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The Cameras Were the Goal Not the Solution

By Cam Wakefield | Reclaim The Net | October 24, 2025

If you live in Greater London, chances are you’re being watched right now. Not by MI5. Not by your nosy neighbor. No, it’s far more mundane than that. You’re being monitored by Mayor Sadiq Khan’s army of always-watching number plate cameras, installed under the noble banner of cleaning the air.

And here’s the twist: the air hasn’t changed. But the surveillance? That’s permanent.

When the Ultra Low Emission Zone was expanded in 2023 to cover the entire city, 579 square miles of roads, driveways, and backstreets, the stated goal was to reduce pollution. 

What it actually achieved was the creation of one of the most comprehensive, always-on vehicle tracking systems in the country. Possibly the continent.

Thousands of cameras now scan and record every single vehicle, every single day, across every borough. And according to new research from the University of Birmingham, all of this has achieved virtually nothing significant in terms of environmental impact.

The emissions stayed. The cameras stayed. And the idea that this was ever about clean air is beginning to look like a fig leaf for something else entirely.

ULEZ cameras were sold to the public as environmental guardians. But what they actually do is log your number plate, check it against a central database, and charge you if your vehicle doesn’t meet emissions standards. 

It doesn’t matter if your car is powered by sunshine and tofu. You’re still being recorded, timestamped, location-mapped, and uploaded into Transport for London’s data system. And the longer it runs, the harder it becomes to believe this is just about exhaust fumes.

Let’s be blunt: if this were a police surveillance network, the civil liberties brigade would be chaining themselves to lampposts. But because it’s got a green sticker on it, few blinked. It’s surveillance by stealth, a policing movement dressed up as progressive policy.

And the worst part? The public is paying for it.

The expansion cost Londoners £155 million ($206M). Not for scrubbing the air. Not for planting trees. For cameras. Lots of them. The kind of city-wide, high-resolution, automatic number plate recognition system that intelligence agencies dream about.

Within a week of going live, it was generating £5.3 million in revenue. And unlike actual policing or healthcare, this system runs itself. 

London’s government insists it’s working. They point to drivers upgrading vehicles before the expansion. Which is a bit like saying the fire alarm is a success because someone already put the fire out before it rang.

Even the study’s co-author, Dr Suzanne Bartington, admitted the current ULEZ setup fails to tackle the core public health risks like PM2.5 pollution, the stuff that actually gets into your lungs and bloodstream.

“The current ULEZ approach does not fully address significant traffic-related public health issues,” she said.

So if it doesn’t result in cleaner air, what does it do? It tracks people. Relentlessly. Quietly. In real time.

Let’s not kid ourselves. A surveillance grid this large, this well-funded, and this politically untouchable isn’t going to stay limited to emissions fines forever.

Privacy groups have already warned that the ULEZ system could be repurposed for just about anything. 

From catching speeding drivers to enforcing low-traffic neighborhoods. From congestion pricing to vehicle bans. Or, if the mood strikes City Hall, tracking “suspicious patterns of movement.” After all, the tech’s already in place. It would be a shame not to use it.

And let’s not forget: this all happened without a real public debate. There was no referendum. No opt-out. No serious oversight. Just a green slogan and a lot of money.

“This is just further evidence that the ULEZ expansion was about raising money rather than improving air quality,” said Thomas Turrell, of the City Hall Conservatives.

“Yet again, Sadiq Khan is ignoring the evidence when it doesn’t suit his agenda.”

Even Bromley Council leader Colin Smith weighed in with a dose of brutal clarity:

“Had it been about air quality, Mayor Khan would have started where the air in London is dirtiest – in his own tube network. But no, there were no motorists to fleece there.”

So here we are. The air is still dirty. The cameras are still on. And millions of journeys are now quietly logged by a system that was never designed to turn off.

We were told this was about health and climate. It’s really about control. A system that tracks your car is a system that tracks you. And once it’s normal to be watched everywhere you go, it’s very hard to roll that back.

ULEZ may have been introduced as an environmental policy. But its real legacy will be this: the normalisation of mass surveillance, hidden behind a green curtain.

Because in the end, the emissions weren’t the target.

The people were.

October 25, 2025 Posted by | Civil Liberties, Full Spectrum Dominance | , | 3 Comments

War and Business. Peace Negotiations are “A Waste Of Time”.

By Manlio Dinucci | Global Research | October 25, 2025

Following the announcement of the impending summit with President Putin in Hungary, President Trump declared that the summit with the Russian President on Ukraine would be a “waste of time” on the grounds that “Russia is pursuing territorial ambitions that make a peace agreement with Ukraine impossible”.

He then proceeded to summon NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte to the White House, wherein he conveyed his decision to withhold the provision of US Tomahawk missiles to Kiev at that particular juncture.

