"For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires, and will turn away their ears from the truth and will turn aside to myths." Northwoods is a ministry dedicated to refreshing Christians and challenging them to search for the truth in Christianity, politics, sociology, and science
"I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life"
Father God, thank you for the love of the truth you have given me. Please bless me with the wisdom, knowledge and discernment needed to always present the truth in an attitude of grace and love. Use this blog and Northwoods Ministries for your glory. Help us all to read and to study Your Word without preconceived notions, but rather, let scripture interpret scripture in the presence of the Holy Spirit. All praise to our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.
Please note: All my writings and comments appear in bold italics in this colour
A special court sitting in The Hague on Wednesday sentenced former Kosovon President Hashim Thaçi to 25 years in prison for murder, torture and other war crimes committed during Kosovo's fight for independence from Serbia in the 1990s. File Photo by Valdrin Xhemaj/EPA-EFE
Sept. 16 (UPI) --A special court sitting in The Hague on Wednesday sentenced former Kosovon President Hashim Thaçi and former two-time acting president Jakup Krasniqi to 25 years in prison for murder, torture and other war crimes committed during Kosovo's fight for independence from Serbia in the 1990s.
A Kosovo Specialist Chambers trial panel found Thaçi, Krasniqi, Kadri Veseli and Rexhep Selimi guilty of playing significant roles in the targeting of individuals they believed opposed the political and military goals of the Kosovo Liberation Army, the chambers said on X.
The Trial Panel found that all four "criminally responsible" for the murders of 96 people, torture of 303, arbitrary arrest of 385 and cruel treatment of a further 49.
Veseli and Selimi were handed prison sentences of 18 years and 13 years, respectively, minus time already served on remand, the specialist prosecutor's office said in a news release.
The court said those targeted for assassination, arbitrary detention without due process, physical and psychologically abuse as well as harrassment and intimidation included Kosovo Albanians linked to rival political or military forces, including the Kosovo Democratic League and the Kosovo Armed Forces, its military wing.
Individuals alleged to be associated with the former Federal Republic of Yugoslavia or Serbian authorities and members of certain ethnic minorities, including a number of Roma and Serbs, were also singled out for targeting.
The trial panel acquitted the men of six counts of crimes against humanity.
The panel said that, bar a few examples, most of the those targeted were innocent civilians caught up in the perpetrating of a "common criminal purpose" that tarred them, often falsely and most of the time with no foundation, as "collaborators or spies."
It said it found no evidence that any of the victims played any active role in the conflict, posed a valid security threat to the KLA or were involved in criminal activity of any kind.
In testimony to the court, many of those affected said they had suffered lasting psychological and physical injuries.
The presiding judge stressed purpose of trial was not to re-litigate whether the KLA was a legitimate army of liberation, or Kosovon independence, but about the criminal acts perpetrated by some KLA members in pursuit of an independent Kosovo.
The court said in handing down the sentences it had taken into account additional vulnerabilities due to the ages of some victims or the fact some had witnessed their loved ones being murdered or abused.
Former Philippines president Rodrigo Duterte arrested on ICC warrant
Asia / Pacific
Former Philippines president Rodrigo Duterte was arrested Tuesday on an ICC warrant alleging that he oversaw crimes against humanity linked to mass killings during his crackdown on drugs. Duterte is en route to the Hague, according to local media reports.
Former Philippines president Rodrigo Duterte was arrested Tuesday in Manila by police acting on an International Criminal Court warrant tied to his deadly war on drugs.
The 79-year-old faces a charge of "the crime against humanity of murder", according to the ICC, for a crackdown that rights groups estimate killed tens of thousands of mostly poor men, often without proof they were linked to drugs.
"As I write this, he is being forcibly taken to The Hague tonight. This is not justice -- this is oppression and persecution," Duterte's eldest daughter said in a statement.
The former president had earlier gone on Instagram live to say he believed the Philippine Supreme Court would step in and prevent his transfer to the international tribunal.
"The Supreme Court will not agree to that. We do not have an extradition treaty," he said after his lawyers filed a petition with the court.
Duterte was arrested at the airport after "Interpol Manila received the official copy of the warrant of the arrest from the ICC", the presidential palace said in a morning statement.
