The suspect who drove a van into a crowded gay-pride celebration was shot and killed by police following a manhunt. Abdul Ballout, a German citizen with Lebanese roots, was killed following a search that lasted nearly 24 hours after the attack in downtown Berlin. {SOURCE}

KNOWN WOLF -The background of 21-year-old terrorist Abdul Ballout is a case study in failure by European authorities.  Ballout previously travelled to Lebanon in 2025 to join ISIS in Syria.  He was identified by German authorities as an ISIS terrorist and arrested in Lebanon where he served three months in prison and was returned to Germany.

Abdul Ballout was arrested at the Berlin airport upon return and was convicted in May of this year for preparing a serious act of violence endangering the state, as well as publishing Islamic State propaganda on his Instagram account and other charges.  He was sentenced to 1 year, 10-months in prison but the sentence was suspended for time served; he was released from custody.

(Via Associated Press) – BERLIN (AP) — The suspect in the deadly Berlin Pride attack that left one person dead and 29 injured was shot and killed by police during a confrontation on Sunday in a suburb of the city, authorities said.

Abdul Ballout, a German citizen with Lebanese roots, was killed following a search that lasted nearly 24 hours after the attack in downtown Berlin. Berlin prosecutors said the suspect had previously sought to join the militant Islamic State group. (read more)

The ironic aspect to this particular attack is the cultural sensitivity of his victims.  Abdul Ballout killed the same people who march in the streets to protect Islamists from the consequences of their ideology.

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According to U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) four Americans were wounded, two killed and one missing following a ballistic missile and drone attack upon Muwaffaq Salti Air Base in Jordan last night.

TAMPA, Fla. — On July 17, two U.S. service members in Jordan were killed in action as U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) and partner forces defended against Iranian ballistic missile and drone attacks. Additionally, one service member is currently missing.

Four American service members were medically evacuated to Jordanian hospitals. They have since been discharged. Other personnel who were evaluated for minor injuries have returned to duty.

Out of respect for the families, CENTCOM will withhold additional information, including the identities of the fallen warriors, until 24 hours after the next of kin have been notified. {Source}

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The Christian people of Nigeria have been brutalized by Boko Haram and regional elements of the Islamic State (ISIS).  In February a small group of around 200 U.S. military technical and training personnel were sent to Nigeria.

Last night President Trump announced a joint U.S-Nigeria taskforce has eliminated ISIS #2 leader, Abu Bilal al-Minuki, who ran the Islamic State of West Africa Province.

“Tonight, at my direction, brave American forces and the Armed Forces of Nigeria flawlessly executed a meticulously planned and very complex mission to eliminate the most active terrorist in the world from the battlefield. Abu-Bilal al-Minuki, second in command of ISIS globally, thought he could hide in Africa, but little did he know we had sources who kept us informed on what he was doing. He will no longer terrorize the people of Africa, or help plan operations to target Americans. With his removal, ISIS’s global operation is greatly diminished. Thank you to the Government of Nigeria for your partnership on this operation. GOD BLESS AMERICA!”

~ President DONALD J. TRUMP

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In recent developments President Trump’s ‘project freedom’ operation to open the Strait of Hormuz for captured shipping interests has been paused following Saudi Arabia’s withdrawal of support and their revocation of Saudi air bases for U.S. operations.

The issue behind the Saudi decision is not that complicated if you understand the longer-term background.  However, the issue behind the Saudi decision also highlights a key ¹flaw in the Promethean analysis of the relationship (and the reason I caution everyone to sip slowly from this information source).

The cliff notes version is that Saudi Arabia and many of the Gulf States look at the negotiations between President Trump and Iranian interests with skepticism.  The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) wants a complete and final elimination of the threat Iran represents. They do not believe Iran can be negotiated out of that threat.  The GCC view negotiations as an Iranian delay tactic.

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salmon, the main voice in the GCC position, has clear eyes and a long historic view on the threat Iran represents. They accept the people in control of the Iran regime will do and say anything to pause or remove the military confrontation; but they will never stop building the arsenal for war. There is zero, absolutely zero trust in anything the Iranians say on this matter.

