The 2014 Pennsylvania Republican Primary Election

The 2014 Pennsylvania Republican Primary Election is on Tuesday, April 23, which is early because of the presidential nomination, although, as usual, the race is no longer competitive by the time Keystone State Republican voters cast their ballots. On the ballot are nominations for President of the United States, U.S. Senate and Representative, half of the seats on the Pennsylvania Senate, all state House seats, and State Attorney General, Treasurer and Auditor General. In some districts, there are ballot questions. As I always do, I urge conservative Republicans not to vote for Donald Trump or candidates endorsed by or supportive of him. There is one presidential nomination candidate, who has declined to endorse Trump, remaining on the ballot, or one may write in any other preference. The large portion of Republican primary voters who have declined to vote for the draft-dodger, serial adulterer, sexual assailant, and corrupt businessman who is sympathetic to foreign authoritarians, including hostile ones, and who has authoritarian proclivities himself, and who is not conservative has sent a message of rejection of Trump and Trumpism. As I have been posting, Trumpism is a populist mix of protectionism, nativism and isolationism, none of which are conservative principles, as Trump has few longstanding ideological beliefs, but is focused mostly on self-promotion and thus is unable to put America’s interests above his own. Trump and Trumpism are therefore a cancer on the conservative movement and a mortal threat to the Republican Party. If the GOP wants to have any chance to return to a winning strategy of promoting conservative principles, it must totally reject Trump and Trumpism, or else continue to suffer general election losses until it does. Polls are open from 7:00 AM to 8:00 PM.

Foreign Digest: European Union, Switzerland, Communist China and Venezuela

European Union: The 27-member European Union reached an agreement recently for a migration pact. The measure provides solidarity for countries of entry through financial support. Most migrants have been entering Europe from the south from North Africa or Asia. Italy, Spain, Greece and Malta have had to accommodate the most migrants, even though most migrants do not necessarily settle in those States. The deal also includes accelerated procedures for asylum for refugees and faster deportations. The pact is thus focused mostly on security and economics than on the freedom of migrants. It is intended not only to share responsibilities among members and to discourage human trafficking, but to take away some of the political exploitation of the migrant issue by populist nationalists on the xenophobic far right ahead of elections for the European Parliament. Even though the measure is tough on migrants, the authoritarian anti-migrant Hungarian Government opposes it because it is not restrictive enough. Other than Ukrainian refugees, the self-described “illiberal” Hungary is not attractive to migrants, but the ruling party demagogues migrants, like other far-right parties and politicians in Europe and America. Switzerland: Switzerland has joined the European air defense system. The Helvetian Confederation has long had a policy of neutrality, but the move is a counter to the Russian Federation because of Russian aggression against Ukraine. Switzerland is engaged in the partnership program of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, the defensive pact led by the United States, which the Swiss Government has said it would side with in case of an attack by Russia on NATO territory. Switzerland had placed economic sanctions on Russia. Finland and Sweden abandoned their longtime policies of neutrality to join NATO because of Russian aggression, as I have posted. Russian tyrant Vladimir Putin, ex-Soviet intelligence officer, is trying to restore the Soviet Union Communist China: The United States, Australia and Japan recently established a defense pact. It is the latest of many security agreements negotiated by the U.S. in the Pacific to counter Communist China that I have been posting about. Venezuela: Chile recently accused the Socialist regime of Venezuela of murdering a Venezuelan exiled opposition politician in February on its soil. The U.S. imposed additional economic sanctions on Venezuela for the unfairness of the presidential election, in which the opposition candidate was barred, and other opposition leaders have been attacked or prosecuted. The Venezuelan opposition has united behind a new candidate, a former ambassador, for the election scheduled for July. As I have posted, the Socialists were elected in 2002, but have become authoritarian to remain in power ever since by denying free and fair elections, only conducting them to make themselves appear legitimate by ensuring their own victories, in the same manner as Russia and Turkey.

Latest Russian Developments: Propaganda Influencing Congress, Espionage in Europe, Withdrawal from Nagorno-Karabakh

Propaganda Influencing Congress: The United States House of Representatives Foreign Affairs and Intelligence Committee Chairmen have both said recently that Russian propaganda is influencing fellow Republican Representatives, particularly against military aid for Ukraine to defend it against Russian aggression. Other GOP Representatives have said that some of their Republican caucus members are in favor of Russia and its leader, ex-Soviet intelligence officer Vladimir Putin, who seeks to restore the Soviet Union, including conquering the former Soviet Republic of Ukraine. The House GOP majority delayed passage until yesterday of the Ukrainian aid bill, which was opposed by presumptive nominee Donald Trump, until the end of this week and most voted against it. I shall post an update after that bill and other key security bills are enacted. Espionage in Europe: The Czech Republic and Belgium last week accused Russia of paying far-right Members of the European Parliament, the legislative body of the European Union, to spread pro-Russian propaganda. Russia sometimes funds parties on the extereme right or left that are sympathetic to it. Meanwhile, Austria is in the midst of a Russian espionage scandal, as the neutral central European State has long been vulnerable to spies. Also, Germany arrested Russian spies based in America who intended to disrupt the flow of materiel to Ukraine. Withdrawal from Nagorno-Karabakh: Russian troops have begun to withdraw from the ethnic Armenian enclave of Nagorno-Karabakh in Azerbaijan. They were supposed to serve as peacekeepers, but failed to prevent the Azeris from seizing the breakaway territory that had been controlled by Armenian separatists since in independence in 1991 and supported by neighboring Armenia through a series of wars and military conflicts. All but 10% of the 120,000 Armenians, who are Christians, residing in the enclave fled to Armenia instead of living under a predominantly Azeri dictatorship. Armenia, which feels threatened by the fellow former Soviet Republic of Azerbaijan, has shifted its allegiance from Russia toward the West after the betrayal by the Russians. The shift comes as other former Soviet Republics that are members of organizations led by Russia have been re-evaluating their relationship with Russia after its aggression against Ukraine.

