Trump era: Fascist dawn, or road to liberation?

G20 has just started and Trump and Putin had their first face to face meeting since Helsinki. In case anyone missed it, the last time they wanted to meet face to face, the US cooked up some BS-story so that Trump had to cancel the meeting. Both seem to very much enjoy each other's company again. A fact that was quite visible last time in Helsinki too. Of course the fake news media is already freaking out because they understand each other, have fun together and make fun of the fake news media in the US. Again, I get a pretty definite sense that Trump actually admires Putin and goes out of his way to be extra nice and considerate to him. For me, every time they interact with each other, it is a real joy to watch. Trump sends some pretty definite signals toward Putin every time they meet, in the sense of "I like you and we both know what is really going on". Basically two decent human beings meeting each other and making fun of all the crazies and the BS they throw at them. Trump had some pretty good jokes at hand, which Putin found funny as heck as well, in stark contrast to the US-Media. Last time they met, they gave the infamous press conference together in which both had a lot of fun ridiculing the BS coming from the media and enjoying each other replies. I hope we will see something like that again. They should meet much more regularly, not only because it is so much fun to see them together, but because Trump will learn a thing or two every time.

Here are two snippets of their meeting. Notice how Trump is in joke mode and enjoys having fun with the only other person in the world who probably truly understands what he is up against:


 
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Notice also that Trump basically told Putin that russian Media is not fake news, while the US is fake news. Putin than corrects him that that they have the same problem in russia. I guess Trump follows and knows some russian media like RT and concludes that they are not fake news, which is actually correct...
 
The two leaders discussed Syria, Iran, Ukraine and Venezuela.

Putin and Trump talk for 80 minutes in Osaka
Putin and Trump talk for 80 minutes in Osaka
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© Mikhail Metzel/TASS

OSAKA /Japan/, June 28, 2019 - The meeting between the President of Russia and the United States, Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump, on the sidelines of the G20 summit lasted 80 minutes, TASS reports.

Opening the meeting, both leaders noted that the meeting can become a great opportunity to talk about many issues that piled up and needed to be discussed. Donald Trump suggested discussing trade and disarmament issues. "It is a great honor to be with President Putin. His representatives, my representatives have many things to discuss, including trade and including some disarmament, little protectionism, perhaps," he said.

Putin, Trump reaffirm willingness to continue dialogue, says Lavrov
Putin, Trump reaffirm willingness to continue dialogue, says Lavrov
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© Mikhail Metzel/TASS

Russian President Vladimir Putin and his US counterpart Donald Trump, at a meeting in Osaka, have reaffirmed the agreements that had been reached and their willingness to discuss a wide range of issues, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov told the Rossiya 24 TV channel.

"The mood is very good, the atmosphere is constructive. The desire to discuss a wide range (of issues) from the economy to strategic stability has been reaffirmed and even initiated.

We confirmed our initiatives that were presented in Hamburg and in Helsinki last year. President Trump said that his staff who attended the conversation would be instructed to handle these issues with their counterparts in Moscow," he stated.

New START should be extended before new arms control is struck, experts says
New START should be extended before new arms control deal is struck, experts says
U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin hold a bilateral meeting at the G20 leaders summit in Osaka, Japan, June 28. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque

June 28, 2019 - The New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (New START) should be extended first before a new deal on arms control is negotiated, Executive Director of the US Arms Control Association Daryl Kimball said on Friday.

"Pursing talks with other nuclear-armed states and trying to limit all types of nuclear weapons is an admirable objective, but such a negotiation would be complex and time-consuming," Kimball wrote in an article published on the Association's website. "It would be malpractice to discard New START in the hopes of negotiating a more comprehensive, ambitious nuclear arms control agreement with Russia and China and getting it ratified and into force," he added. "There is no realistic chance a new agreement along these lines could be finalized before New START expires. The first step should be a five-year extension of New START, which would provide a foundation for a more ambitious successor agreement," the expert noted.

"[US President Donald] Trump's national security team has dithered for more than a year on beginning talks with Russia to extend the 2010 New START before it expires in February 2021," Kimball said. "It is now apparent that [US National Security Advisor John] Bolton is trying to steer Trump to discard New START. In an interview published June 18, he spoke of a New START extension, saying, 'There's no decision, but I think it's unlikely'," he added.

"Bolton also argued that Trump wants to bring China into trilateral negotiations with Russia on a new agreement to limit nuclear weapons not covered by New START," the expert noted.

Moscow has repeatedly urged Washington to start working on resolving the issue of the possible extension of New START, which Russia considers to be a "gold standard" in arms control. A spokesperson for the White House said in October 2018 that the US Administration is not likely to agree to extend New START. Bilateral consultations on New START are traditionally held behind closed doors.

Trump, Xi hold high-stakes trade war talks at G20 in Japan
U.S. President Donald Trump meets with China's President Xi Jinping at the start of their bilateral meeting at the G20 leaders summit in Osaka, Japan, June 29, 2019. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque

U.S. President Donald Trump said on Saturday he was open to a potentially "historic" trade deal with Chinese President Xi Jinping, as they began talks that could ease tensions or plunge the world's two largest economies into a deeper trade war.

Trump offers to meet North Korea's Kim at DMZ this weekend
FILE PHOTO: North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un and U.S. President Donald Trump talk in the garden of the Metropole hotel during the second North Korea-U.S. summit in Hanoi, Vietnam Feb. 28, 2019. REUTERS/Leah Millis/File Photo

U.S. President Donald Trump said on Saturday he would like to meet North Korean leader Kim Jong Un this weekend at the demilitarized zone (DMZ) on the border of North and South Korea.