This decision was precipitated by the perceived impracticality of allocating a substantial amount of time to train the Ukrainian army in the utilisation of such missiles. Concurrently, the US lifted the key restriction on the use of long-range missiles supplied by other NATO members to Ukraine, while NATO conducted the Steadfast Noon nuclear warfare exercise directed against Russia in Europe under US command. In response to the aforementioned events, a Strategic Nuclear Forces exercise was conducted in the Russian Federation. President Putin observed this exercise via video conference.

One example among many: that of the fast-growing German Rheinmetall, which is integrated into the US military-industrial complex through American Rheinmetall Munitions.

Rheinmetall has announced its intention to supply Ukraine with an electronic system designed to enhance the combat capabilities of the German Leopard tanks that have already been supplied to Kiev. The production and integration of this system is carried out by the Italian subsidiary of Rheinmetall, Rheinmetall Italia SpA, at its headquarters in Rome. In Italy, Rheinmetall has established a facility dedicated to the assembly, testing and production of warheads for kamikaze drones. The series is being produced at full speed. The plant is operated by the Italian subsidiary RWM Italia at its sites in Musei and Domusnovas in Sardinia. Rheinmetall is collaborating with the Israeli manufacturer UVision Air Ltd. on this project. It is evident that these Italian-manufactured kamikaze drones will be utilised by the Israeli army in attacks against Palestinians in Gaza, as well as in other operations primarily conducted in Libya, Yemen, and other regions.

Trump has imposed sanctions on Russian oil companies, representing the most stringent measures yet taken by the US against the Russian energy sector. It is evident that these sanctions are favourable to large US oil and gas companies. The European Union is participating in this operation, which has decided to completely block the import of Russian natural gas in three stages: from 1 January 2026, it will be forbidden to sign new contracts; short-term agreements already in place must end by 17 June 2026; and long-term agreements by 31 December 2027.

It should be noted that the aforementioned proposals have met with opposition from the countries of Hungary and Slovakia. Concurrently, Italy’s Edison entered into an agreement with Shell, securing the procurement of US liquefied natural gas (LNG) for a duration of 15 years. In consideration of the marked disparity between the price of gas in the US and that of gas in Russia, it is evident that consumer gas prices for households in Italy are rising.

The United States and the State of Israel are contemplating a plan to divide the Gaza Strip into two separate zones: one to be controlled by Israel, the other formally by Hamas pending its “disarmament”. This was announced at a press conference in Israel by US Vice President Vance and Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner. The plan is to immediately start “reconstruction” in the Israeli-controlled area, according to Trump’s plan to transform Gaza into a luxurious “Riviera of the Middle East”.

The Palestinian area, de facto controlled by Israel, would remain in its current situation: the Palestinian population would be locked there in a scenario of destruction and deprivation that would continue the genocide.

President Trump confirmed that Australia will obtain nuclear-powered submarines from the United States and the United Kingdom, indicating a strategic focus on deterring China and Russia.

Concurrently, he signed an agreement on rare earth minerals with the Australian Prime Minister at the White House. The AUKUS submarine agreement between Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States could cost Australia up to $235 billion over the next 30 years. The governments of the United States and Australia have announced their intention to invest in excess of $3 billion in critical minerals projects over the forthcoming six-month period. The recoverable resources in these projects are estimated to be worth $53 billion.

The US Department of War expressed its intention to invest in the construction of an advanced gallium refinery with a capacity of 100 metric tonnes per year in Western Australia. Gallium has several military applications, primarily in high-tech electronics such as radar and satellite communications. The material is also used as an alloy to stabilise nuclear weapons components and in aluminium-gallium alloys for the production of hydrogen bombs for thermonuclear warfare.

October 25, 2025 Posted by | Militarism | , , , , | Leave a comment

Ex-NATO commander claims united Ireland could aid Russia and China

RT | October 25, 2025

The potential unification of Ireland would be a major blow to the West’s security as it could allow Russia and China to expand their reach in the North Atlantic, a former NATO commander has warned.

Speaking at a briefing for members of Parliament and the House of Lords on Wednesday, retired British Rear Admiral Chris Parry argued that if the UK were to lose its foothold in Northern Ireland, it would present a major opportunity for Moscow and Beijing.

He noted that the waters between Northern Ireland and Scotland are essential for Britain’s deployment of its nuclear-armed submarines, describing it as “critical to our strategic deterrent.” “With a united Ireland, there is no guarantee we could deploy our ballistic missiles,” Parry said.

He also suggested that a potential Irish unification would enable NATO adversaries to threaten critical undersea cables.

“The UK needs to calibrate the threat to itself of a supine Republic of Ireland. My view is that the best way to help Ireland now is to increase NATO and Allied activity in Ireland’s economic zone waters,” he said.