Appeasement of Russia Would be Violate Conservative Principles and Threaten Security

The modern conservative movement in America was founded in the 1930s on opposition to appeasement, in addition to the opposition to the New Deal policies of the liberal Democrats. Appeasement refers to the policy of placating foreign States that commit aggression, the unjust conquest by force or threat of force of the territory of another internationally recognized state, by accepting some of their conquests in the vain hope of satisfying their tyrannical leaders’ thirst for territory and power. The policy of appeasement was infamously adopted by the leading Western European States in 1938, after the Axis Powers, which already possessed far more territory than currently, had been committing aggression against other States and absorbing them into their empires, starting in the mid-1930s. When Nazi Germany demanded the Sudetenland, the German-speaking western strip of neighboring Czechoslovakia, the Western Powers agreed to allow Germany to seize the territory, in exchange for a promise not to seize the rest of Czechoslovakia, hoping that German tyrant Adolph Hitler would be satisfied only with uniting the German-speaking areas to his country, thereby avoiding a major war in Europe between the Axis Powers and the other Great Powers. But instead, the weakness encouraged Hitler by whetting his appetite for more conquest. Nazi Germany soon invaded and conquered the rest of Czechoslovakia. After the German-Soviet invasion of Poland in 1939, Europe and eventually most of the rest of the world were plunged into the Second World War. Conservatives drew the lesson from the failure of appeasement of the necessity of a strong defense and a foreign policy that recognizes and confronts threats to global security, instead of accepting and encouraging aggression. The opposition to aggression has been a cornerstone of United States and international foreign policy ever since and various attempts at conquest have been opposed, usually successfully. The latest example has been the attempts by The Russian Federation, which is the successor to the Soviet Union, and the rump state to both it and the Russian Empire. Its current tyrant, Vladimir Putin, is an ex-Soviet intelligence officer who is trying to restore the Soviet Union and Russian Empire. Following a somewhat similar pattern to the Axis Powers, he has engaged in a series of aggressions. Russia invaded Georgia in 2008, seizing separatist territories to set up puppet states and then further encroached on Georgian territory and violated a promise to withdraw, has stationed troops in Moldova in support of a breakaway territory inhabited by Russian speakers since the time of the Russian Empire, seized Crimea from Ukraine in 2014, in violation of its agreement to recognize its neighbors’ independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity, fomented separatism in the Russian-speaking parts of eastern Ukraine, and launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022 to conquer the rest of it, after annexing Crimea and eastern Ukraine. Georgia, Moldova, and Ukraine are former Soviet Republics. Russia paid little price for invading Georgia, and suffered some serious economic sanctions for conquering Crimea, but not comprehensive sanctions and no military consequences and was thus not deterred. It is shocking, therefore, that some “conservatives” in America or Europe today openly advocate for appeasement (in all but name) of Russia, for the sake of the “national interest” of America or European States, even though it is contrary to U.S. interest. There is a vocal wing in the Republican-led U.S. Congress, as well as in conservative media and among ordinary party members that is isolationist, contrary to conservative principles, or even openly pro-Russian, despite Russian human rights violations, aggression, support for terrorist-sponsoring and other rogue regimes, interference in American and foreign elections, and various other machinations. Recent statements by GOP Senator Mike Lee of Utah opposing defending Europe against Russian aggression and a reported plan by the leading Republican presidential candidate, Donald Trump, to reward Russian aggression by allowing it to steal Ukrainian territory in exchange for peace, are the latest examples. Trump, who was successfully backed during his nomination and election to the presidency in 2016 by “systematic and sweeping” Russian election interference, in the words of a Republican special prosecutor which were confirmed by the Republican-led Senate Intelligence Committee, has been opposing the current bill in the House of Representatives for defensive aid to Ukraine that was easily approved by the GOP-led Senate. The delay in its passage has allowed Russia to make battlefield gains, similarly to how Trump’s delay of sending military aid during his presidency aided the Russian-backed separatists in eastern Ukraine. This policy of appeasement dangerously undermines American security. Because it ignores American and British security guarantees given to Ukraine after its independence in 1991, in exchange for giving up the Soviet nuclear missiles on its soil because of Russia’s concern about its security, in which Russia agreed to accept Ukraine’s borders, it encourages nuclear proliferation, instead of discouraging it. It would also pose a direct geopolitical security threat from Russia. Russia would be able to retain its claimed “sphere of influence” over all the former Soviet Republics that are recognized as independent States by Russia, the U.S. and internationally and are members of the United Nations. Those States would continue to be victimized by intimidation, cyberattacks, election interference and other hybrid attacks, and would certainly be victimized by Russian aggression, in one form or another. These free States which want to continue to enjoy closer relations and trade with the U.S. and the West would thus lose not only their independence, but their liberty and representative government, while Americans would thus lose faithful allies to an increasingly menacing Russia. The abandonment of allies would damage American credibility and its and its allies’ effective deterrence of hostile States around the world, including Russian allies like Communist China and North Korea. Russia would then be able, as it has in the former Soviet Republic of Belarus, to advance both its conventional and nuclear forces closer to Western Europe and America, thereby increasing its threat to Western security. Furthermore, Russia would also be able to exercise greater influence over former Soviet Satellite States in Eastern Europe and elsewhere. The world would thus again be under increased threat to violent tyrants conquering whatever territories they desired, as in the 1930s, with political and economic uncertainty eroding the relative order of the post-war world that has brought peace, freedom and prosperity on an unprecedented scale in human history. I have posted repeatedly how Trumpism is a populist mix of ideas that are not conservative, such as protectionism, nativism and isolationism, but the appeasement of Russian aggression would not only violated a core conservative principle, but would be Trumpism’s most dangerous policy that would threaten American and global security, which Putin is eager to see implemented.

Foreign Digest: Hungary, Venezuela and Europe

Hungary: Tens of thousands of Hungarians protested yesterday against the self-described “illiberal” authoritarian far-right Government of Hungary, led by the opposition leader. As I have posted, the anti-migrant party has recently suffered a series of corruption scandals that are challenging its hold on power. Venezuela: There were more protests today by Venezuelans around the world, including in America, in favor of free elections. As I have noted, the Socialist regime has made it difficult for Venezuelans living abroad to register to vote. After the Venezuelan regime had reached an agreement through mediation with the opposition, it agreed to allow free and fair elections, but then violated the agreement by barring the leading candidate from holding office, forcing the opposition to substitute her at the last minute. Other accord violations include attacks on and imprisonment of opposition members. The Socialists have ruled the South American States since being elected in 2000, but have become authoritarian by restricting freedoms while using elections to maintain a false legitimacy, similar to Russia and Turkey. After the opposition won the 2015 national legislative elections by a more-than two-thirds majority, the Socialists prevented some from be seated and then supplanted the assembly with an appointed body. The assembly leader declared himself president under a constitutional provision and was recognized by the United States, many Latin American, Western and other European States. Europe: The conservative European Union leader, who is seeking re-election, backed by the center-right group of parties from member States, warned today that friends of Russian tyrant Vladimir Putin, the ex-Soviet intelligence officer trying to restore the Soviet Union and Russian Empire, are trying to divide and destroy Europe, namely far-right nationalist anti-migrant parties, some of which have been funded by Russia. Some of these far-right parties oppose defending the former Soviet Republic of Ukraine against Russian aggression. She identified some of the parties, which have similar beliefs as Trumpists do in America, as populist and demagogic.

