Morning Brief: US Marks 24 Years Since 9/11 Attacks, Qatar Says Israeli Strike ‘Killed Any Hope’ for Gaza Hostage Release

· Guy D. McCardle

The Tribute in Light seen from the Top of the Rock, September 10, 2021. (White House)

Thursday, September 11, 2025 — 9/11 tributes fill the nation as a manhunt intensifies after Charlie Kirk’s killing. Congress backs troop pay hikes with gender care limits, NATO jets down Russian drones over Poland, and Israel’s Doha strike shakes Gaza talks. Pakistan raids Taliban hideouts, a blast hits a South Korean base, and Seoul warns US visa woes could stall projects as Kim Jong-un’s daughter emerges as a likely heir.

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US Marks 24 Years Since 9/11 With Ceremonies, Tributes, and Acts of Service

Americans are commemorating the 24th anniversary of the September 11, 2001, attacks with memorial ceremonies, volunteer work, and other tributes honoring the nearly 3,000 victims.

Events are taking place at the World Trade Center site in New York, the Pentagon, and near Shanksville, Pennsylvania, featuring the reading of names, moments of silence, and wreath-laying.

President Donald Trump, Vice President JD Vance, and other officials are attending ceremonies. Security is heightened after the recent fatal shooting of conservative activist Charlie Kirk.

Across the country, volunteers are marking the day through service projects. The attacks, carried out by al-Qaeda, reshaped US policy and led to wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.

Legal proceedings against alleged mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed remain unresolved, while over 140,000 people still receive health monitoring for exposure to toxic dust from the collapsed towers.

 

Manhunt Underway After Fatal Shooting of Charlie Kirk at Utah Valley University

Charlie Kirk, 31, a prominent conservative activist and founder of Turning Point USA, was shot and killed Wednesday while speaking at Utah Valley University.

Authorities said the shooter fired a single shot from a rooftop, hitting Kirk in the neck, then escaped amid chaos as thousands of attendees fled.

Utah Governor Spencer Cox called the killing a “political assassination” and vowed the perpetrator would face the death penalty if caught. Two people were briefly detained but released, and police are investigating multiple active crime scenes.

Kirk’s death drew bipartisan condemnation, with President Donald Trump calling him a “martyr for truth and freedom” and ordering flags lowered to half-staff.

The shooting occurred during a Q&A session about gun violence and comes amid rising political tensions nationwide. The campus was evacuated and will remain closed until Monday.

Kirk’s organization, founded in 2012, became a leading voice for young conservatives and a staunch ally of Trump.

 

House Passes Defense Bill With Troop Pay Raise and Restrictions on Gender-Affirming Care

The House approved an annual defense policy bill in a 231-196 vote that authorizes a 3.8 percent pay raise for US troops, expands support for European allies, and includes Republican-backed restrictions on gender-affirming medical care.

Many Democrats opposed the bill over amendments banning Tricare from funding gender-related treatments, barring gender transition procedures in the Exceptional Family Medical Program, and mandating single-sex spaces on military installations.

The legislation also boosts family separation pay, expands eligibility for the basic needs allowance, waives dental fees for reservists, and funds new military housing and child care facilities. It authorizes $400 million for Ukraine security aid, requires continued cooperation with Baltic allies, and repeals outdated Iraq and Gulf War authorizations.

The bill allocates major funding for Indo-Pacific operations, Taiwan defense, shipbuilding, aircraft, munitions, and new battlefield technologies.

The Senate will negotiate its own version before sending a final bill to President Donald Trump.

 

Navy Cook Charged With Murder and Rape in Death of Sailor Found Near Norfolk

US Navy Culinary Specialist Jeremiah Copeland has been charged with murder, rape, sexual misconduct, and other offenses under the Uniform Code of Military Justice in connection with the death of Seaman Angelina Resendiz, 21, whose body was found June 9 in a wooded area near Naval Station Norfolk.

Resendiz, also a culinary specialist assigned to the USS James E. Williams (DDG-95), was last seen May 29 and reported missing May 31.