The retired admiral went so far as to suggest that NATO should hold exercises in Irish-controlled waters “whether Dublin agreed or not,” asserting that the bloc must be prepared to “fish in Irish waters for our potential opponents.” He said the Republic should move toward closer military cooperation with NATO and renounce neutrality.

“If anyone attacks Britain, they will attack Ireland… Neutrality cannot be seen as conscientious objection any more. If you are part of the free world, you have to be prepared to defend it. The Republic needs to reduce its vulnerabilities,” he stated.

Moscow has consistently rejected claims that it plans to attack NATO as “nonsense“.

Ireland has been militarily neutral since gaining independence in 1921, and is not a NATO member but cooperates with the bloc.

The idea of Irish reunification — merging the Republic of Ireland with Northern Ireland, which is part of the UK — is permitted under the 1998 Good Friday Agreement. The accord ended a three-decade-long stand-off between Irish nationalists and pro-British unionists by establishing a power-sharing government in Belfast and confirming that Northern Ireland’s status can change only if a majority there votes for it.

October 25, 2025 Posted by | Militarism, Russophobia, Sinophobia | , , | Leave a comment

China snubs Germany’s top diplomat – media

RT | October 24, 2025

German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul has been forced to cancel an upcoming trip to China after Beijing reportedly declined to arrange high-level meetings with him, multiple media outlets reported on Friday.

Wadephul was scheduled to depart for Beijing on Sunday to discuss China’s export restrictions on rare-earths and semiconductors, as well as the Ukraine conflict.

“The trip cannot take place at this time and will be postponed to a later date,” Politico cited a spokesperson for Germany’s Federal Foreign Office as saying. Wadephul was slated to meet with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi but otherwise reportedly had too few meetings on the agenda.

According to Bild, the two diplomats will instead hold a telephone conversation soon.

The diplomatic setback comes amid escalating trade tensions between China and the EU. Over the past year, Brussels and Beijing have clashed over what the bloc calls China’s industrial overproduction, while China accuses the EU of protectionism.

Earlier this month, Beijing tightened its restrictions on the export of certain strategic minerals that have dual-use in military applications – a move that could further strain Europe’s struggling auto sector.

Germany has been particularly affected by the worsening trade climate. Bild reported on Wednesday that Volkswagen is expected to halt production at key plants next week due to a shortage of semiconductors following the Dutch government’s seizure of Chinese-owned chipmaker Nexperia. The Netherlands cited risks to the EU’s technological security, prompting Beijing to retaliate by banning exports of Nexperia chips from China. As inventories dwindle, more Volkswagen plants could face temporary shutdowns, and other automakers may also be affected, the paper said.

On Friday, German Economy Minister Katherina Reiche announced that Berlin was lodging a diplomatic protest against Beijing for blocking semiconductor shipments, citing Germany’s heavy reliance on Chinese components.

October 25, 2025 Posted by | Economics | , , | Leave a comment

Trump may not follow through on Russian oil or Tomahawk

By M. K. BHADRAKUMAR | Indian Punchline | October 25, 2025 

The US President Donald Trump has seemingly shifted gear in the US strategy to stop Russia on its tracks from creating new facts on the ground in Ukraine. Russian forces have the upper hand all along the 1250-km Ukrainian frontline stretching Kiev’s defences and resources, which no amount of western military help can hope to reverse in a foreseeable future. Trump is compelling Russia to seek a military victory in Ukraine.

Trump so far put on the air of a statesman in great anguish over the humanitarian aspects of the conflict. Moscow tolerated the theatrical show to pamper Trump’s egotistic personality — that is, until Putin shattered the myth last week to expose that Trump actually holds the record as the American president who sanctioned Russia the most number of times, exceeding even his predecessor Joe Biden’s tally. 

Trump, in the new avatar as war monger has unveiled a strategy of climbing the escalation ladder in the war until Putin capitulates. To that end, he has expanded the sanctions regime to include Russia’s oil industry, and is toying with the idea to supply Ukraine with long-range Tomahawk missiles that can hit deep inside Russian territory. 

The US Treasury Departments’ press release announcing the new sanctions against Russia reads as if its is custom made for targeting India. India and China account for some 80% of Russia’s oil exports, but the latter is the number one buyer with 60% of the imports  transported through pipelines, whereas India depends on carriers arranged by the Russian side (“shadow fleet”) which are also now under western sanctions. 

The press release claims that “The ultimate goal of sanctions is not to punish, but to bring about a positive change in behaviour.” It is a statement of fact because this is not really about oil, but about geopolitics. Whether Trump will actually press ahead with the oil sanctions remains unclear, since keeping Russian oil out of the world market risks high oil prices which could boomerang on the US economy and be damaging politically for Trump. 

