Live and recent posts from across the Fediverse tagged #militias, aggregated by home.social.
U.S. Exit Leaves Iraq With a Militia Problem
Politics, Geopolitics & Conflict U.S. troops have withdrawn from Iraq, but this isn’t Biden’s Iraq. The withdrawal was…
#EuropeSays #Headlines #News #Europe #Europa #EU #Iraq #Biden #erbil #Iran #ISIS #Kurdistan #militarywithdrawal. #militias #trump #u.s.troops
https://www.europesays.com/iran/315879/
https://www.europesays.com/iran/315879/ U.S. Exit Leaves Iraq With a Militia Problem #Biden #erbil #Iran #Iraq #ISIS #Kurdistan #MilitaryWithdrawal #militias #trump #USTroops
https://www.europesays.com/iran/311393/ Hungary’s Iraq Mission Ends as U.S. Forces Complete Withdrawal #erbil #HungarianDefenseForces #Iran #IranianInfluence #Iraq #IslamicState #militias #USWithdrawal
Turkey to hand over military base to enhance Iraqi sovereignty
Baghdad (IraqiNews.com) – Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced on Wednesday that…
#EuropeSays #Headlines #News #Europe #Europa #EU #Iraq #Ankara #ArmedGroups #Baghdad #Bashiqa #Bashiqa-Zelikanbase #ISIS #militarybase #militias #Mosul #NewYork #Sinjar #terroristgroups #Turkey #UNgeneralassembly
https://www.europesays.com/iran/304866/
https://www.europesays.com/iran/304866/ Turkey to hand over military base to enhance Iraqi sovereignty #Ankara #ArmedGroups #Baghdad #Bashiqa #BashiqaZelikanBase #Iraq #ISIS #MilitaryBase #militias #Mosul #NewYork #Sinjar #TerroristGroups #Turkey #UNGeneralAssembly
Iraq loses $60 billion since outbreak of US-Iran conflict
Baghdad (IraqiNews.com) – Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi revealed that Iraq—the world’s third-largest oil supplier—has lost approximately 60…
#EuropeSays #Headlines #News #Europe #Europa #EU #Iraq #Iran #iran-alignedgroups #Iran-backedfactions #maritimeshipping #militias #Oil #oilprices #Tehran #Turkey #US-Iranconflict #Washington
https://www.europesays.com/iran/302981/
https://www.europesays.com/iran/302981/ Iraq loses $60 billion since outbreak of US-Iran conflict #Europe #Iran #IranAlignedGroups #IranBackedFactions #Iraq #MaritimeShipping #militias #Oil #OilPrices #Tehran #Turkey #USIranConflict #Washington
Iraq plans disarm Iran-backed militias by June 2027
Baghdad (IraqiNews.com) – Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi revealed an ambitious plan to disarm Iran-backed militias in his…
#EuropeSays #Headlines #News #Europe #Europa #EU #Iraq #Firearms #Iran #Iran-backedmilitias #Israel #militias #PMF #securityagencies #securityforces #TheUnitedStates #USforces #weaponpossession #Weapons
https://www.europesays.com/iran/302267/
https://www.europesays.com/iran/302267/ Iraq plans disarm Iran-backed militias by June 2027 #Firearms #Iran #IranBackedMilitias #Iraq #Israel #militias #PMF #SecurityAgencies #SecurityForces #TheUnitedStates #USForces #WeaponPossession #Weapons
As the last US troops pack up in Iraq, militias signal their weapons will stay
BAGHDAD (AP) — Two deadlines are looming for Iraq at the end of the month: the end of…
#EuropeSays #Headlines #News #Europe #Europa #EU #Iraq #Iran #Iraqigovernment #Iraqimilitias #KurdishRegion #militias #northernIraq
https://www.europesays.com/iran/292783/
https://www.europesays.com/iran/292783/ As the last US troops pack up in Iraq, militias signal their weapons will stay #Iran #Iraq #IraqiGovernment #IraqiMilitias #KurdishRegion #militias #NorthernIraq
https://www.theguardian.com/world/ng-interactive/2026/sep/14/israel-palestinian-living-conditions-eliminated-west-bank-human-rights-report; https://www.btselem.org/the_elimination_project/. "Since the current #Israeli #Government took office at the end of 2022, & even more so since October 2023, #Israel has dramatically escalated its #assault on all aspects of #Palestinian life in the #WestBank. At any moment, #Palestinians may be exposed to #violence by #soldiers or armed #settler #militias, arrested & #imprisoned, subjected to #abuse & #humiliation, & sometimes even killed" (from the #report).
