AS MORE OF THE DB COOPER STORY COMES OUT, THE MORE LIKELY IT IS THAT THIS TIME THE CASE HAS FINALLY BEEN SOLVED

EXCLUSIVE   All the explosive evidence that may finally crack the infamous DB Cooper case... as new FBI footage is revealed

 

By Rachel Bowman 

Daily Mail

Nov 30, 2024

 

Youtube investigator Dan Gryder discovered what he believes to be the Cooper parachute in the storage house on the McCoy family property in North Carolina

 

The internet sleuth who sparked a fresh FBI investigation into infamous hijacker DB Cooper with the bombshell discovery of a secret parachute has revealed how all the clues now point to just one person. 

The hijacker, whose identity has remained a mystery for over five decades, commandeered a Boeing 727 at Seattle-Tacoma airport on November 24, 1971. 

He held its crew and passengers hostage with a bomb threat and eventually made off with $200,000 in cash - the equivalent of $1.2 million today.  

After leaping out the plane over dense Pacific Northwest woodland, the enigma vanished. The only real evidence left behind was a $1.49 clip-on-tie.

For years the authorities have sought answers and Youtube investigator Dan Gryder told DailyMail.com that the FBI is taking his new find very seriously and conducting DNA tests.

The breakthrough came when the children of one of very few suspects - Richard Floyd McCoy Jr. - confessed to Gryder that their parents were behind the crime.

The FBI had previously ruled out McCoy as a suspect because he 'did not match the physical descriptions of Cooper provided by two flight attendants'. 

Yet just months after the initial incident, McCoy was convicted of an eerily similar hijacking. 

 

A man, whose real identity remains a mystery, hijacked a Boeing 727 at Seattle-Tacoma airport on November 24, 1971 and held its crew and passengers hostage with a bomb threat

Richard McCoy Jr. (pictured) was convicted of an eerily similar hijacking just a few months after the Cooper case 

 

On April 7, 1972, McCoy commandeered United Airlines Flight 855, another Boeing 727, en route from Newark, New Jersey, to Los Angeles, California.

He demanded $500,000 in cash and parachuted out the plane as soon as he had the money. He was arrested after the FBI received a tip from a concerned citizen.

McCoy was later sentenced to 45 years in prison for the heist, but later broke out of the maximum security with three other prisoners.

Two inmates were caught within days but McCoy evaded arrest for three months. When the authorities finally tracked him down in 1974, he was shot by agents inside his Virginia Beach home. 

Amateur investigator Dan Gryder said FBI agents contacted him after watching his documentary series, which included a video of him discovering a military-grade parachute rig in a storage house on the McCoy family property in North Carolina.

Speaking with DailyMail.com, here Gryder lays out all the explosive evidence he has found that connects McCoy with the elusive DB Cooper.

  

The case has long stumped investigators, however, YouTube star Dan Gryder revealed the FBI has been looking his newest discoveries that point to McCoy (pictured)

Cooper demanded $200,000 cash - the equivalent of $1.2 million today - however much of it disintegrated during his jump

Cooper also asked for four chutes. Pictured: the canvas bag that contained one of the parachutes

Cooper was wearing a black J.C. Penney tie (pictured), which he removed before jumping, and investigators say has DNA on it

 

Family Heirlooms

McCoy's children - Chanté and Richard III 'Rick' McCoy - had always suspected their father may have been DB Cooper but had refrained from coming forward until their mother died as they believed she was complicit in the crime.

When she passed away they reached out to Gryder to tell their story. 

The YouTuber said he discovered what he believes to be the parachute and rig used by Cooper while visiting the McCoy family's North Carolina property in July 2022. 

'We stumbled upon this happenstance, which caused us to have access to this building, and we went up in that building and we looked around it,' he told the DailyMail.com.

'We didn't find [the rig] quickly. It took me and two other people like four hours. We all discovered that together, equally, and completely random.'

Another crucial piece of evidence is a logbook that aligned with Cooper's hijacking over Oregon as well as the Utah hijacking McCoy was convicted of that took place months later. 

What stands out is that McCoy had a test jump on September 1971, two months before the Cooper heist, and again on March 1972, one month before the Utah hijacking.

Gryder explained that the North Carolina farm was owned by McCoy's mother and she had kept those items in memory of her son.

'She was kind of a hoarder of emotional things, pictures, letters, scrapbooks. This was her prized son. She was very proud of Richard Floyd McCoy. She knew full well that he did two hijacking. Those rigs and those artifacts became treasured family heirlooms,' he said.

McCoy's grave is on the property and his headstone lists his military accomplishments including his experience with parachuting - implying he was capable of making the jump on November 24, 1971.

 

Another crucial piece of evidence is a logbook (pictured) that aligned with Cooper's hijacking over Oregon as well as the Utah hijacking McCoy was convicted of

McCoy's grave is on the property and his headstone lists his military accomplishments including his experience with parachuting

 

Parachute modifications

Cooper's hijacking demands had included that the authorities give him four parachutes, which were supplied by a local skydiving center. 

Gryder explained that the parachute found in the McCoy's storage unit has the same unique alterations as the chutes in the Cooper hijacking. 

These had been documented by Earl Cossey, who provided them to the skydiving center before the 1971 crime.

Gryder said the parachute started as a military grade 'bailout rig' that had been sold to Cossey though the civilian military surplus system.  

Cossey then modified it to make it a sport rig for the skydiving center. These same alternations were found on the chute found in the McCoy house.

'It was born in life as a military bailout rig. Without all these other accessories. Somebody took it and modified it made it a little bigger, moved the ripcord handle, cut the straps, installed the D-rings. That's what makes this parachute one in a billion,' Gryder said.

The modifications include sewn-on webbing and the installation of D-rings on the front - hooks that would have been ideal to carry a heavy load like a bag full of money. 

However, the bag that Cooper received lacked the clasps needed to hook them into place.

