Trump era: Fascist dawn, or road to liberation?

Had a look around, nothing much up to date, yet there are a few words of his own from a year ago that one can tease out some reasons perhaps (mainstream news link).

From some of the information I came across - Rear-Admiral John Ring has a very impressive military record in the Navy, working his way up through the ranks. He's also a naval flight officer (NFO). Ring took command of JTF-GTMO in April 2018. Digging deeper, it seems that Admiral Ring's greatest offense - is that he posses "a moral conscious"? Can't have that attribute at Gitmo!

Rear Adm. John Ring - Joint Task Force Guantanamo Commander
Rear Admiral John C. Ring > Joint Task Force Guantanamo > Bio Article View

Rear Adm. John Ring is a native of San Diego and was commissioned in 1988 through the Naval Reserve Officer Training Corps, University of Arizona after receiving a Bachelor of Arts in Economics and Political Science.

He holds a Masters in Strategic Studies from the Air Command and Staff College and in Public Administration from Auburn
University. He was designated as a naval flight officer (NFO) in May1990.

Ring’s command tours include USS Nimitz (CVN 68), USS Comstock (LSD 45) and the Black Eagles of Carrier Airborne Early Warning Squadron (VAW) 113.

Ring served at sea with VAW-123 on board USS America (CV-66) during Operation Iraqi Freedom. He was selected to serve as the Air
Defense Officer on board USS Chancellorsville (CG-62) and USS Port Royal (CG-73) where he qualified in Surface Warfare. Additional sea
duty assignments include VAW-112, Carrier Strike Force Training Pacific and as the executive officer of USS Nimitz.

Ashore, his assignments included Carrier Airborne Early Warning Weapons School (CAEWWS), Joint Theater Air and Missile Defense Office (JTAMDO), Joint Staff, J8 Directorate where he worked Ballistic Missile Defense issues and was aircraft carrier requirements officer for Commander, Naval Air Forces, Atlantic. Previously, Ring served as the executive assistant to the director, Air Warfare (OPNAV N98).

Ring’s awards include the Legion of Merit, Defense Meritorious Service Medal, Meritorious Service Medal, Strike Flight Air Medals, Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medals and other various personal and campaign medals. Ring was recognized as Hawkeye NFO of the Year and awarded the Navy and Marine Association peer selected leadership award.


Guantanamo Bay Admiral Fired Due to Loss of Confidence
Task Force Guantanamo conducted a change of command ceremony welcoming incoming commander Rear Adm. John C. Ring and bidding farewell to outgoing commander, Rear Adm. Edward B. Cashman here, Tuesday, April 17, 2018. He was relieved of command April 27, 2019 due to loss of confidence in his ability to command. (Jerry Saslav/U.S. Army)

A spokesman for SOUTHCOM told Military.com that Ring has been temporarily assigned duties at the command's Miami headquarters pending forthcoming permanent reassignment. He would not comment on the reasons for Ring's relief or any additional actions that might be taken.

Ring took command of JTF-GTMO in April 2018. A naval flight officer, he was commissioned in 1988 and previously served as the executive assistant to the Navy's director of air warfare. He has also completed command tours with the carrier Nimitz, the dock landing ship Comstock, and Carrier Airborne Early Warning Squadron 113.


Gitmo Task Force Commander's Firing Comes After Criticism of Detainee Treatment
Gitmo Task Force Commander's Firing Comes After Criticism of Detainee Treatment
Rear Adm. John Ring, Joint Task Force Guantanamo Commander, speaks to JTF Troopers during an All Hands meeting at the Camp Bulkeley Lyceum on May 17, 2018. (National Guard/Sgt. Zachary Tomesh/112th MPAD/JTF GTMO PAO)

Rear Adm. John Ring, Joint Task Force Guantanamo Commander, speaks to JTF Troopers during an All Hands meeting at the Camp Bulkeley Lyceum on May 17, 2018. (National Guard/Sgt. Zachary Tomesh/112th MPAD/JTF GTMO PAO)

Just one day before his abrupt firing as commander of detention facilities at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, Rear Adm. John Ring said publicly that detainees there may not be receiving adequate medical treatment.

On Friday, Ring was quoted in a Defense One article as questioning the U.S. policy that prevents the transfer of detainees to the United States, even in the case of a medical emergency.

"I'm sort of caught between a rock and a hard place," Ring said in Defense One. "The Geneva Conventions' Article III, that says that I have to give the detainees equivalent medical care that I would give to a trooper. But if a trooper got sick, I'd send him home to the United States. And so I'm stuck. Whatever I'm going to do, I have to do here."

Ring was scheduled to move onto another assignment after a change of command in June, but his abrupt firing "had nothing to do" with his comments in the Defense One story, Army Col. Amanda Azubuike, spokeswoman for SOUTHCOM, told Military.com on Monday.