Putin’s initial reaction last Thursday was that the oil sanctions are an “unfriendly” act which “will have certain consequences, but they will not significantly affect our economic well-being.” Putin said that Russia’s energy sector feels confident. He added, “This is, of course, an attempt to put pressure on Russia. But no self-respecting country and no self-respecting people ever decides anything under pressure.” 

Meanwhile, western hypocrisy broke through the ceiling, as the German chancellor Friedrich Merz who is one of the most enthusiastic proponents of the war is at Trump’s doorstep pleading for a sanctions waiver. Apparently, Germany has been quietly buying Russian oil even while portraying Russia in hostile terms, lest its GDP fell by another 3 percent! 

Germany “temporarily” took control of three subsidiaries of the Russian oil company Rosneft (which the US has sanctioned) to secure its energy supply. Interestingly, the UK PM Keir Starmer, the charioteer of the  so-called “coalition of the willing” raring to deploy troops in Ukraine to fight Russian forces, is travelling in the same boat as Merz seeking Trump’s waiver! 

Such shady behaviour with racial overtones by the Western countries holds lessons for India. Clearly, the effectiveness of the new sanctions against the Russian oil giants will depend on just how zealous the US is in enforcing them through secondary sanctions on entities that deal in Russian oil. If past experience is anything to go by, Washington won’t be able to sustain a full-court press – if for no other reason than that markets will force its hand once oil prices shoot up. 

That is to say, thanks to lax enforcement of sanctions, Russian oil will continue to reach the world market. Buyers like India who cut down oil supplies from Russia will end up paying higher prices. By meekly complying with Trump’s diktat, they compromised their interests. The sense of humiliation is such that Delhi shies away from engaging with Trump.  

However, as regards long-rage Tomahawk missiles (range: 3000 km) Putin was polite but frank in his reaction, saying, “This is an attempt at escalation. But if such weapons are used to attack Russian territory, the response will be very serious, if not overwhelming. Let them think about it.” 

The deputy chairman of the Security Council Dmitry Medvedev was even blunt in conveying the Kremlin thinking:

“The US is our enemy, and their talkative ‘peacemaker’ has now fully embarked on the path of war with Russia… this is now his conflict, not the senile Biden’s!… the decisions made are an act of war against Russia. And now Trump has fully sided with the insane Europe.

“But there is also a clear plus in this latest swing of the Trump pendulum: we can strike all the Bandera hideouts with a wide variety of weapons without regard to unnecessary negotiations. And achieve victory precisely where it is only possible: on the ground, not at a desk. Destroying enemies, not concluding meaningless ‘deals’”.  

Apparently, the message went home. Trump, before emplaning for Malaysia on his 3-nation Asian tour, made sure that his special envoy to Russia Steve Witkoff extended an invitation to his Russian interlocutor Kirill Dmitriev, the CEO of Russian Direct Investment Fund, to go over to Miami for a quiet conversation to talk things over. The two erstwhile businessmen are meeting today.

Meanwhile, Trump has hinted in anticipation of his forthcoming meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Kuala Lumpur on Saturday that he may not after all carry out his threatened 100% tariffs on Chinese goods and other trade curbs starting on November 1 in retaliation for China’s vastly expanded export controls on rare earth magnets and minerals. China’s tough stance is paying off. 

Similarly, the Kremlin’s blunt threat of retaliation against Tomahawk will be heeded seriously. Putin has many options — Oreshnik capable of Mach 10 speed, for instance, is a hypersonic missile that is also nuclear capable, against which the West has no defence. The weapon has entered into serial production and been supplied to the armed forces.

Again, Russia’s new jet-powered glide bomb gives a significant boost in range and superior resistance to electronic countermeasures. It is capable of hitting Ukraine’s western border. It is also moving to mass production and the West is defenceless against it. 

October 25, 2025 Posted by | Economics, Militarism | , , , , | Leave a comment

Iran, Russia, China send letter to IAEA chief declaring UNSC Resolution 2231 terminated

Press TV – October 24, 2025

Iran, China, and Russia have written a joint letter to the UN nuclear watchdog chief, affirming the termination of Security Council Resolution 2231 and the agency’s reporting concerning the Islamic Republic’s nuclear energy program.

In a post on his X account on Friday, Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister for Legal and International Affairs, Kazem Gharibabadi, said ambassadors and permanent representatives of China, Iran and Russia sent a letter to Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Rafael Mariano Grossi.

It came after the three countries’ joint letter to the Secretary General of the United Nations and President of the Security Council declaring the termination of Resolution 2231 on October 18, he added.

