Israel’s deputy foreign minister said Syria’s new leaders are “wolves in clothes of sheep,” who are trying to persuade the world they are not radical Islamists — but her government isn’t convinced. “We’re not fooled by many of the conversations and interviews of those rebel groups who are, in fact, terrorist groups,” Sharren Haskel said in an interview with Bloomberg TV on Wednesday. She was responding to a question about Syria’s de-facto leader Ahmed Al-Sharaa, who said Israel’s military should reverse its recent advance into the buffer zone with Syria because his forces pose no threat to the country. Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, the former al-Qaeda affiliate headed by Al-Sharaa, is designated a terrorist organization by the US and other countries, though Washington has held direct talks with the group since it toppled President Bashar al-Assad earlier this month. “We are very aware of what they are saying,” Haskel said. “But the fact is we are going to look at their actions, and that’s going to dictate how we react. We are not fooled by nice talk.” Haskel, 40, said Israel won’t make the same mistake it made with Hamas, the Palestinian group that indicated support for coexistence before launching the deadly Oct. 7, 2023 attacks that triggered the war in Gaza. Israel has sent troops into the buffer zone between its northeast border and Syria since HTS overthrew Assad, a move that Haskel described as “temporary and obviously limited.” Israeli warplanes have also struck weapons depots and other military sites in Syria to prevent equipment falling into the hands of extremist groups hostile to Israel. The offensive has been criticized by Middle East countries including Egypt, which condemned the systematic targeting of infrastructure. Haskel said Israel is concerned about the rights of minority groups in Syria, particularly the Druze and Kurds, with whom the Jewish state has good relations. There is a Druze community in Israel with close relatives across the Syrian border whose lives could be threatened, she said. Asked if the Israeli government is in touch with the new Syrian leadership, she said only via the US. Haskel said Israel is deeply concerned about Turkey’s actions against the Kurds, who have fought against Islamic State in Syria in recent years. Asked about optimism that an Israel-Hamas ceasefire could be imminent after more than 14 months of fighting, Haskel said: “Personally, I try to stay pessimistic.” Hamas has rejected offers in the past, she said, while reiterating that Israel is “doing everything in our capability to bring back” the 100 hostages still held by the Iran-backed group in Gaza. Hamas has accused Israel of chopping and changing its demands. Robust statements by President-elect Donald Trump have been important in creating a breakthrough, Haskel said. The winner of last month’s US election has said the hostages should be returned by the time he takes office on Jan. 20 or there will be “hell to pay.” Hamas is designated a terrorist organization by Washington and others. Under the terms of a deal still being discussed with mediators Qatar and Egypt, hostages would be returned in exchange for Palestinian prisoners and a huge boost in humanitarian aid could be delivered to the coastal strip.
