The Syrian army didn’t run, they were ordered to stand down.

They claim that they didn’t “want to fight” is a lie. They gave 170,000 men to this cause not to mention the injured.

Here a soldier says “We were ordered to retreat from Homs we were sold out”.

Anyone disparaging… pic.twitter.com/EYOjOVpiW6

— Syrian Girl 🇸🇾 (@Partisangirl) December 10, 2024

Glenn Diesen | Organisations operating under the banner of “human rights non-governmental organisations” (NGOs) have become key actors in disseminating war propaganda, intimidating academics, and corrupting civil society. These NGOs act as gatekeepers determining which voices should be elevated and which should be censored and cancelled.

💬 The NGOs staged Georgia’s “Rose Revolution” in 2003 which eventually resulted in war with Russia after the new authorities in Georgia attacked South Ossetia. Recently, the Prime Minister of Georgia cautioned that the US was yet again using NGOs in an effort to topple the government to use his country as a second front against Russia.[5] Georgia’s democratically elected parliament passed a law with an overwhelming majority (83 in favour vs 23 against), for greater transparency over the funding of NGOs. Unsurprisingly, the Western NGOs decided that transparency over funding of NGOs was undemocratic, and it was labelled a “Russian law”. The Western public was fed footage of protests for democratic credibility, and they were reassured that the Georgian Prime Minister was merely a Russian puppet. The US and EU subsequently responded by threatening Georgia with sanctions in the name of “supporting” Georgia’s civil society.

Maria Zakharova (Мария Захарова) (Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman) | Our reaction in case Ukraine receives permission for strikes [into Russian territory] | Attention has been drawn to publications in the British press about the intention of British Prime Minister Starmer and French President Macron to try to persuade incumbent US President Biden to authorize Kyiv to launch strikes with Storm Shadow missiles deep into Russia before Trump's inauguration. According to media reports, there are hopes in London that the White House will finally agree to such a move.

On the same day, in an interview with a French publication, French Defense Minister Sebastien Lecornu announced that he had signed an order regarding the transfer of about 10 long-range Scalp missiles to the AFU, with the help of which, as Paris hopes, Kyiv will be able to strike behind the front line. You know, when the Kyiv regime strikes behind the front line,” I would like to say to Lecornu, ”the main thing is that it does not hit the French embassy.

These publications coincided with the information that appeared in Ukrainian social networks about the intention of Zelensky's regime to pass off Western missiles as Ukrainian-made products, changing their markings to hit Russia with them—such a bloody scam in the style of Zelensky and the whole gang! We understand perfectly well that this is impossible without the approval of his handlers. We would like to remind Washington, London, Paris, and Brussels that they continue to play with fire. 👇

❗️ The President of Russia has clearly outlined our reaction in case Ukraine receives permission for the strikes as mentioned above - we will regard this as a de facto entry of NATO countries into a direct armed conflict with Russia.

This would change the essence of the conflict and its nature, with all the consequences that entails. The response to the use of Western long-range systems on the territory of our country will be immediate and devastating for them. (DeepL + Gram.)

■ Moscow vows ‘devastating response’ to Kiev’s strikes deep into Russia (RT.com)

"9/11 - Painful Deceptions - Full Documentary: Eric Hufschmid wrote the book, "Painful Questions," which deals with the events of 9-11. Evidence and facts are carefully examined; photos and video captures are analyzed. | Eric shows us with graphic (literally), undeniable evidence that the official explanations for the atrocities committed on September 11, 2001 are questionable at best. He shows us that there is MUCH more to 9-11 than we are being told by our media and our government. Eric Hufschmid raises some very uncomfortable questions about 9-11; questions so uncomfortable that the magician/comedians Penn and Teller showed the book and urged people, "if you ever see anyone carrying it, push them down a flight of stairs." Why? Look to who cuts their pay checks and it might become clearer. To provoke calls of violence against himself and others by representatives of the "entertainment industry," Eric must have found something to make some powerful people VERY "uncomfortable" indeed.