Trump says he appreciates Saudi purchase of U.S. military equipment
U.S. President Donald Trump speaks during a working breakfast meeting with Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman during the G20 leaders summit in Osaka, Japan, June 29, 2019. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque

President Donald Trump said on Saturday he appreciated Saudi Arabia's purchase of U.S. military equipment, calling Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman a "friend of mine" who had worked to open up the country with economic and social reforms.

Iran says progress at last-ditch nuclear deal talks 'not enough'
Iran's top nuclear negotiator Abbas Araqchi and Secretary General of the European External Action Service (EEAS) Helga Schmit attend a meeting of the JCPOA Joint Commission in Vienna, Austria,  June 28, 2019.  REUTERS/Leonhard Foeger

European countries offered too little at last-ditch talks on Friday to persuade Iran to back off from its plans to breach limits imposed by its nuclear agreement with world powers, Iran's envoy said.

U.S. will not level new tariffs on Chinese exports: Xinhua
The United States will not levy new tariffs on Chinese exports, China's official Xinhua news agency said on Saturday, following talks between the two countries' leaders.

Trump says had an excellent meeting with China's Xi
U.S. President Donald Trump poses for a photo with China's President Xi Jinping before their bilateral meeting during the G20 leaders summit in Osaka, Japan, June 29, 2019. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque

U.S. President Donald Trump said on Saturday he had an excellent meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping, as good as it was going to be.

North Korea says Trump-Kim meet at DMZ 'very interesting suggestion'
Directional signs bearing North Korean and U.S. flags are seen near the demilitarized zone in Paju, South Korea, June 12, 2018.   REUTERS/Kim Hong-Ji

A proposal by U.S. President Donald Trump to meet North Korean leader Kim Jong Un this weekend at the demilitarized zone (DMZ) on the Korean border is a "very interesting suggestion", North Korea said on Saturday.
 
A ray of hope ...

Putin says Russia will do all it can to improve ties with U.S.
U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin hold a bilateral meeting at the G20 leaders summit in Osaka, Japan June 28, 2019.  REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque

Russia's president said on Saturday that Moscow would do all it could to improve relations with the United States that have been strained by years of diplomatic conflicts over Ukraine and accusations of Russian meddling in U.S. elections.

Putin described the talks in Osaka as a “good meeting, business-like, pragmatic” and said the leaders agreed that two-way economic ties required improvement.

"I think we both understand that we need to somehow resolve the current situation," Putin said, adding that the two nations needed to “somehow find the strength to turn the page and move forward.”

'Back on track': China and U.S. agree to restart trade talks
U.S. President Donald Trump meets with China's President Xi Jinping at the start of their bilateral meeting at the G20 leaders summit in Osaka, Japan, June 29, 2019. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque

The United States and China agreed on Saturday to restart trade talks with Washington holding off new tariffs on Chinese exports, signaling a pause in the trade hostilities between the world's two largest economies.

China says joint interests with U.S. greater than differences
U.S. President Donald Trump attends a bilateral meeting with China's President Xi Jinping during the G20 leaders summit in Osaka, Japan, June 29, 2019. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque

The joint interests of China and the United States are greater than the differences, a senior Chinese diplomat said on Saturday, following talks between the two countries' presidents at a G20 summit in Japan.

Trump says agreed U.S. won't raise tariffs, China will buy U.S. farm goods
U.S. President Donald Trump holds a news conference on the final day of the G20 leaders summit in Osaka, Japan June 29, 2019. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque

U.S. President Donald Trump said he and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping agreed on Saturday that the United States would refrain from raising levies on Chinese imports for now while China would buy more U.S. agricultural products.

Russia, Japan make progress in joint activities on disputed islands: Putin
Russian President Vladimir Putin (R) approaches to shake hands with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe at their news conference at G20 leaders summit in Osaka, Japan, June 29, 2019. REUTERS/Kim Kyung-Hoon/Pool

Russia and Japan have moved forward in setting up joint economic activities on a disputed chain of islands, President Vladimir Putin said on Saturday after discussing a peace treaty with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.

Trump says 'unfair' defense treaty with Japan needs to be changed
Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and U.S. President Donald Trump attend a family photo session in front of Osaka Castle at the G-20 summit, in Osaka, Japan June 28, 2019  Tomohiro Ohsumi/Pool via REUTERS

U.S. President Donald Trump on Saturday said he told Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe that a decades-old security treaty between their countries must be changed, reiterating his criticism of the pact as unfair.

Putin says informed Trump about Russia's actions in Syria
Russian President Vladimir Putin speaks to the media at the G-20 summit in Osaka, western Japan, June 29, 2019.  Alexander Zemlianichenko/Pool via REUTERS

Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Saturday he had informed U.S. President Donald Trump about Russia's actions in Syria, adding that the two countries had maintained contacts about the Middle East nation.

Putin says Trump stressed issue of detained Ukrainian sailors
Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Saturday that the issue of Ukrainian sailors detained by Russia in 2018 had dominated his talks with U.S. President Donald Trump at the G20 summit but no decision on the sailors' fate had been made yet.

Kremlin says S-400 deal with Turkey envisages partial technologies handover: Ifax
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov waits before a welcoming ceremony attended by Russian President Vladimir Putin and Kyrgyz President Sooronbay Jeenbekov in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan March 28, 2019. REUTERS/Maxim Shemetov

Moscow's deal with Ankara, under which Russia would supply S-400 missile defense systems to Turkey, envisages a partial handover of technologies, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Saturday, the Interfax news agency reported.