Iraq races to contain fallout after local Iran-backed militias accused of attacking Saudi pipeline
BAGHDAD (AP) — Iraq’s government raced Saturday to contain the fallout after local Iran-backed militias were accused of…
#EuropeSays #Headlines #News #Europe #Europa #EU #Iran #IranWar #Iran-backed #Iraq #Iraqigovernment #Iraqimilitias #militias #SaudiArabia
https://www.europesays.com/iran/289235/
https://www.europesays.com/iran/289235/ Iraq races to contain fallout after local Iran-backed militias accused of attacking Saudi pipeline #Iran #IranWar #IranBacked #Iraq #IraqiGovernment #IraqiMilitias #militias #SaudiArabia
Israel confirms unusual operation in Gaza, senior Hamas terrorist arrested
Minister of Defense Israel Katz confirmed on Tuesday that a senior Hamas terrorist was arrested in the Gaza…
#EuropeSays #Headlines #News #Europe #Europa #EU #Israel #gazacity #IDF #militias #SwordsofIron
https://www.europesays.com/iran/272849/
https://www.europesays.com/iran/272849/ Israel confirms unusual operation in Gaza, senior Hamas terrorist arrested #GazaCity #IDF #Israel #militias #SwordsOfIron
Iraqi judiciary sentences kidnapper of US journalist to 15 years in prison
Baghdad (IraqiNews.com) – Iraq’s Central Criminal Court sentenced Amir Rahim Jabar Lazim, a member of the Iran-backed group…
#EuropeSays #Headlines #News #Europe #Europa #EU #Iraq #Baghdad #CentralCriminalCourt #Iran #KataebHezbollah #militias #theMiddleEast #usiranceasefire #Washington
https://www.europesays.com/iran/271909/
https://www.europesays.com/iran/271909/ Iraqi judiciary sentences kidnapper of US journalist to 15 years in prison #Baghdad #CentralCriminalCourt #Iran #Iraq #KataebHezbollah #militias #TheMiddleEast #UsIranCeasefire #Washington
Two Druze militia commanders injured in Syria’s Suweida
Suweida province has been controlled by ‘National Guard’ militias opposed to the Damascus government since July 2025 [Getty]…
#EuropeSays #Headlines #News #Europe #Europa #EU #Syria #clashes #Druze #Hikmatal-Hijri #militias #Suweida
https://www.europesays.com/iran/269312/
https://www.europesays.com/iran/269312/ Two Druze militia commanders injured in Syria’s Suweida #clashes #Druze #HikmatAlHijri #militias #Suweida #Syria
https://www.europesays.com/iran/267178/ Iraqi security foils attempt to manufacture drones in Baghdad #AntiTerrorismLaw #Baghdad #Drones #INSS #Iraq #IraqNationalSecurityService #militias #RegionalInfluence #SecurityThreats #UnmannedAerialVehicles
https://www.europesays.com/iran/267074/ Iraqi army reaffirms putting all weapons under state control #ArmedFactions #AsaibAhlAlHaq #disarmament #Firearms #HarakatAlNujaba #InsternationalCoalition #IranAlignedMilitias #Iraq #IraqiMilitary #Kata’ibAlImamAli #KataibHezbollah #KataibSayyidAlShuhada #MediumRangeFirearms #militias #PMF #PopularMobilizationForces #SecurityAgencies #USLedInternationalCoalition #Weapons
»'Israel Is Sending Armed Militias to Commit War Crimes – and I Have to Protect Them'
A Haaretz investigation, based on IDF soldiers' testimonies, sources in Gaza and satellite imagery, reveals how Israel is cultivating a network of armed militias in Gaza«
https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/security-aviation/2026-08-26/ty-article-magazine/.premium/israel-is-sending-militias-to-commit-war-crimes-and-i-have-to-protect-them/0000019f-f0f0-df61-a3ff-f9fe6ca70000 (paywall)
#israel #gaza #militias #genocide
Why is Iraq warning Iran-backed militias to disarm or face terrorism charges?