Investigators believe Cooper lost all of the money in the jump, and a fraction of the cash  later found by authorities had disintegrated. 

'I have been a skydive for my whole life, and I've seen lots and lots of bailout rigs. I've never seen anybody hack one to this extent and attempt to convert it over to what it ended up being. It's a Frankenstein,' Gryder said.

 

Gryder explained the parachute has the unique alterations the chutes had in the Utah hijacking that have been documented by Earl Cossey, who owned and provided them before the crime

 

Questionable alibi

When McCoy was on trial for the Utah hijacking and investigators attempted to link him to the Cooper case, his sister-in-law Denise Burns provided him with an alibi.

Burns said McCoy and his wife were at home during the time of the Cooper hijacking, and according to Gryder, the judge was unhappy with the FBI's alleged illegal search of McCoy's home during the Utah investigation.

However, when Gryder interviewed Burns she recanted her alibi for McCoy and his wife for November 24, 1971.

'So when it came down to Denise's alibi versus what else had happened, and all that kind of stuff. They simply didn't want to touch it. They did not want to even go there. They were going to be satisfied with some kind of a prison sentence for the second one, and that's all that's all they could get,' he said.

'Now, after all this time, I took Denise's recording of her in her voice at her home, and she's aware that statute of limitations is over and there's nothing that can come back on her, she told the truth.

'She said, no, Richard and Karen were gone. They told me that they were going to California, and she was the babysitter for three or four days during Thanksgiving of 1971.'

 

Once his demands were met and transferred onto the plane, Cooper had the crew take off before he jumped out

 

FBI Search 

When contacted by DailyMail.com, the FBI deferred to their July 2016 statement that they will no longer actively investigate the case.  

However, Gryder said FBI agents contacted him after watching his first two videos, one of which showed him discovering the parachute 

He claimed FBI agents met with him and Rick to take the harness and parachute into evidence and said they also were interested in the logbook.

The YouTuber also filmed dozens of agents descending on the North Carolina property to continue their search.

Rick has also provided DNA samples to the FBI, but the agency has yet to provide an official update.

'Finding the parachute is not conclusive, it's not going to solve it, that's all circumstantial. What the FBI is going to have to have is solid DNA, and that is the path,' Gryder said.

'Their entire goal is a positive DNA lock, and that's the end towards which they are working.'

Gryder told DailyMail.com there are parts of Rick's DNA that lined up 'perfectly' with that of DB Cooper, possibly indicating a partial match of a relative. He added that investigators are now seeking to exhume the body for further testing in a bombshell revelation. 

'All [the McCoy children] were able to tell us is that there's DNA markers that are present, and they have X amount of those that line up perfectly like Swiss cheese models where all the holes in the Swiss cheese eventually line up, but they need more of those markers, and where they have fallen down is the difference between the son's DNA and the necktie versus actual Richard Floyd Mccoy,' he said.

'Undisputable DNA, which would give them more of those markers, is what is what they're looking for. That that's where they were at on the thing. And that's how come they've requested to exhume the body, which is a huge deal.'

 

Gryder said FBI agents contacted him after watching his video that shows him discovering the rig

The YouTuber filmed dozens of agents descending on the North Carolina property to search

 

Other theories

Although many people believe that McCoy is the culprit behind the infamous case, other suspects have previously been identified by other investigators.

Notably, true crime investigator Eric Ulis made a Freedom of Information Act request with the FBI to access any DNA profiles found on the clip-on tie left behind by Cooper denied. 

Ulis believes the mystery hijacker is engineer Vince Petersen from Pittsburg, Pennsylvania.

He claimed this theory is based on evidence left on the tie that matched materials from the plant where Petersen worked.

Gryder said he has considered other theories, but argued that they are all missing a crucial piece of the puzzle.

'None of those other theories made any sense, they were all missing clear motivation like the McCoy's had,' he said.

'McCoy had a grudge, and he was financially in a bind. He had served two terms in Vietnam. He came back, and as a Vietnam vet, he couldn't get a job.

'Yet he had a wife and two kids he's supposed to support the rest of his life, but he was left with no good options.'

I'M NOT SURE J. EDGAR WOULD APPROVE

Trump nominates Kash Patel for FBI director after backlash over rumored contender Mike Rogers

 

By Will Potter 

Daily Mail

Nov 30, 2024

 

Donald Trump announced he intends to nominate Kashyap 'Kash' Patel to serve as the next FBI Director. Trump described Patel as 'a brilliant lawyer, investigator, and "American First" fighter' 

 

Donald Trump announced he intends to nominate Kashyap 'Kash' Patel to serve as the next FBI Director. 

The President-elect revealed his pick on Saturday on his social media platform Truth Social, describing Patel as 'a brilliant lawyer, investigator, and "American First" fighter.' 

Patel had been competing for the job with former FBI agent and congressman Mike Rogers, before Rogers was dismissed as a candidate last week after he was opposed by several MAGA Republicans in Trump's orbit. 

As he announced Patel for the top intelligence job, Trump praised the MAGA loyalist as a 'fighter who has spent his career exposing corruption, defending Justice, and protecting the American People.' 

'He played a pivotal role in uncovering the Russia, Russia, Russia Hoax, standing as an advocate for truth, accountability, and the Constitution,' Trump wrote. 

'Kash did an incredible job during my First Term, where he served as Chief of Staff at the Department of Defense, Deputy Director of National Intelligence, and Senior Director for Counterterrorism at the National Security Council. 

'Kash has also tried over 60 jury trials.' 

Patel joins a growing list of controversial Trump cabinet picks expected to be opposed by Democrats in Senate confirmation hearings, also including Secretary of Defense nominee Pete Hegseth and RFK Jr. for HHS Secretary. 

 

 

Patel had also been rumored to be in the running to become Trump's next CIA Director. 

He had been involved in Trump's transition team, with his prominence in the nominating process leading to controversy this week as he was accused of using his position to lobby for himself. 