Trump wants Turkey missile plans resolved without harming ties: Turkish presidency
U.S. President Donald Trump speaks during a news conference in Osaka, Japan, June 29, 2019. Jacquelyn Martin/Pool via REUTERS

U.S. President Donald Trump told his Turkish counterpart Tayyip Erdogan that he wanted the issue over Ankara's procurement of air defense systems to be resolved without damaging bilateral ties, the Turkish presidency said.

Trump says we have a 'complicated' situation with Turkey's S-400 deal
U.S. President Donald Trump attends a bilateral meeting with Turkey's President Tayyip Erdogan during the G20 leaders summit in Osaka, Japan, June 29, 2019. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque

President Donald Trump said on Saturday the United States had a "complicated" situation in how to respond to Turkey's deal to procure Russia's S-400 missile defense system, adding that possible sanctions were being discussed.

Ball in Europe's court on nuclear deal's future: Iranian state TV
The ball is in Europe's court to shield Iran from U.S. sanctions and prevent it from further scaling back compliance with its nuclear agreement with world powers, Iranian state TV said on Saturday, with days remaining on Tehran's ultimatum.

Putin congratulates Abe on successful G20 summit in Osaka
Putin congratulates Abe on successful G20 summit in Osaka
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© Mikhail Klimentyev/Press Service of the President of the Russian Federation/TASS

OSAKA, June 29, 2019 - Russian President Vladimir Putin has congratulated Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on hosting a successful G20 summit.

"First of all, I would like to congratulate you and your colleagues on hosting a successful G20 summit. It was a great job, and you deserve credit for the fact that it ended with such results," Putin said at the talks with Abe on Saturday. "It was very difficult to coordinate positions, very often diametrically opposite ones, on the key global development issues, on the development of the global economy," the Russian leader stressed.

Earlier in the day, Putin told reporters at a news conference that he was satisfied with the results of the G20 summit despite previous skepticism. He stressed that Japan did a lot to ensure that the summit is effective, and that’s precisely what happened.

G20 summit wraps up in Japan
G20 summit wraps up in Japan
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© AP Photo/Susan Walsh

OSAKA /Japan/, June 29, 2019 - The G20 summit has ended in the Japanese city of Osaka, a TASS correspondent reported on Saturday. The results of two-day talks will be summed up shortly by the host of the event, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, at a news conference.

"We have been able to reach a consensus on the need to promote fair, free trade without discrimination," Abe stressed in his closing statement. A joint final statement is expected to be approved soon.

The current event has become the fourteenth G20 summit and the first one held in Japan.
 
I noticed, whenever Pompeo and Lavrov were in the same room or within close proximity to each other, Pompeo would freeze into position, grasp his hands together and stare a hole through Lavrov. It must be one of Pompeo's main intimidation tactics (low functional energy requirement) because "he pulled the same exact stunt" on North Korea's Kim Jong Un during the Vietnam summit, in May. I'm more than sure, Lavrov can handle Pompeo's nonsense but unfortunately, Lavrov will have to put up with Pompeo's antics a little bit longer.

North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un and U.S. President Donald Trump look on during the extended bilateral meeting in the Metropole hotel during the second North Korea-U.S. summit in Hanoi, Vietnam February 28, 2019. REUTERS/Leah Millis


US, Russia FMs to start talks on nuke arms control: Putin
US, Russia FMs to start talks on nuke arms control: Putin
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Russia’s President Vladimir Putin and US President Donald Trump met on the sidelines of the G20 summit in Osaka, Japan June 28, 2019. (File/Reuters)

OSAKA: Foreign ministers from the United States and Russia will begin talks over nuclear arms control but it may not lead to an extension of the START3 nuclear disarmament treaty, President Vladimir Putin said Saturday.

“We have charged our respective Foreign Ministers with starting consultations on this subject... but we can not yet say whether this will lead to an extension of START3,” Putin told reporters after a G20 summit in Osaka on Saturday.
 
South Korea's Moon says Trump-Kim handshake at DMZ would be a milestone
South Korea's President Moon Jae-in and U.S. President Donald Trump pose for a picture before a dinner at the Presidential Blue House in Seoul, South Korea, June 29, 2019. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque
A handshake between U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un on the inter-Korean border would be a "significant milestone" in the process of denuclearizing North Korea, South Korean President Moon Jae-in said on Sunday.

Trump lands at DMZ ahead of meeting with North Korea's Kim
U.S. President Donald Trump looks on during a visit at the demilitarized zone separating the two Koreas, in Panmunjom, South Korea, June 30, 2019. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque

U.S. President Donald Trump arrived at the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) separating the two Koreas on Sunday ahead of his meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.

Trump holds historic meeting with Kim with a tweet, handshake and 'flowers of hope'
U.S. President Donald Trump meets with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un at the demilitarized zone separating the two Koreas, in Panmunjom, South Korea, June 30, 2019. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque

U. S. President Donald Trump took a historic step into North Korea on Sunday, drawing on his penchant for showmanship and surprise to pull off talks with Kim Jong Un in the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) that divides the two Koreas.

After surprise Trump-Kim meeting, U.S. and North Korea to reopen talks
U.S. President Donald Trump meets with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un at the demilitarized zone separating the two Koreas, in Panmunjom, South Korea, June 30, 2019. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque

U.S. President Donald Trump became the first sitting U.S. president to set foot in North Korea on Sunday when he met its leader, Kim Jong Un, in the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) between the two Koreas and agreed to resume stalled nuclear talks.