Iraq’s political leadership has delivered its clearest and most forceful message yet to Iran-backed armed factions, declaring that…
#EuropeSays #Headlines #News #Europe #Europa #EU #Iraq #disarm #Iran #militias #Terrorism
https://www.europesays.com/iran/239381/
https://www.europesays.com/iran/239381/ Why is Iraq warning Iran-backed militias to disarm or face terrorism charges? #disarm #Iran #Iraq #militias #Terrorism
Saudi Arabia, Middle East neighbors pressure Iraq to rein in Iranian-backed militias
Iranian-backed militias are using Iraq as a staging ground to launch attacks against neighboring countries, including Saudi Arabia,…
#EuropeSays #Headlines #News #Europe #Europa #EU #Iraq #Baghdad #Iran #Iraqigovernment #Jordan #militias #primeminister #SaudiArabia #Syria
https://www.europesays.com/iran/233921/
https://www.europesays.com/iran/233921/ Saudi Arabia, Middle East neighbors pressure Iraq to rein in Iranian-backed militias #Baghdad #Iran #Iraq #IraqiGovernment #Jordan #militias #PrimeMinister #SaudiArabia #Syria
Iran launches renewed missile attacks as US and Saudis strike Tehran-backed militias in Iraq
BAGHDAD (AP) – Iran launched a barrage of missiles at American forces in the Middle East on Wednesday…
#EuropeSays #Headlines #News #Europe #Europa #EU #Tehran #Iran #iranianmissiles #Iraq #Iraqimilitias #militias #SaudiArabia #StraitofHormuz
https://www.europesays.com/iran/228587/
https://www.europesays.com/iran/228587/ Iran launches renewed missile attacks as US and Saudis strike Tehran-backed militias in Iraq #Iran #IranianMissiles #Iraq #IraqiMilitias #militias #SaudiArabia #StraitOfHormuz #Tehran
Iraq condemns US-Saudi airstrikes on its territory
Iraq’s presidency on Wednesday denounced US-Saudi airstrikes carried out against Iranian-backed militias on Iraqi soil, describing them as…
#EuropeSays #Headlines #News #Europe #Europa #EU #Iraq #airstrikes #AliAl-Zaidi #Iran #iraqiprimeminister #Iraqisecurityforces #militias #NationalSecurityCouncil #SaudiArabia #securityinstitutions #theIraqiParliament
https://www.europesays.com/iran/228283/
https://www.europesays.com/iran/228283/ Iraq condemns US-Saudi airstrikes on its territory #airstrikes #AliAlZaidi #Iran #Iraq #IraqiPrimeMinister #IraqiSecurityForces #militias #NationalSecurityCouncil #SaudiArabia #SecurityInstitutions #TheIraqiParliament
https://www.europesays.com/iran/227861/ Iran resumes missile attacks as US and Saudis strike Tehran-backed militias in Iraq #EnergyFacilities #Iran #IranianMissiles #Iraq #IraqiGovernment #IraqiMilitary #IraqiMilitias #militias #OilFacilities #OilPrices #SaudiArabia #SaudiDefenseMinistry #StraitOfHormuz #Tehran
"What’s behind the Israeli crackdown in the occupied West Bank?
Israeli forces intensify West Bank raids as settlers escalate attacks and settlement expansion accelerates."