💬 The New York Times: “American authorities intend to conduct new searches of the homes of U.S. citizens who cooperate with Russian media.” Maria Zakharova: What have Reporters Without Borders, UNESCO Director-General Madame Azoulay, and the OSCE commissioners to say about this? I hope they'll not remain silent. ● I am sure that this shameful fact will also be recorded in the State Department's report on the degradation of the situation with human rights and freedom of speech in the United States. We are waiting for an angry rebuke to the American authorities for the backsliding from democracy, performed by White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre. ● Did they forget anyone? Right, we also need a tweet from McFaul about the attack on liberalism in the United States and press releases from American embassies around the world threatening to impose sanctions against Biden.

🔴 Exclusive

"Guest of Palestine Street"

An account of Ismail Haniyeh’s last interview with https://t.co/qFsLVJuDs1 just hours before his martyrdom.#Gaza #IsmailHaniyeh pic.twitter.com/IBi6EJxH33

— Khamenei Media (@Khamenei_m) August 3, 2024

■ Watch Last Meeting between Imam Khamenei and Iran’s “Guest” Ismail Haniyeh (Al Manar TV)

Exiled Catalan politician Carles Puigdemont has managed to evade authorities | Carles Puigdemont has returned after seven years in self-imposed exile to crash the vote for the new president of Spain’s Catalonia region, even as police in Barcelona tightened security to find him. ● Puigdemont was president of Catalonia in 2017 when he unilaterally declared independence. The Spanish government responded by sacking him and ordering his arrest, so he fled to Belgium. ● The Catalan parliament convened on Thursday to approve the election of Socialist Party candidate Salvador Illa, after months of negotiations with the separatist ERC party. The vote was upstaged by Puigdemont, who appeared outside the parliament before the session began and gave a five-minute televised speech. [...] His stunt outside the parliament apparently surprised both police and the media, who were under the impression he would try to enter the building. Police had blocked all but one entrance to the Parc de la Ciutadella, where the parliament is located, and checked everyone’s credentials before they could enter.

While Archbishop Carlo Maria Viganò is excommunicated, the same Vatican tolerates and even supports figures like Theodore McCarrick and others who abuse and challenge Church teaching. | We find ourselves at a strange moment in Church history when Archbishop Viganò is excommunicated swiftly while Theodore McCarrick remains unexcommunicated after years of his crimes against the Church have come to light. We should look closely at a Vatican that operates in this manner. Rather than addressing the serious questions and allegations Archbishop Viganò raises, he is summarily removed from the Church with an apparent motive to silence him. Meanwhile McCarrick and a lengthy list of others have promoted a culture that ignores or wants to change Church teachings and their voices are allowed and even overtly supported. It seems we are left with only stones to cry out for justice because the voices of faithful disciples are mute, ignored, or even silenced.

■ We must become saints to defend the Latin Mass (Life Site News)(VIDEO)
■ Vatican says Archbishop Viganò ‘guilty’ of schism and excommunicated (07/06/24)

Stoltenberg hopes for Ukraine's membership in NATO by 2034. Well done! This is the answer of an honest man.

By 2034, none of the current NATO leaders will be left in their seats. Some of them will be retired or in the best of worlds / hell (choose the required). And the country 404 itself will not exist. (Translation: DeepL)

Jens Stoltenberg has argued that Beijing must pay a price for helping Russia amid the Ukraine crisis | NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg has said China must pay a price for allegedly propping up Russia’s military campaign in Ukraine, saying Beijing is “fueling” the conflict by supplying microelectronics and other key components to Moscow.

💬 “The reality is that China is fueling the largest armed conflict in Europe since World War II,” Stoltenberg said on Monday in a speech at the Wilson Center in Washington. “At the same time, it wants to maintain good relations with the West. Well, Beijing cannot have it both ways. At some point, unless China changes course, allies need to impose a cost.”

Stoltenberg has repeatedly attacked China since the Ukraine crisis began in February 2022, arguing that Beijing was enabling Russia to fight against Kiev, a “European friend” of NATO. He has made such comments even as NATO states prolonged the conflict by providing hundreds of billions of dollars in economic and military aid to Ukraine.

