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espionage

The Winnipeg Lab Leak: A Tale of Naivety and National Security Neglect

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6 minute read

From The Opposition News Network

How Ideological Blindness and Bureaucratic Red Tape Endangered Global Health

Let’s cut to the chase. Watching Meeting No. 36 of the Special Committee on the Canada–People’s Republic of China Relationship was like stepping into a world where common sense has left the building. We’ve got a lab in Winnipeg, Canada’s only high-security virology institute, embroiled in what’s essentially a spy movie plot, except it’s real life. Two scientists, Xiangguo Qiu and her husband Keding Cheng, get shown the door over what? Allegedly sending deadly viruses to China. The stuff of nightmares, right?

But here’s where it gets rich. Enter the Honourable Mark Holland, grilled in committee about why, after being flagged by CSIS, these scientists were still allowed to send those pathogens to China. His answer? A masterpiece in missing the point, extolling the virtues of due process and the reputation of scientists as if those are our only concerns when dealing with potential global security threats.

Then there’s his spiel on China. According to Holland, collaborating with China is this grand opportunity for humanity. Really? When it comes to shipping deadly viruses, I’d say the only opportunity is for a disaster. Holland’s defense of the indefensible, prioritizing process over precaution, is a stark reminder of how out of touch he is.

And then, as if to show us what backbone looks like, Dr. Stephen Ellis steps up. This guy gets it. He cuts through the nonsense, asking the hard questions, like whether Wuhan had the Ebola virus before this espionage act. Holland, true to form, dances around the answer. That silence? It’s deafening. It’s as if our government handed over a biological ticking time bomb to China on a silver platter, wrapped in the guise of saving humanity.

So, what are we left with? A government so embroiled in bureaucratic red tape and political correctness that it can’t see the forest for the trees. The more they talk, the more you realize they’re not just missing the point; they’re not even in the same library.

Final thoughts

I’ll leave you with this, my dear reader: as we peel back the layers of governance in our nation, the urgency for change becomes not just apparent but critical. The more I witness the complacency and the ideological rigidity of those at the helm, the more I’m convinced of the need for a seismic shift in our political landscape. It’s not just about choosing between left and right anymore; it’s about choosing between sense and sensibility versus reckless disregard for the principles that have kept our nation strong.

Is handing the reins over to the conservatives with a supermajority the solution? It’s a question that weighs heavily on many minds, mine included. However, the status quo is untenable. The upcoming election isn’t just another cycle; it’s a crossroads for Canada. A time for us, the electorate, to stand up and remind those in power that they serve at our pleasure, not the other way around. We are at a moment of reckoning. A moment where every vote is a statement, every voice a clarion call for leaders who place the well-being of Canada and its people above partisan politics and personal gain. The parties currently in power would do well to remember their duty to the electorate, lest they find themselves relics of a bygone era, swept away by a public that demands and deserves better.

So, as we look forward to casting our votes, let’s remember the power that resides in our hands. The power to shape our nation’s future, to uphold the values of freedom, integrity, and resilience that define us. Let’s rally behind the call for a government that truly represents the best of Canada, a government that not only listens but acts with the courage and conviction worthy of this great country. The time for change is now. The time for action is upon us. And to those in power: Take heed. The Canadian people are watching, they are informed, and they are ready to reclaim the promise of a nation built on the principles of truth, justice, and unwavering determination. Together, let’s make the next chapter in our history one of revival and renewed strength.

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Dan Knight

Writer for the Opposition Network/ Former amateur MMA champion / Independent journalist / Political commentator / Podcaster / Unbiased reporting 

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conflict

Iran nuclear talks were ‘coordinated deception’ between US and Israel: report

Published on

From LifeSiteNews

By Kyle Anzalone

Reports state that U.S. peace talks were a ruse and that Trump gave Netanyahu a ‘green light’ to hit Iran’s nuclear and military sites, killing top commanders.

A senior Israeli official told the Jerusalem Post that Tel Aviv and Washington worked together to convince Tehran that diplomacy was still possible after Israel was ready to attack Iran. Just hours before Israel’s massive assault began, President Donald Trump maintained he was still committed to talks.

The Israeli outlet reports, “The round of U.S.-Iranian nuclear negotiations scheduled for Sunday was part of a coordinated U.S.-Israeli deception aimed at lowering Iran’s guard ahead of Friday’s attack.”

READ: Israel strikes Iran’s nuclear sites, kills top commanders in massive air assault

In a post on Truth Social shortly before the Israeli strikes began, Trump declared that “We remain committed to a Diplomatic Resolution to the Iran Nuclear Issue! My entire Administration has been directed to negotiate with Iran. They could be a Great Country, but they first must completely give up hopes of obtaining a Nuclear Weapon. Thank you for your attention to this matter!”