Guantanamo Bay currently houses 40 detainees, including Khalid Shaikh Mohammed, who allegedly planned the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks.

Ring was also quoted as saying that some of the detainees are "pre-diabetic" and could develop serious health conditions as they get older.

"Am I going to do dialysis down here? I don't know. Somebody has got to tell me that," he told Defense One. "Are we going to do complex cancer care down here? I don't know; somebody has got to tell me that."

Ring was relieved as a result of an investigation that began in March and ended in mid-April, before the Defense One story was published, Azubuike said.

The New York Times reported Sunday that Ring had been outspoken in the past about the facilities at Guantanamo Bay. Last June, he told reporters that the "top-secret prison where the military segregates high-value detainees, called Camp 7, would become inadequate as the prisoners aged," according to The New York Times.

The timing of Ring's firing seemed interesting, however, to human rights attorney Patricia Stottlemyer, who posted this tweet Sunday:

"JTF GTMO commander is fired days after he stated that the inadequate medical care at #Guantanamo placed him at odds with his obligations under the Geneva Conventions. There's a statutory bar on transferring detainees to US even for emergency medical care."

The bar on transfers has been part of the National Defense Authorization Act for several years, Stottlemyer told Military.com in an interview.

"The Senate has, for several years, included in its version of the NDAA a provision that would allow for the temporary transfer of detainees to the US for emergency medical treatment, but it has not made it into the final bill," said Stottlemyer, an associate attorney at Human Rights First, an independent advocacy organization.
 
From some of the information I came across - Rear-Admiral John Ring has a very impressive military record in the Navy, working his way up through the ranks. He's also a naval flight officer (NFO). Ring took command of JTF-GTMO in April 2018. Digging deeper, it seems that Admiral Ring's greatest offense - is that he posses "a moral conscious"? Can't have that attribute at Gitmo!

I think you are right angelburst29. Hope this aspect gets highlighted but I won't hold my breath. :nuts:
 
President Donald Trump on Friday held a lengthy conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin in which they discussed the end of special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation into Russia’s interference in the 2016 presidential election.

Friday May 3, 2019 - Trump discusses end of Mueller probe in hour-long call with Putin
https://www.rawstory.com/2019/05/trump-discusses-end-of-mueller-probe-in-hour-long-call-with-putin/

White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders, who informed White House reporters of the call between the two leaders, emphasized that both men discussed how they each “knew there was no collusion” between them.



Putin, Trump discuss nuclear disarmament, Venezuela, Mueller report during phone call
1220338.jpg

© Alexey Nikolsky/Presidential Press Service/TASS

Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President Donald Trump have held negotiations over the phone, White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders stated on Friday during a press briefing.

Sanders informed that the two leaders had discussed the outcomes of the investigation by US Special Counsel Robert Mueller, the situation in Venezuela and North Korea, as well as the prospects of prolonging the New START and signing a new nuclear disarmament treaty between Russia, the US and China. "They [Putin and Trump] discussed a nuclear agreement, both new and extended, and the possibility of having conversations with China on that as well," she stated.

The White House press secretary hailed the phone call as "overall positive". "They also talked about North Korea. They also spoke about Ukraine and Venezuela - an overall positive conversation," Sanders said, adding that the leaders have noted an increased level of trade between Russia and the USA.

Trump has held a phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin, in which he stressed the need for a peaceful transition of power in Venezuela, Sarah Sanders stated.

"The President reiterated the need for a peaceful transition (of power in Venezuela - TASS) and his focus throughout the conversation was on the need to help the people and make sure that the aid was actually getting to them and being delivered," Sanders told reporters.

Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov has confirmed the White House statements on the conversation between the two leaders.

"The conversation between Trump and Putin lasted for almost 1.5 hours," Peskov said.

Putin and Trump have confirmed their willingness to activate dialogue in various spheres, including strategic stability, during a phone call held on Friday. The leaders also discussed the issues of bilateral relations, paying special attention to economic cooperation, the Kremlin press service informs.

"At the initiatives of the US side, an extended phone call has been held between Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President Donald Trump," the press service stated, adding that the presidents have discussed "the current state and prospects of bilateral relations with a focus on economic cooperation". "The presidents have confirmed their mutual commitment to activate dialogue in various spheres, including on the issues of strategic stability," the message added.

This phone call is the first contact between Putin and Trump after the G20 summit, held in Argentina in December 2018. Back then, Trump cancelled a planned separate meeting with Putin, and the leaders had a short conversation on the sidelines of the forum.

In early 2019, Trump announced the US’ exit from the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty. On February 2, Kremlin suspended its participation in the treaty as well. Putin instructed Russia’s foreign and defense ministers not to initiate any contacts with Washington on this matter due to the US’ unwillingness to discuss the issues of strategic stability.


Trump hails phone call with Putin as productive
US President Donald Trump hailed Friday’s phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin as productive on Twitter.