In the letter to the IAEA chief, he noted, the three countries reaffirmed the “illegal” move by the European trio — Britain, France and Germany — to invoke the so-called snapback mechanism and the expiration of all provisions of Resolution 2231 on October 18, 2025.

“But there is another key point which relates to the end of the mandate of the IAEA Director General’s reporting on verification and monitoring under the Resolution 2231 and the implementation of the JCPOA,” Gharibabadi emphasized, referring to the 2015 nuclear deal, formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action.

According to the Iranian diplomat, the letter asserted that in the IAEA, “the implementation of the JCPOA, as well as verification and monitoring in the Islamic Republic of Iran in light of UNSCR 2231, were enacted by the resolution of the Board of Governors of 15 December 2015(GOV/2015/72).”

He said, “Operative paragraph 14 of this Resolution unequivocally stipulates that the Board ‘decides to remain seized of the matter until ten years after the JCPOA Adoption Day or until the date on which the Director General reports that the Agency has reached the broader conclusion for Iran, whichever is earlier’.”

“Consequently, as of 18 October 2025, the related agenda item has been automatically removed from the agenda of the Board of Governors, and no further action is required in this regard,” Gharibabadi pointed out.

Iran has rejected the legality of E3’s triggering the snapback of UN sanctions, calling the mechanism “null and void” and a “fabricated” term.

On October 18, Tehran declared an end to all UN restrictions on its nuclear program following the expiration of Security Council resolution 2231.

Iran has faced sustained economic pressure in recent years, particularly after the United States unilaterally withdrew from the JCPOA in 2018 and re-imposed sweeping sanctions under the so-called “maximum pressure” policy.

Despite these pressures, Iran has sought to adapt through increased domestic production, non-dollar trade mechanisms, and expanding economic ties with partners in Asia and neighboring states.

October 25, 2025 Posted by | Wars for Israel | , , , , | Leave a comment

Iran calls for end to Western impunity for ‘Israel’ after ICJ ruling

Al Mayadeen | October 25, 2025

Iran’s Foreign Ministry has called for an end to the “chronic impunity” granted to “Israel” and its supporters, following a new International Court of Justice (ICJ) advisory opinion that sharply censures Tel Aviv for breaching international humanitarian law and obstructing UN aid operations in Gaza.

The ICJ opinion, issued on October 22, reaffirmed that as an occupying power, “Israel” is legally obliged to cooperate with UN agencies, including UNRWA, to facilitate humanitarian assistance in the Gaza Strip. The court stressed that “Israel” is “under a negative obligation not to impede the provision of these supplies,” and found that its restrictions on food, water, and medicine violate international law.

The judges further concluded that “Israel” failed to substantiate its allegations that UNRWA employees are affiliated with Hamas, and that the agency remains indispensable to humanitarian operations in Gaza. The opinion reiterated “Israel’s” obligations under the UN Charter and the Fourth Geneva Convention to protect civilians and ensure the population’s basic survival needs.

Ending Impunity

In a post on X, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said the ICJ’s ruling once again exposes “the undeniable truth that the Israeli regime continues to be the tremendous violator of each and every norm of international humanitarian law.” He noted that the court reaffirmed “Israel’s” duty to guarantee access to essential goods and services for Palestinians under occupation and “must not obstruct the provision of such supplies.”

Baghaei added that “Israel’s” persistent defiance of international rulings reflects a broader culture of impunity sustained by Western powers. “The chronic impunity granted by the powers that support and defend Israel must come to an end,” he said, calling for international accountability.

He also referred to the ICJ’s earlier opinions, including the July 2024 ruling that declared “Israel’s” occupation of Palestinian territories “unlawful” and demanded its immediate cessation. The court is currently reviewing South Africa’s case accusing “Israel” of violating the 1948 Genocide Convention through its conduct in Gaza.

According to Gaza’s Health Ministry, “Israel’s” war since October 7, 2023, has killed 68,519 Palestinians, mostly women and children, and injured more than 170,000 others.

October 25, 2025 Posted by | Ethnic Cleansing, Racism, Zionism, War Crimes | , , , , | Leave a comment

BIRTH CONTROL BACKLASH

The HighWire with Del Bigtree | October 23, 2025

Pfizer faces over a thousand lawsuits from women after its popular birth control drug, Depo-Provera, was linked to brain tumors. As the UN releases a report on the global fertility crisis, Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker is moving to allow pharmacists to dispense birth control without a doctor’s prescription.

October 24, 2025 Posted by | Deception, Malthusian Ideology, Phony Scarcity | , | Leave a comment

‘Israel’s Digital Iron Dome: Weaponizing the web against Palestine

By Rasha Reslan | Al Mayadeen | October 24, 2025

“Israel” has long invested in shaping its image online, but its latest initiative, the Digital Iron Dome, represents a new level of sophistication in information warfare. Marketed as a “civilian defense initiative,” the platform (lp.digitalirondome.com) invites users worldwide to join a “digital army” tasked with countering what it describes as “disinformation” and “defending Israel online.”