■ China should pay for propping up Putin's war - Nato chief (BBC)
■ China urges NATO to 'stop shifting blame' over Ukraine war (aNews)
■ Repeated Western narratives of China’s nuclear ‘threat’ are what lead to a dangerous world (Global Times)

Yemeni forces are attacking Israeli commercial ships and US and UK naval destroyers in the Red Sea in response to Israel's genocidal war on Palestinians in Gaza | The US military says it has spent about $1 billion in an unsustainable campaign to fight the Ansarallah-led Yemeni armed forces in the Red Sea, the Wall Street Journal reported on 15 June. Since November, Yemeni forces have attacked Israeli-linked commercial ships traveling through the Red Sea, the world’s most important commercial sea route, in response to Israel’s ongoing genocide in Gaza. After US and UK naval warships began carrying out attacks on the Yemeni navy and sites in the capital, Sanaa, Yemeni forces began attacking the warships as well. To defend against Yemeni attacks, the US Navy has conducted more than 450 strikes and intercepted 200 drones and missiles in a campaign that US officials worry is not sustainable.

Reports are saying at least 7 people were killed. Arab sources write that the number of casualties is in the dozens. Earlier, the Israeli Defense Force attacked Khan Yunis in the Gaza Strip. | Israeli warplanes perpetrated a massacre against children in the Al-Salam neighborhood in Khan Yunis, resulting in several casualties, including these two kids. ● Meanwhile, in the north of the Gaza Strip, Medical sources at the Arab Baptist Hospital in Gaza City state:

💬 What we are doing is attempting to save what can be saved. Intensive care is not available at the hospital, so any patient needing intensive care is essentially sentenced to death. Many injuries are head or skull injuries, which we also cannot deal with. Some cases result in death, while others continue living. Some cases require intensive care after surgery, and in the absence of ICU rooms, these cases pass away after surgery. Most of the medical stock is running out, especially medical screens used in operations and replacements. Many painkillers and antibiotics are not available, along with some anesthesia drugs. Different threads used in surgeries, as well as plates and platinum used in fractures, are not available. We are forced to use inappropriate tools not designed for some injuries. All spaces in the hospital have been filled with the wounded, as we have started placing them in places not designated or prepared to receive patients, such as stairwells.

Mossad director Yossi Cohen personally involved in secret plot to pressure Fatou Bensouda to drop Palestine investigation, sources say | According to accounts shared with ICC officials, he is alleged to have told her: 💬 “You should help us and let us take care of you. You don’t want to be getting into things that could compromise your security or that of your family.” One individual briefed on Cohen’s activities said he had used “despicable tactics” against Bensouda as part of an ultimately unsuccessful effort to intimidate and influence her. They likened his behaviour to “stalking”. ■ The Mossad also took a keen interest in Bensouda’s family members and obtained transcripts of secret recordings of her husband, according to two sources with direct knowledge of the situation. Israeli officials then attempted to use the material to discredit the prosecutor. ■ The revelations about Cohen’s operation form part of a forthcoming investigation by the Guardian, the Israeli-Palestinian publication +972 Magazine and the Hebrew-language outlet Local Call, revealing how multiple Israel intelligence agencies ran a covert “war” against the ICC for almost a decade.

■ Ex-Mossad head threatened ICC chief to abandon IOF war crimes probe (Al Mayadeen)

Oslo said it would grant exceptions "in certain cases," including for those visiting their close family residing in Norway 💬 "Russian citizens whose purpose is tourism and other non-essential travel will be rejected upon entry across the external border. The restriction applies both to those who have visas issued by Norway before visa practices were restricted in the spring of 2022 and to visas issued by other Schengen countries," the Norwegian government said in a press release on its website, adding that the move will come into effect on May 29. Oslo said it would grant exceptions "in certain cases," including for those visiting their close family residing in Norway or for Russian citizens working or studying in Norway or other Schengen countries.

[Editor's comment: Many Norwegians are tired of this nonsense, and find the Norwegian government's complete submission to its vassal lord, the USA, embarrassing. It is to be hoped that the Russians realize that not everyone in Norway agrees with the shameful policy of the government in Oslo.]

Under the title, “Sinwar and Nasrallah can relax: Netanyahu wants a complete victory, but not over them”, the “Jerusalem Post” daily lamented the fact that Ten million “Israelis” wake up disturbed at night as their “country” is on its knees. | According to the daily “For the first time, ‘Israel’s’ enemies succeeded in occupying bases and cities in the south and forced the ‘Israeli’ government to evacuate a large area of land in the north.” ● It further mentioned that “The havoc that Netanyahu has wreaked on ‘Israel’ in all areas is incomprehensible and unprecedented.”

