World News Random, Random

[ponchi101]

It has been said before. The USA's foreign policy is run, in large part, by what Israel says.
So, nothing new.

[mmmm8]

"I think the biggest problems here are further destabilizing a very unstable region and US going with no plan (I'm guessing the Israeli government's plan is to become the victim rather than the perpetrator)."

Which region are you calling unstable?

West Antarctica. Those glaciers are melting!

[Owendonovan]

Remember, to criticize Israel is anti-semitic.......

[Owendonovan]

Is now the time for China to make its move on Taiwan?

[ti-amie]

'Not in Position to Evacuate': US Embassy in Jerusalem Issues Advisory to Nationals Stuck in Israel Amid Iran War
The Embassy has directed all U.S. government employees and their family members to continue sheltering in place at or near their residences until further notice. The Embassy emphasized that it is currently unable to evacuate or provide direct assistance for Americans seeking to depart Israel.

Ankita Paul

The U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem issued a Security Alert on March 2, 2026, urging American citizens in Israel, the West Bank, and Gaza to exercise extreme caution amid the ongoing volatile security situation across the region.

Due to heightened risks, including potential mortar, rocket, missile fire, and unmanned aircraft intrusions, the Embassy has directed all U.S. government employees and their family members to continue sheltering in place at or near their residences until further notice. The Embassy emphasized that it is currently unable to evacuate or provide direct assistance for Americans seeking to depart Israel.

For those planning independent departure, the Israeli Ministry of Tourism began operating shuttles to the Taba Border Crossing with Egypt as of March 2. Interested individuals must register in advance via the Ministry's evacuation form. Meeting points for buses include locations in Herzliya (Train Station Parking Lot), Haifa (Yad HaShmona Train Station Parking Lot), Jerusalem (Teddy Stadium, East Parking Lot), and Tel Aviv (Savidor Center Train Station Parking).

Passengers can proceed from Eilat by taxi to the Yitzhak Rabin Border Crossing into Jordan. The Taba crossing is operating 24 hours a day, though security conditions may lead to sudden closures. Some travelers may face visa fees at the border (U.S. citizens exiting only to the Sinai region are exempt). Advance payment of any applicable toll is recommended via the official website, as it is date-specific and non-refundable.

Limited flight options were reported from airports in Taba and Sharm al-Sheikh, Egypt. The Yitzhak Rabin crossing into Jordan accepts last passengers at 7:00 PM, while Queen Alia International Airport in Jordan was open with limited Royal Jordanian Airlines flights (delays expected).The Embassy stressed that it cannot endorse or recommend the Ministry's shuttles or other travel options, and the U.S. government cannot guarantee safety for those choosing to depart. Americans are advised to monitor border status via official sources and consult Israel Home Front Command guidance before traveling.

Key safety reminders include:

-Remain aware of surroundings and know the location of the nearest bomb shelter or protected space.

-Treat all "red alert" sirens as genuine and seek shelter immediately.

-Download the Israel Defense Forces Home Front Command app (or similar tools like Red Alert: Israel) for real-time alerts.

-Avoid demonstrations, large gatherings, and areas with heavy police presence.

-Monitor local media and follow instructions from Israeli authorities.

U.S. citizens are encouraged to enroll in the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) for emergency updates and to regularly check the State Department's website for the latest Travel Advisory for Israel, the West Bank, and Gaza, as well as the Worldwide Caution.

For assistance, contact: U.S. Embassy Jerusalem: +972-2-630-4000 or JerusalemACS@state.gov
U.S. Embassy Branch Office Tel Aviv: +972-3-519-7575 or TelAvivACS@state.gov
State Department Consular Affairs: +1-888-407-4747 (U.S./Canada) or +1-202-501-4444 (overseas)

The security environment remains fluid and unpredictable, with potential for rapid changes, including further U.S. government travel restrictions.

https://www.republicworld.com/world-new ... d-iran-war

NOTE: The actual alert is shown in this article. To say the least it's extraordinary to see this in writing from our government. If someone has X maybe they can post the image in the article

Paul Musgrave‬
‪@professormusgrave.bsky.social‬
· 18h
There are at least 10,000 Amcits in Qatar alone, and the US government is saying we are on our own

[ti-amie]

Is now the time for China to make its move on Taiwan?

Devil's Advocate: Why take the heat off of Tiny?

[Owendonovan]

With Hegseth running the military, I think 2 sides of the world in conflict would way beyond his abilities.

[ti-amie]

Trump Reveals Why There’s No Evacuation Plan for Trapped Americans
Americans remain trapped in the Middle East amid Trump’s war on Iran.

Hafiz Rashid/March 3, 2026/2:24 p.m. ET

Donald Trump admitted in the White House Tuesday that he didn’t have an evacuation plan for Americans in the Middle East before bombing Iran.

“Thousands of Americans are stranded. Why wasn’t there an evacuation plan?” a reporter asked Trump while he was meeting with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz.

“Well, because it happened all very quickly. We thought, and I thought, maybe more so than most, I could ask Marco [Rubio], but I thought we were going to have a situation where we were going to be attacked,” Trump said, going off on a tangent about Iran attacking countries around the region.

Nowhere in Trump’s response to the reporter’s question was there any concern about Americans who find themselves stuck in the Middle East with flights grounded.

U.S. embassies in the region have warned stranded U.S. citizens that they’re on their own, after the State Department urged Americans in 14 different countries to use any “available commercial transportation” to evacuate. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt on Tuesday directed Americans to the State Department’s Smart Traveller Enrolment Program, an old service that helps facilitate contact between American expatriates and U.S. embassies.