Fifteen-Year Blog Visit Report

In the fifteen years since StatCounter has been tracking visits to and pageviews of my blog, there have been over 7,550 unique visits, not including my own and counting only pageviews at least one hour apart. The figure also does not count the increasing number of pageviews StatCounter tracks without being able to specify the page, which have become the overwhelming majority of visits. As has been the case the last few years, few search query details are ever tracked anymore, as visitors have increased their privacy controls, which also makes much fewer visits and pageviews trackable at all than what the blog host, Blogger tracks. The other trend of the last few years continues of most of the visits being to the blog homepage, although recent and older posts are also viewed. Visitors continue to come from around the world, especially America and Western Europe. Thank you for visiting my blog. Please continue to visit regularly as the defense of good language, equality, liberty and representative government are more vital than ever.

Foreign Digest: Hungary and Venezuela

Hungary: There were mass protests last week against the far-right authoritarian Hungarian government after the leaking of an audiotape that incriminates government officials in corruption. The public revelation by a public official comes after the resignation of the Vice President over the scandalous pardon of a criminal who had been convicted of abusing a minor. Authoritarian governance is often corrupt because of the diminishment of checks and balances, transparency and dissent. Venezuela: The popular opposition Venezuelan presidential candidate was barred by the Socialist dictatorship from holding office for 15 years, which violated a deal mediated between the government and opposition I had posted about. The center-right candidate continued to campaign, but resigned as the nominee in favor of noted philosophy professor, until her candidacy was challenged by the regime’s election officials. At the last moment, the opposition filed the required paperwork for a new opposition presidential candidate by the deadline, a former provincial Governor. In another example of the undermining of the integrity of the elections in Venezuela, the 5.2 million Venezuelans abroad are experiencing difficulty in registering to vote, which has led to protests at some of Venezuela’s diplomatic missions. Also, after several opposition leaders sought diplomatic sanctuary in Argentina’s embassy, Venezuela cut off the embassy's electricity. There were more demonstrations in favor of the release of political prisoners, joined in the call by scores of non-governmental organizations. Their release is one of the chief goals of the opposition. The Socialists took power in the South American State in 2004 through elections, but became increasingly authoritarian. Like Russia and Turkey, the oppressive regime has not permitted fully free and fair elections, but only enough of a process of voting to give the dictatorship a false appearance of legitimacy

Happy Easter! Thoughts on Religious Persecution and Freedom of Religion

Happy Easter! Today, we celebrate the Resurrection of Jesus Christ that saves us and gives us Hope in eternal Paradise. As many of Jesus’ disciples were martyred, so Christians around the world have continued to sacrifice their lives to give witness to their faith. There has been persecution of Christians by non-Christians particularly in the Old World, as well as of the practitioners of other religions, but there is also persecution of Christians practicing their faith even in the New World. I have been posting about the repression in Nicaragua by the Marxist Sandinista regime against political opponents, civic and religious organizations, especially the Catholic Church, and how Bishops and Priests have been arrested or drive into exile. This Easter, for the second consecutive year, because of the intolerance by the dictatorship for the freedom of religion, there will be no public Easter processions. In Communist Cuba, there has been an increase in religious persecution, including preventing dissidents from attending Sunday Mass. A particular target for this crackdown on protestors I had posted about earlier this month is the women who demonstrate in favor of the release of political prisoners. Freedom of religion is fundamental to liberty, as it is the basis for all other freedoms for people to have the liberty to practice morality by expressing opposition to evil and support of good. And it is upon the natural law belief, as expressed in the American Creed in the Declaration of Independence that God created everyone equal and free, that the liberty of everyone depends. Freedom of religion is therefore a threat to tyrants or the powerful who are immoral, and a safeguard for those who oppose them. But like any freedom or right, it must not be used by the people like the jealous populist crowd who demanded the Roman Procurator of Judea free another prisoner over Jesus or for any other unjust reason, but used responsibly in a just manner.

Another Increase in American Defense Is Enacted

The President of the United States, Joe Biden, signed into law a bipartisan temporary funding bill for several key departments, particularly Defense, to avert a shutdown after the expiration of congressional authorization to spend money. Although a liberal Democrat, Biden has consistently signed increases in defense spending, including pay raises for servicemen and retirees. The bill passed both Republican-led chambers of Congress with support of most Republicans and Democrats, with significant opposition from libertarians who oppose every spending measure and fiscal conservatives because of the overall spending level, thereby risking a fiscally and politically costly government shutdown. A critical bill that passed the Senate for defensive aid to Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan remains held up in the House because of opposition from GOP leader Donald Trump and pro-Russian far-right members after the majority rejected a bipartisan-negotiated tough but fair border security reform. Republicans had insisted on an even more rigid border policy than under current law in exchange for support for Ukraine, but far-right Trumpist rejected the deal not only to prevent a political victory for Biden during an election year, but because of nativism and demagoguery about migrants, despite the economic need for more workers because of the labor shortage that has contributed to inflation, and the benefit of refugees seeking asylum from persecution because of their greater appreciation for freedom. Furthermore, unfair restrictions on legal migration incentivize irregular migration, instead of a more reasonable approach that balances freedom, security and economic benefit, which was proposed by the bipartisan negotiators. As I have noted, Trumpism, a populist mix of protectionism, nativism and isolationism, is anathema to conservatism.