U.S., North Korea agree at DMZ to resume stalled nuclear talks: Trump
South Korean people watch a live TV broadcast on a meeting between North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and U.S. President Donald Trump at the truce village of Panmunjom inside the demilitarised zone separating the two Koreas, in Seoul, South Korea, June 30, 2019. REUTERS/Kim Hong-Ji

U.S. President Donald Trump said he and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un agreed on Sunday to resume stalled nuclear talks when they met in the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) between the two Koreas.

One Small Step For Trump And Kim – One Giant Leap For World Peace (FULL VIDEOS)
One Small Step For Trump And Kim - One Giant Leap For World Peace (FULL VIDEO) - Eurasia Future

In contemporaneity politics, it is typically the behind the scenes meetings whose content is never seen and rarely heard that move global events. And yet there are still certain public events whose magnitude is so strong that no amount of intensive behind the scenes maneuvering can reverse the tide set in motion by such a public event.

When Donald Trump issued his invitation via Twitter for Kim Jong-un to meet with him at the DMZ, chances are that certain elements of the meeting were planned in advance. This should not be all too surprising seeing as Trump and Kim had recently exchanged letters (as they do with ever more frequency) that may well have contained the initial suggestion of an historic DMZ meeting.



Ultimately, whether the meeting was secretly scheduled in advance or whether it was the product of a spontaneous Tweet, the fact of the matter is that the assertive and gregarious Donald Trump, the young and enthusiastic Kim Jong-un and the serene but totally committed Moon Jae-in have always been men of destiny.

Donald Trump is the US president who broke the mold in terms of how an American leader can and should act. Moon had his initial election victory stolen from him in 2012 but achieved vindication in a 2018 election which vindicated his moderate and peaceful approach that set him apart from his disgraced predecessor. Finally, whilst Kim Jong-un was one of the youngest men in the world to become a head of state, at the beginning of his Chairmanship he remained an enigmatic figure. Since then, he has emerged as a good humored, reform minded and peace minded leader who in the words of many foreigners who have met him, genuinely seeks the best for the Korean people.

When Kim took hold of Donald Trump's hand and invited him across the most fortified border in the world into the DPRK, history was made and even more importantly, a new and irreversible trend for peace in Korea has become all the more solidified. With Trump inviting Kim to visit him in the White House shortly after his historic walk into the DPRK, there is every chance that such a meeting could happen later this year or in very early 2020.

Live: Trump meets Kim Jong Un at Demilitarized Zone 特朗普抵达板门店与金正恩会面
Streamed live 7 hours ago June 30, 2019 (1:27:48 min.)

From the very first meeting between Kim and Moon and later those between Kim and Trump, there was a feeling of a peace process that meant something to each leader at an individual level. In this sense, the current peace process transcends the normal conditions of a political process and has developed into something in which three important men now have a very personal stake. This is all the more reason that none of these men are prepared to allow the peace process to fail.

The full flowering of this emotionally positive spirit could be readily observed both when Kim seemingly spontaneously invited Trump into his country and when the two men later sat down for a brief exchange of words with the press. As Donald Trump pointed out, Kim Jong-un normally does not do news conferences but he is clearly settling into his new role as an increasingly public figure in the historic peace process. Kim importantly remarked that without the strong personal bond between himself and Donald Trump, the progress made thus far would likely not have been possible. Trump had previously said something similar when he warned that the policies of his predecessor Barack Obama were putting the DPRK and USA on the road to war. In this sense, whilst few expected Donald Trump to become the first sitting US President to enter the DPRK and whilst few could have predicted Kim Jong-un’s eagerness to speak with the international press – both of these things just happened before the eyes of the world.

Whilst few were willing to make the seemingly “outlandish” prediction that the Berlin Wall would one day fall, in the late 1980s American composer and musician Frank Zappa appeared with Jay Leno on Johnny Carson’s famous Tonight Show and predicted that the infamous Wall would fall. Whilst it was popular among the pundits at the time to say that those dreaming of a united Berlin and united Germany were fools, history proved otherwise.

Today, whilst much of the media (particularly the liberal western media) remains equally pessimistic about Korea as it was about Europe in the late 1980s, there is a distinctly Berlin, November 1989 feeling about the events that are rapidly unfolding in Korea. That being said, a politically united Korea is next to impossible but throughout the peace process, if de-nuculearisation is met with a relaxing of sanctions against Pyongyang (a strategy favoured by South Korea and China), it is entirely possible that an ever more harmonious and inter-connected Korea can emerge which may one day even lead to the implementation of a one country – two systems model of governance.

Korean DMZ: Trump and Kim make history with impromptu handshake
Published on Jun 30, 2019 (3:36 min.)

For the time being, what is important to remember is that whilst the details of peace will naturally take time to consecrate, the spirit of peace and the goal of making this peace permanent remains unbreakable.

Kim Jong-un, Donald Trump and Moon Jae-in have proved themselves to be men of destiny. It therefore is extremely likely that in shorter order than expected, they will prove the sceptics wrong and deliver on what could justifiably be called the most important peace process since 1945.

It is high time for people to admit that when it comes to formally ending war in Korea and entering a new era of cooperation and connectivity, it is now merely a matter of ‘when’ rather than a matter of ‘if’.
 
