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    US Soldiers Killed During NATO Training Exercise In Lithuania Near Belarus Border

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
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    1
    U.S. service members walk the casket of George H.W. Bush, 41st President of the United States, towards the hearse, Joint Base Andrews, Maryland, Dec. 03, 2018. Military and civilian personnel assigned to Joint Task Force-National Capital Region provided ceremonial and civil affairs support during President George H.W. Bush's state funeral. (DoD photo by U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Kalie Frantz)

    Four U.S. Army soldiers from the 1st Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division, stationed at Fort Stewart, Georgia, have died during a training exercise in Lithuania. The incident occurred near the town of Pabradė, close to the Belarus border. The soldiers were traveling in an M88A2 Armored Recovery Vehicle when they went missing on Tuesday, prompting a search operation involving Lithuanian and NATO forces. Their bodies and vehicle were later discovered in a swampy area.

    NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte confirmed the deaths, expressing condolences and highlighting the risks associated with military training exercises, especially in challenging environments. The U.S. Army Europe and Africa stated that the soldiers were conducting scheduled tactical training at the General Silvestras Žukauskas training ground in Pabradė.

    The New York Post has additional information about the soldiers who were initially reported as missing:

    The four soldiers from the 1st Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division, based out of Fort Stewart, Georgia, were last seen alive on Tuesday riding an armored vehicle during tactical training exercises at a military site near the city of Pabrade, in eastern Lithuania.

    The area is about six miles from the border with Belarus — a staunch Russian ally, Army officials said.

    Rutte said he had received word of the deaths of the four soldiers and extended his thoughts and prayers to their families and the United States.

    US Army Africa from Vicenza, Italy, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

    “This is still early news so we do not know the details,” he told reporters while on a visit to Poland’s capital Warsaw. “This is really terrible news and our thoughts are with the families and loved ones.”

    Investigations are ongoing to determine the circumstances surrounding the incident. The names of the deceased soldiers have not yet been released, pending notification of their families.

    This is a breaking news story. Please check back for updates.

    The Atlantic Publishes Additional Messages From ‘Secret War Plans’ Groupchat

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
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    2
    Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel participates in an interview conducted by Jeffrey Goldberg in his office at the Pentagon Oct. 30, 2013 (Not Released)

    The Atlantic has published additional messages from Signal group chat among national security leaders that were inadvertently shared with Editor-in-Chief Jeffrey Goldberg, teeing up potential consequences for the publication.

    The move could trigger consequences for the magazine. Despite officials’ claims on Tuesday that the information contained within the chat was not classified, publishing such information could still violate the Espionage Act, which prohibits the release of national defense information.

    Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth and national security adviser Mike Waltz have faced calls to resign following revelations that the outlet’s editor-in-chief Jeffrey Goldberg was inadvertently added to a private group chat earlier this month in which Hegseth, Waltz, Vice President JD Vance and other top administration officials reportedly discussed impending airstrikes on Yemen’s Houthi rebels. 

    The Atlantic noted that the White House opposed its publishing of the information.

    Read the new messages:

    “TEAM UPDATE: TIME NOW (1144et): Weather is FAVORABLE. Just CONFIRMED w/CENTCOM we are a GO for mission launch. 1215et: F-18s LAUNCH (1st strike package). 1345: ‘Trigger Based’ F-18 1st Strike Window Starts (Target Terrorist is @ his Known Location so SHOULD BE ON TIME – also, Strike Drones Launch (MQ-9s),” Hegseth apparently wrote in a screenshot of a text message released Wednesday by The Atlantic. 

    “1410: More F-18s LAUNCH (2nd strike package). 1415: Strike Drones on Target (THIS IS WHEN THE FIRST BOMBS WILL DEFINITELY DROP, pending earlier ‘Trigger Based’ targets). 1536 F-18 2nd Strike Starts – also, first sea-based Tomahawks launched,” Hegseth reportedly continued, before adding “Godspeed to our Warriors.”

    Waltz later allegedly wrote “The first target – their top missile guy – we had positive ID of him walking into his girlfriend’s building and it’s now collapsed,” according to The Atlantic. 