Foreign Digest: Russia, Cuba and the Gaza Strip

Russia: The United States, Canada and most European States denounced the Russian presidential elections as illegitimate because they failed to meet the standard for being free and fair. A Russian human rights organization, whose leader is imprisoned, like many critics, described it as the most fraudulent in Russian history. Ukraine and the Ukrainian council of churches condemned particularly the forced votes in the areas of eastern Ukraine annexed by Russia. Cuba: Despite an intolerance by the Communist regime of Cuba for the freedom of expression, there have been more protests by Cubans as the socialist Cuban economy faces severe supply shortfalls. The dictatorship has been arresting more dissidents. Gaza Strip: I ignored protestors demonstrating in support of a ceasefire to prevent the overthrow by Israel of Hamas, the Iranian-backed terrorist organization that rules the self-governing territory of the Gaza Strip, as I passed by them to conduct my official business at Reading’s City Hall. If they or the professional media had asked my opinion, I would have said that I stand with those Gazans who oppose Hamas and the other terrorist organizations based there that are sponsored by the Islamic Republic of Iran, the worst state sponsor of terrorism in the world. Hamas, Islamic Jihad and the al-Aqsa Brigade launched attacks targeting Israeli civilians in October 2023 that killed over a thousand people, including Americans and other Westerners, injured thousands more, and took hundreds hostage. They and Hezbollah, the Iranian-backed Lebanese Shi’ite terrorist organization, have been firing missiles indiscriminately at Israel since then. Hamas and the other terrorists based themselves in civilian areas deliberately to use them as human shields or to blame the Israelis for civilian casualties as Israel conducts operations to destroy Hamas. The United States and its allies support Israeli self-defense against Hamas and the other terrorists.

Russian Supporters of Liberty Protest the Russian Presidential Elections

The Russian presidential elections took place this weekend, but they were not free and fair amidst an intolerance of freedom of expression and of any significant competition. Ex-Soviet intelligence officer Vladimir Putin, who has ruled Russia tyrannically since 1999, either as president or prime minister, is assured of another six-year term, after constitutional changes he proposed ended term limits. The Kremlin-controlled Russian electoral commission, which had barred two serious opposition candidates from standing for president, will count the votes and, as they have a history of doing, will ensure that the totals only show a large win for Putin, with only a token opposition to provide a false sense of democratic legitimacy. Ballot stuffing and multiple voting are two methods the regime uses to ensure itself a large vote total. A victory for Putin has thus been pre-arranged, with the result not the significance of the election, but only the propaganda value of a large margin of victory. Only parties and candidates that do no criticize Putin are allowed to stand for office or get elected. But the liberal opposition took advantage of the opportunity to stage a brilliant form of protest that could not subject them to arrest, unlike any other peaceful protest. Different factions of the opposition offered various suggestions for demonstrating their disapproval of Putin, either by boycotting the election or by showing up to vote at the same time today, which thousands of Russians did across the Russian Federation and also at Russian diplomatic missions abroad where Russian citizens could vote. The protestors opted to spoil their ballots by voting for more than one candidate, or writing in the name of late Russian liberal leader Alexei Navalny or anti-Putin or anti-war slogans, or voting for one of the three Kremlin-tolerated opposition candidates. There were also numerous incidents of vandalism of polling stations. Navalny had approved the plan before the opposition leader was killed by the Putin regime in an arctic prison last month on political charges. But the Putin regime could not hide the long voting lines today and the photographs Russian voters took of their spoiled ballots. The protest was also intended to reassure Russians, despite the repression of dissent that has fragmentated the opposition, with many opponents in prison or exile, that they are not alone in their desire for liberty and representative government.

Save Time (and Money) and Improve Health and Safety by Abolishing Wasteful Daylight Saving Time

Daylight Saving Time should be abolished, and with it the wasteful, in terms of time and money, semi-annual changing of the clocks, with its disruption of the circadian rhythm for sleep, harmful health effects, and increase in automobile accidents. Although some people appreciate the earlier light in the afternoon after the switch to DST and even propose to remain on DST permanently as a solution to the problems caused by having to change the clocks, they forget that no law can alter daylight by changing the revolution of the earth around the sun and thus increase the total amount of daylight whatsoever. The tradeoff for an hour more of sunlight in the afternoon, therefore, is an hour less of it in the morning and thus an increase of accidents, including for pedestrians, especially for students on the way to school. Remaining on standard time, in synchrony with the sun, would be the healthiest and safest solution.

Latest Updates on Russia, Ukraine and Moldova

Russian War Crimes: The World Criminal Court issued arrest mandates to two Russians for war crimes committed in Ukraine as part of the Russian aggression against the former Soviet Republic. The Court has already issued an arrest warrant for Russian tyrant Vladimir Putin, the ex-Soviet intelligence officer who is trying to restore the Soviet Union/Russian Empire. Meanwhile, the Bishop who is the head of the Ukrainian Catholic Church made a pastoral visit to the United States, where there are many Parishes in the Eastern Rite Church, which is in full Communion with the Catholic Pope. He pleaded for more American aid to Ukraine to defend itself against the Russians. The Bishop reported the killing and imprisonment of Priests and the destruction or damage of hundreds of churches and other spiritual structures in the territories occupied by the Russians, as Russia deliberate target religions other than those Ukrainian Orthodox churches loyal to the Russian Orthodox Church, which is loyal to Putin. The Ukrainian Orthodox Church is the largest church in Ukraine. It had split from the Russian Orthodox Church before the full-scale Russian invasion. The second largest church is the Catholic Church, mostly Latin Rite, but also Eastern Rite. The Ukrainian Catholic Bishop also noted the lack of religious freedom not only for Catholics, but Protestant Christians, Jews and Muslims in Russian-occupied Ukraine. Russia has been conducting genocide against Ukraine to destroy its culture, as “Czar” Putin falsely claims Ukrainians do not have a separate identity from Russians. Before it was part of the Soviet Union, Ukraine, like all former Soviet Republics and much of the Russian Federation, had been part of the Russian Empire. but with its own language, history and culture. Russian Intimidation of Exiles: Russia has labeled Garry Kasparov, the greatest chess player in history who is a conservative Russian opposition leader living in exile in America, a “terrorist.” As I have posted, dictatorships label any opponent as “terrorist,” including not only guerillas who attack government targets, as opposed to targeting innocent civilians to cause mass terror, which is the definition of terrorism, but even those who simply exercise their freedom to express criticism. And as I have also posted, Russia charges exiles with crimes and even assaults or murders them on foreign soil, including with radioactive and chemical weapons. Russian Interference in Moldova: Moldova, a former Soviet Republic, accuses Russia of interference in local elections, funding anti-government protests, engaging in disinformation and even bribery of voters. Russia maintains troops in a breakaway part of Moldova next to the Ukrainian border against Moldova’s wishes. Russia is trying to discourage the approval of a Moldovan European Union membership referendum later this year. In the meantime, like much of Europe, Moldova has weaned itself off Russian energy to become more independent, after Russia had hiked prices to bully it, as well as increased its defense spending. Although constitutionally neutral, Moldova and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization have an official partnership. Like other former Soviet Republics and Soviet Satellite States in Eastern Europe, Ukrainians and Moldovans prefer liberty and representative government and to trade with the West, instead of being dominated by a Russia imperialist “czar.”

