President Trump Special Emissary Steve Witkoff relays this official statement following meetings with U.S. Negotiators, Arab state partners, Turkey and Gaza officials about the next phase in the Israel-Gaza peace plan.

STEVE WITKOFF – “We, the representatives of the United States of America, the Arab Republic of Egypt, the State of Qatar, and the Republic of Türkiye, met yesterday in Miami to review the implementation of the first phase of the Gaza ceasefire and to advance preparations for the second phase.

The first phase has yielded progress, including expanded humanitarian assistance, the return of hostage bodies, partial force withdrawals, and a reduction in hostilities.

In our discussions regarding phase two, we emphasized enabling a governing body in Gaza under a unified Gazan authority to protect civilians and maintain public order.

We also discussed regional integration measures, including trade facilitation, infrastructure development, and cooperation on energy, water, and other shared resources, as essential to Gaza’s recovery, regional stability, and long-term prosperity.

In this context, we expressed our support for the near-term establishment and operationalization of the Board of Peace as a transitional administration for the civilian, security, and reconstruction tracks of the reconstruction. We reviewed next steps in the phased implementation of the Comprehensive Peace Plan for Gaza, underscoring the importance of sequencing, coordination, and effective monitoring in partnership with local Gazan institutions and international partners.

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Previously, overnight Saturday/Sunday police arrested a man named Benjamin Erickson (24) as the suspect {link} in the Brown University attack that left two people killed and nine injured.   At the time of the detainment Providence’s police chief, Col. Oscar Perez, told media, “Police are confident the man in custody is the suspected gunman.” {link] He added he wanted to ensure that all legal requirements are met before charges are brought.

According to media reports, “the man had a unique characteristic on his firearm, the officials said, and that firearm was found when he was taken into custody.” {link}

“We’re going to work with the attorney general’s office to make sure that we have the right legal requirements for the charges,” Perez said. “And this is, it’s just complex. There’s a lot of evidence, there’s a lot of witnesses, and so we have to make sure that we have it all tight. And to make sure we have a good case.” Perez said police cannot hold the person of interest beyond tomorrow (Sunday) if charges are not filed. He said he is hoping an arraignment will take place “sooner rather than later.” {link w/ video}

Shortly before midnight local authorities announced they were releasing the “person of interest”, aka Benjamin Erickson, but told the community not to worry as there is no alternative threat to the community. WATCH:

RHODE ISLAND – PROVIDENCE: A person of interest detained after a Brown University shooting that killed two students and injured nine will be released after an investigation took law enforcement authorities in a “different direction,” officials said Sunday night.

The disclosure, made at a hastily convened late night news conference, represents a stunning turn of events in an investigation into killings that rattled the Ivy League campus and came more than 12 hours after officials had announced that they had taken a person into custody in connection with the attack.

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Two gunmen armed with long rifles and handguns opened fire at a crowd of people celebrating the beginning of Hanukkah at Bondi Beach, Australia.  12 people were killed with approximately a dozen more wounded.  The attack went on for well over ten minutes as the terrorist shot randomly into the crowd from a park bridge near the beach.

(NEW YORK TIMES) – At least 11 people were killed by gunmen who targeted a Jewish holiday celebration at Bondi Beach in Sydney on Sunday, in what the authorities called a terrorist attack. One of the shooters was also killed, the police said.

Police Commissioner Mal Lanyon of the New South Wales Police Force said on Sunday evening that officers had found what they believed to be several improvised explosive devices in a nearby vehicle linked to the suspect who was killed. Bomb disposal units were at the scene, he said. (MORE)

The shooting went on for ten minutes as police were extremely slow to respond.  Incredible footage has surfaced of a random civilian running to tackle one of the gunmen and wrestle his rifle away.  Alternate video shows the two men for over 10 minutes shooting from the area into the crowd.

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White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller appears on Fox News to discuss the federal investigation that is taking place into a massive welfare and subsidy scam uncovered in Minnesota.  At the heart of the issue are thousands of Somali immigrants who were allowed into the U.S. and have abused various aid programs.

