Terrorism experts uncover glaring problem with successful strike against Ayman al-Zawahiri: 'Masks the undeniable truth'



The United States carried out a successful counterterrorism operation to kill top Al Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri over the weekend.

But terrorism experts quickly pointed out the glaring problem with the operation: al-Zawahiri was targeted while standing on the balcony of a house in Kabul, the capital of Afghanistan, the country in which Americans died for 20 years before President Joe Biden's disastrous withdrawal one year ago.

What did experts say?

The successful operation was only possible because of the close relationship between the Taliban and Al Qaeda, which itself was only possible because of the collapse of the Afghanistan government last year.

According to expert terrorism analyst Bill Roggio, the narrative that al-Zawahiri's death was a counterterrorism success "masks the undeniable truth that Taliban-controlled Afghanistan is a safe haven for Al Qaeda."

That is because, as Roggio explained, al-Zawahiri was "hiding" in plain-sight, i.e., he was not hiding at all.

"Zawahiri was killed in the Sherpur neighborhood, in a home run by a deputy of Sirajuddin Haqqani. Sirajuddin is of course one of two deputy Taliban emirs as well as the interior minister," Roggio explained. "Zawahiri could not operate in Afghanistan — particularly in Kabul — without the consent of the Taliban. He wasn't in the remote mountains of Kunar, Nuristan, or Nangarhar, or distant provinces of Ghazni, Helmand, or Kandahar. He was in the Taliban's capital."

\u201c4) Zawahiri could not operate in Afghanistan - particularly in Kabul - without the consent of the Taliban. He wasn't in the remote mountains of Kunar, Nuristan, or Nangarhar, or distant provinces of Ghazni, Helmand, or Kandahar. He was in the Taliban's capital.\u201d
— Bill Roggio (@Bill Roggio) 1659400960

The tight-knit relationship between the Taliban and Al Qaeda is no secret.

In fact, a United Nations report from last month disclosed, "Al-Qaida leadership reportedly plays an advisory role with the Taliban, and the groups remain close." The report also admitted, "Al-Qaida enjoys greater freedom in Afghanistan under Taliban rule."

Meanwhile, terrorism analyst Ritz Katz echoed Roggio's reaction.

"That Zawahiri, after years of hiding and immense [operations security], was killed on a balcony in a wealthy downtown neighborhood of Kabul--it just shows what a drastic sense of empowerment al-Qaeda leadership has felt under Taliban-ruled Afghanistan," Ratz wrote on Twitter.

\u201cThat Zawahiri, after years of hiding and immense OPSEC, was killed on a balcony in a wealthy downtown neighborhood of Kabul--it just shows what a drastic sense of empowerment al-Qaeda leadership has felt under Taliban-ruled Afghanistan.\u201d
— Rita Katz (@Rita Katz) 1659390861

What did the US government say?

Secretary of State Antony Blinken released a statement blasting the Taliban for violating the Doha Agreement, which stipulated that Al Qaeda could not find a safe harbor in Afghanistan under Taliban control.

But Blinken did not say the Taliban would face any consequences for violating the controversial peace agreement.

"In the face of the Taliban’s unwillingness or inability to abide by their commitments, we will continue to support the Afghan people with robust humanitarian assistance and to advocate for the protection of their human rights, especially of women and girls," Blinken said.

Deranged ‘Hellboy’ actor goes on profanity-laced tirade — against law that doesn’t exist



"Hellboy" star Ron Perlman took to Twitter to rail against Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis' (R) Parental Rights in Education bill, a bill the Hollywood tough guy obviously didn't bother to read before going off on his deranged, profanity-laced tirade.

Democrats and their lackeys in the liberal media have falsely dubbed the newly signed Florida law the "Don't Say Gay" bill, though the statute doesn't prevent anyone from saying the word "gay."

Perlman unsurprisingly bought the leftist lie hook, line, and sinker, as is apparent in his Twitter post below:

Content warning: Profanity:


Dear \u2066@GovRonDeSantis\u2069 \u2026pic.twitter.com/FvSkideBvz
— Ron Perlman (@Ron Perlman) 1648567192


"Don't say gay? 'Don't say' as the first two words in sentence spoken by a political leader in a state in the United States of America?" Perlman began.

"Don't say? Don't f***ing say, you Nazi pig? Say, the First Amendment. Read about it, then run for office you piece of sh**," he raged.