Update: Sweden Has Joined the North Atlantic Treaty Organization

After a policy of neutrality during the Cold War, dating back even to before the Second World War, Sweden has joined the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, the most successful defensive pact in history, as its membership has been formally accepted by NATO. Although Sweden had long been a strategic partner of NATO because of threats from the Russian Federation, the full-scale Russian aggression against Ukraine prompted the shift in Swedish policy, just as it did in neighboring Finland, which had also been neutral since the start of the Cold War in the post-Second World War period, as Finland shares a long border with the Soviet Union and its Russian successor. Sweden has a small border with Russia, but also shares the waters of the Baltic Sea. NATO, which has 32 members, is led by the United States. Its strength relies on its provision that obliges support from each of the other members if any one member were attacked. The only time it was invoked was by the U.S. after the September 11, 2001 Terrorist Attacks by the Islamist al-Qaeda terrorists. Through this mutual pledge of defense of allies, the Soviet Union and Russia have thus been deterred from invading NATO members since its founding in 1949, which has kept the peace in Europe, enhanced American security by deterring aggression and thus keeping Russian conventional and nuclear forces from getting any closer, and encouraged transatlantic trade that has fostered prosperity.

Updates on Russia, Ukraine and Moldova

The Russian opposition: A Russian dissident who is the co-founder and co-leader of the Memorial Foundation, a 2022 Nobel Peace Prize-winning organization, was sentenced to prison last week for criticizing Russian aggression against Ukraine. The Nobel Committee accused the Russian Federation of attempting to silence critics. Longtime Russian tyrant Vladimir Putin is an ex-Soviet intelligence officer who is trying to restore the Soviet Union/Russian Empire. Although only a few were allowed in the church for the funeral Mass yesterday for Alexei Navalny, the center-right leader for the cause of liberty and representative government in Russia who died under harsh imprisonment for his political opposition, thousands of Russians gathered outside the church, in the Russian winter and amid heavy police presence, after the Kremlin had warned that protesters would face prosecution. The mourners chanted that Russia would be free and other anti-Putin statements. There were relatively few arrests there, but across Moscow and another 18 cities, there have been over a hundred arrests, as the freedom of peaceful assembly is not tolerated. Many Russians are continuing to pay their respects at Navalny’s grave. As I had posted, over 400 Russians were arrested after protesting the death of Navalny, the biggest protests since the first six months after Russia’s aggression against Ukraine two years ago. Thousands were prosecuted and given harsh prison sentences after those protests. As I have posted, Putin will allow only non-critical opponents in the upcoming presidential elections, but the Russian opposition is a witness to the Kremlin’s oppression gives hope and honor to the Russian people. Israeli support for Ukraine: Israel announced last week that it is supplying defense aid to Ukraine. Israel has grown concerned about Russia’s closeness to Iran, which exports Islamist revolution and is the worst state sponsor of terrorism in the world, including Hamas and the Islamic Jihad, who murdered over a thousand Israelis in October. Russia is allied with Hezbollah, the Iranian-backed Lebanese terrorist organization, in support of the tyrannical Assad regime of Syria’, Iran main ally. The United States, Canada, most European States, and several East Asian States have imposed sanctions on Russia and many have supplied humanitarian or even defense aid to Ukraine. Russian aggression was widely condemned around the world, including overwhelmingly through the United Nations, but most States try to maintain diplomatic neutrality. The shift in Israel’s position toward a more pro-Ukrainian stance is encouraging. Russian attacks on the West to influence elections: Italy’s intelligence agencies issued a report accusing Russia of being the most active actor in hybrid attacks against Italy and the West, using espionage, cyberattacks, disinformation, and the manipulation of migratory flows, particularly aimed at influencing the upcoming European parliamentary elections. Russia has particularly been trying lately to undermine Western support for Ukraine. Release of Ukrainian children kidnapped by Russia: A Vatican envoy who is the head of the Italian Bishops Conference was able to get Russia to release many children kidnapped from Ukraine, one of many documented war crimes committed by the Russians. Thousands of children, as well as adults, remain in Russia. The papal envoy has been trying to mediate an end to the war. The return of kidnappees has been a priority of the Holy See, in addition to the ending the war. Russian interference in Moldova: The Russian speaking separatists in the breakaway Moldovan region of Transnistria, on the border with Ukraine have request diplomatic recognition as a show of support from Russia. Russia maintains troops there against Moldova’s wishes. The U.S. and its allies support Moldovan sovereignty. Moldova, which, like Ukraine is a former Soviet Republic, is concerned about a Russian invasion, as Putin claims a right to protect Russian-speakers as an excuse to restore the Soviet Empire. Moldova seeks membership in the European Union and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization.

Foreign Digest: Communist China, Papua New Guinea and Iran

Communist China and Papua New Guinea: Papua New Guinea last week rejected a Communist Chinese proposal to station police on its soil. Peking uses the presence of police on foreign soil against exiles. The United States, which had signed a security agreement with Papua New Guinea last year that I had posted about, had discouraged the move. The U.S. has been trying to counter growing Communist Chinese influence in the Pacific. Iran: There was record-low turnout in the parliamentary elections in the Islamic Republic of Iran yesterday, as opponents to the theocratic Islamist regime urged non-participation to deprive the elections, which are not free and fair, of legitimacy. The tyrannical Iranian theocracy only permits candidates who do not oppose Islamism, and do not permit basic freedoms.

