Tuesday, October 29, 2024

At Knesset, Netanyahu urges dismantling of Iran’s ‘Evil Axis’


At Knesset, Netanyahu urges dismantling of Iran’s ‘Evil Axis’


Israel is pursuing a “long-term strategy” focused on neutralizing Iran’s nuclear program and proxies, despite claims to the contrary, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Monday.

Speaking at the opening of the Knesset’s winter session, Netanyahu pushed back against recent claims that Israel’s war effort lacked focus.

“After each of our achievements, I hear the former officials in the television studios say: ‘Well, we understand the immediate war goals, but what’s the strategy?’” he said. “So if it’s not clear by now, I will lay it out in simple terms: 

Our long-term strategy, which I hope will be achieved shortly, is to dismantle the Evil Axis, sever its tentacles in the north and south, exact a heavy toll from Iran and its proxies and prevent it from obtaining nuclear arms.”

While noting that “for obvious reasons” he could not share all the actions taken and plans in this regard, Netanyahu emphasized that, “I have not given up on this central objective. Preventing a nuclear Iran is our main concern.”

Netanyahu’s remarks follow criticism from both the right and the left in Israel following Israel’s Oct. 26 retaliatory strike on Iran. According to Jerusalem, the attack targeted key Iranian weapons factories and air defense systems, but avoided energy infrastructure and Iran’s nuclear program.

Prominent television commentator Shimon Riklin of the right-leaning Channel 14 on Oct. 26 tweeted that Netanyahu had missed “a historic opportunity” despite “explaining and persuading how crucial it was” to halt Iran’s nuclear weapons program.

Riklin went on to claim that Netanyahu had held off on striking Iran’s nuclear program due to U.S. pressure.

Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid, head of the center-left Yesh Atid Party, also criticized the strike’s scope, tweeting that “Iran should have paid a much heavier price.”

Before addressing the Knesset on Monday, Netanyahu attended a ceremony at the Knesset plaza unveiling the cornerstone for a monument in memory of those killed during Hamas’s Oct. 7, 2023 massacre and the resulting wars against Hamas in Gaza and Hezbollah in Lebanon.

Acknowledging the sacrifices made, the fighting in Gaza and Lebanon will “reshape these arenas,” he said. Israel is “stronger than ever, and will be even stronger,” he added.

Israel has driven Hamas underground in Gaza, largely neutralizing its capabilities. It has also crippled Hezbollah severely in Lebanon, where IDF troops are clearing out the terrorist group’s forward posts near the border with Israel.

During his own speech at Monday’s opening Knesset session, opposition leader Lapid blamed the government for the Hamas massacre, in which terrorists murdered some 1,200 Israelis and abducted another 251.

“He who led us to the worst catastrophe in our history cannot claim he’s the right person to extract us from it. You are not,” said Lapid. “This is a prime minister who is concentrated only on himself, facing a wounded, bleeding nation, who incites and then whines about being incited against,” he added.

Israeli President Isaac Herzog in his address called on the government to do whatever was necessary to bring the hostages home from Gaza.

“We have created a rare window of opportunity and we must move forward in any way possible to bring back home everyone now,” he said.

Shocking Drop In Job Openings After Massive Downward Revision; Quits Plunge To 8 Year Low


Shocking Drop In Job Openings After Massive Downward Revision; Quits Plunge To 8 Year Low

TYLER DURDEN


Last month, when Kamala Harris still had some chance of winning the election, we were not surprised to learn that according to the extremely political Bureau of Labor Statistics, in August the number of job openings unexpectedly soared from an upward revised 7.7 million to 8.040 million, which was not only a 3-sigma beat to expectations, but was also above the highest Wall Street forecast. Fast forward to today, when Kamala's chance of winning are effectively zero - as even the suddenly apolitical Jeff Bezos now admits - and shockingly moments ago the BLS reported that in September, the number of job openings  plunged from over 8 million to just 7.4 million, the lowest since early 2021...

... a staggering 6 sigma miss to expectations, and a number which came below the lowest estimate; in fact as shown below, in just one month we have gone from a staggering beat to one of the biggest misses on record!

There's more: not only was the drop in job openings a whopping 418K, it would have been far worse had the BLS not revised the August print sharply lower, from 8.04 million to 7.861 million. And for those who keep track of the infinite downward revisions at the Biden Department of Goalseeked Government Data, where every strong data point is quietly revised down to flat or negative in subsequent months, this is what the JOLTS revisions look like now.