Perlman was immediately and gloriously chastened on social media:


Dear Mr. Perlman, Two comments: 1) please read the bill and hopefully this will assuage your concerns; 2) please reacquaint yourself with the notion of civility. You can make your points without the curse words. Cheers. [I'll retweet as well.]
— Gad Saad (@Gad Saad) 1648574237
Seek help. Stat.pic.twitter.com/yuDov4P9X8
— Rita Panahi (@Rita Panahi) 1648578393
....Have you read the bill?
— Karlyn Borysenko, Professional Rabble Rouser \ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\udde6 (@Karlyn Borysenko, Professional Rabble Rouser \ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\udde6) 1648576673


Good morning Ron. Reading is hard. We get it. Here's a thought to brighten your morning. Perhaps you could have one of your peeps read the bill to you? \n\nHere's a link (you click on it). Reading opens up a whole new world. https://www.flsenate.gov/Session/Bill/2022/1557/BillText/er/PDF\u00a0\u2026
— Ryan Petty (@Ryan Petty) 1648569716


Here is the language of the bill that you\u2019re upset about Ron.pic.twitter.com/FXYi8dJNuJ
— Nathaniel C. Carter (@Nathaniel C. Carter) 1648573576


Read the bill you ignorant California liberal.pic.twitter.com/9txVsUhyWC
— Doirsey\ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\uddf2 (@Doirsey\ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\uddf2) 1648579046


Read before telling others to read, Mr. Perlman. Just a thought.
— Andy (@Andy) 1648570116

Of course, not everyone disagreed with Perlman. For example, there was Lorenzo the Cat:

I love Ron Perlman, and not just because he looks like a cat. I love him for everything he says! @perlmutationspic.twitter.com/NKjldE1dKi
— Lorenzo The Cat (@Lorenzo The Cat) 1648583556

And this person, who is clearly still suffering from a serious case of TDS:

Hear hear! Thank you, Ron Perlman! If this authoritarian asshat Trump afterbirth seeps out of Florida, Trump's gonna look like a damaged Muppet on the Island of Misfit toys compared to him. DeSantis must be stopped. #RemoveRonhttps://twitter.com/perlmutations/status/1508826280929554441\u00a0\u2026
— Lesley Abravanel \ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\udde6 (@Lesley Abravanel \ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\udde6) 1648584273


Democrat who lost close Iowa race withdraws request for House to throw out results



Democrat Rita Hart has withdrawn her request for the U.S. House of Representatives to toss out her narrow but certified loss to Republican Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks.

What are the details?

Hart lost by only six votes to Miller-Meeks in Iowa's 2nd Congressional District race last November, and the state certified the election results. But the Democrat cried foul, claiming the race was essentially stolen.

The Hill reported:

Hart had presented her challenge to the House Administration Committee, saying that 22 ballots that were not counted should have been part of the tally. The panel's investigation could eventually have led to a vote on the House floor on whether to seat Hart despite an earlier decision by Iowa's election board.

But now, Hart has alleviated Democrats from taking that vote, after the party roundly condemned Republicans who joined former President Donald Trump in questioning the outcome of his loss against President Joe Biden.

House GOP Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) had warned that Democrats were seeking to "steal" the Iowa race from Miller-Meeks, and accused them of "hypocrisy" for challenging the election of a duly-elected Republican congresswoman while denouncing Trump's challenges.

In a statement released Wednesday, Hart wrote, "After many conversations with people I trust about the future of this contest, I have made the decision to withdraw my contest before the House Committee on Administration."

She added that she was "saddened that some Iowans' votes will not count through no fault of their own."

The Democrat also extended her well-wishes to Miller-Meeks before acknowledging, "This has been a difficult process for all of those involved and it's incredibly important that we work together to reform the system so this does not happen again in the future."

Running to represent the people of #IA02 in the U.S. House of Representatives has been one of the greatest honors o… https://t.co/plVkAfv59l
— Rita Hart (@Rita Hart)1617220842.0

What was the reaction?

In reaction to Hart withdrawing her request, House Administration Committee Ranking Member Rep. Rodney Davis (R-Ill.) told The Hill, "Glad to see Rita Hart do the right thing and withdraw her objection. It had to be a difficult decision."

Davis added, "I am still bewildered that Speaker [Nancy] Pelosi even envisioned a scenario that removed the certified winner in Iowa's Second District, Congresswoman Miller-Meeks."

Ahead of Hart's announcement, McCarthy tweeted, "The votes in #IA02 were counted, recounted, and certified unanimously by the bipartisan Canvassing Board. @RepMMM won. Period. Pelosi's Power Grab would disenfranchise voters in Iowa and remove an army veteran, doctor, and public health expert from Congress."

Afterward, he posted a picture of himself and Miller-Meeks both smiling.

https://t.co/Z3nav93HL6
— Kevin McCarthy (@Kevin McCarthy)1617222402.0

Democrat who lost Iowa congressional race by 6 votes asks Congress to throw out the certified results of the election



Maybe you've heard this one before.

The loser of a close 2020 election is asking the House of Representatives to throw out certified election results and name the conquered candidate the victor.

No, this time it's not President Donald Trump (or one of his allies) — it's the loser of the extremely close election in Iowa's 2nd Congressional District.

When Trump and his team have made similar requests of the House or the legislatures of various states to overrule the certified Electoral College results, they have been roundly mocked and criticized by political opponents.