Foreign Digest: NATO, Communist China, Palau and Venezuela

NATO: Although United States President Joe Biden is a liberal, he supports the candidacy of the center-right Prime Minister of the Netherlands as the next Secretary-General of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. The center-left Biden has increased American defense spending every year and taken a tough stand against Russian aggression amidst other global threats. The change in leadership in NATO comes at a time both when the organization is at its strongest in the face of Russian aggression against Ukraine, which is a neighbor to NATO and a strategic partner that is seeking full membership, and with Finland having recently joined and Sweden soon to join because the two formerly neutral Nordic States fear Russia, but also faced with uncertainty because of the presidential candidacy of pro-Russian Donald Trump, who does not recognize the benefit of the alliance to American security and thus treats it like a protection racket, instead of the most successful defensive pact in history. Communist China and Palau: The Prime Minister of Palau last week exposed Communist Chinese attempts to lure the U.S. ally to recognize diplomatically Communist China over the Republic of China on Taiwan. Peking promises grand projects to boost tourism to the Pacific island State that is in free association with the U.S. Communist China has been successful in luring other States around the world to switch their recognition from Taiwan, which is the part of China that the Communists were unable to capture during the Chinese Civil War in 1949 and to which the government and supporters of the Republic of China fled. The U.S. has been countering Communist Chinese moves in the Pacific through security guarantees and trade relations. The failure of the U.S. Congress to ratify the new Free Association agreement signed last year with Palau, the Federated States of Micronesia an the Marshall Islands is creating an opportunity for Peking to exploit. Although the three States in Micronesia became independent in the 1980s and 90s from American administration since the Second World War, they have been in free association with the U.S., with the U.S. responsible for their defense, among other close ties. Venezuela: The opposition to the Venezuelan Socialist dictatorship has compiled a dossier cataloguing a multitude of violations by the regime of the accord mediated between the opposition, who favors liberty and representative government, and the dictatorship, to hold free and fair elections. The dossier was sent to Norway, which had mediated the accord last year in Barbados. Venezuela’s Socialist regime barred the united opposition candidate from seeking the presidency in the elections later this year. The Socialists have ruled since being elected in 2000 and then consolidating power through authoritarianism. The opposition candidate, who is conservative, is leading in the polls, as she continued to campaign, despite the ban on her candidacy.

Second Anniversary of the Russo-Ukrainian War and other Russian Machinations

It has been two years since the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022, which came after the Russian Federation had seized part of Ukraine in 2014 and fomenting a secessionist rebellion in eastern Ukraine. Russia is committing aggression, war crimes and genocide against its neighboring former Soviet Republic, despite having recognized Ukraine’s independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity, in exchange for the removal of Soviet nuclear arms from Ukrainian soil and a compromise over the Soviet Black Sea Fleet. But Russia is led by Vladimir Putin, an ex-Soviet intelligence officer who intends to restore the Soviet Union. The tyrant had invaded another former Soviet Republic, Georgia, in 2008, and keeps troops in a breakaway part of another, Moldova, against its wishes, among various attempts to reconstitute the Soviet Empire. Putin’s aggression is a threat to European allies and trading partners of the United States and to America directly, as his advances bring his conventional and nuclear forces closer, while his aggression would encourage other dictators were it to succeed, thereby undermining the principles of independence and self-determination. In addition to deterring aggression, Ukraine is enhancing American and world security by degrading the capacity of the world’s most powerful rogue state, which is being aided by other rogues, like Iran and North Korea. Even short of invasions, Putin interferes in the politics of other States, including not only former Soviet Republics and satellites, but in Western Europe and America, with propaganda to promote Russian interests and disinformation to create divisions, undermine confidence in the truth and in elections, and to support election outcomes favorable to his interests. The Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff of a North Atlantic Treaty Organization ally, Italy, has observed an intensification of Russian disinformation that seeks not only to portray Russian aggression against Ukraine favorably, but to suggest military aid for Ukraine is futile, even though the Russian economy cannot support the war over the long term, particularly in light of increasingly strict international economic sanctions, according to ANSA, the Italian wire service. ANSA reports that he noted Russian disinformation is intended to influence elections and emphasized NATO as the best defense for liberty and representative government. Russia last week banned Radio Liberty/Radio Free Europe, the U.S. broadcasters of news and information from a pro-freedom and representative government perspective, as the Czar cannot tolerate any domestic dissent. The U.S. last week urged all Americans to leave Russia, even those with dual citizenship, after yet another U.S. citizen was taken into custody in Russia unjustly. In addition to political interference, Putin engages in direct attacks on other States, including cyberattacks, or even physical attacks, such as recently in NATO ally Estonia, a former Soviet Republic, where Russian agents vandalized a Cabinet Minister’s car, a Jewish site and a monument, in addition to poisonings of exiled Russians on foreign soil with radioactive chemicals or nerve gas. The Republican-led U.S. Senate approved more defense aid to Ukraine earlier this month by a more than two-thirds majority, but the Trumpist GOP leadership of the House of Representatives has blocked any vote for aid, even though a similar-sized majority of members support aiding Ukraine for the sake of American security through the deterrence of aggression. The delay by the House is causing a depletion of Ukrainian munitions and battlefield advances by Russia. Ukraine has been able to hold out far longer than the few days that Putin expected because of the tenacity of the Ukrainian people and the unity of the U.S. and its allies in opposing aggression, but the hard-won sacrifices of Ukrainians must not be rendered useless by giving any more ground back to the aggressor.

Restore Washington's Birthday as a Unifying Holiday, Instead of Exacerbating Divisions over Other Presidents

I post every year that Washington’s Birthday should be restored as a holiday, which is the legal name of the federal holiday, but not that of most States in the American Union and not in common parlance, as it is usually referred to as “Presidents’ Day” or some iteration thereof, and the holiday is never celebrated on George Washington’s February 22 birthday. I note the day is intended to honor Washington not only for his presidency, but for his contributions as the General who led the Continental Army to victory in the War of American Independence and as a Founding Father of the United States. The focus on the presidency on this holiday thus limits the focus of his greatness only to one aspect, while the focus on Presidents in general detracts greatly from Washington, who is not only the first and greatest President, but the indispensable man of the American Revolution. I have noted how this mis-directed focus includes honoring scoundrels or discussing presidential errors. This year, it especially is divisive because of a greater than usual focus on ratings of the Presidents by historians. Such ratings are always controversial, but are exacerbated by the obvious ideological bias of the historians toward the left, although nowadays there is also some danger of bias by some on the far right. Furthermore, historians should know better than to judge incumbent Presidents, without sufficient perspective, let alone access to the full historical record, which even makes it difficult for historians to judge recent predecessors fully. Thus, instead of the holiday serving as a unifying event, in practice it exacerbates the divisions harming America. Restore Washington’s Birthday as the name of State holidays and in thus in common parlance, observe it on February 22, and focus on the greatness of Washington as an inspiring example to Americans of civic duty and respect for liberty, equality, and representative government.