Politico reported that some in Trump's team were frustrated that Patel was advocating for himself to lead one of the new administration's intelligence agencies. 

'The issue that a lot of us have is that these people are involved in staffing national security jobs, and at the same time they’re also promoting themselves for the same roles,' an anonymous insider told the outlet. 

Trump's incoming White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt responded to the report by branding it '100% false.' 

'The fake news is clearly trying to sow division between two of President Trump’s most loyal supporters. President Trump is choosing brilliant people to serve on his team, and those decisions will continue to be announced as he makes them,' Leavitt said in a statement. 

Trump had a notably fraught relationship with the FBI in his first term, and referenced this in his announcement of Patel as he said he would bring 'Integrity to the FBI.' 

'This FBI will end the growing crime epidemic in America, dismantle the migrant criminal gangs, and stop the evil scourge of human and drug trafficking across the Border,' the president-elect wrote. 

'Kash will work under our great Attorney General, Pam Bondi, to bring back Fidelity, Bravery, and Integrity to the FBI.' 

 

Trump had a notably fraught relationship with the FBI in his first term, and referenced this in his announcement of Patel as he said he would bring 'Integrity to the FBI' 

Trump said Patel will work under incoming Attorney General Pam Bondi (pictured), who was only nominated after Trump's initial pick Matt Gaetz dropped out amid scrutiny 

Patel had also been rumored to be in the running to become Trump's next CIA Director.

 

Trump's announcement that incoming Attorney General Pam Bondi would oversee Patel's agency comes as Bondi was only nominated after a chaotic start to Trump's nomination procedure. 

Firebrand Florida ex-Congressman Matt Gaetz was initially picked, however he dropped out after admitting he had become a 'distraction' amid renewed interest on an investigation into child sex trafficking. He was never charged and denies the allegations against him. 

The incoming administration has filled its ranks far faster than other presidential winners have in the past, with Patel's selection one of the last main gigs to be filled. 

He was in the running alongside former FBI agent, congressman, chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, and unsuccessful Republican nominee for Senator of Michigan in November, Mike Rogers. 

Rogers was believed to be in the final two after meeting with the Trump transition team at Mar-a-Lago, but was quickly dismissed when MAGA insiders protested the idea. 

Trump's long-serving advisor and social media director Dan Scavino delivered an update on the idea last week morning on his X account.

'Just spoke to President Trump regarding Mike Rogers going to the FBI,' he wrote. 'It's not happening — In his own words, 'I have never even given it a thought.' Not happening.'

ISRAEL MAY COME TO REGRET CAVING INTO BIDEN'S CEASEFIRE AGREEMENT

Israel-lebanon agreement may turn into strategic trap

Hezbollah was forced to break its promise to continue fighting Israel as long as the campaign in Gaza persisted. But now, the situation in the north is starting anew, and in a few years, Israel may regret it.

 

By Shlomo Pyuterkovsky and Makor Rishon  

 

Israel Hayom

Nov 30, 2024

 

Israeli soldiers raise their national flag in southern Lebanon's village of Maroun al-Ras.

 

One does not need to be a military general or strategic expert to recognize the achievements of the agreement that took effect in the north days ago. Even an average citizen, a reservist like the writer of these lines, understands that breaking the Hamas-Hezbollah axis is a dramatic event.

As we recall, the first two days of the war—October 7 and 8—were marked by immense tension over the question of what Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah would do. Would he join the war alongside Hamas, or abandon his allies in Gaza? Nasrallah opted for a middle path, half-tea, half-coffee. Hezbollah forces did not breach the front line or launch a ground offensive against Israel, but they did not abandon Hamas either.

Hezbollah immediately began a war of attrition on Israel's northern front, escalating its attacks. Initially, the group primarily launched anti-tank missiles along the front, but over time, the range of attacks expanded deeper into Israeli territory. Efforts to end the fighting in the north repeatedly failed against the principle Nasrallah set: no agreement in the north without a parallel agreement in Gaza.

 

 

Extensive Strike in Dahiya.  

 

Although Hamas may have initially been disappointed that Hezbollah did not fully join the war, it quickly recognized the unparalleled value of its northern ally. Nasrallah's backing allowed Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar to take a hard line in negotiations, knowing that Israel was under pressure to reach an agreement—arguably even more so than Hamas itself. The stability of the Hezbollah-Hamas axis during the first year of fighting was one of the main reasons for the failure to secure a second hostage deal. Israel's struggle on two active fronts made it easier for Hamas to avoid concessions, even when its forces suffered severe blows.

A major achievement for Israel—but at what cost?

Ironically, the agreement in the north provides Israel with a significant achievement against Hamas. While it is too early to make predictions, there is reason to be optimistic about the prospects for a hostage deal. Hamas is now weaker and more isolated than ever, making it more vulnerable and pliable. Breaking the axis is a remarkable achievement, especially given the pessimism voiced by experts across media outlets, who had doubted the feasibility of continued fighting in the north without a comprehensive agreement that also addressed the Gaza conflict.

 

 

IDF Operations in southern Lebanon. 

The agreement offers additional benefits, chief among them easing the burden on the IDF's reserve forces and creating a reprieve to replenish depleted ammunition and equipment. However, these advantages come with the risk of a strategic trap that could place Israel in grave danger within just a few years—similar to the peril it faced on October 6, 2023.

A fragile agreement

Anyone writing about security and policy issues faces the risk of limited information, as civilians are not privy to all the considerations of the political echelon. Still, based on publicly available data, this agreement appears to be little more than an upgraded version of UN Resolution 1701. It does not mandate Hezbollah's disarmament or the establishment of a security buffer zone near the border. While the agreement grants Israel some freedom of action, it will make it harder to prevent Hezbollah's rearmament along the border in the long term.

 

  

Lebanese Army soldiers. 