Now failed Iowa Democratic House candidate Rita Hart is making life difficult for House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (Calif.) and other Democrats in Congress.

What's going on?

Hart famously lost her race to Republican Mariannette Miller-Meeks by just six votes — 196,964 to 196,958.

Hart's team has repeatedly claimed that the election was essentially stolen by Miller-Meeks who somehow was able to prevent some votes from being counted.

Hart campaign manager Zach Meunier alleged late last month that "the Miller-Meeks campaign has sought to keep legitimate votes from being counted — pushing to disqualify and limit the number of Iowans whose votes are counted," the Iowa City Press-Citizen reported.

And now Hart is following up on those allegations, not by taking the appropriate legal steps and making challenges in court, but instead by filling a Notice of Contest with the U.S. House of Representatives. Hart wants the body to intervene and throw out the results of the election, which were certified by the state on Nov. 30.

In an announcement posted to Twitter Tuesday morning, Hart said, "Today, I am officially asking the House to ensure every Iowan's voice is heard in #IA02. 22 ballots remain uncounted from Election Night & thousands of others that were never examined. We've got to count the votes & get this right."

The press release included in Hart's tweet claimed that the 22 "legally-cast, uncounted votes" would be enough to put her ahead by nine votes.

Today, I am officially asking the House to ensure every Iowan's voice is heard in #IA02. 22 ballots remain uncou… https://t.co/N2LnCCojmn
— Rita Hart (@Rita Hart)1608645647.0

Hart's petition to the House, the Des Moines Register reported, calls for an investigation on two counts: first, on the alleged 22 legally cast but uncounted votes; second, that the recount boards in the district's 24 counties — which ultimately showed Miller-Meeks to have been the rightful winner — used irregular procedures.

The notice claims that Hart would have netted 15 votes had the allegedly wrongfully excluded 22 votes been included.

It also alleges "the recount itself failed to comply with Iowa law and the U.S. Constitution" because each county's recount board conducted its own recount and failed to do so consistently across the district.

According to Hart's complaint, Congress needs see that a "uniform recount" is conducted and must avoid "prematurely ending this contest" in a way that would "disenfranchise Iowa voters and award the congressional seat to the candidate who received fewer lawful votes."

"Federal law does not permit such an outcome," the notice states.

"Everyone has acknowledged that there are uncounted votes left and, after reviewing those ballots and making sure they are counted, it will be clear that I have won this election," Hart said, according to the Register. "It is crucial to me to make sure that this bipartisan review by the U.S. House is fair. Iowans deserve to know that the candidate who earned the most votes is seated."

"I am that candidate," she claimed.

Racist chainsaw attack spurs on viral pro-Second Amendment video: 'Oh hell no, not today!'



Business owner Tieesha Essex, a military veteran and police officer, filmed a viral video for her firearms accessory company, Tiemonex, after the attempted attack on 25-year-old Lincoln, Nebraska, black woman Norma Nimox.

What's a very brief history?

According to a report from PJ Media, Essex was moved to film the ad following an apparent racially motivated attack on Nimox.

Authorities charged 41-year-old Daniel Stueck with a hate crime after he allegedly armed himself with a chainsaw and chased his neighbor, Nimox, while shouting racial slurs at her during a November incident.

Nimox, who is mother to a 5-year-old son, was able to outrun Steuck, and authorities captured the suspect and placed him under arrest for the bizarre crime.

A White Man Almost Chopped Up A Black Woman With A Chainsaw While Calling Her A Naker www.youtube.com


What are the details of Essex's video?

Essex's company, Tiemonex, sells firearms accessories online.

In a now-viral message, Essex posed as Nimox in a parody video of the original incident and took a decidedly pro-Second Amendment slant on the incident. In the video, Essex claims that she was armed at the time of the incident and shot the suspect as he chased her with his chainsaw.

"I'm going out the steps of my apartment and I see this dude with a chainsaw," Essex says in the video. "I'm like, who the hell does he think he is, Leatherface?"

Essex — as Nimox — describes how she saw the man give chase and begin using racial slurs to speak to her.

"Oh hell no, not today! Remember, I was wearing my Tiemonix belly band holster, I took out my gun and as soon as he started charging down them steps at me with that chainsaw, I shot his ass," she said, showcasing how she would have handled the frightening incident if she were Nimox.

At the time of this reporting, the spoof video, shared to social media, has been viewed nearly 1 million times.

I have a new heroine. https://t.co/boawfkFa1b
— Rita Panahi (@Rita Panahi)1607153280.0

What else?

After Essex's video went viral, she spoke with Nimox for an interview shared on her YouTube channel.

During the exchange, Essex offered to pay for any firearms training Nimox might consider taking in order to safely and legally use firearms in order to protect herself in the future.

#LivingWhileBlack The Norma Nimox Story | Surviving a HATE CRIME www.youtube.com