#video #ZionistTerror #WestBank #settlerAttacks #militias #StopIsrael #pogroms #Palestine #IsraelWarCrimes
https://www.aljazeera.com/video/inside-story/2026/7/25/whats-behind-the-israeli-crackdown-in-the-occupied-west-bank?utm_source=flipboard&utm_medium=activitypub
https://www.europesays.com/iran/216011/ Explosive-laden drone crashes near military base in Iraq #drone #Duhok #erbil #HarirAirBase #InternationalCoalition #Iran #Iraq #militias #Sulaymaniyah #TheKurdistanRegionOfIraq #TheUnitedStates #USForces
https://www.europesays.com/iran/175978/ Marco Rubio in UAE warns Iran-backed militias in Iraq threaten regional stability #AssociationOfSoutheastAsianNations #DepartmentOfState #Iraq #MarcoRubio #MilitiaLeaders #militias #NorthernIraq #PopularMobilizationForces
Backed and armed by Israel, Gaza militias talk big but make little headway against Hamas
Late last month, an anti-Hamas militia in Gaza published footage on Facebook showing one of its operatives using…
#Israel #News #2023-2025Israel-Hamaswar #GazaStrip #Militias #YasserAbuShabab
https://www.europesays.com/3080567/
https://www.europesays.com/iran/170082/ Backed and armed by Israel, Gaza militias talk big but make little headway against Hamas #20232025IsraelHamasWar #GazaStrip #Israel #militias #YasserAbuShabab
https://www.europesays.com/iran/143793/ US envoy praises Iraq’s efforts to restrict weapons to state control #ArmedOrganizations #AsaibAhlAlHaq #Iran #Iraq #militias #PMF #PopularMobilizationForces #SarayaAlSalam #TomBarrack #Weapons
https://www.europesays.com/iran/142676/ Powerful Iran-backed militias in Iraq say they will start handing in weapons to authorities #CoordinationFramework #IranBacked #Iraq #militias #StateInstitutions
https://www.europesays.com/iran/142163/ Iraqi paramilitary group places weapons under government control #ArmedGroups #ArmedOrganizations #HarakatAlNujaba #Iran #Iraq #KataibHezbollah #militias #MuqtadaAlSadr #PMF #PopularMobilizationForces #SarayaAlSalam
On this Memorial Day, as a vet, wishing you all well.
That being said, let's talk about...
The Militias We Stopped Talking About
#Murdockinations #blog #MemorialDay #Militias
https://www.murdockinations.com/2026/05/the-militias-we-stopped-talking-about.html
🟡 Diplomatic Pressure | 6/10
🇺🇸 🇮🇶
US pressures Iraq on militias
The United States is increasing diplomatic pressure on Iraq, demanding concrete action against militias operating within the country. Washington specifically insists on the removal of these armed groups from state institutions. Iraqi leaders reportedly acknowledge these expectations and understand the urgency of the matter. However, no tangible steps have been taken by Baghdad so far. The issue remains a central point of tension in bilateral relations between the two nations.
🟢 Diplomacy | 5/10
🇺🇸 🇮🇶
US demands Iraq take action against militias
The United States has called on Iraq to take concrete steps against militias operating within the country. Washington is demanding the removal of these armed groups from state institutions. A State Department official stressed that the US expects action, not just words, from Baghdad. This reflects the Trump administration's increasing pressure on the Iraqi government. The issue of militia control remains a central point in bilateral relations between the two nations.
IMPORTANT: #Syria Urges #Iraq to Deploy State Forces, Curb #Militias Along Shared #Border
https://www.thelevantfiles.org/2026/04/important-syria-urges-iraq-to-deploy.html
#israel #palestine : #gaza / #genocide / #truce / #killings / #hamas / #militias
„Israeli strikes killed at least 2 Palestinians in separate incidents in the Gaza Strip on April 20, health officials said, & fighters from Hamas clashed with gunmen from an Israeli-backed militia, witnesses said.
