa Cartel fentanyl traffickers are described as “one of the most notorious and pervasive” drug-trafficking organizations in the world allegedly responsible for “a significant portion” of illicit fentanyl and other deadly drugs trafficked into the US.

The US Treasury Dept coordinated with the DEA, the Colombian National Police, and Mexico’s Unidad de Inteligencia Financiera. Treasury has sanctioned more than 350 targets over the last two years for alleged involvement in drug trafficking activities at all supply chain stages — from major cartel leaders to “under-the-radar labs, transportation network, and chemical suppliers.”

Sources:

Counter Narcotics Designations; Issuance of New Russia-related Frequently Asked Questions | Office of Foreign Assets Control (treasury.gov)

Colombian nationals, Mexican businesses target of Treasury sanctions for ‘significant’ fentanyl trafficking – UPI.com

West India Faces Health Crisis: Over 6,000 Cases of Dengue and Chikungunya Reported

A new variant of Chikungunya, identified by the National Institute of Virology (NIV) in Pune, is spreading rapidly with increased severity. Hospitals in Nagpur are filling up with patients suffering from both dengue and chikungunya, two mosquito-borne illnesses transmitted primarily by Aedes mosquitoes. Patients in this vicinity were already suffering from Zika virus, as reported here on Coriolanus (15 Sep).

Since Jan 2024, Nagpur has recorded 2,873 cases of dengue and 3,556 cases of chikungunya. While dengue cases have been rising steadily throughout the year, chikungunya cases began to spike in June, with 82 initial cases. Experts believe many more cases remain unreported, indicating the actual numbers could be higher.

Pune is located southeast of Mumbai in the state of Maharashtra. The city covers an area of about 7,290 sq km with a population of 3,124,458 people.

The disease is causing severe joint pain similar to arthritis, with some patients also experiencing heart issues. In certain cases, platelet counts have dropped dangerously low. Chikungunya has also led to encephalitis, a condition where the brain swells due to inflammation, making the illness even more dangerous.

This year’s chikungunya outbreak is far worse than previous years. Patients are suffering from prolonged joint pain that can last over a month, and the daytime-biting mosquitoes are causing widespread distress. Authorities are urging residents to take extra precautions against mosquito bites as efforts to control the outbreak continue.

This outbreak is a consequence of global climate change. As the planet warms and climate change lengthens the mosquito season, the world’s deadliest creature will expand its geographical range to new regions and re-emerge in areas where mosquito numbers had subsided for decades.

Droughts, heatwaves, floods, and rainfall are increasing in severity and regularity across the globe. These provide favourable conditions for mosquitoes to breed and could help spread their viruses to higher latitudes and altitudes. Climate change also increases mosquito-borne disease risk in less obvious ways, says Dr Katie Anders from the World Mosquito Program (WMP).

“When households store water in response to drought, this can increase local mosquito breeding sites and disease risk. Land use changes can also drive migration to cities, increasing the population at risk of explosive outbreaks of dengue and other mosquito-borne diseases.”

Each year mosquito-borne diseases kill more than one million people and infect up to 700 million.

Sources:

Nagpur Faces Health Crisis: Over 6,000 Cases of Dengue and Chikungunya Recorded (nagpurtrends.com)

Explainer: How climate change is amplifying mosquito-borne diseases | World Mosquito Program

Russia Surveys 42-Year-Sunken Nuclear Submarine K-27 in Kara Sea

The Russian Ministry of Emergency Situations announced that its diving specialists are inspecting the K-27 nuclear submarine, which sank in the Kara Sea over four decades ago. The submarine, found in Stepovoy Bay, is classified as a radiation-hazardous facility. The K-27, a notorious relic from the era of the Soviet Union, has long been a concern due to the radiation threat it poses to the surrounding environment. The divers will evaluate the condition of the K-27 as part of Russia’s broader initiative to monitor and mitigate potential threats from its aging fleet of nuclear-powered vessels.

Undated image from Reddit.

Known as the “Zolotaya Rybka” [Little Golden Fish] for its high costs and crew luxuries, the K-27 represented the pinnacle of Soviet naval technology. Its elite crew enjoyed rare perks for the time, such as citrus fruits like lemons and oranges, which were uncommon for most Soviet citizens.

