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Reposted by David Sterman

Brian J. Phillips @brianjphillips.bsky.social · 15h

British Synagogue Attacker Pledged Allegiance to ISIS, Police Say

www.nytimes.com/2025/10/08/w...

British Synagogue Attacker Pledged Allegiance to ISIS, Police Say

www.nytimes.com

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David Sterman @davidsterman.bsky.social · 15h

Few more details.

Somalia is at 81 confirmed strikes plus a ground raid.

Yemen may include an alleged but not confirmed strike on AQAP not just the anti-Houthi campaign.

Wesley Morgan @wesleymorgan.bsky.social · 15h

Yesterday's Syria strike puts US combat actions during the second Trump administration at:

—1,000+ air strikes in Yemen (March-April)
—75+ air strikes in Somalia
—7 air strikes and 3 JSOC ground raids in Syria
—4 air strikes in the Caribbean
—B-2 strikes on 3 sites in Iran
—1 air strike in Iraq

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Reposted by David Sterman

Wesley Morgan @wesleymorgan.bsky.social · 15h

Yesterday's Syria strike puts US combat actions during the second Trump administration at:

—1,000+ air strikes in Yemen (March-April)
—75+ air strikes in Somalia
—7 air strikes and 3 JSOC ground raids in Syria
—4 air strikes in the Caribbean
—B-2 strikes on 3 sites in Iran
—1 air strike in Iraq

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David Sterman @davidsterman.bsky.social · 15h

This is nuts. Even if you think immigration is a major crisis, thinking it merits a quarter of the FBI’s resources compared to other (much realer actual threats) is bonkers. www.washingtonpost.com/national-sec...

A quarter of FBI agents are assigned to immigration enforcement, per FBI data

Nearly a quarter of FBI agents are currently assigned to immigration enforcement, with the number climbing above 40 percent in the bureau’s largest field offices.

www.washingtonpost.com

David Sterman @davidsterman.bsky.social · 16h

Apparently there was another strike in Syria against an AQ figure per CENTCOM.

Been a few of these. www.centcom.mil/MEDIA/PRESS-...

www.centcom.mil

David Sterman @davidsterman.bsky.social · 1d

I very much agree with critiques of Hegseth’s concepts of warrior ethos etc especially the lower ROEs mean more winning.

I do worry a bit some of the criticism may be overemphasizing the role of logistics, and industrial capacity. And especially that some args assume only specific kinds of war.

Reposted by David Sterman

Brian Finucane @bcfinucane.bsky.social · 1d

Senator Slotkin asks Army GC nominee about how many "designated terrorist organizations" the US is now supposedly in an armed conflict with and whether he can name them.

Army GC nominee refuses to answer.

Administration refuses to tell American public and Congress who POTUS has declared war on.

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David Sterman @davidsterman.bsky.social · 1d

Could well be wrong and gov data for this kind of thing is often a mess. But I’d be wary with how one portrays this number. Especially as it’s touted by Patel to defend against criticisms of undermining investigations.

David Sterman @davidsterman.bsky.social · 1d

If I’m doing my math right, if you’re suggesting there’s been a 300% increase in DT investigations overall, based on Patel’s numbers you’d think there were 425 last year which would have been about a 84% decrease from 2023.

That seems on face wrong to me atop wording being different.

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David Sterman @davidsterman.bsky.social · 1d

Here’s that link. www.judiciary.senate.gov/imo/media/do...

Also seems like maybe a small drop in international terror investigations.

Would be cool if folks clarified when reporting and linked to specific testimony.

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David Sterman @davidsterman.bsky.social · 1d

Another question I have is that in 2023 Wray testified there were 2,700 open DT cases. Maybe that dropped in 2024, but seems Patel’s count is 1,700 DT cases.

His statement makes it sound like his % is newly opened not the total number. As does the reply to McBath that makes it seem NVE specific

David Sterman @davidsterman.bsky.social · 1d

Looking through Patel’s testimony and it doesn’t seem entirely clear he’s saying there’s a 300% increase in DT cases.

In the statement, it seems unspecified after a series of possible referents (international, DT, and NVE)

He then later seems to give it for NVE.

Has it been clarified anywhere?