Israel Attacks Yemen’s Capital Sanaa After Houthi Missile Strike
Israeli warplanes struck Houthi sites in Yemen’s capital and elsewhere in the country following an increase in missile attacks by the Iran-backed militia, including one overnight that damaged a school near Tel Aviv. The Israeli strikes killed nine people, according to reports from a Houthi-affiliated television station, and damaged energy facilities and power stations. Houthi-run Al Masirah Television reported that seven people were killed in Israel’s strikes on Al-Salif port close to Hodeida, while two died at the nearby Ras Isa oil terminal. The Houthis said they targeted Tel Aviv with two ballistic missiles early on Thursday. Israel intercepted one of them but shrapnel fell on a school in the Tel Aviv suburb of Ramat Gan, the town’s mayor said. There were no reports of casualties, despite the damage. It’s unclear what happened to the second projectile. Millions of Israelis were forced into bomb shelters as air sirens went off across large parts of the country. An Israeli military spokesman said jets were already flying toward Yemen when the Houthis fired their missiles. Israel, he said, had planned its operation — complicated by Yemen lying about 1,700 kilometers (1,060 miles) away — for some time. The Houthis have been firing drones and missiles at Israel regularly, saying they’ll continue until there’s a ceasefire with Hamas in Gaza. The projectiles have mostly been intercepted before reaching Israeli territory, but in July a Houthi drone killed a man in Tel Aviv. Israel reacted to that attack by striking Houthi targets for the first time, and did so again in September. The latest mission was the first time Israel has targeted Sanaa, the Yemeni capital. In the past two weeks, a Houthi drone hit an apartment block in the south of Israel and on Sunday a long-range missile was fired at the center of the country. The Houthis have continued their attacks on Israel and on ships in the Red Sea despite the strikes by Israel and several others by the US and UK air forces. The group’s maritime assaults have effectively closed the southern Red Sea and parts of the Gulf of Aden to most Western shipping firms, pushing up global freight prices. Hamas and the Houthis are designated as terrorist groups by the US and many other governments. The Yemeni group captured Sanaa and other areas, including the strategic port of Hodeida, soon after Yemen’s civil war began in 2014. It is funded and advised by Iran and a key member of Tehran’s “axis of resistance” against Western and Israeli interests. NN: Now its time to kick Houthi ass
We’re Burning More Coal Than Ever…….Thanks to the Greenieee Winieees
Predictions of declining demand for the world’s most polluting fossil fuel coal are wrong wrong wrong
Coal demand set a record high in 2024, according to the International Energy Agency’s annual report published on Wednesday. Considering the commodity is the most important contributor to global warming, its consumption trends matter enormously for the fight against climate change. The report makes for a depressing reading: The planet is losing to our unquenchable demand for king coal. Forget all the slogans about consigning coal to history. We’re on a path to consigning the planet to history.
The International Energy Agency has revised higher its historical coal demand data and its forecast from those published in earlier years
As the IEA puts it, “coal is often considered a fuel of the past, but global consumption of it has doubled in the past three decades.” Worse, not only has usage grown a lot – particularly in China and India – but demand will keep rising for the foreseeable future. The IEA now estimates that global coal demand surged to an all-time high of 8,771 million metric tons this year, up 1% from 20232, as electricity demand rose faster than expected. That shouldn’t be a surprise: The energy transition requires electrifying everything. Renewables are doing some of that job, but coal remains, the go-to fuel to power the energy transition. Worse, the IEA revised higher its historical data, so the increase comes from a significantly higher baseline than before. The world is consuming a lot more coal than we thought – and therefore, it’s polluting the atmosphere a lot more than we thought, too. While last year the IEA initially estimated consumption in 2023 at 8,563 million tons, it pegs it now at 8,687 million. The difference equals roughly to the annual demand of Japan, the world’s fourth-biggest coal consumer
China accounts for more than half the world’s coal demand, with the US and the European Union accounting for a fraction of global consumption
The IEA has been calling for a peak in coal use, particularly in China, for more than a decade. Considering that record of wrong calls, it would be prudent for the agency to err on the side of caution. Flagging higher demand isn’t cheerleading fossil-fuel consumption – it’s candidly conceding to reality.