    “Excellent,” read a message in response attributed to Vance.

    The Atlantic said in its report Wednesday – titled “Here Are the Attack Plans That Trump’s Advisers Shared on Signal” – that “the statements by Hegseth, Gabbard, Ratcliffe, and Trump – combined with the assertions made by numerous administration officials that we are lying about the content of the Signal texts – have led us to believe that people should see the texts in order to reach their own conclusions.”

    “There is a clear public interest in disclosing the sort of information that Trump advisers included in nonsecure communications channels, especially because senior administration figures are attempting to downplay the significance of the messages that were shared,” wrote the Atlantic’s Goldberg and reporter Shane Harris. 

    “Experts have repeatedly told us that use of a Signal chat for such sensitive discussions poses a threat to national security. As a case in point, Goldberg received information on the attacks two hours before the scheduled start of the bombing of Houthi positions. If this information – particularly the exact times American aircraft were taking off for Yemen – had fallen into the wrong hands in that crucial two-hour period, American pilots and other American personnel could have been exposed to even greater danger than they ordinarily would face,” they also said.

    The Atlantic report said “A CIA spokesperson asked us to withhold the name of John Ratcliffe’s chief of staff, which Ratcliffe had shared in the Signal chain, because CIA intelligence officers are traditionally not publicly identified.”

    Multiple government officials have rebuked the additional reporting and have accused The Atlantic of peddling a “hoax.”

    White House Deputy Chief of Staff Taylor Budowich said in response to the report that “The Atlantic has already abandoned their bulls— ‘war plans’ narrative, and in releasing the full chat , they concede they LIED to perpetuate yet ANOTHER hoax on the American people. What scumbags!”

    “The Atlantic has conceded: these were NOT ‘war plans,’” White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt added. “This entire story was another hoax written by a Trump-hater who is well-known for his sensationalist spin.”

    House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, the highest-ranking Democrat to do so, wrote a letter to President Donald Trump yesterday demanding that Hegseth be “fired immediately.” 

    “The so-called Secretary of Defense recklessly and casually disclosed highly sensitive war plans — including the timing of a pending attack, possible strike targets and the weapons to be used –during an unclassified national security group chat that inexplicably included a reporter. His behavior shocks the conscience, risked American lives and likely violated the law,” Jeffries wrote.

    Russia And Ukraine Agree To Black Sea Ceasefire After US-Brokered Talks

    By
    Patrick Houck
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    0
    Kremlin.ru, via Wikimedia Commons

    The United States has announced that Russia and Ukraine have agreed to a ceasefire in the Black Sea, aiming to ensure safe navigation and reduce hostilities in the region.

    The agreement includes measures to eliminate the use of force, prevent the use of commercial vessels for military purposes and ban strikes against energy facilities.

    In exchange, the U.S. will help lift the international sanctions against Russia in agricultural products and fertilizers.

    The New York Times reports:

    The agreements came after three days of intense negotiations in Riyadh, the capital of Saudi Arabia, during which delegations from Ukraine and Russia met separately with U.S. mediators. Rustem Umerov, Ukraine’s defense minister, confirmed the agreements in a message posted on social media. There was no immediate reaction from Russia.

    The White House released two different statements saying it had separately struck deals with Ukraine and Russia on the maritime and energy attacks. The statements added that Washington, Kyiv and Moscow welcomed the involvement of third countries in “supporting the implementation of the energy and maritime agreements.”

    It was not immediately clear how and when the energy and maritime agreement would be implemented. Mr. Umerov, who led his country’s delegation in Riyadh, said “additional technical consultations” would have to be held as soon as possible for “the implementation, monitoring and control of the arrangements.”

    Both Russia and Ukraine rely on the Black Sea for commodity exports. In mid-2022, they brokered a deal allowing Ukraine to ship grain through the sea, but Russia withdrew from the agreement a year later, arguing that Western sanctions were severely limiting its ability to export agricultural products.

