Pakistan’s former president‚ Imran Khan‚ was not a politician who rose to the presidency and threatened the deep state of the military. He was a common-sense politician and was thrown out of office. The US played a part in it. An unpopular president was installed‚ but then they held an election. Imran Khan’s Party Won […] The post Imran Khan’s in Prison Partly Due to the US &; His Party Won Big appeared first on www.independentsentinel.com.

House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) criticized the roughly $95 billion foreign aid package making its way through the Democrat-controlled Senate. A statement he released on Monday warned against a final product that lacks “real” border security provisions after the Senate rejected a bipartisan immigration deal tacked onto the national security supplemental legislation last week. My statement on Senate’s failure to address the most critical aspect of national security supplemental legislation: pic.twitter.com/ENjJ0WzKsK — Speaker Mike Johnson (@SpeakerJohnson) February 13‚ 2024 Although Johnson said the Senate “did the right thing” by rejecting the border provisions he deemed to be “insufficient‚” the speaker said senators “should have gone back to the drawing board” to change the bill and address the “ongoing catastrophe.” Johnson said that “in the absence of having received any single border policy change from the Senate‚ the House will have to continue to work its own will on these important matters. America deserves better than the Senate’s status quo.” The foreign aid package‚ which allocates funds to Ukraine‚ Israel‚ Taiwan‚ and other foreign priorities — including humanitarian aid — has cleared a few procedural hurdles and could get a final vote later this week as some Republicans try to open up the process and add border provisions. While the White House has voiced support for the legislation to move forward‚ former President Donald Trump‚ who could face President Joe Biden in a 2020 rematch in the election this year‚ has urged senators to reject foreign aid unless approved as a loan. Johnson argued the GOP-led House took the lead in trying to tackle the border crisis by passing H.R. 2 last year. The Senate refused to take that border security bill up for consideration with Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) dismissing what he described as “partisan right-wing demands.” One of the Senate negotiators‚ Chris Murphy (D-CT)‚ fired back at Johnson with a post to X that said the “speaker said he wouldn’t pass [Ukraine] funding without a border deal and we got a deal and then he killed the deal because he said we didn’t need a deal and now he says he won’t pass our [Ukraine] funding bill bc it doesn’t include a border deal.” He added‚ with spaces‚ “honestly” and “wtf.” Murphy didn’t cut a border security deal‚ he cut an immigration deal Speaker didn’t kill Murphy immigration bill‚ Senate did House GOP was clear‚ HR2 or equivalent was required Murphy himself said “the border never closes” Senate drops border altogether Wtf indeed https://t.co/WumwcluXvK — Raj Shah (@RajShahDC) February 13‚ 2024 Johnson’s spokesman Raj Shah responded with a space-laden post that said “Murphy didn’t cut a border security deal‚ he cut an immigration deal … Speaker didn’t kill Murphy immigration bill‚ Senate did … House GOP was clear‚ HR2 or equivalent was required … Murphy himself said ‘the border never closes’ … Senate drops border altogether … Wtf indeed.”