Trump suggested stepping up mutual dialogue to Putin: Ifax
U.S. President Donald Trump speaks to U.S. troops based in the Osan Airbase, South Korea, before departing for Washington, in this still image from video taken June 30, 2019. REUTERS TV via REUTERS

U.S. President Donald Trump suggested stepping up a dialogue with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin when the two met in Osaka, Japan, Interfax news agency quoted Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov as saying on Sunday.

Turkey's Erdogan says U.S. will not impose sanctions over Russian missile deal
U.S. President Donald Trump attends a bilateral meeting with Turkey's President Tayyip Erdogan during the G20 leaders summit in Osaka, Japan, June 29, 2019. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque
Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said on Saturday the United States did not plan to impose sanctions on Ankara for buying Russian defense systems, after the U.S. president said Turkey had not been treated fairly over the contract.

Trump sends Highly Important Semi-Coded Message to Turkey
Trump Sends Highly Important Semi-Coded Message to Turkey - Eurasia Future

During the G20 summit, Donald Trump met with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan to discuss the heated issue of Ankara’s purchase of Russian made S-400 missile systems in the wake of Washington suspending Turkey from participation in the F-35 programme that Turkey had long payed a key role in supporting. When speaking to the press beside Erdoğan, Trump blamed the apparent impasse between the NATO allies on Barack Obama.

Trump stated:

“Turkey is a NATO member and was not treated fairly. They [Obama administration] wouldn’t sell him [Erdoğan], they wouldn’t let him buy the missile he wanted to buy which is the Patriot. And after he buys something else, they say now we will sell you the Patriot. So I have to tell you, he [Erdoğan] is a NATO member and he is somebody I have become friendly with. And you have to treat fairly. You understand that? You have to treat fairly. I don’t think he was treated fairly. I don’t think he was treated fairly”.

Trump went on to say the following:

"The President (Erdogan) was not allowed to buy the Patriot missiles, he wanted to do this, but he wasn't allowed by the Obama administration to buy them until after he made a deal to buy the other missiles. So, he buys the other missile and then all of a sudden, they say you can buy our missile. You can't do business that way, it is not good.

It is not good". Trump later stated that contrary to rumor, there would be no anti-Turkish sanctions over Ankara's S-400 purchase.


There is far more to Trump’s statements than meets the eye. Although Trump has a tendency of bringing up the mistakes made by his predecessor Barack Obama in order to explain present difficulties, when speaking about Obama’s failure to provide Turkey with its initial weapons of choice, there was an added meaning that most Turks would have instantly understood. Whilst many in the US feign unaware, the majority of patriotic Turks blame the Obama administration for enabling or even orchestrating the treacherous coup of 2016 in which Gülenist terrorists (FETO) attempted to overthrow the Turkish state. Furthermore, it was under Obama that the US took up arms beside the YPG/PKK terror group in Syria whilst traditional avenues of cooperation contracted ever more.

Things have not exactly been smooth sailing for Turkey-US relations under Donald Trump, not least because close US ally Israel’s relations with Turkey have become so dismal that Tel Aviv is now allied with Nicosia and Cairo against Turkey’s gas rights in the eastern Mediterranean. But just as Trump defied the clear wishes of the neocons over war with Iran, he can certainly do so in respect of defying the the neocon elite of Washington over restoring normalcy in relations with fellow NATO ally Turkey.

By pinning the blame on Barack Obama for the poor state of US-Turkey relations, Trump is pinning the blame on a man largely hated for the role that many Turks believe he played in supporting Gülenist terror. Trump’s message to Turkey is one that is simple and effective. It can be summarised as follows: ‘I didn’t start these troubles but I will work with you to find a solution‘.

Given the intensity of rapidly declining relations between Ankara and Washington over issues ranging from the S-400s to disagreements over Syria, Trump used his rhetoric effectively and now must work to fight back against the neocons whose stupidity could push Turkey out of NATO.
 
It looks like Portland Oregon is going down the toilet too, :-( . I haven't seen any coverage on Antifa in quite awhile and it looks like they're thriving in Portland. I believe this incident happened June 30, a journalist was attacked and others as well. Its hard to watch. Skimming through the videos on Portland/Antifa, I see this has been happening regularly for more then a year, started with the Trump election probably. Sen. Cruz calls for a Federal investigation into the mayor of Portland. He also interviewed a Google executive recently on the election tampering, leaked video, seems like he's getting more involved which is good.


A man peppered sprayed and another hit with a crow bar, apparently.


There is a bar in Portland that caters to Antifa, hosts fund raisers etc. called Cider Riot. Its bizarre to see people, hanging out at an outside bar, wearing black bandannas, pretty weird. Just to show you the place, here is a video from May first. There is another group called Patriot Prayer who are Antifa antagonizers and they filmed this clip. In some cities its elegal to wear a mask as these people do.
May 1,2019
 
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New Tucker Carlson Interview with Donald Trump is out, recorded after the G20 summit in Osaka. Quite interesting, especially Trumps statements about the US Role as Word Police (and by contrast Russia and China not doing so), peace, the almost attack on Iran and other things. Also, his statements about Facebook, Google, Amazon and Co. are interesting. Sound like it is not the whole interview yet though:

 
Something's up?

Conflicting reports concerning a trip to New Hampshire by VP Pence and an emergency call back to the White House, aborting the flight. Some reports state Pence was minutes from landing when the plane had to turn around, while Pence's staff claim Pence was on board Air Force 2 but the plane was still in Washington. This on the heels of a report coming out of Russia - of fourteen Russian sailors on board a deep water research sub who were killed in a fire while carrying out a survey of the sea floor. I can only speculate ... but maybe Trump suspects - espionage (with his focus pointed directly at the Pentagon)?