    While this development is a positive step toward de-escalation, substantial progress toward ending the broader conflict remains elusive, with continued military actions reported in Ukraine today.

    This is a breaking news story. Please check back for updates.

    Trump Decides Fate Of Official After Atlantic Leak

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
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    2
    Gage Skidmore Flickr

    A major security breach has rocked the White House and left many wondering who will bear the brunt of the consequences.

    President Donald Trump is not planning to fire national security advisor Mike Waltz in the wake of The Atlantic’s reporting of an apparent national security breach. A source close to the president told Fox News that Waltz’s job is safe and that he is not on the chopping block. 

    Fox News is told Waltz has no plans to resign and is sticking to his schedule Tuesday. He will be talking to his Russian counterpart about a Black Sea ceasefire deal and has plans to speak to Trump as usual later Tuesday.

    Waltz is also telling colleagues that he has never met or talked to the editor-in-chief of The Atlantic, Jeffrey Goldberg, Fox News has learned.

    White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt released a new statement on Tuesday. The National Security Council earlier said The Atlantic’s report referenced what appeared to be an “authentic message chain.” 

    “Jeffrey Goldberg is well-known for his sensationalist spin,” Leavitt wrote, before offering three “facts about his latest story.” Leavitt said no “war plans” were discussed, no classified material was sent to the thread and that the White House Counsel’s Office has provided guidance on a number of different platforms for the president’s top officials to communicate “as safely and efficiently as possible.” 

    “As the National Security Council stated, the White House is looking into how Goldberg’s number was inadvertently added to the thread,” Leavitt said. “Thanks to the strong and decisive leadership of President Trump, and everyone in the group, the Houthi strikes were successful and effective. Terrorists were killed and that’s what matters most to President Trump.” 

    A senior White House official revealed to Fox News how Goldberg may have been added to the Signal text chain with Cabinet members. (RELATED: Atlantic Journalist Claims Trump Officials Mistakenly Included Him In Classified War Plans Group Chat)

    Goldberg was apparently included in a Trump administration group chat on Signal in which top officials debated and then discussed details of attacks against Houthi rebels in Yemen.

    Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth reportedly sent the group details including weapons used, targets, and timing — two hours ahead of the attacks, which began on March 15.

    Others in the group were Vice President Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, and CIA Director John Ratcliffe.

    From Goldberg’s bombshell story:

    On Tuesday, March 11, I received a connection request on Signal from a user identified as Michael Waltz. Signal is an open-source encrypted messaging service popular with journalists and others who seek more privacy than other text-messaging services are capable of delivering. I assumed that the Michael Waltz in question was President Donald Trump’s national security adviser. I did not assume, however, that the request was from the actual Michael Waltz. I have met him in the past, and though I didn’t find it particularly strange that he might be reaching out to me, I did think it somewhat unusual, given the Trump administration’s contentious relationship with journalists—and Trump’s periodic fixation on me specifically. It immediately crossed my mind that someone could be masquerading as Waltz in order to somehow entrap me. It is not at all uncommon these days for nefarious actors to try to induce journalists to share information that could be used against them.

    I accepted the connection request, hoping that this was the actual national security adviser, and that he wanted to chat about Ukraine, or Iran, or some other important matter.

    Two days later—Thursday—at 4:28 p.m., I received a notice that I was to be included in a Signal chat group. It was called the “Houthi PC small group.” A message to the group, from “Michael Waltz,” read as follows: “Team – establishing a principles [sic] group for coordination on Houthis, particularly for over the next 72 hours. My deputy Alex Wong is pulling together a tiger team at deputies/agency Chief of Staff level following up from the meeting in the Sit Room this morning for action items and will be sending that out later this evening.

    Goldberg went on to reveal that Hegseth discussed potentially dangerous classified information in the chat:

    It was the next morning, Saturday, March 15, when this story became truly bizarre.
    At 11:44 a.m., the account labeled “Pete Hegseth” posted in Signal a “TEAM UPDATE.” I will not quote from this update, or from certain other subsequent texts. The information contained in them, if they had been read by an adversary of the United States, could conceivably have been used to harm American military and intelligence personnel, particularly in the broader Middle East, Central Command’s area of responsibility. What I will say, in order to illustrate the shocking recklessness of this Signal conversation, is that the Hegseth post contained operational details of forthcoming strikes on Yemen, including information about targets, weapons the U.S. would be deploying, and attack sequencing.