"Had a long and very good conversation with President Putin of Russia. As I have always said, long before the Witch Hunt started, getting along with Russia, China, and everyone is a good thing, not a bad thing," Trump wrote.

"We discussed Trade, Venezuela, Ukraine, North Korea, Nuclear Arms Control and even the "Russian Hoax." Very productive talk!" he concluded.

Earlier, Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov confirmed the talks between Trump and Putin, adding that the phone call was held at the initiative of the USA and lasted for almost 1.5 hours.

This phone call is the first contact between Putin and Trump after the G20 summit, held in Argentina in December 2018. Back then, Trump cancelled a planned separate meeting with Putin, and the leaders had a short conversation on the sidelines of the forum.

In early 2019, Trump announced the US’ exit from the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty. On February 2, Kremlin suspended its participation in the treaty as well. Putin instructed Russia’s foreign and defense ministers not to initiate any contacts with Washington on this matter due to the US’ unwillingness to discuss the issues of strategic stability.


Agreement reached on Lavrov-Pompeo meeting in Finland, says senior diplomat
1220330.jpg

© Vladimir Gerdo/TASS

An agreement has been reached on a meeting between Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and US Secretary of State Michael Pompeo in Finland next week, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov informed TASS.

"Yes, the meeting has been agreed on," he said when asked to comment on remarks by a senior US Department of State official who said on Thursday that Lavrov and Pompeo could meet on the sidelines of the Arctic Council’s ministerial session in Finland on May 6-7.

Lavrov and Pompeo spoke over the phone on numerous occasions, but their full-fledged negotiations were held only once - during the Russian-US summit in Helsinki in July 2018.
 
Is Barr the key? A two-tiered criminal system? Attorney general Wlliam Barr, is he a traitor? Recruited by the CIA out of high school? Worked for George H. W.. Bush senior? You make the call.

Odd how the VPs often do the dirty work I think. Gee whiz who is VP now? (oh Pense).

Is Barr maybe more like damage control for past crimes?

Here is a video from a good ole "murican" boy (Seething Frog):



Q: (L) But because of all of us being so attached... Well, that's interesting. A couple of times, you've given messages to the group. Is there anything you'd like to say to the group?

A: Those of you who are waiting for "The Wave" to save or change you should be aware that you are really like the frog being gradually cooked.
 
Aren't they pushing this "anti-Israel-anti-Sematic-anti-Zionism" nonsense a little too far?

U.S. may review ties with countries deemed anti-Israel: envoy
U.S. Special Envoy for Monitoring and Combating Anti-Semitism, Elan Carr, gestures during his interview with Reuters in Jerusalem May 5, 2019. REUTERS/Ronen Zvulun

U.S. Special Envoy for Monitoring and Combating Anti-Semitism, Elan Carr, gestures during his interview with Reuters in Jerusalem May 5, 2019. REUTERS/Ronen Zvulun

The United States may review its ties with countries it deems as being anti-Israel after what a U.S. envoy said on Sunday was a shift in policy toward equating anti-Zionism with anti-Semitism.

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said in a March speech that anti-Zionism - opposition to Israel’s existence as a homeland for the Jewish people - was a form of anti-Semitism, or hostility toward Jews, that was on the rise worldwide and that Washington would “fight it relentlessly”.

The State Department’s special envoy for monitoring and combating anti-Semitism, Elan Carr, said this U.S. position could spell reviews of ties with foreign governments or leaders.

“The United States is willing to review its relationship with any country, and certainly anti-Semitism on the part of a country with whom we have relations is a deep concern,” he told Reuters during a visit to Israel.

“I will be raising that issue in bilateral meetings that I am undertaking all over the world,” he said. “That is something we are going to have frank and candid conversations about - behind closed doors.”

Carr declined to cite specific countries or leaders, or to elaborate on what actions the Trump administration might take.

“I obviously can’t comment on diplomatic tools that we might bring to bear,” he said. “Each country is a different diplomatic challenge, a different situation, number one. And number two, if I started disclosing what we might do it would be less effective.”

Some U.S. political analysts say that President Donald Trump and other Republicans hope support for Israel will attract Jewish voters, including those disaffected by pro-Palestinian voices within progressive Democratic Party circles.

At the same time, critics have credited Trump’s confrontational, nationalistic rhetoric with encouraging right-wing extremists and feeding a surge in activity by American hate groups. The administration has flatly rejected that charge.

Carr said the administration’s equating of anti-Zionism with anti-Semitism “certainly breaks new ground ... by making clear that something that a lot of us who are involved in the Jewish world and a lot of us who are proponents of a strong U.S.-Israel relationship have known for quite some time, and that is that one of the chief flavors of anti-Semitism in the world today is the flavor that conceals itself under anti-Zionism”.

... and this highly degrading nonsense - needs to stop!