As a consequence, Saudi Arabia understands the intent of President Trump’s request to support ‘project freedom’, however Saudi Arabia is not going to accept continued missile attacks from Iran during this ‘humanitarian’ effort to reopen the Strait. [Remember, this is also a Muslim Brotherhood issue.  The Brotherhood is the political network behind extremist Islam.]

President Trump is asking Saudi Arabia and the GCC states to view the continued Iranian attacks as small slights, small provocations, while he diplomatically tries to negotiate with the Iranian regime.  MbS and the GCC are unwilling to take this position, to accept these continued attacks against their nations, simply to give President Trump the political benefit of his policy.

Again, the Saudi’s and GCC have been dealing with this extremist threat for decades. They are unwilling to compromise in order to give space for negotiations they view as futile.  The U.S. can use all Saudi support venues to confront Iran militarily, but they are not going to support the political and diplomatic effort behind ‘project freedom’ while they are simultaneously expected to accept continued attacks from Iran.

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How was this previously convicted ISIS supporter allowed out of prison and not deported?  A ridiculously avoidable terrorist incident has unfolded at Old Dominion University in Virginia.

Mohamed Jalloh was born in Sierra Leone, became a naturalized US citizen, was radicalized by al-Qaeda, was then convicted for providing material support to ISIS in 2017 and sentenced to 11 years in prison; then released from prison early in 2024 under Biden.

NEW YORK POST – The madman who opened fire at Old Dominion University on Thursday, killing a retired military officer instructing an ROTC class, has been identified as an ex-National Guard soldier convicted of trying to support ISIS, The Post has learned.

Mohamed Bailor Jalloh, 36, stormed into a classroom inside ODU’s Constant Hall and asked if it was an ROTC class. When someone confirmed that it was, he launched the suspected terror attack, shooting the professor several times, law enforcement sources said.

A heroic ROTC cadet at the Virginia school jumped to action to prevent more carnage, stabbing Jalloh to death after the crazed suspect gunned down the class instructor, the sources said. (read more)

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My grandpa, and later my father, used to say something at particular moments that generally annoyed me but turned out to be entirely accurate, much to my youthful angst… “Well, hang around a one-legged group long enough, and you’re eventually going to end up limping.”

Yup, I learned to hate that lesson because the truth of it was always annoying.

This is perhaps the first time in memory when I look forward to Donald J Trump getting out of the Mar-a-Lago bubble and back to Washington DC.  Good grief, just typing that I can’t believe I’m saying it.  Here’s why:

Having followed and written about the optimal solution approach within the Trump Doctrine, a process that assigns responsibility to regional actors, then exits while providing support but not direct involvement [the delegation metric of high-support/low-direction], perhaps that is unfolding again in the background.  However, it seems like Trump is accepting the annoying Iran monkey problem on our behalf. [REF: How to Make The Monkey Jump]

To be clear in my personal position, charity begins at home.  (1) I don’t want conflict with Iran, nor do I really care about their internal political struggles; most of my day-to-day contacts feel the same. (2) At the same time, yes, I can imagine a scenario where Venezuela represents a threat to our continental objectives and national security, but would prefer to see them isolated from the outside.  Embargo them, stuff them inside an economic confinement zone (if needed), tell them why, then let the internal mess work itself out; most of my day-to-day contacts seem to feel the same.

Granting President Trump the long view of support; I mean, we don’t know what he is aware of; I sure hope all of this Iran stuff has a direct connection to American strategic interests.

Simultaneously, I can certainly see where deconflicting the USA, vis-a-vis Ukraine (literally London and the EU) from friction with Russia, has a strategic interest and factual bearing on the dollar-based trade system.  Attention on the Ukraine vs Russia stuff does have direct, albeit complicated outcomes attached to the economic standing of the average American.  Iran less so.