    Trump National Security Council spokesman Brian Hughes said in a statement that he informed Goldberg that “This appears to be an authentic message chain, and we are reviewing how an inadvertent number was added to the chain. The thread is a demonstration of the deep and thoughtful policy coordination between senior officials. The ongoing success of the Houthi operation demonstrates that there were no threats to troops or national security.”

    Trump was asked about the report during an event with Louisiana officials at the White House shortly after it surfaced. The president maintained he was no fan of the publication and said he had no knowledge of the editor being accidentally included in the chain.

    “I don’t know anything about it. I’m not a big fan of The Atlantic; to me it’s a magazine that is going out of business,” Trump said. “I know nothing about it. You’re saying that they had what?”

    A reporter responded that Trump officials were using Signal to coordinate on sensitive material and when Trump questioned “having to do with what?” the reporter said, “the Houthis.” Trump replied, “You mean the attack on the Houthis?”

    “Well, it couldn’t have been very effective, because the attack was very effective, I can tell you that. I don’t know anything about it. You’re telling me about it for the first time,” Trump added.

    Atlantic Journalist Claims Trump Officials Mistakenly Included Him In Classified War Plans Group Chat

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
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    1
    David B. Gleason from Chicago, IL, CC BY-SA 2.0 , via Wikimedia Commons

    Trump National Security Adviser Mike Waltz accidentally added Jeffrey Goldberg, editor-in-chief of The Atlantic, to a group chat in which national security leaders discussed a military strike.

    Goldberg was apparently included in a Trump administration group chat on Signal in which top officials debated and then discussed details of attacks against Houthi rebels in Yemen.

    Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth reportedly sent the group details including weapons used, targets, and timing — two hours ahead of the attacks, which began on March 15.

    Others in the group were Vice President Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, and CIA Director John Ratcliffe.

    From Goldberg’s bombshell story:

    On Tuesday, March 11, I received a connection request on Signal from a user identified as Michael Waltz. Signal is an open-source encrypted messaging service popular with journalists and others who seek more privacy than other text-messaging services are capable of delivering. I assumed that the Michael Waltz in question was President Donald Trump’s national security adviser. I did not assume, however, that the request was from the actual Michael Waltz. I have met him in the past, and though I didn’t find it particularly strange that he might be reaching out to me, I did think it somewhat unusual, given the Trump administration’s contentious relationship with journalists—and Trump’s periodic fixation on me specifically. It immediately crossed my mind that someone could be masquerading as Waltz in order to somehow entrap me. It is not at all uncommon these days for nefarious actors to try to induce journalists to share information that could be used against them.

    I accepted the connection request, hoping that this was the actual national security adviser, and that he wanted to chat about Ukraine, or Iran, or some other important matter.

    Two days later—Thursday—at 4:28 p.m., I received a notice that I was to be included in a Signal chat group. It was called the “Houthi PC small group.” A message to the group, from “Michael Waltz,” read as follows: “Team – establishing a principles [sic] group for coordination on Houthis, particularly for over the next 72 hours. My deputy Alex Wong is pulling together a tiger team at deputies/agency Chief of Staff level following up from the meeting in the Sit Room this morning for action items and will be sending that out later this evening.

    Goldberg went on to reveal that Hegseth discussed potentially dangerous classified information in the chat:

    It was the next morning, Saturday, March 15, when this story became truly bizarre.
    At 11:44 a.m., the account labeled “Pete Hegseth” posted in Signal a “TEAM UPDATE.” I will not quote from this update, or from certain other subsequent texts. The information contained in them, if they had been read by an adversary of the United States, could conceivably have been used to harm American military and intelligence personnel, particularly in the broader Middle East, Central Command’s area of responsibility. What I will say, in order to illustrate the shocking recklessness of this Signal conversation, is that the Hegseth post contained operational details of forthcoming strikes on Yemen, including information about targets, weapons the U.S. would be deploying, and attack sequencing.

