French President Meeting With Syrian President in Damascus Before NATO Summit in Ankara

 Nadene Goldfoot                                             

French President Emmanuel Macron visited Syria to formalize a new diplomatic and economic partnership with Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa, following the ouster of Bashar al-Assad. The landmark trip—the first by a Western EU head of state since the regime change—focused on reconstruction, reopening embassies, and securing business investments. 

The landmark visit was overshadowed by a security scare. Two explosive devices blew up near the Four Seasons Hotel in Damascus, where Macron's delegation had stayed and held earlier meetings. The blasts wounded at least 18 people. Macron was unharmed, and his meetings at the presidential palace proceeded as scheduled.

The reason this should be newsworthy to Israel is that French President Emmanuel Macron and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu have clashed severely over Israel's military campaign in Gaza. While Macron showed early solidarity after October 7, his stance has since hardened into sharp criticism, with France pushing to recognize a Palestinian state and demanding an arms embargo. My opinion is that a Palestinian State has been tabled for forever since October 7th.  There is no hope for pushing Palestinians to be friendly neighbors like Canada and the USA, or Mexico and USA.  It's impossible.  Palestinians and many followers of the Islam of Iran, the Shi'as, teach an extreme Islam which means to hate Jews and wipe them into the Sea.  This conclusion was come to even before October 7th happened.  For 45 years Israel has been tortured by attacks from PLO, Hamas, with all the others joining in.  No one helped Israel.  There was no NATO to step in and assist people already decimated by the Holocaust by 6 million or has everyone forgotten that?  

Now, Israel's neighbor is Syria.  Look into that, today;  run by a terrorist al Qaeda member and leader !  Trump thinks Jolani could take Hezbollah in a minute, better than slower Israel.  Yikes!  Sure, watch out -al Qaeda morals and tactics can show the world what real attacks are like, thinks Trump.  

Israel has expanded its military operations and established a continuous security footprint in southern Syria since the collapse of the Assad regime in December 2024. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) regularly conduct ground incursions and airstrikes in the Quneitra and Daraa regions, actions that the Syrian government condemns as a violation of sovereignty and the 1974 disengagement agreement. The reason is chasing terrorists who hide in Syria while shooting missiles into Israel.  Duh!  

Regional Dynamics: In addition to military engagements, the region has seen intensified competition involving Turkey, which has criticized Israel’s military expansion, and the broader fallout from regional conflicts. No doubt Turkey, Syria and France will get together at the NATO Conference to talk about Israel at great depth, more than even  in a NATO 32 member shpeil with the USA.  

Key or Other Objectives of the Meeting of Macron and Jolani

• Economic Rebuilding: Macron was accompanied by executives from major French corporations (including TotalEnergies and CMA CGM) to map out recovery efforts and restructure Syria's banking sector. 
• Diplomatic Normalization: The two leaders agreed to reappoint ambassadors after a decade-long freeze, effectively bringing Syria out of Western isolation. France also agreed to return more than $50 million in confiscated assets belonging to the former Assad family. 
• Security & Geopolitics: Discussions covered ongoing counterterrorism efforts against ISIS and the push for minority protection under Syria’s new transitional government. 

Resource:

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/6/29/new-israeli-assault-in-southern-syria-forces-families-to-flee-their-homes

https://apnews.com/article/lebanon-syria-trump-israel-hezbollah-war-1de06c560491e9e74d7f4febe195fd31

https://www.stimson.org/2026/parallel-talks-with-israel-are-reshaping-syria-lebanon-relations/

Two NATO Summit Meetings of 2004 and 2026 Worth Reading

 Nadene Goldfoot                                     

The French President, Macron, stopped off in Syria on Monday before going onto the Summit Meeting of NATO on Monday our time of July 6, 2026. The Summit meeting of NATO is from July 7-8, 2026.

He wanted to visit with al-Sharaa (formerly Jolani, a well-known terrorist) and help him set up their country again.

At least 18 people, including four police officers, were injured after two explosions near the hotel where French President Emmanuel Macron had stayed in Damascus. The blasts occurred ahead of Macron's meetings with Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa during the first visit by a French leader to Syria since 2009.

Interestingly enough, The June 24, 2004 parcel bomb at the Ankara Hilton Hotel left two police officers wounded. It was part of a coordinated pair of attacks; the second and deadlier bombing occurred hours later on an Istanbul bus, which killed four people and injured 15 others.

Both attacks were executed just ahead of the NATO Istanbul Summit, which world leaders—including U.S. President George W. Bush—were scheduled to attend. Trump already arrived there.

