Lockheed Martin to sell $23 billion worth of F-16 fighter jets to Turkey

SEE: https://www.jihadwatch.org/2024/02/lockheed-martin-to-sell-23-billion-worth-of-f-16-fighter-jets-to-turkey; republished below in full, unedited, for informational, educational, & research purposes:

The U.S. State Department has yet to sign off on the multibillion-dollar deal to sell F-16 fighter jets to Turkey and Greece; of those two countries, the latter is not the problem. Turkey is. The deal will amount to another foolish move by the Biden government that would see the U.S. strengthening its enemies. This deal is akin to the Iran nuclear deal that strengthened Iran. Supplying weaponry to Islamic supremacist Turkey, whose president dreams of a revived Ottoman Empire (a global caliphate) is imprudent at best. Providing weaponry to Turkey gives it enormous leverage, while undermining American security and “destabilizing a region that Washington seems unable to ignore.” An article from The Hill provides notable examples of Turkey’s troublesome antics:

Turkey bought the S-400 (a Russian air defense system that threatens Washington’s F-35 program), nearly upended NATO by threatening to invade Greece, almost hit U.S. troops in Syria, became the safe-haven for the Muslim Brotherhood after it was kicked out of Egypt, served as a financing arm for Hamas and Russia, and is engaging in a battle of threats with Israel over Ankara’s support for Hamas.

Last month, Biden urged the US Congress to approve the F-16 sale to Turkey “without delay.” Advancing the interests of Lockheed Martin is advantageous to Biden’s political aspirations, too, since defense companies are major donors to political campaigns. 

The $23 billion deal serves Lockheed Martin and Turkey, but not the United States. American citizens and particularly Israel should be worried. Turkey is a supporter of the Muslim Brotherhood, of which Hamas is an offshoot. In November, the Turkish foreign minister threatened to use military force against Israel to aid Hamas.

“Lockheed Martin Will Sell $23 Billion Worth of F-16 Fighter Jets to Turkey,” by Rich Smith, The Motley Fool, February 12, 2024:

Military contractor Lockheed Martin (NYSE: LMT) is in the business of building fighter jets — and business is booming. In a pair of Earth-shaking announcements last week, the U.S. Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) informed Congress of a plan to sell a combined $31.6 billion in new weapons sales to Greece and Turkey.

But the biggest of these deals is for Turkey.

Why is Turkey buying 40 new F-16 fighter jets?

As you may already know, DSCA is the Pentagon department responsible for coordinating sensitive weapons sales between U.S. defense contractors and foreign governments. Turkey says it wants these new fighter jets to “expand and modernize” its air force, which currently comprises primarily older F-16C Falcon and F-4E Phantom fighter jets.

Before this sale can go through, though, the U.S. State Department must sign off on the deal as supporting “the foreign policy goals and national security of the United States” and unlikely to “alter the basic military balance in the region” — in this case, southern Europe — and Congress must either approve or reject the sale…..

U.S. And U.K. Launch Retaliatory Airstrikes Against Houthis In Yemen

Huthi fighters brandish their weapons during a march in solidarity with the Palestinian people in the Huthi-controlled capital Sanaa on January 11, 2024, amid the ongoing battles between Israel and the terrorist Hamas group in Gaza. Heavy air strikes pounded rebel-held cities in Yemen early on January 12, 2024, the Huthi rebels’ official media and AFP correspondents said. The capital Sanaa, Hodeida and Saada were all targeted, the Huthis’ official media said, blaming “American aggression with British participation.” (Photo by MOHAMMED HUWAIS/AFP via Getty Images)

OAN’s Brooke Mallory
5:27 PM – Thursday, January 11, 2024

SEE: https://www.oann.com/newsroom/u-s-and-u-k-launch-retaliatory-airstrikes-against-houthis-in-yemen/; republished below in full, unedited, for informational, educational, & research purposes: 

The United States and the United Kingdom launched a series of retaliatory attacks against the Houthi rebels in Yemen on Thursday.

Bombs from Washington, D.C., and London struck a number of locations in Yemen that the Houthis, who are supported by Iran, were utilizing.

According to surfacing reports, the main cities in Yemen that were hit the hardest with U.S. and U.K. airstrikes were Sana’a, Hodeidah, Saada, Dhamar, Taiz, and Zabid.