In an earlier video, Duterte had demanded to know the basis of his arrest.
"So what is the law and what is the crime that I committed? Show to me now the legal basis of my being here," he said.
Duterte's former chief legal counsel, Salvador Panelo, slammed his detention as "unlawful".
"The (police) didn't allow one of his lawyers to meet him at the airport and to question the legal basis for (the) arrest," he said.
Reactions from those who opposed Duterte's drug war, however, were jubilant.
One group working to support mothers of those killed in the crackdown called the arrest a "very welcome development".
"The mothers whose husbands and children were killed because of the drug war are very happy because they have been waiting for this for a very long time," Rubilyn Litao, coordinator for Rise Up for Life and for Rights, told AFP.
"Now that Duterte has been arrested, (President) Ferdinand Marcos Jr. should make sure that he is actually delivered to the ICC for detention and trial," said Philippine rights alliance Karapatan, calling the arrest "long overdue".
China, however, warned the ICC against "politicisation" and "double standards" in the Duterte case, saying it was "closely monitoring the development of the situation".
A winding path
Duterte's Tuesday morning arrest at Manila's international airport followed a brief trip to Hong Kong.
Speaking to thousands of overseas Filipino workers there Sunday, the former president decried the investigation, labelling ICC investigators "sons of whores" while saying he would "accept it" if an arrest were to be his fate.
The Philippines quit the ICC in 2019 on Duterte's instructions, but the tribunal maintained it had jurisdiction over killings before the pullout, as well as killings in the southern city of Davao when Duterte was mayor, years before he became president.
It launched a formal inquiry in September 2021, only to suspend it two months later after Manila said it was re-examining several hundred cases of drug operations that led to deaths at the hands of police, hitmen and vigilantes.
The case resumed in July 2023 after a five-judge panel rejected the Philippines' objection that the court lacked jurisdiction.
Since then, the Marcos government has on numerous instances said it would not cooperate with the investigation.
But Undersecretary of the Presidential Communications Office Claire Castro on Sunday said that if Interpol would "ask the necessary assistance from the government, it is obliged to follow".
Duterte is still hugely popular among many in the Philippines who supported his quick-fix solutions to crime, and he remains a potent political force.
He is running to reclaim his job as mayor of his stronghold Davao in May's mid-term election.
Charges have been filed locally in a handful of cases related to drug operations that led to deaths -- only nine police have been convicted for slaying alleged drug suspects.
A self-professed killer, Duterte instructed police to fatally shoot narcotics suspects if their lives were at risk and insisted the crackdown saved families and prevented the Philippines from turning into a "narco-politics state".
At the opening of a Philippine Senate probe into the drug war in October, Duterte said he offered "no apologies, no excuses" for his actions.
"I did what I had to do, and whether or not you believe it or not, I did it for my country," he said.
(FRANCE 24 with AFP)
Dutch brother influencers arrested in Dubai
on drug charges
Dutch self-proclaimed multimillionaire brothers Samuel (25) and Ruben (23) Onuha have been arrested in Dubai,multiple sources confirmed to De Telegraaf. Their arrest is reportedly linked to drug-related charges, though authorities have not disclosed specific details.
The Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs has acknowledged being aware of the arrest but stated that it has not been asked to provide legal assistance. The brothers’ family declined to comment on the situation, and it remains unclear who is representing them legally. Dubai police have referred inquiries to the Criminal Investigation Department (CID), which has not responded, reportedly due to Ramadan.
The Onuha brothers, known for flaunting their wealth on social media, have reportedly become the talk of Dubai. Their arrest has sparked widespread discussion among influencers on YouTube and TikTok. Samuel, who founded the online fashion brand Icon Amsterdam in 2018, has previously claimed to have sold hundreds of thousands of pants and amassed a fortune of 30 million euros.
In Dubai, the brothers lived a high-profile lifestyle, frequently displaying luxury cars, expensive watches, and private jet trips. They also promoted dropshipping masterclasses, advertising the potential for massive earnings. In online videos, they claimed to generate millions per week through e-commerce. Samuel once stated, “The world rewards risk-takers.”