According to the BLS, the number of job openings decreased in health care and social assistance (-178,000); state and local government, excluding education (-79,000); and federal government (-28,000) but increased in finance and insurance (+85,000)

Amusingly, after we mocked last month's stunning surge in construction job openings just as a record chasm had opened between the manipulated number of construction jobs and openings...

... which meant the biggest monthly surge in construction job openings on record at a time when the housing market has effectively frozen thanks to sky high interest rates, a simply glorious paradox of manipulated bullshit data...

... the BLS realized that it had to make an adjustment after getting called out, and Construction Job openings tumbled by 40K to 288K and once again rapidly approaching the post-covid lows. Oh, and yes, the number of "construction jobs" is about to fall off a cliff just as soon as Orange Man Bad enters the White House.

Setting the glaring data manipulation aside, in the context of the broader jobs report, in September the number of job openings was 690K more than the number of unemployed workers, slightly down from the previous month and not too far from inverting once again, similar to what happened during the covid crash.

Finally, no matter what the "data" shows, let's not forget that it is all just estimated, and it is safe to say that the real number of job openings remains still far lower since half of it - or some 70% to be specific - is guesswork. As the BLS itself admits, while the response rate to most of its various labor (and other) surveys has collapsed in recent years, nothing is as bad as the JOLTS report where the actual response rate remains near a record low 33%


Capitol Police Conduct Late-Night ‘Casualty Evacuation Exercise’


Capitol Police Conduct Late-Night ‘Casualty Evacuation Exercise’ with 12 Helicopters Buzzing Over Capitol Hill



The U.S. Capitol Police, in coordination with federal agencies, conducted a “Casualty Evacuation Exercise” Monday night, just over a week before Election Day.

In a public notice, the U.S. Capitol Police stated, “EXERCISE: This evening, the United States Capitol Police & our federal partners are conducting a routine training exercise on the grounds of the U.S. Capitol. Please do not be alarmed if you see emergency vehicles and low flying helicopters.”



This exercise took place one week after the Capitol Police conducted a campus-wide evacuation drill.

“EXERCISE: This morning, at approximately 10:00 am, we will have a campus-wide evacuation exercise. The routine drill is in coordination with our Legislative Branch partners. Expect temporary street closures to include Constitution Avenue, Independence Avenue, and D Street, NE,” Capitol police wrote on Monday, October 21.

The timing of this exercise, coming just as the 2024 elections approach, has raised alarms among some conservative leaders, including Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA). Greene has issued a stark warning about what she believes is a calculated move by Democrats to secure control over the Capitol ahead of January 6, the date designated for certification of the presidential election.

In a statement to her supporters, Greene argued that the Democrats are ramping up security measures in Washington, not to protect the people, but to further entrench their hold on the government should they lose seats in the House.

Capitol Police hold “Casualty Evacuation Exercise” at the Capitol with multiple helicopters last night.

Stay with me on this.

Trump told us to make it to big to rig and we are on our way to making that happen as long as everyone votes for Trump, but we are in danger of losing the House with approximately 20 House seats literally too close.

But also, if Democrats control the House, they will refuse to certify President Trump’s election on January 6th. They’ve already said they won’t certify.

Leading into this election just in the past few months, Democrats are making big moves to secure the Capital in January for certification on the 6th.

Last night, Capitol Police conducted a “Casualty Evacuation Exercise” on the East Front with multiple helicopters.

More...



Updates From Israel


IDF chief: If Iran attacks Israel again, we’ll hit ‘places we spared this time’
TOI



Lebanese state media reports that Israeli tanks have entered the outskirts of the village of Khiam, their deepest incursion yet into south Lebanon in a ground operation launched last month.

The official National News Agency reports the entry of “a large number of tanks belonging to the Israeli occupation army” into the eastern outskirts of Khiam, some six kilometers (nearly four miles) from the border with Israel.

Hezbollah claimed to destroy two tanks using guided missiles and to have targeted Israeli troops south and southwest of Khiam with rockets and artillery. Lebanon’s National News Agency says Israeli forces carried out a series of air attacks on Khiam today and launched a large-scale sweep “using heavy and medium weaponry.”

IDF: 30 rockets fired from Lebanon at Upper Galilee, striking open areas

Iranian president says Hezbollah’s new chief will ‘strengthen’ resistance

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian says the appointment of Naim Qassem to succeed Hassan Nasrallah as Hezbollah chief will “strengthen” the resistance.

Pezeshkian expresses confidence that Qassem’s appointment “will strengthen the will of the resistance,” while hoping for “the cessation of aggression by the illegal Zionist regime and the establishment of peace, tranquillity and security in Gaza, Lebanon, and the entire region,” according to his website.