Trump: U.S. backs Israel 100 percent against Gaza rocket attacks
FILE PHOTO - U.S. President Donald Trump talks to reporters during a meeting with Slovakia's Prime Minister Peter Pellegrini in the Oval Office at the White House in Washington, U.S., May 3, 2019. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst

President Donald Trump said on Sunday the United States fully supported Israel's response to a barrage of rockets fired from Gaza and called for an end to the Palestinian militant attacks, warning Gazans such actions would bring them "nothing but more misery."
 
I comprehend that, Honduran (and, from whomever country) illegal migrants should not get to the U.S., however, this news leaves me with a very bad taste in my mouth, it is well understood that the Israeli military are very brutal, and human rights does not even exist in their vocabulary.

1,000 Israeli Soldiers To Arrive in Honduras to Train Troops, Police on Border Protection
Honduras will receive 1,000 Israeli soldiers to train the country's army for border protection, fight against drug trafficking, investigation, and counterterrorism.

A multilateral military treaty between Honduras, Israel, and the United States will see the deployment of 1000 Israeli soldiers at Honduras. They will train the Armed Forces of Honduras (FFAA) and National Police (PN).

The main mission of the troops is to train for border protection to stop migrants fleeing Honduras to the U.S., especially children.

This would be the second time that Honduras is allowing foreign military personnel in the territory and the first time in Israel’s history to send troops abroad.

Apart from border protection, fight against drug trafficking, investigation, and counterterrorism will be offered as well.

According to local news media El Heraldo, the presence of Israeli soldiers is part of bilateral cooperation between the two countries before Honduras transferred its embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.

The Israeli army will share space with the Joint Task Force-Bravo (FTCB) of the U.S. at the Jose Enrique Soto Cano air base in Palmerola.

Honduras also has an agreement of more than a million dollars with Israel in terms of purchasing arms, military equipment, and repowering ships and planes. The 10-year agreement was signed in 2016.

The military training agreement was joined by the U.S. because they have a permanent military base in Palmerola and want Honduras to guard their borders due to an upsurge of migrants going towards the North American nation.

The agreement was discussed between Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernandez, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and the U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo during the inauguration of Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro.
 
I comprehend that, Honduran (and, from whomever country) illegal migrants should not get to the U.S., however, this news leaves me with a very bad taste in my mouth, it is well understood that the Israeli military are very brutal, and human rights does not even exist in their vocabulary.

1,000 Israeli Soldiers To Arrive in Honduras to Train Troops, Police on Border Protection

Just last week there were intense protests in Honduras against privatization, which included street battles and burning of buildings - just as Guaidó was trying his coup in Venezuela. But as you know, we heard all about the Venezuelan 'uprising', yet nothing at all of Honduras. Why? Because Honduras' president Juan Orlando Hernández, who came to power via an election fraud, has the blessings of the US. Now we know what the troops are going to use their Israeli training for.
 
The New York Times published a report based on 'tax information' that claims that between 1985 and 1994 he lost more than 1 billion dollars in his businesses:


Trump replied with a couple of tweets:


It seems that now that the Russiagate thing is over, they are moving into other sources of scandal.
 
A collection of reports, in the last three days, that gives a reliable account of current activities in US Foreign Policy, which highlight aggressive measures "taken by a select few" towards possible conflict and confrontation.

After Pompeo's meeting with Lavrov in Finland - Pompeo made a surprise visit to Baghdad. From Iraq, he's next stop was to be in Berlin but at the last moment "cancelled - citing - International Security issues"? President Trump is planning a June working meeting in London and upon the Berlin cancelation, Pompeo went directly to London.

"Talks between Lavrov and Pompeo are scheduled to take place in Sochi on Tuesday May 14".

Pompeo: Russia is "aggressive" in Arctic, China's work there also needs watching
U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo leaves the stage after speaking on Arctic policy at the Lappi Areena in Rovaniemi, Finland May 6, 2019. Mandel Ngan/Pool via REUTERS

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on Monday that Russia is behaving aggressively in the Arctic and China's actions there had to be watched closely as well, amid growing divisions in the polar region over global warming and access to minerals.

Arctic nations to meet amid tensions over environment, resources
FILE PHOTO: An iceberg floats in a fjord near the town of Tasiilaq, Greenland, June 18, 2018. REUTERS/Lucas Jackson/File Photo

Top diplomats from the United States, Russia and other nations which border the Arctic meet in Finland on Monday to discuss policies governing the polar region, as tensions grow over how to deal with global warming and access to mineral wealth.

Two U.S. warships sail in disputed South China Sea
The U.S. military said two of its warships sailed near islands claimed by China in the South China Sea on Monday, a move that angered Beijing at a time of tense ties between the world's two biggest economies.

