International
Senate votes to confirm Kash Patel as Trump’s FBI director
From LifeSiteNews
Former Justice Department attorney and outspoken MAGA champion Kash Patel was confirmed as America’s next FBI director in a narrow 51-49 vote on Thursday, with a mandate to root out weaponization of the federal government against conservatives.
The Republican-controlled U.S. Senate voted 51-49 Thursday to confirm Kash Patel as President Donald Trump’s Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), betting on a staunch MAGA loyalist to uproot “weaponization” of federal law enforcement against conservatives.
Sens. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Susan Collins of Maine were the only Republicans to vote against Patel. Retiring Sen. Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, a longtime GOP leader in the chamber who had a tumultuous relationship with Trump, surprised observers by voting yes.
A former Justice Department and House Republican attorney, Patel first gained notoriety in 2018 as the author of a memo in former Rep. Devin Nunes’ (R-CA) investigation of the Russian collusion allegations against Trump, which found serious defects and misconduct in Democrats’ case against Trump and how they built it. Patel went on to join the first Trump administration as Trump’s senior director for counterterrorism on the National Security Council, then senior adviser for Trump’s directors of national intelligence, then finally chief of staff to acting Defense Secretary Christopher Miller.
Since the end of Trump’s first term, Patel established himself as one of Trump’s most aggressive advocates, arguing that he would be the best man to investigate and prosecute Biden officials as well as their allies in the media, and building a MAGA audience of his own through regular appearances on Steve Bannon’s podcast, his own branded merchandise, and a series of children’s books retelling Trump’s battles with Democrats as fairy tales.
Patel was seen as one of Trump’s nominees less certain to win Senate GOP support, given his fiery post-2020 persona and associations. However, while former Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) withdrew his attorney general nomination over internal party resistance, a majority of Senate Republicans ultimately fell in line behind Trump’s choices of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. for Secretary of Health & Human Services (HHS) and Tulsi Gabbard for Director of National Intelligence.
During his confirmation hearings, Patel promised, “I will fully utilize, if confirmed, the investigative powers of the FBI to give you the information you require and also to hold those accountable who violated the sacred trust placed in the FBI,” including by targeting religious Americans for their peaceful moral and political views under the Biden administration.
“Parents who have the courage to ensure that their children are taught what they feel is right and those who have the courage of their convictions to go to houses of worship, in my book, will never be treated as domestic terrorists,” he added.
As FBI director, Patel will be working closely with Attorney General Pam Bondi, who has similarly pledged to de-weaponize federal law enforcement.
MxM News
Quick Hit:
Seventy Christians were brutally murdered by jihadists affiliated with ISIS in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). The victims were forced into a Protestant church and beheaded, marking one of the deadliest attacks on Christians in the region.
Key Details:
- The attack occurred on February 13 in the town of Kasanga, where members of the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), linked to ISIS, rounded up villagers and executed them inside a Protestant church.
- Open Doors UK, a human rights organization, reported that the ADF targeted 70 Christian villages, leaving families too terrified to bury their dead for a week.
- The international community has largely ignored the atrocity, with few public statements condemning the violence, except from Hungary’s State Secretary for the Aid of Persecuted Christians, Tristan Azbej.
Diving Deeper:
Open Doors UK revealed that the massacre took place when the ADF militants surrounded the village of Maybe, forcibly removing residents from their homes. The 70 Christian villagers were herded into an abandoned Protestant church in Kasanga and systematically executed by beheading. The church had been previously deserted due to escalating security threats in the area.
The ADF, an Islamist militant group linked to ISIS, has been responsible for numerous violent attacks across northeastern DRC. Their objective is to overthrow the governments of the DRC and Uganda to establish a caliphate, similar to the one ISIS formed in Syria and Iraq. The group has intensified its activities in the mineral-rich North Kivu province, killing at least 200 people in the past month alone.
The aftermath of the attack has left surviving Christians in fear, prompting many to flee the region. A church elder from CECA-20, the Evangelical Community in Central Africa, expressed despair, stating, “We don’t know what to do or how to pray. We’ve had enough of massacres. May God’s will alone be done.”
Open Doors UK strongly condemned the attack, urging governments and international organizations to prioritize civilian protection in eastern DRC. Despite the magnitude of the atrocity, international media coverage has been minimal. Social media users have criticized the lack of global attention to the incident.
Hungary’s State Secretary for the Aid of Persecuted Christians, Tristan Azbej, was one of the few international figures to respond publicly. He expressed horror at the killings, calling the victims “Christian martyrs” and emphasizing the need for global recognition and action against Christian persecution.
The violence underscores the ongoing security crisis in the DRC, where numerous militant groups, including the ADF, continue to vie for control over the region’s valuable mineral resources. As the humanitarian situation worsens, the international community faces growing pressure to respond to the escalating persecution of Christians in the region.
International
Mexico to reform constitution after Trump designates cartels as terrorist organizations
MxM News
Quick Hit:
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum announced plans to propose constitutional reforms following U.S. President Donald Trump’s designation of six Mexican drug cartels as foreign terrorist organizations.
Key Details:
- The U.S. designation targets six Mexican drug cartels as foreign terrorist organizations, published in the Federal Register on Thursday.
- Sheinbaum’s proposed reforms would protect Mexico’s sovereignty and limit foreign agents’ operations within the country.
- The reforms would also impose severe penalties on foreigners involved in gun trafficking, addressing Mexico’s longstanding demand for stricter U.S. gun control measures.
Diving Deeper:
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum revealed plans to propose constitutional reforms in response to the Trump administration’s recent designation of six Mexican drug cartels as foreign terrorist organizations. The U.S. action, announced on Thursday, has raised concerns in Mexico about potential military intervention on its soil, an idea Mexico strongly opposes.
“The Mexican people will not accept under any circumstances interventions, interference or any other act from abroad that could be harmful to the integrity, independence and sovereignty of the nation,” Sheinbaum asserted during her daily press briefing. She emphasized that Mexico would not allow outside involvement in investigations or prosecutions without authorization and collaboration from the Mexican government.
The U.S. designations are part of a broader effort to increase pressure on the cartels by treating them similarly to groups with political motives rather than purely economic interests. The decision follows a Jan. 20 executive order by President Donald Trump, aiming to curb cartel operations that contribute to violence and instability in the region.
Sheinbaum’s proposal seeks to solidify existing restrictions on foreign agents operating in Mexico, which were first introduced by her predecessor, former President Andrés Manuel López Obrador. Those laws limited the independence of foreign agents, requiring Mexican authorities to be informed of their movements. By enshrining these restrictions in the constitution, Sheinbaum aims to further safeguard Mexico’s sovereignty.
Additionally, Sheinbaum plans to introduce severe penalties for foreigners involved in gun trafficking, a longstanding issue in U.S.-Mexico relations. Mexico has repeatedly called on the U.S. to do more to prevent the flow of firearms from American gun shops and manufacturers into Mexico. With majorities in both chambers of Congress, Sheinbaum’s Morena party and its allies are well-positioned to pass the proposed constitutional amendments.
“What we want to make clear in the face of this designation is that we do not negotiate sovereignty,” Sheinbaum said, signaling her firm stance against any potential foreign military action on Mexican territory. As the situation develops, the proposed reforms are likely to shape Mexico’s domestic and international policy landscape, especially in its ongoing relationship with the U.S. under President Trump’s administration.
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