U.S. Vice President Pence abruptly cancels trip to New Hampshire
U.S. Vice President Pence abruptly cancels trip to New Hampshire
d7249b8a8acbbe283dc4751f43736fc3


WASHINGTON - U.S. Vice President Mike Pence abruptly canceled a planned trip to New Hampshire on Tuesday after being called back to the White House for an unspecified reason, White House officials said.

Pence's chief of staff, Marc Short, told Reuters there was no emergency after news reports that the vice president's plane was called back for an "emergency."

"The vice president was called back to the White House but there's no cause for alarm and we'll reschedule the trip soon," Short said.

Short said Pence's plane never actually left Washington.

The White House would not say what issue arose to keep Pence in place. A senior administration official said there was no medical issue involving Pence or President Donald Trump.

"Something came up that required the Vice President to remain in D.C.
There is no cause for concern. Everybody's fine," White House spokesman Hogan Gidley told reporters.

Pence had been scheduled to fly to Manchester, New Hampshire, to speak with former patients and others at the Granite Recovery Center, an addiction treatment facility, his official schedule showed.

Pence's abrupt travel cancellation sparks speculation
Pence's abrupt travel cancellation sparks speculation

Mike Pence isn’t exactly an international man of mystery. But his abrupt cancellation of a scheduled trip to New Hampshire on Tuesday morning set off a ground swell of speculation inside the Beltway — prompting reporters and pundits to contemplate the potentially global ramifications of the vice president’s sudden change of plans.

Pence was previously slated to travel to Manchester, N.H., to meet with former patients and alumni of the Granite Recovery Center at its headquarters, and deliver remarks on America’s opioid epidemic.

But his office confirmed to CNN that Air Force Two never left the ground, and deputy White House press secretary Hogan Gidley told reporters that Pence had entered the West Wing.

Something came up that requires the VP to remain in DC. There is no cause for concern,” Gidley said, according to PBS NewsHour.
Alyssa Farah, Pence’s press secretary, shared a similar talking point on Twitter. “Something came up that required the @VP to remain in Washington, DC,” she wrote. “It’s no cause for alarm. He looks forward to rescheduling the trip to New Hampshire very soon.”

Farah posted again roughly an hour later, tweeting Tuesday afternoon that Pence "never left Washington, DC. There was no ‘emergency callback.’ Something came up that required the VP to stay in DC. We’ll reschedule NH shortly.”

News of the adjustments to Pence's agenda came as contemporaneous reports surfaced that Russian President Vladimir Putin has shifted his own schedule to attend a meeting with Kremlin Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu. A fire aboard a Russian submarine killed 14 sailors earlier in the day.

But a senior administration official told White House pool reporters that Pence’s cancellation was not "related to national security."
Marc Short, Pence's chief of staff, said the vice president was aboard Air Force Two at Joint Base Andrews before he was summoned to the White House, where he and President Donald Trump took part in "other high level meetings," according to ABC News.

The issue that caused Pence to cancel his New Hampshire trip was "not a national security" concern, Short said, though Pence discussed it with Trump "briefly." Short told ABC that members of the media would learn "in a few weeks" what led to Pence's reversal.
The issue at hand also was not health-related and "not a personal or family issue," Short said, adding that no one within the administration would soon be fired, according to Bloomberg.

Rumors swirl as Pence cancels trip, Putin meets with Defense Minister, and White House tells different tales
https://www.rawstory.com/2019/07/ru...nister-and-white-house-tells-different-tales/
Mike-Pence-1.jpg


The Trump White House’s inability to keep secrets is causing some to wonder what’s going on after Vice President Mike Pence canceled a speech he was to deliver in New Hampshire and had his plane reportedly turned around to headed back to D.C.

This came just hours after reports that 14 Russian military officers and troops died in a submarine fire, and Russian President Vladimir Putin canceled a meeting to instead meet with his Defense Minister.

Pence’s White House spokesperson denied reports – even from Fox News – that there was any emergency.

“Vice President Pence’s abrupt decision Tuesday to abandon plans to fly to New Hampshire for an opioid event — and instead return to the White House — has prompted confusion and conflicting statements from members of his team, as administration officials refused to divulge the reason for the last-minute change,” Fox News, which daily runs interference for the Trump administration, was forced to report.

Here’s how Fox News originally reported the event:
CNN’s Brian Stelter notes Fox News reported Pence was “about to land in New Hampshire” and was “turned around.”

https://twitter.com/brianstelter/status/1146090122204602368?ref_src=twsrc^tfw|twcamp^tweetembed|twterm^1146090122204602368&ref_url=https://www.rawstory.com/2019/07/rumors-swirl-as-pence-cancels-trip-putin-meets-with-defense-minister-and-white-house-tells-different-tales/

Mike Pence abruptly cancels New Hampshire event
Mike Pence abruptly cancels New Hampshire event

July 02, 2019 - Vice President Mike Pence abruptly canceled a speaking engagement in New Hampshire on Tuesday so that he could attend to affairs in Washington.

A staffer for Pence told people gathered to hear Pence speak in Salem about the opioid crisis that the Vice President's flight had been diverted back to Washington.

White House Deputy Press Secretary Hogan Gidley said there was "no cause for alarm," urging calm amid questions on whether the president's health or national security were involved.

"Something came up that required the vice president to be in D.C.," Gidley told reporters at the White House. Reporters began to tweet that there may be an "emergency" situation.