💬 “He has dismantled the social fabric, the unity of the ‘country’, the ‘Israeli’ brotherhood. He has ruined the economy. He has not lifted a finger to stop the breakdown of academia. It has led to the weakening of ‘Israel's’ growth engines such as the hi-tech and technology industries,” the daily cautioned.

Slamming the entity’s PM, the famous “Israeli” daily mentioned that “He has turned ‘Israel’ into a leper colony. He destroyed the deterrence. He is listed as the supreme responsible minister [prime minister] in all the greatest disasters that have befallen us, from the fire in the 'Carmel' through the ‘Meron’ tragedy to October 7, but he is not willing to accept responsibility, he is not willing to draw conclusions, he is not willing to implement what he recommended at the time to Ehud Olmert.”

Islam Khamayseh was involved in organizing a number of terror attacks in the area, the army’s press service reported | The infrastructure of Palestinian radicals was the target of an Israeli army airstrike on the territory of the West Bank city of Jenin, as a result of which one of the local commanders was eliminated, the army’s press service reported.

💬 "Based on Israel Security Agency (ISA) intelligence, an Israeli Air Force (IAF) fighter jet and helicopter struck a compound used as an operations center of the terror infrastructure in Jenin. A number of significant terrorists were inside the compound, some were involved in shooting attacks in the area of Jenin and planned to carry out additional terror attacks in the immediate future," the statement said.

According to the military, the strike eliminated Islam Khamayseh, who held an important position in the structure of local armed groups. The Israeli army said that he was involved in organizing several terror attacks in the area, including an attack in the Jewish settlement of Hermesh in May 2023 that killed an Israeli citizen.

■ Israel Defense Forces Says Eliminated "Significant" Target During Strike on Jenin (Sputnik News)

Georgia might be punished for passing the “foreign agents” law | Members of the Georgian government could face sanctions for “undermining democracy,” [i.e. the U.S.] a senior US diplomat said on Tuesday, after the parliament in Tbilisi approved a foreign agents law that Washington has opposed. ● Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs James O’Brien arrived in Tbilisi for meetings with both Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze and members of the opposition, only to find that the Georgian legislature passed the Law on Transparency of Foreign Influence.

Maria Zakharova | Vedant Patel, deputy chief of press service of the US Department of State: “We have made it clear (...) that the adoption of the law on NGOs by the Georgian parliament is not only inconsistent with US values, but also inconsistent with the aspirations of the Georgian people... The Georgian government needs to change course”.

We would like to ask clarifying questions:

1. Is the problem that the Georgian law is much softer than the American one?
2. Why should Georgia or any other country conform to someone else's values?
3. US “values” do not include non-interference in the internal affairs of other states?

■ India-Iran Chabahar deal: How Jaishankar responded to US sanctions warning (Business Standard)
■ US warns of sanctions after India-Iran Chabahar Port agreement (Hindustan Times)

The Victory Day Parade in Moscow is now over. Key takeaways from President Putin’s May 9 speech:

 ● The truth about WWII is being distorted as history hinders those who build colonial policies on lies
 ● The justification of Nazism is now a part of the Western elite’s policy
 ● The Russian Armed Forces are combat ready but we will do everything to prevent a world war
 ● Russia is going through a difficult period and the fate of the country depends on “each of us”
 ● We will never forget the common struggle and traditions in the fight against Nazism
 ● The participants of the special military operation are heroes and “the whole of Russia is on your side”

■ Russian military parade celebrates victory over Nazi Germany (VIDEO) (RT.com)

London has announced it will expel Moscow’s defense attaché and strip some Russia-owned properties from diplomatic status | UK Interior Minister James Cleverly has announced a package of sanctions targeting Russia’s diplomatic presence in the country in response to what he called Moscow’s “malign activity.” He outlined the measures while addressing Parliament on Wednesday. ● The measures include imposing new restrictions on Russian diplomatic visas, including capping the length of time Russian diplomats can spend in the UK, and removing the status of diplomatic premises from several Russia-linked properties in the country. London believes that Moscow has used the properties, including Seacox Heath in Sussex and the Trade and Defense Section in Highgate, for intelligence purposes. Cleverly also announced the expulsion of the Russian defense attaché, whom London has branded an “undeclared military intelligence officer.”