There are also reports indicating that 70% of the economy in the country of Somalia now comes from remittances sent by this same community, including money sent to al-Shabaab terrorist groups.  The scale of the fraud is jaw-dropping as almost every financial aid program is being abused by the Somali immigrant community. WATCH:

This year Federal and state prosecutors opened multiple investigations into fraud tied to Minnesota programs being abused by the Somali community.

An investigation into “Feeding Our Future” (a child‑nutrition nonprofit) led to dozens of indictments and it got worse as officials also began investigating Medicaid Housing Stabilization Services and alleged false autism diagnoses tied to reimbursements. Acting U.S. Attorney Joseph Thompson has described the scope of the fraud as astonishing and labeled the issue a “crisis.”

President Trump announced the immediate termination of Temporary Protected Status for Somalis in Minnesota, citing fraud and “money laundering.” The DOJ, CMS and various cabinet agencies are also investigating various programs to determine the full scope of the financial fraud.

Meanwhile DHS and the FBI are reviewing remittance destinations to determine potential terrorist connections, and Minnesota Governor Tim Walz blames President Trump for noticing the issue.

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Tucker Carlson is attending a conference in Doha along with a series of U.S. and EU political pundits and people within the geopolitical world including Donald Trump Jr.  This conference has people like Mark Levin and Laura Loomer going bananas as the Qatar vs Israel influence operation reaches new political levels of antagonism.

In the interview below Tucker Carlson is interviewing Qatar’s Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani on the Israel–Gaza war, U.S. foreign policy toward Israel, Qatar’s long and ongoing role in mediation with Hamas, and the surge of propaganda targeting Doha.

The discussion includes how various administrations have asked Qatar for assistance, and the issue of Israel attacking Qatar amid the active peace talks. Tucker Carlson also tackles the issue of U.S. voices calling him a propagandist for Qatar head on.  WATCH:

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As previously noted, Donald Trump Jr also attended the Doha, Qatar, conference.  His remarks are below.

The Qatar vs Israel influence battle, seems to be -essentially- the JD Vance vs Ron DeSantis pre-battle and influence operation.  I’ll keep watching it unfold, because the transparency of the objectives is interesting.

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Secretary of State and National Security Advisor Marco Rubio appears on Fox News for an extensive interview about current events. Within the interview Secretary Rubio discusses the current status of immigration vetting and the pause therein.

Additionally, Rubio outlines the current state of the U.S. operation in/around Venezuela and the ongoing negotiations with Ukraine and Russia to end the conflict in Eastern Europe. WATCH:

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Following the news that National Guardswoman Sarah Beckstrom had died from her injuries, President Trump was not in the mood to listen to DC media pontificate about millions of illegal aliens and refugees who have been flooded into the United States.

Sarah Beckstrom was a 20-year-old West Virginia guard member who was murdered in an ambush-style shooting near the White House on Wednesday. She had volunteered to work the Thanksgiving holiday so that service members with children could spend time with their family. Beckstrom was the BEST OF US, and President Trump is visibly angry about her murder.

Following the videoconference with members of the armed forces serving overseas, President Trump took questions from the traveling press pool. Things got heated when the sympathetic media claimed the Afghan terrorist who murdered Beckstrom was brought into the US in 2021 by Joe Biden and given legal refugee status following his work with the CIA. WATCH (prompted):

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White House Senior Policy Advisor and Deputy Chief of Staff, Stephen Miller, appears on Fox News in the aftermath of the horrific terrorist attack that has left two national guard members critically injured.

Miller notes the 20+ million illegal aliens allowed in by Joe Biden and Barack Obama represent a grave national security threat that President Trump is now having to deal with.  WATCH:

Reverend Franklin Graham outlines the spiritual battle that needs to be faced.

“The streets of our cities are not safe. Another tragedy today as two National Guardsmen were shot and critically injured on duty just blocks from the White House. It is regrettable that in most of the big cities needing help, the Democratic leadership seems to be doing all they can to undermine law enforcement and the safety of residents by defunding the police, by not backing the National Guard who are there to protect, and by letting dangerous criminals with multiple convictions back out on the streets to harm again.”