Resource:

NPR: https://www.npr.org/2026/07/07/nx-s1-5884579/damascus-explosions-macron

OPB radio listening to PBS broadcast from BBC

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b6hFNTHacSk

NATO Summit Meeting 2026 In Ankara, Turkey With Trump May Be Lively

 Nadene Goldfoot                                            

It's 5:30 AM here on the Pacific Coast and here's the latest happening 10 hours ahead of us in Ankara, Turkey at the NATO Summit meeting where the 32 states belonging are sure to arrive.  

• Global stakes: US President Donald Trump has landed in Turkey ahead of the NATO summit in Ankara, as his growing criticism continues to strain the 77-year-old alliance. NATO’s chief says US allies have made “remarkable progress” with defense spending — a salient issue for Trump, who has called on them to “step up.”

             The world's most advanced fighter jet, the F-35.  The F-35 strengthens national security, enhances global partnerships and powers economic growth. It is the most lethal, survivable and connected fighter aircraft in the world, giving pilots an advantage against any adversary and enabling them to execute their mission and come home safe.  As adversaries advance and legacy aircraft age, the F-35 is critical to maintaining air dominance for decades to come.

                 Trump and Erdogen

• Turkey jet sales: Trump received a ceremonial welcome and was greeted by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. The US president is expected to signal at the summit that he is willing to sell F-35 fighter jets to Turkey, according to two US officials. This is very bad news since Turkey and Israel are on the outs.  Turkey is again seeing through Erdogan's eyes of being the Ottoman Empire and owning Israel and all the states around.  It's digusting!  The F-35 strengthens national security, enhances global partnerships and powers economic growth. It is the most lethal, survivable and connected fighter aircraft in the world, giving pilots an advantage against any adversary and enabling them to execute their mission and come home safe.

As adversaries advance and legacy aircraft age, the F-35 is critical to maintaining air dominance for decades to come.

The F-35 team is delivering integrated sustainment capabilities to ensure the F-35 is mission-ready, anytime and anywhere. Because minutes matter, Lockheed Martin’s 24/7 operations centers and sustainment engineers partner closely with our customers to solve new challenges and meet the needs of the flight line.

• Strait of Hormuz: The Trump administration anticipates security in the strait to be among the key topics discussed by NATO leaders, according to a senior US official.

• Ukraine in focus: The president is also expected to meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Ankara. Trump vowed to end Russia’s war within 24 hours of taking office — but his administration has yet to find a path to peace.

Two Major IDF Hurdles To Solve Quickly

 Nadene Goldfoot                                              

Lebanese Prime Minister, Nawaf  Salam, visits Tyre Feb. 28, 2025 which was hit by Israel attacks

1. "The IDF is preparing to hand over two limited 

 withdrawal areas in southern Lebanon to the 

Lebanese 

army under the framework agreement signed 

between Israel 

and Lebanon. 

  The two areas, described in the agreement as “pilot areas” 

because they are meant to test the phased handover 

mechanism, are both in the Nabatieh region, near the towns 

of Frun and Zawtar al-Sharqiyah. At this stage, 

Israel is 

waiting for the Lebanese army to announce 

that it is ready to 

enter the areas, as well as for U.S. Central 

Command 

approval to move ahead. The agreement 

allows the IDF to 

remain in most of the areas it controls inside 

the security zone 

until the threat from Hezbollah is removed.

In an interview with Fox News, Prime Minister Netanyahu 

said that some Christian villages in southern Lebanon, near 

the Israeli border, had asked to be annexed to Israel to protect 

them from Hezbollah. He did not name the villages or say 

when the alleged requests were made.

According to Arab media, Hamas’ leadership is planning to 

announce the dissolution of the de facto government that 

has ruled the Gaza Strip for nearly 20 years, to clear the way 

for the entry of a technocrat committee into Gaza, which is 

supposed govern Gaza as per President Trump's Gaza plan. 

The requirement for Hamas to fully disarm has reportedly 

been dropped.  WHAT ???

The government approved a plan Sunday to speed up hotel 

construction in the territories, allocating 27 million shekels 

($8.2 million) to remove planning barriers and provide grants 

for new hotel projects in the area. This follows a government 

decision approved in May to allocate 50 million shekels ($15 

million) for public tourism infrastructure in the territories.