Fighter planes and warships firing Tomahawk missiles were fired by U.S. and U.K. planes striking targets that included air defense installations, supply centers, and logistical hubs, the Associated Press reported.

The rebel group started attacking commercial ships in the Red Sea in late November, prompting the U.S. and U.K. to take direct, aggressive military action against the Houthis.

The United States refrained from hitting the Houthis in Yemen until this Thursday.

In an effort to safeguard commercial shipping, the U.S. formed a multi-nation maritime task force last month. However, the Houthis continued their attacks on ships and declared that the task force would not stop them.

The Houthis launched their largest drone and missile campaign to date earlier this week, aiming their attacks against commercial ships along with American and British warships. During the strike, allied troops from the United States and the United Kingdom shot down around twenty-one missiles and drones.

The attack in Yemen poses a risk of escalating into a larger conflict and is expected to incite the Houthis and Iran. Since the Israel-Hamas war broke out in Gaza in early October, there has been a great deal of warfare throughout the region, with over 100 strikes against American soldiers in Syria and Iraq.

Groups with Iranian support assert that their attacks on the U.S. in the area are an act of solidarity with the Palestinians in Gaza. Particularly, the Houthis maintain that U.S. and Israeli-backed ships are their targets.

Iran is expected to express outrage regarding the Yemen attacks that occurred on Thursday, as it considers the Houthis to be one of its most valuable proxy organizations in the Middle East. When the United States sank three Houthi vessels in the Red Sea at the end of December, Iran and the Houthis said they would retaliate violently.

There has been tremendous pressure on the Biden administration to stop the Houthi strikes in the Red Sea, which have hampered international trade. Major shipping firms have been compelled to detour around Africa and the Cape of Good Hope due to pressure from the Houthi group. Approximately 10% of commercial shipping passes via the Red Sea.

In addition, Washington, D.C., has had to decide whether to launch offensive operations in order to halt the Houthis or if the task force would be sufficient to safeguard cargo vessels and discourage the Houthis.

The extent to which the attacks have affected Houthi targets in Yemen is currently unknown. The rebel organization is well-versed in combat, having battled the Yemeni government for years, but they will most definitely still struggle from the joint effort by U.S. and U.K. military action.

After the strikes were conducted, Democrat Member of the House of the Representatives, Valerie Howell, released a statement declaring that the strikes were not authorized by Congress, and that the president needs to have congressional approval for any military strike.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates.

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Muslim United Airlines pilot and Hamas-linked CAIR official given paid vacation for praising Hamas

SEE: https://www.jihadwatch.org/2023/11/muslim-united-airlines-pilot-and-hamas-linked-cair-official-given-paid-vacation-for-praising-hamas;

Republished below in full unedited for informational, educational, & research purposes.

He was “removed from service with pay,” which essentially is rewarding his behavior.

“United Airlines removes pilot Ibrahim Mossallam from service amid anti-Semitic claims after he posted messages supporting terror group Hamas’ vile slaughter of 1,200 Israelis hours after the Oct 7 invasion, calling it ‘resistance by brave people,'” by Paul Farrell, Daily Mail, November 21, 2023:

A United Airlines pilot has been ‘removed from service with pay’ after posting dozens of messages on Facebook expressing support for Hamas in the aftermath of the terror group’s barbaric assault on Israel that killed 1,200 people on October 7.

United pilot Ibrahim R. Mossallam described the attack on civilians across southern Israel as ‘resistance by brave people who have endured decades of occupation, oppression, humiliation, apartheid, and straight-up murder.’

‘For all my friends here in FB land with Questions/Thoughts/Assumptions/Critique about what’s transpiring in Palestine, currently in response to the Zionist occupation, please work on expanding your media literacy,’ he added.

Mossallam said that the US media is ‘heavily politicized and skewed to show a non-occupying narrative of Palestine.’

The disgraced pilot also argued that the attack on Israel was ‘not provoked’ but rather was a ‘response to years of attacks by the Zionist regime.’

On Tuesday, United told DailyMail.com that Mossallam was taken out of service with pay as an investigation is carried out. The carrier said that Mossallam was only removed from service on November 20, the same day that his social media posts became public knowledge.

In addition to his flying career, Mossallam is also the board vice president for the New York chapter of the Council on American-Israel Relations….