Medics said one man was killed in an Israeli air strike in the Bureij camp in the central area of the enclave, while another strike killed 1 person & wounded others in Gaza City.“
Iran-Aligned Militias in Iraq Halt Activities Amid Rising Regional Tensions
📰 Original title: Iran-Backed Iraqi Militias Suspend Operations, Iran’s State Media Says
🤖 IA: It's not clickbait ✅
👥 Usuarios: It's not clickbait ✅
View full AI summary: https://killbait.com/en/iran-aligned-militias-in-iraq-halt-activities-amid-rising-regional-tensions/?redirpost=2c2af93b-bef4-4bb8-ab41-7b5dfda8ce1c
Iran-Aligned Militias in Iraq Halt Activities Amid Rising Regional Tensions
📰 Original title: Iran-Backed Iraqi Militias Suspend Operations, Iran’s State Media Says
🤖 IA: It's not clickbait ✅
👥 Usuarios: It's not clickbait ✅
View full AI summary: https://killbait.com/en/iran-aligned-militias-in-iraq-halt-activities-amid-rising-regional-tensions/?redirpost=2c2af93b-bef4-4bb8-ab41-7b5dfda8ce1c
Despite billions of US tax dollars spent and two weeks of planned #Pentagon & Israeli attacks on #Iran that have killed well over a thousand civilians, a “multitude” of intelligence reports from various govt agencies have furnished “consistent analysis that the regime is not in danger” of collapse. The hardline muslim govt “retains control of the Iranian public.” and similarly vetted assessments cast doubt on ability of rebel #Kurdish #militias to srly mount a sustained insurgency capable of destabilizing the state.
Trump weighs support for Iranian militias to topple regime
https://misryoum.com/us/politics/trump-weighs-support-for-iranian-militias-to-topple/
Iran has 'zero' options left, former Top Gun pilot says Matthew 'Whiz' Buckley, retired Navy Top fighter pilot, analyzes Gen. Dan 'Raizin' Caine’s Iran briefing, warning that while the U.S. maintains total air superiority, 'friendly fire' remains the greatest...
#Trump #weighs #support #for #Iranian #militias #topple #regime #US_News_Hub #misryoum_com
Blow after blow to the power of Iran and its proxy militias set the stage for US-Israel attacks
https://misryoum.com/us/politics/blow-after-blow-to-the-power-of-iran/
As Israel unleashed a sweeping military response to the brutal Oct. 7, 2023, assault by Hamas, it aimed punch after punch at the power of Iran, the militant group’s longtime sponsor, and its other proxies and allies in the region.The...
#Blow #after #blow #the #power #Iran #and #its #proxy #militias #set #the #stage #for #USIsrael #attacks #US_News_Hub #misryoum_com
One of the most prominent Iraqi #militias, #KataibHezbollah, on Thursday issued a public statement urging its fighters to “be prepared to engage in a #war of attrition that may be prolonged & exceed the expectations of the #US administration.” It also issued a warning to the #Kurdish regional government in #Iraq “against collaborating with hostile foreign forces” that “could threaten its security & future.”
#Iran #war #Trump #warmonger #RegimeChange #law #Congress #WarPowers #geopolitics
Two officials with different #Iran backed #militias in #Iraq told The Associated Press that a meeting took place two months ago between Iranian officials & allied Iraqi militias to make plans for a response in case Iran was attacked, including distributing tasks among the Iraqi armed groups.
The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to comment publicly.
#US #war #Trump #warmonger #RegimeChange #law #Congress #WarPowers #geopolitics #MiddleEast
"Homan’s return has been welcomed by nearly all of the career ICE and CBP officials I’ve been in touch with, many of whom say that Trump’s deportation campaign—whose goals they largely share—will be more effective if it is more low-key and less provocative. That means returning to a focus on immigrants with criminal records (including those with nonviolent offenses such as illegally reentering the United States) and those who disobey deportation orders from immigration courts.