PM weighing proposal drafted by Dermer for ending conflict with Hezbollah — report

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is holding a high-level security consultation this evening on whether to advance terms for ending the conflict with Hezbollah or to expand the ongoing ground operation in southern Lebanon, Channel 12 reports.

The report says that a team headed by Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer has drawn up proposed terms under which to end the conflict, and is recommending that Israel should try to do so, capitalizing on its military achievements against Hezbollah in recent weeks.

Along with Netanyahu and Dermer, the other participants in tonight’s meeting are reportedly Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, IDF Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi, Mossad chief David Barnea and Shin Bet head Ronen Bar. The TV report says Halevi strongly recommends seeking a negotiated end to the fighting, and that there is a belief that it is currently possible to advance to a deal in Lebanon in a process separate from the ongoing conflict with Gaza.

The report says that the Dermer team’s recommendations, which were drawn up with input from the security establishment and the Foreign Ministry, include:

  • An improved version of UN Resolution 1701 (under which the 2006 Lebanon War was brought to an end), requiring Hezbollah fighters to withdraw north of the Litani River
  • Heavy deployment of the Lebanese Army at the border
  • An international oversight and enforcement mechanism of the agreed terms
  • Guaranteed freedom of operation for the IDF if there are “threats that need to be removed”
  • The prevention of Hezbollah rearming in the future
  • A 60-day ceasefire during which the agreement would be finalized

The report says it is not clear whether Netanyahu will choose to adopt the proposal from Dermer, one of the prime minister’s most trusted loyalists. Netanyahu reportedly held a prior consultation with several ministers, including far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir, during which Gallant was not present.

If Netanyahu does decide to advance the proposal, this would have implications for Iran and Gaza, the report says without elaboration, and it is likely that the US point man on Lebanon, Amos Hochstein, would return to the region very soon — ahead of the US election next week.

Latest proposal on the table would see monthlong Gaza truce, release of 11-14 hostages

US pressing Israel to explain ‘horrific’ Gaza strike that reportedly killed dozens of children

IDF confirms UNIFIL headquarters in south Lebanon was hit by Hezbollah rocket

Hamas official says group open to ‘any deal’ that will lead to a ‘permanent ceasefire’



China Conducts EMP Tests


China Conducts EMP Tests With Concerning Results


EMP is the Boogeyman lurking on the sidelines of the showdown between the PRC and the US led world systems.



Electro-Magnetic Pulses (EMP) caused by airborne nuclear blasts have been a concern since the height of the Cold War. The EMP surge could potentially knock out all electronics over a vast area of the United States.

China just conducted a test (see article below). This is not good on several possible angles. The test could have the following implications


- China prepping for first strike

- China has figured out EMP protection on its own equipment

- China has done realistic test and come to the conclusion that EMP affects are not what some have made them out to be, which could encourage a first strike

- The Intelligence Community has been reporting China has 500 nuclear warheads for years and now suddenly says they can have 1,000 by 2030. I would suggest both numbers are significant undercounts




In response to escalating global nuclear tensions, Chinese scientists have reportedly conducted a doomsday experiment to assess the resilience of their communication equipment and determine its ability to withstand such a scenario.

Chinese researchers have subjected data link hardware to a “doomsday” test, according to a report by the South China Morning Post. The experiments, which exceeded standard military specifications, aimed to ensure China’s ability to maintain crucial communications in the event of a nuclear strike.

Engineers involved in the project stated that the equipment was pushed far beyond current military standards during the trial.

It’s important to consider that China is a signatory to the no-first-use policy regarding nuclear weapons.

Therefore, the experiment’s objective was to ensure that communication systems remain functional should the country face a nuclear strike, allowing China’s retaliatory forces to survive an initial assault.

According to the report, researchers simulated a scenario in which a nuclear explosion occurs in the stratosphere—known as a high-altitude electromagnetic pulse (HEMP) attack—to determine whether their equipment could withstand the devastating effects such an explosion would create.

A representative from the PLA Air Force equipment department was present to observe the test, though the exact date remains classified.

Standard military guidelines in both China and the U.S. stipulate that any HEMP-proof equipment must operate after exposure to an electric field of 50 kilovolts per meter.

However, for this experiment, as reported by the South China Morning Post (SCMP), Chinese researchers increased this threshold to 80 kilovolts per meter to simulate the electromagnetic pulses generated by a nuclear explosion.

As noted in the report, the findings were published in a peer-reviewed paper in the Chinese academic journal Wireless Communication Technology in September.