■ UK announces expulsion of Russian defense attache, new diplomatic visa restrictions (TASS) | According to Home Secretary James Cleverly, this is a message to Moscow in response to its actions allegedly aimed at undermining British assistance to Ukraine.
■ Russia Warns British Ambassador - Russia May Strike British Forces Anywhere (05/06/24)

On Tuesday, the Israeli army intensified the bombing of various parts of the Gaza Strip, especially in Rafah, in the Southport area of the coastal enclave, killing and wounding dozens of Palestinians, including many children and women. | TXTOn Tuesday evening, the army fired a missile at Palestinians, fleeing their homes southeast of Gaza City, killing one Palestinian and wounding several others. ● Eyewitnesses said an Israeli military drone fired a missile at the Palestinians near Doula Junction at the intersection between Street 8 and Zeitoun neighborhood, killing at least one and wounding many others, who were moved to the Baptist Hospital. ● In Rafah, in Gaza’s southmost part, the army fired missiles at homes in several parts of the city, killing many Palestinians, including children, and wounding dozens. ● Medical sources said an infant, Mohammad Saqallah, only four months, in addition to Mohammad Nader Qishta, 6 years of age, and Hamadan Nader Qishta, 8, were killed when the army fired a missile at their homes. The sources added that a Palestinian man, Ibrahim Yousef Srour, 35, was killed when the army bombarded the Rafah Border Terminal, as he and many families were trying to flee the area after the Israeli tanks invaded it, and dozens were injured.

■ Student protests against Israel’s war on Gaza spread across Europe (Al Jazeera)
■ Rafah invasion: With defeat in sight, how can Netanyahu declare victory? (David Hearst)

Israel has vowed to respond to Iran’s unprecedented attack without saying when or how, leaving the region bracing for further escalation after months of unrest linked to the ongoing war in Gaza. | Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Wednesday his country would be the one to decide whether and how to respond to Iran’s major air assault earlier this week, brushing off calls for restraint from close allies. ● Israel has vowed to respond to Iran’s unprecedented attack without saying when or how, leaving the region bracing for further escalation after months of unrest linked to the ongoing war in Gaza. ● Israel’s allies have been urging Israel since the attack to hold back on any response that could spiral. These calls were repeated on Wednesday during visits by the British and German foreign ministers.

■ Mediators urge Israel for a face-saving response, while Israel outlines 3 scenarios (albawaba.com)
■ Israel 'will make own decisions' in response to Iran attack, says Netanyahu after meeting with Cameron (LBC News)
■ Israel: "The Decision has been made" - Timing is now the issue for Iran Attack (Hal Turner)
■ US and UK Put Air Refueling Tankers up - Middle East . . . For Israel to Attack Iran (Hal Turner)
■ Jordan opened airspace for Israeli jets to counter Iran (The Cradle)
■ Iran warns Israel it knows where its nukes are hidden (RT.com)
■ IRGC warns of 'tit-for-tat' retaliation if Israel attacks Iran's nuclear facilities (PressTV)
■ Iran readies 1000 ballistic missiles, declaring, "We're crazier than you think" (albawaba.com)

Western states need to send more anti-air systems to Kyiv, the head of the bloc says | NATO members should prioritize arming Ukraine over bolstering their defense capabilities, the secretary general of the US-led military bloc said on Wednesday. ● Stoltenberg pointed to Denmark as “a strong example” as it pledged in February to donate all of its artillery to Kyiv. He praised both Denmark and the Netherlands for their plans to provide F-16 fighter jets, adding that he was “encouraged” by the news that the US Congress is expected soon to vote for additional aid to Ukraine, after months of delay. ● The NATO chief’s appeal comes at a time when member states are struggling to deliver sufficient amounts of weapons to Ukraine without depleting their stocks and compromising security. Officials in Kyiv have blamed ammunition shortages for last year’s failed counteroffensive, as well as recent battlefield losses.

Editor's comment: 💬 Mr. Stoltenberg probably suffers from ukrainitis, a relatively unknown disease until 2014. This debilitating disease now seems to be fairly prevalent in the West. It is an affliction characterized by a severe, u-shaped intracranial inflammation, a u-kranial inflammation, as it were. There is no known cure for it, except to resign from his (or her) position. Regular exercise may also be helpful. This can safely be done in a high-security prison with preventive custody.