A closer look, however, reveals a different reality. The initiative functions less as a neutral fact-checking tool and more as a coordinated influence operation. Users are encouraged to register and access pre-scripted posts, hashtags, and visual content optimized for viral sharing across X, Instagram, and TikTok. By centralizing narrative control in this way, the platform effectively outsources public diplomacy to civilians while framing entity-aligned messaging as grassroots activism.

The platform’s design mirrors modern marketing technology, with embedded tracking scripts and analytics monitoring engagement in real time. The Digital Iron Dome turns seemingly spontaneous online support into a highly engineered content amplification system aimed at shaping global perceptions of the Israeli genocide in Gaza and countering criticism through algorithmic dominance.

Claims vs. reality  

The Digital Iron Dome markets itself as a “24/7 digital defense system” and “the world’s first pro-Israel influence engine,” claiming to monitor the web for anti-“Israel” narratives, produce “fact-based” countercontent, and place targeted ads alongside material it deems “biased” or “antisemitic”. Its landing page cites impressive metrics – “300M+ targeted ads delivered” and “200K+ websites reached” and solicits donations.

Independent inspection, however, raises questions about transparency and actual scope:

  • Advocacy over journalism: The platform functions more like an advertising campaign than a newsroom, blending campaign branding and donation solicitation with AI-driven narrative detection claims.
  • Unverified metrics: Reach and engagement numbers are presented without a third-party audit, leaving scale unconfirmed.
  •  Financial opacity: While donations are solicited via PayPal, there is no clear legal structure, charity registration, or financial reporting.
  • Limited founder transparency: The founders’ professional backgrounds are only partially documented, and potential conflicts of interest remain unclear.
  • Marketing masks technology claims: References to AI-driven monitoring and ad injection resemble product marketing rather than verifiable functionality.
  • Coordinated outreach: Multiple domains and social media promotion suggest systematic campaign efforts, though claims of ad placement on mainstream sites require independent verification.

Digital Iron Dome exploits bias to silence Palestinian voices online

AI Engineer and the head of AI Department in a consultation company, Ali Hadi Zeineddine, speaking to Al Mayadeen English, warned that focusing solely on the technical mechanics of the Digital Iron Dome risks obscuring a much deeper issue.

“Discussing the technical aspects of the Digital Iron Dome,” he noted, “may lead to misleading conclusions, especially when filtered through Western slogans of ‘democracy’ and ‘freedom of speech.’”

“The real story lies not in its code, but in the unequal terrain of the digital battlefield where it operates,” he asserted.

In an age where frontlines are increasingly digital, Zeineddine argues that the Digital Iron Dome enters a space already distorted by entrenched inequalities, from algorithmic bias to economic exclusion and platform moderation practices that disproportionately silence Palestinian voices. “These imbalances don’t just create opportunities for such campaigns, they amplify them,” he explained.

Mounting evidence supports his concerns. Independent investigations have shown that major platforms, including those owned by Meta, Facebook, and Instagram, apply double standards to content relating to Palestine.

A report by the Middle East Institute revealed that Meta had quietly lowered the certainty threshold required to remove Arabic or Palestinian content from 80% to as low as 25%. In effect, Palestinian posts are far more likely to be taken down or shadow-banned with minimal justification. Human Rights Watch also documented over 1,050 incidents of peaceful pro-Palestine content being removed or suppressed on Meta platforms during October and November 2023, of which 1,049 were in support of Palestine, and only one favored “Israel.”

“In today’s conflicts, algorithms and ad policies have replaced tanks and trenches,” Zeineddine stressed. “When platform moderation already disfavors Palestinian voices, projects like the Digital Iron Dome don’t create imbalance; they exploit one.”

Weaponization of algorithmic asymmetry

Economic exclusion further compounds this digital marginalization. A Wired investigation spotlighted the case of Bilal Tamimi, a content creator from the occupied West Bank whose viral videos on YouTube have amassed millions of views. Yet, despite his reach, Tamimi remains barred from monetization through the YouTube Partner Program, not because of content violations, but because “the program is not available in [his] current location, Palestine.” This systemic restriction denies Palestinian creators not only potential income but also algorithmic reach, reducing the visibility of their narratives before they can even enter the global conversation.

Zeineddine stressed that what is unfolding is more than a clash of perspectives. “What we’re witnessing isn’t merely a battle of narratives,” he said. “It’s the weaponization of algorithmic asymmetry. The very systems designed to ensure fairness, moderation rules, monetization access, and ad transparency are reinforcing geopolitical hierarchies online.”