China denounces U.S. 'concentration camps' remarks
FILE PHOTO: A gate of what is officially known as a vocational skills education centre under construction in Dabancheng, in Xinjiang Uighur Autonomous Region, China, September 4, 2018. REUTERS/Thomas Peter/File Photo

China denounced the United States on Monday for accusing it of operating concentration camps for Muslims in its far western region of Xinjiang, saying the accusations were divorced from reality.

China says urges U.S. to stop provocative acts in South China Sea
China said on Monday its navy warned U.S. ships sailing near islands claimed by Beijing in the South China Sea to leave the area and that the U.S. should stop such provocative acts.

China says trade delegation is preparing to go to the U.S.
China's foreign ministry said on Monday a Chinese delegation is preparing to go to United States for trade talks, after U.S. President Donald Trump said he would raise tariffs on $200 billion worth of Chinese goods this week and target hundreds of billions more soon.

Pompeo says he told Russia's Lavrov election interference is inappropriate
U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said he discussed concerns about interference in upcoming U.S. elections with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Monday and told him interference was "not appropriate."

Pompeo visits Baghdad, warns of Iranian activity
U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo smiles upon arrival at Baghdad International Airport in Baghdad, Iraq May 7, 2019. Mandel Ngan/Pool via REUTERS

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo made an unannounced visit to Baghdad on Tuesday and met with the Iraqi prime minister after telling reporters the United States was concerned about Iraqi sovereignty because of increasing Iranian activity.

Pompeo briefs Iraqi leaders on U.S. security concerns over Iran
Iraq's President Barham Salih meets with U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo in Baghdad, Iraq May 7, 2019.The Presidency of the Republic of Iraq Office/Handout via REUTERS

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo made an unannounced visit to Baghdad on Tuesday and met Iraq's prime minister and other top officials to discuss the safety of Americans in Iraq and explain U.S. security concerns amid rising Iranian activity.

B-52 bombers to be part of U.S. forces sent to Middle East over Iran concerns
FILE PHOTO: A U.S. Air Force B-52 (R) flies over Osan Air Base in Pyeongtaek, South Korea, January 10, 2016. REUTERS/Kim Hong-Ji/File Photo

The U.S. military said on Tuesday that B-52 bombers will be part of additional forces being sent to the Middle East to counter what the Trump administration says are "clear indications" of threats from Iran to U.S. forces there.

Pentagon says U.S. carrier, bombers sent to Middle East on 'credible threat' by Iran
FILE PHOTO: Acting U.S. Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan testifies before a House Appropriations Defense Subcommittee hearing on the  Department of Defense - FY2020 Budget request on Capitol Hill in Washington, U.S., May 1, 2019. REUTERS/Yuri Gripas

U.S. acting Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan said on Monday he had approved sending a carrier strike group and bombers to the Middle East because of indications of a "credible threat by Iranian regime forces," but did not provide any details on the underlying intelligence.

U.S. deploying carrier, bombers to Middle East to deter Iran: Bolton
The Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72) transits the Strait of Gibraltar, entering the Mediterranean Sea as it continues operations in the 6th Fleet area of responsibility in this April 13, 2019 photo supplied by the U.S. Navy.  U.S. Navy/Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Clint Davis/Handout via REUTERS

The Trump administration is deploying a carrier strike group and bombers to the Middle East in response to troubling "indications and warnings" from Iran and to show the United States will retaliate with "unrelenting force" to any attack, national security adviser John Bolton said on Sunday.

Europe ready to reimpose sanctions if Iran breaches nuclear deal: French official
Europe would have to reimpose sanctions on Iran if Tehran reneged on parts of the 2015 nuclear deal with world powers, a French presidency source said on Tuesday.

France suggests sanctions could be reimposed if Iran reneges on deal
International sanctions could be reimposed on Iran if it reneges on commitments under its nuclear deal, sources at the French presidency said on Tuesday, after Tehran said it would scale back its compliance a year after Washington pulled out.

Iran informs world powers it will stop 'some commitments' under nuclear deal: IRIB
Iranian President Hassan Rouhani speaks during Iran's National Nuclear Day in Tehran, Iran, April 9, 2019. Official Iranian President website/Handout via REUTERS

Iran has informed ambassadors from the United Kingdom, France, Germany, China and Russia of its decision to stop implementing "some commitments" under a 2015 nuclear deal, state broadcaster IRIB reported on Wednesday.

Iran's Zarif says Tehran not pulling out of nuclear deal: state media May 8, 2019
Iran's Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif sits for an interview with Reuters in New York, New York, U.S. April 24, 2019.   REUTERS/Carlo Allegri
Iran will reduce some "voluntary" commitments within its nuclear deal with world powers as a response to members' inability to resist U.S. pressure, but will not withdraw from it, state media on Wednesday quoted Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif as saying.