Homan has worked under Democratic administrations—he received an award from President Obama in 2015—and is well versed in the arguments about public safety and crime that ICE leaders have long used to defend the agency when its legitimacy has come under attack. It was Homan who, after Trump appointed him to lead ICE in 2017, famously said that officers would be freed from “the shackles” of tighter oversight. Now it’s Homan’s job to restore some of those restraints.
At the White House, Miller is still running 10 a.m. conference calls six days a week to issue orders and demand updates on the metrics that matter most to him: deportations, new-ICE-officer deployments, and prosecutions. ICE field commanders have not been waved off the ambitious arrest quotas he set last May, and they remain under orders to maintain staffing levels at 70 percent, even on the weekends, two current officials told me."
#USA #Trump #Immigration #Minnesota #Minneapolis #ICE #PoliceState #Militias #StateOfException
"Amid tensions over President Trump’s immigration crackdown in Minnesota and beyond, federal agents were told this week that they have broader power to arrest people without a warrant, according to an internal Immigration and Customs Enforcement memo reviewed by The New York Times.
The change expands the ability of lower-level ICE agents to carry out sweeps rounding up people they encounter and suspect are undocumented immigrants, rather than targeted enforcement operations in which they set out, warrant in hand, to arrest a specific person.
The shift comes as the administration has deployed thousands of masked immigration agents into cities nationwide. A week before the memo, it came to light that Todd M. Lyons, the acting director of the agency, had issued guidance in May saying agents could enter homes with only an administrative warrant, not a judicial one. And the day before the memo, Mr. Trump said he would “de-escalate a little bit” in Minneapolis, after agents fatally shot two people in the crackdown there.
The memo, addressed to all ICE personnel and signed on Wednesday by Mr. Lyons, centers on a federal law that empowers agents to make warrantless arrests of people they believe are undocumented immigrants, if they are “likely to escape” before an arrest warrant can be obtained."
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/01/30/us/politics/ice-expands-power-agents-warrants.html
#USA #Trump #Immigration #ICE #Militias #Paramilitary #PoliceState
"Ms. Cleland was one of at least seven American citizens told by ICE agents this month that they were being recorded with facial recognition technology in and around Minneapolis, according to local activists and videos posted to social media, which were verified by The New York Times. None had given consent for their faces to be recorded.
Facial recognition is just one technology tool that ICE has deployed in Minneapolis, where thousands of agents are conducting a crackdown. The technologies are being used not only to identify undocumented immigrants but also to track citizens who have protested ICE’s presence, said three current and former officials of the Department of Homeland Security who were not authorized to discuss confidential matters.
ICE is using two facial recognition programs in Minnesota, they said, including one made by the tech company Clearview AI and a newer program, Mobile Fortify. The agency is also using cellphone and social media tools to monitor people’s online activity and potentially hack into phones. And agents are tapping into a database, built by the data analytics company Palantir, that combines government and commercial data to identify real-time locations for individuals they are pursuing, the current and former officials said.
“The technologies are being deployed, or appear to be deployed, in a much more aggressive way than we have seen in the past,” said Nathan Freed Wessler, a lawyer at the American Civil Liberties Union, which has sued the Homeland Security Department over the immigration operation in Minneapolis. “The conglomeration of all these technologies together is giving the government unprecedented abilities.”"
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/01/30/technology/tech-ice-facial-recognition-palantir.html
#USA #Trump #ICE #Immigration #Militias #PoliceState #Paramilitary #Surveillance #FacialRecognition #Biometrics #Fascism
"[A]mid mounting scrutiny of the Trump administration’s brutal tactics, government agencies are attempting to keep information about their personnel, operations, and even their uniforms under wraps — right down to the patches that officers wear.
So The Intercept built a guide of the official shoulder patches that Immigration and Customs Enforcement uses for unit identification, as well as known insignias worn by U.S. Customs and Border Protection personnel and unofficial patches conveying personal or political messages that federal agents have been spotted wearing. It’s a step toward transparency that immigration authorities refuses to provide to the American people on its own.
