Comment by Riaz Haq on August 18, 2026 at 9:46am

Whistleblower alleges political pressure in antisemitism probes of schools | AP News

https://apnews.com/article/trump-harvard-justice-department-brown-c...

WASHINGTON (AP) — A Trump administration task force created to combat antisemitismpushed for settlements with Ivy League universities despite government investigations that were rushed and incomplete or that failed to establish legal violations by the schools, a former Justice Department lawyer alleged in a whistleblower disclosure obtained by The Associated Press. 

The complaint alleges that the investigations into some of the nation’s most prestigious academic institutions were designed to strong-arm the schools into cutting deals for political purposes. Outcomes of the investigations were “predetermined, without regard to the evidence” in a “politically mandated effort” to extract money from schools through settlement demands and funding freezes under the pretext of rooting out antisemitism, the complaint alleges. 

The work of the multi-agency task force, launched by the Justice Department under then-Attorney General Pam Bondi in February 2025, was “marked by extraordinary procedural irregularities, predetermined outcomes without factual or legal support” and disregard for the law and Constitution, lawyers for the former government attorney wrote in seeking watchdog investigations into their client’s complaints.

 

The complaint taps into a broader public discussion about the administration’s efforts to confront allegations of antisemitism at colleges, a problem that received renewed attentionduring campus protests over Israel’s war in Gaza that some Jewish students said made them feel unsafe. President Donald Trump returned to the White House with a goal of rooting out antisemitism that he said had gone unchecked during the Biden administration, but critics have called his government’s response heavy-handed and said it infringed on free speech rights and coerced concessions from public institutions.

Comment by Riaz Haq on August 18, 2026 at 4:10pm

@CFR_Org

Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, and Turkey signed the Mecca Joint Defense Agreement on August 7. Reports indicate that the 3 countries have in essence agreed to a NATO Article 5-like clause—an attack on one signatory would be considered an attack on all of them.

The agreement "reflects a change underway in the Middle East's regional order—one that reduces the United States' decades long leadership role," writes expert @stevenacook.

The U.S.-aligned order could now become a Middle East with two blocs: the countries that remained committed to the Abraham Accords—the 2020 normalization agreements between Israel and Bahrain, Morocco, and the UAE—and its alternative, the Mecca Agreement, he argues.

"Previously, regional rivalries and disputes were contained because leaders prioritized their relations with the United States, which was the tie that bound the regional order. Now, with the Pakistanis, Saudis, and Turks moving forward with a vision that competes directly with the Abraham Accords, that no longer seems to be the case," he writes.

Read the full analysis: bit.ly/4gcbsow


https://x.com/cfr_org/status/2089489474518483450?s=46&t=Uy6jyUH...

Comment by Riaz Haq on August 23, 2026 at 10:07am

Iran reportedly invited by Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan to join defense pact | The Jerusalem Post

https://www.jpost.com/middle-east/iran-news/article-906316

Mehdi Rahimi, head of the Iranian parliament's Khaneh Mellat news agency, told the channel that "Iran has received an invitation to join the Mecca Agreement, and the matter is under review."
Rahimi added that countries in the region "are moving toward seeking a regional security umbrella," and claimed that this represented "a victory for Iran, because it has been calling for this for a long time."

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Iran has been invited to join the Mecca Agreement for Mutual Defense, the new security alliance established by Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan earlier this month, Al Mayadeen reported on Saturday, citing a senior Iranian official.

The invitation has not yet been officially confirmed by Iran's Foreign Ministry or by any of the three countries that are parties to the agreement.

Mehdi Rahimi, head of the Iranian parliament's Khaneh Mellat news agency, told the channel that "Iran has received an invitation to join the Mecca Agreement, and the matter is under review."

Rahimi added that countries in the region "are moving toward seeking a regional security umbrella," and claimed that this represented "a victory for Iran, because it has been calling for this for a long time."

The Mecca Agreement was signed on August 7 by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.

The agreement establishes a principle of mutual defense under which an attack on any one of the three countries would be considered an attack on all of them. Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan compared the mechanism to Article 5 of the NATO treaty, but stressed that the agreement was not directed against Iran or any specific country.

The member states have already begun developing mechanisms for diplomatic and military coordination, including meetings among foreign and defense ministers and military commanders, joint exercises, and cooperation between their defense industries.
Alliance could expand to include more countries

Turkey has said the alliance could expand to include additional countries. Egypt has been publicly mentioned as a possible candidate for membership.

Iran has so far responded to the agreement with cautious approval. Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei said on August 10 that Tehran had "no reason for concern" over the establishment of the alliance.

According to Baghaei, the move reflects growing recognition among countries in the region of the need to build regional security mechanisms.

If the claim that Iran was invited is officially confirmed, Iranian membership would significantly alter the character of the alliance, which was established by three countries with close security ties to the West, and would turn it into a substantially broader regional framework.

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