After the Israeli attack was in progress, Secretary of State Marco Rubio denied that the U.S. was involved. However, American officials have said the White House was aware Israel was set to begin striking Iran, with Trump telling Fox News he was briefed on the operation.

Barak Ravid of Axios, moreover, later reported that Tel Aviv was given “a clear U.S. green light” to start bombing, citing two unnamed Israeli officials.

Sources speaking with Axios said the perceived split between Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was coordinated behind the scenes. “Two Israeli officials claimed to Axios that Trump and his aides were only pretending to oppose an Israeli attack in public – and didn’t express opposition in private,” the report explained. “The goal, they say, was to convince Iran that no attack was imminent and make sure Iranians on Israel’s target list wouldn’t move to new locations.”

The sources said that Trump and Netanyahu discussed the attack during a phone call on Monday. After the call, reports said Trump pressed Netanyahu not to attack Iran, but that was another effort to deceive Iran.

In a second post following the attack, Trump said he gave Iran the opportunity to make a deal, and suggested that Israel used American weapons in the massive air raid. “I gave Iran chance after chance to make a deal. I told them, in the strongest of words, to ‘just do it,’ but no matter how hard they tried, no matter how close they got, they just couldn’t get it done,” the president wrote.

The U.S. and Iran began negotiations on establishing a new nuclear agreement in April, with the two sides engaging in five rounds of Omani-mediated talks. At times, a deal appeared possible, with Iranian officials saying the dialogue was leading to progress. A sixth round of talks was scheduled for Sunday, but now appears unlikely.

A second source speaking with the Jerusalem Post said the goal of Israel’s military operations was not the complete destruction of Iran’s nuclear facilities, but rather to hit missile sites and top Iranian leaders to bring down the government.

Israel has conducted several rounds of strikes so far, hitting nuclear facilities, residential buildings in Tehran, and military sites. Iran has confirmed that several military leaders and nuclear scientists were killed in the bombing.

Reprinted with permission from Antiwar.com.

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espionage

FBI Director: CCP Behind Wave of Pathogen Smuggling as Third Chinese Student Charged in Michigan Lab Probe

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Sam Cooper's avatar Sam Cooper

“In a follow up interview with FBI and ICE HSI agents, Han admitted to sending the packages and lying about their contents”

In an intensifying pattern of national security investigations targeting unauthorized biological shipments from China into Detroit, U.S. authorities on Monday confirmed the arrest of a third Chinese national allegedly involved in smuggling undeclared bio-materials into the United States—this time for use at a University of Michigan laboratory.

“This case is part of a broader effort from the FBI and our federal partners to heavily crack down on similar pathogen smuggling operations, as the Chinese Communist Party works relentlessly to undermine America’s research institutions,” FBI Director Kash Patel posted to X on Monday evening.

The latest defendant, Chengxuan Han, is a citizen of the People’s Republic of China and a doctoral student at the College of Life Science and Technology in Wuhan. She has been charged with smuggling goods into the U.S. and making false statements, according to a federal criminal complaint filed in U.S. District Court in Detroit.

From September 2024 through March 2025, prosecutors allege, Han sent four international shipments containing concealed biological materials to individuals affiliated with a University of Michigan lab. The contents were identified as Caenorhabditis elegans — roundworms commonly used in genetic and biomedical research. The packages were mis-manifested and not declared in accordance with U.S. import regulations.

On June 8, Han arrived at Detroit Metropolitan Airport on a J-1 visa and was stopped by U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers. She allegedly denied having sent any biological materials to the U.S. and made false statements about the nature of the shipments. Agents also discovered that content on her electronic device had been deleted three days before her arrival — a detail included in the federal complaint.

“In a follow up interview with FBI and ICE HSI agents, Han admitted to sending the packages and lying about their contents,” Patel commented.

“The alleged smuggling of biological materials by this alien from a science and technology university in Wuhan, China — to be used at a University of Michigan laboratory — is part of an alarming pattern that threatens our security,” said U.S. Attorney Jerome F. Gorgon, Jr. “The American taxpayer should not be underwriting a PRC-based smuggling operation at one of our crucial public institutions.”

The case marks the third time in one week that Chinese nationals connected to the University of Michigan have been charged with allegedly smuggling undeclared biological material from China into the U.S. for laboratory research.

On June 3, federal prosecutors charged Yunqing Jian, 33, a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Michigan, and her boyfriend, Zunyong Liu, 34, with conspiracy, smuggling goods into the U.S., false statements, and visa fraud. Jian and Liu are accused of importing Fusarium graminearum — a fungus considered in some scientific literature to be a potential agroterrorism threat — into the country without proper declaration.

Officials allege Liu, who conducts research on the same pathogen at a university in China, initially lied to investigators but later admitted to smuggling the fungus for research in Jian’s Michigan lab.

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