The United Nations official who was welcomed to speak at Harvard University on the same day she was banned from Israel for anti-Semitism doubled down at the Ivy League event‚ stating that Hamas isn’t motivated by hatred of Jews and that Israel has no right to defend itself. Francesca Albanese‚ the UN’s Special Rapporteur on the Palestinian territories‚ stood by her position on Hamas’s motivation for its attack during the discussion with Harvard’s Carr Center for Human Rights Policy on Monday afternoon. Albanese found herself in hot water and officially barred from entering Israel after she contended that French President Emanuel Macron was wrong for labeling the October 7 terrorist attack the “greatest anti-Semitic massacre of our century.” “Saying that the motivation was anti-Semitism is wrong and dangerous‚” Albanese said in the Harvard discussion. “I’m not saying that people in Hamas are absolutely not anti-Semitic. This was not the argument‚ but the argument is that this attack was launched as a way to break the occupation against the apartheid.” Harvard’s decision to host Albanese on Monday came as anti-Israel protests flare back up on campus. Harvard has dealt with severe backlash for its failure to combat anti-Semitism on campus‚ but has continued to invite anti-Israel speakers to speak at university events. Just last week it an event was announced with a Palestinian professor who said the terrorist attack was Israel’s fault. Albanese at the Monday afternoon event accused Israel of falsely claiming anti-Semitism to make it appear that there is an “existential threat” against Jews. “I understand why Israel is using this argument of antisemitism because by saying ‘we were attacked‚ because we are Jews‚’ it’s bringing the existential threat that many Jews fear‚” she added. “The real threat is the apartheid that Israel imposes on the Palestinians‚ which is a threat to both Palestinians and Israeli Jews.” Today‚ Harvard hosted UN official Francesca Albanese‚ who was banned from Israel hours before for justifying Oct 7 as a “response to Israel’s oppression.” At the webinar she doubled down‚ stating Hamas wasn't driven by antisemitism &; Israel didn't have the right to self-defense. pic.twitter.com/kLhYvpNymF — Kassy Dillon (@KassyDillon) February 13‚ 2024 She went on to claim Israel didn’t have the right to respond to Hamas. “Israel had to act under the framework of international humanitarian law in terms of law enforcement‚ because this is the powers that it has as an occupying power‚” she said. “It didn’t have the right to act in self defense‚ meaning waging a war because it couldn’t wage a war against the people it maintains under occupation.” “What Israel had to do was to repel the attack on its own territory‚ arrest and detain and treat humanely the people who had been arrested and ensure justice‚” she continued. “You could have used justice‚ used its own justice system‚ go to International Criminal Court and the‚ the other instead of taking revenge against the entire population.” READ MORE: Harvard Kennedy School To Host Radical Palestinian Professor Who Blamed Israel For Hamas Terrorist Attack Albanese stated during the event that there still hasn’t been an “official investigation” into the October 7 attacks‚ and that she hasn’t seen “evidence” to establish intent. “After four months‚ there is no official reconstruction‚ no official investigation‚ and no independent investigation on what has happened on the 7th of October and I’m not saying that to say‚ ‘oh it was not criminal‚’ of course it was criminal‚ but I do not have evidence to establish the intent.” “Hamas doesn’t have the capacity to really carry out a genocide‚” she added. She also said that while some Hamas terrorists “may have been motivated by hatred‚” that all evidence “at the level of command have not pointed to aggression against the Jews.” At the end of the talk‚ Faculty Director Mathias Risse‚ who led the discussion‚ accused people of distorting Albanese’s statements‚ adding that there is a “massive onslaught of very destructive criticism” against her. “So let me just say‚ also‚ thank you for doing this kind of talk‚” Risse said. “I think this is really the kind of work that the United Nations should be doing.” Israel’s Minister of Foreign Affairs‚ Israel Katz‚ announced Monday that Albanese is barred from Israel and called for her to be removed from her position with the UN. The time for Jewish silence is past. For the @UN to regain its credibility‚ its leadership @antonioguterres must unequivocally renounce the anti-Semitic statements made by their "Special Envoy" @FranceskAlbs and remove her from her position immediately. Barring her entry to… https://t.co/WrPG1O9AoX — ישראל ×›”×¥ Israel Katz (@Israel_katz) February 12‚ 2024 “The time for Jewish silence is past‚” he tweeted. “Barring her entry to Israel will serve as a stark reminder of the atrocities committed by Hamas‚ including the ruthless targeting of innocents.” The French Foreign Ministry also fired back at Albanese‚ calling her comments “more scandalous since the fight against anti-Semitism and all forms of racism are at the heart of the founding of the UN.” The U.S. Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Anti-Semitism‚ Deborah Lipstadt praised France for condemning Albanese and her “attempt to dispute or justify the October  7 terrorist massacre‚ the largest antisemitic incident of the 21st century.” “Francesca Albanese has a history of using antisemitic tropes‚” the U.S. Permanent Representative to the United Nations Human Rights Council‚ Michèle Taylor‚ tweeted. “Her most recent statements justifying‚ dismissing‚ &; denying the antisemitic undertones of Hamas’ October 7 attack are unacceptable &; antisemitic.” Taylor cited a 2014 example of Albanese accusing America of being “subjugated by the Jewish lobby” and Europe of being subjected “by the sense of guilt about the Holocaust.” Last year‚ a bipartisan group of members of Congress called on the United Nations to remove Albanese for her bias against Israel. “Ms. Albanese has repeatedly refused to condemn terrorist attacks against Israelis while continuing her condemnations of Israel‚” the group wrote. “For an official tasked with serving as an independent‚ neutral‚ and expert voice on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict‚ her inexcusable silence against terrorism targeting Israelis and her outrageous and prejudicial remarks clearly reflect the irredeemable bias of her mandate.” Harvard did not respond to a request for comment.

This year‚ Valentine’s Day and the start of Lent falls on the same day. What does a day filled with heart-shaped boxes of chocolates and bouquets of roses have to do with a period of fasting and prayer in preparation for Easter?

As Christians‚ how do we submit to God’s authority while living subject to less-than-perfect earthly authorities?

Remember that God sees you. When you feel invisible‚ remember that his heart is tender toward you. He walks with you‚ guiding you‚ bringing you comfort and rest.