President Trump has long been eager to stop armed conflicts. Last week he succeeded. But with two asterisks.

First: He has worked hardest – playing the role of neutral mediator – to end the brutal war of aggression Russia has been waging against Ukraine for more than three years. I see no progress yet.

Second: While it's no mean feat to bring about a "full and immediate ceasefire" between nuclear-armed Pakistan and nuclear-armed India – which the president accomplished with the assistance of Vice President J.D. Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio – don't confuse a temporary cessation of hostilities with making peace or even paving a "path to peace."

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Two weeks ago, a judge ordered the release of a 34-year-old named Mohsen Mahdawi, a graduate student detained weeks earlier by Department of Homeland Security agents in Vermont. The usual suspects, including pundits, professors, and our self-appointed intellectual and moral betters, celebrated Mahdawi's newfound freedom, arguing that detaining him—during his naturalization interview, no less—was an egregious overreach and that the Trump administration had no good case to make against Mahdawi. It was such a perfect storm of virtue signaling, complete with Mahdawi himself delivering a defiant speech from the courthouse steps, that the facts, as they usually do in such cases, were drowned out by the sound and fury.

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Last month, America marked 250 years since Paul Revere's legendary nighttime ride on April 18, 1775, that daring dash on a horse through the Massachusetts countryside, warning patriots, "The British are coming!" in advance of the battles of Lexington and Concord.

It was an audacious act that galvanized colonists and hastened the birth of a new nation.

Yet as America celebrates Revere's famous exploits, it is also fitting to remember another, lesser-known figure who followed a similar path in the Southern colonies, a Jewish patriot whose heroism ended up costing him his life.

His name was Francis Salvador, and in the raw wilderness of South Carolina, he, too, mounted a horse to sound the alarm of approaching danger.

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These are difficult days for Ukraine. More than three years into Russia's war of aggression, the country faces redoubled resolve from Moscow, as the Kremlin pushes to maximize its gains ahead of any possible settlement. It is also weathering flagging enthusiasm from Washington, where the Trump administration has adopted a decidedly skeptical stance toward Kyiv's continued fight. This has confronted the Ukrainian government with the prospect that — despite Europe's ongoing pledges of support — it will be forced to confront Russian aggression with less backing from the United States. But in this grim calculus, Kyiv possesses a trump card. The past three years of war have seen Ukraine's brave defenders make massive military advancements, as battlefield necessity has become the mother of invention. In the process, Ukraine has singlehandedly managed to change the shape of modern warfare.

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As Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth struggles with internal dissension and questions about his handling of classified information, he joins a long line of Pentagon chiefs who had to fight for their positions. Looking back at their experiences may be instructive to both him and President Donald Trump in determining whether he survives the ordeal.

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President Donald J. Trump failed to achieve his often repeated preelection vow to end Russia's war against Ukraine "in 24 hours," but the 47th president still accomplished something extraordinary.

In less than three months, he called into question the security architecture that not only has deterred Russian aggression, but also kept Europe relatively peaceful and prosperous for over 75 years through 14 different administrations, including his own first term.

The U.S.-led North Atlantic Treaty Organization, an alliance of 31 European nations plus Canada, has been the backbone of Europe's defense since its creation in the ashes of World War II 80 years ago.

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On March 7, the podcaster Tucker Carlson released an interview with Qatar's prime minister, Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani. It was a complete and fully conscious whitewashing of the regime's transgressions in recent years. Two weeks later, Secretary of State Marco Rubio praised the Qataris for helping to facilitate the release of Delta Airlines mechanic George Glezmann, whom the Taliban had held hostage for two and a half years. "We extend our deepest appreciation to the State of Qatar, whose steadfast commitment and diplomatic efforts were instrumental in securing George's release," the statement read. "Qatar has consistently proven to be a reliable partner and trusted mediator, facilitating complex negotiations."

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The Biden administration's decision to cut off weapons supplies to Israel during the war in Gaza has raised concerns that the Jewish state is overly dependent on the United States for its security. Washington has supplied Israel with more than 10,000 tons of munitions since October 7, 2023, when Hamas murdered more than 1,200 Israelis. However, the White House has threatened to suspend further arms transfers to restrain the Israeli military by conditioning how American armaments can be used against Hamas and Hezbollah, the Iranian- backed terrorist proxy in Lebanon.

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I can't believe we're having this discussion in September 2023, just as the fall respiratory virus season commences and we're experiencing a new wave of COVID-19, but the politicizers of COVID won't let up. Senator J.D. Vance (R-OH) this week introduced legislation that "would prohibit any federal official, including the President, from issuing mask mandates applying to domestic air travel, public transit systems, or primary, secondary, and post-secondary schools."

There was also the ill-timed article by John Tierney in City Journal on August 27th claiming that "maskaholics are incorrigible" and everyone should reject masks because "we're rational."

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While the ongoing protests in Syria's southern province of al-Suwayda' against the Syrian government and its policies are noteworthy, the tribal uprising in the eastern countryside of the eastern province of Dayr al-Zur against the U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) is arguably of greater significance, as it amounts to an actual armed revolt that has posed a serious challenge to the SDF's authority over the area- an authority that was only established because of the American-led campaign against the Islamic State. In turn the revolt raises very serious issues about U.S. policy in the region and the supposed ongoing American mission to ensure the "enduring defeat" of the Islamic State.

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