 

Since the end of the Second Lebanon War, Hezbollah has invested vast resources in preparing for an attack on Israel, a plan that would dwarf the events of October 7. This was no security secret; some of it was even partially published in Israeli and international media. During Operation Northern Arrows, these attack infrastructures were uncovered in every frontline village. While the IDF has officially revealed some findings, much remains classified. This infrastructure, armed and ready for attack and defense, was prepared for Hezbollah's elite Radwan Unit to use when called upon.

The fact that these resources were not deployed on October 7 due to Nasrallah's and Iran's considerations—and that Israel had time to evacuate border communities and prepare for defense in the north—was nothing short of miraculous.

A missed opportunity?

While Hezbollah was preparing for war, Israel was not idle. The operation involving pager communications and infiltration devices, the intelligence that enabled the elimination of senior Hezbollah figures, and the extensive and precise target acquisition efforts across Lebanon—these measures have been years in the making. Their maturity allowed Israel to shift from defense to offense with greater speed and force than imagined.

Operation Northern Arrows gave Israel a one-time opportunity to leverage these accumulated assets to deal a severe blow to Hezbollah militarily and politically. The window of opportunity opened, but it has now closed. With the conclusion of the operation, Israel must begin anew to build the capabilities necessary to strike Hezbollah decisively in the future.

 

 Hezbollah terrorists in southern Lebanon. 

 

In the meantime, Hezbollah remains undefeated, and the agreement with Lebanon allows it to almost immediately resume its arms race. It is far from certain that Israel will accumulate sufficient offensive assets to neutralize Hezbollah quickly before it prepares for another offensive. There is no guarantee that a measure equivalent to the beeper operation will be ready in time. Additionally, it is unclear how long it will take Israel to regain the operational and intelligence capabilities it expended in the past two months.

Signing the agreement now, without a robust security zone and without disarming Hezbollah, may leave Israel at a strategic disadvantage within a decade—or possibly sooner—endangering its northern communities. Is this a calculated risk or recklessness that could carry a terrible cost? Only time will tell.

HEZBOLLAH HAS BEEN DECIMATED

IDF hit over 12,500 Hezbollah terror sites in Lebanon since October 8, 2023  

The IDF also confirmed killing some 2,500 Hezbollah terrorists, although the military estimates the actual figure is closer to 3,500. 

 

JNS

Nov 30, 2024

 

 

The Israel Defense Forces struck more than 12,500 Hezbollah terrorist sites in Lebanon during the nearly 14-month war that began when the Iranian proxy opened fire on the Jewish state a day after the Hamas-led Oct. 7, 2023, massacre of some 1,200 people.

The terrorist assets destroyed include 1,600 command and control centers and 1,000 weapons storage facilities.

The IDF also confirmed killing some 2,500 Hezbollah terrorists, although the military estimates the actual figure is closer to 3,500. According to a joint assessment by Israel’s Channel 12 and the Institute for National Security Studies, the fatalities include at least 11 brigade-level commanders, 37 battalion commanders and 46 company commanders.

The figure is more than 10 times the number of Hezbollah terrorists killed during the 2006 Second Lebanon War.

Lebanon’s Health Ministry, which does not distinguish between terrorists and noncombatants, reports 3,823 killed and 15,895 injured during the conflict.

Hezbollah’s chain of command was also devastated, as highlighted by the Sept. 27 targeted killing of Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah in Beirut. Other high-ranking officials killed include Hashem Safieddine, Nasrallah’s successor; Radwan Force commanders Ibrahim Aqil and Wisam al-Tuwail; Ali Karaki, commander of the Southern Front; and Fuad Shukr, the terrorist group’s chief of staff.

Furthermore, some 80% of Hezbollah’s stockpile of 150,000 to 200,000 rockets and 70% of its drone arsenal were destroyed during the war.

Hezbollah launched some 16,000 rockets, missiles and drones at Israel during the war.

Nearly 70,000 residents of northern Israel have been internally displaced due to the cross-border attacks from Lebanon. During “Operation Northern Arrows,” the Israeli military’s name for the northern war, 45 Israeli civilians and 79 IDF soldiers were killed, according to the most recent data from the Alma Research and Education Center, which monitors the northern fronts.

Israeli authorities estimate property damage to exceed $273 million, according to Reuters, while Channel 12 and INSS reported that according to World Bank estimates, Lebanon suffered $8.5 billion in damages and economic losses during the war—$3.4 billion in physical infrastructure damage and $5.1 billion economic losses.

An analysis of satellite data by The Washington Post in early November revealed that nearly a quarter of all buildings in 25 Lebanese towns and villages near the Israeli border were damaged or destroyed. At least 5,868 buildings were affected, with almost half located in the heavily impacted areas of Aita al-Shaab and Kafr Kila. Approximately 80% of the damage occurred after Oct. 2, 2024, coinciding with Israel’s ground offensive.

HEZBOLLAH IS NOT OBLIGATED TO ABIDE BY A CEASEFIRE AGREEENT THAT IT DID NOT SIGN

Bibi’s latest challenge

With Israelis divided over the ceasefire, Netanyahu needs to persuade the public that he’s not capitulating to Hezbollah—or the Biden administration. 

 

By Ruthie Blum

 

JNS

Nov 29, 2024 

 

 

A joint patrol by Lebanese and UNIFIL soldiers

 

According to a survey conducted by Direct Polls for Israel’s Channel 14, the Israeli public is split down the middle on the Lebanon ceasefire agreement that went into effect on Wednesday at 4 a.m. What’s notable in this case is that the division doesn’t run along party or ideological lines.

In fact, the newly minted deal—stipulating that Israel has 60 days to withdraw its troops from Lebanon, during which time the Lebanese Armed Forces will deploy to the southern border and Hezbollah will retreat northward of the Litani River—has been met with harsh criticism by both supporters and detractors of the government led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Chief among the latter are members of the “anybody but Bibi” protest movement, most of whom claim to consider Netanyahu a greater threat to national security than Hamas, Hezbollah, the Houthis and the head of the snake, Iran. Since they oppose every policy that he puts forth, their knee-jerk anger was to be expected.