Russia and Iran blame U.S. for Tehran nuclear pact roll-back May 8, 2019
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and his Iranian counterpart Mohammad Javad Zarif attend a news conference in Moscow, Russia May 8, 2019. REUTERS/Evgenia Novozhenina
Russia and Iran condemned the United States on Wednesday, blaming it for what they portrayed as Tehran's forced decision to scale back some curbs to its nuclear program, while putting the onus on European powers to offer Iran sanctions relief.

Israel won't let Iran get nuclear weaponry: Netanyahu
FILE PHOTO: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks during a ceremony marking Memorial Day, which commemorates the fallen soldiers of Israel, at a monument in Jerusalem, May 7, 2019. REUTERS/Ronen Zvulun

Israel will not allow Iran to obtain nuclear weaponry, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Wednesday, reiterating a long-held Israeli position after Tehran announced it was scaling back some of its commitments under a 2015 nuclear deal.

Pompeo cancels Berlin trip at last minute
U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo attends the Arctic Council summit at the Lappi Areena in Rovaniemi, Finland May 7, 2019. Mandel Ngan/Pool via REUTERS

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has canceled a planned visit to Berlin on Tuesday, a U.S. Embassy spokesman said, citing scheduling reasons.

U.S. cited "international security issues" for cancellation of Pompeo's Berlin visit: German source
The U.S. administration cited "international security issues" as the reason for U.S. Secretary of state Mike Pompeo's visit to Berlin being canceled, a German government source told Reuters.

Berlin has no new date for visit from U.S.'s Pompeo after cancellation
Germany cannot yet say when U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo will visit Berlin after he canceled a previously scheduled trip on Tuesday to go to Iraq, a German foreign ministry spokesman said on Wednesday.

U.S. Secretary of State Pompeo's visit to London is going ahead, embassy says
U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo speaks during the Arctic Council summit at the Lappi Areena in Rovaniemi, Finland May 7, 2019. Mandel Ngan/Pool via REUTERS

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo's visit to London is going ahead this week after he canceled a visit to Berlin, a spokesman for U.S. embassy in London said.

~ Oh - too funny! Mike ... the "RED SOCKS" have got to go!"

No time to go 'wobbly': Pompeo scolds Britain over China and Huawei Thursday May 8, 2019
U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo meets with Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May at 10 Downing Street in London, Britain May 8, 2019. Mandel Ngan/Pool via REUTERS
U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo told Britain on Wednesday it needed to change its attitude towards China and telecoms company Huawei, casting the world's second largest economy as a threat to the West similar to that once posed by the Soviet Union.

Pompeo tells Britain on Huawei: We want secure 5G networks for U.S. intelligence
The United States wants Britain to ensure 5G networks are secure and has an obligation to demand that its intelligence is held safely, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said when asked about Huawei's role in Britain's new 5G network.

What would Thatcher have done? Pompeo warns Britain over China and Huawei May 8, 2019
U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo speaks at Lancaster House in London, Britain May 8, 2019. REUTERS/Hannah McKay
U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo attacked long-standing ally Britain over its attitude toward China and Huawei on Wednesday, saying it could impede Washington's sharing of intelligence with London.

U.S. relationship with Britain is thriving: Pompeo tells London
U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said the United States and Britain would continue to have a strong relationship regardless of the outcome of Brexit and President Donald Trump was eager to sign a free trade agreement with Britain.

U.S. expects every country to take back foreign fighters: Pompeo
U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo speaks during a joint news conference with Britain's Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt at the Foreign Office in central London, Britain May 8, 2019. Mandel Ngan/Pool via REUTERS

The United States expects every country will work to take back their citizens who fought for Islamic State in Syria, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on Wednesday during a visit to Britain.

~ "Acting" U.S. Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan applying pressure to North Korea.

North Korea fired "rockets and missiles" last week: acting Pentagon chief May 8, 2019
Acting U.S. Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan said on Wednesday that North Korea last week launched "rockets and missiles", the first time the Pentagon has detailed what they believe Pyongyang fired.

North Korea says recent rocket drill was 'regular and self-defensive': KCNA May 8, 2019
North Korean military conducts a strike drill for multiple launchers and tactical guided weapon into the East Sea during a military drill in North Korea, in this May 4, 2019 photo supplied by the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).  KCNA via REUTERS
North Korea's "strike drill" last week at which leader Kim Jong Un oversaw the launch of rockets and at least one short-range ballistic missile was "regular and self-defensive," the country's foreign ministry said on Wednesday.

U.S. 'gravely concerned' by human rights abuses in North Korea: State Department
North Korea's government has subjected its people to "egregious violations of human rights and fundamental freedoms" and the United States remains "gravely concerned and deeply troubled" by the abuses, the U.S. State Department said on Monday.

Trump supports plan for humanitarian food aid to North Korea: Yonhap May 8, 2019
U.S. President Donald Trump arrives at an event to celebrate the anniversary of first lady Melania Trump's “Be Best” initiative in the Rose Garden at the White House in Washington, U.S., May 7, 2019. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst
South Korea said that U.S. President Donald Trump supports the country's plan to provide humanitarian food aid to North Korea, Yonhap reported on Tuesday.