European Digest: Updates on the European Union and the Measles Outbreak

European Union: Italy will lead the European Union’s mission in the Red Sea to protect international shipping from attacks by the Iranian-backed Houthi Shi’ite rebels of northern Yemen. The EU mission is in addition to the international one lead by the United States, with which some European and EU members are participating. Meanwhile, the EU leader, who is seeking another term, is proposing a defense commission as an auxiliary to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, the mutual defense pact led by the United States that has deterred a Soviet/Russian invasion of Europe since 1949. Europeans are anxious because doubts have been raised about American commitment to world’s most successful defensive alliance in history because of the recent remarks by Donald Trump I posted about that treated the organization, which has been a bulwark of American security, as a protection racket that extorts its members to pay up, even though the organization does not rely on dues, but on mutual commitment to defense. Trump, whose candidacies for U.S. President were backed by Russia, encouraged the Russian invasion of NATO members who do not meet the voluntary goal of spending at least 2% of their gross domestic product on defense. Trump is currently discouraging the Trumpist-led U.S. House of Representatives from approving defensive aid to Ukraine, where Russian invaders have been advancing after American aid has run out. The EU and other European States have been trying to fill the gap to stop Russian aggression. American security depends on the support of the principles of independence, self-determination, and sovereignty and thus the opposition to aggression. Measles Outbreak: The measles outbreak in parts of both Eastern and Western Europe has spread to multiple countries in Western Europe. Anti-vaccination conspiracy theories on both the far left and the far right have decreased vaccination rates and thus the necessary herd immunity that had protected against such contagious diseases, as vaccines are effective and safe, and certainly better for health than the diseases they prevent. Measles, like certain other contagious diseases, had nearly been eradicated in America and Europe until the late 2000s, with the rise of the anti-vaccination movement. Vaccine hesitancy in Europe and America has been exacerbated both by libertarianism and Russian disinformation, which uses the anti-vaccination movement as a kind of biological warfare against the West.

Russia Has Killed Alexei Navalny and Barred a Center-Right Anti-War Presidential Candidate

The tyrannical Russia regime of Vladimir Putin has killed Alexei Navalny, the 47 year-old center-right leader for the cause of liberty and representative government in the Russian Federation. The political prisoner and founder of a persecuted political party and an organization that exposed the corruption of the regime had been imprisoned in harsh conditions on various prisons for four years, most recently above the Arctic Circle, as I had posted recently, and denied adequate medical care. The European Court of Human Rights and the leading private international human rights organization had condemned his mistreatment, which caused his death. Poisoned by nerve gas in 2020, Navalny fled to Germany for treatment, and then courageously returned to Russia, whereupon he was immediately arrested. I have often posted how Russia routinely uses radioactive chemicals or a particular kind of nerve gas to poison enemies at home or abroad, including Russians living in exile. As I have posted, journalists, human rights supporters, and opposition leaders are routinely persecuted, beaten or poisoned, murdered, or driven into exile. The judiciary is not independent in Russia, while Putin does not tolerate basic freedoms. The previous liberal leader, Boris Nemtsov, was shot and killed near the Kremlin in 2015. Both Nemtsov and Navalny had opposed the Russian annexation of Crimea. Currently, other opposition leaders, such as Victor Kara-Murza, are imprisoned or in exile. Kara-Murza, who has not been heard from in weeks, suffers a malady from two poisonings in 2015. He is serving a long prison sentence in Siberia for his criticism of the Russian aggression against Ukraine. There was outrage around the world against Putin for Navalny’s death. There were protests in dozens of cities across Russia, the largest in a year and a half since a wave of protests against the full-scale invasion of Ukraine. As usual, the Russian dictatorship responded with mass arrests and crackdowns even on the laying of flowers as a memorial. Four hundred Russian protestors were arrested. The protests come days after the Russian dictatorship rejected the appeal of the decision I had posted about by the electoral commission to bar Boris Nadezhdin, a center-right municipal legislator, professor and activist from standing for president against Putin in this year’s elections. Navalny had supported Nadezhdin’s candidacy. Only opposition candidates and parties, such as Communists and ultra-nationalists who do not criticize Putin are permitted to seek election to the presidency. Putin has ruled Russia either as President or Prime Minister for 24 years and his successful effort to repeal a constitutional prohibition on term limits will allow the ex-Soviet intelligence officer to remain in power until 2030. Navalny had urged Russians to vote for anyone but Putin, just as he had urged Russians to vote for any candidate for any office other than those from Putin’s party, which sometimes has been a successful strategy in demonstrating opposition to the dictatorship. Meanwhile, Russia has been advancing militarily in Ukraine while the Trumpist-led United States House of Representatives has continued to delay the funding of defensive aid to Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan, while European States have been trying to fill the gap with the vital support of the shipments of arms and munitions.

Italy Recalls the Foibe Massacres by Communists

On the anniversary last week of the Foibe massacres, Italy has opened a museum to remember the victims of the Foibe, which is a name for a certain type of deep ravines on the eastern coast of the Adriatic Sea, which were the scene of atrocities committed during the Second World War by Communists. Communist partisans under Josep Broz Tito massacred 15,000 Italian civilians from 1943 to 1945 in the former Yugoslavia in Italy and in what is now Slovenia and Croatia by throwing them into the foibe. Tito went on to become the dictator of Yugoslavia until his death in 1980. The partisans, who were fighting the Axis, targeted Italian fascists, but other non-fascist Italians were also victimized. The Italian population of the Istrian Peninsuala and Dalmatia was largely “ethnically cleansed,” to borrow a phrase invented in the 1990s in the former Yugoslavia by Serbs inspired by the Serbian Communist Yugoslav dictator at the time, as the many ethnic Italians who lived there were forcibly removed and their lands seized. The Communists tried to cover their crimes by destroying village population records. Leftwing anti-fascists had ever since ignored the Foibe massacres with a “wall of silence,” as the Italian President said in this year’s commemoration of the massacre, but in recent decades, Italy has treated the Foibe similarly to the various massacres committed by the Nazis against Italian civilians during the war, after Italy had joined the Allies in a War of Liberation. As there were tens of millions of victims of Communism around the world, it is easy to forget some of the individual incidents, even one that victimized thousands, but it is important to remember heinousness of the atrocities and the humanity of the victims, lest the evil ideology of Marxism become attractive again.