The former category includes residents of northern Israel: evacuees forced for the past 14 months to live in temporary lodgings; and others, slightly farther south of the Lebanon border, who’ve remained under constant rocket, missile and drone fire.

Rather than welcoming the prospect of a truce enabling them to return home or stop running for shelter with every air-raid siren, these people are furious. Not trusting Hezbollah to honor an arrangement that it didn’t actually sign, nor believing that the Lebanese Armed Forces and UNIFIL will guarantee the phony peace, they feel that Netanyahu capitulated to foreign pressure before finishing the job.

His explanation for the move—from the Knesset podium and subsequently in a video message—may have assuaged some of their fears. It also possibly helped them understand the timing of his decision. Nevertheless, they remain wary and out of sorts.

Champions of the ceasefire are also a mixed bunch, with pundits and part of the populace who disagree with one another on various other issues viewing the maneuver as strategically clever. This disparate group seems to be growing with each additional clarification by Netanyahu and the coalition partners who gave him the green light.

In an effort to persuade skeptics—especially after Hezbollah violated the terms of the deal within hours of its implementation—Netanyahu sat down on Thursday evening for a lengthy, one-on-one interview with Channel 14’s Yaakov Bardugo.

Bardugo is a right-wing journalist whose natural inclination would be and was to disapprove of such a ceasefire. After all, on paper, it’s almost identical to U.N. Security Council Resolution 1701, the farcical 2006 document that ended the Second War in Lebanon against Hezbollah.

The following excerpts from the one-on-one conversation shed light on the real impetus for the pause in pulverizing Hezbollah:

Bardugo: Why a ceasefire now?

Netanyahu: Precisely because we achieved exactly what we aimed at achieving. We said that we would deal Hezbollah in Lebanon a double blow. … And that we would create the conditions for the return of our northern residents to their homes. That’s exactly what we’re doing. We’ll take advantage of the ceasefire—ceasefire—I didn’t say an end to the war.

Bardugo: A ceasefire can last for many years.

Netanyahu: It can also be short. You saw that we already enforced it on the first day. Yesterday [Wednesday], we killed five Hezbollah [terrorists] and captured four. We’re not kidding around. We’re enforcing [the ceasefire] aggressively. But if it becomes necessary, I gave the IDF a directive to be prepared in the event of a violation of the terms of the ceasefire for a large-scale war. What are we going to do during the ceasefire? First of all, we’re going to equip ourselves with arms. We’ll refresh the troops and arm ourselves through massive [domestic] production. … In tandem, we’ll also receive arms, some of which have been withheld, from the United States.

Bardugo: Has the [President Joe] Biden-[Secretary of State Antony] Blinken embargo ended? You spoke about it in the Knesset and in your statement this week.

Netanyahu: There were components of weapons and equipment that didn’t arrive. And I can tell you that I’m sure they’ll get here. It could be that they’ll arrive now—during the [U.S.] administration transition period—but President[-elect] Trump told me unequivocally that as far as he’s concerned, there will be no delay of any weapons. In other words, we’ll enhance [our military capabilities] with arms that we produce by ourselves—to the extent and speed that we haven’t known until now—and with arms that we’ll receive [from elsewhere]. …

Bardugo: We’ll get to that. But I want to ask you why we were so afraid of them [Hezbollah] all these years.

Netanyahu: Look, their military preparation was immense. They possessed 150,000 missiles and rockets, short-range, long-range and precision. They built the Radwan Force that was supposed to invade the Galilee. They built a subterranean network. Because of all that, people thought that there would be thousands [of Israelis] killed here; that towers would be toppled in Tel Aviv. And [those concerns] couldn’t be dismissed. But it was also impossible to initiate such a move in terms of legitimacy—or national and international de-legitimacy. You couldn’t suddenly start a war [against Hezbollah], just as you couldn’t do it against Hamas. But the minute that the war was imposed on us—that’s a different story. And we changed the equation. It’s impossible to recognize Hezbollah, Hamas or Iran…

Bardugo: Why didn’t you include a demilitarized zone—a demand of the heads of northern communities?

Netanyahu: The area is in a different situation now. We destroyed the underground network that was built over the course of many years. We leveled terror villages, which were numerous. And Hezbollah isn’t the same Hezbollah. But it will be tested through enforcement. People will test us. …

Bardugo: How does the agreement affect the Gaza arena and war against Hamas?

Netanyahu: I think very well. Because what did Hamas want from the very beginning of the war? It hoped that Iran would come and rescue it. That didn’t happen. It thought the Houthis would come and rescue it. That didn’t happen. But more than anything, it hoped that Hezbollah would come and rescue it. And indeed, Nasrallah said on the second day [Oct. 8, 2023], when he attacked: “We’ll continue until Israel ceases its attacks on Hamas.” Hamas counted on Hezbollah. There is no Hezbollah now. Hezbollah is out of the picture.

Bardugo: So, is there news for the families of the hostages? Can you look them in the eye and say that there’s cause for optimism toward a deal [for their release]?

Netanyahu: I think that the conditions are far, far better. I’m saying this not only theoretically, and not only because of the severing of [the linkage between] the arenas. But also because of a combination of things: the elimination of [Hamas chief Yahya] Sinwar—as long as he was around, he didn’t want any deal. The Americans and everybody said that he was the obstacle. … Now we have an opportunity. I don’t want to go into details. We’re doing many things that are bringing us closer to a release [of the hostages]. And I won’t give up on that; not on a single hostage.

Bardugo: Are you willing to stop the war [in Gaza] or agree to a ceasefire?