    Trump National Security Council spokesman Brian Hughes said in a statement that he informed Goldberg that “This appears to be an authentic message chain, and we are reviewing how an inadvertent number was added to the chain. The thread is a demonstration of the deep and thoughtful policy coordination between senior officials. The ongoing success of the Houthi operation demonstrates that there were no threats to troops or national security.”

    Trump was asked about the report during an event with Louisiana officials at the White House shortly after it surfaced. The president maintained he was no fan of the publication and said he had no knowledge of the editor being accidentally included in the chain.

    “I don’t know anything about it. I’m not a big fan of The Atlantic; to me it’s a magazine that is going out of business,” Trump said. “I know nothing about it. You’re saying that they had what?”

    A reporter responded that Trump officials were using Signal to coordinate on sensitive material and when Trump questioned “having to do with what?” the reporter said, “the Houthis.” Trump replied, “You mean the attack on the Houthis?”

    “Well, it couldn’t have been very effective, because the attack was very effective, I can tell you that. I don’t know anything about it. You’re telling me about it for the first time,” Trump added.

    American Released By Taliban Returns Home To ‘Champion’s Welcome’

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
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    1
    Donald Trump via Gage Skidmore Flickr

    Taliban hostage George Glezmann landed at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland on Friday after more than 800 days in captivity in Afghanistan, where he received a “champion’s welcome,” according to Fox News.

    “I feel born again,” Glezmann told a reporter. “I have no words. 

    “President Trump is amazing,” he added before thanking Secretary of State Marco Rubio, National Security Advisor Mike Waltz and hostage envoy Adam Boehler. 

    Watch:

    “A free American individual…abducted because of my U.S. passport.”

    “I’ve got no words to express my gratitude for my liberty,” Glezmann added.

    His wife, Aleksandra, was not in attendance at the time of his arrival, but Fox News was told she had landed in Washington, D.C. on her way to meet her husband after more than two years since his Dec. 5, 2022, capture in Kabul. 

    Ryan Corbett, who was released in January after nearly 900 days in Taliban captivity greeted Glezmann upon arrival.

    Both Glezmann and Corbett were held together in Afghanistan.

    This is a breaking news story. Please check back for updates.

    Trump Responds To Bogus Report Musk Will Receive China Briefing

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
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    1
    David B. Gleason from Chicago, IL, CC BY-SA 2.0 , via Wikimedia Commons

    President Donald Trump firmly denied a New York Times report that claimed Elon Musk would be briefed on a potential war with China.

    After two unnamed U.S. officials told the New York Times that Musk was scheduled to be briefed by the Pentagon on “the U.S. military’s plan for any war that might break out with China,” Trump responded to the claim in an evening Truth Social post.

    “The Fake News is at it again, this time the Failing New York Times,” wrote Trump. “They said, incorrectly, that Elon Musk is going to the Pentagon tomorrow to be briefed on any potential ‘war with China.’ How ridiculous?”

    He continued, “China will not even be mentioned or discussed. How disgraceful it is that the discredited media can make up such lies. Anyway, the story is completely untrue!!!”

    According to the Times, “The top-secret briefing for the China war plan has about 20 to 30 slides that lay out how the United States would fight such a conflict. It covers the plan beginning with the indications and warning of a threat from China to various options on what Chinese targets to hit, over what time period, that would be presented to Mr. Trump for decisions, according to officials with knowledge of the plan.”

    Several Trump administration officials also took to social media to deny the report.

    Trump Signs Executive Order Dismantling Dept. of Education

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
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    0

    President Trump signed an executive order Thursday seeking to facilitate his longstanding goal of eliminating the Department of Education.

    While the order recognizes it would take an act of Congress to completely shutter the department, Trump directed Education Secretary Linda McMahon to do all she can to achieve its end.  