        

2. The Israeli government’s decision to recognize the 

Armenian genocide has reportedly triggered a crisis in 

Israel-Azerbaijan relations. As a consequence of the 

overarching regional collapse at the end of 

WWI, the mutual 

massacres between Armenians and 

Azerbaijanis became intertwined with the genocide. In 

September 1918, during the capture of Baku.  Turko-Tatar 

forces committed targeted massacres against 

the Armenian population of the city, which 

Armenians consider a direct localized 

extension of the genocide campaign. 

 
Modern scholars and international human rights groups 

frequently describe Azerbaijan's contemporary actions against 

ethnic Armenians in the disputed region of Artsakh (Nagorno-

Karabakh) as an ongoing legacy or extension of historical 

genocide. Following an extended blockade, Azerbaijan 

launched a rapid military offensive in September 2023. This 

resulted in the forced expulsion of virtually the entire 

indigenous Armenian population (over 100,000 people) from 

the region.                            

 Azerbaijan views Israel as 

“crossing a red line” and failing to reciprocate the support 

Azerbaijan has shown Israel since the outbreak of the war."

                                      

This friction does bother Israel, as it creates tension in a 

highly strategic and longstanding alliance. Israel 

relies on 

Azerbaijan for approximately 40% of its oil 

imports and is a 

primary arms supplier to Baku. Additionally, 

Azerbaijan shares 

a long border with Iran, making it an 

extraordinarily important 

security partner for Jerusalem.  

Resource:

Fine Day 102.3 

israelAM 

Why NATO Charges USA More In Dues Than Other 31 Members

 Nadene Goldfoot                                                       

       Mark Rutte Secretary General of NATO;  (Dutch:; born 14 February 1967) is a Dutch politician who has served as the 14th secretary general of NATO since October 2024. He previously served as prime minister of the Netherlands from 2010 to 2024 and leader of the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD) from 2006 to 2023. Serving a total of almost 14 years, Rutte is the longest-serving prime minister in Dutch history.                                                                                            

    "The task ahead is clear: to turn Allied commitments into concrete results. Increased investment, industrial production and continued support for Ukraine. All of this contributes to a stronger NATO and greater security for all of us."

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte

22 May 2026                   

NATO?  What does it do for us?  NATO serves as a critical force multiplier for the U.S., projecting global power, protecting trade, and deterring adversaries. According to defense analysis from the Belfer Center, the alliance significantly benefits the United States in several key ways.  They are having a Summit Meeting in Ankara, Turkey tomorrow and the next day.  All 32 countries will be represented there.  Actually, it's happening already.  5:24 PM, and here on the West coast is only 7:25AM.  They are 10 hours ahead of us.  

Trump is not the first President to complain about paying NATO.  Obama also complained.  While the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), a political-military alliance comprised of 28 member countries throughout North America and Europe, has been a key force in assisting in the fight against terror, even President Obama, has criticized allies that don't pay their "fair share."  In his day there were only 28 members, too.  The last four countries to join the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) are:

• Sweden (Joined March 7, 2024)
• Finland (Joined April 4, 2023)
• North Macedonia (Joined March 27, 2020)
• Montenegro (Joined June 5, 2017)

NATO does not charge the United States "dues" or membership fees; rather, direct contributions to the alliance’s common operating budget are determined by a cost-share formula based on each nation's Gross National Income (GNI).

Today, they have military personnel (soldiers ) available

Total amount from 32 nations:3,240,410  In reserve: 2,233,850

From USA:                                1,315,600  In reserve:    797,200

Direct Funding (Common Budget): NATO’s central operating budget (around €5.3 billion) pays for shared assets like headquarters, communications, and joint infrastructure. The U.S. and Germany each contribute roughly 14.9% of this total. Under a 2019 payment formula designed to equalize burden-sharing, the U.S. share was reduced from its previous 22%

Indirect Funding (National Militaries): The vast majority of NATO-related spending is indirect, as members independently fund and maintain their own national militaries. The U.S. defense budget makes up the largest absolute amount, largely because the U.S. acts as a global superpower with responsibilities extending far beyond the European alliance. 

The 2% Guideline: NATO members have a voluntary guideline to spend at least 2% of their national GDP on their own domestic defense.

As I look at it, the USA is the largest country to protect:

Made up of 50 states:  The United States covers approximately 3.8 million square miles (9.8 million square kilometers), making it the third-largest country globally by area. It stretches about 2,800 miles from east to west and features an incredibly diverse geography, including mountain ranges, deserts, and coastlines across its 50 states.

Resource:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mark_Rutte

https://www.nato.int/en/what-we-do/introduction-to-nato/funding-nato