Netanyahu: A ceasefire, certainly, at any moment. But not the end of the war, because we have to achieve the destruction of Hamas. We have two different goals. In the north, the aim was to truncate Hezbollah, and in the south, to destroy Hamas. In the north, we’re preventing rearmament. What’s the Philadelphi Corridor of the north? The Syria-Lebanon border. Hezbollah’s armament will come from Iran, via Syria to Lebanon. So what are we doing? We’re bombing—right now—the border crossings and in Syria aggressively. … In the south, what do they want me to do? Bomb Egypt? We have a peace treaty with Egypt. There we have the Philadelphi Corridor and the Rafah crossing, through which all Hamas’s arms were transferred. I won’t let any element in Gaza rearm. Thus, the goal is different in the north and the south. And the conditions are different. But the answer is clear: I’m willing for a ceasefire in the south; I think we can achieve it. And I’m working to achieve the release of the hostages. I won’t go into detail; we’re really working on it. …

Bardugo: In your statement this week, you spoke about Iran. You said you wouldn’t expand on it. I want to ask you: Maybe here you can expand on it? Iran has almost been your life’s mission. And now we know that it’s on the nuclear threshold.

Netanyahu: First of all, the activity I’ve led for decades set back Iran by about 10 years from where it planned to be by now. We delayed them, but didn’t stop them. It’s true that in terms of uranium enrichment, they are on the nuclear threshold. But they have other things that I won’t specify, and we’re determined, I’m determined, to prevent Iran, by any means, to obtain nuclear weapons. And that’s a mission that is foremost for me.

Bardugo: Are you saying, “Read my lips: Iran will not go nuclear?”

Netanyahu: I’ll do everything I can so that it doesn’t go nuclear. I’ll enlist all the powers possible. And believe me, it’s not an easy mission, because sometimes you have to stand alone against the whole world.

Bardugo: All powers, such as your friend, President Trump, who’s entering the White House in seven-eight weeks? Will he be in line with your view on this issue?

Netanyahu: Look, I spoke to Trump a few months ago at Mar-a-Lago in Florida on this issue and he also raised the danger. I’ve spoken to him on the phone about five times since then, and in almost every conversation he was aware of the threat. …

It’s hard to say whether this exchange caused naysayers to have a change of heart. Israelis are right to be cautiously pessimistic. And, as Netanyahu pointed out, he’s being put to the test on the ground. But since there is general consensus that Hezbollah, unlike Hamas, cannot be totally destroyed, it makes sense to target Tehran. If Israel, with the help or tacit approval of the incoming administration in Washington, takes out Iran’s nukes—and in so doing, hastens the ouster of the ayatollah-led regime—Hezbollah will become powerless and irrelevant.

GEE, I WONDER WHAT THIS COULD BE LEADING UP TO?

By Bob Walsh

 

Gavin (God I Want To Be President) Newsom, the God-Emperor of the formerly great state of California, has announced his memoirs will be coming out this spring.  The title will be "Young Man In A Hurry: A Memoir Of Discovery" and will be published by Random House.  

Strange, but I kind of thought you had to actually DO SOMETHING in order to bother with publishing a memoir.  For a whacko-liberal White guy with good hair and overbearing arrogance to get elected to office in CA isn't really much of an accomplishment.  Also you may remember he continued to support Biden right up until somebody left the horse's head in Biden's bed.  So he is also a strong supporter of clearly lost causes.

He has previously written two books, one of which was a children's book about his struggles with dyslexia, published in 2021.

I think I see NEWSOM FOR PRESIDENT 2028 bumper stickers in the future.  

STRANGER THINGS HAVE HAPPENED .... LIKE KAMALA HARRIS

AOC for president in 2028? Furious speculation sweeps social media that The Squad member could be running

 

By Stephen M. Lepore 

DailyMail

Nov 29, 2024

 

 

 

AOC for President? Stranger things have happened.

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has fueled speculation that she will embark on a run for president in 2028. 

The leftist Congresswoman has been a polarizing figure ever since she upset powerful establishment Democrat Joe Crowley in a primary in 2018, winning a seat in the House at just 29 years old. 

The 2028 election - which Donald Trump has said he will not run in, leaving both parties with open primaries - will be the first one where Ocasio-Cortez can legally run, as the Constitution states you must be 35.

A new story from The Hill suggests that AOC would be among the potential 2028 Democrat contenders, who include Harris, Pete Buttigieg, Gretchen Whitmer, JB Pritzker, Josh Shapiro and Gavin Newsom. 

Former Congressman Matt Gaetz added fuel to the fire, writing: 'Alex has told people she’s running in 2028 since 2019.'

Though the Congresswoman has made no public indications she will run, multiple sources told the site she would be a top candidate. 

'She's somebody who can cut through the noise and doesn't talk like Washington,' said one party insider.

Another, however, is skeptical that the 'Squad' penchant for rabble-rousing against fellow Democrats could play in a primary.

 

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has fueled speculation that she will embark on a run for president in 2028

 

'She and the 'squad' started pushing too hard, too fast. D.C. doesn't work that way. And our party doesn't work that way. We need to get back to the basics.' 

On social media, several left-wing activists and pundits expressed their own skepticism that Ocasio-Cortez - who would be the furthest left Democrat to run for president since mentor Bernie Sanders' failed runs - could pull it off.

'I like AOC, but would be so much better for the Left to run, say, a labor leader with the potential for a wide, 'cross-partisan' working-class appeal than an already polarizing left-wing elected from a deep blue district,' said Bhaskar Sunkara, author of The Socialist Manifesto. 

Lefty podcaster Matthew Sitman wrote: 'My honest opinion is that if AOC runs for president in 2028 she’s going to get absolutely smoked, and it’ll be interpreted as a punctuation mark on the beating back of the left Democrats have successfully undertaken after Bernie gave them a scare.'

Others based their skepticism about how Ocasio-Cortez operates among the powerful in DC as a member of the House. 

'AOC polls around 4% rn against other potentially Democratic primary candidates which isn’t great bc she has huge name recognition,' wrote comedian Kate Willett. 