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Earlier today the U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina held a press conference to announce the interception of an ISIS inspired terrorist attack in Mint Hill, North Carolina that was planned to be carried out on New Year’s Eve.  Video and Press Release below:

PRESS RELEASE – CHARLOTTE, N.C. – A Mint Hill man that allegedly planned to use knives and hammers to execute a deadly New Year’s Eve attack at a grocery store and a fast food restaurant in support of the Islamic State in Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS) has been arrested and charged with attempting to provide material support to a foreign terrorist organization, announced Russ Ferguson, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. The criminal complaint was filed on December 31, 2025, and was unsealed today after Christian Sturdivant, 18, appeared in federal court in Charlotte.

James C. Barnacle, Jr., Special Agent in Charge of the FBI, joins U.S. Attorney Ferguson in making the announcement.

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President Trump announced he authorized and ordered strikes against ISIS targets in Nigeria who are targeting Christians.

Working with the Nigerian government, President Trump ordered military strikes in Northwestern Nigeria intended to hit Islamic State terrorists who were targeting Christians in the African nation. The strikes follow months of warnings to the ISIS militants that further killing of Christians would result in action by the United States.

The media are quick to say President Trump conducted the strikes, without underlining the U.S. action was taken in coordination with the Nigerian government.

(VIA FOX) – […] U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM) confirmed the attacks in a post on X on Thursday night. “At the direction of the President of the United States and the Secretary of War, and in coordination with Nigerian authorities, U.S. Africa Command conducted strikes against ISIS terrorists in Nigeria on Dec. 25, 2025, in Sokoto State,” the post read.

U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Mike Waltz also weighed in after learning about the strikes on ISIS forces in Nigeria.

“Merry Christmas to the Christians in Nigeria and around the world who know tonight that the President of the United States will fight for them,” he said in a post on X.

Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., said Thursday, “I commend President Trump, Secretary Hegseth, and our brave troops for these strikes against bloodthirsty ISIS savages who are not only persecuting Christians, but also have killed many Americans.” (read more)

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The 73-page criminal complaint filed by the DOJ [SEE HERE] highlights some of the evidence against the suspects in the intercepted terror attack in Michigan.  Both Mohmed Ali and Majed Mahmoud are residents of Dearborn, Michigan, who the FBI intercepted prior to their carrying out a Halloween terrorist attack against a likely LGBTQ nightclub in the northern suburb of Ferndale.

The complaint outlines an ISIS inspired attack with a foreign collaborator of the two gunman who visited them prior.  Intercepted cell phone communication, encrypted apps, as well as an overseas FBI confidential human source recording conversations about the terror plot are all part of the criminal complaint.

The suspects purchased AR-15 rifles, shotguns, pistols, ammunition and Go-Pro cameras as well as tactical gear in what the FBI calls their advanced planning of the attack.  The suspects also met at a Michigan gun range to practice shooting in advance.  The intercepted communications reflect the intent to target a “nightclub or disco” similar to the Orlando, FL, Pulse Nightclub attack and the Paris, France, Bataclan theater attack.

The lengthy criminal complaint [pdf HERE] outlines a lot of details behind the planning, communication and coordination of the events with several co-conspirators.  This looks like one of the first times we can recall when the FBI intercepted and stopped an Islamic terror plot before the action was physically taken.  Good job FBI!

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Turkish President Recep Erdogan is the figurative head of the Muslim Brotherhood. As the gatekeeper between the Middle East and Europe, Turkey sits at the center of multiple issues, and Recep Erdogan uses his position as gate guard to his favor. If Europe tries to pressure him, he opens the gates.  Europe has stopped trying to pressure Erdogan.

A rather curious NATO membership underpins the strategic influence of Erdogan and Turkey. While simultaneously Turkey maintains positive relationships with Russia and is not a member of the sanction regime against Vladimir Putin. The careful strategy has resulted in massive economic gains for Turkey, and Istanbul now stands as the gateway hub between East and West.

President Erdogan is a strong and ruthless leader openly supporting the political arm of Islam known as the Muslim Brotherhood. Erdogan also maintains close ties with Qatar. Turkey knows how to play all sides to their best interest. Erdogan also reads and speaks fluent English, though you’d never know it when the cameras turn on.  WATCH:

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