Copeland has been in custody since her body was discovered. He faces an Article 32 hearing on September 18.

Preliminary documents list at least six alleged criminal acts, including obstructing justice and distributing intimate images. The medical examiner has not determined Resendiz’s cause or manner of death.

Copeland had a prior juvenile case involving intimate images in Washington state.

The Navy’s Office of Special Trial Counsel is overseeing the case.

 

Army to Exempt High-Scoring Soldiers From Body Fat Standards

The US Army announced that soldiers who score at least 465 out of 500 points on the Army Fitness Test will be exempt from body fat standards.

To qualify, they must earn at least 80 points in each of the test’s five events. Those granted exemptions will not undergo tape measurements even if they do not meet height and weight requirements.

The policy takes effect immediately and lasts until the next record test, up to eight months for active-duty soldiers and 12 months for National Guard and Reserve members.

The exemption follows the Army’s rollout of its updated Army Fitness Test in June, which replaced the Army Combat Fitness Test and introduced higher, sex-neutral, age-normalized standards for combat arms roles.

The new test will be fully implemented by 2026.

 

US Approves $1.07 Billion Air-to-Air Missile Sale to Finland

The United States has recently approved a proposed $1.07 billion sale of advanced air-to-air missiles and related equipment to Finland, a NATO ally that borders Russia.

The Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) said the sale will enhance Finland’s ability to respond to current and future threats and improve interoperability with US and allied forces. It added that the deal supports US foreign policy and security goals by strengthening a stable NATO partner.

The State Department cleared the sale, and Congress must now review and approve the transaction.

Finland joined NATO alongside Sweden after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

 

Russian Drones Enter Poland, NATO Jets Intercept in First-Ever Alliance Airspace Defense

Multiple Russian drones crossed into Poland during a Wednesday overnight strikes on Ukraine, prompting NATO fighter jets, including Dutch F-35s, to intercept them in what officials called the alliance’s first engagement of potential threats in its own airspace.

Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said 19 airspace violations occurred over seven hours, with nine crash sites found and one house damaged but no injuries reported.

European leaders labeled the incursion a deliberate provocation, while Russia denied targeting Poland and Belarus claimed some drones strayed off course after being jammed.

Poland requested an emergency UN Security Council meeting, and NATO held consultations under Article 4 of its treaty.

The incident heightened fears of the war spilling into NATO territory as Russia escalates its attacks and peace efforts stall.

 

Poland to Accelerate Military Modernization After Russian Drone Incursion

Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk announced plans Thursday to advance a major military modernization program after Russian drones crossed into Poland, prompting NATO’s first-ever airspace defense response.

Tusk praised Polish and Dutch forces for intercepting the drones and said Poland will receive its first US-made F-35 fighter jets next year, with all 32 expected by 2030 to strengthen NATO defense capabilities.

Poland introduced air traffic restrictions in its east and will close its border with Belarus, where Russian and Belarusian troops are preparing for military drills.

European officials called the drone incursion a deliberate provocation and warned it marked an escalation of Russia’s war on Ukraine.

 

Qatar PM Says Israeli Strike ‘Killed Any Hope’ for Gaza Hostage Release

Qatar’s Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani accused Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of destroying prospects for releasing hostages in Gaza after Israel’s strike on Hamas leaders in Doha.

In a CNN interview, which aired late Wednesday, Sheikh Mohammed said the attack undermined ongoing ceasefire mediation efforts that families of hostages depend on.

Qatar and Egypt have led talks to end the war, and Qatar has hosted Hamas’ political leaders to facilitate negotiations. Netanyahu defended the strike and warned Qatar to expel or prosecute Hamas figures or face further Israeli action.

The attack drew broad international condemnation, escalated regional tensions, and threatened to derail talks.

Hamas claimed its top leaders survived the strike, though it provided no proof.

About 48 hostages remain in Gaza, with around 20 believed alive, while over 64,600 Palestinians have been killed in Israel’s offensive since Hamas’ October 7 attack on Israel.