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Reposted by David Sterman

SpyTalker @spytalker.bsky.social · 1d

Simple question that AG Pam Bondi refuses to answer: "What happened to the $50,000 that the FBI delivered to Mr. Holman in a paper bag?"

Senator Sheldon Whitehouse @whitehouse.senate.gov · 1d

Pam Bondi is incapable of answering simple questions.

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David Sterman @davidsterman.bsky.social · 1d

Here’s link for that quote: www.rev.com/transcripts/...

And here’s the opening statement www.fbi.gov/news/speeche...

David Sterman @davidsterman.bsky.social · 1d

Looking at this response to McBath makes it seem like he’s talking a specific set of cases not DT generally?

“We have 1,700 current DT managed programs. We're up 300% in the amount of cases we brought against nihilistic violent extremists including 764 wishing to harm our children.”

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David Sterman @davidsterman.bsky.social · 1d

Looking through Patel’s testimony and it doesn’t seem entirely clear he’s saying there’s a 300% increase in DT cases.

In the statement, it seems unspecified after a series of possible referents (international, DT, and NVE)

He then later seems to give it for NVE.

Has it been clarified anywhere?

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Reposted by David Sterman

Mark Zaid, Esq @markzaidesq.bsky.social · 1d

If you didn't realize this earlier, this latest action by the Administration amply demonstrates it does not have the back of federal workers.

www.govexec.com/pay-benefits...

OMB deletes reference to law guaranteeing backpay to furloughed feds from shutdown guidance

An Office of Management and Budget FAQ document now states that only excepted employees forced to work without pay are guaranteed backpay at the conclusion of a lapse in appropriations.

www.govexec.com

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David Sterman @davidsterman.bsky.social · 1d

Not doing the unredacted version?

If not, how does the audio version handle the redactions?

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Reposted by David Sterman

Dave Weigel @daveweigel.bsky.social · 2d

Nothing I've covered feels as distant from the future we got than Rand Paul's bipartisan 2014 push to bar police departments from buying surplus military vehicles. Now you see a (minority but loud) public demand for the troops to bring their cool stuff to Save Your Town

ryan cooper @ryanlcooper.com · 2d

I used to get a chuckle out of the Third Amendment, ha ha what quaint 18th century tricornered hat problems to have, not so much anymore

Sharon @sharonk.bsky.social · 2d

area dort unaware of the fact that the founders didn't *want* soldiers in the streets

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Reposted by David Sterman

David Sterman @davidsterman.bsky.social · 2d

The government is in a shutdown. But doesn’t mean the strikes in Somalia have stopped.

Here’s another one. www.africom.mil/pressrelease...

www.africom.mil

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David Sterman @davidsterman.bsky.social · 2d

Our tracking. www.newamerica.org/future-secur...

America’s Counterterrorism Wars

Tracking the United States's drone strikes and other operations in Pakistan, Yemen, Somalia, and Libya.

www.newamerica.org

David Sterman @davidsterman.bsky.social · 2d

The government is in a shutdown. But doesn’t mean the strikes in Somalia have stopped.

Here’s another one. www.africom.mil/pressrelease...

www.africom.mil

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David Sterman @davidsterman.bsky.social · 5d

Which is interesting because the strikes in Somalia including against ISIS - which may be more of interest for performative broadcasting by the WH- has not stopped/slowed.

What explains the shift?

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David Sterman @davidsterman.bsky.social · 5d

Was doing some research and the shift in WH comms from promoting strikes in Somalia to the drug boat strikes is very clear.

Visible in specific individual feeds, commentary, the WH release of videos, and if you look at the gross hashtag slogan WWFY/WWKY.

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Reposted by David Sterman

Kyle Cheney @kyledcheney.bsky.social · 5d

BREAKING: A federal judge says there is a realistic likelihood that the prosecution of Kilmar Abrego Garcia was driven by vindictive motives — reflected in the public statements of Bondi, Blanche, Noem et al.

He has ordered discovery on the question.
storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us...

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David Sterman @davidsterman.bsky.social · 6d

Take even GTMO for example. Yes important links. But also Bush was decreasing the prison size and not adding to it for his later years. Under pressure yea, but it was a focus tied to attention to law - however adrift the early years took the admin.