'She could change that by running an anti establishment Bernie ‘16 style campaign but she’s likely too conciliatory to power to do that.'

'AOC has the skill to be a real contender,' said Oscar nominated writer and journalist David Sirota. 

 

Journalist David Sirota says "AOC has the skill to be a real contender."

A new story suggests that AOC would be among the potential 2028 Democrat contenders, who include Harris

 

On social media, several left-wing activists and pundits expressed their own skepticism that Ocasio-Cortez - who would be the furthest left Democrat to run for president since mentor Bernie Sanders' failed runs - could pull it off

 

 

'But if she surrounds herself with the same DC lifers who ran Dem campaigns into the ground, always counsel being nice to the establishment & always have their eye on their next DC gigs, then she'll probably lose.'

'Iron Law Of Democratic Politics: Someone genuinely challenging the status quo cannot "nice" their way to victory. They will never win the Dem nomination unless they rip it out of the cold dead hands of the establishment - and DC careerists will never run a campaign like that,' he added.

Ocasio-Cortez has been somewhat quiet since Harris' loss, after she spent much of the year backing Joe Biden to stay in the race, even after his disaster debate performance in June. She eventually backed Harris.

The leading member of the House Democrats' progressive 'Squad' said in the days after the election the U.S. is entering a political period that will have consequences 'for the rest of our lives.'

'We find ourselves I believe in a time where there are lets say peers in history of massive movements of people that mobilize to protect one another in times of fascism and authoritarianism. And this is the era that we are poised to enter,' AOC said.

AOC spoke about what everyone experienced with the election before giving her grim take on what's ahead.

'Donald Trump has talked about turning the military on U.S. citizens that he deems his domestic political enemies. Authoritarians and people that he associates closely with and strongmen aboard in regimes like that, it's not uncommon to jail political dissidents or legislative opponents,' the congresswoman said. 

'This is the world that we very realistically may be entering,' she added.

 

Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg is considered a contender to run in 2028 himself

Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer may also throw her hat into the ring

 

After finally ditching Biden, AOC was a close ally of Harris and hit the campaign trail for her with fellow Democratic lawmakers across battleground states during the election season.

The congresswoman said a lot of what happens next hinges on who controls the House, which has yet to be determined with a number of races that need to be called. 

'If Democrats control that House, that gives a slight ledge to resist and prevent some of the worst legislative proposals from going through,' she said. 

The 35-year-old also said outside the government, people need to take action to educate themselves on how the government works in what she called a very challenging and difficult time and spent the next few months preparing.

The congresswoman said 'no one has a crystal ball' as to whether Trump will do what he claims he would do, but she argued that when he says he is going to do something 'believe him.'

She pointed out that Trump's campaign press secretary confirmed that the president-elect remains committed to his promise of mass deportations of immigrants in the country illegally if he is elected.

The 35-year-old claimed she was not around to sugar-coat the reality, but people can choose to build, fight and support each other.

'We cannot give up,' she said. 

The New Yorker during her remarks rejected finger pointing and argued anyone who is doing that has 'lost the forest for the trees.' 

'There are a lot of different factors that have gotten to this moment,' she said. 

She said what is going to be most important in this time is rejecting sectarianism and the party needs to be united.

Ocasio-Cortez said they have had a huge setback with the election 'because the fascists won a lot of working class support' and said there needs to be analysis, but she urged people not to remain divided over small differences. 

AOC noted she has personal experience with this and spoke about her first bid for Congress in 2018. She pointed out that she went from being a waitress straight to being a congresswoman. 

She said her own path to get there was by running not against a Republican but a Democrat who she did not believe was focused on families like hers. 

The congresswoman said what she saw was a Democrat who was only running against Trump and didn't have a vision that spoke to her and her reality.

ISRAEL NEEDS TO DISARM, IF NOT KILL, ALL THE PALESTINIAN MILITANTS IN THE WEST BANK

Hamas terrorist opens fire at Israeli civilian bus in West Bank; 8 wounded, 3 seriously

Palestinian gunman, who used M-16 assault rifle, shot dead by troops; Al-Qassam Brigades names him as Samir Muhammad Ahmad Hussein, 46; IDF rules out possibility of second gunman

 

By Emanuel Fabian

 

The Times of Israel

Nov 29, 2024

 

 

Israeli security forces alongside a bullet-riddled bus after a Hamas terrorist attack at an intersection near the West Bank settlement of Ariel, near Nablus, November 29, 2024.

 

At least eight people were wounded, three of them seriously, when a Hamas terrorist opened fire at a civilian bus near the West Bank settlement of Ariel on Friday. The assailant was shot dead by security forces.

According to the Magen David Adom ambulance service, four people were hit by gunfire, including three in serious condition and one in moderate condition. Another four people were lightly wounded by broken glass, MDA said.

The military said that four of the wounded were soldiers and all were lightly injured.

Hebrew media outlets reported that one of those seriously wounded in the attack was the bus driver, Hassan Elsachen.

The Al-Qassam Brigades, Hamas’s military wing, claimed responsibility for the shooting, naming the gunman as Samir Muhammad Ahmad Hussein, 46, from the village of Einabus near Nablus. Hussein was a member of the Brigades, Hamas said.

The IDF believes the terrorist did not act alone, and that other accomplices may have provided the M-16 assault rifle and vehicle with which he carried out the attack.

 

Israeli security forces surround a bullet-riddled bus after a Hamas terrorist attack at an intersection near the West Bank settlement of Ariel, near Nablus, November 29, 2024. 

 

However, a military source said the army had ruled out the possibility of a second terrorist after scanning the area around the Gitai Avisar Junction, where the attack took place.

According to an initial IDF probe, Hussein had set out from the Nablus area, driving from the Tapuah Junction to Gitai Avisar — a route with no internal checkpoints. Hussein stopped his car on the side of the road, about 150 meters away from a bus stop, and opened fire at the bus while approaching it on foot, the army said.