“Our country not only needs prayer, but also President @realDonaldTrump as he is battling to fix these critical issues for us. Especially pray for these two severely injured National Guardsmen and their families. I wholeheartedly agree with President Trump as he told the nation today, “God bless our Great National Guard, and all of our Military and Law Enforcement.” Amen!”  ~ Franklin Graham

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The shooter has been identified as 29-year-old Rahmanullah Lakanwal, an Afghan national who entered the U.S. in 2021 under the Biden administration’s Operation Allies Welcome. Law enforcement said he is believed to have acted alone. Witnesses say Lakanwal shouted, “Allahu Akbar” as he carried out his premeditated attack.

Fox’s Bill Melugin revealed that his permission the be in the US expired in September 2025, and he has been living in the United States illegally ever since. According to follow-up reports, an American couple named Stanley & Valerie Creighton took in Rahmanullah Lakanwal & his family. They all lived in their Bellingham Washington home.

Lakanwal ambushed two National Guard members outside a metro station in downtown Washington, D.C. He was shot by a third Guard member. The first victim — a female Guard member — was struck immediately and collapsed where she stood. Lakanwal then took her firearm and shot her in the head before continuing to fire. According to CBS, the suspect was wielding a handgun, had four rounds in his firearm initially. After he fired them at two national guards, he then took the fallen Guardswoman’s weapon and used it to continue shooting, striking the second Guard member.

President Trump announced a surge of another 500 National Guard troops into Washington DC, and said, “we must now reexamine every single alien who has entered our country from Afghanistan under Biden.”  All Afghan immigration has been halted.  All current Afghan immigrants are being investigated.  WATCH:

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VIA CBS – The Trump administration has paused the processing of all immigration applications for Afghan nationals following Wednesday’s shooting of two National Guard members, officials said, after the suspect detained in the shooting was identified as an Afghan national.

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Many of us who have watched U.S.-Mideast policy unfold for decades, accepted there was just no way for the U.S. government to designate the Muslim Brotherhood as a foreign terrorist group.

As noted historically in Kuwait, Jordan, Libya, Egypt, Syria, Turkey and most recently Qatar, the U.S. government works collaboratively with chapters of the Muslim Brotherhood.

The Muslim Brotherhood is the political arm of authentic Islam, and can be considered much like the umbrella organization for a host of different factions of Islamic fundamentalism.

The Brotherhood is the unified political voice of many regional chapters, each with a varying degree of authentic Islam behind it.

Qatar is the central bank for the Muslim Brotherhood; Turkey represents the Brotherhood’s biggest national support network, and Egypt is the intellectual or scholastic battleground where the values of political Islam are debated.

For many years several people, ourselves included, have called for the Muslim Brotherhood to be designated as a foreign terrorist organization.  However, the duality of purpose of the Brotherhood was always given as a reason not to designate them.

Today, President Trump is trying to navigate this dynamic within his executive order [SEE HERE].

The executive order instructs the State Dept to officially begin the process to look at each chapter of the Muslim Brotherhood as a separate entity, and then see if the designation of a terrorist organization can apply to that chapter.

As noted in the Executive Order, “relevant here, its chapters in Lebanon, Jordan, and Egypt engage in or facilitate and support violence and destabilization campaigns.”  It looks like Lebanon, Jordan and Egypt chapters of the Brotherhood will get the first review.

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi already dealt with the extremist Muslim Brotherhood once, kicking their leadership out of Egypt.  The leaders fled to Qatar, and then ultimately ended up in Turkey, where Recep Erdogan absolutely loves the usefulness of the Brotherhood.

Jordanian King Abdullah has been balancing the Muslim Brotherhood influence for years, and Lebanon is a hot mess with the Hezbollah faction of the Brotherhood.  The Muslim Brotherhood, as a political structure, holds all kinds of extremist factions under its umbrella (al-Qaeda, al-Nusra etc.).

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