“When Palestinian creators are excluded from monetization programs or flagged for benign content,” he added, “they’re not just denied income, they’re denied visibility. You cannot challenge disinformation when you’re structurally silenced.”

In such a landscape, the Digital Iron Dome thrives not due to technological innovation, Zeineddine contended, but because it is designed to exploit an already tilted playing field. “The Digital Iron Dome does not succeed because it’s more advanced; it succeeds because the digital game is already rigged in its favor. Without meaningful transparency, parity, and accountability from the platforms themselves, this imbalance will remain the invisible architecture of modern information warfare.”

His conclusion is clear: the future of digital freedom and of global narrative equity hinges not only on dismantling influence operations, but also on confronting and reforming the systems that allow them to flourish in the first place.

Limits of the Digital Iron Dome

In a similar vein, Dr. Hassan Younes, a university professor and consultant, told Al Mayadeen English that after October 7, the digital space became more than a platform for news; it became a frontline.

In response, “Israel” and its allies deployed a highly organized narrative machine: coordinated talking points, PR campaigns, bot networks, sudden surges in “security justification” rhetoric, and attempts to flood timelines with distraction content.

Analysts dubbed this a digital “Iron Dome”, not designed to intercept rockets but to intercept sympathy, neutralize outrage, and sow doubt about what people were seeing.

“You cannot hide starvation. You cannot algorithmically blur the image of a mother holding her child under the rubble,” Dr. Younes explained.

“You cannot label every voice ‘extremist’ when millions say the same thing: this is not self-defense, it is mass punishment.” Influence engines, he warned, can distort timelines, amplify one narrative, and bury alternative perspectives. Yet, in this instance, they could not fully succeed.

These operations contributed to polarization and narrative suppression by design, seeking to isolate voices and make anger seem like a minority opinion. But the opposite occurred: millions aligned organically around a clear message, enough. Even those previously neutral began questioning why “context” is demanded from the oppressed but never from the occupier. “Israel” lost moral credibility online as well as on the ground.

Human voice refuses to be formatted

Attempts to control the narrative, shadow-banned posts, removed videos, and algorithmic friction triggered by words like “Gaza”, “occupation”, and “Palestine” were circumvented by users. People misspelled words to bypass AI filters, coordinated captions, and redistributed content through smaller accounts. What was meant to be silenced became a trending narrative, a form of digital civil disobedience driven by ordinary users, not institutions.

Do influence campaigns still matter? Absolutely. They can delay outrage, shape political responses, and sanitize the language of international discourse. They can reframe genocide as a “conflict” or forced famine as a “humanitarian logistics issue.”

Yet Dr. Younes highlighted a boundary: data manipulation cannot withstand stark reality. Live images of children under attack cannot be spun into comforting narratives.

This moment accentuates the need for transparency. When states or political actors provide talking points, monitor engagement, and mobilize users through dashboards and data, the process is no longer organic; it is manufactured consent. Citizens deserve to know who is speaking to them and why.

The events following October 7 proved a simple truth: distribution can be automated, but humanity cannot. The digital Iron Dome attempted to contain the story, and it failed because the people refused to look away. In an age dominated by AI, the most potent technology remains the human voice that refuses to be formatted.

October 24, 2025 Posted by | Deception, Ethnic Cleansing, Racism, Zionism, Full Spectrum Dominance | , , , | Leave a comment

Western journalists know they have a case to answer for their betrayal of Gaza, and it frightens them

By Samuel Geddes | Al Mayadeen | October 24, 2025

Pulitzer Prize-winning war correspondent and former Middle East Bureau chief for The New York Times, Christopher Hedges, this week delivered the Edward Said memorial lecture in Australia. He had also been invited to address the country’s national “Press Club” in which he was to highlight the overwhelming moral failures of Western establishment media outlets, chiefly by amplifying Israeli propaganda and undermining the credibility of journalists in Gaza, most of whom “Israel” has subsequently killed in its decimation of the territory’s population.

It shouldn’t really have come as a surprise then, when the Press Club rescinded its invitation to Hedges on the grounds of “balancing out” its programming. Whether or not the withdrawal was directly influenced by Israeli pressure, the collective media aristocracy of the country would hardly have looked forward to the prospect of an actual, decorated reporter scathingly indicting them to their faces on their systematic malpractice and dereliction of duty that has contributed to perhaps the definitive atrocity of the 21st century.

Stalwart ABC journalist David Marr came out to defend “The Club” in a radio interview with a furious Chris Hedges. Rather than seek to engage with the content of what his speech would have been, Marr set about using his training as a barrister to ambush the real journalist in the room, smearing the sponsorship of his tour by a Palestine advocacy group as a “fundamental breaking of the rules,” according to his definition of journalism.