Pompeo disgusted by support in Britain and U.S. for Venezuela's Maduro May 8, 2019
U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on Wednesday he was disgusted to see politicians in Britain and in the United States continue to support Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro.

U.S. will need forces in Afghanistan until no insurgency left: Dunford
The United States will need to keep counterterrorism forces in Afghanistan until there is no insurgency left in the country, the top U.S. general said on Wednesday, suggesting a far longer military presence even after more than 17 years.

Lavrov, Pompeo to meet in Sochi on May 14

US Secretary of State Michael Pompeo and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov

US Secretary of State Michael Pompeo and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov © Anton Novoderezhkin/TASS

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and US Secretary of State Michael Pompeo have agreed to hold a meeting in the Russian Black Sea resort of Sochi on May 14, a source in the Russian Foreign Ministry told TASS on Tuesday.

"Talks between Lavrov and Pompeo are scheduled to take place in Sochi on May 14," the source said, adding that "the parties made the agreement at their meeting in Finland.".

(All I have to say ... I hope Pompeo has time to change his socks ... by the time he meets Lavrov ... again!)
 
"The Grayzone‘s Aaron Maté has done an interview with his father titled “America in denial: Gabor Maté on the psychology of Russiagate”, and it is the single best and most insightful political video I’ve ever seen. In 27 minutes it essentially describes the fundamental problems of our times, not just with Russiagate but with world politics as a whole, from the overarching behaviors of globe-dominating forces all the way down to the ways our own inner reluctance to face reality objectively helps to prop up those forces. So it deserves its own article."

 
"The Grayzone‘s Aaron Maté has done an interview with his father titled “America in denial: Gabor Maté on the psychology of Russiagate”, and it is the single best and most insightful political video I’ve ever seen. In 27 minutes it essentially describes the fundamental problems of our times, not just with Russiagate but with world politics as a whole, from the overarching behaviors of globe-dominating forces all the way down to the ways our own inner reluctance to face reality objectively helps to prop up those forces. So it deserves its own article."

Thanks for Posting the interview, Genero81! :-)

The Grayzone site has featured some excellent investigative reporting in the past. As an example, on Monday May 6th - they ran this article:

US State Department publishes, then deletes sadistic Venezuela hit list boasting of economic ruin
On April 24, six days before self-proclaimed Venezuelan “interim president” Juan Guaido’s attempt to violently overthrow Venezuela’s democratically elected government alongside a handful of military defectors, the U.S. State Department published a fact sheet that boasted of Washington’s central role in the ongoing coup attempt. After realizing the incriminating nature of its error, the State Department quickly acted to remove the page.

The Grayzone has obtained a full copy of the expunged report. The deleted page puts to bed any claims of Guaido’s independence from Washington, as the State Department emphasizes the fact that he “announced his interim presidency… in January” at the top of a section dedicated to breaking down “key outcomes” of U.S. efforts with regard to Venezuela.

U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for Western Hemisphere Affairs Kimberly Breier recently took to Twitter to claim that “since he became acting president, Juan Guaido has given tangible results to the people of Venezuela.” Her tweet was accompanied with an infographic detailing alleged accomplishments of the powerless coup administration based on data compiled by the legally defunct National Assembly, the only governing body actually controlled by Guaido.

But the Venezuela fact sheet posted and then deleted days earlier by the State Department told a dramatically different story.