    “Today, we take a very historic action that was 45 years in the making,” he said at a signing ceremony at the East Room of the White House that included multiple school-age children sitting at classroom desks. “I will sign an executive order to begin eliminating the federal Department of Education.” 

    “The department’s useful functions […] will be preserved, fully preserved,” Trump added, referring to Pell Grants, Title I funding and programs for students with disabilities. “They’re going to be preserved in full and redistributed to various other agencies and departments.” 

    “But beyond these core necessities, my administration will take all lawful steps to shut down the department. We’re going to shut it down and shut it down as quickly as possible,” he added at the ceremony, which was attended by Republican lawmakers and governors including Rep. Virginia Foxx (N.C.), Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, Indiana Gov. Mike Braun, Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine, Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis.

    The White House said earlier Thursday the Education Department will still keep its critical functions that are mandated by Congress.

    This is a breaking news story. Please check back for updates.

    Trump Admin. Frees American Hostage From Taliban

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
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    0
    Gage Skidmore Flickr

    Another U.S. citizen is coming home…

    On Thursday, the Taliban released American hostage George Glezmann after holding him for more than two years in Afghanistan after negotiations between the Trump administration and Qatari officials, a diplomatic source with knowledge of the release told Fox News Digital.

    Glezmann departed the Kabul airport Wednesday evening local time on his way to Doha where he will then be met by U.S. hostage envoy Adam Boehler along with a team from the Qatari Foreign Ministry.

    The release of the 65-year-old American, abducted while visiting Kabul as a tourist on Dec. 5, 2022, comes after Boehler met with officials from the Afghan foreign ministry in direct talks alongside Qatari officials.

    The diplomatic source confirmed that Glezmann’s release was done as a “goodwill gesture” by the Taliban as an indication of “trust” in Qatar’s continued role as intermediary between Washington and Kabul. 

    The exchange differs from the release of two other Americans freed earlier this year, including Ryan Corbett and William Mckenty, who were released in exchange for a Taliban member in U.S. custody in a final-hour deal struck by the Biden administration. (RELATED: Report: Officials In Talks Over Potential US-Russia Prisoner Swap)

    Last month, the Trump administration also secured the release of multiple Americans being held prisoner in Russia, including Pennsylvania teacher Marc Fogel. (RELATED: Trump Secures Release Of Second American While Revealing Details Of Russian Prisoner Swap)

    Fogel, a history teacher from Pennsylvania, was serving a 14-year prison sentence after his arrest in August 2021 at a Russian airport for being in possession of drugs, which his family and supporters said were medically prescribed marijuana. 

    Anne Fogel, his sister, told “Fox & Friends” that she is “so happy to have this massive boulder” lifted off her shoulders with her brother’s release. 

    “I am so incredibly grateful to the president,” she added. “Just amazing.” 

    Article Published With The Permission of American Liberty News

    Trump And Putin Agree To 30-Day Ceasefire

    By
    Patrick Houck
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    0
    Kremlin.ru, via Wikimedia Commons

    U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin have agreed to a 30-day cessation of attacks on energy infrastructure in Ukraine, following an extensive phone conversation. This agreement is a preliminary step toward broader peace negotiations, although a comprehensive ceasefire has not yet been established.

    During their three hour discussion, both leaders emphasized the importance of addressing the underlying causes of the conflict to achieve lasting peace. They agreed to initiate technical negotiations aimed at a maritime ceasefire in the Black Sea and to continue efforts toward a full cessation of hostilities.

    Additionally, Russia and Ukraine have consented to exchange 175 prisoners each as part of confidence-building measures. While Ukraine has accepted the 30-day ceasefire proposal, Russia’s support is conditional, with President Putin expressing concerns about Ukraine potentially regrouping during the ceasefire and emphasizing the need for guarantees to prevent such actions

    President Trump has indicated that further sanctions could be imposed on Russia if a comprehensive peace agreement is not reached, underscoring the urgency of the situation.

    This is a breaking news story. Please check back for updates.

    Article Published With The Permission of American Liberty News

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