The biggest problem is China. The country, worshiped by some green enthusiasts thanks to its embrace of electric vehicles, wind turbines and solar panels, is the world’s big polluter. China alone consumes nearly 30% more coal than the rest of the world together. That’s not ending anytime soon. Now, the IEA assumes that Chinese coal demand will set an all-time high every year until at least 2027. For Beijing, coal is energy security. It’s time to acknowledge that. And acknowledge that China’s promises to reduce its coal consumption any time soon just don’t stand up to scrutiny
EIA Weekly Petroleum Data
Summary of Weekly Petroleum Data for the week ending December 13, 2024
U.S. commercial crude oil inventories (excluding those in the Strategic Petroleum Reserve) decreased by 0.9 million barrels from the previous week. At 421.0 million barrels, U.S. crude oil inventories are about 6% below the five year average for this time of year. U.S. crude oil refinery inputs averaged 16.6 million barrels per day during the week ending
December 13, 2024, which was 48 thousand barrels per day less than the previous week’s average. Refineries operated at 91.8% of their operable capacity last week. Gasoline production decreased last week, averaging 9.9 million barrels per day. Distillate fuel production decreased last week, averaging 5.1 million barrels per day. U.S. crude oil imports averaged 6.6 million barrels per day last week, increased by 665 thousand barrels per day from the previous week. Over the past four weeks, crude oil imports averaged about 6.5 million barrels per day, 2.1% less than the same four-week period last year. Total motor gasoline imports (including both finished gasoline and gasoline blending components) last week averaged 755 thousand barrels per day, and distillate fuel imports averaged 164 thousand barrels per day. Total motor gasoline
inventories increased by 2.3 million barrels from last week and are about 3% below the five year average for this time of year. Finished gasoline inventories decreased while blending
components inventories increased last week. Distillate fuel inventories decreased by 3.2 million barrels last week and are about 7% below the five year average for this time of year. Propane/propylene inventories decreased by 3.0 million barrels from last week and are 7% above
the five year average for this time of year. Total commercial petroleum inventories decreased by 3.2 million barrels last week. Total products supplied over the last four-week period averaged 20.4 million barrels a day, up by 1.3% from the same period last year. Over the past four weeks, motor gasoline product supplied averaged 8.7 million barrels a day, up by 2.1% from the same period last year. Distillate fuel
product supplied averaged 3.8 million barrels a day over the past four weeks, up by 4.8% from, the same period last year. Jet fuel product supplied was up 11.6% compared with the same four week period last year
Oil Rises as API Reports Moderate Draw In Crude Oil Inventories
Crude oil inventories in the United fell by 4.7 million barrels for the week ending December 6, according to The American Petroleum Institute (API). Analysts had expected a draw of 1.85 million barrels. For the week prior, the API reported a 499,000-barrel build in crude inventories. So far this year, crude oil inventories have fallen by roughly 8 million barrels since the beginning of the year, according to API data. On Tuesday, the Department of Energy (DoE) reported that crude oil inventories in the Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR) rose by 0.5 million barrels as of December 13. SPR inventories are now at 393 million barrels, a figure that is about 46 million above its multi-decade low last summer, yet still 242 million down from when President Biden took office.
At 4:44 am ET, Brent crude was at $73.31. The U.S. benchmark WTI was trading at $70.61 not a very big move. With volume low because of the pending holidays its hard to get a read on the short term trend
Gasoline inventories rose this week by 2.4 million barrels after last week’s 2.852-million-barrel increase. As of last week, gasoline inventories are 4% below the five-year average for this time of year, according to the latest EIA data. Distillate inventories rose by 700,000 barrels, after last week’s 2.452-million-barrel increase. Distillate inventories were about 4% below the five-year average as of the week ending December 6, the latest EIA data shows. Cushing inventories—the benchmark crude stored and traded at the key delivery point for U.S. futures contracts in Cushing, Oklahoma—rose by 800,000 barrels, according to API data, after falling by 1.517 million barrels in the previous week.
Israel accuses Turkey of aiding ‘jihadists’ in Syria
Israel’s Foreign Ministry accused Turkey on Tuesday of backing “jihadist forces that operate in Syria” while rejecting the Turkish Foreign Ministry’s previous statements regarding Israeli involvement in the war-torn country. “Turkey has systematically encroached on Syrian territory, a process that began with military operations in 2016, 2018, and 2019, and continues to this day,” the ministry wrote in a statement on X. It also blasted Ankara for using its proxies to occupy Syrian territory. “The last country that can speak about occupation in Syria is Turkey, with 15% of Syria’s territory under the control of proxies operating under its patronage. There is no justification for the continuation of Turkish aggression and violence against Kurds in Syria,” the statement concluded. NN: Every time the Islamic savages have gone to war with Israel Jew bastards they have gotten their Mohammed asses kicked lost land and begged the UN to bail them out. Like my grandmother use to say the Jews are GODS chosen people. The only question is what are they chosen for?