Read the entire expunged fact sheet here [PDF] and at the end of this article. (Article continues.)

~~~
The copy of the expunged report clearly shows the deceiving practices used by a Federal "tax supported" governing body, to misinform the public, to the true circumstances our own Government Officials are exercising to over throw a foreign Country. Sadly enough, it also brings to light - how disorganized, incompetent and mis-managed our State Department is? When I see a news article and statement like this - I always have to look for "supporting evidence" because it's no longer "a trusted source"! Generally, it's pure propaganda!



Patrick J. Buchanan, featured on the Unz Review, often publishes a fairly decent overview of current American Politics.

Is Bolton Steering Trump Into War with Iran?
Is Bolton Steering Trump Into War with Iran?

Last week, it was Venezuela in America’s gun sights.

“While a peaceful solution is desirable, military action is possible,” thundered Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. “If that’s what is required, that’s what the United States will do.”

John Bolton tutored Vladimir Putin on the meaning of the Monroe Doctrine: “This is our hemisphere. It’s not where the Russians ought to be interfering.”

After Venezuela’s army decided not to rise up and overthrow Nicholas Maduro, by Sunday night, it was Iran that was in our gun sights.

Bolton ordered the USS Abraham Lincoln, its carrier battle group and a bomber force to the Mideast “to send a clear and unmistakable message to the Iranian regime that any attack on United States interests or those of our allies will be met with unrelenting force.”

What "attack" was Bolton talking about"?

According to Axios, Israel had alerted Bolton that an Iranian strike on US interests in Iraq was imminent.

Flying to Finland, Pompeo echoed Bolton's warning:
“We’ve seen escalatory actions from the Iranians, and … we will hold the Iranians accountable for attacks on American interests. … (If) these actions take place, if they do by some third-party proxy, whether that’s a Shia militia group or the Houthis or Hezbollah, we will hold the … Iranian leadership directly accountable for that.”

Taken together, the Bolton-Pompeo threats add up to an ultimatum that any attack by Hezbollah in Lebanon, the Houthis in Yemen, or Iran-backed militias — on Israel, Saudi Arabia, the UAE or U.S. forces in Iraq, Syria or the Gulf states — will bring a U.S. retaliatory response on Iran itself.

Did President Donald Trump approve of this? For he appears to be going along. He has pulled out of the Iran nuclear deal and re-imposed sanctions. Last week, he canceled waivers he had given eight nations to let them continue buying Iranian oil.

Purpose: Reduce Iran’s oil exports, 40% of GDP, to zero, to deepen an economic crisis that is already expected to cut Iran’s GDP this year by 6%.

Trump has also designated Iran a terrorist state and the Republican Guard a terrorist organization, the first time we have done that with the armed forces of a foreign nation. We don’t even do that with North Korea.

Iran responded last Tuesday by naming the U.S. a state sponsor of terror and designating U.S. forces in the Middle East as terrorists.

Iran has also warned that if we choke off its oil exports that exit the Persian Gulf through the Strait of Hormuz, the Strait could be closed to other nations. As 30% of the world’s oil shipments transit the Strait, closing it could cause a global crash.

In 1973, when President Nixon rescued Israel in the Yom Kippur War, the OPEC Arabs imposed an oil embargo. Gas prices spiked so high Nixon considered taking a train to Florida for Christmas vacation.
The gas price surge so damaged Nixon’s standing with the public that it became a contributing factor in the drive for impeachment.

Today, Trump’s approval rating in the Gallup Poll has reached an all-time high, 46%, a level surely related to the astonishing performance of the U.S. economy following Trump’s tax cuts and sweeping deregulation.

While a Gulf war with Iran might be popular at the outset, what would it do for the U.S. economy or our ability to exit the forever war of the Middle East, as Trump has pledged to do?

In late April, in an interview with Fox News, Iran’s foreign minister identified those he believes truly want a U.S.-Iranian war.

Asked if Trump was seeking the confrontation and the “regime change” that Bolton championed before becoming his national security adviser, Mohammad Javad Zarif said no. “I do not believe President Trump wants to do that. I believe President Trump ran on a campaign promise of not bringing the United States into another war.

“President Trump himself has said that the U.S. spent $7 trillion in our region … and the only outcome of that was that we have more terror, we have more insecurity, and we have more instability.

“People in our region are making the determination that the presence of the United States is inherently destabilizing. I think President Trump agrees with that.”

But if it is not Trump pushing for confrontation and war with Iran, who is?

Said Zarif, “I believe ‘the B-team’ wants to actually push the United States, lure President Trump, into a confrontation that he doesn’t want.”

And who makes up "the B-team"?

Zarif identifies them: Bolton, Benjamin Netanyahu, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed.

Should the B-team succeed in its ambitions --- it will be Trump's war and Trump's presidency will pay the price.

So now, you have a clearer picture of who dictates U.S. Foreign Policy (Israel) - who Bolton takes direct orders from (Netanyahu) and in the chain of command (Pompeo) who exercises and promotes Israel's demands ... and they "use" Trump, our President, as "the Fall Guy"... so they have a steady stream of "Blame Trump and it's ALL - Russian interference" to satisfy the Washington clowns and media presstitutes.

Pompeo returned to Washington to discuss Iran, North Korea: official
FILE PHOTO: U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo arrives before a Senate Appropriations Subcommittee hearing on the proposed budget estimates and justification for FY2020 for the State Department on Capitol Hill in Washington, U.S., April 9, 2019. REUTERS/Jeenah Moon/File Photo

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo cut short a European trip and returned to Washington for meetings on Iran and North Korea, a senior State Department official said on Thursday.

~ next - US media generated propaganda ...

Putin, battling ratings slump, reviews Red Square military parade
A veteran sits in a wheelchair in front of St. Basil's Cathedral after the Victory Day parade, which marks the anniversary of the victory over Nazi Germany in World War Two, in Red Square in central Moscow, Russia May 9, 2019. REUTERS/Maxim Shemetov

President Vladimir Putin watched intercontinental nuclear missile launchers roll across Red Square on Thursday as Russia put on its annual show of military might to mark the Soviet Union's World War Two victory over the Nazis.
 
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