Beneath the sniveling pettiness and affected outrage of his attacks on Hedges, lurked a palpable sense of indignation that anyone, least of all a decorated journalist, would attack his “club” of establishment approved media personalities for having not done their job, to the point of betraying those Gazans practicing journalism in its purest form.

Marr, whose career is not particularly distinguished by international reporting, much less from a warzone, attempted to impugn Hedges’ authority on Gaza (where he lived for seven years) by pointing out that he hadn’t been in the territory since 2005 and hence his lack of recent experience there might not have measured up to the Club’s exacting standards.

The substance, to the degree there was any to Marr’s arguments, was that those organizations, Sky News, CNN and Reuters, by privileging Israeli talking points about the victims of their attacks, was merely standard due journalistic diligence of including “Israel’s” “perspective” in the interests of balance.

Hedges immediately and rightfully fired back that the job of a journalist is to tell the truth, not to balance it out with lies. “Israel’s” excuses and misdirection do, of course, merit being referred to, but not in a way that explicitly lends them credibility, by literally headlining the report.

What Marr evidently did not seem to understand was that Hedges is not saying that Western journalists manipulate or distort the truth. It is that they systematically amplify Israeli narratives which they know to be false, in a way that drowns out the truth of the story. This creates a false equivalence between Palestinian and Israeli “narratives.” It is precisely this mixing in of lies with truth that allowed “Israel” to get away with killing almost all professional reporters working in Gaza, along with untold numbers of other civilians.

While culpability is by no means exclusive to the Western mainstream press, it is unquestionably responsible for curating a global media discourse that manufactures the kind of doubt and hesitation that has permitted a livestreamed genocide to be perpetrated with full state complicity without consequence.

Perhaps the only valuable insight to be drawn from Marr’s affected and clearly unsuccessful attempt to pillory a journalist worth the title is that leading Western career journalists are, on some level, aware of their complicity. Like the endlessly weaponized accusations of anti-Semitism against opponents of the Israeli regime, it is not borne out of real anger but of a desperate attempt to intimidate those speaking the truth into silence.

There will inevitably come a point at which countless individuals and institutions in Western societies will be called to answer for their conduct during this genocide. That realization seems only now to be tentatively dawning on them.

October 24, 2025 Posted by | Ethnic Cleansing, Racism, Zionism, Mainstream Media, Warmongering, War Crimes | , , | Leave a comment

Palestinian justice group seeks UK prosecution of British-Israeli citizen for serving in IDF

MEMO | October 24, 2025

The International Centre of Justice for Palestinians (ICJP) has formally applied for a court summons to prosecute a dual British-Israeli national for allegedly breaching UK law by voluntarily serving in the Israeli military. If successful, the case could set a legal precedent for accountability under Britain’s rarely used Foreign Enlistment Act of 1870.

The individual is accused of serving first on the Lebanese border and then in the illegally occupied West Bank as a member of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF). ICJP alleges that the engagement constitutes an offence under Section 4 of the Foreign Enlistment Act (FEA), which prohibits British subjects from enlisting in the military of a foreign state that is at war with a state friendly to the UK.

In a statement released yesterday, the ICJP confirmed that its application for a court summons was submitted on 20 October. The preliminary hearing is expected to take place in the coming weeks.

“This is a significant step in holding suspected war criminals accountable within domestic jurisdictions for offences that they have committed outside of their home countries,” said Mutahir Ahmed, ICJP’s Head of Legal. “War criminals must be held accountable for their role in the genocide, from the most senior generals to the most junior foot soldier.”

The individual named in the filing, who remains unnamed for legal reasons, is not believed to have been conscripted. Israeli law does not compel dual nationals residing abroad to enlist, which ICJP argues makes the engagement a voluntary act  and therefore subject to prosecution under UK law.

The legal submission, drafted by senior King’s Counsel, includes both expert testimony and supporting evidence of alleged FEA violations. ICJP says this is the first in a series of prosecutions it is pursuing as part of its broader Global 195 campaign, a reference to the number of UN-recognised states whose nationals may be subject to domestic accountability for war crimes committed abroad.

Palestine has been a State Party to the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court since April 2015. Its statehood was reaffirmed by a 2021 ICC ruling and more recently recognised by the UK government. As Palestine is considered a “friendly state” under the terms of the Foreign Enlistment Act, ICJP argues that British citizens who engage in hostilities against it through service in the IDF are in breach of UK law.

The organisation says it has gathered evidence on more than 10 British citizens — including dual nationals — who may have either fought in the IDF or provided material support to its military activities. The current application marks what ICJP calls a first test case, with further prosecutions anticipated.

October 24, 2025 Posted by | Ethnic Cleansing, Racism, Zionism, War Crimes | , , , , | Leave a comment

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