Despite their success claims, the actual financial performance of Icon Amsterdam is unclear. The company’s latest available financial statement from 2022 does not indicate the alleged multimillion-euro revenues. The company has not provided clarification, and its customer service reports significant delays in responding to inquiries. The investigation into the Onuha brothers’ case in Dubai remains ongoing.
Notorious Mexican cartel leader gets life in prison, $6B fine for drug trafficking, firearms offenses
The national flag of Mexico hoisted above the National Palace government offices in the Zocalo de la Mexico City, Mexico. | Getty Images
One of the founders of a powerful Mexican cartel will spend the rest of his life in federal prison after a court imposed a life sentence plus 30 years on major drug trafficking and firearms charges. He must also forfeit more than $6 billion in illicit proceeds.
U.S.-Mexican dual national and co-founder of the Cartel de Jalisco Nueva Generación, 34-year-old Ruben Oseguera-Gonzalez, received the sentence in the District of Columbia, the U.S. Department of Justice said in a statement Friday.
Prosecutors confirmed that he oversaw the importation of multi-ton shipments of illegal drugs into the U.S. and directed violent acts on behalf of the cartel.
According to officials, he personally killed five individuals who owed him money, and he shot both a rival cartel member and a subordinate. Investigators found that he carried firearms, including a rifle and grenade launcher bearing his nickname, which he used to threaten Mexican law enforcement during his arrest.
Court documents also noted that he ordered the murder of more than 100 people, and he participated in some of those killings himself.
“This defendant helped build Cartel de Jalisco Nueva Generacion into a brutal terrorist organization that pumps poison onto our streets and commits horrific acts of violence,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi.
Oseguera-Gonzalez co-founded the cartel with his father, Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, also known as El Mencho, who remains a fugitive.
Oseguera-Gonzalez’s role included trafficking more than 50 metric tons of cocaine and overseeing laboratories that produced at least 1,000 metric tons of methamphetamine in Mexico. Court filings revealed that he contributed to the early stages of a fentanyl operation and once pledged to “do it big” by creating counterfeit oxycontin pills laced with fentanyl.
Oseguera-Gonzalez’s leadership in the CJNG spanned nearly seven years in Mexico. During this period, he reportedly provided weapons and orchestrated brutal activities to maintain cartel operations.
He directed a 2015 attack on a Mexican military helicopter. The helicopter was shot down while pursuing Oseguera-Gonzalez and his father, leading to the death of at least nine Mexican service members and permanently disfiguring at least one other.
The Department of Justice confirmed that Oseguera-Gonzalez’s intent was to evade capture, and the incident delayed efforts by Mexican authorities to apprehend him.
Oseguera-Gonzalez operated on both sides of the U.S.-Mexico border. The cartel’s geographic reach included several Mexican states, as well as shipments that infiltrated American markets.
Last month, a binational enforcement operation between Mexico and the U.S. disrupted a cartel-linked smuggling network that allegedly kidnapped migrants and extorted their families. Mexican authorities arrested two suspects, identified as Brian Alan Torres Gonzalez and Soledad Morales Nava, who will face prosecution in Mexico with evidence from U.S. officials.
Officials believe it not only moved adults but also children from Central America into El Paso, Texas, allegedly demanding payment before completing the migrants’ entry into the U.S.
You know, the “far right.” The people whom the political and media elites told you were neo-Nazis are standing on the side of Israel, while the alleged guardians of human rights endorse and amplify Hamas propaganda.
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán announced today that he will not respect the International Criminal Court (ICC) arrest warrant against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and invite his counterpart to visit Budapest.
The Dutch far-right leader Geert Wilders said that instead of receiving international understanding and support, Netanyahu faces an arrest warrant. “The world has gone mad,” he noted, letting us understand that he was planning a meeting with the Israeli PM. “I am proud to meet my friend @netanyahu soon in Israel,” he posted on X.
Similarly, Matteo Salvini, deputy prime minister of the Italian government and head of the minority coalition partner League, said it is “disrespectful” to call “the prime minister of one of the few democracies in the Middle East” a war criminal.
The Hungarian Fidesz, Dutch PVV and Italian League are members of the Marine Le Pen‘s Patriots for Europe group.