On 24 May 1968, a nuclear reactor malfunctioned. By the time the crew managed to surface the submarine and return to their base at Gremikha on Russia’s Kola Peninsula, all 144 crew members had been exposed to radiation. Sadly, nine of them succumbed to radiation poisoning in the months that followed. The K-27 was permanently taken out of active service in June 1968 and eventually decommissioned in 1979. 

In 1982, the K-27 was towed to the Arctic Novaya Zemlya nuclear testing range and deliberately sunk in the Kara Sea at a depth of 108 feet. Soviet authorities filled the submarine with asphalt to seal its fuel-filled reactors and drilled a hole in its aft ballast tank to ensure it would remain submerged.

Vyacheslav Mazurenko, a 22-year-old warrant officer at the time, later recalled the chilling instant they realized the gravity of their predicament: “We had a radiation detector, but it was turned off. When our radiation supervisor switched it on, it went off the scale.” 

Source:

Russia explores the 42-year-sunken nuclear sub K-27 in the Kara Sea (bulgarianmilitary.com)

Donald Trump and JD Vance Face Criminal Charges over Springfield Pet-Eating Hoax

Photo: AFP

An Ohio law allowing citizens to file criminal charges is being used to target former President Donald Trump and Sen. J.D. Vance (R-OH) over their vile comments about Haitians in Springfield.

The Haitian Bridge Alliance filed criminal charges against the two Republican candidates at Clark County Municipal Court on Tuesday. A copy of the six-page complaint is linked below.

“The criminal charges stem from the devastating harm of Trump’s and Vance’s baseless fearmongering that legal Haitian immigrants to the Ohio town are eating their neighbor’s pets,” Chandra Law Firm said.

Alliance’s cofounder Guerline Jozef sought the “immediate arrest” of Trump and Vance for disrupting public service, making false alarms, committing telecommunications harassment, committing aggravated menacing, and violating the prohibition against complicity.

“The Haitian community is suffering in fear because of Trump and Vance’s relentless, irresponsible, false alarms, and public services have been disrupted,” lead counsel Subodh Chandra said in a statement. “Trump and Vance must be held accountable to the rule of law. Anyone else who wreaked havoc the way they did would have been arrested by now.”

“There’s nothing special about Trump and Vance that entitles them to get away with what they’ve done and are doing,” the attorney added. “They think they’re above the law. They’re not.”

Sheriff Deborah K. Burchett is tasked with the responsibility of preserving the peace of the public, overseeing the enforcement of court orders, providing courthouse security, and jail operations within Clark County, Ohio, where the criminal complaint was filed. If an Ohio judge issues an arrest warrant based on the complaint, Sheriff Burchett or the Ohio State Highway Patrol would have the responsibility of arresting Donald J. Trump and JD Vance.

Source:

2024-09-22 Guerline Jozef affidavit re Trump, Vance, and Springfield FINAL (chandralaw.com)

Criminal charges filed against Trump and Vance for Springfield, Ohio conduct; arrests sought | Chandra Law Firm | 216-578-1700 | Cleveland, Ohio

Trump and Vance face criminal charges over Springfield hoax – Raw Story

Sheriff | Clark County, OH – Official Website (clarkcountyohio.gov)

Curious Old Grizzly Bear Makes Himself Home in Crawlspace Under California House

A California couple’s home has become a makeshift duplex after a new neighbor moved into their crawlspace: a grizzly bear.

Bob Nesler and Susan Nesler said the bear, which they named Junior, leaves late at night to forage for food and returns to their crawlspace in the early morning.

“That’s his den right now. We gotta get him out of there because, you know, I think we’d be held responsible if anybody got hurt, but he hasn’t bothered us in any way.”

he Neslers said they do not want to see Junior harmed.

“They’re not dangerous creatures at all, unless you’re a trash can,” Bob Nesler said.

They said Junior has thus far been an ideal neighbor — aside from one issue.

“He does leave piles of scat,” Bob Nesler told KNBC-TV. “That’s about my biggest complaint.”

Kevin Howells from the California Department of Fish and Wildlife said officials are attempting to encourage Junior to leave by setting up a sprinkler.

“Easiest option here is to let it leave on its own, stress free and get that space boarded up,” Howells said.

Source:

Watch: Bear moves into California couple’s crawlspace (yahoo.com)