Donald Trump Encourages Russian Aggression against NATO Members

Donald Trump yesterday encouraged Russia to invade members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, the alliance in which the United States and the other allies pledge mutual defense against an attack. NATO is the most successful defensive pact in history, as it has deterred the Soviet Union and now its successor, the Russian Federation, whose leader, a former Soviet intelligence officer, is trying to restore the Soviet Empire. Members of the alliance have been increasing their defense spending for a decade since establishing the goal of spending at least 2% of their gross domestic product on defense. But Trump, who has criticized the alliance based on the defense spending levels of members since he made a trip to the Soviet Union in 1986 in which he was enticed to conduct business, falsely implies that the organization is based on dues that some are not paying to the organization, as if the U.S. is bearing an extra burden for their inadequate spending. Moreover, Trump wrongly believes the alliance is of no benefit to America, as if it were only to the benefit of the other members. In fact, the only time the NATO treaty provision for mutual self-defense was invoked was against al-Qaeda after the Islamist terrorist organization’s attacks on America on September 11, 2001 that killed a record three thousand people. Trump fails to appreciate that the deterrence of the mutual pledge of support of the members deters attacks, which thus protects American security from aggressors, particularly the Russian Federation, whose leader, Vladimir Putin, is an ex-Soviet intelligence officer intent on trying to restore the Soviet Empire. Among other machinations, Russia has invaded two former Soviet Republics, Georgia and Ukraine, and stations troops in a third, Moldova, without its consent. It backs the dictator of another, namely Belarus, and has stationed nuclear weapons there, thereby bringing them into closer range to NATO members. The defense forces of the other NATO members, and their willingness to station American and NATO forces on their soil, form a bulwark for the defense of the American homeland by deterring further Russian aggression. Trump, who lied about not continuing to conduct business with Russia during his presidential campaign in 2016, openly called for Russian interference in the elections against his opponent, which it began to do within minutes of his specific request. Trump accepted the Russian interference and his campaign coordinated messaging with information the Russians had stolen and released through their cut-out, which was only one facet of a “sweeping and systematic” Russian “active measures” campaign of interference in the American elections that won Trump the Republican presidential nomination and the general presidential election, according the Republican Special Counsel, U.S. intelligence agencies and the GOP-led Senate Intelligence Committee. In office, Trump undermined American policy of defense against Russia in a number of ways. Therefore, it is reasonable to fear that Russia would similarly heed Trump’s call to invade NATO members. I had posted last month that the U.S. defense bill that was signed into law included a provision that would require congressional approval of withdrawal from NATO, instead of only a presidential act, but the fear remains that Trump could simply undermine NATO in various other ways, as his recent comments encouraging more Russian aggression prove. Meanwhile, Putin’s American presidential candidate has been continuing to discourage continued Congressional approval of defense funding for Ukraine, which is aiding his friend Putin’s war of aggression and genocide. Trump’s candidacy should be considered disqualified by conservatives for several reasons, all of which are the result of his poor character, but his threat to American security is the most critical reason of all.

Russian Presidential Election Update: The Dictatorship Rejects the Center-Right Candidate

As expected, the Russian electoral commission last week rejected the presidential candidacy of the center-right anti-war candidate, Boris Nadezhdin, even though the municipal legislator, professor and television pundit had more than twice the requisite signatures. As I have posted, under Russian election law, candidate from parties not represented in Parliament, such as Nadezhdin’s, may either be nominated by a meeting of a certain number of people or gather the signatures of at least 100,000 people from a minimum number from each of at least 40 regions across the Russian Federation. Hundreds of thousands of Russians stood in lines in sub-zero weather to sign for Nadezhdin, whose platform was to end Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine and to engage with the West on friendlier terms. Jailed Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny and exiled Russian leaders supported Nadezhdin, whose support had unnerved the tyrannical regime of Vladimir Putin, the ex-Soviet intelligence officer. Putin has used elections to gain power and to rule as an autocrat for over 24 years as basic freedoms are not tolerated. In addition to journalists and human rights activists, political opponents are persecuted, jailed, assaulted, poisoned, murdered or driven into exile, and sometimes even murdered abroad. Only token opponents and parties that do not oppose Putin are tolerated to provide the appearance of democratic and thus popular support, while the Kremlin controls media, using state control for propaganda and disinformation. Nadezhdin plans to appeal the electoral commission’s challenges of certain signatures, but Putin has long since eliminated judicial independence in Russia. The authoritarian Putin had succeeded in eliminating term limits so he could continue to rule for another six years. There is no chance Nadezhdin would be allowed to win the presidential election, but his candidacy would be an platform for grievances against Putin and give hope to the Russian people for freedom, an embarrassment and threat which the Putin regime cannot allow.

Foreign Digest: Ukraine and Hungary, and Iran

Ukraine and Hungary: The European Union approved $50 billion military aid to Ukraine to defend it against Russian aggression, after Hungary dropped its objections regarding the budget. Decisions by the EU require unanimity among the 27 members. The move comes while American aid has been held up by populist Congressional Republicans who have been trying to use the aid to Ukraine and Israel, which is battling Iranian-backed terrorists, as leverage to force a deal to restrict refugees seeking asylum from persecution. Meanwhile, Hungary’s nationalist and illiberal Government is still blocking Sweden’s entry into the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, for which unanimity is also required among its members. Sweden abandoned its longtime neutrality after Russia invaded Ukraine, as did neighboring Finland, which joined NATO last year. Iran: The United States has been striking Iranian proxies in Iraq and Syria after one of the militant groups struck an American outpost in Jordan that supports the U.S. mission against Islamist terrorists, particularly the Islamic State, the offshoot of al-Qaeda. The attack by the Iranian-backed militants killed three Americans and wounded over two score more. The Islamic Republic of Iran, the greatest state sponsor of terrorism in the world, foments Islamic revolution of Muslims around the world. It supports terrorists and militants not only in Iraq and Syria, but in Lebanon, the Gaza Strip and Yemen, among other places. The U.S. has been striking pro-Iranian proxies in Syria and Iraq over the last three years and especially the last few months, after the militants increased their attacks.