 

Israel’s Campaign Struggles to Eliminate Hamas Despite Heavy Losses

Israel’s attempt to kill Hamas’ top leaders in Qatar highlights its ongoing effort to crush the group, but analysts say Hamas remains resilient despite devastating losses.

Nearly all of Hamas’ Gaza leadership, thousands of fighters, and much of its infrastructure have been destroyed, yet it still has thousands of fighters, retains some support, and holds about 20 hostages. Israel now controls about 75 percent of Gaza, where Hamas’ government and police have largely collapsed, but local groups have filled the vacuum.

Hamas continues hit-and-run attacks that have killed dozens of Israeli soldiers since March. Experts and officials say Hamas has recruited new fighters during the war, and its armed wing still directs operations and controls hostages.

Israel’s goal to fully defeat and disarm Hamas appears unlikely, as the group has repeatedly survived leadership losses and occupation, and its ideology persists among many Palestinians.

 

Pakistan Says Security Raids Kill 19 Pakistani Taliban Fighters

Pakistan’s military said security forces killed 19 Pakistani Taliban fighters in raids on three militant hideouts in the country’s northwest.

Fourteen militants were killed Wednesday in Mohmand district near the Afghan border, and five more were killed Thursday in North Waziristan and Bannu districts.

The operations followed a Pakistani Taliban attack last week on a security camp in Bannu that killed six soldiers.

The raids came two days after Major Adnan Aslam died from wounds sustained in that attack. A video showed him shielding a wounded soldier and returning fire before being critically wounded. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Army Chief Field Marshal Asim Munir attended his funeral.

Pakistan has seen rising militant violence, mostly from the Pakistani Taliban and Baloch separatists.

 

Explosion at South Korean Military Base Injures 10 Soldiers

An explosion during a live-fire simulation drill at a South Korean military base in Paju injured at least 10 soldiers on Wednesday, according to the defense ministry in Seoul.

The blast occurred at about 3:24 pm local time when a training round unexpectedly exploded during an artillery unit exercise.

Two soldiers sustained serious burns to their arms and thighs. Military medics provided first aid, and fire authorities dispatched six ambulances to the scene.

The cause of the explosion is under investigation.

The base is near the North Korean border, where tensions remain high.

 

South Korea Warns US Visa Issues Could Stall Investments After Georgia Factory Raid

South Korean President Lee Jae Myung warned Thursday that Korean companies may hesitate to invest further in the US unless Washington improves its visa system, following last week’s immigration raid that detained over 300 workers at a Hyundai battery factory site in Georgia.

US authorities have released all 330 detainees, including 316 South Koreans, who are being flown back to Seoul.

The arrests sparked anger in South Korea, with lawmakers calling them heavy-handed and a betrayal after Seoul pledged $350 billion in US investments.

Lee said the lack of a proper visa category for short-term skilled technicians undermines Korean firms’ ability to build and launch US industrial sites. He urged Washington to create a new visa system, noting that South Korea and the US agreed to form a joint working group to address the issue.

South Korean officials said without changes, future projects—such as battery, semiconductor, and shipbuilding plants—could face delays that would hurt both economies.

 

South Korea Says Kim Jong-un’s Daughter Strengthened Successor Role During China Trip

South Korea’s National Intelligence Service (NIS) told lawmakers that Kim Ju-ae, the daughter of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, likely bolstered her position as his intended successor during their recent visit to China.

Although she stayed out of public view during the trip, North Korean state media confirmed her presence, which the agency said supports a succession narrative.

The NIS dismissed speculation about other Kim children and noted Kim showed no health issues.

The agency said Kim viewed the trip as a diplomatic success that projected solidarity with China and Russia, though it reported internal disagreements and no concrete policy coordination.

It also said Kim inspected intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) facilities before and after the trip, revealing what appears to be North Korea’s largest ICBM engine capable of carrying multiple warheads.

The NIS warned that Kim may adopt a more aggressive diplomatic stance, raising the threshold for talks with the US while quietly pursuing back-channel engagement.

 

Sources: News Agencies