According to rumours from Brussels, if the Israeli Prime Minister arrived on Hungarian soil and were not arrested, Hungary would “violate its international legal obligations and the EU’s position on the International Criminal Court”….
The ICC has ceased to be the bastion of legal authority it perhaps once was, and has become, like the UN and NATO, overcome by political influence which is antisemitic among many other unfortunate qualities.
The president-elect is reportedly preparing a list of possible sanctions for the International Criminal Court, including personal measures targeting chief prosecutor Karim Khan and ICC judges, after the ICC issued arrest warrants for Israeli leaders.
By David Rosenberg, World Israel News
The incoming Trump administration is drafting a list of possible measures to take against the International Criminal Court at The Hague in response to the court’s decision Thursday to issue arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, Israel’s public broadcaster Kan reported Friday.
U.S. sources cited in the Kan report said the president-elect and his advisers are currently mulling possible sanctions against the International Criminal Court, including punitive actions targeting not only ICC chief prosecutor Karim Khan, but also the ICC judges who signed off on the arrest warrants.
“The possibility is of imposing personal sanctions not only on the prosecutor or the court – but also on the judges themselves who issued the order,” one source was quoted as saying.
Trump’s National Security Advisor-designate Michael Waltz, who currently represents Florida’s 6th congressional district in the U.S. House of Representatives, castigated the ICC’s decision Thursday as “antisemitic.”
“The ICC has no credibility and these allegations have been refuted by the U.S. government,” Waltz tweeted.
“Israel has lawfully defended its people & borders from genocidal terrorists. You can expect a strong response to the antisemitic bias of the ICC & UN come January.”
Congressional Republican leaders also condemned the ICC for issuing the arrest warrants, pledging to move forward with legislation sanctioning the court.
“The ICC’s decision to target America’s ally, Israel, is antisemitic, reprehensible, and completely ridiculous,” House Speaker Mike Johnson tweeted.
“It has absolutely no jurisdiction over Israel or the United States, and these illegitimate warrants are an attack on the very concepts of sovereignty and due process.”
“The U.S. Senate should vote immediately on the bipartisan Illegitimate Court Counteraction Act, and President Biden should take clear steps to prevent these warrants from being enforced. If Senator Schumer and President Biden do not act now, they will most assuredly invite future lawfare against Israel and the United States. We cannot afford to show weakness.”
Many critics thought the International Criminal Court had gone too far when its prosecutor asked for arrest warrants against Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant.
But as the saying goes, “You ain’t seen nothin’ yet.”
Now, the prosecutor’s office has threatened to prosecute criticism of…himself. Those who seek to defend Israel and stop the malicious, deeply antisemitic action against its leaders and against the Jewish state are now being told that their words and actions may also be a crime.
This may sound like something out of “Alice in Wonderland,” but it is an effort not only to limit freedom of speech, but to limit the constitutional powers of the U.S. Congress.
After the prosecutor called for the arrest warrants for top Israeli officials, 12 U.S. senators wrote to the ICC. The full text of the letter is below. The final paragraphs read:
“If you issue a warrant for the arrest of the Israeli leadership, we will interpret this not only as a threat to Israel’s sovereignty but to the sovereignty of the United States.
“The United States will not tolerate politicized attacks by the ICC on our allies. Target Israel and we will target you. If you move forward with the measures indicated in the report, we will move to end all American support for the ICC, sanction your employees and associates, and bar you and your families from the United States. You have been warned.”
The reaction of the prosecutor’s office came in a tweet, the key language of which is this:
“When individuals threaten to retaliate against the Court or Court personnel…such threats, even when not acted upon, may also constitute an offence against the administration of justice under Art. 70 of the Rome Statute.”
Wow.
The 12 senators are already criminals, according to the ICC prosecutor, for writing their letter—even if absolutely nothing else happens. Note that the prosecutor writes of “individuals” who may threaten the ICC, whereas the senators write as U.S. government officials about possible official U.S. government actions. In plain language, the prosecutor is arguing that he and the ICC are above criticism. Forget freedom of speech or national sovereignty. To say that the United States, which is not a party to the Rome Statute, might react to punish the ICC for illegal and immoral actions it and its employees may take is not permitted….