The most common patches are the least helpful. Many ICE agents affix to their vests or plate carriers vague patches reading “Police,” “Federal Agent,” or “Federal Officer.” CBP’s Border Patrol agents often wear “Police” patches as well. Some common patches are also strictly fashion choices, such as earth-tone U.S. flags designed to blend into military camouflage.
But federal agents’ outfits are sometimes adorned with lesser-known acronyms that offer additional information. “ERO” is short for ICE’s Enforcement and Removal Operations, a unit tasked with the standard immigration enforcement process: identifying, arresting, and deporting immigrants. “HSI” stands for ICE’s Homeland Security Investigations unit, which formerly focused on transnational crimes, ranging from narcotics smuggling to cybercrime, but has been pressed into service as an anti-immigrant force.
Border Patrol agents generally wear “U.S. Border Patrol” patches on their vests. Others sport “U.S. Border Patrol” or “U.S. Customs and Border Protection” patches on their sleeves. Specialized components of agencies, like CBP’s Air and Marine Operations unit, wear unique official patches."
https://theintercept.com/2026/01/28/ice-cbp-patches-guide-to-identifying-immigration-agents/
#USA #Trump #Immigration #ICE #PoliceState #Militias #Paramilitary
"[E]ven if you perceive yourself as a “moderate” or a “conservative” Democrat, you should at this point be able to imagine a different, better reality than this dystopia.
Even if you don’t support fully abolishing ICE, you should be able to admit that it’s not great that a well-funded Democratic think tank has been spending its time shitting on those trying to create a vanguard against the agency. You should be able to admit it would be better for those resources to be spent on fortifying a real opposition.
Even if you believe in “law and order,” you should be able to admit that it’s pretty bad that Democratic lawmakers are providing votes to help fund Donald Trump’s chaotic and lawless assault on American cities. You should be able to admit it would be better for there to be a truly unified opposition to what’s happening.
But that better reality and that unified front will not emerge on its own, and it won’t emerge if public pressure ebbs and flows. It will only materialize when rank-and-file Democratic voters relinquish their membership in the Washington Generals Fan Club, start consistently holding their team accountable, and force them to be areal and permanent opposition."
https://www.levernews.com/how-democrats-are-enabling-ice/
#USA #Trump #ICE #Immigration #Militias #Democrats #DemocraticParty
"It is true that would-be authoritarians often try to strengthen their grip on power by creating forces answerable only to themselves. These have several common characteristics. First, to encourage loyalty, they are usually paid well. Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, which reports directly to the supreme leader, has a far larger budget than the regular army and its officers run coercive business empires on the side.
Second, whereas regular military forces are supposed to be politically neutral, at least in democracies, unorthodox ones may be fiercely partisan. India’s Hindu-nationalist paramilitary groups (who tend to carry sticks rather than guns) are open about their support for the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party.
Third, a strongman’s pet force is often allowed to break the law. In Venezuela it is illegal to kidnap and torture dissidents, or to stand outside polling stations shooting bullets in the air to intimidate voters, but motorbike gangs known as colectivos and sponsored by the regime have done so without fear of arrest.
Fourth, leaders who sponsor the irregular use of force nearly always claim it is to protect the public. Rodrigo Duterte won the presidency of the Philippines by promising to “forget the laws on human rights” when fighting drug dealers. He urged the police to “fatten all the fish” of Manila Bay with the corpses of criminals to make the streets safe again.
Clearly, although America is a far cry from all these places, with vastly stronger institutions, there are some echoes in ICE’s deployment, from $50,000 sign-up bonuses to the claim (since watered down) of J.D. Vance, the vice-president, that ICE agents have “absolute immunity” from prosecution for how they carry out their jobs."
#USA #Trump #Immigration #ICE #Militarism #Paramilitary #Militias #PoliceState #Authoritarianism #StateOfException