Despite reports of Air Force 2 being minutes from landing, Farah further claimed Pence never left Washington.

Russia's Putin orders inquiry into accident with submarine
Russia's President Vladimir Putin meets with Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu to discuss a recent incident with a Russian deep-sea submersible, which caught fire in the area of the Barents Sea, in Moscow, Russia July 2, 2019. Sputnik/Alexey Druzhinin/Kremlin via REUTERS

Russia's President Vladimir Putin meets with Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu to discuss a recent incident with a Russian deep-sea submersible, which caught fire in the area of the Barents Sea, in Moscow, Russia July 2, 2019. Sputnik/Alexey Druzhinin/Kremlin

Russian President Vladimir Putin has ordered an inquiry into an accident with a submarine, he told a meeting with his Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu on Tuesday.

Fourteen Russian sailors on board a deep water research sub were killed in a fire while carrying out a survey of the sea floor, the Russian defense ministry was quoted as saying by Russian news agencies earlier on Tuesday.

Russian blaze-hit vessel was nuclear-powered submarine: RBC cites source
A Russian defense ministry research vessel on board which 14 crew were killed in a blaze was a nuclear-powered AS-12 submarine, Russia's RBC media outlet cited an unnamed military source as saying on Tuesday.

Fourteen Russian sailors killed in submarine fire: ministry
Fourteen Russian sailors were killed when a fire broke out while their deep-water research submarine was carrying out a survey of the sea floor near the Arctic, the Russian defense ministry said on Tuesday.

Russia denies reporting 'gas explosion' in submarine incident: Interfax
Russia did not report a "gas explosion" to the Norwegian radiation authority after an incident on board one of its submarines,
the Interfax news agency quoted the defense ministry as saying on Tuesday.

Fourteen sailors die in submersible vehicle in Russian waters on July 1
Fourteen sailors die in submersible vehicle in Russian waters on July 1

MOSCOW, July 2. /TASS/. Fourteen submariners died in a fire that broke out in a submersible vehicle in Russian waters on July 1, the Defense Ministry said in a statement released on Tuesday.

"On July 1, fourteen submariners - sailors died in Russian territorial waters as a result of inhaling combustion products aboard a research submersible vehicle designated for studying the seafloor and the bottom of the World Ocean in the interests of the Russian Navy after a fire broke out during bathymetric measurements," the statement says.

The fire was extinguished "thanks to the self-sacrificing actions of the team," the statement says.

The submersible is currently staying at the Severomorsk naval base.

"The causes of the incident are being investigated. The Navy’s commander-in-chief is carrying out the investigation," the statement says.

Putin orders Defense Chief to fly to Severomorsk to ensure probe into submersible fire
Putin orders Defence Chief to fly to Severomorsk to ensure probe into submersible fire
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© Alexei Nikolskly/Russian president's press service/TASS

MOSCOW, July 2./TASS/. Russian President Vladimir Putin has instructed Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu to fly to Severomorsk to ensure a thorough investigation into the reasons behind the fire aboard a Russian navy submersible.

"I ask you to fly to Severomorsk in order to personally listen to the reports and to aim the commission to get to the bottom of the causes of the tragedy," Putin told the defense minister.

"I ask you to report to me personally upon your return," Putin said.

The President offered his deep condolences to the families of the sailors killed in the fire and ordered to provide any assistance possible to them.

"I offer my sincerest condolences to the families of those killed. Everything possible must be done to help and support them," the president said at a meeting with Sergei Shoigu on Tuesday.

The president stressed that the tragedy had occurred on board an uncommon research vessel. "The crew were top professionals. According to your early reports seven among the 14 casualties were captains I rank, two were heroes of Russia," Putin said. "This is a big loss for the fleet, for the army in general," the president emphasized.

Fourteen submariners died in a fire that broke out in a submersible vehicle in Russian waters on July 1, the Defense Ministry said in a statement released on Tuesday.

"On July 1, fourteen submariners died in Russian territorial waters as a result of inhaling combustion products aboard a research submersible vehicle" after a fire broke out on board as it was conducting bathymetric measurements, the statement says.

The fire was extinguished "thanks to the self-sacrificing actions of the team," the statement says.
 
Fourteen sailors die in submersible vehicle in Russian waters on July 1

Of note - this incident comes only three days after the conclusion of the G20 summit in Osaka, Japan on Friday June 28th.

Russia accused of cover-up over lethal submarine fire
A view shows Russian navy ships at the port of Severomorsk, Russia July 27, 2016. Picture taken July 27, 2016. REUTERS/Stringer

A view shows Russian navy ships at the port of Severomorsk, Russia July 27, 2016. Picture taken July 27, 2016. REUTERS/Stringer

Russian commentators have challenged officials for not releasing full details about an accident on board a military submarine that killed 14 sailors.

The incident took place on Monday, according to the Defence Ministry, but was not officially disclosed until late on Tuesday. Nearly two days on, there was still no word on whether the submarine was nuclear-powered.

Some Russian media accused officials of starving the public of details and drew parallels with the dearth of official information during the meltdown of a Soviet nuclear reactor in Chernobyl in 1986.

The ministry said on Tuesday the sailors had been killed in a fire on what it described as a deep-water research submarine surveying the seabed near the Arctic.

The type of vessel was not specified and there were few details of the circumstances beyond the fact that it had been in Russian territorial waters and the fire had been extinguished.

“Absolutely nothing is known at the moment - who, what... I don’t understand one thing: why did a day go by and only then did they make the statement about the deceased?” said Yevgeny Buntman, an anchor for the Ekho Moskvy radio station. “Why don’t we know their names? Is this normal?”