Meanwhile, the Trump administration’s seeming abandonment of Americans stuck in countries facing Iranian or Israeli attacks has drawn flak from politicians on social media. Former Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene complained on X that “American tax payers are forced to give Israel $3.8 BILLION every single year, and here is our own U.S. embassy in Jerusalem telling Americans good luck getting out, you are on your own.”

“Warnings to citizens to evacuate 3 days into this war, when airspace is closed, is a clear sign of ZERO strategy and planning by the Trump admin,” Democratic Senator Andy Kim posted on X. “Now Americans have limited options to evacuate at an extremely dangerous moment with no government assistance. This administration is failing its citizens.”

“So the State Department is forcing everyone to immediately leave the region but is also refusing to help people leave the region,” fellow Democrat and Senator Chris Murphy concurred. “The strike itself is illegal and disastrous but their lack of readiness for what comes next is unforgivable as well. Incompetence everywhere.”

All of this goes to show that the Trump administration did not have a plan for the aftermath of war on Iran, or for what to do with the collateral damage. Not only are American service members stuck in harm’s way, but ordinary citizens are too.

https://newrepublic.com/post/207286/tru ... t-iran-war

[ti-amie]

With Hegseth running the military, I think 2 sides of the world in conflict would way beyond his abilities.

U.S. Opens Military Action in Ecuador Against ‘Terrorist Organizations’
U.S. Special Forces soldiers are advising and supporting Ecuadorian commandos on raids across the country against suspected drug shipment facilities and other drug-related sites.

By Eric Schmitt
Reporting from Washington

March 3, 2026
Updated 10:34 p.m. ET

The United States and Ecuador have launched joint military operations against “designated terrorist organizations” in the South American country, the Pentagon said on Tuesday night, in what appeared to be a major expansion of the U.S. military’s unilateral strikes against boats in the Caribbean Sea and Eastern Pacific that the Trump administration has accused of carrying drugs.

U.S. Special Forces soldiers are advising and supporting Ecuadorian commandos on raids across the country against suspected drug shipment facilities and other drug-related sites, according to a U.S. official who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss operational matters.

The Americans are not believed to be participating in the actual raids, but are helping the Ecuadorian troops plan their operations, and are providing intelligence and logistics support, the official said.

In a 30-second video released by the military’s Southern Command, a helicopter is seen taking off in early morning or dusk, flying over an area, then picking up soldiers. The U.S. official said the video depicted the first in what was expected to be a series of raids across the country, some with U.S. advisers nearby assisting, some with Ecuadorian forces only. In this instance, involving mostly Ecuadorian forces, the official said, it was unclear what the mission’s objective was or whether it was successful.

“The operations are a powerful example of the commitment of partners in Latin America and the Caribbean to combat the scourge of narco-terrorism,” the United States Southern Command said in a statement, which did not provide other details about the operations.

The White House did not immediately comment on the military activity.

Across Latin America, cartels have battled each other and authorities to produce cocaine and smuggle it to the United States. Ecuador, the world’s largest exporter of the drug, does not produce it, but serves as a trafficking route for criminal groups operating in Colombia and Peru.

Gen. Francis L. Donovan, the head of Southern Command, which oversees operations in Latin America, said in a statement that “we commend the men and women of the Ecuadorian armed forces for their unwavering commitment to this fight, demonstrating courage and resolve through continued actions against narco-terrorists in their country.”

On Monday, Southern Command posted footage on social media of a visit with President Daniel Noboa and senior Ecuadorian officials in Quito, the capital, “to discuss security cooperation and reaffirm the United States’ strong commitment to supporting the nation’s efforts to confront narco-terrorism and strengthen regional security.”

General Donovan praised the country’s role in battling cartels, calling Ecuador “one of the United States’ strongest partners in disrupting and dismantling designated terrorist organizations in the region.”

The raids come barely three weeks after Gen. Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, convened military leaders from around the Western Hemisphere in Washington to press for further coordination to fight drug trafficking and transnational criminal groups in the region. Since taking office, the Trump administration has made border security and drug interdiction a top priority of its national security policy.

Since early September, the United States has killed at least 150 people in 44 known strikes against boats in the Caribbean and Eastern Pacific that the Trump administration has said, without providing evidence, are carrying drugs.

Legal specialists on the use of lethal force have said the strikes are illegal, extrajudicial killings, because the military cannot deliberately target civilians who do not pose an imminent threat of violence, even if they are suspected of engaging in criminal acts.

Zolan Kanno-Youngs contributed reporting.

https://www.nytimes.com/2026/03/03/us/p ... tions.html

Are they working their way south?

[Suliso]

Is now the time for China to make its move on Taiwan?

No, China not yet strong enough for such an undertaking. Conquering distant islands is extremely hard.

[mmmm8]

U.S. Opens Military Action in Ecuador Against ‘Terrorist Organizations’
U.S. Special Forces soldiers are advising and supporting Ecuadorian commandos on raids across the country against suspected drug shipment facilities and other drug-related sites.

By Eric Schmitt
Reporting from Washington

March 3, 2026
Updated 10:34 p.m. ET

The United States and Ecuador have launched joint military operations against “designated terrorist organizations” in the South American country, the Pentagon said on Tuesday night, in what appeared to be a major expansion of the U.S. military’s unilateral strikes against boats in the Caribbean Sea and Eastern Pacific that the Trump administration has accused of carrying drugs.

New day new war...

[ponchi101]

And just like that, any "plans" for Venezuela are gone.
If there ever were any.
(I know, a non-sequitur to the current situation, but it is just that this administration could not plan the proverbial pissing contest at a brewery).