Katz: Israel will have security control over Gaza
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz stated on Tuesday that following Hamas’ defeat, Israel intends to maintain “security control” over the Gaza Strip, ensuring “full freedom of action” in the territory. “We will not allow any terrorist organization against Israeli communities and Israeli citizens from Gaza. We will not allow a return to the reality before October 7th,” Katz wrote in a post on X. The defense minister previously noted that an agreement between Israel and Hamas is “possible” which could include the release of all the hostages from the Palestinian enclave.
US says it killed 12 ISIS operatives in Syria
The United States Central Command (CENTCOM) stated on Monday that it eliminated 12 “ISIS terrorists” in airstrikes conducted in Syria, which targeted “known ISIS camps and operatives.” “The strikes against the ISIS leaders, operatives, and camps were conducted as part of the ongoing mission to disrupt, degrade, and defeat ISIS, preventing the terrorist group from conducting external operations and to ensure that ISIS does not seek opportunities to reconstitute in central Syria,” CENTCOM said in a post on X, adding that there were no initial reports of casualties among civilians. The statement also noted that the airstrikes were conducted in “former Regime and Russian controlled areas” in Syria. Last Friday, United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken said that the US and Iraq are “determined” to prevent the resurgence of ISIS in Syria, following the toppling of former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s regime.
Israel fired 61 missiles across Syria…… Hezbollah lost Syria supply route after Assad’s fall, chief says
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) said on Sunday that the Israeli military carried out a series of airstrikes in Syria, including near Damascus, Homs and Hama. The United Kingdom-based monitor said Israel launched 61 missiles, bringing the total number of strikes since the fall of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to 446. Israel maintains the strikes are aimed at destroying military facilities and equipment belonging to Assad’s army or Iran to stop “extremists” from using it.
Hezbollah lost Syria supply route after Assad’s fall, chief says
Hezbollah’s Secretary General Naim Qassem stated on Saturday that the militant group lost its supply route through Syria following the collapse of President Bashar al-Assad and added that it would now seek alternative routes. “We hope that this new party in power will see Israel as an enemy and not normalize relations with it,” Qassem said in his first address since the rebel group in Syria toppled Assad’s regime, warning that Syria is facing a “dangerous expansionist enemy” following Israel’s capture of a buffer zone in the occupied Golan Heights.
Nuclear chief: Tehran won’t restrict IAEA’s access to nuclear sites…….Iran FM: Window for nuclear diplomacy still open
Mohammad Eslami, head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran, stated on Saturday that Tehran will not restrict the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) from accessing and inspecting its nuclear sites. “We operate within the framework of safeguards, and the agency also acts according to regulations—no more, no less,” Iranian media quoted Eslami as saying. “When you engage in nuclear activities involving nuclear materials, scaling up operations naturally requires scaling up the level of inspections. This is normal,” he added. IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi recently reveal that Iran has consented to limit its uranium enrichment to 60%. In October, the agency reported that Iran’s stockpile of uranium enriched to this level had reached 182.3 kilograms, bringing it closer to the amount necessary to develop a nuclear weapon.
Iran FM: Window for nuclear diplomacy still open
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said the window for nuclear diplomacy with the West is still open, “provided that there is a real will on the other side.” He said Iran is “fully prepared” for negotiations but that there is limited time for talks. His comments followed International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director General Rafael Grossi’s visit to Iran earlier this week. Araghchi conceded that the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), also known as the Iran nuclear deal, “cannot be revived in its existing form” but he said it can be used “as a reference and source, and we should definitely enter into negotiations to reach a possible agreement.” He added that Iran will adhere to the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and that it has “no problem” with cooperating with the IAEA if the agency is not “confrontational” toward Tehran.