IDF troops stationed in the area returned fire, killing him shortly after the attack began, according to the probe.

The West Bank, which is controlled by Israeli security forces, has seen a sharp rise in violence since the Gaza war began on October 7, 2023, when thousands of Hamas-led terrorists stormed southern Israel to kill some 1,200 people and take 251 hostages.

The onslaught was followed by sharp restrictions on Palestinian movement in the West Bank and wide-scale counterterrorism operations there. On Wednesday, the Shin Bet said it thwarted an arms shipment to the West Bank by Iran, Hamas’s benefactor.

 

The scene of a terrorist shooting attack near the Ariel settlement in the West Bank, November 29, 2024.  

 

Since the Hamas onslaught, Israeli troops have arrested some 5,250 wanted Palestinians across the West Bank, including more than 2,050 affiliated with Hamas.

According to the Palestinian Authority health ministry, more than 716 West Bank Palestinians have been killed in that time. The IDF says the vast majority of them were gunmen killed in exchanges of fire, rioters who clashed with troops or terrorists carrying out attacks.

During the same period, 41 people, including Israeli security personnel, have been killed in terror attacks in Israel and the West Bank. Another six members of the security forces were killed in clashes with terror operatives in the West Bank.

DERSHOWITZ TO THE RESCUE

'The ICC is 100% political': Alan Dershowitz leads legal dream team defending Israel

The prominent Jewish-American attorney is assembling a high-profile team to counter arrest warrants issued by the ICC. Meanwhile, he fights misinformation about Israel on US campuses. He warns: 'The US is the next target.'

By Ariel Kahana 

 

Israel Hayom

Nov 29, 2024

 

American lawyer Alan Dershowitz

 

At 86 years old, without a secretary, researchers, or assistants—just his wife Carolyn—Alan Dershowitz continues his lifelong mission as a one-man legal powerhouse. From his home in the US, the renowned Jewish lawyer is distributing a million booklets on American campuses titled "The Ten Biggest Lies About Israel." His goal? To equip students, often young enough to be his great-grandchildren, with reliable information about the Jewish state.

Simultaneously, Dershowitz is forming a top-tier legal team from across the US to defend Israeli leaders, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, against arrest warrants issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague.

 

 

The International Criminal Court in The Hague. 

"The Wall Street Journal called it a dream team," Dershowitz shared in a Zoom interview. "I reached out to dozens of colleagues, including some of the world's most prominent lawyers—two former US attorneys general, a former FBI director, and a former governor of New York. Together, we've put together a legal dream team to defend Israel and its leaders against the ICC's unjust and illegal attempts to arrest somebody without any justification. Our defense will extend beyond legal briefs; we'll also make Israel's case in the court of public opinion. Convincing the world that Israel's actions do not constitute war crimes and that the ICC lacks jurisdiction over Israel is critical. We will also submit amicus briefs as friends of the court."

A political agenda

Recently, France reversed its stance on the ICC arrest warrants. After initially pledging to comply, French officials clarified they are not obligated to detain Netanyahu or Gallant should they visit the country, despite France's ICC membership. Dershowitz sees this shift as unsurprising.

"It's 110% politics. If it was justice, we'd see arrest warrants for the leaders of Syria and Iran. Syria, for example, has committed such atrocious crimes not only against their own people but also against people in Lebanon and Israel. Iran obviously has of all kinds of war crimes on its hands. Yet Israel is the only western target in the history of the ICC with a functioning judiciary. There's no question the ICC has no jurisdiction over Israel."

 

  

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu with former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant. 

Dershowitz confirmed reports from senior Israeli officials, as well as US Senator Lindsey Graham, that ICC officials abruptly canceled a planned visit to Israel. He accuses ICC Chief Prosecutor Karim Khan of betrayal.

"I was on the phone with ICC officials a few months ago when they promised to visit Israel. They had scheduled a meeting to look into the issue of Israel's judicial complementarity—a principle stating the ICC only intervenes if a country fails to investigate or prosecute crimes adequately. I helped arrange the visit. At the time, we didn't know this, but Khan was under scrutiny for alleged misconduct. He decided to cancel the trip at the last minute."

Is Khan being blackmailed?

"I don't know. But I think he thought he would benefit from going after Israel. Even his assistant was shocked that the trip was canceled. It's all 100% political. Even the good decisions, like France's refusal to comply with the warrants, are political. The fact that Canada would comply, while France won't, these are all political decisions."

The US Stands Firm

Senator Lindsey Graham's legislative proposal to impose US sanctions on any country cooperating with the ICC could strain Washington's relationships with close allies such as Germany, Britain, France, and Canada. Nevertheless, Dershowitz sees this as a logical step for the US.

"The ICC's next target will be the United States. If you take the ICC's, application for arrest warrants, everything they said about Israel and about Netanyahu and Gallant can be said about American presidents, American generals. That's why the US is concerned about the precedent the Israel case might establish for the US. Most Americans who know the ICC despise it. Americans do not want to see their soldiers—or those of their allies—subjected to phony trials in a foreign court. I think this warrant against Israel is a suicide note for the ICC. I think it will mark the end of the ICC."

 

 Dershowitz with Trump. 

 

How will that happen?

"More and more countries will refuse to recognize ICC warrants. Many nations worldwide will fear they're next. Once the ICC violates the principle of complementarity and targets democracies with legitimate judicial systems, every NATO country will worry about being in the crosshairs."

Frustration with Senate leadership

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, a Jewish Democrat, has declined to advance legislation imposing sanctions on the ICC, which has already passed in the House of Representatives. When asked if this disappointed him, Dershowitz responded candidly.

"Schumer is incapable of disappointing me because he is such an incredible hypocrite. He takes orders from the Democratic Party, and I believe this comes from the White House. But as soon as Trump's in the White House and as soon as the majority leader of the senate is a Republican, this statute will be passed and signed."