History, Conflict, Terrorism, Political Talk and Anecdotes

ROTC students at Old Dominion University, who took down the terrorist and killed him, are now telling their stories.

Royce de Melo,

Cadet Louis Ancheta pulled out his pocket knife and ran up to Jalloh while Shah wrestled him. DW: ‘I Start Stabbing Him’: Student Heroes At Old Dominion Lay Out How They Took Down A Terrorist “With my pocketknife, I open it, I run up, and as I’m running up, Colonel Shah…

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Iran-US-Israel-Middle East

The Cipher Brief: U.S. Intel’s Sobering Assessment of Iran’s War Resilience.

Royce de Melo,

Even after devastating U.S.-Israeli strikes, intelligence assessments suggest Iran’s regime is hardening, not collapsing. ★ For this report, Hollie McKay asked for my input. –RdM The Cipher Brief link to the report: https://www.thecipherbrief.com/sobering-assessment-of-irans-resilience Four weeks into Operation Epic Fury, with airstrikes having killed a sitting supreme leader, wiped outscores of…

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History, Conflict, Terrorism, Political Talk and Anecdotes

Application of ProHawk Imaging Software to Shroud Ventral Image. Happy Easter.

Royce de Melo,

by Barrie Schwortz, July 4, 2021 (Updated September 30, 2021) See: https://www.shroud.com/pdfs/ProHawk%20Web.pdf Also see: Shroud of Turin Education and Research Association, Inc. (STERA, Inc.): https://www.shroud.com/stera.htm ProHawk Press Release, ‘ProHawk Vision Shroud of Turin Ventral Image Research Project Results’: https://prohawk.ai/prohawk-vision-shroud-of-turin-project-results/ Below is a 2021 report from the Shroud of Turin Education…

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Russia-Iran-Middle East

‘The Iran war exposes the limits of Russia’s leverage in a fragmenting regional order’: Chatham House. Will Russia Strategically, Politically and Militarily Weather the Storm in Iran?

Royce de Melo,

“The war will not affect Russian plans in Ukraine – but it will likely force a rethink of long-held Russian strategic concepts.” Chatham House published an analysis on March 2, ‘The Iran war exposes the limits of Russia’s leverage in a fragmenting regional order’, by Grégoire Roos (see: https://www.chathamhouse.org/2026/03/iran-war-exposes-limits-russias-leverage-fragmenting-regional-order )….

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Iran

A short overview for historical interest, background and context… When Ayatollah Khomeini returned to Iran in 1979

Royce de Melo,

With the present US and Israeli war on Iran, striking at the Islamic Republic’s regime’s henchmen and military infrastructure, how did Iran, the region and the world get here? This BBC World Service video offers a short overview for historical interest, background and context for the Islamic Republic’s birth in…

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History, Conflict, Terrorism, Political Talk and Anecdotes

UNICEF Report ‘Private Military Companies and Child Rights’ Is Kind of Pointless and Biased.

Royce de Melo,

I find it amazing how the UN and academics can come up with topics for funding research papers that few would ever think of, and I don’t necessarily mean that in a positive way. Reference UNICEF report, February 2026: ‘Private Military Companiesand Child Rights,’ by Prof. Dr. Christopher Kinsey and…

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History, Conflict, Terrorism, Political Talk and Anecdotes

Have Shia Extremists Long Ago Moved Away from Suicide Bombing? Iraqi Hezbollah Brigades Calls to Consider Using Suicide Bombing

Royce de Melo,

Today I saw a posting by ISIO ISIO on LinkedIn about the possibility of Shia terrorists carrying out suicide bombing, i.e. Istishhad (suicide bombers and suicide attack shock troops). In the posting, ISIO wrote: “We have no choice but to consider Istishhad (suicide bombers) seeing that it has just been recently…

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