Maria Zakharova pointed out that the West has organized misinformation campaigns and influence in the cyber sphere: from spreading the corresponding content to blocking the apps of Russian organizations on digital platforms, which is also "a very serious element of influence" | Moscow’s Western opponents actively tried over the past year to disrupt the Russian presidential election, Russia’s Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova told TASS on Saturday.

💬 "Our opponents stirred up not just a week or a month ago. It seems to me that over the past year they did everything to either disrupt the presidential election or prevent it from being held or distort the conception of the elections in different ways," the diplomat said. The West has organized misinformation campaigns and influence in the cyber sphere: from spreading the corresponding content to blocking the apps of Russian organizations on digital platforms, which is also "a very serious element of influence," she pointed out. The West also used paid opposition that turned out to be "agents of influence and simply hirelings," the diplomat explained. "That is, all methods were used," she pointed out.

■ LIVE UPDATES: Day Two of Russia's Presidential Election (Sputnik News)
■ Polls open for Russian Presidential election, projected turnout at 71% (03/15/24)

At least two people have been killed when Israeli military aircraft carried out an airstrike against a residential building in the southwestern sector of the Syrian capital city of Damascus. | The state-run al-Ikhbariyah Syria television news channel reported that an Israeli attack with a number of missiles targeted an apartment in the Kafr Sousa residential neighborhood. The official Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA) also published images from the Israeli air raid, showing the outside of multi-story building partially blackened and windows blown out. An unnamed military source was later quoted by SANA as saying that “the Israeli enemy perpetrated an air aggression at around 9:40 a.m. local time (0740 GMT) on Wednesday, and fired missiles from the direction of the occupied Golan Heights at a residential building in the Kafr Sousa neighborhood of Damascus.”

■ Two civilians martyred in Israeli aggression on residential building in Kafr Sousa, Damascus (SANA)
■ Soraya Sepahpour-Ulrich, What Israel is really after in Syria (04/29/13)
■ Stephen J. Sniegoski, The Yinon Thesis Vindicated: Neocons, Israel, and the Fragmentation of Syria (08/15/12)

Dmitry Medvedev (Deputy Chairman of the Russian Security Council) (Дмитрий Медведев) | As you know, the Western world has long been patronizing and financially supporting our so-called non-systemic opposition in every possible way. For example, the bastard extremist Navalny and his comrades. And the whole colorful coterie of glamorous oppositionists, who have scattered over the past decades like plague rats to Western countries and shit on any occasion. Among them are outright freaks, like the schizoid ex-chess player Kasparov, who belongs in a psychiatric clinic. And Khodorkovsky's gang, which has matured over the years of criminal activity, consisting of born thieves and murderers, organizes meetings of oppositionists of all stripes for the money stolen in Russia. And a new, very young generation of various freaks, who put on the uniforms of Khokhlonazis to organize terrorist attacks and sabotage in Russia. And their intellectual servants from among the scoundrels from literature, for whom the ice axe of the new Ramon Mercader is crying. ■ Why did I bring up our "non-systemists" for all their disgusting squalor? Here's why. There is a non-systemic opposition in the West as well. True, it is not wretched and venal, but much more reasonable and decent. It does not wish for the death of its Fatherland, like the fugitive Russian detractors, but sees a new way of developing. It is different: both left and right. Each with its own national program that opposes American globalism. It exists in every EU country and even across the ocean. There is already such opposition in national parliaments and in the European Parliament, where elections will be held soon. ■ Undoubtedly, the new politicians are much more adequate and motivated than the fat cats from traditional Western parties. This, still irregular, opposition today clearly sees all the vices of the current liberal globalism and the Pindostanocentric world order. And our task is to support such politicians and their parties in the West in every possible way, helping them apertum et secretum to achieve decent results in the elections. Some of them will turn from non-systemic oppositionists into a new part of the political establishment. And their accession to state governance can radically improve the political landscape in the Western world. This is why they are so feared by the cunning intellectual castrati leading the old political forces in Europe and across the ocean, as well as by the sexless, rainbow-haired sleuths who are now at the helm of many Western countries. And not without reason. Lao Tzu said that "the flexible and weak overpower the hard and strong". (DeepL + LanguageTool)