The Bell, a news site often critical of the government, wrote: “Nearly a day without information about the accident in a nuclear facility and the need to look out for Norwegian statements about the level of radiation should have given a shudder to those who remember the Chernobyl nuclear power station.”

Secret Sub
Norway’s authorities said on Tuesday they had not detected any abnormal radiation.

Asked on Wednesday if the vessel had a nuclear reactor on board, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov referred the question to the defense ministry.

He told reporters in a conference call that details of the submarine were classified, but that information had been provided in good time.

The media outlet RBC cited an unnamed military source on Tuesday as saying the submarine was an AS-12, which is powered by a nuclear reactor and designed to carry out special operations at extreme depths.

That vessel, nicknamed the “Losharik”, was launched in 2003 and is one of the most secret submarines in the Russian fleet.

Several hours before the official statement, blogger Yevgeny Karpov reported a fire on a vessel belonging to the Northern Fleet, but he then took down the report at the fleet’s request, he told the Meduza news site.

The fire is one of the deadliest submarine accidents since August 2000, when the nuclear-powered Kursk sank to the floor of Barents Sea, killing all 118 men aboard.

Authorities then, and in particular President Vladimir Putin, who was at the beginning of now almost two decades as president or prime minister, came under fire for their slow response and shortcomings in the rescue operation.

Some top secret data on Russian submersible accident to be kept under wraps - Kremlin
Some top secret data on Russian submersible accident to be kept under wraps — Kremlin

MOSCOW, July 3. /TASS/. Some data about the deadly fire onboard a Russian submersible in the Barents Sea is classified and won’t be made public, Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters on Wednesday answering a question on the vessel’s type.

"The Supreme Commander-in-Chief has all the information, but this data cannot be made public, because this refers to the category of absolutely classified data," Peskov stressed. "

"There is classified information, this top secret is kept in the interests of a state and national security," Peskov said, insisting that "this is absolutely normal practice, when information is not revealed, there is nothing illegal here."

Peskov declined to comment whether the submersible had a nuclear reactor, saying that this is a matter of the Russian Defense Ministry.

Russia's Putin signs law suspending INF disarmament treaty
Russia's President Vladimir Putin speaks during a news conference with Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe after the G20 Summit in Osaka, Japan June 29, 2019. Yuri Kadobnov/Pool via REUTERS

Russian President Vladimir Putin signed legislation suspending a 1987 nuclear missile treaty, according to the law published on Wednesday on an official government website.

'78% in US back Trump's decision not to strike Iran'
US President Donald Trump speaks to the press in the Oval Office at the White House in Washington, DC, on July 1, 2019. (Photo by AFP)

US President Donald Trump speaks to the press in the Oval Office at the White House in Washington, DC, on July 1, 2019. (Photo AFP)

A new opinion poll shows that a vast majority of American voters oppose a military conflict with Iran and express support for US President Donald Trump’s decision last month not to launch a military strike against the Islamic Republic.

The Harvard CAPS/Harris poll, released to The Hill newspaper on Tuesday, found that 78 percent of voters said they believed Trump’s decision to call off the strike on Iran was the right move.

The survey also found that 57 percent of respondents were against military confrontation with Iran if the US was not directly attacked by the country.

PressTV-Only 5% of Americans want war with Iran: Poll
PressTV-Only 5% of Americans want war with Iran: Poll


Tanks ordered by Trump roll into DC for July 4 pageant
PressTV-Tanks ordered by Trump roll into DC for July 4 pageant
A worker washes one of two M1A1 Abrams tanks that are loaded on rail cars at a rail yard on July 2, 2019 in Washington, DC. (AFP photo)

A worker washes one of two M1A1 Abrams tanks that are loaded on rail cars at a rail yard on July 2, 2019 in Washington, DC. (AFP)

Battle tanks were seen on a train in Washington on Tuesday ahead of a July Fourth celebration highlighting US military might that Democrats say President Donald Trump may turn into a re-election campaign rally.

Amid questions about the cost and tone of the event, White House officials said the Republican president will avoid politics and stick to patriotic themes in his speech in front of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington on Thursday.

Reuters photographed M1 Abrams tanks and other armored vehicles atop flat rail cars in Washington on Tuesday morning, a sign of the military firepower that will be featured, differing significantly from past annual celebrations of the 1776 Declaration of Independence.

For decades, US presidents have kept a low profile during the event, which typically draws hundreds of thousands of people to Washington’s monument-lined National Mall for a concert and fireworks.

This year, Trump plans to speak at a military “Salute to America” that will feature military bands and flyovers from the US Navy’s Blue Angels and Air Force One, the modified Boeing 747 that transports US presidents.

The event could also feature M1 Abrams battle tanks, a B-2 bomber, F-35 and F-22 fighter jets, and the Marine One helicopter that transports the president, the Pentagon said. Air traffic at nearby Ronald Reagan National Airport will be suspended during the flyovers and the fireworks, according to the Federal Aviation Administration.

c4472535-7af2-4039-89d0-7a9e894be8cb.jpg

A fire extinguisher sits near a row of loaded firework launchers at West Potomac Park ahead of Thursdays July 4th Salute to America celebration, on July 2, 2019 in Washington, DC. (AFP)

A VIP section set up near the Lincoln Memorial will be open to government officials and lawmakers, according to a White House official speaking on condition of anonymity. In previous years, government officials and other VIPs have watched the fireworks from the White House lawn.
 
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